The year that the Case Summary was written (if known).
A patient with polytrauma develops compartment syndrome with an ischaemic leg 24hrs into his admission. He undergoes revascularisation and fasciotomies, but develops rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury with a CK that peaks at over 100,000.
Is there a role for mannitol and bicarbonate in the management of his rhabdomyolysis and AKI?Read More »
A patient underwent a laparotomy due to bowel perforation with peritonitis and septic shock and required ventilation for several days. He was sedated with midazolam and fentanyl. After extubation he became agitated overnight, pulled out his invasive monitoring lines and was attempting to climb out of bed.
How should his acute confusional state be managed?Read More »
A 65 year old woman developed a left lower lobe hospital acquired pneumonia following a elective laparoscopic procedure for which she was ventilated for 4 days. Twenty four hours post extubation, she developed hypoxic respiratory failure with bilateral patchy shadowing on chest X-ray. She was reintubated and subsequently grew Pseudomonas aeruginosa from tracheal aspirate.
How do we diagnose Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP)?Read More »
Critical illness has a significant effect on both patients and their families.
What can we do to improve support and the overall experience for relatives of our patients on ICU? Read More »
A young woman was admitted with respiratory failure requiring invasive ventilation. She had bilateral lobar consolidation and positive urinary pneumococcal antigen. She was ventilated with protective lung strategies but required FiO2 of between 0.8-1.0. A PEEP of 18 was set. She was ventilated for over 2 weeks, and was tracheostomised but was discharged from the ICU after 3 weeks.
How is PEEP utilised in the ventilatory strategies in the management of Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome?Read More »
A cardiovascularly fit 65 year old man was admitted with septic shock secondary to community acquired pneumonia, which progressed to multi-organ failure. During his recovery it was noted that he had generalised weakness with no focal neurology. He underwent respiratory weaning, and rehabilitation therapy over the next 4 weeks but had persistent weakness at his ICU discharge.
How can ICU-acquired weakness be diagnosed and managed?Read More »
A 28 year old male presented to the Emergency Department with an upper gastrointestinal bleed. This was managed with resuscitation and endoscopic diathermy and adrenaline injection This was his first presentation to secondary care with complications from his significant alcohol intake. He reported drinking at least 50 units of alcohol per week. Ultrasound examination demonstrated an enlarged liver with changes consistent with steatosis. On day 3 of his admission, he became tachycardic, tachypnoeic and increasingly lethargic. Examination revealed jaundice, bi-basal lung crepitations and mild confusion. Investigation confirmed an acute hepatitis by blood chemistry and repeat ultrasound. In the absence of any other cause, a diagnosis of acute alcoholic hepatitis was considered.
In patients with acute alcoholic hepatitis, does pentoxifylline reduce mortality?Read More »
A 55 yr old man developed severe necrotizing pancreatitis with multiorgan failure. One week into his illness he had developed multiple intra-abdominal collections and had high intra-abdominal pressures. Initial conservative management failed, percutaneous drainage of his collections failed to reduce the abdominal pressures, and he underwent decompressive laparotomy.
What is the evidence behind the current guidelines for the measurement of intra-abdominal hypertension and the use of decompressive laparotomy in the management of Abdominal Compartment Syndrome?Read More »
A 63 yr old woman collapsed at home and was brought into ED with a GCS of 3/15. She was a known hypertensive and hypercholesterolaemic. CT scan revealed a Fisher grade 3 subarachnoid haemorrhage. A ruptured middle cerebral artery was secured 24 hours later. She extubated on day 3 with a GCS of 13, but dropped her GCS to 10 on day 5 and was treated for vasospasm, which included continuing the nimodipine and simvastatin from her admission.
What is the evidence for ‘statins’ for the prevention of Vasospasm in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Haemorrhage?Read More »
A 67 year old with signficant cardiovascular comorbidities presented with a fractured neck of femur after a fall. She had a hemiarthroplasty performed under GA with fascia iliaca blocks, and went to HDU postoperatively. She became acutely confused during the first postoperative night with hallucinations and paranoia. She was CAM-ICU positive and was given haloperidol to control her agitation.
What is the optimum management of delirium on the ICU?Read More »
ICM Case Summaries 