Aust Crit Care
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The admission of a relative to intensive care is stressful for families. To help them support the patient, families need assurance, information and an ability to be near their sick relative. Flexible visiting enables patient access but the impact of this on patients, families and staff is not clear. ⋯ Patients, families and ICU staff positively evaluated flexible visiting hours in this ICU. Although only a minority of families took advantage of the increased hours they indicated appreciation for the additional opportunities. Junior staff may benefit from peer-support to develop family inclusion skills. More flexible visiting times can be incorporated into usual ICU practice in a manner that is viewed positively by all stakeholders.
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Rehabilitative exercise for critically ill patients may have many benefits; however, it is unknown what intensive care unit (ICU) clinicians perceive to be important rationale for the implementation of rehabilitative exercise in critical care settings. ⋯ Any shortcoming in implementation of rehabilitation exercise is unlikely attributable to a lack of perceived importance by nursing, medical or physiotherapy clinicians who are the most likely clinicians to influence rehabilitation practices in ICUs. It is noteworthy that this study examined self-reported perceptions, not physiological or scientific legitimacy of rationales, or clinician behaviours in practice.
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Intra-abdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome are potentially life threatening conditions. Critical care nurses need to understand the factors that predispose patients to intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS). Predicting and managing IAH and ACS are important to improve health outcomes. ⋯ Critical care clinicians' knowledge of IAH and ACS is generally low in the areas of presentation and outcomes of IAH and ACS requiring tailored and targeted educational interventions.
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To evaluate role of diaphragmatic thickening and excursion, assessed ultrasonographically, in predicting extubation outcome. ⋯ Ultrasound evaluation of diaphragmatic excursion and thickness at end inspiration could be a good predictor of extubation outcome in patients who passed SBT. It is recommended to consider the use of these parameters with RSBI consequently to improve extubation outcome.