Acute crack cocaine intoxication: a case study

The survival of a patient with acute crack intoxication requires the dynamic and ongoing collaboration of the nurse and physician to facilitate aggressive treatment. The prevention of ominous complications in the patient exhibiting multisystem failure requires advanced physical assessment skills. It is the integration of these physical findings along with the interpretation of laboratory data and invasive monitoring techniques that enables the critical care nurse to constantly evaluate the patient's response. This ongoing evaluation further directs care planning to potentiate optimum patient outcomes.