Lars-Kristofer Peterson, MD

The Furosemide Stress Test

Editor: 
Lars-Kristofer Peterson, MD

You admitted a 72 year old male to the ICU for septic shock from community acquired pneumonia. He required intubation and mechanical ventilation for failure to improve oxygenation with NIPPV and encephalopathy. He received broad spectrum antibiotics and a 30 cc/kg crystalloid bolus. His MAP was persistently in the 50s despite adequate fluid resuscitation and based on your exam he does not appear hypovolemic. Norepinephrine is started and despite adequate MAP he is oliguric. His only medical history is he was a previous smoker with COPD, HTN, HLD but normal renal function with a Cr of 0.8 two months prior. His Cr on admission is 2.2 and a foley is placed and his UA shows granular casts. He is not acidotic and his electrolytes are normal. 

You are concerned this patient is heading towards renal replacement therapy. He is adequately fluid resuscitated and has a MAP above 65 on a vasopressor but is still not making urine and has signs of ATN on urinalysis. Renal replacement therapy is an invasive procedure and has associated risks. If a patient has a chance to have renal recovery with a more conservative approach then this should be considered.  You wonder if there is a diagnostic test which can be used to assess the potential for renal recovery.

Tom Sewatsky, MD
Fri, 08/07/2020 - 3:00am
Topic: 
Critical Care
Category (Day): 
Friday

NIPPV in Hypoxic Respiratory Failure

Editor: 
Lars-Kristofer Peterson, MD

A 56 year old male comes to the ED via EMS after noting progressive dyspnea and fever.  In the field, the EMS team notes the patient is hypoxic with an SPO2 of 85%.  Despite the low oxygen saturation, he is only using minimal accessory muscles and he is alert and oriented.  His chest X-ray shows a right lobar pneumonia and he is requiring 6LNC oxygen to maintain a saturation greater than 90%. You know there is significant guideline evidence to support the use of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) for COPD and CHF exacerbations, but what about patients with other causes of hypoxia such as pneumonia?

Lars-Kristofer Peterson, MD
Fri, 07/24/2020 - 3:00am
Topic: 
Critical Care
Category (Day): 
Friday

BVM v. ETT in Cardiac Arrest and Pneumonia

Editor: 
Lars-Kristofer Peterson, MD

A patient is brought in by ambulance in cardiac arrest.  As is your practice, you start CPR and focus on bag valve mask ventilation (BVM) while the code gets started.  The patient is resuscitated and eventually intubated as they were not conscious after return of spontaneous circulation.  You wonder, if use of BVM is associated with an increased risk of pneumonia given that the airway isn’t defended as well compared to a cuffed endotracheal tube.

Lars-Kristofer Peterson, MD
Fri, 07/10/2020 - 3:00am
Topic: 
Critical Care
Category (Day): 
Friday

Updates in anaphylaxis

Editor: 
Lars-Kristofer Peterson, MD

A 46 year old woman arrives at the ED with hives, hypotension, difficulty breathing, and stridor after eating dinner with her family.  She is allergic to shrimp, and thought she had avoided it when she ordered from her favorite restaurant.  However, shrimp dishes are on the menu and she wonders if there was cross contamination.  Unfortunately, she couldn’t find her epinephrine auto-injector at home so her family drove her to the ED.  Immediately recognizing anaphylaxis, you give her a dose of IM epinephrine and she improves within several minutes.  After seeing she has stabilized, you wonder how long should she be observed and what the evidence is behind the use of antihistamine and glucocorticoid therapy.

Lars-Kristofer Peterson, MD
Fri, 06/26/2020 - 3:00am
Topic: 
Critical Care
Category (Day): 
Friday

When the PLT get LOW

Editor: 
Lars-Kristofer Peterson, MD

A 72 y/o male with PMH type 2 diabetes, CAD, HFrEF, HTN, and HLD is admitted to the MICU for frequent neurologic monitoring after an endovascular thrombectomy for an acute ischemic stroke caused by thrombosis of the M2 branch of the left MCA. While reviewing his chart, you notice that the patient was recently admitted for 1 week about 10 days ago for dyspnea secondary to acute decompensated heart failure. You also note on his admission labs that he is newly thrombocytopenic, with a platelet count of 80,000. His last platelet count on discharge was 250,000, and he has never been thrombocytopenic before. What is causing his thrombocytopenia?

Amanda Curry, MD
Fri, 06/12/2020 - 3:00am
Topic: 
Critical Care
Category (Day): 
Friday

BVM - Do no harm

Editor: 
Lars-Kristofer Peterson, MD

It’s been a busy day in the ED and you’ve had several cardiac arrests come in back to back.  EMS calls in with another one just as they’re hitting the door.  The patient is an adult, but you notice the BVM they’re using is much smaller than what you’re used to seeing.  The medic says “The day has been so bad, we didn’t have time to get back to base to restock the rig.  We only had a pediatric BVM.”  Knowing that safe ventilation includes limiting tidal volumes and pressures, you wonder what the implications of using a pediatric BVM are.

Lars-Kristofer Peterson, MD
Fri, 05/29/2020 - 3:00am
Topic: 
Critical Care

A relaxing RCT

Editor: 
Lars-Kristofer Peterson, MD

You sign out to the overnight team at midnight and stay an hour or so completing a laceration repair and finishing your charts.  It's been a chaotic afternoon and evening and the patina of COVID-19 didn’t make things any better. After your shift (and appropriate decontamination) you pass your hospital’s new resiliency resource room.  You wonder, “What would be more relaxing right now? Doing some deliberative coloring, petting a dog, or just heading home?”

Lars-Kristofer Peterson, MD
Fri, 04/17/2020 - 3:00am
Topic: 
Critical Care

To art line or not to art line?

Editor: 
Lars-Kristofer Peterson, MD

You are working in a busy ED when a patient who is 54 arrives with an acute onset headache associated with syncope but no focal neurologic deficits.  His physical exam is unremarkable but his BP is mildly elevated at 175/80. The patient’s head CT is consistent with an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.  You begin anti-hypertensive treatment, but wonder how reliable non-invasive blood pressure measurement is in this patient.

Lars-Kristofer Peterson, MD
Fri, 04/03/2020 - 9:14am
Topic: 
Critical Care
Category (Day): 
Friday

Pages