The American journal of nursing
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: Sepsis is a leading cause of critical illness and hospital mortality. Early recognition and intervention are essential for the survival of patients with this syndrome. In 2002, the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) and the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) launched the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) to reduce overall patient morbidity and mortality from sepsis and septic shock by driving practice initiatives based on current best evidence. ⋯ In 2016, this task force published the Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3). The new definitions and recommendations included tools, based on an updated understanding of the pathobiology of sepsis, that can be used to predict adverse outcomes in patients with infection. This article discusses the new SSC treatment guidelines, changes in the sepsis bundle interventions, and the Sepsis-3 definitions and tools, all of which enable nurses to improve patient outcomes through timely collaborative action.
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: Background: Handover from the operating room (OR) staff to the ICU staff is a critical transition time for patients, in which the potential for error and miscommunication is high. Therefore, minimization of extraneous interruptions during the exchange of crucial information between the anesthesia and surgical teams and the nursing, respiratory therapy, and medical teams is imperative.
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: Background: Although certification by an accredited agency is often a practice prerequisite in health care, it is not required of vascular access specialists who insert peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs). Whether certification is associated with differences in practice among inserters is unknown.