Hyponatremia
Chapter 19 Hyponatremia Key Points 1 Hyponatremia is defined as a serum sodium concentration below 135 mmol/L. 2 Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte abnormality in hospitalized patients. 3 Patients…
Clostridium Difficile Infection
Chapter 12 Clostridium Difficile Infection Key Points 1 Recent antibiotic use and inpatient hospitalization are major risk factors for Clostridium difficile infection. 2 Cytotoxin assay is the gold standard for…
Acute Pancreatitis
Chapter 7 Acute Pancreatitis Key Points General 1 On admission, obtain: • Serum amylase and lipase. Levels three times the upper limit of normal are diagnostic. • Serum calcium and…
Heart Failure
Chapter 2 Heart Failure Key Points 1 Systolic heart failure (HF) is caused by impaired ventricular ejection of blood. Diastolic HF results from impaired relaxation and filling of the left…
Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Chapter 15 Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Key Points 1 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) refers to fixed airflow obstruction caused by chronic bronchitis (productive cough for at…
Community‐Acquired Pneumonia
Chapter 13 Community-Acquired Pneumonia Key Points 1 Aspiration pneumonia accounts for up to 15% of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) cases, and refers to a lung infection caused by inhalation of oropharyngeal…
Acute Asthma
Chapter 16 Acute Asthma Key Points 1 Asthma is a chronic inflammatory respiratory disease that is increasing in prevalence and accounts for $6 billion in health care costs annually. 2…
Hyperkalemia
Chapter 18 Hyperkalemia Key Points 1 Hyperkalemia is typically defined as a serum potassium concentration exceeding 5.0 to 5.5 mEq/L. 2 Hemolysis is the most common cause of pseudohyperkalemia (artifactual…
Acute Renal Failure
Chapter 17 Acute Renal Failure Key Points 1 Acute renal failure (ARF) refers to an abrupt decline in renal function. 2 There is no universally accepted laboratory definition of ARF….
