Tag: research
One of the Deadliest Hospital-Acquired Infections Is Preventable
Johns Hopkins Study Shows One of the Deadliest Hospital-Acquired Infections Is Preventable. For some hospital patients, going on a ventilator is often the difference between life and death. About 800,000 hospital patients... read more
Widespread use of Chlorhexidine Doesn’t Promote Resistance in S. Aureus
Investigators from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) Division of Infectious Diseases recently published reassuring data indicating that use of chlorhexidine (CHG) to bathe hospitalized patients does not lead... read more
When is Patient Feedback Valid? Supporting Patient Feedback as a Catalyst for Change
As part of the revalidation process, doctors must collect patient feedback at least once every five years. While it is encouraging to see patient feedback included in this process, questions must be asked about what message,... read more
Optimizing Patient and Family Education Resources for the ICU
Offering stronger patient and family education tools in the ICU will ease patient and caregiver fears and make them more comfortable with the care setting. An integrated, centralized, and digital platform is best suited for... read more
The Psychological Impact of Intensive Care
A period in intensive care is known to negatively affect patients' long term physical, cognitive and psychiatric health, in what's known as post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). Researchers from the University of Oxford sought... read more
ICU RN Job Dissatisfaction, Burnout Linked to Moral Distress
Job satisfaction and practice environment are associated with moral distress among critical care nurses, according to a study published online Jan. 3 in the American Journal of Critical Care. The researchers found that 56... read more
A Rare Group of White Blood Cells May Be the Secret to Prevent Sepsis
Basophils are evolutionarily conserved in vertebrates, despite their small numbers and short life span, suggesting that they have beneficial roles in maintaining health. However, these roles are not fully defined. Here we... read more
A Framework for Increasing Trust Between Patients and the Organizations That Care for Them
Trust matters in health care. It makes patients feel less vulnerable, clinicians feel more effective, and reduces the imbalances of information by improving the flow of information. Trust is so fundamental to the patient-physician... read more
Poor Hospital Design Has an Impact on Staff, Patients, and Healthcare
Many hospitals in which I have worked have struggled with finances over the last 5 years. There has often been a ban on capital investment on new physical infrastructure projects even extended to repairs in some circumstances.... read more
Machine Learning Can Reduce Tests, Improve Treatments for ICU Patients
Researchers from Princeton University are using machine learning to design a system that could reduce the frequency of tests and improve the timing of critical treatments for ICU patients. To create the system, the researchers... read more
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Winner of the National Academy of Sciences Best Book Award "Thinking, Fast and Slow" takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and... read more
You Can Get Sick From Germs on Hospital Floors
When you enter the hospital, probably the last thing that you’re thinking about is the floors. However, an emerging body of research suggests that hospital floors are covered with bacteria and could serve as a potential... read more
Healthcare Providers Should Be Ready for Nerve Agent Attacks
Recent attacks in the UK and elsewhere using powerful nerve agents show that U.S. healthcare providers don't need to be near a battlefield to find themselves dealing with similar emergencies, researchers argue in a commentary... read more
No Bleeding Required: Anemia Detection via Smartphone
Biomedical engineers have developed a smartphone app with the aim of non-invasive detection of anemia. Instead of a blood test, the app uses photos of someone's fingernails taken on a smartphone to determine whether the level... read more
Crystalloids vs. Colloids for Fluid Resuscitation in the ICU
This systematic review and meta-analysis, which included only high-level evidence from randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) conducted in intensive care settings, revealed that crystalloids were less effective than colloids... read more
Effect of a Program Combining Transitional Care and Long-term Self-management Support on Outcomes of Hospitalized Patients With COPD
In a single-site randomized clinical trial of patients hospitalized due to Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a 3-month program that combined transition and long-term self-management support resulted in significantly... read more
New Sickle Cell Test Can Transform Screening
Sickle cell disease is common throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa. It affects up to 3% of births in some areas and is associated with very high mortality. Many cases go undiagnosed in regions where there are few resources,... read more
