American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
-
Review
State of the science on parental stress and family functioning in pediatric intensive care units.
Critical illness of a child is stressful for parents and may affect family functioning. Most research on hospitalization in pediatric intensive care units has focused on the immediate responses of parents to the experience. ⋯ Further research is warranted on (1) families of various ethnic backgrounds; (2) fathers and their low participation rates; (3) mother and father comparisons; (4) replication of interventional research with larger and more diverse samples; (5) exploratory and prospective, longitudinal research; and (6) research with children in pediatric intensive care units.
-
A total of 26 research studies on patients' experiences of being in an intensive care unit were reviewed. The studies were selected because they focused on experiences typical in intensive care units. Many patients recalled their time in the intensive care unit, sometimes in vivid detail. ⋯ Negative experiences included impaired cognitive functioning and discomforts such as problems with sleeping, pain, and anxiety. The review indicates steps critical care staff can take to develop better ways to understand patients' experiences. Meeting such challenges can improve the quality of patients' experiences and reduce anxiety and may offset potential adverse effects of being a patient in an intensive care unit.
-
A computerized bibliographic search of published research and a citation review of English-language publications about prone positioning of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome were done. Information on prone positioning related to technique, patients' responses, complications, and recommendations to prevent complications was extracted. In the 20 pertinent clinical studies found, 297 patients (mean age, 39 years) with acute respiratory failure were positioned prone. ⋯ The most serious complication, corneal abrasion requiring corneal transplantation, was reported in one patient. Clinical knowledge about prone positioning is limited. Phase 1 studies focusing on how to safely turn and care for critically ill patients positioned prone for prolonged periods are needed.
-
A computerized bibliographic search of published research and a citation review of English-language publications about prone positioning of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome were done. Information on prone positioning related to technique, patients' responses, complications, and recommendations to prevent complications was extracted. In the 20 pertinent clinical studies found, 297 patients (mean age, 39 years) with acute respiratory failure were positioned prone. ⋯ The most serious complication, corneal abrasion requiring corneal transplantation, was reported in one patient. Clinical knowledge about prone positioning is limited. Phase 1 studies focusing on how to safely turn and care for critically ill patients positioned prone for prolonged periods are needed.