Ventilators

 Ventilators -Early ventilators consisted of the generation of negative pressure around the whole of the patient’s body except the head and neck; these were called Cabinet or Iron lung ventilators. -A negative pressure could also be applied over the thorax and abdomen: Cuirass Ventilators. Classification: 1. Pattern of gas flow during inspiration: a) Pressure generators:Constant...

Read More

Complications of Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN)

Complications of Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) I. Catheter-Related Complications: -The hyperosmolarity of the dextrose and amino acid solutions requires infusion through large veins or central venous lines. 1-Misdirected Catheter: e.g., with subclavian vein cannulations – (mostly on the right) 10% resulted in misplacement of the catheter in the internal jugular vein. 2-Infection 3-Hematoma 4-Thrombosis II. Carbohydrate...

Read More

Acute Kidney Injury Biomarkers

Acute Kidney Injury Biomarkers I) Functional markers 1-Serum Creatinine (SCr): ➧ It is a degradation product of muscle cells and represents a surrogate for the efficiency of glomerular filtration. ➧ It has poor predictive accuracy for renal injury, particularly, in the early stages of AKI. ➧ In the case of critical illness, SCr concentrations are subject to large...

Read More

Bronchoscopy in ICU

Bronchoscopy in ICUIndications: A) Diagnostic:1-Investigation of an infectious process: ➧ Bronchoscopy and broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) are commonly used for the identification of pathogens in the lower airways in the following circumstances:  a) When it is not clear whether the presence of organisms represents infection or colonization.  b) When...

Read More