Tag: ICU

Sleep Deprived-Patients in ICU May Fail to Get Off Ventilation

Attempts to wean intubated, critically ill patients off mechanical ventilators were less successful when the patients exhibited atypical sleep or pathological wakefulness, researchers reported. The findings suggest that sleep... read more

Effect of Titrating PEEP with Esophageal Pressure-Guided Strategy vs Empirical High PEEP-Fio2 Strategy on Death and Days Free From Mechanical Ventilation Among Patients With ARDS

Among patients with moderate to severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), PES-guided positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), compared with empirical high PEEP-Fio2, resulted in no significant difference in death... read more

Incident Diabetes in Survivors of Critical Illness and Mechanisms Underlying Persistent Glucose Intolerance

Diabetes and pre-diabetes occur frequently in survivors of ICU experiencing stress hyperglycemia. Based on the occurrence rate observed in this cohort, structured screening and intervention programs appear warranted. Consent... read more

I Spent 4 Weeks Near Death In The ICU

I spent 4 weeks near death in the ICU. Here's what I learned struggling for my life. My mind and body had to relearn everything: how to brush my hair, put on socks and take a sit-down shower. Although it was frustrating to... read more

Electronic Hand Hygiene System Fails to Improve Staff Satisfaction in ICU

A study published in Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control examined the effect of introducing an electronic hand hygiene surveillance and intervention system into an ICU. Researchers introduced the system into a general... read more

Potassium Homoeostasis and Pathophysiology of Hyperkalaemia

Since determination of potassium levels may be afflicted with various errors, potassium levels should be determined using a standardized set-up ensuring high accuracy and precision of measurements. Potassium levels may be... read more

Appropriate Treatment for Bloodstream Infections Due to Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella Pneumoniae and Escherichia Coli

Tigecycline monotherapy was a choice if the strains exhibited MIC ≤0.5 mg/L, and colistin monotherapy was not suitable. Our findings can initiate additional clinical studies regarding the efficacy of tigecycline in carbapenem-resistant... read more

Annals of B-Pod: Neurogenic Shock

Shock is defined as the failure of circulation to provide adequate oxygenation to meet cellular demand. To better identify and manage this compromised physiologic state, shock is subcategorized into four... read more

Effect of Occupancy on Critically Ill Admissions

Effect of Emergency Department and ICU Occupancy on Admission Decisions and Outcomes for Critically Ill Patients. The volume of ICU admissions from the ED has increased around 50% from 2001-2009. Hospitals struggle with this... read more

Can Noninvasive BP Monitoring Replace Arterial Catheter?

Although its reliability is often questioned, noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) monitoring with an oscillometric arm cuff is widely used. Indeed, intermittent arm NIBP is the first-line monitoring technique during prehospital... read more

ICU Admissions Raise Chronic Condition Risk

A new study of ICU patients in the Netherlands shows a heightened risk of developing new chronic conditions in patients after an intensive care stay. The research showed rising likelihood of conditions such as depression,... read more

Mythbuster: Administration of Vasopressors Through Peripheral Intravenous Access

Vasopressors are frequently used in critically ill patients with hemodynamic instability both in the emergency department (ED) as well as intensive care units (ICUs). Typically, vasopressors are given through central venous... read more

Caring for Critically Ill Patients in Humanitarian Settings

Critical care medicine is far from the first medical field to come to mind when humanitarian action is mentioned, yet both critical care and humanitarian action share a fundamental purpose to save the lives and ease the suffering... read more

Clinics Aim to Improve Post-ICU Recovery

Ten days after arriving in the emergency department with pneumonia, 58-year-old Connie Bovier woke up in the intensive care unit (ICU). She survived acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), sepsis, and a host of other... read more

Long-Term Mortality and Hospital Resource Use in ICU Patients With Alcohol-Related Liver Disease

ICU patients with alcohol-related liver disease have higher 5-year mortality and emergency readmission rates than ICU patients with other severe comorbidities and matched general ICU patients. These data can contribute to... read more

Antibiotic Treatment of Hospital-acquired Pneumonia

Although more prospective therapy trials of Hospital-acquired Pneumonia (HAP) are needed, based on currently available data, it is possible to use an approach that provides appropriate therapy without the overuse of broad-spectrum... read more

Effect of Intravenous Acetaminophen vs Placebo Combined With Propofol or Dexmedetomidine on Postoperative Delirium Among Older Patients Following Cardiac Surgery

Among older patients undergoing cardiac surgery, postoperative scheduled IV acetaminophen, combined with IV propofol or dexmedetomidine, reduced in-hospital delirium vs placebo. Additional research, including comparison of... read more

Bag-Mask Ventilation during Tracheal Intubation of Critically Ill Adults

Among critically ill adults undergoing tracheal intubation, patients receiving bag-mask ventilation had higher oxygen saturations and a lower incidence of severe hypoxemia than those receiving no ventilation. Among the 401... read more

Implementing Early Mobilization in the ICU

The use of a quality improvement appraisal tool can help identify high quality projects when planning a similar mobility program. Even though projects were conducted in a variety of intensive care unit settings, and implementation... read more

The Clinical Impacts and Risk Factors for Non-central Line-associated Bloodstream Infection in 5046 ICU Patients

Most of the previous studies focused on central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), while non-central line-associated bloodstream infection (N-CLABSI) was poorly studied. This study was performed to investigate... read more

Improved Guideline Adherence and Reduced Brain Dysfunction After a Multicenter Multifaceted Implementation of ICU Delirium Guidelines in 3,930 Patients

This large pre-post implementation study of delirium-oriented measures based on the 2013 Pain, Agitation, and Delirium guidelines showed improved health professionals’ adherence to delirium guidelines and reduced brain... read more

Did I Start the Opioid Epidemic?

Prescription opioid abuse is at epidemic levels. Opioids diverted from friends and family members who have legitimate prescriptions are a major source of abused prescription opioids. Nurses are vital to any effort to combat... read more