Smoke Gas Poisoning Irritant gases can cause tracheitis, bronchitis, and bronchiolitis with hyperemia, bronchospasm, excessive mucus secretion, and edema. In severe cases, an ARDS-like picture can develop with progressive lung fibrosis. Inspection of the pharynx and larynx before intubation should be done if soot and edema are present, using thin…

Cannabis It is estimated that 147 million people worldwide use cannabis. It appears to be most common in New Zealand, Australia, and the USA. Cannabis is also widely used in Europe, where 14.6 million, or 11.2 percent of all young adults (ages 15–34), have used cannabis at some point in…

Management of Patients with Acute Poisoning Most poisonings are self-inflicted, but not all. Acute poisoning can be caused by medications and drugs, but also by gases, chemicals, mushrooms, and other types of biological toxins. An initial assessment should try to determine whether the poisoning is intentional or accidental and whether…

Postoperative pain should be prevented with adequate pain management Paracetamol Paracetamol is a basic analgesic with relatively few side effects at therapeutic doses. The usual treatment for adults is 1 g four times a day for up to one week. Paracetamol can also be administered in cases of elevated liver…

Pain and Pain Management Assessing, investigating, and treating our patients' experience of pain is a fundamental part of all anesthesiological work. Expected pain should always be evaluated in the perioperative workup before surgical procedures, and in many cases, pain is the central medical issue both before and after surgery. Patients…

ROTEM Thromboelastogram (TEG) Thromboelastogram (TEG) is a viscoelastic analysis method that in vitro graphically illustrates the entire coagulation process in real-time (shows global hemostasis). TEG provides an overview of how blood coagulates during fibrin polymerization and shows the interaction between platelets, fibrin, and fibrinolysis. Thromboelastogram is also referred to as…

Definition of Thrombocytopenia Platelet count (PLT) < 150 x 109 Approximately 50% of ICU patients experience thrombocytopenia at some point Associated with higher mortality Increased risk of bleeding No lower risk of thrombosis Thromboprophylaxis at PLT > 30 Facts about Platelets Produced in the bone marrow Derived from megakaryocytes Average…

About Coagulation Administering thrombolysis and preventing thromboembolisms is common in conditions such as acute coronary syndromes, stroke, and other thromboembolic diseases. Hemostatic drugs are primarily used in trauma and surgeries with significant bleeding but can also be used in obstetric bleeding, pathological bleeding due to coagulation disorders, or in cases…

Practical Patient Care for Patients with Hemophilia By Nina Jurander, specialist nurse at the Coagulation Center, Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg. Reviewed by Fariba Baghaei, senior physician at the Coagulation Center, Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg. Assessment of a Patient with Hemophilia A hemophilia patient does not stop bleeding without…

Production of Blood Components A platelet unit is produced from whole blood by pooling platelets from 4-6 donors. Platelet concentrates are always leukocyte-reduced and contain < 1 x 106 leukocytes per unit. The concentrate is made from buffy coat, which is obtained by centrifuging whole blood. It also contains 100 ml of…