Critical Care Alert – July 1, 2008
July 1, 2008
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How Effective is Communication in the ICU with the Use of Medical Interpreters?
Effective patient communication is a critical component to ICU patient care and to family member understanding of a critical illness. -
Do Red-cell Storage Times Affect Outcomes from Blood Transfusion?
A growing literature suggests that packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusions are associated with adverse outcomes in a variety of patient populations, but the mechanisms behind the observed effects are not clear. -
Atrophy of Diaphragm Muscle Fibers in Mechanically Ventilated Patients
Clinicians generally believe that mechanical ventilation rests and restores the respiratory muscles in acute respiratory failure. -
Missed Opportunities for Noninvasive Ventilation in Acute Respiratory Failure
Investigators at St Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, BC, conducted a retrospective review of all ICU admissions between November 1998 and July 2003, to find all patients who were potential candidates for noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in the context of an exacerbation of COPD or acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema (CPE). -
Daily Pharmacist Supervision of Sedation Guideline Adherence Gets Patients off Mechanical Ventilation Faster
Although protocol-driven sedation and analgesia management has been shown to improve patient outcomes, adherence to these guidelines is often poor. -
Pharmacology Watch: CDC Adds Shingles Vaccine to List for Adults 60 Plus
In This Issue: Shingles vaccine added to CDC list of vaccines for adults 60 and older; CDC recommends Tdap for postpartum women; new study suggests sequential therapy with antibiotics for H. pylori may be more effective than standard therapy; FDA Actions. -
Clinical Briefs in Primary Care supplement