Nurse Nacole ◂ Nursing Resources

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
Peripheral hypoperfusion from hypothermia, low cardiac output or vasoconstrictive drugs can substantially lower SpO2 accuracy, reduce precision, and prolong the time to detect a hypoxic event.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
Motion artifact and poor perfusion are the most common sources of SpO2 inaccuracies, which occur because the photoplethysmographic pulse signal is very low in these settings compared with the total absorption signal.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
The oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve must be taken into account when interpreting the SpO2. If the curve is in a normal position, then high SpO2 values (96%-98%) represent a PaO2 in the range of 80-100 mm Hg.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
The accuracy of pulse oximeters has improved over the years. In critically ill patients with an arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) >90%, it is now estimated that the mean difference between SpO2 and SaO2 is less than 2%.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
The standard pulse oximeter emits two wavelengths of red light (660 nanometers and 940 nanometers) from the light-emitting diode on one side of the probe, through the capillary bed, to a light-detecting photodiode on the other side.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
Pulse oximetry targets the signal arising from the arterial bed as light absorbance fluctuates with changing blood volume. Arterial blood flow causes signal changes in light absorption that can be distinguished from venous and capillary blood.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
Often considered the “fifth vital sign,” pulse oximetry is one of the most important technologic advances for monitoring patients during anesthesia, in intensive care, on the general ward, in the emergency department and during procedures.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
Pulse oximetry is a microprocessor-based measurement that incorporates both oximetry and plethysmography to provide continuous noninvasive monitoring of the oxygen saturation of arterial blood (SpO2).

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
In cases of shock, a low ScvO2 (less than 70%) is suggestive of insufficient DO2 and should prompt clinicians to increase DO2. Conversely, a high value of ScvO2 (greater than 80%) is suggestive of altered oxygen extraction capabilities.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
Insertion of an arterial catheter has been recommended in patients with shock. In addition to providing real-time accurate measurement of arterial blood pressure, it allows monitoring of pulse pressure variation.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
Mottling or prolonged capillary refill time (CRT) is suggestive of low cardiac output with great specificity but low sensitivity. A strategy guided by CRT is better than one based on decrease in blood lactate during early resuscitation of septic shock.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
Careful clinical examination should be performed in the early phase of shock, as it can provide useful information about the causative mechanism. Particular attention should be paid to markers of skin perfusion.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
Because pulmonary arterial blood blends the mix from all venous territories of the body, measuring mixed venous oxygen saturation (SvO2) with the pulmonary artery catheter enables assessment of global tissue oxygenation.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
The pulmonary artery catheter provides hemodynamic variables (RAP, PAP, PAOP and CO) and with tissue perfusion variables such as mixed venous oxygen saturation (SvO2) and the mixed venous carbon dioxide pressure (PvCO2).

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
The pulmonary artery catheter's use declined due to (1) insufficient knowledge in measuring/interpreting data, (2) a report showing increased mortality with use, (3) no outcome benefit with use and (4) development of other noninvasive options.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
In the 1990s, the pulmonary artery catheter was at its apogee, as it was the only method to assess/monitor hemodynamics. It measures cardiac output, pulmonary artery pressure, cardiac filling pressures and mixed venous blood gases.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
TEE is used in the evaluation of infectious and embolic sources in patients with unexplained sepsis or embolic strokes. In an acute setting, regurgitant valvular lesions in the setting of bacteremia can be suggest infectious endocarditis.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
Restrictive cardiomyopathy is difficult to diagnose, as it presents with diastolic dysfunction of the ventricles and echocardiographic findings require an evaluation of diastolic function.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is important to recognize because the presence of this problem alters the usual management of cardiogenic shock because administration of inotropic agents can be detrimental.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is characterized by symmetric or asymmetric concentric hypertrophy of the myocardium. It is important to recognize a dynamic obstruction of the LVOT in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM).

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
The best view for evaluation in cardiac arrest is the left ventricular short axis view (LV SAX). This is because it can provide information about extreme changes in volume status, myocardial function, and pericardial tamponade simultaneously.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
Echocardiography is an important application of ultrasound in cardiac arrest. It focuses on identifying the causes of cardiac arrest such as cardiac tamponade, pulmonary embolism, hypovolemia or myocardial failure.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
Tension pneumothorax can cause decreased cardiac preload and echocardiographic findings show hypovolemia and possible mechanical cardiac compression or shift.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
A pulmonary embolism causes the obstruction of blood flow from the right side of the heart to the left. It commonly presents with signs of right-sided pressure overload and RV failure, in conjunction with a hypovolemic and hyperdynamic LV.

Nursing Tip of the Day! - Critical Care Nursing

noreply@blogger.com (Nurse Nacole) — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Category: Critical Care Nursing
Circulatory collapse caused by mechanical interference with ventricular filling or emptying is classified as an obstructive shock. Potential causes include pericardial effusion and tamponade, tension pneumothorax and pulmonary embolism.