Aust Crit Care
-
Liquid ventilation, an idea currently being trialled in the United States, is increasingly being discussed as a possible future trend in ventilation. A review of the available literature indicates that this treatment provides effective gas exchange and has a number of potential advantages. ⋯ While yet to be seen in this country, liquid ventilation may be introduced in the future. If it is, those caring for patients treated in that way will require knowledge of the mechanics and physiological changes involved, as well as the potential hazards of this modality.
-
Critically ill infants are subjected to many painful experiences that, if inadequately treated, can have severe physiological and psychological consequences. Optimal management of pain relies on the adequacy of nurses' assessment; this, however, is complicated by another common condition, agitation. A multidimensional assessment is therefore necessary to adequately identify pain and agitation. ⋯ Nurses used cues specific to the critically ill rather than the less sick infant. Results of this study also show the difficulty of differentiating between pain and agitation. Further research on ways of distinguishing between the construct of pain and agitation needs to be undertaken.