Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthésie
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Multicenter Study
The PROTROPIC feasibility study: prognostic value of elevated troponins in critical illness.
Elevated cardiac troponin concentrations in people with critical illness are associated with an increased risk of death. We aimed to assess the feasibility of a larger study to ascertain the utility of cardiac troponin as a prognostic tool for mortality in critically ill patients. ⋯ Myocardial injury with elevated hs-cTnI concentrations and MIs occur frequently during critical illness. This pilot study has established the feasibility of conducting a large-scale investigation addressing this issue.
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Rates of organ donation vary between otherwise comparable intensive care units (ICUs) suggesting that the process of donation must vary between ICUs. The purpose of this study was to describe the process of organ donation from the perspective of ICU staff, identify important drivers of successful donation, and develop strategies to improve the process of donation. ⋯ Incorporating the perspectives of ICU staff, we were able to identify 22 practice changes that may have a significant cumulative impact on donation outcomes. Future research is required to evaluate whether these findings account for the variability of donation rates between otherwise comparable ICUs.
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Comparative Study
Matching design to use: a task analysis comparison of three cognitive aid designs used during simulated crisis management.
Intraoperative critical events typically include vital sign instability that requires a specific and time-sensitive response. Although cognitive aids can improve clinical performance during critical events, their design may not be optimized for real-world use. For example, during a critical event, health practitioners may be familiar with the treatment pathway and only require specific information from an aid-a behaviour described as "sampling". We hypothesized that use of cognitive aids designed to facilitate sampling behaviour would reduce the time required to extract information during simulated critical events. ⋯ Cognitive aids designed to enhance sampling behaviour may facilitate rapid retrieval of specific information during crisis management.