Robert E. Fromm

Endocrinology and Metabolism Facts and Formulas

Alterations in endocrinology and metabolism are common in critically ill patients. Laboratory testing and interpretation of laboratory data play an important part in the management of these disorders.

Toxicology Facts and Formulas

Toxic ingestions and intoxications are common reasons for emergency department presentation and admission to the intensive care unit. The following formulas, facts, and laboratory values may help the acute and critical care practitioner diagnose and manage these patients.

Common Laboratory Values

The most common laboratory values used in the assessment of critically ill patients are presented in this chapter. They have been organized in alphabetical order and according to biologic source where (P) represents plasma, (B) blood, (S) serum, (U) urine, (CSF) cerebrospinal fluid, (RBCs) red blood cells, and (WBCs) white blood cells. These values are not intended to be definitive since normal ranges vary from hospital to hospital. Both traditional units and system international (SI) units are presented. The values may vary among different laboratories. We encourage the reader to consult their respective laboratory reference values.

Cardiovascular Facts and Formulas

The management of the critically ill patient requires considerable knowledge of cardiovascular performance, physiology, and the measurements of these parameters. Many therapies are aimed at altering one or more cardiovascular parameters, and, therefore, an understanding of the relation between these variables is essential.

Infectious Diseases Facts and Formulas

Sepsis and its complications is one of the leading diagnosis encountered in the critical care setting. The following formulas, facts, and laboratory values are presented as a complement to the practitioner’s decisions on diagnosis and management of infectious diseases in this setting.

Pulmonary Facts and Formulas

Pulmonary disorders are among the most common causes of admission to an intensive care unit and frequently seen in acute care medicine. The following formulas and facts are presented to aid in the diagnosis and management of patients presenting to the emergency department and the intensive care unit (ICU) with pulmonary conditions. Some of the formulas are not useful in the clinical area; however, their understanding is of paramount importance in understanding the normal and abnormal pulmonary physiology and therefore cannot be excluded from this chapter.

Gastrointestinal Facts and Formulas

Problems of the gastrointestinal system commonly result in ED visits and ICU admissions. In addition, critically ill patients may suffer from stress-induced mucosal injury, ileus, and hepatic dysfunction. The following formulas and facts should be useful in a broad range of ICU patients and patients presenting to the ED. Many additional important facts and formulas related to the GI tract can be found in Chap. 8.

Environmental Facts and Formulas

Physical factors such as temperature, pressure, altitude, and humidity affect gases in particular and, thus, should be well understood by the critical care practitioner. A number of useful tables, formulas, and figures follow. Thermal injuries are commonly considered environmental events, and, thus, these formulas and figures are included in this chapter as well.

Hematological Facts and Formulas

Patients in the emergency department and the intensive care unit frequently have hematologic problems. These include anemia, coagulopathies, and thrombocytopenia to name just a few. In evaluation these patients, many laboratory tests and indices are obtained. The following formulas will aid the critical care practitioner in evaluating these hematologic parameters.

Pediatric Facts, Formulas, and Laboratory Values

In no other area of critical care are formulas as important as in pediatrics. The large variation in patient size requires that simple rules of thumb be available to the critical care practitioner.