CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne
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To develop a predictive index for length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) following cardiac surgery. ⋯ Length of ICU stay and death following cardiac surgery can be predicted with a multivariate predictive index. The index has potential application as a means of stratifying cardiac surgical risk as well as in optimizing ICU resource planning when resources are limited.
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Practice Guideline Guideline
Periodic health examination, 1994 update: 3. Primary and secondary prevention of neural tube defects. Canadian Task Force on the Periodic Health Examination.
To make recommendations on nutritional interventions and screening manoeuvres to prevent the birth of infants with neural tube defects (NTDs). ⋯ These guidelines were developed and endorsed by the Canadian task force, which funded by Health Canada.
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Historical views of the patient-physician relationship assumed that the physician's role was to act in the best interests of the patient and to direct care and make decisions about treatment on the patient's behalf. However, under current legal and ethical principles, beneficence is no longer sufficient; respect for autonomy is paramount, necessitating patient participation. None the less, physicians question whether patient participation is realistic in actual clinical situations. ⋯ To be understood, health information must be presented in a way that is appropriate to the patient. Format, content and timing of the material are all important. Mechanisms for incorporating such information into busy clinical practices are crucial.