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Cardioversion and Defibrillation Arterial Catheter Bolus Intravenous Catheter (IV) Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) Central Venous Catheter Swan Ganz Catheter Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC line) Sequential Compression Devices Cardioversion and Defibrillation Cardioversion is the use...

Here are some issues with the heart and circulation that are seen in intensive care: Cardiac arrest Atherosclerosis Heart attack Aneurysms Arrhythmias Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Cardiac arrest A person is in cardiac arrest when their heart has stopped beating for any length of time. In the hospital...

Acid reflux medications These drugs can be used to limit the acidity of stomach contents or prevent them from refluxing up the esophagus. Insulin Insulin in normally produced by the pancreas. It is essential to allow the body to use sugars for energy. Insulin is used to reduce blood sugar to a...

Basics of Nutritional Support People who are admitted to the intensive care unit have unique nutritional needs. Sometimes they will need more protein or other nutrients to help them heal from illness or injury. If there are imbalances in fluid or mineral salts, they will need to be corrected as well...

Gastric reflux Ascites Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding Obstructions Ileus Pancreatitis Jaundice Malabsorption Cirrhosis Diabetes Portal hypertension Hypoglycemia Hepatic encephalopathy Hyperglycemia Gastric reflux Stomach contents travelling back up the esophagus. This can be a complication of...

The pancreas is a long, fish-shaped organ that sits behind the stomach on the left side of the body. It secretes a number of different substances needed to digest many different kinds of food into the small bowel. The pancreas also makes insulin and releases it into the bloodstream as needed. All...

The gallbladder is a small sac that stores bile made by the liver. Bile is needed to digest fat. The gallbladder releases bile into the bowel as needed.

The liver is the largest internal organ. It is located mostly under the rib cage on the right side of the body, and receives a large portion of the blood supply. Blood flows to the liver from the heart and from the veins carrying nutrients from around the intestines. The liver has over 500 different...

Urinary Catheter (Foley) A urinary catheter can be inserted into the bladder through the urinary opening in order to measure output. This is exactly how much urine the kidneys are producing. The input of fluids from drinking and IVs is measured as well. The output and input are compared and the...

The health of the kidneys is put at risk when a person has a severe infection, heart disease, medications that may hurt the kidneys, or previous problems with their kidneys. The kidneys can become overwhelmed by waste or toxic substances, or may be harmed by a lack of blood supply. The following are...