American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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Commotio cordis due to blunt trauma to the precordium is a rare cause of death in young athletes, occurring less frequently than all of the other athletics-related deaths. Several measures, such as the use of safety baseballs and the use of chest protectors, can help protect young athletes from commotio cordis. ⋯ However, the personal, physiological, and cardiovascular benefits of athletics far outweigh the risks. Therefore, the message to parents is to allow their children to participate in athletics because the benefits far outweigh the risks.
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Comparative Study
Measurement of dyspnea in patients treated with mechanical ventilation.
Dyspnea, or difficult breathing, is common in patients receiving mechanical ventilation; however, dyspnea is not routinely or systematically measured. ⋯ The scales showed acceptable reliability and validity, and they will be useful in quantifying dyspnea experienced by patients receiving mechanical ventilation. Further work is needed to evaluate the extent and the severity of dyspnea in such patients in order to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.