PulmCrit (EMCrit)

Abdominal compartment syndrome can result from primary abdominal pathology (e.g. bowel obstruction), but it can also occur due to systemic inflammation combined with large-volume resuscitation.  As such, abdominal compartment syndrome is probably more frequent than generally perceived, functioning as an occult driver of multi-organ failure.  Treatment is based upon physiological properties, involving many therapies aside from simply opening the abdomen. 

For decades, acetaminophen has been regarded as the first rung of the analgesic ladder.  It has a nearly unparalleled risk/benefit profile when dosed correctly (it’s not tremendously effective, but it is extraordinarily safe).  Theoretically, acetaminophen should be used very broadly among critically ill patients with pain.However, this isn’t the case. 

Myasthenic crisis along the fault-line between neurology and critical care medicine.  This creates a potentially dangerous situation, wherein nobody is fully informed or wholly responsible for the patient. 

Acetaminophen is in everyone’s medicine cabinet.  This makes it one of the more common intoxications.  At first blush, this might seem like an easy topic:  apply the nomogram, then give acetylcysteine.  Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple.  There are a variety of different presentations (e.g. acute, chronic, delayed), many of which will confound the nomogram.  […]

For generalists such as myself, there’s almost always a conference of interest going on somewhere in the world.  In the normal course of events, I would miss 99.9% of them.  However, twitter makes it possible for me to gain some insight from all of them. However, conference tweeting is far from perfect.  A large conference […]