Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Aug 2015
Sample entropy predicts lifesaving interventions in trauma patients with normal vital signs.
Heart rate complexity, commonly described as a "new vital sign," has shown promise in predicting injury severity, but its use in clinical practice is not yet widely adopted. We previously demonstrated the ability of this noninvasive technology to predict lifesaving interventions (LSIs) in trauma patients. This study was conducted to prospectively evaluate the utility of real-time, automated, noninvasive, instantaneous sample entropy (SampEn) analysis to predict the need for an LSI in a trauma alert population presenting with normal vital signs. ⋯ In trauma patients with normal presenting vital signs, decreased SampEn is an independent predictor of the need for LSI. Real-time SampEn analysis may be a useful adjunct to standard vital signs monitoring. Adoption of real-time, instantaneous SampEn monitoring for trauma patients, especially in resource-constrained environments, should be considered.
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Journal of critical care · Aug 2015
The simultaneous use of a heat and moisture exchanger and a heated humidifier causes critical airway occlusion in less than 24 hours.
Heat and moisture exchangers (HMEs) and heated humidifiers (HHs) may be used together inadvertently. Such an incident occurred at our institution resulting in airway occlusion. ⋯ The use of a HME and a HH in combination is likely to result in airway occlusion. Precautions should be taken to ensure that both systems are not used together in clinical practice.
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The aim of the study was to describe the Jordanian patients' experience during their stay in intensive care units (ICUs) and to explore factors that contribute to positive and negative experiences. ⋯ Understanding patients' experiences in the ICU would increase nurses' awareness to patients' stressors. It would help policy makers in designing structural and process-related care activities in a manner that promotes positive patient experiences, which would improve quality of care in general and specifically ICU patients' outcome. The ICU environment was found to adversely affect patients in many aspects. In addition, most patients were able to recall their ICU experience.
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Journal of critical care · Aug 2015
Feasibility of high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy for acute respiratory failure in patients with hematologic malignancies: A retrospective single-center study.
This study investigated the feasibility of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy for acute respiratory failure in adult patients with hematologic malignancies. ⋯ High-flow nasal cannula offers an interesting alternative to invasive ventilation in acute respiratory failure patients with hematologic malignancies. However, attention must be paid to the appropriate choice of HFNC settings such as oxygen flow.