The Shownotes on Low Risk Chest Pain The management of low risk chest pain in the US is founded on a number of tenets: If low risk chest pain patients are sent home and they have unstable angina, they will do worse than if we admitted them Provocative testing will identify patients who are safe […]
Archives for 2015
QT Prolongation and Torsades de Pointe
qt prolongation + bradycardia + ectopy leads to tdP
Lumbar Puncture (LP)
Foam Needs Soap Summary Traumatic tap 1 WBC:750 RBC (Roberts and Hedges) Tests to order: Cell Count Chemistries (Glucose, Protein) Culture/Gram Stain Latex Agglutination (If gram stain negative with suspicion) Cytology-if suspicion of tumor Fungal/AFB/Crypto/VDRL if immunocompromised If you suspect crypto, get opening pressures and closing pressures A measurement of opening pressure should […]
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Acute Stroke B1000 Bright, FLAIR dark
Thoracentesis
To find the level, use UTS or put stethoscope on the back and tap the sternum with your fingers… What to Send Red tube (LDH, protein, glucose, amylase, triglycerides, and perhaps albumin) Lavender (cell count) ABG syringe for pH CX bottles Two extra tubes Extra red to hold Bag for cytology (or green top) […]
Pulmonary Artery Catheters (PAC) / Swans
Pulmonary Artery Catheters ” a fool with a tool is still a fool.” Primer on PAC pressure interpretations: http://intensiveblog.com/puzzling-pac-pressures/ The reference range for PA pressure values is: RAP = 0-6 mmHg RV = 25/0 mmHg PAP = 15-30/5-15 mmHg PAOP = 2-10 mmHg Pulmonary Artery Catheter Insertion Is the PAC reallyyyy dead?? put hand on […]