Getting Started

This course is not a sequential learning resource, please go to the section you need and access any of the resources that you require:

• Deteriorating Patient: a starter section for those new to assessing and managing the critically unwell patient, or for those in need of a refresher.
• Daily Practice of Critical Care: for those returning to critical care working after a while, or if it’s your first time. Here are the fundamentals.
• COVID-19 Specifics: an overview of the current management of the critically ill patient with COVID-19, to support healthcare teams with their clinical management and decision making.
• Ventilation and Organ Support: practical, evidence-based teaching on respiratory, cardiovascular and renal failure and management.
• Self-care and Staff Well-being: the physical, mental and emotional impact of the pandemic on staff, patients and families is profound. In recognition of this in the Self-Care and Staff Well-Being section, we provide practical advice and useable tools and techniques to help us all to get through these difficult days.

Due to the ever-changing nature of this COVID-19 situation, we will be adding and updating resources as new information or techniques come to light. Although we will aim to do this as quickly as possible, we refer you back to your own institutions’ local policies and procedures with regard to Personal Protective Equipment and new developments in the clinical management of patients with COVID-19.

There are sequential learning modules included, and these ‘Exercise’ steps are slides with voiceover. Please note, slides and audio transcripts are available to download within each exercise.

We have also included some action cards that can be downloaded and printed quickly:

• Unintentional Extubation
• Sudden Drop in SPO₂ in the Intubated Patient
• Falling Loss of End Tidal CO₂
• Sudden High Airway Pressures