So you have a patient who is acidotic and hypotensive and you need to resuscitate them. Your agency/hospital has no care about their budget and doesn’t mind blowing money left right and center so you have access to the following vasopressors: Which of these would be most ideal for your hypotensive acidotic patient? If you …
pH Matters: How Acid-Base Balance Influences Vasopressor Selection Read More »
Hyperkalemia is a severe and deadly event which means there is an excessive amount of potassium in the blood. The normal concentration of potassium in the blood is around 3.5-5.0 mmol/L. Hyperkalemia is caused by many different things and it effects vital body functions. The causes of hyperkalemia can be broken down into three categories. …
Hot Air: The Importance and Basics of ETCO2 As professionals in the medical field. I believe that we have all attended a lecture or in-service training that was less than interesting. It was during one of these lectures that the idea for this article appeared. I am sure that everyone has heard the expression; “He …
Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy (Broken Heart Syndrome) Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy is a stress cardiomyopathy where there are ECG changes that show a STEMI along with increased troponin levels but there is no occlusion of the artery. Takotsubo is Japanese for a type of trap used to catch an octopus and the reason why this cardiomyopathy is called this, …
Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy (Broken Heart Syndrome) Read More »
A 40 Year Old Man with a WCT! What is Going On? Your patient is a 40 year old male with a chief complaint of weakness for two days. He was found on the ground by paramedics without any signs of injury. The patient states he slipped to the floor because he was weak and …
As I laid in bed for several days feeling like a truck had run me over and feeling like the Katy Perry song “Hot n Cold”, it got me thinking about a few things. 1. Why does a fever occur? 2. Should we allow a slight fever to help combat an illness? I feel like …
Hot and Cold: The Katy Perry Understanding of Fevers Read More »