Topics to study before Trauma/neuro SICU internship

Ventriculostomies
Camino bolts
Spinal cord injuries
Subdural/epidural hematomas - what are they, what is the difference.
Subarachnoid hemmorages
Indications for craniotomies
Refresh your neuro A&P, including areas of the brain, blood flow pathways of brain and spinal cord, and CSF flow.

More to come as I think of them...

Come on, neuro folks - what am I missing here, 'cause I know this isn't everything!

Go to www.pearlsreview.com and look in some of their trauma CE's. Tampa General also has a GREAT (and FREE) CE website that has a lot of good trauma stuff to study.

Traumatic Brain Injury
Cereberal Ischemia
Assessment of the neurologically impaired
ICP and Monroe-Kellie theory
What s/sx would alert you to changes in ICP (when you don't have a bolt or EVD)
Propofol vs. midazolm in the neuro patient. Complications from propofol in the neuro patient.
Neuro Temps
Meningitis
Spinal Precautions
C-Spine injuries. Para vs. quad.
Bradycardia in neuro injury
vasospam in neuro injuries
Hypertonic saline use
Osmotic diuretics
Management of acidosis/CO2 in the head patient and how that affects ICP
Pentobarb comas
Subarachnoid, subdural, and epidural hematoma
Diffuse Axonal Injury.

Chest trauma
Myocardial Contusion
Care of the patient with chest tubes and s/p thoracotomy
Compartment syndrome
Abdominal compartment syndrome-->s/sx on the ventilator, assessment, lab changes, what do you do for it?

You will likely have lots of open bellies in a Trauma ICU. Open to vicryl mesh or cassette.

Multi system organ failure.
Sepsis and septic shock.

Trauma tends to use a lot of pulmonary artery catheters. Know your hemodynamic profiles of various shock states.

Acute renal failure
Rhabdo as a result of crushing injury

Dopamine, Epi, Vasopressin, Norepi, Neo, Dobutamine

the role of crystalloid vs. colloid in trauma. Transfusion in the trauma patient. The coagulation cascade. Vertebral artery injuries.



Just a few things to give you some stepping stones of what you'll see in a trauma ICU.

This month's "Critical Care Nurse" has a good CE article on Traumatic Brain Injuries - nice way to go in being "up" on the current EBP and looking like a rockstar.