Tag: ICU
Abnormal Environmental Light Exposure in the ICU Environment
Patients' environmental light exposure in the intensive care unit is consistently low and follows a diurnal pattern. No effect of nighttime light exposure was observed on melatonin secretion. Inadequate daytime light exposure... read more
Dutch Ambitions on eHealth
Dutch government is encouraging the healthcare sector to expand telehealth (eHealth) services. Dutch government wants eHealth to become more widely available and is encouraging the healthcare sector to develop it further.... read more
PTSD Phenomena After Critical Illness
Experiencing critical illness and intensive care can be extremely stressful. Roughly 1 in 5 critical illness survivors have clinically significant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in the year after intensive... read more
Stopping ICU delirium by getting patients moving
Doctor says the treatment plan makes a 'massive difference' to those in critical care. Any hospital stay can be traumatic. But 30 percent of patients in intensive care units experience ICU delirium. The rate for... read more
Haloperidol Serum Concentrations in Critically Ill Patients Included in the REDUCE Study
ICU delirium occurs frequently and is associated with unfavorable outcome. A recent delirium prevention study, the REDUCE study, has assessed the efficacy of prophylactic use of haloperidol. In this subset... read more
pH-guided Fluid Resuscitation and BICAR-ICU
The use of bicarbonate is a source of eternal disagreement. Bicarbonate has a shameful history of being abused in situations where it's unhelpful (e.g. cardiac arrest). This has impugned its reputation, giving it an aura... read more
Six Reasons to Avoid Fluoroquinolones in the Critically Ill
As an internal medicine resident and pulmonary/critical care fellow, I loved fluoroquinolones. They were effective, easy to prescribe, and had 100% oral bioavailability. However, working full-time in the ICU has forced me... read more
Silent Space
Exhausted at the end of a busy week on service in the intensive care unit (ICU), the fellow and I are on our way to the conference room to debrief the week. The overhead code alarm disrupts the temporary lull in activity... read more
Circulating Biomarkers May be Unable to Detect Infection at the Early Phase of Sepsis in ICU Patients
During the study period, 363 patients with SIRS were screened, 84 having exclusion criteria. Ninety‑one patients were classified as having non‑septic SIRS and 188 as having sepsis. Eight biomarkers had an area under... read more
We Should Avoid the Term “Fluid Overload”
Using the right word or phrase to describe a specific pathologic process/patient diagnosis and/or status is important, not only within the intensive care unit team, but also when we communicate with external consultants.... read more
Women in Intensive Care
Women in Intensive Care study: a preliminary assessment of international data on female representation in the ICU physician workforce, leadership and academic positions. Despite limited information globally, available data... read more
Sepsis: Learn the Signs and Document
Writing in the MJA, researchers have reported the findings of a prospective cohort study comparing estimates of the incidence and mortality of sepsis using clinical diagnosis or the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care... read more
Preventing Burnout and Compassion Fatigue
Burnout and compassion fatigue can happen to any healthcare professional, and it can have a negative impact on patients and even your larger nursing career. Fortunately it's very preventable, as our guest this week will attest... read more
Cognitive Function 3 and 12 Months After ICU Discharge
In this prospective cohort study of Danish ICU patients, we found significantly reduced cognitive function for intensive care patients 3 and 12 months after discharge. We included 161 patients, 79 patients had a 3-month and... read more
Withdrawing vs. Not Offering Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Is There a Difference?
In light of the SCC's Cuthbertson v. Rasouli decision, the distinction between withdrawing and not offering a medical treatment is increasingly relevant. Because CPR is a "default" treatment for cardiac arrest, it requires... read more
ICU Usage for Pneumonia Doubles Length of Hospital Stay
A recently released report using data from the National Hospital Care Survey (NHCS) verifies existing data on the prevalence of pneumonia in hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits and provides the first-ever... read more
Breaking it Down: Post Intensive Care Syndrome and Recovery – Emotions
The emotional aftermath of critical illness/injury is something that often catches people by surprise but can have a significant impact on daily life. People who have been critically ill/injured often describe difficulty... read more
Do Nurse Staffing Ratios Work? New Research Says No
Advocates of mandated staffing ratios say they improve patient outcomes. A recent study finds otherwise. Nurse-to-patient ratios are a hot button issue. Look no further than Massachusetts for an example. After a battle that... read more
The Needs of Families of Trauma Intensive Care Patients
This mixed methods study identified that families of trauma patients have different needs to families of general patients and the nurses rated the needs of the families of trauma patients as less important than the families... read more
Lessons From Everest’s Sherpas Could Aid Intensive Care Treatment
A research expedition to Mount Everest has shed light on the unique physiological basis of adaptations seen in the native Sherpa people, which make them better suited to life at high altitude. This improved understanding,... read more
Failures in the Respectful Care of Critically Ill Patients
Care that is inadequately respectful to patients and families in the setting of critical illness is prevalent but does not appear to be associated with clinical characteristics. The incidence of such emotional harms is nuanced,... read more
Time-limited Trial of Intensive Care Treatment
In critically ill patients, it is frequently challenging to identify who will benefit from admission to the intensive care unit and life-sustaining interventions when the chances of a meaningful outcome are unclear. In addition,... read more
