Applications of minimally invasive cardiac output monitors

Because of the increasing age of the population, critical care and emergency medicine physicians have seen an increased number of critically ill patients over the last decade. Moreover, the trend of hospital closures in the United States t imposes a burden of increased efficiency. Hence, the identification of devices that facilitate accurate but rapid assessments of hemodynamic parameters without the added burden of invasiveness becomes tantamount. The purpose of this review is to understand the applications and limitations of these new technologies

Pneumothorax and subcutaneous emphysema secondary to blunt chest injury

This is the case of a patient with a history of blunt chest trauma associated with subcutaneous emphysema and pneumothorax. The patient complained of inspiratory stridor on presentation. Anatomical relationships can explain the pathophysiological process

A Rare Neurological Complication of Ranolazine

Myoclonus is not a known side effect of ranolazine. We report a case of myoclonus in a 72-year-old female who underwent cardiac catheterization for angina and was started on ranolazine after the procedure. Two days after ranolazine therapy on 1000 mg per day in divided doses, myoclonus developed, which severely impaired her normal activity. Her symptoms resolved 2 days after discontinuation of ranolazine. Ranolazine was resumed after discharge from hospital with recurrent myoclonus after two days of therapy. The causal relationship between ranolazine and myoclonus was suggested by cessation of myoclonus after ranolazine was discontinued

Failed Weaning from Mechanical Ventilation and Cardiac Dysfunction

Failure to transition patient from controlled mechanical ventilation to spontaneous breathing trials (SBTs) in a timely fashion is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in the intensive care unit. In addition, weaning failures are common in patients with limited cardiac reserves. Recent advances in cardiac echocardiography and laboratory measurement of serum biomarkers to assess hemodynamic response to SBT may provide additional information to guide clinicians to predict weaning outcome