Title: High-Yield Pearls for the ICU Patient Bording in the ED<br/>Author: Haney Mallemat<br/><a href='http://umem.org/profiles/faculty/785/'>[Click to email author]</a><hr/><p>
There have been so many great talks at ACEP 2013, but Dr. Michael Winters' talk "<strong>The ICU is NOT Ready for Your Patient</strong>" was chock full of great critical care pearls. Here are just a few:</p>
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Increased mortality for ICU patients boarding in the Emergency Department; the <strong>increase is 1.5%</strong> per each hour of delayed transfer.</li>
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Intubated patients should receive <strong>analgesia BEFORE sedation</strong>; fentanyl is recommended because hemodynamically stable, but you can use anything. Good analgesia will also reduce total sedative dosing</li>
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Use <strong>continuous capnography</strong> for the intubated patient; can detect equipment malfunction and allow titration of ventilation</li>
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Keep an eye out for <strong>abdominal compartment syndrome</strong>. Physical exam is not always conclusive, should obtain bladder pressures</li>
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Reduce the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia by keeping <strong>endotracheal cuff pressures</strong> adequate and keeping the <strong>head of bed elevated 30-45 degrees</strong></li>
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