American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
-
The ABCDE bundle incorporates multidisciplinary measures to improve and/or preserve patients' physical, functional, and neurocognitive status through awakening and breathing coordination, delirium prevention and management, and early physical mobility. ⋯ Implementation of the ABCDE bundle led to significant decreases in the prevalence and duration of delirium in ICU patients.
-
Differing Effects of Fatigue and Depression on Hospitalizations in Men and Women With Heart Failure.
In patients with heart failure, worsening of signs and symptoms and depression can affect hospitalization and also each other, resulting in synergistic effects on hospitalizations. A patient's sex may play a role in these effects. ⋯ Fatigue and depression do not have synergistic effects on hospitalization, but men and women differ in the effects of these symptoms on hospitalization.
-
Little information is available on the use of tools in intensive care units to help nurses determine when to restrain a patient. Patients in medical-surgical intensive care units are often restrained for their safety to prevent them from removing therapeutic devices. Research indicates that restraints do not necessarily prevent injuries or removal of devices by patients. ⋯ With implementation of the decision support tool, nurses decreased their use of restraints yet maintained patients' safety. A decision support tool may help nurses who are undecided or who need reassurance on their decision to restrain or not restrain a patient.