Intensive & critical care nursing : the official journal of the British Association of Critical Care Nurses
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Intensive Crit Care Nurs · Apr 2015
How accurate is the AVPU scale in detecting neurological impairment when used by general ward nurses? An evaluation study using simulation and a questionnaire.
to evaluate accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and inter-rater agreement of AVPU (Alert, Voice, Pain, Unresponsive) when used by non-specialist nursing staff assessing consciousness, and to investigate users' views. ⋯ AVPU had low rates of accuracy, sensitivity and agreement in distinguishing between "Alert" and "Voice", and low specificity overall, suggesting it may be unsuitable for early warning scoring. Participants expressed doubts about the use of AVPU.
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Intensive Crit Care Nurs · Apr 2015
The impact of a nurse led rapid response system on adverse, major adverse events and activation of the medical emergency team.
To identify the relationship between one example of a rapid response system (RRS), specifically, an after-hours Clinical Team Co-Ordinator (CTC), and the incidence of Medical Emergency Team (MET) activations and, adverse and major adverse events in medical patients. ⋯ The introduction of an after-hours CTC service in a specific clinical site was associated with an increase in the identification of adverse and major adverse events in medical patients. Further exploration of nurse-led rapid response systems should be undertaken in different clinical settings.
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Intensive Crit Care Nurs · Apr 2015
Observational StudyWhat impact did a Paediatric Early Warning system have on emergency admissions to the paediatric intensive care unit? An observational cohort study.
The ideology underpinning Paediatric Early Warning systems (PEWs) is that earlier recognition of deteriorating in-patients would improve clinical outcomes. ⋯ Following introduction of PEWs at a tertiary children's hospital PIM2 was reduced, patients required less PICU interventions and had a shorter length of stay. PICU service delivery improved.