Critical Care 1 – Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

This is the first case in a series looking at critical care medicine. Patients under the care of the critical care team may develop delayed complications of their illness or injuries. This patient with a spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage develops progressive hydrocephalus with need for hyperosmotic therapy and airway management.

Learner-Consultant Communication

In this case, learners will be expected to recognize that this 58-year-old female patient with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer has tamponade physiology secondary to a malignant pericardial effusion. The patient will stabilize somewhat with a gentle fluid bolus but the learners will be expected to urgently consult cardiology or cardiac/thoracic surgery (depending on the centre) for a pericardiocentesis and/or pericardial window.