Journal of critical care
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2007
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyMethodological approach for the evaluation of the performances of medical intensive care units.
The purpose of the study was to present a methodological approach enabling the comparison of clinical and economic performances of intensive care units and a graphical visualization based on these 2 dimensions. ⋯ These graphs enable the identification of the most deviating intensive care units to study, for example, their organizational, technical, or human resource setup accounting for their position.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2007
Randomized Controlled TrialEffects of therapeutic mild hypothermia on patients with severe traumatic brain injury after craniotomy.
We investigated the effects of therapeutic mild hypothermia on patients with severe traumatic brain injury after craniotomy (TBI). ⋯ Therapeutic mild hypothermia provides a promising way in the intensive care unit for patients with severe TBI after craniotomy.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2007
Multicenter StudyA multicenter survey of Ontario intensive care unit nurses regarding the use of sedatives and analgesics for adults receiving mechanical ventilation.
Nursing-directed sedation protocols have been shown to reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation and shorten the length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay among critically ill adult patients. ⋯ In this survey of ICU nurses, we identified a perceived need for improvement in sedation and analgesia practices. Most respondents believed that the use of a nursing-directed sedation protocol in combination with a sedation scoring system would provide greater practice consistency among nurses and physicians and thus improve the care of critically ill patients.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2007
Family satisfaction in the intensive care unit: cross-cultural adaptation of a questionnaire.
Family needs and expectations are often unmet in the intensive care unit (ICU), leading to dissatisfaction. This study assesses cross-cultural adaptability of an instrument evaluating family satisfaction in the ICU. ⋯ A cross-cultural adaptation of a questionnaire on family satisfaction in the ICU can be feasible, valid, internally consistent, reliable, and sensitive.
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Journal of critical care · Sep 2007
Comparative StudyInvasive candidiasis treated in the intensive care unit: observations from a randomized clinical trial.
The objectives of this study were to contrast risk factors, microbiology, and outcomes in patients with invasive candidiasis treated in an intensive care unit (ICU) with those in patients with invasive candidiasis treated outside an ICU and to describe therapeutic results with caspofungin in ICU patients. ⋯ In ICU patients treated with antifungal therapy, invasive candidiasis is associated with substantial mortality, but most deaths cannot be directly attributed to this infection.