American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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Given their clinical, research, and administrative purposes, scores on the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II should be reliable, whether calculated by health care personnel or a clinical information system. ⋯ After completion of a quality improvement intervention, health care personnel and a computerized clinical information system calculated sufficiently reliable APACHE II scores for clinical, research, and administrative purposes.
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Admission to intensive care is often a sudden and unexpected event precipitated by a life-threatening condition, 2 determinants thought to influence the development of posttraumatic stress disorder. ⋯ The rate of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder 1 month after discharge from intensive care was relatively low. Consistent with findings of previous research, being younger than 65 years was the only independent predictor of symptoms.
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Delirium after cardiac surgery is a common complication in cardiovascular intensive care units. The prevalence of delirium and its likely risk factors have not previously been explored in a single sample of postoperative cardiac patients in an intensive care unit. ⋯ The results of this study can be used to develop a revised checklist of 29 preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative risk factors for delirium, with special attention to the 4 predictive postoperative factors. Use of such a checklist may facilitate the ability to prevent or detect delirium early and provide suitable treatment.