Critical care nursing clinics of North America
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Crit Care Nurs Clin North Am · Jun 2017
ReviewReducing Fresh Tracheostomy Decannulations Following Implementation of a Fresh Tracheostomy Guideline.
Pediatric patients undergoing tracheostomy placement are often medically fragile with multiple comorbidities. The complexity of these patients partnered with the risks of a newly placed tracheostomy necessitates a clear understanding of patient management and clinical competence. At our institution, a quality improvement initiative was formed with a focus on increasing the safety of these patients by developing a postoperative care guideline.
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Capnography or end-tidal carbon dioxide (Etco2) monitoring has a variety of uses in the pediatric intensive care setting. The ability to continuously measure exhaled carbon dioxide can provide vital information about airway, breathing, and circulation in critically ill pediatric patients. ⋯ This modality allows for noninvasive monitoring and has become the standard of care. This article reviews the basic principles and clinical applications of Etco2 monitoring in the pediatric intensive care unit.
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Crit Care Nurs Clin North Am · Jun 2017
ReviewPutting the Family Back in the Center: A Teach-Back Protocol to Improve Communication During Rounds in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
Patient- and family-centered care is endorsed by leading health care organizations. To incorporate the family in interdisciplinary rounds in the pediatric intensive care unit, it is necessary to prepare the family to be an integral member of the child's health care team. When the family is part of the health care team, interdisciplinary rounds ensure that the family understands the process of interdisciplinary rounds and that it is an integral part of the discussion. An evidence-based protocol to provide understanding and support to families related to interdisciplinary rounds has significant impact on satisfaction, trust, and patient outcomes.