Crit Care Resusc
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Comparative Study
Withdrawal of active treatment in intensive care: what is stopped - comparison between belief and practice.
To assess the methods of withdrawal of active treatment in intensive care patients and to compare surveyed practice with the beliefs of medical and nursing staff. ⋯ These results suggest a wide disparity between belief and practice, with variable documentation regarding end-of-life decision-making and treatment of patients for palliation in the ICU. Several guidelines have been published that might improve end-of-life care. We recommend a standardised approach to improve communication between medical and nursing staff.
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To establish the success rate, time taken and expertise required to place a feeding catheter into the small intestine using a device that permits real-time localisation of the catheter through detection of an electromagnetic field. ⋯ An electromagnetically guided device enabled reliable and rapid bedside placement of small intestinal feeding catheters. Proficiency with the technique was quickly developed and successfully disseminated to a range of clinicians.