Articles: intensive-care-units.
-
Previous research has emphasized the importance of visitation in critical care units and its beneficial effects on patients and their families. However, nurses' attitudes and beliefs about visitation did not correlate with those of patients and their families, nor did actual visitation practices correlate with written policy. ⋯ Data indicate that most nurses do not restrict visitation, regardless of whether restrictive policies are in place. Most nurses base their visitation decisions on the needs of the patient and the nurse. Needs of the family were ranked as less important in decision making about family visitation.
-
Critical care medicine · May 1997
Comparative StudyRoutine portable chest radiographs in the medical intensive care unit: effects and costs.
To determine the effects and net costs of routine chest radiographs in a medical intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ The policy of obtaining routine chest radiographs in the medical ICU is effective and results in net savings.
-
From the patient's point of view, the Intensive Care Unit is both a frightening place and a safe haven. Psychologically, what we see most commonly are regression, delirium and paranola. Regression requires no treatment; delirium is treatable not only medically but psychologically as well; paranoia is best treated by prevention.
-
Critical care medicine · May 1997
Assessing the impact of patient characteristics and process performance on rural intensive care unit hospital mortality rates.
To examine the relationship between patient characteristics, processes of care, and risk of hospital mortality in rural intensive care units (ICU). ⋯ Most of the variation in mortality was explained by differences in patient physiologic and demographic characteristics at ICU admission. After adjusting for patient characteristics, better performance in some processes of care would have significant impact on reducing risk of mortality.
-
Critical incident reporting was introduced into the intensive care unit (ICU) as part of the development of a quality assurance programme within our department. Over a 3-year period 281 critical incidents were reported. Factors relating to causation, detection and prevention of critical incidents were sought. ⋯ Critical incident reporting was effective in revealing latent errors in our "system' and clarifying the role of human error in the generation of incidents. It has proven to be a useful technique to highlight problems previously undetected in our quality assurance programme. Improvements in quality of care following implementation of preventative strategies await further assessment.