Critical care nurse
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Critical care nurse · Apr 2016
β-Blocker and Calcium Channel Blocker Poisoning: High-Dose Insulin/Glucose Therapy.
Overdoses of β-blockers and calcium channel blockers can produce significant morbidity and mortality, and conventional therapies often do not work as treatments for these poisonings. High-dose insulin/glucose therapy has been successful in reversing the cardiotoxic effects of these drugs in cases where the standard therapies have failed, and it appears to be relatively safe. Many successes have been well documented, but the clinical experience consists of case reports, the mechanisms of action are not completely understood, and guidelines for use of the therapy are empirically derived and not standardized. Regardless of these limitations, high-dose insulin/glucose therapy can be effective, it is often recommended by clinical toxicologists and poison control centers, and critical care nurses should be familiar with when and how the therapy is used.
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Critical care nurse · Apr 2016
Use of a Vertical Expandable Prosthetic Titanium Rib in Children With Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome and Scoliosis.
Thoracic insufficiency syndrome is the inability of the thorax to support normal respiration or lung growth. One treatment to address the thoracic deformities associated with the syndrome is placement of a vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib. The goal is to restore thoracic volume, symmetry, and function and to allow for growth of the thorax in skeletally immature children. The main topics include indications for placement of a titanium rib, postoperative nursing care, potential complications, long-term follow-up, quality-of-life issues, and implications for critical care nurses and advanced practice nurses.