Medicina intensiva
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To compile an inventory of information requests prioritized by the family members, to find out which professionals them consider able to respond these requests, and to explore the differences in perception between family members and professionals. ⋯ The most relevant issues for families were prognosis and severity, but also the need for information. Healthcare professionals tend to underestimate the importance of many of the questions that concern families. Relatives feel that most of their concerns can be resolved either by doctors or nurses.
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Multicenter Study
Quality of anthropometric measurements in Spanish Intensive Care Units (The CAMIES Study).
Real body weight and height are essential data to be obtained in all critically ill patients (CIP), due to their influence in the designing of therapies and monitoring. Visual estimation is a very inaccurate practice. No precise descriptions of anthropometric measurements among CIP are available in the clinical practice guides. ⋯ Visually estimated measurements exceed real measurements in the routine practice of Spanish ICUs. Measurement tools are not widely available in the ICU, and even when available, their use is not guaranteed. The surveyed population does not view anthropometric measures as being important for clinical practice. An effort should be made by scientific societies to promote reliable anthropometric practice in Spanish ICUs.