American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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The purposes of this article are to: identify gaps in the research literature on weaning adult patients from short-term mechanical ventilation, highlight the scientific base for practice guidelines, and suggest future research directions. Data bases from 1989 through June 1993 were reviewed, and relevant research articles were extracted, analyzed, and synthesized within the AACN Third National Study Group framework. ⋯ Despite considerable research on predictors and patient responses to weaning from short-term mechanical ventilation, few of the findings can be applied to clinical practice at this time. Less research is available on weaning modes and therapies that facilitate weaning from short-term mechanical ventilation; fruitful research in these areas depends in part on a better understanding of patient responses and accurate weaning predictors.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Endotracheal saline and suction catheters: sources of lower airway contamination.
Normal saline instillation prior to endotracheal suctioning is a critical care ritual that persists despite a lack of demonstrated benefit. Saline instillation may dislodge viable bacteria from a colonized endotracheal tube into the lower airway, overwhelming the defense mechanism of immunocompromised patients. ⋯ The potential for infection caused by dislodging bacteria into the lower airway is additional evidence that routine use of saline during suctioning procedures should be abandoned.
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This article, the first in a series, is written to clarify the process of weaning from mechanical ventilation and to promote the development of a common language for understanding the complex weaning process. The Third National Study Group on Weaning From Mechanical Ventilation proposes a conceptual model and definitions that will provide a framework for future research on this important topic. This conceptual framework describes the preweaning phase, the weaning process, and the outcome phase of mechanical ventilation. ⋯ The weaning decision continuum incorporates: (1) when and how to begin the weaning process, (2) how to select therapies to assist with difficult weaning and chart progress during weaning, and (3) when to stop weaning if progress is no longer being made. An inherent assumption of this model is that each patient will display unique responses to the weaning process. The proposed conceptual framework and definitions provide a foundation for developing clinical practice guidelines and for guiding future ventilator weaning research.
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Comparative Study
Defining unnecessary disinfection procedures for single-dose and multiple-dose vials.
Recommendations in the literature conflict on the necessity of disinfecting single-use vials prior to aspiration of fluid. Interventions to disinfect the stopper surface on multiple-dose vials vary considerably. ⋯ This study shows the lack of necessity of any disinfection procedure on the rubber stopper of single-dose vials and the efficacy of alcohol only for disinfecting the stopper of multiple-dose vials.
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The effect of a do-not-resuscitate order on the standard of care of critically ill patients is of concern to practitioners, patients, and their families. Because "do not resuscitate" may be misconstrued to include more than "no cardiopulmonary resuscitation," it may influence the aggressiveness with which some patients are managed. Nurses play a central role in determining standards of care. Hence, confusion on their part as to the meaning of this term can have a significant impact on patient care. ⋯ Our findings suggest that "do-not-resuscitate" may be misinterpreted to include more than "no cardiopulmonary resuscitation" even if the patient is receiving aggressive medical management. Misinterpretation of orders not to resuscitate may be related to a variety of factors including lack of understanding about hospital policy and ethical and moral values of the staff. We suggest replacing orders such as "Do not resuscitate" with clearly defined resuscitation plans that are jointly determined by the multidisciplinary team, patient, and family.