AACN advanced critical care
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Delirium, the most frequent complication of hospitalized older adults, particularly in intensive care units (ICUs), can result in increased mortality rates and length of stay. Nurses are neither consistently identifying nor managing delirium in these patients. The purpose of this study was to explore ICU nurses' identification of delirium, actions they would take for patients with signs or symptoms of delirium, and beliefs about delirium assessment and management. ⋯ Descriptive and content analyses revealed that nurses did not consistently identify delirium; their actions varied in different vignettes. Nurses believed that they needed adequate staffing, balanced workload, interprofessional collaboration, and established policy and protocols to identify and manage delirium successfully. Research is needed to determine if implementing these changes increases recognition and decreases consequences of delirium.
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Acute liver failure, also known as fulminant hepatic failure, is a rare life-threatening disease that has a high mortality rate and affects many organ systems. Causes of acute liver failure vary-it can be attributed to drugs, viruses, and other uncommon sources. ⋯ Fortunately, with advances in critical care medicine and emergent liver transplant, mortality rates have decreased in the past decade. This article reviews acute liver failure, its manifestations in different organ systems, and its treatment.