Critical care nurse
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Critical care nurse · Aug 2012
Using evidence-based practice to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia.
Strategies are needed to help prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia. ⋯ Strict adherence to bundled practices for preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia, enhanced accountability for initiating protocols, use of a feedback system, and interdisciplinary collaboration improved patients' outcomes and produced marked savings in costs.
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Critical care nurse · Aug 2012
Incidence and severity of phlebitis in patients receiving peripherally infused amiodarone.
Nurses noted that the rate of phlebitis was high when intravenous amiodarone was infused via a peripheral site. Hospital policy recommends a central vascular catheter, but this method is often not feasible because the drug is administered in emergent situations for short periods. ⋯ Patients receiving peripherally infused amiodarone are at high risk for phlebitis. This complication may lead to infection, additional medical intervention, delay in treatment, and prolonged hospitalization.