Critical care medicine
-
Critical care medicine · Apr 2019
Meta AnalysisHow and Whom to Monitor for Seizures in an ICU: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
To pool prevalence of nonconvulsive seizure, nonconvulsive status epilepticus, and epileptiform activity detected by different electroencephalography types in critically ills and to compare detection rates among them. ⋯ Prevalence of seizures detected by continuous electroencephalography was significantly higher than with routine electroencephalography. Prevalence was particularly high in post convulsive status epilepticus, CNS infection, and post cardiac arrest.
-
Critical care medicine · Apr 2019
Meta AnalysisEvaluating Tele-ICU Implementation Based on Observed and Predicted ICU Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Past studies have examined numerous components of tele-ICU care to decipher which elements increase patient and institutional benefit. These factors include review of the patient chart within 1 hour, frequent collaborative data reviews, mechanisms for rapid laboratory/alert review, and interdisciplinary rounds. Previous meta-analyses have found an overall ICU mortality benefit implementing tele-ICU, however, subgroup analyses found few differences. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to explore the effect of tele-ICU implementation with regard to ICU mortality and explore subgroup differences via observed and predicted mortality. ⋯ After evaluating all included studies, tele-ICU implementation was associated with an overall reduction in ICU mortality. Subgroup analysis suggests that publications exhibiting observed to predicted ICU mortality ratios of greater than 1 before tele-ICU implementation was associated with a reduction in ICU mortality after tele-ICU implementation. No significant ICU mortality reduction was noted in the subgroup of observed to predicted ICU mortality ratio less than 1 before tele-ICU implementation. Future studies should confirm this finding using patient-level data.
-
Critical care medicine · Apr 2019
Being Convinced and Taking Responsibility: A Qualitative Study of Family Members' Experience of Organ Donation Decision and Bereavement After Brain Death.
Family members of brain dead patients experience an unprecedented situation in which not only they are told that their loved one is dead but are also asked to consider organ donation. The objective of this qualitative study was to determine 1) what it means for family members to make the decision and to take responsibility, 2) how they interact with the deceased patient in the ICU, 3) how family members describe the impact of the process and of the decision on their bereavement process. ⋯ In spite of caregivers' efforts to focus organ donation discussions and decision on the patient, family members feel a strong decisional responsibility that is not experienced as a burden but a proof of their strong connection to the patient. Brain death however creates ambivalent experiences that some family members endure whereas others use as an opportunity to perform separation rituals. Last, organ donation can be experienced as a form of comfort during bereavement provided family members remain convinced their decision was right.
-
Critical care medicine · Apr 2019
Observational StudyReadmission Diagnoses After Pediatric Severe Sepsis Hospitalization.
Severe sepsis is a significant cause of healthcare use and morbidity among pediatric patients, but little is known about readmission diagnoses. We sought to determine the most common readmission diagnoses after pediatric severe sepsis, the extent to which post-sepsis readmissions may be potentially preventable, and whether patterns of readmission diagnoses differ compared with readmissions after other common acute medical hospitalizations. ⋯ More than one in six children surviving severe sepsis were rehospitalized within 30 days, most commonly for maintenance chemotherapy, medical device complications, or recurrent sepsis. Only a small proportion of readmissions were for ambulatory care sensitive conditions.