physiology
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Education
Breathing Patterns
A patient’s breathing pattern can help guide response to therapies and diagnostics. Normal breathing is regular and comfortable at a…
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Medical
Left Atrial And Ventricular Pressure Throughout The Stages Of Diastole
The left ventricle’s (LV) variously arranged muscle fibers twist and contract during systole, storing potential energy as blood is ejected…
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Education
Hypernatremia And Free Water Deficit
Sodium (Na) fluctuations portend increased in-hospital death for ICU patients, and when working them up, it’s essential to determine if…
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Education
West’s Lung Zones
Alveoli that are well ventilated (V) should be associated with good pulmonary capillary blood perfusion (Q) to maximize gas exchange.…
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Education
Cardiac Action Potential
In order for the heart muscle to actually contract, the physiological process of excitation-contraction coupling must occur via an action…
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Education
Antibody Structure
With all the discussion surrounding antibody production after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, let’s talk about the structure of an antibody.…
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Education
What’s A P/F Ratio?
The P/F ratio is a simple way to assess the severity of hypoxemia. It’s the ratio of the PaO2 (arterial…
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Education
Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation
The Henderson-Hasselbalch (H-H) equation illustrates the incredibly important role of the bicarbonate buffer system comprised of the partial pressure of…
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Education
RK.md’s Perioperative And Critical Care Reference Sheet
Ever since finishing my fellowships, I wanted to create a free reference sheet (front and back) containing “high yield” information…
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Education
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC)
Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a life-threatening condition (hence the popular alternative definition of “death is coming”) affecting the coagulation…
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