Oxytocin (Pitocin) is a neuropeptide hormone synthesized in the hypothalamus and stored in the posterior pituitary gland. Its biological function spans everything from "milk letdown" in lactation and uterine contraction during the latter stages...

Povidone-iodine (Betadine) is a topical antiseptic I use for patients with allergies/sensitivities to chlorhexidine before invasive procedures (chest tubes, lumbar drains, central lines, etc.) in the ICU and OR settings. During emergent cardiac surgeries,...

Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) is an antiseptic solution found in everything from the mouthwash patients receive while on mechanical ventilation to Tegaderm CHG dressings and Biopatches to cover everything from arterial lines to peripheral ECMO...

Isolyte® S is a balanced crystalloid solution created by B. Braun Medical Inc. As a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and intensivist, it's the crystalloid I use the most in the perioperative and ICU settings. Compared to...

Enoxaparin (Lovenox) is a low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) routinely administered subcutaneously (SC) for prophylaxis or treatment of deep vein thrombosis, acute pulmonary embolism, and even medically-managed STEMIs (+/- percutaneous coronary interventions). Remember that traditional...

Tigecycline (Tygacil) is an intravenous glycylcycline antibiotic used to treat a variety of skin/soft tissue infections, complicated intra-abdominal infections, and community-acquired pneumonia (NOT hospital/ventilator-acquired pneumonia). Glycylcyclines are structurally similar to tetracyclines with less antibiotic resistance...

The "banana bag" is a colloquial term referring to isotonic crystalloid fluid premixed with thiamine, folic acid, and a multivitamin (which creates the characteristic yellow coloration). Some clinicians opt for a banana bag when...

Synthetic human angiotensin II (Giapreza) is an intravenous vasopressor approved in late 2017 for septic or other distributive shock states. Normally, renin is released by the kidneys in response to decreased perfusion pressure in...