This is the first tutorial in the cardiovascular assessment module. In the tutorial I discuss heart rate, how it originates and how it is controlled. This is principally a discussion about sinus bradycardia and sinus tachycardia. I go on to discuss the parasympathetic nervous system and the sympathetic nervous system, how they function physiologically and how they are impacted by drugs that we administer and disease processes. I provide a detailed discussion of adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists.
I am now going to move on, in the Introduction to Critical Care course, to a systems based assessment of the patient where you are expected to compile measurements and observations from the clinical information system, radiologic system and monitors to construct an overview of the patient’s status. This is the crux of intensive care medicine and it is not easy. I am going to visit each system sequentially, and some systems will have multiple tutorials. By the end of this process, you will have compiled all of the data, assessed and processed it, and be ready for the big presentation.
The first tutorial in this part is an overview of patient assessment. It is relatively short but essential.
The Second tutorial in this sequence is on at neurological assessment in the ICU. It contains a discussion about the Glasgow Coma Scale, The Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale and CAM-ICU. I also cover the assessment of suffering (PAID) in critical care.
You will need to assess the patients neurologic status, whether or not they appear to be suffering and what interventions, both environmental and pharmacological, that you are administering to help them.
ORtoICU 