Critical Care Scenarios

Brandon takes the reins to dispel five common misconceptions in critical care. He questions the effectiveness of diuretic infusions compared to intermittent boluses. The discussion includes the role of antipsychotic agents in treating ICU delirium, shedding light on their effectiveness. He also debates the merits of pressure control versus volume control in ventilation. Lastly, he highlights the importance of accurately interpreting troponin levels in patients with renal issues and emphasizes nuanced neurological assessments.

Back with returning guest Dr. Elliot Tapper (@ebtapper), gastroenterologist, transplant hepatologist, and director of the cirrhosis program at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, to talk about critical GI bleeding. Takeaway lessons Consider the Glasgow-Blatchford score to stratify risk and need for admission, GI consultation, etc. Octreotide (or terlipressin) is indicated in every cirrhotic … Continue reading "Episode 38: GI bleeding with Elliot Tapper"

Discussing a pickle of a topic: outside of academic milestones, how do we recognize, acknowledge, reward, and move towards clinical excellence in medicine after one’s training is complete? In fact… do we?

Back again with Dr. Ross Hofmeyr (@rosshofmeyr), anesthesiologist in the Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine at the University of Cape Town, to discuss an expert’s perspective on airway management in the COVID-19 patient. Takeaway lessons Good practices for intubating COVID patients are, by and large, good practices for intubating anybody. Using a standardized protocol, … Continue reading "Episode 37: Airway management for COVID-19"

The hosts dive into the fascinating world of focused point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in the ICU. They share insights on learning the technique through hands-on practice and expert guidance. Common applications like lung exams and vascular assessments are highlighted, along with the pros and cons of credentialing and billing challenges. They emphasize POCUS as a valuable clinical tool for quick decision-making in emergencies, rather than a precision instrument. Ultimately, they share practical strategies to enhance daily ICU use.

Back in the arena with one of our favorites, Matt Siuba (@msiuba), Cleveland Clinic intensivist and Mr. Zentensivism, to discuss complications in critical care and how to prevent and manage them. Today we focus on atrial fibrillation with RVR and bleeding after thoracentesis and related other procedures. Takeaway lessons Rapid atrial fibrillation in the ICU … Continue reading "Episode 36: Preventing and managing complications"

Conceiving, planning, and building your career as a critical care PA or NP. Determining if this field is for you, finding your first job, pinpointing your interests or “niche” during your early career, nurturing your growth during the mid-career period, and some thoughts on life and priorities in your late career.

Looking at trauma from the perspective of a surgeon, with a focus on the perennial dilemma of when a patient needs surgery. Our guest is trauma surgeon Dr. Dennis Kim (@traumaicurounds), associate professor of Clinical Surgery at UCLA and medical director of the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center SICU, as well as host of the Trauma ICU … Continue reading "Episode 35: When to operate in trauma with Dennis Kim"

Wrapping up our series on procedures with a talk about airway management. Who should manage airways in the ICU? What’s the role of intensivists, APPs, anesthesia, etc? What’s the “correct” balance of expertise, distribution of labor, and training? Our general approach to supraglottic airways, mask ventilation, intubation, cricothyrotomy, drugs, assessing airway anatomy, training, and more.

Evaluation of ischemic stroke, decisions for tPA and thrombectomy, supportive critical care, and monitoring for cerebral edema—with returning guest Thomas Lawson (@TomLawsonNP), nurse practitioner in the neurocritical care unit at OSU Wexner Medical Center and James Cancer Hospital. Thomas is now also a PhD student at the OSU College of Nursing where he studies the … Continue reading "Episode 33: Ischemic stroke with Thomas Lawson"