Aust Crit Care
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The use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) following a cardiac arrest in the out-of-hospital setting has demonstrated increased survival rates, likely because up to 71% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests are associated with rhythm disturbances that are able to be treated with defibrillation. It is less clear whether the use of AEDs in the hospital setting would be effective because fewer patients (approximately 25%) have initial cardiac rhythms that respond to defibrillation and because survival may be compromised if the use of AEDs contributes to interruptions in the delivery of chest compressions. ⋯ Of the 11,695 patients with cardiac arrests, the majority (82.2%; n=9616) were in a nonshockable rhythm, such as asystole or pulseless electrical activity (PEA). Only 17.8% (n=2079) of patients in the study were in a shockable rhythm (ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia). AEDs were used on 4515 patients (38.6%). An overall survival to discharge rate of 18.1% (n=2117) was reported. The use of an AED was associated with lower survival rates (16.3% vs 19.3%; adjusted rate ratio [RR], 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78-0.92; P<0.001). AED use in those patients with asystole or PEA (unshockable rhythms) was associated with lower survival (10.4% vs 15.4%; adjusted RR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.65-0.83; P<0.001). Where shockable rhythms, such as ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation, were present, AED use did not increase survival (38.4% vs 39.8%; adjusted RR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.88-1.13; P=0.99). These trends were consistent for AED use in both monitored and nonmonitored hospital units (p>.10). For cardiac arrest due to asystole or PEA the use (or not) of an AED did not influence the rates of ROSC. For cardiac arrests due to ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia the rates of ROSC and survival at 24 h did not differ by AED use. AED use did not shorten the time to defibrillation and for those patients with ROSC, and was not associated with shorter CPR times or fewer administered defibrillations. Overall the authors concluded that the use of AEDs in hospitalised patients following cardiac arrest was not associated with improved survival.
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The provision of the patient bed-bath is a fundamental nursing care activity yet few quantitative data and no qualitative data are available on registered nurses' (RNs) clinical practice in this domain in the intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of this study was to describe ICU RNs current practice with respect to the timing, frequency and duration of the patient bed-bath and the cleansing and emollient agents used. ⋯ This study identified variation in process and products used in patient hygiene practices in four ICUs. Further study to improve patient outcomes is required to determine the appropriate timing of patient hygiene activities and cleansing agents used to improve skin integrity.
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Falling among adults in acute care is an important problem with falls rates in tertiary hospitals ranging from 2% to 5%. Factors that increase the risk of falling, such as advanced age, altered mental status, medications that act on the central nervous system and poor mobility, often characterise individuals who survive a prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) admission. ⋯ Falling during hospitalisation is common in intensive care survivors. Compared with non-fallers, fallers were younger and required inotropes for a shorter duration. Those who survive a prolonged admission to an ICU may benefit from specific assessment of balance and falls risk by the multidisciplinary team.