American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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Multicenter Study
Withholding or continuing enteral feedings during repositioning and the incidence of aspiration.
Withholding enteral feedings during repositioning is based on tradition, but available evidence does not support this practice. Although research indicates that withholding of enteral feedings during repositioning contributes to undernourishment, the relationship between continuing enteral feedings during repositioning and the incidence of aspiration has not been determined. ⋯ A research protocol to directly explore the relationship between the incidence of aspiration and withholding or continuing enteral feedings during repositioning is feasible.
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Multicenter Study
Computer-Assisted Interventions To Improve QTc Documentation in Patients Receiving QT-Prolonging Drugs.
Many medications commonly used in hospitals can cause prolonged corrected QT interval (QTc), putting patients at risk for torsade de pointes (TdP), a potentially fatal arrhythmia. However, documentation of QTc for hospitalized patients receiving QT-prolonging medications is often not consistent with American Heart Association standards. ⋯ A 3-step system-wide intervention was associated with an increase in QTc documentation for patients at risk for drug-induced TdP, and improvements persisted over time. Further study is needed to assess whether increased QTc documentation decreases occurrence of drug-induced TdP. (American Journal of Critical Care. 2015;24:e6-e15).
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Body temperature and mortality in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Little is known about the relationship between body temperature and outcomes in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). A better understanding of this relationship may provide evidence for fever suppression or warming interventions, which are commonly applied in practice. ⋯ Early in ARDS, fever is associated with improved survival rates. Fever in the acute phase response to lung injury and its relationship to recovery may be an important factor in determining patients' outcome and warrants further study.
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Multicenter Study
Physical recovery in intensive care unit survivors: a cohort analysis.
Some survivors of critical illness experience poor physical recovery, but which patients experience the most compromise during recovery is unknown. ⋯ Multiple factors are associated with physical recovery after critical illness. Interventions to target multidimensional aspects of recovery such as sleep and exercise may result in improved physical function after critical illness.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Effects of Nursing Interventions on Intracranial Pressure.
Intracranial pressure is a frequent target for goal-directed therapy to prevent secondary brain injury. In critical care settings, nurses deliver many interventions to patients having intracranial pressure monitored, yet few data documenting the immediate effect of these interventions on intracranial pressure are available. ⋯ Response of intracranial pressure to nursing interventions is inconsistent. Most interventions were associated with inconsistent changes in intracranial pressure at 1 or 5 minutes after the intervention.