The concept of a denervated heart is a significant consideration in patients receiving orthotopic heart transplants. When these donor hearts are procured, there’s no…
The lethal triad in trauma – acidosis, hypothermia, and coagulopathy – defines much of what I do in the ICU and cardiothoracic ORs. It’s…
There are four classic disturbances in traditional acid-base equilibria: respiratory acidosis, respiratory alkalosis, metabolic acidosis, and metabolic alkalosis. The body tries to compensate for a primary…
Oh bicarbonate… how you’ve become the drug which elicits the majority of my soap box lessons on ICU rounds and in the operating room.…
Most organ systems have some form of autoregulation to provide a steady supply of blood flow and oxygen to maintain normal physiologic function. This…
Before reading this post, it’s important to understand the basic physiology behind breathing. Normally, intrapleural pressure (Pip) isnegative, but during a forced expiration, the…