Articles Tagged With: ICU
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New Service Accelerates Critical Care Expertise to ED Patients
With ICU-level resources often limited, especially in rural areas, investigators with the University of Vermont Health Network based in Burlington implemented a new service designed to expand the reach of critical care expertise across the health system, which includes a tertiary hospital, two community hospitals, and three critical access hospitals.
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Is the Patient Admitted to the ICU But Still in the ED? Handoffs Are a Safety Concern
Many patients are admitted to the intensive care unit but remain in the ED waiting for an inpatient bed. Depending on how long the patient is boarded, emergency physicians may need to hand the patient off at shift change.
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Maximize ED Throughput with a Higher-Level Focus on Bed Traffic Control
Getting patients seen and treated expeditiously is not only a boon in terms of operational efficiency, it also is a big plus for patient safety. Such factors figured prominently when ED leaders at AdventHealth East Orlando decided to create a powerful new nursing position to take charge of what they are calling bed traffic control.
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Studying Patients at High Risk for Death in the ICU Can Give Them a Voice and Help Clinicians Understand Their Concerns
Using a multiple-source approach, this study showed that when given a voice, patients at high risk of dying in the intensive care unit express variable logistical, spiritual, physical, psychological, and existential concerns that clinicians should consider and address.
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ICU Staff Report Severe Moral Distress, But Resources Are Underused
There is growing awareness of the prevalence of moral distress in healthcare — and the costs in terms of burnout and staff turnover. However, solutions to this problem remain somewhat elusive.
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Higher Mortality Rates Among ICU Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease
Consider early and timely palliative care services instead of the ICU. Early exposure to palliative care may improve both survivability and quality of life, and may lower the risk of hospital-acquired infections.
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ICU Admission Means Trouble for Alzheimer's and Dementia Patients
If they are released, such patients are twice as likely to die soon after discharge.
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Ethical Guidance for Research on Dying or Recently Deceased ICU Patients
There are no authoritative international ethical guidelines governing research on dying or recently deceased individuals. A group of investigators sought to start a conversation about challenges and potential solutions. They developed a preliminary framework for the ethical conduct of research with imminently dying patients.
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ICU Staff Report Severe Moral Distress, But Resources Are Underused
Unresolved ethical concerns not only cause individual moral distress, but can also change the staff relationships and clinical cohesiveness.
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Ethicists Hold Debriefings After Critical Patient Events
In the emotionally charged, fast-paced ICU, clinicians are faced with death and dying daily. Engaging in open, honest communication about these situations will help build a moral and ethical community.