Respiratory monitoring
Chapter 34 Respiratory monitoring Andrew D. Bersten Clinical examination and the trend of vital signs such as respiratory rate (f), and quantity and nature of sputum are extremely important in…
Oxygen therapy
Chapter 24 Oxygen therapy Adrian T J. Wagstaff In mammals energy is provided by both anaerobic and aerobic respiration, the former being inadequate to provide adequate energy alone, so oxygen…
Management of cardiac arrhythmias
Chapter 18 Management of cardiac arrhythmias Andrew Holt CARDIAC ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY The electrophysiological properties of cardiac cells are important in understanding cardiac arrhythmias and their management. Cardiac cells undergo cyclical depolarisation…
Mechanical ventilation
Chapter 27 Mechanical ventilation Andrew D. Bersten Mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure (ARF) is now a routine aspect of patient management in the intensive care unit (ICU). The 1952…
Thyroid emergencies
Chapter 52 Thyroid emergencies Jonathan Handy Thyroid emergencies are a rare cause for admission to critical care. However, mortality is high unless specific treatment is provided in an expeditious manner….
Imaging the chest
Chapter 35 Imaging the chest Simon P G. Padley RADIOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES Of the imaging techniques available for investigating patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), the chest radiograph remains the…
Echocardiography in intensive care
Chapter 23 Echocardiography in intensive care Karl D. Donovan, Frances B. Colreavy Echocardiography refers to a group of interrelated ultrasound applications used to examine the heart and great vessels. The…
Disorders of consciousness
Chapter 42 Disorders of consciousness Balasubramanian Venkatesh NEUROANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF WAKEFULNESS A normal level of consciousness depends on the interaction between the cerebral hemispheres and the rostral reticular activating…
Acid–base balance and disorders
Chapter 84 Acid–base balance and disorders Thomas J. Morgan THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS The structural integrity of intracellular enzymes is essential for survival. Proton activity at enzymatic sites of action in cytosol…
Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and drug monitoring in critical illness
Chapter 79 Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and drug monitoring in critical illness Richard N. Upton, John A. Myburgh, Raymond G. Morris Pharmacokinetics (PK) is the study of the absorption, distribution, metabolism and…
