Articles: critical-illness.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Sep 2022
Multicenter StudyEye Tracking communication with intubated critically ill patients: a proof-of-concept multicenter pilot study.
Communication is essential to establish patient-caregivers relationship in the intensive care unit. Intubated patients are not able to speak because the tracheal tube prevents vocalization. Use of communication tools such as eye tracking device could improve communication with intubated patients. The objective of this feasibility pilot study was to demonstrate that an eye tracking device specifically developed for the intensive care could be used easily by awake intubated patient with a very short training time. ⋯ This study shows that the use of an eye tracking technology device specifically designed for the intensive care setting, with a short training is easy to use for intubated patient. Patients, relatives and caregivers showed high satisfaction.
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Critical care medicine · Sep 2022
Randomized Controlled TrialDaily Written Care Summaries for Families of Critically Ill Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
To determine the effect of daily written updates on the satisfaction and psychologic symptoms of families of ICU patients. ⋯ Written communication improved satisfaction and the emotional well-being of families of critically ill patients, supporting its use as a supplement to traditional communication approaches.
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With an aging global population, the increased proportion of elderly patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) raises important questions regarding optimal management. Currently, data on tracheostomy and its outcomes in the elderly are limited. We aimed to determine the in-hospital survival of elderly ICU patients following tracheostomy, and describe impacts on discharge disposition and functional outcomes. ⋯ In patients aged ≥ 70 yr, tracheostomy during ICU stay marked a transition toward prolonged chronic critical illness. Nearly half of the patients died during the admission, and although a quarter were successfully decannulated, the majority of survivors were left with severe frailty and functional impairment.