Patient management in
surgical ICU
by
Dr. Radhwan Hazem AL-Khashab
consultant anaesthesia & ICU
2020
ICU, AL-jamhoryteaching hospital
What is meant by SICU?
A tertiary care facility in the hospital that provides a
state of the art medical care to critically ill patients
referred to it via different surgical department.
Indication of admission to
SICU
1. Surgical causes includes:
◼Pre and post-operative patients of ASA IV and V,
undergoing major and ultra major surgeries.
◼All craniotomy patients.
◼All thoracotomy patients.
◼All ultra major surgeries.
◼Unstable multiple trauma patients.
2-Severely injured patient : whether there is
indication for mechanical ventilation or not.
3-Medical factors: any previous medical problems in
which the anesthesia & surgery increase the severity of
pre-existing disease e.g. patient with COPD, restrictive
lung disease ,heart failure , uncontrolled DM or H.T. .
4-Perioperative complication :
Cardiac arrest , sudden hyper or hypotension, cardiac
dysrrhythmias , delay recovery from anaesthesia , oliguria
or anuria.
Generally speaking, any surgical patient who
requires continuous monitoring, 1:1 nursing
and /or continuous life support is a candidate
for SICU admission.
General care of critical patients
1. CNS relating care:
Pain , agitation , psychosis: what are the
causes ?
Management:Can be relieved by analgesia ,
sedative & antipsychotic drugs respectively
,especially if pat. Remain in ICU > one week.
LOC: Neurological assessment mainly by GCS.
2. Care of the eyes: Critical patients
especially coma patient need daily care of
both eyes.
Why?
This done by using eye medication , distal
water drops, plastering the lids
3. Careof Airway :
Natural airways
Care of oral cavity especially unconscious pat.
To avoid dryness of oral cavity due to mouth
breathing & 2dry fungal infection.
How?
Artificial airways:
-Frequent bronchial washout by distal water or
normal saline injected into ETT or Ts, with aid of
ambu bag & sucker to lubricate the retained
secretion & prevent tubal obstruction by clot or
dry crust .
Technique?
Note :
Contraindication to use sodium bicarbonate as
irrigation fluid , this will cause damage to
alveolar cells (pneumocyte type 2 ,surfactant
producing cells) which lead to alveolar collapse.
4. Alimentation:
Assessment of Nutritional Status
When to Feed?
Feeding Route:
1 -Enteral Feeding
2 -Parenteral Feeding:
-Central Access
-Peripheral Access
Monitoring to prevent complications.
5. Prophylaxis of Gastric upset :
Indications :
preexistinggastricillness , H.C.>250mg/d,
burn>35%, head inj. ICU stay, patient On MV ,sepsis
, hepatic problems , S.C. inj., hypovolemic or
hypotensive pat.
Types of drugs used :
H2-receptor antagonists (ranitidine,famotidine).
PPI ( lansoprazole, omeprazole)..
6. Fluids:
Aims : Tissue perfusion
O2 carrying capacity
Coagulation
What are the types of replacements :
Replacement of deficit.
Replacement of maintenance.
Replacement of loss (blood loss & 3
rd
space loss).
7. DVT prophylaxis :
Site , Predisposing factors, prophylaxis &
treatment
8. Infection:
Nosocomial inf.
Acquired outside hosp.
Predisposing Factors:e.g.
Extremes of age
Immunocompromized
Invasive procedures…..etc.
9.Renal :Monitoring of UOP is very
important in intensive patient :
oliguria is: If UOP < 0.5 ml/kg/h for
successive 2 h.
10. Prevention of bed sore:By using
pneumatic bed or changing position of pat. every 2
h.
12. Physiotherapy:
-Upper & lower limbs.
-Bladder
-Chest
13. Other care:
*Bowel :bedridden pat. tend to develop
constipation
* Catheter.
14.MV:
care of pat. On MV.
Indication, setting ,weaning
Indication of E.T.T.
1. Comatose patient: ( head injury : 1ry or 2dry).
2. Loss of upper airway reflexes
,( comatose patient, neuronal & neuromuscular
diseases ,e.g. guillain barre , myasthenia gravis ).
3.In patient need mechanical ventilation.
4. Upper airway obstruction .e.g. vocal cord paralysis
, acute epiglotitis, F.B. inhalation , faciomaxillary inj
.
Endotracheal tube size
Length (cm)Internal
diameter
Age
11 -122.5 –3 Premature
infant
123 –3.5 Full term infant
14+age/24+ age/4Child
21 –24
21 -23
7 -8
6.5 –7.5
Adult
Male
Female
Some of the equipment needed for tracheal
intubation.
Indication of
Mechanical Ventilation
1.Clinical parameters.
2.Mechanical parameters.
3.ABG parameters.
Indication of Mechanical Ventilation
1. Clinical parameters :-
❑C.N.S.: Restlessness , coma , loss of reflexes.
❑Resp.sys.: Apnea , tachypnea , resp. M. fatigue .
❑C.V.S.: dysrrhythmias , severe hypotension.
2. Mechanical parameters :-
❑R.R. > 35 B.P.M.
❑VT < 5 ml/kg. (tidal volume: each normal
breath cycle 6-10ml/kg).
❑Vital capacity < 15 ml /kg.
