Articles: neurocritical-care.
-
This proceedings article presents the scope of pediatric coma and disorders of consciousness based on presentations and discussions at the First Pediatric Disorders of Consciousness Care and Research symposium held on September 14th, 2021. Herein we review the current state of pediatric coma care and research opportunities as well as shared experiences from seasoned researchers and clinicians. Salient current challenges and opportunities in pediatric and neonatal coma care and research were identified through the contributions of the presenters, who were Jose I. ⋯ Boerwinkle, MD, with overview by Mark Wainwright, MD, and subsequent audience discussion. The program, executively planned by Varina L. Boerwinkle, MD, Mark Wainwright, MD, and Michelle Elena Schober, MD, drove the identification and development of priorities for the pediatric neurocritical care community.
-
Curr Pain Headache Rep · Mar 2023
ReviewQuality Improvement in the Management of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Current State and Future Directions.
Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage carries high mortality and morbidity. Quality improvement (QI) efforts in the management of this disease process are growing as the field of neurocritical care matures. This review provides updates in QI in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and discusses gaps and future directions. ⋯ Literature published on the topic over the past 3 years were evaluated. An assessment of current QI practices pertaining to the acute care of SAH was conducted. These include processes surrounding acute pain management, inter-hospital coordination of care, complications during the initial hospital stay, role of palliative care, and quality metrics collection, reporting, and monitoring. SAH QI initiatives have shown promise by decreasing ICU and hospital lengths of stay, health care costs, and hospital complications. The review reveals substantial heterogeneity, variability, and limitations in SAH QI protocols, measures, and reporting. Uniformity in QI research, implementation, and monitoring will be crucial as disease-specific QI develops in neurological care.
-
Patients with severe acute brain injury are left incapacitated, critically ill, and unable to make their own medical decisions. Surrogate decision-makers must make life-or-death decisions for patients and rely on clinicians' prognostication for guidance. No guidelines currently exist to guide clinicians in how to prognosticate; hence, neuroprognostication is still considered an "art" leaving room for high variability. This review examines the current literature on prognostication in neurocritical care, identifies ongoing challenges that exist in the field, and provides suggestions for future research with the goal to ameliorate variability and focus on scientific and patient-centered, rather than artistic approaches to prognostication.
-
Quality improvement is key to advancing outcomes for neurocritically ill patients. Variation in neurocritical care practice can lead to differences in health outcomes and contribute to health disparities. ⋯ Neurocritical care performance measures have recently been developed and may be used to target high priority areas for improvement. In addition, neurocritical care clinicians should be aware of the heavily weighted pay-for-performance and publicly reported performance measures that are directly relevant to neurocritical care practice.
-
The role of the neurointensivist as a subspecialist has been cemented in modern medicine globally. It was forged through the collaboration of neurologists, neurosurgeons, internists, anesthesiologists, general surgeons, emergency medicine physicians, and pediatricians. ⋯ Neurocritical care harnesses knowledge, technology, resources, and research opportunities to embrace a multisystem approach to care for the neurologically critically ill. Although recently formally recognized, its crucial role to serve patients with acute, life-threatening neurologic insults has been well established.