Articles: intensive-care-units.
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The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between intensive-care nurse burnout and demographic variables. The Maslach Burnout Inventory measured six components of burnout; emotional exhaustion frequency and intensity, depersonalization frequency and intensity, and personal accomplishment frequency and intensity. ⋯ Older age, less than a baccalaureate degree, female, and civilian status described the intensive care nurse who was less prone to burnout. Further study of the relationship between nurses and burnout is required.
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Resuscitation of a neonate requires both immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation and extended intensive care. Initial resuscitation of the neonate, as for adults, must include support of the airway, breathing and circulation. Because of the unique physiology of a newborn infant, some aspects of drug therapy differ significantly from their counterparts in the resuscitation of adults, and hypoglycemia and hypothermia pose special threats to a distressed neonate. ⋯ Drugs used to increase cardiac output early in resuscitation include those that increase heart rate, increase preload or improve myocardial function. Other drugs used in extended intensive care may also improve cardiac output, alter the distribution of the circulation or alter pulmonary function or gas exchange. These agents will be reviewed in a subsequent article.
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We investigated the extent to which bed availability affects decision making in an intensive care unit (ICU). For 1,151 ICU patients, we determined the number of empty ICU beds available at times of admission and discharge and the outcome for those patients. For a randomly chosen group we assessed severity of illness. ⋯ The relative risk of discharge was inversely related to empty bed availability, illness severity, and age. Bed availability had no effect on rates of death in the ICU, death after discharge, or readmission to the ICU. We conclude that physicians can effectively ration intensive care beds on a regular basis by altering admission and discharge decision making.