Intensive & critical care nursing : the official journal of the British Association of Critical Care Nurses
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Intensive Crit Care Nurs · Feb 2006
Mothers' recollections of the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit: associations with psychopathology and views on follow up.
The aim of this study was to establish rates of posttraumatic stress symptoms in mothers after a child's admission to a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and their views on the potential value of a follow up appointment with PICU staff. Thirty-four mothers completed the Parental Stressor Scale:PICU, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and the Impact of Event Scale, 8 months after discharge. In total 18/34 (53%) scored > or =5 on the GHQ-28 and 6/32 (18%) of the sample scored in the severe range (>35) on the Impact of Event Scale. ⋯ Mothers who talked about their feelings at the time of the admission had lower posttraumatic stress scores at 8 months (p = 0.02) and 25/34 (74%) mothers would have appreciated the offer of a follow up appointment. Screening for distress during admission with the Parental Stressor Scale:PICU may identify those mothers in greatest need of psychological support. Mothers' recollections of the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit: Associations with psychopathology and views on follow up.
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Intensive Crit Care Nurs · Feb 2006
Strategies in assessing post operative pain--a South African study.
The purpose of this validation study was to describe strategies used in postoperative pain assessment among a group of nurses in South Africa. A mixed qualitative and quantitative study was conducted in a 950-bed academic hospital complex. Surgical nurses (n = 12) carried out pain assessments of postoperative patients (n = 36) in pain. ⋯ Göteborg: Acta Universitatis Gothoburgensis; 1995] was valid for this sample with an additional category. The different categories seem to be complementary and necessary for assessing pain in others. The findings have implications for professionals who provide care for patients in pain.
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Intensive Crit Care Nurs · Feb 2006
Use of a Behavioural Pain Scale to assess pain in ventilated, unconscious and/or sedated patients.
Current empirical evidence supports claims that pain in sedated, unconscious Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients is underrated and under-treated. Given the severity of ICU patients' illness pain management, whilst important, may not be considered a priority and therefore can be easily overlooked. The aim of this study was to validate the Behavioural Pain Scale (BPS) for the assessment of pain in critically ill patients by evaluating facial expressions, upper limb movements and compliance with mechanical ventilation. ⋯ The BPS was found to be a valid and reliable tool in the assessment of pain in the unconscious sedated patient. Results also highlighted that traditional pain indicators, such as fluctuations in haemodynamic parameters, are not always an accurate measure for the assessment of pain in unconscious patients and as such more objective pain assessment measures are essential. Finally, further validation of the BPS and identification of other painful routine procedures is needed to enhance pain management delivery for unconscious patients.