Critical care nurse
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Critical care nurse · Feb 2012
ReviewIntra-abdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome: a comprehensive overview.
Intra-abdominal hypertension has a prevalence of at least 50% in the critically ill population and has been identified as an independent risk factor for death. Yet, many of the members of the critical care team do not assess for intra-abdominal hypertension and are unaware of the consequences of untreated intra-abdominal hypertension. ⋯ This article provides an overview of the pathophysiology of intra-abdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome. In addition, the evidence-based definitions, guidelines, and recommendations of the World Society of the Abdominal Compartment Syndrome are presented.
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Critical care nurse · Feb 2012
ReviewStrategies for improving patient safety: linking task type to error type.
This article reviews the connection between task type (skill based, rule based and knowledge based) and human error. Using real-life examples, each task type and error type is described in detail. Understanding how task type contributes to medical error enhances the ability of nurses to make meaningful changes in health care systems. Through error wisdom, nurses and other health care providers can more successfully navigate health care delivery and ultimately provide safer care to patients.