Critical care nurse
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Critical care nurse · Jun 2016
Solid-Organ Graft-Versus-Host Disease After Liver Transplant: A Case Report.
Solid-organ transplant graft-versus-host disease (SOT-GVHD) is a rare complication of organ transplant that is associated with high mortality. The initial signs and symptoms are vague, so this disease is easily confused with other posttransplant complications. A case of SOT-GVHD occurred after orthotopic liver transplant for liver failure due to hepatitis C in a patient in a Veterans Affairs intensive care unit. ⋯ Owing to the rarity of SOT-GVHD, no evidence-based guidelines or recommendations for treatment exist. Treatment includes high-dose corticosteroids and antibiotic, antifungal, and antiviral prophylaxis. Treatment of liver transplant-related GVHD with anti-tumor necrosis factor a agents has been successful.
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Critical care nurse · Jun 2016
Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis After Influenza Vaccination: A Case Report.
Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that has been associated with influenza immunization, but only a few cases related to vaccination for influenza have been reported. Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis developed in a 42-year-old woman within 3 weeks of receiving the seasonal influenza vaccine. ⋯ Early treatment can prevent serious residual signs and symptoms; therefore, correct and quick diagnosis is important. Medical history obtained from patients with central nervous system problems should include history of recent vaccinations.
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Critical care nurse · Jun 2016
Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia: A Primer for Critical Care Nurses.
Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia is a rare, autosomal dominant genetic disease that causes abnormal growth of blood vessels and, subsequently, life-threatening arteriovenous malformations in vital organs. Epistaxis may be one of the initial clues that a patient has more serious, generalized arteriovenous malformations. ⋯ Prompt recognition of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and early intervention can halt the dangerous course of the disease. Critical care nurses can assist with early diagnosis within families with this genetic disease, thus preventing early death and disability.
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Critical care nurse · Jun 2016
Comparison of Head Elevation Protocols Following Femoral Artery Sheath Removal After Coronary Angiography.
To compare 2 standard protocols for head elevation following removal of a femoral artery sheath after coronary angiography and their effects on bleeding complications and reported levels of back pain. One protocol involved flat supine bed rest; the other allowed progressive head elevation. ⋯ It appears that using a progressive head-elevation protocol within the first 3 hours after diagnostic angiography is not associated with an increased risk of bleeding complications at the access site and warrants further exploration in the mitigation of back pain associated with prolonged supine bed rest.