American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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Intensive care unit (ICU) patients experience hypoglycemia at nearly 4 times the rate seen in non-ICU counterparts. Although inpatient hypoglycemia management relies on nurse-driven protocols, protocol adherence varies between institutions and units. ⋯ Adherence to nurse-driven hypoglycemia protocols can be equally effective in ICU and non-ICU patients. Further research is needed to determine protocol adherence barriers and patient characteristics that influence response to hypoglycemia interventions.
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To date, no intervention has definitively improved outcomes for families of critical illness survivors. An integrated perspective on caregivers' needs after critical illness could help identify high-priority intervention targets and improve outcomes. ⋯ Caregivers have instrumental, self-care, and mental health needs after critical illness. Adapting hands-on and skills training interventions to the post-ICU setting, while tailoring interventions to caregivers' health-related social context, may improve caregiver outcomes.
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Early mobility interventions in intensive care units (ICUs) are safe and improve outcomes in subsets of critically ill adults. However, implementation varies, and the optimal mobility dose remains unclear. ⋯ More daily out-of-bed mobility for ICU patients was associated with shorter mechanical ventilation duration and hospital stays, suggesting a dose-response relationship between daily mobility and patient outcomes. However, relationships differed across ICU subpopulations.