Intensive & critical care nursing : the official journal of the British Association of Critical Care Nurses
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Intensive Crit Care Nurs · Dec 2015
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyLighting, sleep and circadian rhythm: An intervention study in the intensive care unit.
Patients in an intensive care unit (ICU) may risk disruption of their circadian rhythm. In an intervention research project a cycled lighting system was set up in an ICU room to support patients' circadian rhythm. Part I aimed to compare experiences of the lighting environment in two rooms with different lighting environments by lighting experiences questionnaire. ⋯ Most had experiences from sleep disorders and half had nightmares/sights and circadian rhythm disruption. Nearly all were pleased with the cycled lighting environment, which together with daylight supported their circadian rhythm. In night's actual lighting levels helped patients and staff to connect which engendered feelings of calm.
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Intensive Crit Care Nurs · Dec 2015
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyPatient and family/friend satisfaction in a sample of Jordanian Critical Care Units.
The aim of the study was to assess the validity of family members/friends as proxies by comparing perceptions of satisfaction with care and decision making between critically ill patients and their family/friends. ⋯ Appropriate training of the critical care team and provision of strategies to address the concerns of patients' families are needed to improve overall patient satisfaction.
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Intensive Crit Care Nurs · Dec 2015
Intensive care nurses' self-reported practice of intravenous fluid bolus therapy.
To describe self-reported practice of fluid bolus therapy by intensive care nurses. ⋯ Most respondents identified fluid bolus therapy to be at least 250ml of 4% albumin given as quickly as possible; however, volumes from 100 to 1000ml were also accepted. There was much uncertainty about the expected physiological response to fluid bolus therapy according to indication.
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Intensive Crit Care Nurs · Dec 2015
Clinical management for patients admitted to a critical care unit with severe sepsis or septic shock.
The Surviving Sepsis Campaign promotes the use of norepinephrine as the first-line inotropic support for patients presenting with severe sepsis or septic shock in cases of persistent hypotension, despite adequate fluid resuscitation. However, there is little published evidence on how much noradrenaline is administered to such patients when admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). The authors report the clinical management of this group of patients, with a special focus on the total amount and duration of norepinephrine infusion required. ⋯ What this study adds to knowledge about patients suffering from severe sepsis or septic shock: (1) the mean duration of norepinephrine infusion for septic shock patients in an ICU is almost three days; (2) the more crystalloid is required to correct hypoperfusion, the higher the dosage and longer the duration of norepinephrine infusion will be necessary; (3) the longer the patient's INR, the higher the chances of death within 28 days. Since not all patients have their body weight measured on or after admission to the ICU, we suggest further research into indirect estimation of body weight by other means, such as anthropometric measures, to guide the use of drugs and nutritional support in the ICU. In addition, APACHE scores should be included in further studies to compare the severity of the patient's condition in other research. Furthermore, since this study does not cover university hospital ICUs, we suggest that further research concerning such patients should compare and reflect similarities and differences between public and university hospitals in the territory.
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Intensive Crit Care Nurs · Oct 2015
Nursing job satisfaction, certification and healthcare-associated infections in critical care.
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between nursing job satisfaction and healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in adult critical care. ⋯ This study provides preliminary evidence to support the relationship between nursing job satisfaction and HAIs in critical care, although some relationships were counterintuitive. A secondary finding included significant relationships between CCRN certified nurses and HAIs.