The “anatomical heart” was approved with Unicode 13.0 in 2020 and added to Emoji 13.0 the same year. Its appearance varies based on the platform (Apple, Google, Samsung, Facebook, etc), but below, I’ve labeled the iOS version with relevant anatomy… because I got bored one morning. 🤓
A patient’s breathing pattern can help guide response to therapies and diagnostics. Normal breathing is regular and comfortable at a rate of 12-20 breaths per minute (bpm).
Virchow’s triad of stasis, vascular damage, and hypercoagulability contribute to thrombosis. Although patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are usually on pharmacologic anticoagulation (i.e., heparin), it’s still possible to form clots in areas of sluggish flow such as Y-connectors and the membrane oxygenator.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has a few basic parts: an inflow (“drainage”) cannula, mechanical blood pump, membrane oxygenator, heat exchanger, and an outflow (“return”) cannula. In a motor failure, pump flow can be maintained via a hand crank while troubleshooting the problem.
As an intensivist and cardiothoracic anesthesiologist, bronchoscopy is an incredibly common procedure I perform in the ICU (from in front of the patient) and OR (from behind the patient). A small camera on the end of a flexible tube is sent down an indwelling endotracheal or tracheostomy tube to visualize…
S1-Q3-T3 refers to an ECG pattern first described in the 1930s suggestive of cor pulmonale in a case series of patients with pulmonary embolism (PE). This pattern has the following findings: It’s important to remember that this pattern is NOT pathognomonic for PE. In fact, S1-Q3-T3 should be LESS associated…
The subcostal view of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is used to assess IVC diameter and respirophasic variation to gauge “volume status.” However, in my clinical practice, I find this technique fairly useless outside of the extremes. For example, an IVC diameter of 28 mm makes me less inclined to…
Surgicel is an oxidized cellulose hemostatic agent used to control bleeding. It creates a physical barrier to blood loss while promoting localized vasoconstriction and platelet aggregation within the matrix of fibers. Furthermore, due to a localized drop in pH (acidosis), Surgicel provides some degree of bactericidal activity.
Targeted temperature management (TTM) following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has been shown to confer survival and neuroprotective benefits. A 2016 review in Resuscitation found this to also apply to a wide scope of patients (unwitnessed arrest, persistent shock, non-shockable rhythms, etc.). Based on a 2013 NEJM RCT by Nielsen et…
P2Y12 receptor inhibitors like clopidogrel (Plavix), prasugrel (Effient), and ticagrelor (Brilinta) are powerful antiplatelet agents to promote anticoagulation in patients with acute coronary syndrome, peripheral artery disease, etc. Therefore, we often stop P2Y12 inhibitors for ~5-7 days before elective surgery and use a “Plavix effect” assay (more specifically, a VerifyNow…