Aust Crit Care
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Observational Study
The impact on new-onset stress and PTSD in relatives of critically ill patients explored by diaries study (The "INSPIRED" study).
There is rising prevalence of post-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD) in patients and their relatives after ICU discharge. The impact of ICU diaries on PTSD in relatives of critically ill patients in Australia has not been fully evaluated. ⋯ ICU diaries were often not completed and completion did not appear to be related to the incidence of stress, anxiety, depression and PTSD symptoms in the families of patients in the ICU. This may be because Australian families are generally not interested in maintaining a diary.
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Avoiding adult in-hospital cardiac arrest: A retrospective cohort study to determine preventability.
This study had three main aims. Develop a methodology for reviewing in-hospital cardiac arrests (IHCA). Assess appropriateness and potential preventability of IHCAs. Identify areas for improvement within the rapid response system (RRS). ⋯ The study centre has a comparably low rate of preventable IHCA which could be reduced further through improvements in documentation and handover process. A focus on improved communication, recognition and earlier instigation of appropriate EOL care will reduce this rate further.
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Whilst there is a growing body of research exploring the effect of delirium in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, the relationship between patient delirium and long-term cognitive impairment has not been investigated in settings where low rates of delirium have been reported. ⋯ ICU delirium was positively associated with impaired information processing speed and executive functioning at six-months post-discharge for this cohort. Testing for cognitive impairment with RBANS and TMT should be considered due to its greater sensitivity in comparison to the MMSE.
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Critical care nurses are responsible for administering sedative medications to mechanically ventilated patients. With significant advancements in the understanding of the impact of sedative exposure on physiological and psychological outcomes of ventilated patients, updated practice guidelines for assessment and management of pain, agitation, and delirium in the intensive care unit were released in 2013. The primary aim of this qualitative study was to identify and describe themes derived from critical care nurses' comments regarding sedation administration practices with mechanically ventilated patients. ⋯ Critical care nurses endorse recommendations to minimise sedation administration when possible, but a variety of factors, including personal perspectives, impact sedation administration in the intensive care unit and need to be considered. Critical care nurses continue to encounter numerous challenges when assessing and managing sedation of mechanically ventilated patients.
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Implementation of quality improvement interventions can be enhanced by exploring the perspectives of those who will deliver and receive them. We designed a non-pharmacological bundle for delirium management for a feasibility trial, and we sought to obtain the views of intensive care unit (ICU) staff, survivors, and families on the barriers and facilitators to its implementation. ⋯ Generally, the bundle was deemed acceptable and deliverable. However, like any complex intervention, component adaptations will be required depending on resources available to the ICU; in particular, involvement of pharmacists in the ward round and physiotherapists in mobilising intubated patients.