American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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Observational Study
Systems-Based Physical Assessments: Earlier Detection of Clinical Deterioration and Reduced Mortality.
Despite efforts to improve early detection of deterioration in a patient's condition, delays in activating the rapid response team remain common. ⋯ When nurses focus on conducting a systems-based physical assessment early in their shift, delays in recognizing a patient's deteriorating condition are reduced, fewer patients are admitted to the intensive care unit, and mortality is significantly reduced.
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High-quality chest compressions are essential to favorable patient outcomes after in-hospital cardiac arrest. Without frequent training, however, skill in performing compressions declines considerably. The Timely Chest Compression Training (T-CCT) intervention was introduced in 2019 as a quality improvement initiative to address this problem. The long-term impact of the T-CCT is unknown. ⋯ The results of this study suggest that the T-CCT has a lasting effect on the psychomotor skills of orderlies 10 months after initial exposure. Further research should investigate the impact of the intervention on patient outcomes after in-hospital cardiac arrest.
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Observational Study
Factors Associated With Initiation of Mechanical Ventilation in Patients With Sepsis: Retrospective Observational Study.
Patients with sepsis are at risk for mechanical ventilation. This study aimed to identify risk factors for initiation of mechanical ventilation in patients with sepsis and assess whether these factors varied with time. ⋯ The risk for mechanical ventilation associated with different factors varied with time after sepsis onset, increasing for some factors and decreasing for others. Through a better understanding of risk factors for initiation of mechanical ventilation in patients with sepsis, targeted interventions may be tailored to high-risk patients.