American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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No validated conceptual framework exists for understanding the outcomes of patient- and family-centered care in critical care. ⋯ Intensive care unit patients and their families define intensive care unit by using words to describe sickness, caring, medical staff, emotional states, and physical qualities of the unit. The results validate the importance of these topics among patients and their families in the intensive care unit and illustrate the usefulness of freelisting in critical care research.
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Although atrial fibrillation is common in critically ill patients, no large studies on its impact on patient mortality in general intensive care units have been done. ⋯ Atrial fibrillation may not be independently associated with hospital mortality.
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The occiput is a common location for development of pressure ulcers in hospitalized infants and young children. However, risk factors associated with occurrence of the ulcers have not been fully described. ⋯ Infants and children at risk for occipital pressure ulcers can be prospectively identified, allowing implementation of nursing interventions to prevent these ulcers.