scholarly journals Handheld ultrasound; point-of-care examinations by intensive care nurses in a cardiac intensive care unit. An interrater agreement study

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Jorgensen ◽  
K Oterhals ◽  
V Ponitz ◽  
I Morken

Abstract Background Adding point-of-care ultrasound to the physical examination of patients to assess early signs of decompensation and fluid overload has been proven to add information and improve quality of care, also when performed by nurses. Few studies have examined intensive care nurses’ point-of-care ultrasound examinations in acute cardiac settings. Purpose  To evaluate if the findings of intensive care nurses ultrasound examinations, after brief training, were in agreement with conventional ultrasound examination performed by physicians. Methods  This comparative cross sectional interrater agreement study included 50 patients admitted with signs and symptoms of dyspnoea and suspected cardiac disease to a cardiac intensive care unit. After brief training, the study nurses performed standardized examinations of the patients’ inferior vena cava (IVC) and the pleural- and pericardial cavities using a handheld ultrasound device. A physician repeated the same examinations using conventional ultrasound, blinded of the nurses’ findings. Results Analysis using Gwets agreement coefficient (AC2) with quadratic weights showed moderate agreement for the IVC respiration variation 0.60 (95% CI 0.38-0.82), and substantial agreement for the IVC diameter 0.70 (95% CI 0.50- 0.90) and right-sided pleural effusion 0.70 (95% CI 0.52-0.88). For left-sided pleural effusion 0.85 (95% CI 0.75-0.95) and for pericardial effusion 0.95 (95% CI 0.90-1.01) the agreement was almost perfect.  Conclusion This study indicates that intensive care nurses, after brief training in point-of- care ultrasound, can perform reliable examinations of the IVC and pleural- and pericardial cavities compared to a physicians conventional ultrasound examination.

2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Ryan Avery ◽  
Molly O’Brien ◽  
Carol Daddio Pierce ◽  
Priscilla K. Gazarian

Therapeutic hypothermia has become a widely accepted intervention that is improving neurological outcomes following return of spontaneous circulation after cardiac arrest. This intervention is highly complex but infrequently used, and prompt implementation of the many steps involved, especially achieving the target body temperature, can be difficult. A checklist was introduced to guide nurses in implementing the therapeutic hypothermia protocol during the different phases of the intervention (initiation, maintenance, rewarming, and normothermia) in an intensive care unit. An interprofessional committee began by developing the protocol, a template for an order set, and a shivering algorithm. At first, implementation of the protocol was inconsistent, and a lack of clarity and urgency in managing patients during the different phases of the protocol was apparent. The nursing checklist has provided all of the intensive care nurses with an easy-to-follow reference to facilitate compliance with the required steps in the protocol for therapeutic hypothermia. Observations of practice and feedback from nursing staff in all units confirm the utility of the checklist. Use of the checklist has helped reduce the time from admission to the unit to reaching the target temperature and the time from admission to continuous electroencephalographic monitoring in the cardiac intensive care unit. Evaluation of patients’ outcomes as related to compliance with the protocol interventions is ongoing.


2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 727-729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Morreale Tulleken ◽  
Harry Gelissen ◽  
Erik Lust ◽  
Thomas Smits ◽  
Toon van Galen ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-104
Author(s):  
Maksudur Rahman ◽  
Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun ◽  
MAK Azad Chowdhury ◽  
Abu Sayeed Munsi

Background: Recently it has been apprehended that sildenafil, a drug which has been successfully using in the treatment of PPHN and erectile dysfunction in adult, is going to be withdrawn from the market of Bangladesh due to threat of its misuses. Objective: The aim of this study was to see the extent of uses of sildenafil in the treatment of PPHN and importance of availability of this drugs in the market inspite of its probable misuses. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), special baby care unit (SCABU) and cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) of Dhaka Shishu (Children) Hospital from June, 2017 to May 2018. Neonates with PPHN were enrolled in the study. All cases were treated with oral sildenefil for PPHN along with others management according to hospital protocol. Data along with other parameters were collected and analyzed. Results: Total 320 patients with suspected PPHN were admitted during the study period. Among them 92 (29%) cases had PPHN. Male were 49(53 %) cases and female were 43(47%) cases. Mean age at hospital admission was 29.7±13.4 hours. Based on echocardiography,13(14%) cases had mild, 38 (41%) cases moderate and 41(45%) cases severe PPHN. Mean duration of sildenafil therapy was 11.9±7.1 days. Improved from PPHN were 83 (90%) cases. Mortality was 10% (9). Conclusion: In this study it was found that the incidence of PPHN is 29% among the suspected newborns. Sildenafil is successfull in improving the oxygenation of PPHN and to decrease the mortality of neonates. DS (Child) H J 2019; 35(2) : 100-104


Author(s):  
Pamela D. Reiter ◽  
Garth Wright ◽  
Ryan Good ◽  
Marisa Payan ◽  
Ann Lieb ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
A.Y Lui ◽  
L Garber ◽  
M Vincent ◽  
L Celi ◽  
J Masip ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Hyperoxia produces reactive oxygen species, apoptosis, and vasoconstriction, and is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with heart failure and cardiac arrest. Our aim was to evaluate the association between hyperoxia and mortality in patients (pts) receiving positive pressure ventilation (PPV) in the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU). Methods Patients admitted to our medical center CICU who received any PPV (invasive or non-invasive) from 2001 through 2012 were included. Hyperoxia was defined as time-weighted mean of PaO2 >120mmHg and non-hyperoxia as PaO2 ≤120mmHg during CICU admission. Primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between hyperoxia and in-hospital mortality adjusted for age, female sex, Oxford Acute Severity of Illness Score, creatinine, lactate, pH, PaO2/FiO2 ratio, PCO2, PEEP, and estimated time spent on PEEP. Results Among 1493 patients, hyperoxia (median PaO2 147mmHg) during the CICU admission was observed in 702 (47.0%) pts. In-hospital mortality was 29.7% in the non-hyperoxia group and 33.9% in the hyperoxia group ((log rank test, p=0.0282, see figure). Using multivariable logistic regression, hyperoxia was independently associated with in-hospital mortality (OR 1.507, 95% CI 1.311–2.001, p=0.00508). Post-hoc analysis with PaO2 as a continuous variable was consistent with the primary analysis (OR 1.053 per 10mmHg increase in PaO2, 95% CI 1.024–1.082, p=0.0002). Conclusions In a large CICU cohort, hyperoxia was associated with increased mortality. Trials of titration of supplemental oxygen across the full spectrum of critically ill cardiac patients are warranted. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None


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