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.
What if everything we learned about shock was wrong—or at least too rigid? This episode reframes shock as a dynamic balance of stress and reserve. Key teaching point: Cap refill, mental status, and skin findings can reveal early shock despite normal BP.
What makes emergency physicians think differently? This foundational episode outlines the cognitive models and mindset that underlie expert-level emergency medicine. Key teaching point: Ask: sick or not sick—first.
When AFib meets instability, don’t jump straight to shock. This episode reframes unstable AFib through the lens of preload, afterload, and reversibility. Key teaching point: Rate slowing with BiPAP or nitro = AFib is likely secondary.
CO₂ of 81 doesn't always need a tube. This episode tackles compensated respiratory acidosis, cognitive traps, and true–true–unrelated thinking. Key teaching point: True, true, unrelated = don’t blame CO₂ for everything.
When is BiPAP the right tool? This episode covers patient selection, personalised settings, and targeted troubleshooting beyond 10/5. Key teaching point: Estimate baseline CO₂ using bicarb: every 4↑ = CO₂ 10↑.
This episode demystifies APRV using a ball-and-hill analogy—making sense of P-high, T-low, and how to safely set this advanced mode. Key teaching point: Watch the flow-time curve—don’t let it reach zero.
Can you spot breath stacking at a glance? This episode teaches how to read the flow curve for obstructive physiology—and what happens when you intubate a sick acidotic patient. Key teaching point: Shortening inspiratory time increases expiratory time, but may raise peak pressure.
This episode rethinks fluid resuscitation through the lens of preload, fluid responsiveness, tissue tolerance, and the stressed volume model. Key teaching point: You can be fluid responsive but not fluid tolerant.
Why CO₂ doesn’t drop despite high minute ventilation? This episode explains dead space physiology, how to identify it, and why flogging the lungs won’t help. Key teaching point: Big PaCO₂–ETCO₂ gap = dead space.
Alveolar recruitment, PEEP titration, and avoiding lung injury—this episode breaks down how to find the sweet spot without overdistending or collapsing the lung. Key teaching point: Clamp before disconnecting from vent to preserve recruitment.
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