Choose your treatment

•   Mechanical Ventilation

Purpose: Support or replace spontaneous breathing for patients with respiratory failure.

Type: Invasive (intubation) or non-invasive (e.g., BiPAP, CPAP).

• Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)

Purpose: Provides heart and lung support for patients with severe respiratory or cardiac failure.

Type: Veno-venous (for respiratory support) or veno-arterial (for heart and lung support).

• Vasopressor Therapy

Purpose: Elevate blood pressure in patients with shock (e.g., septic shock, cardiogenic shock).

Common Drugs: Norepinephrine, dopamine, vasopressin, epinephrine.

• Renal Replacement Therapy (Dialysis)

Purpose: Treat acute kidney failure by removing waste products and excess fluid from the blood.

Type: Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) or intermittent hemodialysis.

• Sedation and Analgesia

Purpose: Manage pain, anxiety, and agitation in critically ill patients, especially those on mechanical ventilation.

Common Medications: Propofol, midazolam, fentanyl, morphine.

• Intravenous Fluid Resuscitation

Purpose: Correct hypovolemia (low blood volume) and improve circulation in patients with dehydration, sepsis, or trauma.

Fluids Used: Normal saline, lactated Ringer's solution, albumin.

• Antibiotic Therapy

Purpose: Treat severe infections, such as sepsis or pneumonia.

Common Antibiotics: Broad-spectrum antibiotics like piperacillin-tazobactam, vancomycin, and meropenem.

• Blood Transfusion

Purpose: Treat patients with anemia, significant blood loss, or clotting disorders.

Types: Packed red blood cells (PRBCs), fresh frozen plasma (FFP), platelets.

• Central Venous Catheterization

Purpose: Administer medications, fluids, or monitor central venous pressure in critically ill patients.

Types: Central venous line, Swan-Ganz catheter for hemodynamic monitoring.

• Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition

Purpose: Provide nutrition to critically ill patients who cannot eat or absorb nutrients orally.

Methods:

Enteral Nutrition: Via a feeding tube (e.g., nasogastric or PEG tube).

Parenteral Nutrition: Intravenous nutrition (TPN - Total Parenteral Nutrition).

• Bronchoscopy

Purpose: Diagnose and treat lung problems, including removing blockages or obtaining tissue samples.

Use: Often performed in patients with respiratory failure or pneumonia.

• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

Purpose: Emergency procedure to restore circulation and breathing in cardiac arrest.

Components: Chest compressions, defibrillation, and advanced life support (ALS).

• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)

Purpose: Manage cardiac arrest, arrhythmias, or acute coronary syndromes.

Includes: Defibrillation, administering medications (e.g., epinephrine, amiodarone), and securing an airway.

• Therapeutic Hypothermia (Targeted Temperature Management)

Purpose: Protect the brain by lowering body temperature after cardiac arrest or severe brain injury.

Method: Cooling blankets, intravenous cold saline, or ice packs.

• Invasive Hemodynamic Monitoring

Purpose: Monitor cardiovascular function in critically ill patients.

Devices:

Arterial line: Continuous blood pressure monitoring.

Pulmonary artery catheter: Measures pulmonary pressures, cardiac output, and oxygen delivery.

• Tracheostomy

Purpose: Provide long-term airway support for patients unable to breathe on their own or requiring prolonged ventilation.

Procedure: Surgical opening into the trachea to insert a breathing tube.

• Chest Tube Insertion

Purpose: Drain air, blood, or fluid from the pleural space in patients with conditions such as pneumothorax or pleural effusion.

• Plasmapheresis

Purpose: Remove harmful substances, such as antibodies, from the blood in patients with certain autoimmune disorders.

Use: Conditions like Guillain-Barré syndrome or myasthenia gravis.

• Pericardiocentesis

Purpose: Drain fluid from around the heart in patients with pericardial effusion or cardiac tamponade.

• Surgical Interventions

Purpose: Perform life-saving surgeries in critical conditions such as trauma or major organ failure.

Types: Emergency laparotomy, craniotomy for head trauma, or thoracotomy for chest injuries.