Author of this lesson-

Dr. Sara Clements, FACEM

Dr. Hassan Zahoor, FACEM

Introduction-

In the critical care setting physicians often have to perform procedures to manage the patients’ condition. It is very important to understand when a procedure is needed in an emergency situation and to make all efforts to achieve that goal in a timely and safe manner. Some procedures are a necessary part of the life-saving resuscitation and doctors working in the critical care field should be able to perform them competently in those situations. In this section, some of those procedures will be discussed in detail.

The framework-

A structured framework for any procedure helps you prevent errors. An example of that framework is given below-

• Personal protective equipment
• Consent
• Indications
• Contraindications
• Preparation
  • Staff
  • Area
  • Equipment
  • Drugs
• Team time out- Correct patient, correct side, appropriate preparation and monitoring
• Procedure
• Complications
• Post-procedure care
• Documentation