( vital capacity : maximum volume of gas that
can be exhaled after maximal inspiration 60 –
70ml/kg).
❑RSBI: RR/Vt(L) > 100. (60-100)
❑VD/Vt > 0.6 (normally less than 0.3)
Parameter of ventilator setting
1.Tidal volume: 6-10 ml/kg.
2. Respiratory rate : 10-18 BPM.
3. FIO2 ( O2 %): start with 100% & then decrease
according to SPO2 % every 4-6 h
4. PEEP: up to 5 cm/H2O.if there is no
hemodynamic disturbances.
5. Modes of ventilation:
-CMV: In patient with no any ventilatory
effort e.g.: spinal cord inj. above C3, or postop.
Residual muscle relaxant effect
-SIMV: In patient with insufficient ventilation.
Note:
O2% of inspired gas shouldn't be given
above 50% more than 10-20 h in adult age
& not more than 5-10h in pediatric age
group , because this may lead to O2 toxicity
with respiratory & non respiratory
complication.
Monitoring of ICU patient
1. Pulse rate
2. Blood pressure
3. Respiratory rate
4. Temperature.
5. SpO2: Measured by pulse oximeter which show any
evidence of hypoxemia, the normal value is above 90%
which correspond PaO2 of about 60 mmHg,
Note : tissue hypoxia start when SpO2 decrease below
75%which correspond PaO2 40 mmHg , so it's very
important to continue monitoring SpO2 frequently .
5. ECG.
6. UOP : Oliguria , UOP< 0.3-0.5 ml/kg for successive
two hours.
7. ETco2: This measure the concentration of CO2 in
exhaled gases which reflect the intra-alveolar
concentration of CO2, it's 4-5mmHg less than PaCO2 . (
normal value for PaCO2 35-45 mmHg).
8. Invasive parameter this done in certain cases &
not routinely, which includes : IBP , CVP , PAP ,ABG ,
9. Monitoring of mechanical ventilator parameters ;
O2% ,VT , RR ,Airway pressure, minute ventilation &
disconnection alarms.
Monitoring chart
يميلعتلا يروهمجلا ىفشتسم
يحارجلا شاعنلإاو ةزكرملأ ةيانعلا ةدحو
ضيرملا مسا : بيبطلا
يصاصتخلاأ:
رمعلأ :ةلاحلإا ناكم:
يلولأا صيخشتلا : خيرأت و تقو
لوخدلا:
Date of chart :-/ /2007
مدقلاا ميقملا يرودلا ميقملا
notedrugsOUT
PUT
ML
IN
PUT
ML
GCStempSPO2
%
RR
(BPM)
BP
S/D
)PR
(B/M
Time
Criteria for weaning From mechanical
ventilation
1.Clinical parameters:-
1. C.N.S. : Patient conscious ,oriented, ,intact reflexes
(e.g.: Gag &cough reflex).
2. Resp.sys .:Good M. power ,normal & regular breathing
.
3. C.V.S. :Normal hemodynamic state.
4. Metabolic state: No metabolic disorder
(i.e. no acidosis or alkalosis ).& No temp. Abnormality).
Criteria for discharging patients
from postanaesthesia care unit
Aldrete's score
*Activity: 2 = move four limbs.
1= move two limbs.
0= no movement.
*Respiration: 2 = normal regular breath & able to
cough.
1 = shallow breathing ( dyspneic).
0 = apnea
*Circulation : 2 = Bp ( 20% +/-) of preanaesthetic
reading.
1 = Bp( 20% -50 %+/-) of preanaesthetic
reading.
0 = Bp ( > 50% +/-) of preanaesthetic
reading.
*Consciousness: 2 = fully awake.
1 = arrousable on calling.
0 = non responding.
SpO2 : 2 = >92% on room air.*
1 = need O2 therapy to maintain SpO2 >90%.
0 = < 90% on O2 therapy.
*Scoring : patient can be discharged
from PACU when Score > 9 .
Case presentation :
M.A.4 years female sustained an blast injury to neck
associated with tracheal injury , patient developed aspiration of
blood to both lung , so patient developed sign of respiratory
distress , tracheostomy done for her.
Clinical assessment
The child was distressed , tachycardia , tachypnea, agitated.
SPO2= 60-66% on T-piece.
HR= 133-159 /BPM
RR> 47 /min.
PH=7.29
PaCO2> 52 mmHg
So patient have many parameters for MV , at start a SIMV
used to support her condition after stabilization of
metabolic state changed to PSV.
Patient start to improve in which an SPO2 = 89 –92%
& patient become quit .
CXR show diffuse opacities of both lungs.
On examination there was a sign of bronchospasm , so
start treatment which includes ( bronchodilator,
systemic steroids, nebulization with beta 2 agonist) in
addition to bronchial hygiene therapy.
On next few hours
On 2
nd
day with frequent bronchial lavage ,
the patient show more signs of improvement
of vital signs & hemodynamic parameters &
ABG result.
On 3
rd
day patient gets a good criteria for
weaning (SPo2 =91-93%), (HR=121-129
BPM),(PH=7.33),(PaCO2=39 mmHg).
So weaning starts & continue for few hours.
The patient discharged from SICU few days
later with complete improvement.