Articles: intensive-care-units.
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Internal medicine journal · Nov 2022
Administration of pharmacological sleep aids prior to, during and following critical illness.
Sleep in the intensive care unit (ICU) is frequently disturbed and this may have a detrimental effect on recovery. ⋯ Pharmacological sleep aids are administered frequently in the ICU with administration increasing substantially after ICU discharge.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Nov 2022
Dynamic assessment of Surge Capacity in a large hospital network during Covid-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has provided an unprecedented scenario to deepen knowledge of surge capacity (SC), assessment of which remains a challenge. This study reports a large-scale experience of a multi-hospital network, with the aim of evaluating the characteristics of different hospitals involved in the response and of measuring a real-time SC based on two complementary modalities (actual, base) referring to the intensive care units (ICU). ⋯ The results provide benchmarks to better understand ICU hospital response capacity, highlighting the need for a more flexible approach to SC definition.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Nov 2022
Association Between Centralization and Outcome for Children Admitted to Intensive Care in Australia and New Zealand: A Population-Based Cohort Study.
To describe regional differences and change over time in the degree of centralization of pediatric intensive care in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) and to compare the characteristics and ICU mortality of children admitted to specialist PICUs and general ICUs (GICUs). ⋯ Risk-adjusted mortality of children admitted to specialist PICUs decreased over a study period of 14 years; however, a similar association between time and outcome was not observed in high-risk children admitted to GICUs. The results support the continued use of a centralized model of delivering intensive care for critically ill children.
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Prolonging life in the ICU increasingly is possible, so decisions to limit life-sustaining therapies frequently are made and communicated to patients and families or surrogates. Little is known about worldwide communication practices and influencing factors. ⋯ End-of-life communication with patients and families or surrogates varies markedly in different global regions. GEE analysis supports the hypothesis that communication may increase with ethical practice and an advance directive. Greater effort is needed to align treatment with patients' wishes.