icu

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...

As a follow-up to my perioperative and critical care reference sheet, I've created a similar one for mechanical circulatory support (MCS). Same rules apply: This sheet doesn't constitute medical advice, and I'm NOT responsible for...

Code blues requiring advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS) can be anxiety-ridden for anyone. This post will not discuss the actual algorithms but rather what I call the "3 Cs" of running a good code...

Critical Care Anesthesiology (CCA) is a one year fellowship following the completion of an anesthesiology residency. The application process is run by San Francisco Match (SFMatch) and begins in November of the applicant's CA-2...

Percutaneous tracheostomy ("perc trach") is a procedure that is routinely performed at the bedside on patients who require prolonged mechanical ventilation or airway control due to an upper airway obstruction or for pulmonary hygiene....

Endotracheal tubes (ETTs) and tracheostomy tubes have pilot balloons which are inflated to expand a pilot cuff situated within the trachea below the vocal cords. This is termed a "secure airway." If this cuff is...

In severe COVID-19 pneumonia with refractory hypoxemia, patients are often proned (put on their abdomen), deeply sedated, and paralyzed to improve synchrony with the ventilator. The goal with proning is to create a more...

A pneumothorax occurs when air fills the pleural space between the lungs and chest wall. This can cause partial or total lung collapse leading to difficulties with alveolar ventilation, hemodynamic lability, etc. If a chest...