AACN Essentials of Critical Care Nursing: Pocket Handbook

Mariannce Chulay, RN, PhD, FAAN, Consultant, Clinical Research and Critical Care Nursing, Chapel Hill, NC Suzanne M. Burns, RN, MSN, RRT, ACNP, CCRN, FAAN, FCCM is a Professor of Nursing, Acute and Specialty Care at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses is the world's largest specialty nursing organization, representing more than 400,000 acute and critical care nurses and serving more than 100,000 members, certificants and nurse constituents. Web site: www.aacn.org

Section I. Normal Values1.1 Normal Values TableSection II. Assessment2.1 Prearrival and Admission Quick Check Assessments2.2 Comprehensive Admission Assessment2.3 Review of Past History2.4 Ongoing Assessment Template2.5 Symptom Assessment2.6 Chest Pain Assessment2.7 Pain Assessment Tools for Critically Ill Patients2.8 Glasgow Coma Scale2.9 Glasgow Coma Scale: Motor Movement with Noxious Stimuli2.10 Sensory Dermatomes2.11 Peripheral Pulse Rating Scale2.12 Edema Rating Scale2.13 Physiologic Effects of AgingSection III. Cardiovascular Concepts3.1 ECG Lead Placement for a Three-Wire System3.2 ECG Lead Placement for a Five-Wire System3.3 Twelve-Lead ECG Placement3.4 Recommended Leads for Continuous ECG Monitoring3.5 Cardiac Rhythms, ECG Characteristics, and Treatment Guide3.6 Normal Twelve-Lead ECG Waves3.7 Normal ST Segment and T Waves3.8 Zones of Myocardial Ischemia, Injury, and Infarction3.9 ECG Patterns Associated with Myocardial Ischemia3.10 ECG Patterns Associated with Acute Myocardial Injury3.11 ECG Changes Associated with Myocardial Infarction3.12 Clinical Presentation of Myocardial Ischemia and Infarction3.13 Cardiac Axis3.14 Causes of Axis Deviations3.15 Nomogram for Rate Correction of QT Interval3.16 Advantages of Common ECG Monitoring Leads 3.17 pacemaker Codes3.18 Dual-Chamber Pacing Modes3.19 Intraaortic Balloon Pump Frequency of 1:23.20 Intraaortic Balloon Pump Frequency of 1:13.21 Inaccurate IABP Timing3.22 Universal Algorithm for Adult Emergency Carciac Care3.23 Algorithm for Ventricular Fibrillation and Pulseless Ventricular Tachycardia3.24 Algorithm for Pulseless Electrical Activity3.25 Asystole Treatment Algorithm3.26 Bradycardia Algorithm (with the Patient Not in Cardiac Arrest)3.27 Tachycardia Algorithm3.28 Electrical Cardioversion Algorithm (with the Patient Not in Cardiac Arrest)3.29 Problems Encountered with Arterial Catheters3.30 Inaccurate Arterial Pressure Measurements3.31 Problems Encountered with Pulmonary Artery Catheters3.32 Inaccurate Pulmonary Artery Pressure Measurements3.33 Troubleshooting Problems with Thermodilution Cardiac Output MeasurementsSection IV. Respiratory Concepts 4.1 Normal Chest X-Ray4.2 Mediastinal Structures Visible on a Chest X-Ray4.3 Acid-Base Abnormalities4.4 Indications for Mechanical Ventilation4.5 Traditional Wean Criteria (Pulmonary Specific)4.6 Burns' Wean Assessment Program (BWAP)4.7 Algorithm for Managing Ventilator Alarms and/or Acute Respiratory Distress4.8 Ventilatory Troubleshooting GuideSection V. Critical Care Drugs5.1 Intravenous Medication Administration Guidelines5.2 Neuromuscular Blocking Agents5.3 Vasoactive Agents5.4 Antiarrhythmic Agents5.5 Therapeutic Drug Monitoring5.6 Tips for Calculating Intravenous Medication Infusion RatesSection VI. Nerurological Concepts6.1 Intracranial Pressure Waveforms6.2 Functional Losses from SCI6.3 Clinical Presentation of Brain Tumors related to location6.4 Transfer Guidelines6.5 Transport within the hospital: Personnel and Equipment Requirements6.6 Monitoring During Transport6.7 Pretransfer Coordination and Communication6.8 Telephone Pages