Articles: critical-illness.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The effect of reconnection to mechanical ventilation for 1 hour after spontaneous breathing trial on reintubation among patients ventilated for more than 12 hours: A randomized clinical trial.
The resting of the respiratory musculature after undergoing the spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) to prevent extubation failures in critically ill patients needs to be studied further. ⋯ Reconnection to MV after a successful SBT, compared with DE, did not result in a statistically significant reduction in the risk of reintubation in mechanically ventilated patients. Subgroup exploratory findings suggest that the strategy may benefit patients who were ventilated for more than 72 h, which should be confirmed in further studies.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A Pilot Randomized Trial of an Interactive Web-based Tool to Support Surrogate Decision-makers in the ICU.
Rationale: Breakdowns in clinician-family communication in intensive care units (ICUs) are common, yet there are no easily scaled interventions to prevent this problem. Objectives: To assess the feasibility, usability, acceptability, and perceived effectiveness of a communication intervention that pairs proactive family meetings with an interactive, web-based tool to help surrogates prepare for clinician-family meetings. Methods: We conducted a two-arm, single-blind, patient-level randomized trial comparing the Family Support Tool with enhanced usual care in two ICUs in a tertiary-care hospital. ⋯ Compared with the control group, surrogates who used the tool reported higher overall quality of communication (mean, 8.9/10 ± 1.6 vs. 8.0/10 ± 2.4) and higher quality in shared decision-making (mean, 8.7/10 ± 1.5 vs. 8.0/10 ± 2.4), but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: It is feasible to deploy an interactive web-based tool to support communication and shared decision-making for surrogates in ICUs. Surrogates and clinicians rated the tool as highly usable, acceptable, and effective.
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Multicenter Study
Predicting the Need for Vasopressors in the Intensive Care Unit Using an Attention Based Deep Learning Model.
Previous models on prediction of shock mostly focused on septic shock and often required laboratory results in their models. The purpose of this study was to use deep learning approaches to predict vasopressor requirement for critically ill patients within 24 h of intensive care unit (ICU) admission using only vital signs. ⋯ We used Bi-LSTM to develop a model to predict the need for vasopressor for critically ill patients for the first 24 h of ICU admission. With attention mechanism, respiratory rate, mean arterial pressure, and heart rate were identified as key sequential determinants of vasopressor requirements.
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Communication is the essence of the nurse-patient relationship. The critical care nurse's role in facilitating patient communication and enabling communication between patients and their families has never been more important or poignant than during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have witnessed tremendous examples of resourceful, caring nurses serving as the primary communication partner and support for isolated seriously ill patients during this pandemic. ⋯ This lecture presents a 23-year program of research in developing and testing combination interventions (eg, training, tailored assessment, and tools) for best practice in facilitating patient communication during critical illness. Evidence from related nursing and inter pro fessional research is also included. Guidance for unit-based assessment, tailoring, and implementation of evidence-based patient communication protocols also is provided.
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Drug-induced iatrogenic toxicities are common in critically ill patients and have been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Early recognition and management of iatrogenic toxicities is essential; however, the diagnosis is usually complicated by the underlying critical illness, comorbidities, and administration of multiple medications. This article reviews several types of iatrogenic toxicities associated with medications that are commonly used in critically ill patients. The mechanism of the iatrogenic toxicities, clinical presentation, and diagnosis, as well as management are discussed.