Nursing in critical care
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Nursing in critical care · Jul 2012
ReviewReviewing the reliability, effectiveness and applications of Licox in traumatic brain injury.
To review the pathophysiology, accuracy, effectiveness and use of Licox for brain tissue oxygen monitoring in traumatic brain injury (TBI). ⋯ Licox offers new insights into cerebral pathology and physiology. The continuous bedside monitoring provides real-time data that can be used to improve patient management and prognosis in specialist units by trained and experienced staff. More research is required to understand the limitations of this technology and why it is not in widespread use. RELEVENCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: A clinical tool that could be utilized more often in the right setting to improve care to patients suffering from TBI by disseminating more information on this unique tool.
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Nursing in critical care · Jul 2012
Position statement on visiting in adult critical care units in the UK.
To provide nurses with an evidence-based Position Statement on the standards patients and visitors should expect when visiting an adult critical care unit in the 21st century in the UK. The British Association of Critical Care Nurses (BACCN) is a leading organization for critical care nursing in the UK and regularly receives enquiries about best practice regarding visiting policies. Therefore, in keeping with the BACCN's commitment to provide evidence-based guidance for nurses, a Position Statement on visiting practices in adult critical care units was commissioned. ⋯ Visitors bring a positive energy to patients and can act as advocates. They can supply nurses with vital information about patients which will enable the nurse to provide more individualized care. Being cognizant of the evidence will help nurses develop policies on visiting which are up to date for the 21st century.
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Nursing in critical care · Jul 2012
The use of propofol sedation in a paediatric intensive care unit.
The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate and report the experience of the use of continuous intravenous propofol sedation in a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). ⋯ Propofol infusion was used in this population at low risk of PRIS with no metabolic or circulatory adverse effects. These findings indicate that the occurrence of adverse effects may not be directly related to dose or duration of infusion, but emphasizes the risk that sporadic factors may be involved, such as genetic mutations. Guidelines are presented.