Approaching the critically ill patient
The ICU patient can be intimidating and scary. There are equal parts action and detail. It is hard to know how to approach these patients when you walk into the room or round on them. My approach comes from a physiological point of view. I first get the physiology addressed and then can look at the organ systems individually or the disease process. I look at the six processes listed below first.
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Resuscitation
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Hemodynamics
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Fluid Status
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Breathing
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Acid/Base
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Electrolytes
See the Blog/Video Lecture List!
Once these 6 issues are addressed, a more detailed approach by either organ systems or disease processes can be started.
One argument could be that knowing the disease process could make the correction of these 6 categories easier. Knowing they have a gastrointestinal bleed will help recognize hemorrhagic shock easier, and blood can be given to help with resuscitation. This is a fair argument, and the organ system or disease process evaluation certainly blends over into the initial approach, but focusing on physiology is what makes someone a resuscitationist.
New Video Lecture Series
I am videoing some lectures based on the topics that I have talked about. I will hopefully continue to do this throughout the year. If there are any blog topics you want comment on the blog and I will try to make a lecture.
My Medical Mind Map
