Perspectives on Strained ICU Capacity: A Survey of Critical Care Professionals

Strained intensive care unit (ICU) capacity represents a supply-demand mismatch in ICU care. Limited data have explored health care worker (HCW) perceptions of strain. Strained capacity is perceived as common among inter-professional... read more

Perspectives on Strained ICU Capacity: A Survey of Critical Care Professionals

Evaluation of Stressors in ICUs

The environmental and psychological factors affecting intensive care unit patients varied according to age, sex, and educational and surgical status. These factors had adverse effects on the patients. The elimination or modification... read more

Evaluation of Stressors in ICUs

Music Helps Prevent Delirium in Elderly Critical Care Patients

A randomized controlled trial demonstrates that music intervention to prevent delirium among older patients is one of few strategies that provide support in a critical care setting. This study builds on non-pharmacologic... read more

Music Helps Prevent Delirium in Elderly Critical Care Patients

Quality and Quantity of Sleep and Factors Associated With Sleep Disturbance in Hospitalized Patients

This study demonstrated that the duration and quality of sleep in hospitalized patients were significantly affected and revealed many potentially modifiable hospital-related factors negatively associated with sleep. Raising... read more

Quality and Quantity of Sleep and Factors Associated With Sleep Disturbance in Hospitalized Patients

Providing Psychological Support to People in Intensive Care

The Provision Of Psychological support to People in Intensive Care (POPPI) psychological intervention to reduce acute patient stress in critical care and prevent future psychological morbidity was feasible and acceptable.... read more

Providing Psychological Support to People in Intensive Care

I Had PTSD After a Critical Illness. Apparently That’s Fairly Common

The emotional trauma of a near-death experience causes ongoing emotional and physical symptoms in one-third of ICU patients. PICS doesn't have a time limitation and can be triggered by almost anything. I was suddenly anxious... read more

I Had PTSD After a Critical Illness. Apparently That’s Fairly Common

Auditory Icon Alarms Are More Accurately and Quickly Identified than Current Standard Melodic Alarms in a Simulated Clinical Setting

Under our simulated conditions, anesthesia providers more correctly and quickly identified icon alarms than standard alarms. Subjects were more likely to perceive higher fatigue and task load when using current standard alarms... read more

Auditory Icon Alarms Are More Accurately and Quickly Identified than Current Standard Melodic Alarms in a Simulated Clinical Setting

Flexible Versus Restrictive Visiting Policies in ICUs

Flexible ICU visiting hours have the potential to reduce delirium and anxiety symptoms among patients and to improve family members' satisfaction. However, they may be associated with an increased risk of burnout among ICU... read more

Flexible Versus Restrictive Visiting Policies in ICUs

Study examines risks of physician burnout

Medical errors contribute to an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 deaths per year, according to the Institute of Medicine. Burnout — defined as emotional exhaustion or depersonalization — occurs in more than half of doctors,... read more

Study examines risks of physician burnout

Beyond Bleeps and Alarms: Live Music by the Bedside in the ICU

Live music by the bedside is an additional, simple and inexpensive factor in the open ICU, aiming at reducing the incidence of delirium and transform the critical care setting into a more familiar and domestic environment.... read more

Beyond Bleeps and Alarms: Live Music by the Bedside in the ICU

The Post-injury Inflammatory State and the Bone Marrow Response to Anemia

The pathophysiology of persistent injury-associated anemia is incompletely understood, and human data are sparse. Objective: To translate pre-clinical findings by characterizing injury-associated anemia among critically ill... read more

The Post-injury Inflammatory State and the Bone Marrow Response to Anemia

Early Interventions for the Prevention of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Survivors of Critical Illness

Despite a paucity of high-quality clinical investigations, the preponderance of evidence to date suggests that 1) posttraumatic stress disorder among survivors of critical illness may be preventable and 2) early interventions... read more

Early Interventions for the Prevention of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Survivors of Critical Illness

Clinical Chronobiology: A Timely Consideration in Critical Care Medicine

Circadian rhythms are currently low on the list of physiological priorities during ICU ward rounds. We have argued that recognition of the influence of this universally important system, and adoption of chronobiological strategies,... read more

Clinical Chronobiology: A Timely Consideration in Critical Care Medicine

Advanced Perioperative Crisis Management

Advanced Perioperative Crisis Management is an ideal resource for trainees, clinicians, and nurses who work in the perioperative arena, from the operating room to the postoperative surgical ward. Advanced Perioperative Crisis... read more

Advanced Perioperative Crisis Management

The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly: A Physician’s First Year

In medical school, Matt McCarthy dreamed of being a different kind of doctor—the sort of mythical, unflappable physician who could reach unreachable patients. But when a new admission to the critical care unit almost died... read more

The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly: A Physician’s First Year

Drowned: Nurses Under Water

Nurses are expensive. We are the largest professional workforce in healthcare, and with over 3.1 million professional nurses in the country, it appears that we are large in number but small as a priority. Nurses are overworked.... read more

Drowned: Nurses Under Water

Airway Pressure-time Curve Profile Detects Tidal Recruitment/Hyperinflation

Airway pressure-time curve profile (stress index) detects tidal recruitment/hyperinflation in experimental acute lung injury. Shape of the Paw-t curve detects tidal recruitment and tidal hyperinflation. Pulmonary computed... read more

Airway Pressure-time Curve Profile Detects Tidal Recruitment/Hyperinflation

The Case of the Dying Soldiers: Practical Applications of Pharmacology Concepts in Critical Care

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are very important when it comes to treating critically ill or critically injured patients. However, when we teach this topic we usually present things using complex equations and explanations... read more

The Case of the Dying Soldiers: Practical Applications of Pharmacology Concepts in Critical Care

Indicators of ICU Capacity Strain

We identified and characterized 16 indicators of strained ICU capacity across the spectrum of healthcare quality domains. Future work should aim to evaluate their implementation into practice and assess their value for evaluating... read more

Indicators of ICU Capacity Strain

A Qualitative Study Exploring Moral Distress in the ICU Team

This study identified the ways in which moral distress manifests across critical care disciplines in different ICU environments. Our results have potential implications for patient care. First, when clinicians alter the content... read more

A Qualitative Study Exploring Moral Distress in the ICU Team

The Prevalence of Compassion Fatigue and Burnout among Healthcare Professionals in ICUs

The true prevalence of burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress and vicarious trauma in ICU healthcare professionals remains open for discussion. A thorough exploration of emotional distress in relation to... read more

The Prevalence of Compassion Fatigue and Burnout among Healthcare Professionals in ICUs

Delirium a Dreaded Scourge Underdiagnosed in Hospitals

Pain medications, infections, medical illnesses, ventilators, dehydration or withdrawing from alcohol can be risk factors for delirium. Hospitals are one of the biggest culprits. They're noisy, busy and not conducive to getting... read more

Delirium a Dreaded Scourge Underdiagnosed in Hospitals