MarkHammerschmidt

MarkHammerschmidt

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All Content by MarkHammerschmidt

  1. What would you do for this patient?

    MarkHammerschmidt replied to UM Review RN's topic in CCU, Coronary, Cardiac

    It's simple enough - slowing a patient's rate when they're in rapid AF or whatever gives them better chamber filling time, so their pressure improves. Breaking the AF will also give them back their...

  2. Iabp

    MarkHammerschmidt replied to bullseye's topic in MICU, SICU

    Sure. Afterload is just SVR, which you get from your PA line numbers. Augmentation you measure manually on a printout, or by using a cursor on a screen-freeze, it's the difference between the...

  3. Is there a max dose of Levophed?

    MarkHammerschmidt replied to KevinS's topic in MICU, SICU

    We go as high as 100mcg/min, straight drip. This is usually a terminal situation

  4. New Graduates In The Icu?

    MarkHammerschmidt replied to Aaron Catmull's topic in General Nursing

    I can't get past the feeling that a new grad has enough on their plate just learning the basics of practice, without the added stress of the ICU. There are lots of pros and cons to this, lots of...

  5. New Graduates In The Icu?

    MarkHammerschmidt replied to Aaron Catmull's topic in MICU, SICU

    I can't get past the feeling that a new grad has enough on their plate just learning the basics of practice, without the added stress of the ICU. There are lots of pros and cons to this, lots of...

  6. "Slow" codes

    MarkHammerschmidt replied to txdude35's topic in MICU, SICU

    Another aspect... suppose an attending made a "wrong" call, and "allowed" a "clearly terminal" patient to pass away, possibly in good faith that everyone in the family had been in agreement... and...

  7. "Slow" codes

    MarkHammerschmidt replied to txdude35's topic in General Nursing

    Another aspect... suppose an attending made a "wrong" call, and "allowed" a "clearly terminal" patient to pass away, possibly in good faith that everyone in the family had been in agreement... and...

  8. Can't believe they do CRRT this way...

    MarkHammerschmidt replied to jbp0529's topic in MICU, SICU

    I think your concerns are totally on the money, and the resistance you're encountering is just what they used to call "chickens**t", in the service. We use four three-liter bags of replacement fluid,...

  9. Excellent Resources for Cardiac Nursing

    MarkHammerschmidt replied to VickyRN's topic in Cardiac

    My wife and I run a cottage-industry website, offering free-access FAQ articles for new ICU nurses, at http://www.icufaqs.org - we've got upwards of 20 files up now, which are being serially updated...

  10. "Blood Products and Transfusion" has been updated on the MICU faqs website...

    MarkHammerschmidt posted a topic in MICU, SICU

    Hi all - our article on blood transfusions, products, and the like has bee updated on the MICU faqs website, at http://www.icufaqs.org - let us know what you think? As usual, free of access, and all...

  11. "Foley Catheters for Beginners" is up on the MICU faqs website...

    MarkHammerschmidt posted a topic in General Nursing

    Hi all - a new article: "Foley Catheters for Beginners", is up on the MICU faqs website at http://www.icufaqs.org - this is the second in a series for new grads coming into the unit, covering topics...

  12. "Pressors and Vasoactives" has been updated at www.icufaqs.org

    MarkHammerschmidt posted a topic in MICU, SICU

    Hi all - our article on "Pressors and Vasoactives" has been substantially updated on the MICU FAQs website at http://www.icufaqs.org - let us know what you think?

  13. ICU FAQs for new orientees...

    MarkHammerschmidt posted a topic in CCU, Coronary, Cardiac

    Hi all - I'm a senior (too senior!) staff RN in a MICU in Boston. Recently I've started writing FAQ files for our new orientees, and they liked them enough that I've been encouraged to put them up on...

  14. "Sedation and Paralysis" has been updated at www.icufaqs.org ...

    MarkHammerschmidt posted a topic in MICU, SICU

    Hi all. Our file on "Sedation and Paralysis" has been updated on the MICU faqs website, at http://www.icufaqs.org - let us know what you think? As always, our materials remain free, and comments and...

  15. "Sedation and Paralysis" has been updated at www.icufaqs.org ...

    MarkHammerschmidt posted a topic in CCU, Coronary, Cardiac

    Hi all. Our file on "Sedation and Paralysis" has been updated on the MICU faqs website, at http://www.icufaqs.org - let us know what you think? As always, our materials remain free, and comments and...

  16. Slowly updating the MICU faqs...

    MarkHammerschmidt posted a topic in General Nursing

    Hi all. A quick note to say that we continue to (slowly!) update the articles at http://www.icufaqs.org - most recently we've started adding quiz questions at the ends of the files, in our own style,...

  17. "Reading EKGs II - a scary situation and a big save", is up on the MICU faqs site...

    MarkHammerschmidt posted a topic in MICU, SICU

    Hi all - after a really long break, we've got a new article up at http://www.icufaqs.org - "Reading EKGs II". Access to all our materials remains completely free. Let us know what you think?

  18. "Reading EKGs II - a scary situation and a big save", is up on the MICU faqs site...

    MarkHammerschmidt posted a topic in General Nursing

    Hi all - after a really long break, we've got a new article up at http://www.icufaqs.org - "Reading EKGs II". Access to all our materials remains completely free. Let us know what you think?

  19. I'm starting to hate ICU nurses

    MarkHammerschmidt replied to Mayflye's topic in MICU, SICU

    My experience has been that the nurses who do this the most are the ones who don't care much about the quality of their work...they know that they basically stink, and they compensate for it this way...

  20. "Nutrition" has been updated on the MICU faqs website...

    MarkHammerschmidt posted a topic in CCU, Coronary, Cardiac

    Hi all - our article on nutrition has been updated on the MICU faqs website at http://www.icufaqs.org - let us know what you think? Next up: "Pacemakers" - they've changed where you put the Zoll...

  21. ICU delirium (?) whaddayaknow?

    MarkHammerschmidt replied to ictucson's topic in MICU, SICU

    Yup, happens all the time. The only thing to do is to keep them physically safe, and if that means restraints and meds, then that's what you have to use. Get orders for everything, document everything...

  22. The MICU faqs continue to be updated...

    MarkHammerschmidt posted a topic in General Nursing

    Hello all. The MICU faqs at http://www.icufaqs.org continue to be updated - most recently: "PA lines" and "Reading EKGs". Currently under revision is "Med Tips", after that maybe "X-rays". As usual...

  23. Expert Advise Needed Quickly Regarding Cardiac Catherization

    MarkHammerschmidt replied to nurturing_angel's topic in CCU, Coronary, Cardiac

    Given the family history of diabetes and all, even without any documented renal problems, you might want to ask about pre- and post-cath doses of mucomyst /acetylcysteine, which does a nice job of...

  24. Please help: Online CCRN review course

    MarkHammerschmidt replied to Nuru99's topic in MICU, SICU

    Laura Gasparis Vonfrolio's study tapes are useful, comprehensive, and

  25. Communication for the vented patient

    MarkHammerschmidt replied to delta32's topic in MICU, SICU

    A trick you can try - if the patient can handle it saturation/ventilation wise, you can suction her airway and oropharynx, then ambu-bag her with the ETT cuff deflated. Briefly. With positive pressure...