American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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Comparative Study
Pilot study of the relationship between heart rate and ectopy and unrestricted vs restricted visiting hours in the coronary care unit.
To determine the relationship between cardiac performance (as measured by heart rate and ectopy) and unrestricted vs restricted visiting hours in the coronary care unit. ⋯ Consideration should be given to development of unrestricted visiting policies that promote the continuing presence and natural support of the family and significant others for patients in coronary care units.
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Case Reports
Case study: heart transplantation--increased incidence of acute rejection in female recipients.
Although the precise link between the increased incidence of allograft rejection in female heart transplant recipients remains uncertain, various gender-specific characteristics may predispose women to earlier rejection episodes. Critical care practitioners must be cognizant of the underlying immunologic factors that indicate higher risk in these recipients. Until the ideal treatment for cardiac rejection is discovered, identifying pertinent immunologic factors, attending to subtle symptoms, obtaining serial endomyocardial biopsies and initiating prompt, additional aggressive immunosuppressive protocols remain paramount in rendering quality patient care. Research must continue to elicit more specific tissue-typing antigens and more selective immunosuppressive agents that will ultimately result in prolonged survival of all heart transplant recipients.