Introduction 0 Gastrointestinal hemorrhage is a common reason for ICU admission.  The approach to severe upper GI bleeding is relatively straightforward (figure below).  A predictable approach facilitates planning ahead, and anticipating who needs to be contacted for help when.  0 0 Unfortunately, the approach to severe hematochezia is often less clear.  Below is a description […]

Introduction 0 In April 2013 a series of articles in Radiology debated whether contrast nephropathy still exists using modern contrast dye.  Two years later, the controversy remains.  This is a daily conundrum when managing critically ill patients: one radiologist will urge us to use contrast, while the next radiologist will caution us against using contrast. […]

0 Introduction 0 There is increasing recognition that sodium polystyrene sulfonate (Kayexalate) is ineffective for the immediate management of severe hyperkalemia (Kamel 2012).  With Kayexalate gone, there seems to be a gap in our treatment regimen.  I often encounter residents who know that Kayexalate isn’t helpful, but aren’t sure exactly how to treat hyperkalemia without […]

0 Introduction 0 Last summer I wrote a postabout preoxygenation and apneic oxygenation using high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC).  At that point there was no evidence supporting it, so the post was based primarily on the physiology of HFNC.  Recently two papers were published supporting the use of HFNC for preoxygenation and apneic oxygenation (Patel 2015, […]

  0 0 Introduction with a case 0 A 75-year-old man presents in transfer to the ICU for management of bradycardia and hyperkalemia.  His history is notable for hypertension with chronic use of an ACE-inhibitor.  He developed gastroenteritis due to endemic Norovirus some days prior.  Today he presented to the outside hospital with hypotension and […]

0 Introduction 0 Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) and Myasthenia Gravis (MG) are common causes of acute weakness.  About 25% of these patients may develop respiratory failure requiring intubation, so a major concern is determining who requires ICU-level monitoring and whether intubation should be performed.  Ideally it would be possible to predict with 100% accuracy which patients […]

Introduction: Problem of the premature standard of care 0 This issue has previously been discussed with regards to heparin and thrombolysis for submissive pulmonary embolism.  Heparin was adopted as treatment for PE before the era of evidence-based medicine.  Although heparin prevents further clot formation, it probably doesn’t have any immediate effect on hemodynamic stability.  Regardless, […]

Introduction 0 ACE-inhibitor induced angioedema (ACEI-AAG) accounts for about a third of angioedema cases presenting to the emergency department.  ACE inhibitors are increasingly popular, with the new JNC 8 guidelines up-grading them to a first-line drug for hypertension.  Thus, ACEI-AAG may represent a growing problem.  Unfortunately, this is often treated incorrectly, with a medication regimen […]

  0 Introduction 0 Recently point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) has risen in prominence within acute care medicine.  It has been shown to provide immediate and critical information about a variety of conditions ranging from nephrolithiasis to pulmonary edema.  However, POCUS is not without its critics, who point out weaknesses including detection of incidental findings (i.e., small […]

0 Introduction: Selecting the best balanced crystalloid 0 About six months ago, Genius General Hospital added Normosol to its formulary.  For those of you not familiar with Normosol, it is produced by Hospira and is essentially a generic version of Plasmalyte by Baxter (table below).   Although most evidence has been obtained with Plasmalyte, this is […]

0 Introduction 0 Last week Scott Weingart discussed a case of a profoundly hypoxemic patient with a failed airway which was salvaged by surgical cricothyrotomy (listen to it here).  Despite successfully resuscitating the patient there was some criticism later that perhaps a cricothyrotomy wasn’t absolutely required.  This reminds me of a case I’ve been planning […]

  0 Introduction  0 Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a true resuscitationist’s disease.  It is potentially quite lethal, with many series of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome reporting mortality in the range of 30-50%.  However, recent observational studies suggest that treatment with modern critical care, toxin-suppressive antibiotics, and IVIG may reduce the mortality to 10% (Linner […]

  0 Introduction 0 Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is critical to recognize because it can be rapidly lethal and yet is usually treatable.   TSS is a relatively new disease, first described in 1978.   The prevalence has increased over the last few decades due to shifts in the circulating strains of Group A streptococcus (Low 2013).  However, […]

  0 [PLEASE NOTE:  For the most complete & updated material on alcohol withdrawal, please see the Internet Book of Critical Care Chapter on this topic here] 0 Introduction 0 Recently the New England Journal published a review article about delirium tremens which is somewhat misguided (see a scathing critique by The Poison Review).  The […]

Introduction: Medicine is stressful.   Humor helps.   Here are some of the funniest medical videos I’ve seen.   If there is a video you love that’s not here, drop it in the comments section. Disclaimer:   These videos are intended only for healthcare professionals with intact senses of humor.   They contain some foul language.  Watch them at your […]