Articles: intensive-care-units.
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For patients requiring transfer to a higher level of care, excellent interfacility communication is essential. Our objective was to characterize verbal handoffs for urgent interfacility transfers of children to the PICU and compare these characteristics with known elements of high-quality intrahospital shift-to-shift handoffs. ⋯ Interfacility PICU referral communication shared characteristics with intrahospital shift-to-shift handoffs; however, communication did not adhere to known elements of high-quality handovers. Structured tools specific to PICU interfacility referral communication must be developed and investigated for effectiveness in improving communication and patient outcomes.
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Critical care medicine · Jun 2024
Observational StudyBarriers and Facilitators to End-of-Life Care Delivery in ICUs: A Qualitative Study.
To understand frontline ICU clinician's perceptions of end-of-life care delivery in the ICU. ⋯ Standardized work system communication tasks may improve end-of life discussion processes between clinicians and families.
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Critical care nurse · Jun 2024
Impact of Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Initiation Time, Kidney Injury, and Hypervolemia in Critically Ill Children.
The mortality rate of pediatric patients who require continuous renal replacement therapy is approximately 42%, and outcomes vary considerably depending on underlying disease, illness severity, and time of dialysis initiation. Delay in the initiation of such therapy may increase mortality risk, prolong intensive care unit stay, and worsen clinical outcomes. ⋯ Future studies are needed to assess real time delays and to evaluate if the implementation of a standardized initiation process decreases initiation time.
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Critical care nurse · Jun 2024
Increasing the Volume of Delivered Enteral Feeds Using a Volume-Based Feeding Protocol in a Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit.
Iatrogenic malnutrition is a significant burden to patients, clinicians, and health care systems. Compared with well-nourished patients, underfed patients (those who receive less than 80% of their daily energy requirement) have more adverse outcomes related to nutritional status. Volume-based protocols allow for catch-up titrations, are consistently superior to rate-based protocols, and can be implemented in most settings. ⋯ Using a volume-based feeding protocol with supplemental staff education resulted in improved delivery of prescribed enteral feeding.