Critical care nursing clinics of North America
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The circumstances surrounding the admission of a patient to a critical care unit have a particularly negative effect on both the quantity and quality of sleep. Critical care nurses play an important and challenging role in the promotion of effective sleep and rest. Developing a plan of care that not only addresses the acute, life-threatening needs of patients but also promotes sleep and rest may seem impossible. This article provides a brief review of normal sleep, discusses barriers to sleep and rest in the critical care setting, and presents research-based interventions to promote sleep.
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Crit Care Nurs Clin North Am · Jun 1995
ReviewThe costs and benefits of monitoring perfusion in the critically ill.
The care and management of the critically ill patient have seen major advances in the past 20 years. Conventional perfusion-monitoring technologies, as well as new technological advances and their potential impact, are discussed. The following monitoring technologies are reviewed: pulmonary artery pressure, cardiac output, arterial oxygen, mixed venous oxygen, and intramucosal gastric pH.
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Crit Care Nurs Clin North Am · Jun 1995
Comparative StudyAdvances in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Approximately 500,000 deaths per year are the results of coronary artery disease. Many of these deaths can be prevented by prompt action to provide basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and early defibrillation. In recent years, a number of new CPR methods have been developed in hopes of improving cardiac output in an arrest situation. This article reviews the physiology of blood flow during CPR and the different methods of CPR administration.
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Crit Care Nurs Clin North Am · Jun 1995
Optimizing sedation in critically ill, mechanically ventilated patients.
Patients on mechanical ventilators may experience discomfort, fear, anxiety, and pain. Sedative and adjunctive medications often are prescribed on an "as needed" basis. This article reviews current trends in sedation administration and suggests strategies for optimizing sedation management. Pharmacologic properties of commonly used medications are presented.