Treatment

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Sedation, Sedate

Medication given to make the patient sleepy and possibly, forgetful (amnesia). This is to provide comfort as the breathing tube and mechanical ventilation can be uncomfortable or painful.

Mechanical Ventilation, Ventilation, Ventilate

Breathing support using a machine (ventilator) to help with breathing, oxygen delivery and carbon dioxide removal.

Vasopressors, Inotropes, Blood Pressure Medication

The use of medications to maintain blood pressure. This may involve a combinations of medications. The higher the doses or the greater number of medications needed usually implies a more critical condition.

Balloon Pump

A specialised device placed in the groin into the aorta (largest artery in the body) to assist the function of the heart.

ECMO, Extra-copororal Membrane Oxygenator

A specialised machine and circuit which can temporarily replace the function of the lung and/or heart. It involves the removal of blood from the patient and passing it through an oxygenator by a pump.

Hemodialysis, Continuous Vena-venous Replacement Therapy (CRRT)

Blood is removed from the body via a “Vascular catheter, Vasc cath, dialysis catheter” and processed in a specialized machine to remove excessive fluid, unwanted toxins and salts.

Tube Feeding

Provision of nutrition via a “Nasogastric tube (NG tube) or Nasojejunal tube (NJ tube)” with a variety of commercially prepared feeds.

Total parenteral feeding, TPN

Provision of nutrition via a drip. Commonly via a “Central line, central venous line, CVP”.

Blood transfusion

Administration of blood components (red cells, platelets, plasma, cryoprecipitate or albumin) to replace loss or deficiency.