Show Notes
What is the microcirculation? How are terms like volume-status and fluid-responsiveness misleading? Join us as we sit down with Dr. Ross Prager to unpack and de-mystify the concepts of congestion and volume tolerance along with our survey of the tools of the trade as it relates to these terms. On this Critical Care Time episode we really get into the weeds on this stuff and even get theoretical at some points so it's NOT for the faint of heart! However, if you listen to us for the deep dives into physiology and if you want to level-up your ICU patient care, this is the episode for you! Listen, leave us some feedback and drop us a review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Critical Care Time
Julie Corley expected to be home by lunchtime. Instead, a routine left-heart cath became a five-month ICU stay involving cardiac arrest, ECMO, terrifying delirium, and a recovery that would reshape her family’s life.
We’re bringing back one of our deep dives into the world of critical care! Nick & Cyrus revisit inotropes, breaking down these essential medications and their role in managing cardiogenic shock. From the different types of inotropes to choosing the right agent for your patient, we cover the key concepts you need to know at the bedside. Plus, we clear up the often-confused difference between an inotropic and an ionotropic agent. It’s a reboot packed with practical critical care goodness!
In this episode of Critical Care Time, neurointensivist Dr. Sean Marinelli joins Nick & Cyrus to tackle brain death/death by neurologic criteria. We break down the prerequisites, neurologic exam, apnea testing, ancillary studies, and the challenging situations where things get complicated—including confounders, ECMO, and families struggling to understand how someone with a beating heart can have died.
Returning guest Dr. Sara Crager joins us again on Critical Care Time, this time to tackle one of the most important, and most commonly overcomplicated, topics in critical care: acid–base physiology. Rather than treating acid–base as a collection of equations and compensation formulas, Sara walks us through her practical State → Process → Story framework for rapidly interpreting blood gases and electrolytes at the bedside. We discuss how to distinguish acidemia from acidosis, interpret CO₂ in the context of bicarbonate, use the anion gap and strong ion difference to uncover mixed metabolic disorders, recognize the importance of chloride and albumin, and understand why a “normal” pH—or a “normal” CO₂—may be anything but normal. Along the way, we work through several real-world ICU cases involving chronic hypercapnia, DKA, vomiting, septic shock, renal failure, saline-induced hyperchloremia, and hypoalbuminemia. The goal isn’t more acid–base math. It’s a better mental model and a faster way to understand what your patient’s numbers are actually telling you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this week’s episode of Critical Care Time we had back to the basics again, this time with a focus on the ubiquitous Pulse Oximeter! We will talk all things Pulse Ox from how it generates values, how reliable those values are, what factors can confound your pulse ox and how best to use this powerful - yet imperfect - tool to deliver the best care possible for your patients. Check it out and let us know what you think! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.