Revista Brasileira de terapia intensiva
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Rev Bras Ter Intensiva · Jul 2014
Nursing Activities Score and workload in the intensive care unit of a university hospital.
The nursing workload consists of the time spent by the nursing staff to perform the activities for which they are responsible, whether directly or indirectly related to patient care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nursing workload in an adult intensive care unit at a university hospital using the Nursing Activities Score (NAS) instrument. ⋯ We observed a high nursing workload in this study. These results can assist in planning the size of the staff required. The workload was influenced by clinical characteristics, including an increased workload required for emergency surgical patients and patients who died.
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In clinical intensive care practice, weaning from mechanical ventilation is accompanied by concurrent early patient mobilization. The aim of this study was to compare the success of extubation performed with patients seated in an armchair compared to extubation with patients in a supine position. ⋯ Our results suggest that the clinical outcomes of patients extubated in a seated position are similar to those of patients extubated in a supine position. This new practice of seated extubation was not associated with adverse events and allowed extubation to occur simultaneously with early mobilization.
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Rev Bras Ter Intensiva · Jul 2014
Case ReportsPost-extubation atelectasis in newborns with surgical diseases: a report of two cases involving the use of a high-flow nasal cannula.
Atelectasis is a pulmonary disorder that lengthens the hospitalization time of newborns in intensive care units, resulting in increased morbidity among these infants. High-flow nasal cannulae have been used in newborns to prevent atelectasis and/or expand pulmonary regions affected by atelectasis; however, to date, no evidence-based data regarding this approach have been reported. In this paper, we report on the cases of two male newborn patients. ⋯ In both cases, by 24 hours after the implantation of an high-flow nasal cannulae to provide noninvasive support, radiological examinations revealed the complete resolution of atelectasis. In these cases, the use of an high-flow nasal cannulae was effective in reversing atelectasis. Thus, this approach may be utilized as a supplemental noninvasive ventilatory therapy to avoid unnecessary intubation.
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Rev Bras Ter Intensiva · Jul 2014
In vitro and in vivo validation of stored swine erythrocyte viability to establish an experimental model of homologous red blood cell transfusion: a pilot study.
To develop experimental models of erythrocyte transfusion, the first step is to ensure the viability of the red blood cells transfused. In this pilot study, we assessed the viability of transfused red blood cells with validation in vitro and in vivo of homologous swine erythrocytes stored for 14 days. ⋯ Swine red blood cells stored for 14 days are viable and can be used in experimental studies of transfusion. These validation experiments are important to aid investigators in establishing experimental models of transfusion.
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Rev Bras Ter Intensiva · Jul 2014
The economic effect of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to support adults with severe respiratory failure in Brazil: a hypothetical analysis.
To analyze the cost-utility of using extracorporeal oxygenation for patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome in Brazil. ⋯ The cost-utility ratio associated with the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in Brazil is potentially acceptable according to this hypothetical study.