Dimensions of critical care nursing : DCCN
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Out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest survival rate is significantly higher when the patient receives cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before the arrival of emergency providers although published data suggest a significantly lower prevalence of CPR training among cardiac patients' family members and bystanders in the United States. This article presents information including attitudes of patients, family members, and the general population toward CPR; the barriers for CPR training among the public; and the most effective method of CPR training for bystanders, so that CPR training for family members can be promoted to improve out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest survival rate.
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Dimens Crit Care Nurs · Jul 2009
Intensive care unit nurse characteristics impacting judgments about secondary brain injury.
Although intensive care unit nurses have an integral role in preventing secondary brain injury when caring for critically ill traumatic brain injury patients, nursing practice varies and little research has examined if individual nurse characteristics affect judgments about secondary brain injury. The purpose of this study was to investigate how intensive care unit nurse characteristics influence judgments when managing secondary brain injury. ⋯ Nursing shift and number of years in the intensive care unit were significant predictors of judgments. Understanding the role of nurse characteristics is important in future educational and research efforts aimed at evidence-based management of secondary brain injury.
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Patients in the intensive care unit frequently experience delirium, anxiety, and agitation, with a variety of treatments used. This article discusses the role of an alpha-adrenoceptor agonist, dexmedetomidine, and its clinical relevance and advantages for the agitated patient.
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Medical futility is a concept commonly used to describe medical therapy that has no known or anticipated immediate or long-term benefit for a patient. The concept of futility has existed since the time of Hippocrates and has become the predominant dilemma for many end-of-life situations. ⋯ Many healthcare providers use the concept of medical futility when they are talking with patients and families who are in a quandary about their loved one's care. This article provides an overview of medical futility.
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Refeeding syndrome is an uncommon but potentially fatal phenomenon that can occur in patients receiving parenteral, enteral, or oral feedings after a period of sustained malnutrition or starvation. This syndrome is characterized by hypophosphatemia, hypokalemia, and hypomagnesemia. The purpose of this article was to bring an acute awareness of refeeding syndrome to the critical care nurse. The recognition, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, potential life threatening complications, and treatment are presented.