American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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Hyperoxemia, often overlooked in critically ill patients, is common and may have adverse consequences. ⋯ Hyperoxemia induced by oxygen therapy was common in critically ill patients and was linked to increased risk of hospital mortality. Health care professionals should be aware of this condition because of its potential risks and unnecessary costs.
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Multicenter Study
Transitioning to Palliative Care in an Italian Cardiac Intensive Care Unit Network.
Recent data indicate that end-of-life management for patients affected by acute decompensated heart failure in cardiac intensive care units is aggressive, with late or no engagement of palliative care teams. ⋯ Therapy-limiting practices, including ICD deactivation, are not routine in the Italian centers participating in this study. The results emphasize the importance of integrating palliative care as a simultaneous process with intensive care to address the unmet needs of these patients and their families.
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Pediatric palliative transport (PPT) is the practice of offering critically and terminally ill children requiring life-sustaining measures the opportunity to be discharged from the hospital to home or a hospice facility for end-of-life care. Although studies have shown PPT to favorably affect both children and their families, limited research exists on the perspectives of health care practitioners. ⋯ Pediatric palliative transport is considered a feasible, valuable, and critical end-of-life intervention. The value that PPT has brought to participating families warrants continued investment in the intervention's standardization and enhancement.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Impact of Virtual Reality Simulation on New Nurses' Assessment of Pediatric Respiratory Distress.
Children often experience respiratory illnesses requiring bedside nurses skilled in recognizing respiratory decompensation. Historically, recognizing respiratory distress has relied on teaching during direct patient care. Virtual reality simulation may accelerate such recognition among novice nurses. ⋯ Implementation of a virtual reality-based training curriculum was associated with improved recognition of pediatric respiratory distress, impending respiratory failure, and altered mental status at 3 and 6 months compared with standard training approaches. Virtual reality may offer a new approach to nurse orientation to enhance training in pediatrics-specific assessment skills.
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Older adults (≥age 65) admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) are profoundly inactive during hospitalization. Older ICU survivors often experience life-changing symptoms, including cognitive dysfunction, physical impairment, and/or psychological distress, which are components of post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). ⋯ Post-ICU inactivity may identify older ICU survivors who may be at risk for PICS and may guide future research interventions to mitigate symptom burden.