American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Intensive care diaries and relatives' symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder after critical illness: a pilot study.
Relatives of patients recovering from critical illness are at risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder. ⋯ Provision of a diary may help psychological recovery in patients' families after critical illness.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Effects of systematic oral care in critically ill patients: a multicenter study.
No standard oral assessment tools are available for determining frequency of oral care in critical care patients, and the method of providing oral care is controversial. ⋯ Oral assessment scores improved after nurses implemented a protocol for systematic oral care. Use of the Beck Scale and the mucosal-plaque score could standardize oral assessment and guide nurses in providing oral interventions.
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Multicenter Study
Semirecumbent positioning in ventilator-dependent patients: a multicenter, observational study.
Positioning of patients is a modifiable risk factor for ventilator-associated pneumonia. Current guidelines for prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia recommend semirecumbency at 30º, with 45º preferable unless contraindicated. ⋯ The findings of this multicenter, observational study suggest that backrest elevation was less than recommended and was influenced by clinical practices and patient condition.
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Multicenter Study
Cleaned, ready-to-use, reusable electrocardiographic lead wires as a source of pathogenic microorganisms.
Cleaned electrocardiographic lead wires are a potential source of microorganisms capable of causing nosocomial infection. ⋯ Bacteria are common on reusable, cleaned lead wires and differ by hospital and clinical area.
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Multicenter Study
Clinical effectiveness of a critical care nursing outreach service in facilitating discharge from the intensive care unit.
Improved discharge planning and extension of care to the general care unit for patients transferring from intensive care may prevent readmission to the intensive care unit and prolonged hospital stays. Morbidity, mortality, and costs increase in readmitted intensive care patients. ⋯ Although other studies have shown beneficial outcomes in Australia and the United Kingdom, we found no improvement in length of stay after admission to the intensive care unit, readmission rate, or hospital mortality after a critical care nursing outreach service was implemented.