Critical care nurse
-
Thromboelastography is a viscoelastic test with multiple potential advantages over conventional coagulation tests in various disease states. Thromboelastography rapidly provides qualitative and quantitative information related to a patient's coagulation status. ⋯ Each team member should be involved in assessing the usefulness of thromboelastography. Critical care nurses and the multidisciplinary team must identify patients in whom its use is warranted, interpret the results, and provide appropriate interventions in response to the results and clinical status of the patient.
-
Critical care nurse · Jun 2023
ReviewMonitoring and Management of Intra-abdominal Pressure in Critically Ill Children.
Intra-abdominal hypertension is a comorbid condition in critically ill children, is an independent predictor of mortality, and has harmful effects on multiple organ systems through renal, pulmonary or hemodynamic damage. Intra-abdominal pressure monitoring is widely used in clinical practice because it is a safe, accurate, inexpensive, and rapid method for the clinical diagnosis of intra-abdominal hypertension. ⋯ Knowledge of intra-abdominal pressure monitoring in critically ill children enhances the ability of nurses in clinical practice to accurately measure intra-abdominal pressure to improve the timeliness and accuracy of clinical identification of intra-abdominal hypertension and guide decompression interventions.
-
Critical care nurse · Jun 2023
Case ReportsNursing Care of Patient With Tracheostomy Tube Cuff Rupture Caused by Tracheal Polyp: A Case Report.
Tracheostomy is common in patients with critical illness. Mechanical ventilation requires the airway to be closed by an inflated tracheostomy tube cuff. Tracheostomy tube cuff rupture is a serious complication of airway management. This case study summarizes the nursing care of a patient who received prolonged mechanical ventilation and had recurrent tracheostomy tube cuff ruptures caused by a tracheal polyp. ⋯ Tracheal polyps that cause tracheostomy tube cuff ruptures are rare, but nurses should be alert to their occurrence. If a tube cuff ruptures in a patient receiving long-term mechanical ventilation, bronchoscopy should be performed as soon as possible to allow for early identification of the cause and ensure patient safety.
-
Critical care nurse · Jun 2023
Debriefing After Critical Events Is Feasible and Associated With Increased Compassion Satisfaction in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
Repeated exposure to death and dying increases health care professionals' risk for burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Pediatric critical care providers are at particularly high risk because the death and dying of children are associated with even greater psychological impact. ⋯ Compassion satisfaction improved and burnout and secondary traumatic stress did not change with implementation of the debriefing process after critical patient events.
-
Critical care nurse · Jun 2023
Use of Female External Urinary Catheters in a Burn Intensive Care Unit: Benefits and Challenges.
Burn patients have a relatively high rate of indwelling Foley catheter use because of their need for complex fluid management and wound care. However, Foley catheter use is associated with risks, including urinary tract infection. For female patients, an external urinary catheter is an alternative. ⋯ The use of female external urinary catheters may help reduce the risk of urinary tract infection in female burn patients. Further research is needed to refine the protocol for use of these devices and determine their safety profile.