Progress in cardiovascular nursing
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Prog Cardiovasc Nurs · Jan 1995
Multicenter StudyPain, pain relief and accuracy of their recall after cardiac surgery.
This study investigated how much pain and pain relief cardiac surgery patients experience in Intensive Care Units (ICUs), and the accuracy of their recall later, during hospital recovery. Thirty-nine patients completed the first interview in the ICU, and 31 of them answered recall questions later. The worst pain patients experienced in the ICU was moderately high, and patients reported 65% pain relief from analgesics administered. ⋯ Although recall of ICU pain is less than accurate, ICU cardiac surgical patients have episodes of substantial pain. Despite advances in pain management, patients report that pain relief is frequently incomplete and that they do not remember receiving analgesics. A more proactive approach to pain management by health care professionals, which includes informing patients when they are receiving analgesics, may help to improve pain relief in cardiac surgical patients.
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Prog Cardiovasc Nurs · Jan 1994
Electrocardiographic changes in critically ill adults during intrahospital transport.
Critically ill patients are frequently transported out of the intensive care unit (ICU) for diagnostic tests and procedures. Advanced diagnostic testing and increased patient acuity have influenced the level of nursing care required during intrahospital transport. Previous studies have documented deleterious patient outcomes during intrahospital transport, but none have evaluated twelve lead electrocardiograms (ECGs). ⋯ A convenience sample of 29 critical care patients (14 cardiac, 8 neurological, 5 medical, 2 transplant) was selected from three ICUs at a university hospital. In addition to the standard, single bipolar lead monitor, patients were monitored with a portable, interpretative electrocardiograph with continuous 12 lead ST segment analysis. Results of this study indicate that cardiac events during intrahospital transport may go undetected because of current monitoring practices and the mechanics of transport.
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Short article that delineates recent changes in Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support. These changes are based on recommendations from the 1992 National Conference on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Emergency Cardiac Care (ECC).