Part of the book: Explicative Cases of Controversial Issues in Neurosurgery
Monitoring is a cognitive aid that allows clinicians to detect the nature and extent of pathology and helps assessment of response to therapy. The cardiovascular system is the most commonly monitored organ system in the critical care setting. It helps identify the presence and nature of shock and guides response to resuscitation by detection of cardiac rate and rhythm, evaluation of volume state, cardiac contractility and systemic vascular resistance. Newer technologies allow greater assessment of oxygen delivery to vulnerable tissues. We discuss the nature, history, modalities and interpretation of the most commonly available haemodynamic monitoring methods in clinical use currently.
Part of the book: Intensive Care
Rapid response systems and MET teams are now recognised as integral components of patient safety measures in health care. While their roles have continued to evolve over the last two decades, most healthcare systems have adopted a model of ICU-led MET teams. We review the current role of ICU-led MET teams within the healthcare ecosystem, including their scope, structure, governance, and contribution to system-wide quality and safety approaches. We also explore the increasing input of rapid response systems into areas of health care not within the traditional remit of intensive care medicine, from end-of- life decision-making to clinical governance, and the increasing reliance of ward-based teams on support from their colleagues in ICU to provide safe, high-quality patient-centric care in modern healthcare systems.
Part of the book: Recent Updates in Intensive Care Medicine [Working title]