Medicina intensiva
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To describe the needs of the families of patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the opinion of ICU professionals on aspects related to the presence of patient relatives in the unit. ⋯ Information was adequate, though insufficient in relation to nursing care. The professionals pointed to the need for training in communication skills.
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Vascular cannulation is common practice in critical care, and is traditionally performed using the landmark technique - though failures and complications are not uncommon. In this regard, ultrasound guided vascular cannulation (USGVC) has been shown to improve the procedure success rate and reduce its associated complications. This review addresses the fundamental aspects of USGVC and discusses some training issues related to this technique which is currently regarded as essential for intensivists.