ICUedu is an educational podcast series focused on emergency critical care fundamentals, created and hosted by Dr. Sara Crager, an emergency physician and intensivist.
With clinical appointments at UCLA and Antelope Valley Medical Center, Sara brings a wealth of experience to the series, aiming to demystify complex critical care concepts through concise, high-yield discussions.
Learn to spot and rescue right ventricular failure using physiology, not algorithms. From PVR to princess RV syndrome, this episode reframes pulmonary hypertension. Key teaching point: A hyperdynamic LV with a dilated IVC suggests RV dysfunction.
Forget memorising pressor tables—this practical guide reframes why, when, and which vasoactives to use in shock, based on physiology not tradition. Key teaching point: Norepinephrine is rarely wrong—but not always best.
An ABG with an anion gap, high sugar, and ketones? It looks like DKA—but turns out to be sepsis. Learn to dig deeper when the acid doesn’t budge. Key teaching point: Don’t trust protocols blindly—check if insulin is actually being delivered.
A hypoxemic patient looks like classic pneumonia—until you examine the abdomen. Learn the physiologic link between diaphragmatic pressure and respiratory collapse. Key teaching point: Look beyond the lungs in respiratory distress.
What if AFib isn’t the problem—but a marker of one? In this sick patient with RV failure and AFib RVR, learn how to de-stress before you cardiovert. Key teaching point: Start vasopressin and inhaled vasodilators before rate control.
Same ABG, three different patients—and three different meanings. Learn how bicarb and CO2 interplay in metabolic acidosis and why context changes everything. Key teaching point: Asthma with normal CO2 is danger, not relief.
Bicarb and calcium aren’t good or bad—they just need the right use. This episode reframes both in three categories: fixing, temporizing, or breaking a vicious cycle. Key teaching point: Push bicarb only if your patient can blow off CO2—or you do it for them.
Not all vent alarms matter—but two definitely do. Learn how to use peak and plateau pressures to troubleshoot the lungs, not the vent. Key teaching point: Use plateau pressure to determine if your problem is the ball (compliance) or the straw (resistance).
From coagulopathy to vasoplegia, this episode reframes hemorrhagic shock into four treatable domains—and gives a real-time framework for rapid MTP decisions. Key teaching point: Give calcium for every 4 units transfused.
LVADs are intimidating—but they don’t have to be. This practical episode breaks them down into five steps that turn panic into clear decision-making. Key teaching point: Low flow ≠ low perfusion. Always check MAP and mental status.
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