Abstract
The intensive care unit (ICU) provides the opportunity for pharmacists to have a specialized and unique practice. Caring for critically ill patients requires pharmacists to have additional knowledge and skills and to be able to conduct critical care assessments. Critical care assessments are performed daily for each patient due to their unstable conditions. Pharmacists assess patient medications, conduct a review of systems, and check microbiology, lab results, and other investigations regularly. Additionally, knowledge of special topics such as dosing drugs in patients with feeding tubes, decreased renal or hepatic function, or on dialysis is essential in ensuring safe drug use for all patients. Pharmacists’ involvement in the care of critically ill patients can make a significant impact on patient care, clinical outcomes, and can decrease patient morbidity and mortality.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bauer SR, Kane-Gill SL. Outcome assessment of critical care pharmacist services. Hosp Pharm. 2016;51(7):507–13.
Plummer MP, Blaser AR, Deane AM. Stress ulceration: prevalence, pathology and association with adverse outcomes. Crit Care. 2014;18(2):213.
El-Kersh K, Jalil B, McClave SA, Cavallazzi R, Guardiola J, Guilkey K, Persaud AK, et al. Enteral nutrition as stress ulcer prophylaxis in critically ill patients: a randomized controlled exploratory study. J Crit Care. 2018;43:108–13.
Arumugam S, El-Menyar A, Al-Hassani A, Strandvik G, Asim M, Mekkodithal A, et al. Delirium in the intensive care unit. J Emerg Trauma Shock. 2017;10(1):37–46.
Barr J, Fraser GL, Puntillo K, Ely EW, Gélinas C, Dasta JF, et al. Clinical practice guidelines for the management of pain, agitation, and delirium in adult patients in the intensive care unit. Crit Care Med. 2013;41:263–306.
Shapiro DS, Loiacono LA. Mean arterial pressure: therapeutic goals and pharmacologic support. Crit Care Clin. 2010;26:285–93.
Villar J, Blanco J, del Campo R, et al. Assessment of PaO2/FiO2 for stratification of patients with moderate and severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. BMJ Open. 2015;5:e006812.
Perner A, Gordon AC, De Backer D, Dimopoulos G, Russell JA, Lipman J, et al. Sepsis: frontiers in diagnosis, resuscitation and antibiotic therapy. Intensive Care Med. 2016;42:1958–69.
Kumar A, Roberts D, Wood KE, Light B, Parrillo JE, Sharma S, et al. Duration of hypotension before initiation of effective antimicrobial therapy is the critical determinant of survival in human septic shock. Crit Care Med. 2006;34:1589–96.
Trissel L. Handbook on injectable drugs. 19th ed. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists; 2016.
Peterson JJ, Hoehns JD. Administration of direct oral anticoagulants through enteral feeding tubes. J Pharm Technol. 2016;32(5):196–200.
White R, Bradnam V. Handbook of drug administration via enteral feeding tubes. London: Pharmaceutical Press; 2011.
Clermont G, Acker CG, Angus DC, Sirio CA, Pinsky MR, Johnson JP. Renal failure in the ICU: comparison of the impact of acute renal failure and end-stage renal disease on ICU outcomes. Kidney Int. 2002;62:986–96.
Pannu N, Gibney RN. Renal replacement therapy in the intensive care unit. Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2005;1(2):141–50.
Matzke GR, Aronoff GR, Atkinson AJ, Bennett WM, Decker BS, Eckardt KU, et al. Drug dosing consideration in patients with acute and chronic kidney disease—a clinical update from Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO). Kidney Int. 2011;80:1122–37.
Mahmoud SH. Antiepileptic drug removal by continuous renal replacement therapy: a review of the literature. Clin Drug Investig. 2017;37:7.
Mahmoud SH, Shen C. Augmented renal clearance in critical illness: an important consideration in drug dosing. Pharmaceutics. 2017;9(3):36.
Hubble SM. Acid-base and blood gas analysis. Anaesth Intensive Care Med. 2004;5:380–3.
Wargo KA, Centor RM. ABCs of ABGs: a guide to interpreting acid-base disorders. Hosp Pharm. 2008;43:808–18.
Casaletto JJ. Differential diagnosis of metabolic acidosis. Emerg Med Clin N Am. 2005;23:771–87.
Lee S, Kang KP, Kang SK. Clinical usefulness of the serum anion gap. Electrolyte Blood Press. 2006;4(1):44–6.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Mahmoud, S.H., Yearwood, C. (2019). Critical Care Assessment. In: Mahmoud, S. (eds) Patient Assessment in Clinical Pharmacy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11775-7_26
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11775-7_26
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-11774-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-11775-7
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)