Critical care nurse
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Critical care nurse · Feb 2018
Launching a New Strategy for Multidisciplinary Management of Single-Ventricle Heart Defects.
Children born with single-ventricle heart defects, particularly hypoplastic left heart syndrome, have a lifetime high risk of mortality and comorbidities. They have complex medical challenges in addition to their cardiac needs, including growth and feeding complications and neurodevelopmental issues. ⋯ Nursing leadership improves program coordination and efficiency. The purpose of this article is to describe the development and implementation of our hospital's synchronized, multidisciplinary team to support children with single-ventricle heart defects and their families. (Critical Care Nurse. 2018;38[1]:60-71).
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Mesenteric ischemia and infarction are infrequent but often deadly conditions in acute and critically ill patients. Mesenteric ischemia may be a primary admission diagnosis or may develop secondary to another diagnosis. ⋯ Early identification of patients at risk and the appropriate diagnostic testing are stressed. Nurses armed with the knowledge of this condition are better able to provide safe care to their patients.
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Critical care nurse · Feb 2018
Case Reports Randomized Controlled TrialLetting the Patient Decide: A Case Report of Self-Administered Sedation During Mechanical Ventilation.
It is common for critical care nurses to administer sedative medications to patients receiving mechanical ventilation. Although patient-controlled analgesia is frequently used in practice to promote effective self-management of pain by patients, it is not known if patient-controlled sedation can be used to promote effective self-management of distressing symptoms associated with mechanical ventilation. ⋯ This case report details the experiences of one patient enrolled in the pilot trial who was randomly assigned to the experimental dexmedetomidine intervention, completed the study protocol, and provided feedback. In a poststudy survey, the patient responded positively to the use of self-administered sedation with dexmedetomidine during ventilator support.
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Critical care nurse · Feb 2018
Delirium Assessment Tools for Use in Critically Ill Adults: A Psychometric Analysis and Systematic Review.
Delirium is highly prevalent in critically ill patients. Its detection with valid tools is crucial. ⋯ The results indicate that the CAM-ICU and the ICDSC are the most valid and reliable delirium assessment tools for critically ill adults. Additional studies are needed to further validate these tools in critically ill patients with neurological disorders and those at various levels of sedation or consciousness.