Dimensions of critical care nursing : DCCN
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Dimens Crit Care Nurs · May 2014
Factors associated with receipt of physical therapy consultation in patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation.
Mobilization of critically ill patients in the intensive care unit is associated with improved function at hospital discharge and reduced duration of mechanical ventilation (MV). Few studies, however, focus on physical therapy (PT) in patients on prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) despite their high risk of immobility and poor outcomes. ⋯ In our study, we found that PT for PMV patients occurs infrequently and is generally of low intensity. Level of sedation, presence of a tracheostomy, and prehospital nonambulatory status were associated with receipt of PT consultation by day 14 of MV.
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Dimens Crit Care Nurs · May 2014
The impact of a nurse practitioner rapid response team on systemic inflammatory response syndrome outcomes.
Early recognition of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) can significantly alter outcomes such as mortality, unplanned intensive care unit admissions, and cost. ⋯ Improved detection of SIRS and successful implementation of EGDT led to a bridging of the evidence-to-practice gap. Future recommendations on earlier detection of lactic acidosis were rendered as a consequence of this study. The NP-RRT will continue to use the database query to identify SIRS patients in a timely manner and expedite EGDT.