Diagnostic Criteria for Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome (ALPS)

Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) is characterized by dysregulation of the immune system due to an inability to regulate lymphocyte homeostasis through the process of lymphocyte apoptosis (a form of programmed cell death). The consequences of this include lymphoproliferative disease, manifested by lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, and an increased risk of lymphoma, as well as autoimmune disease, typically involving blood cells.

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Dose Equivalence Table for Opioid Analgesics

Equianalgesic tables aid the clinician in making these conversions by providing a rough estimate for starting doses of the new opioid that may produce approximately the same amount of analgesia. Morphine (10 mg IM) is the gold standard to which all other opioids are compared.

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Clinical Diagnostic Criteria for Hospital-Acquired (or Nosocomial) Pneumonia (HAP)

Acute nosocomial pneumonia is broadly defined as pneumonia characterized by a new and persistent infiltrate (radiographically present for greater than 48 hours) PLUS one of the following:

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Guidelines for Intensive Care Unit Admission for Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP)

The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)/American Thoracic Society (ATS) recently reviewed risk factors and developed objective major and minor criteria to identify patients who require direct admission to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The most up-to-date definitions use need for invasive mechanical ventilation or septic shock, requiring vasopressors, as absolute indicators for direct admission to an ICU. For patients who do not meet either of these two major criteria, minor criteria have been proposed that are based on CURB-65 and ATS criteria with new additions. For admission to an ICU or high level unit, patients must fulfill at least three of these minor criteria.

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