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CERVICAL SPINE; C-SPINES; SPINE PRECAUTIONS The Cervical Spine , or " C-Spine " includes the first 7 bones (called vertebrae) of the spinal column (Image 1). The spinal cord is the large bundle of nerves that communicates information between the brain and the body. The vertebrae creates a long space...

NERVE PROTECTOR Nerve protectors are small pad that are placed under the elbows and sometimes the knees. They are use to reduce pressue on nerves that are close to the surface. Pressure on the nerves can lead to nerve damage that can cause muscle weakness. Image 1: Nerve protectors.

STABLE Stable is a term that is often used to describe a patient whose condition is unchanged. Stable means "staying the same". While stable means "no worse than before", we often describe patient's as stable when they are on maximum life-support. If there blood pressure and heart rate is stable, we...

CEREBRAL EDEMA ; BRAIN SWELLING RAISED INTRACRANIAL PRESSURE Any tissue in the body that has been injured will respond with an inflammatory response. Inflammation the bodies mechanism to recover from trauma, low levels of oxygen ( ischemia ), infection or any other form of tissue injury. The...

SKIN BREAKDOWN; PRESSURE ULCERS; DECUBITUS ULCERS Critically ill patients are at risk for many complications. Lying in bed can put pressure on the skin, especially in areas where bones are close to the surface (such as the tailbone and heels). Pressure cuts of the blood flow to the capillaries, the...

SKIN The skin is the largest organ in the body. It is our first line of defense against infection. It keeps us warm in the winter and cool in the summer and helps to support our body structure. The skin consists of 3 separate layers. The thin layer of cells closest to the surface is called the...

SYNCHRONIZED INTERMITTENT MECHANICAL VENTILATION; SIMV Synchronized Intermittend Mandatoryl Ventilation (SIMV) describes a method of providing mechanical breaths to a patient. An "SIMV of 12" means that the patient is getting 12 guaranteed (mandatory) breaths per minute from the ventilator. In the...

SEIZURE A seizure (or convulsion) is an abnormal electrical discharge of a brain cell. New seizures may develop following a brain injury or stroke. The most common type of seizure is a motor seizure. If the electrical discharge is in an area of the brain that controls movement, repetitive muscle...

SPONTANEOUS BREATHING TRIAL When a critically ill patient begins to recover, they may no longer need the mechanical ventilator to support their breathing. Once the amount of breathing support is low enough, the patient no longer needs blood pressure supporting drugs and the patient's underlying...

PRESSURE MONITORING In the critical care unit, we measure many different pressures within the body to help monitor the patient's condition. The most common type pressure monitoring is arterial pressure monitoring. The pressure in the right side of the heart, called CVP , is also measured frequently...