Search Tag: intensive care unit

ICU Management

Need-to-optimise-disposition-in-ed-patients-presenting-with-infection

2018 18 Jul

Emergency department (ED) patients with suspected infection admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) are associated with lower in-hospital mortality and costs than those initially admitted to the floor or discharged home, according to a new study published in the journal Critical Care. "Our findings demonstrate worse outcomes and higher costs...Read more

ICU Management

How-icu-diaries-can-help-patients-and-families

2018 04 Jun

I work in a small intensive care unit (ICU) where we have been writing diaries since 1992. Initially, they were just little black books with notes by staff and families on how patients were doing during their ICU stay. In 1999, we began taking photos of the patients to illustrate their critically ill period, to help them understand and see what happened....Read more

ICU Management

Pre-icu-cognitive-status-associated-with-post-icu-disability

2018 09 May

Among older adults, any impairment (even minimal) in pre-intensive care unit cognitive status was associated with an increase in post-ICU disability over the six months after a critical illness, and that the relative increase in post-ICU disability was comparable between those with minimal and moderate cognitive impairment, according to new research...Read more

ICU Management

Icu-capacity-strain-negative-impact-on-care-processes-outcomes

2018 04 Apr

Strained intensive care unit (ICU) capacity represents a fundamental supply-demand mismatch in ICU resources. A new systematic review has identified 16 indicators of strained ICU capacity across the spectrum of healthcare quality domains, noting that strain negatively impacts care processes and outcomes for patients as well as care providers. "The...Read more

ICU Management

Volume-18-issue-1-2018-1

2018 16 Mar

Change content default valueRead more

ICU Management

Supporting-the-patient-innovator

2018 16 Mar

Their inability to communicate effectively whilst he had a tracheostomy on the intensive care unit (ICU), had such a profound impact on Duncan Buckley and his wife, Lisa-Marie, that they developed a concept for a novel interactive communication device, called ‘ICU CHAT’. Together, they have been embedded within the multidisciplinary ICU research...Read more

ICU Management

Withholding-and-withdrawing-life-sustaining-treatment-guide-for-icu-team

2018 23 Jan

Guidance from the Canadian Critical Care Society aims to guide and educate the multidisciplinary intensive care unit (ICU) team and all involved in end-of-life decision making on the background to withdrawal or withholding of life sustaining treatment. The authors emphasise that any form of life-sustaining treatment (LST) should be considered a trial...Read more

ICU Management

What-s-the-effective-antibiotic-dosing-in-critically-ill-patients

2017 28 Nov

Mortality due to severe infections in the intensive care unit (ICU) remains high despite recent therapeutic advancements. It is believed that ICU pathogens are relatively different from those in the general wards as they commonly have reduced antibiotic susceptibility. However, despite profound physiological and pharmacokinetic differences to the non-critically...Read more

ICU Management

Optimizing-sepsis-management-in-the-intensive-care-unit-an-interview-with-jordi-trafi

2016 18 Oct

“Studies continue to show that guiding antibiotic therapy based on the dynamics of PCT levels in the blood will reduce not only the use of antibiotics but also the length of stay, hereby lowering hospital costs significantly" - an interview with Jordi Trafi. Sepsis can easily escalate to the life-threatening condition septic shock which has...Read more

ICU Management

Hamilton-c1-minimum-size-for-maximum-performance

2016 11 Oct

Requiring only a minimum of space, the HAMILTON-C1 mechanical ventilator combines maximum mobility with invasive and noninvasive modes, as well as high flow oxygen therapy.  The integrated high-performance turbine enables the HAMILTON-C1 to be completely independent of compressed air. This makes it an ideal companion for all patient groups...Read more

ICU Management

Masimo-announces-full-market-release-of-next-generation-sphb-r-spot-check-pronto-r

2016 08 Jun

Masimo  has announced the full market release outside the U.S. of the Pronto® Pulse CO-Oximeter® with Next Generation SpHb® Spot Check technology. Next Generation Pronto features rainbow SET™ technology, for noninvasive spot checking of total hemoglobin (SpHb), oxygen saturation (SpO2), pulse rate (PR), and perfusion index (PI). In addition to the...Read more

