American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Speed of blood withdrawal and accurate measurement of oxygen content in mixed venous blood.
Measurement of mixed venous oxygen saturation helps determine whether cardiac output and oxygen delivery are sufficient for metabolic needs. As recommended by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses guideline, blood samples for determining mixed venous oxygen saturation are obtained by slowly, in 1 to 2 minutes, withdrawing 1.5 mL of blood from the distal port of the pulmonary artery catheter. In theory, the negative force of rapid withdrawal could pull oxygenated blood from the pulmonary capillary bed, causing falsely elevated saturation values. ⋯ Rapid blood sampling does not falsely elevate measurements of mixed venous oxygen saturation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Infection Rates in Intensive Care Units by Electrocardiographic Lead Wire Type: Disposable vs Reusable.
It is unknown if disposable electrocardiographic lead wires (ECG-LWs) reduce infection rates compared with cleaned, reusable lead wires. ⋯ No difference was observed in infection rates of ICU patients receiving disposable versus reusable ECG-LWs.
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In pediatric critical care, family-centered care is a central theme that ensures holistic care of the patient and the patient's family. Parents expect and are encouraged to be involved in the care of their child throughout all phases of the child's illness. Family presence is generally accepted when the child's condition is stable; however, there is less consensus about family presence when the child becomes critically ill and requires resuscitation and/or invasive procedures. ⋯ These studies support the suggestion that family presence during resuscitation and invasive procedures increases parents' satisfaction and coping. However, the generalizability of these findings is limited by small sample sizes and inconsistent evaluation of confounding variables. Further research is needed to determine the benefits of family presence and prevent barriers to true implementation.
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The epidemiology of ventilator-associated pneumonia is well described for adults, but little information is available on risk factors for this disease in children. ⋯ Use of vasoactive drugs, presence of a nasoenteral tube, and duration of stay in the pediatric intensive care unit were independent risk factors for ventilator-associated pneumonia.