Posts by Dr Peter Kas
Hanging
Hanging is one of the topics that comes up every now and then on an exam and infrequently into the emergency department. What are the key points? 2 Types of Hangings Suspension: rope tied around the neck and the person suspended so that the ligatures tighten. These are the most common forms of hanging presentation…
Read MoreGuidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of DVT and PE
This is a review of the updated guidelines on Diagnosis and Management of DVT and PE, which were released in March 2020 by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence(NICE). They now incorporate the use of age adjusted D-dimers and the PERC(Pulmonary Embolism Rule-Out Criteria). They cover the management of different causes of thromboembolism…
Read MoreLet’s MacGyver some equipment for COVID-19
We all remember MacGyver. He’d had a toothpick and a piece of thread and voila, he’s create a rocket launcher out of it. Far-fetched and fun. Well there are a lot of very clever and inventive Critical Care docs out there, who have invented a lot of stuff, primarily for treating the hypoxic covid-19 patient.…
Read MoreDoes the ARDSnet protocol increase mortality in COVID-19 patients?
The ARDSnet protocol is a low volume high PEEP protocol used in SARS-like illnesses. COVID-19 is not really behaving in the same way as SARS, in all patients. In some of these patients we see that the lungs are behaving like High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema(HAPE) and anecdotally the use of the ARDSnet protocol has been…
Read MoreTreating the Hypoxic COVID-19 Patient: Can low flow systems be improved?
Hi Everyone I hope you’re holding up out there. As we prepare for the onslaught that may come our way, I’ve been looking at the safest systems we have that we can use. How can we make these as safe as possible, because we don’t have negative pressure rooms in a lot of smaller centres.…
Read MoreIntubation in SARS-CoV-2
Here is a quick review of how we are approaching intubation of potential COVID-19 patients at our hospital. Please develop your own strategy and base it on your resources. The evidence for a lot of what is done is consensus-based. There is a lot of material coming out. Here is a quick summary. A new paper…
Read MoreAirway in COVID-19
I have a lot of questions. Here are some answers and a few resources for you. This is all uncharted territory. We have some evidence from SARS and other instances that we can use, but I don’t think that anyone really knows all the answers. We have Government Health services guidelines, which we all should be using…
Read MorePersonal Protective Equipment(PPE)
The fitting and use of personal protective equipment is so important to limit infection spread. We aren’t always the best at it. Sometimes we are too embarrassed to ask how to do it properly and we certainly can’t practice with every team member in the hospital, especially at times of greatest need, such as pandemics,…
Read MoreCOVID-19: Interview with a world expert
An interview with a world expert. Earlier this year I postponed the Singapore EMCORE Conference, due to COVID-19, but only after a lot of serious thought. The decision was the right one. We are now seeing the effects. With what would have been only 3 weeks away from that conference, conference leave is being cancelled all…
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