Articles: critical-care.
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Osmotherapy with compounds such as mannitol has become a mainstay of neurologic and neurosurgical intensive care. Elevated intracranial pressure is the most common indication. A substantive debate remains as to the appropriate timing of administration and the optimal fluid management protocol, and experts disagree about the clinically relevant mechanisms of action of osmotic diuretics. This article briefly summarizes the basic literature on the physical actions of mannitol, addresses commonly asked questions, and highlights some of the controversies that arise at the bedside.
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Dimens Crit Care Nurs · Jan 1997
Review Case ReportsDeveloping an Intensive Care Continuum: incorporating rehabilitation services in critical care.
The Intensive Care Continuum program offers hospitals an alternative that effectively uses critical care beds while delivering optimum quality care to those patients requiring extended acute care. This program provides an intensive level of care while integrating rehabilitation therapies into the patient's plan of care. Specific strategies for developing an Intensive Care Continuum are offered in this article.