American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
-
Therapeutic hypothermia is an important and successful treatment that has been endorsed only in specific clinical settings of cardiac arrest. Inclusion criteria thus far have not embraced drug-induced cardiac arrest, but clinical evidence has been mounting that therapeutic hypothermia may be beneficial in such cases. A 59-year-old man who experienced a cocaine-induced cardiac arrest had a full neurological recovery after use of therapeutic hypothermia. The relevant pathophysiology of cocaine-induced cardiac arrest is reviewed, the mechanism and history of therapeutic hypothermia are discussed, and the clinical evidence recommending the use of therapeutic hypothermia in cocaine-induced cardiac arrest is reinforced.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of lavender aromatherapy on vital signs and perceived quality of sleep in the intermediate care unit: a pilot study.
Sleep deprivation in hospitalized patients is common and can have serious detrimental effects on recovery from illness. Lavender aromatherapy has improved sleep in a variety of clinical settings, but the effect has not been tested in the intermediate care unit. ⋯ Lavender aromatherapy may be an effective way to improve sleep in an intermediate care unit.
-
Delirium occurs in up to 80% of intensive care patients and is associated with poor outcomes. The biological cause of delirium remains elusive. ⋯ Apolipoprotein E plays a complex role in illness response and recovery in critically ill patients. The relationship between apolipoprotein E genotype and brain dysfunction and survival is unclear.
-
The Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) is a validated tool for diagnosing delirium in the ICU and yields 1 of 3 ratings: positive, negative, and unable to assess (UTA). It was hypothesized that an educational campaign focused on establishing patients' arousal as comatose versus noncomatose before initiating the CAM-ICU would decrease the incidence of inappropriate UTA ratings. ⋯ The educational campaign decreased the incidence of inappropriate UTA ratings.