Anaesthesia, critical care & pain medicine
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Anaesth Crit Care Pain Med · Apr 2015
Observational StudyPractices of end-of-life decisions in 66 southern French ICUs 4years after an official legal framework: A 1-day audit.
Since the implementation of two French laws in 2002 and 2005 and the implementation of guidelines about End-of-Life (EoL) decisions, few studies concerning EoL practices in French intensive care units (ICUs) have been reported. This study was aimed at assessing compliance with recommendations and current legislation concerning EoL decisions. ⋯ The major finding of the present study is the existence of a gap between the widely approved EoL recommendations made by scientific societies and the daily practice of southern French ICUs. Even if EoL decisions are mostly shared with relatives, their written documentation in medical charts remains insufficient. Concerning EoL practices, the withdrawal of treatment remains an uncommon decision.
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Anaesth Crit Care Pain Med · Apr 2015
Comparative StudyAssessment of dyspnoea in the emergency department by numeric and visual scales: A pilot study.
Dyspnoea is a common and often debilitating symptom that affects up to 50% of patients admitted to acute tertiary care hospitals. The primary purpose of this study was to compare the numeric rating scale (NRS) and the visual analogue scale (VAS) for dyspnoea evaluation in the ED setting. ⋯ This pilot study demonstrated that numerical rating and visual analogue scales agree well when assessing the severity of dyspnoea in the ED. Further studies with larger cohorts of patients are needed to confirm these preliminary results.
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Anaesth Crit Care Pain Med · Apr 2015
Comparative StudyCompatibility of medications during multi-infusion therapy: A controlled in vitro study on a multilumen infusion device.
Drug incompatibilities can jeopardize the safety and effectiveness of intravenous drug therapies, especially in the field of anaesthesia and intensive care. Patients receive many drugs simultaneously through limited venous accesses. This study was designed to confirm the impact of a multilumen infusion device on the occurrence of known physical drug incompatibilities. ⋯ Infusion device characteristics have an impact on physical drug incompatibilities. Our results confirm that the Edelvaiss Multiline-8 device prevents physical drug incompatibilities under specified conditions.