Heart & lung : the journal of critical care
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Pulse oximeters, clinically used to measure oxygen saturation (SpO2), rely on adequate perfusion of the tissues over which they are placed. Heart failure (HF) patients can have impaired peripheral perfusion which may compromise the accuracy of a peripherally placed pulse oximeter. This decrease in peripheral perfusion may be especially apparent during exercise. The objective of this study was to determine if pulse oximeter accuracy is dependent on location in heart failure patients during peak exercise. ⋯ Forehead pulse oximeters may be more reliable compared to finger pulse oximeters in obtaining SpO2 measurements in HF patients during a treadmill maximal exercise test.
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Review Meta Analysis
Can haloperidol prophylaxis reduce the incidence of delirium in critically ill patients in intensive care units? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of haloperidol in the prevention of delirium in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. ⋯ The use of prophylactic haloperidol might reduce the incidence of delirium in postoperative patients admitted to an ICU, but not in all ICU patients.
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While heart failure (HF) in older adults is associated with fall risk, little is known about this in the U.S. ⋯ Community-dwelling older adults with HF and functional difficulties have a higher fall risk than those without HF, indicating that fall prevention programs should be developed, tested, and implemented for this population.