ICU Management

27th-smart-2016

2016 25 May

Since 1990 this three-day meeting is held every year in May in Milan, Italy. Over the years, it has become established as one of the most important and renowned scientific events in the field of Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Emergency, now attracting more than 3500 participants. Internationally oriented since its first steps, the SMART meeting is valued...Read more

ICU Management

Is-there-a-simple-answer-to-all-challenges-in-the-icu

2016 21 Mar

With an average 1.5 times higher staff-to-patient ratio than general wards, today's Intensive Care Units set enormous challenges to caregivers, requiring constant, close monitoring as well as quick diagnosis and responses to sudden changes of patients' conditions. How can we make things easier in the ICU? What support do caregivers actually need...Read more

ICU Management

Restricting-chest-x-rays-in-the-icu-is-cost-effective

2015 25 Oct

In the intensive care setting, a restrictive approach to ordering chest x-rays can provide positive outcomes, according to a study from Mount Sinai Beth Israel, in New York, NY. Results found that a restrictive approach led to large decreases in total chest x-rays (CXRs) ordered, correcting for both total number of patients and ventilator days. A restrictive...Read more

ICU Management

Study-ed-icu-collaboration-reduced-sepsis-mortality-costs

2015 23 Oct

Close collaboration between the emergency department (ED) and intensive care unit (ICU) and standardised ICU admission criteria for patients with sepsis can significantly reduce mortality rate and care costs, according to new research published in CHEST Journal. "Although ICU level of care is costly, earlier inclusion of borderline patients may improve...Read more

ICU Management

Ehr-and-icu-quality-improvement-some-successes

2015 22 Oct

A new study from Mount Sinai School of Medicine shows that implementation of electronic health records (EHR) at a large tertiary hospital resulted in significant reductions in central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) and surgical intensive care unit (SICU) mortality rates. The findings are published in CHEST Journal . Health information...Read more

ICU Management

Acute-care-teleconferencing

2015 10 Sep

As time is critical in the treatment of stroke patients, Utah-based Intermountain Healthcare has adopted an innovative teleservices platform called Telestroke. The aim is to test patients for the cause of a stroke and diagnose them for a specific medication within 3.5 to 4.5 hours after a stroke occurs, according to an article in HJnews.com . Telestroke...Read more

ICU Management

Clothing-in-nicu-may-spread-respiratory-infections

2015 28 Aug

New research shows that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can be detected from the clothes worn by caregivers/visitors who are visiting infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The finding was presented at the International Conference on Emerging and Infectious Diseases in Atlanta, Georgia.   RSV is the leading cause of childhood respiratory...Read more

ICU Management

Using-information-theory-to-detect-redundancy-in-lab-tests

2015 18 Aug

A new study in BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making describes how information theory can be used to quantify the amounts of redundant information associated with common ICU laboratory tests. Researchers say that information theory can help identify and discourage unnecessary testing and bloodwork, and can be a useful data analytic tool especially...Read more

ICU Management

The-tyks-neonatal-icu-deploys-ascom-alert-messaging-solution

2015 22 Jun

The neonatal intensive care unit at Turku University Hospital (TYKS) has deployed the Unite Cardiomax solution, provided by Ascom Miratel, with the goal of promoting a safer patient environment for newborns who require a hospital stay. The Unite Cardiomax solution integrates with the hospital’s patient monitoring system to send alarm messages to a...Read more

ICU Management

Humanising-intensive-care-declaration-of-torrejon

2015 26 May

The movement to humanise intensive care has taken a step forward with the publication of the Declaration of Torrejón for the Humanization of Intensive Care on 6 May. The document was drawn up by several health care professionals, patients and families to declare their commitment to the humanisation of Intensive Care Units. The declaration, which...Read more

ICU Management

Esicm-2014-crucial-role-for-clinical-pharmacists

2014 06 Oct

The clinical pharmacist in the critical care department is the critical link between the right choice and safe treatment, said Robert Shulman, clinical pharmacist at University College London Hospital in the UK speaking at the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine congress in Barcelona last week. While European countries differ in practice, he...Read more

ICU Management

Peer-pressure-boosts-hand-hygiene-compliance

2014 13 Sep

Young people are often told by their parents or guardians not to give in to peer pressure. Interestingly, a recent study showed that social or peer pressure might be the key to boosting hand-hygiene adherence in hospitals. Results of the study have been published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology . Researchers from the University of Iowa's...Read more