scholarly journals Telemedicine coverage for post-operative ICU patients

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 360-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara Ann Collins ◽  
Matthew P Robertson ◽  
Corinna P Sicoutris ◽  
Michael A Pisa ◽  
Daniel N Holena ◽  
...  

Introduction There is an increased demand for intensive care unit (ICU) beds. We sought to determine if we could create a safe surge capacity model to increase ICU capacity by treating ICU patients in the post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU) utilizing a collaborative model between an ICU service and a telemedicine service during peak ICU bed demand. Methods We evaluated patients managed by the surgical critical care service in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) compared to patients managed in the virtual intensive care unit (VICU) located within the PACU. A retrospective review of all patients seen by the surgical critical care service from January 1st 2008 to July 31st 2011 was conducted at an urban, academic, tertiary centre and level 1 trauma centre. Results Compared to the SICU group ( n = 6652), patients in the VICU group ( n = 1037) were slightly older (median age 60 (IQR 47–69) versus 58 (IQR 44–70) years, p = 0.002) and had lower acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II scores (median 10 (IQR 7–14) versus 15 (IQR 11–21), p < 0.001). The average amount of time patients spent in the VICU was 13.7 + /–9.6 hours. In the VICU group, 750 (72%) of patients were able to be transferred directly to the floor; 287 (28%) required subsequent admission to the surgical intensive care unit. All patients in the VICU group were alive upon transfer out of the PACU while mortality in the surgical intensive unit cohort was 5.5%. Discussion A collaborative care model between a surgical critical care service and a telemedicine ICU service may safely provide surge capacity during peak periods of ICU bed demand. The specific patient populations for which this approach is most appropriate merits further investigation.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhennan Yuan ◽  
Haijun Wang ◽  
Yong Gao ◽  
Shining Qu ◽  
Chulin Huang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Advances in oncology led to a substantial increase in the number of patients requiring admission to the ICU. It is significant to confirm which cancer critical patients can benefit from the ICU care service like noncancer patients. Methods An observational retrospective cohort study using intensive care unit (ICU) admissions of Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA, USA between 2001 and 2012 was conducted. Propensity score matching was used to reduce the imbalance between two matched cohorts. ICU patients with cancer were compared with those without cancer in terms of patients’ characteristics and survival. Results There were 38,508 adult patients admitted to ICUs during the period. The median age was 65 years (IQR, 52-77) and 8,308 (21.8%) had an underlying malignancy diagnosis. The noncancer group had a significant survive advantage at the point of 28-day, 90-day, 365-day and 1095-day after ICU admission compared with cancer group (P < 0.001 for all) after PSM. Subgroup analysis showed that the diagnosis of malignancy didn’t decrease 28-day and 90-day survive when patients’ age ≥65-year, patients in surgical intensive care unit or cardiac surgery recovery unit or traumatic surgical intensive care unit, elective admission, patients with renal replacement therapy or vasopressor support (P > 0.05 for all). Conclusions Malignancy is a common diagnosis among ICU patients. Patients without cancer have a survive advantage compared with patients with cancer in the short- and medium-term. However, in selected groups, cancer critical patients can benefit from the ICU care service like noncancer patients in the short-term.


2021 ◽  
pp. e20200069
Author(s):  
Anastasia N.L. Newman ◽  
Michelle E. Kho ◽  
Jocelyn E. Harris ◽  
Alison Fox-Robichaud ◽  
Patricia Solomon

Purpose: This article describes current physiotherapy practice for critically ill adult patients requiring prolonged stays in critical care (> 3 d) after complicated cardiac surgery in Ontario. Method: We distributed an electronic, self-administered 52-item survey to 35 critical care physiotherapists who treat adult cardiac surgery patients at 11 cardiac surgical sites. Pilot testing and clinical sensibility testing were conducted beforehand. Participants were sent four email reminders. Results: The response rate was 80% (28/35). The median (inter-quartile range) reported number of cardiac surgeries performed per week was 30 (10), with a median number of 14.5 (4) cardiac surgery beds per site. Typical reported caseloads ranged from 6 to 10 patients per day pe therapist, and 93% reported that they had initiated physiotherapy with patients once they were clinically stable in the intensive care unit. Of 28 treatments, range of motion exercises (27; 96.4%), airway clearance techniques (26; 92.9%), and sitting at the edge of the bed (25; 89.3%) were the most common. Intra-aortic balloon pump and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation appeared to limit physiotherapy practice. Use of outcome measures was limited. Conclusions: Physiotherapists provide a variety of interventions with critically ill cardiac surgery patients. Further evaluation of the limited use of outcome measures in the cardiac surgical intensive care unit is warranted.


2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 204-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Kozub ◽  
Maribel Hibanada-Laserna ◽  
Gwen Harget ◽  
Laurie Ecoff

Background: To accommodate a higher demand for critical care nurses, an orientation program in a surgical intensive care unit was revised and streamlined. Two theoretical models served as a foundation for the revision and resulted in clear clinical benchmarks for orientation progress evaluation. Purpose: The purpose of the project was to integrate theoretical frameworks into practice to improve the unit orientation program. Methods: Performance improvement methods served as a framework for the revision, and outcomes were measured before and after implementation. Results: The revised orientation program increased 1- and 2-year nurse retention and decreased turnover. Critical care knowledge increased after orientation for both the preintervention and postintervention groups. Conclusion: Incorporating a theoretical basis for orientation has been shown to be successful in increasing the number of nurses completing orientation and improving retention, turnover rates, and knowledge gained.


1992 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
BC Friedman ◽  
W Boyce ◽  
CE Bekes

Critical care medicine programs must provide outpatient experience for their fellowship trainees. We have developed an unusual follow-up plan allowing critical care fellows to contact their patients months after their intensive care unit stay. We evaluated responses of 46 patients after a mean interval of 8.6 months since their initial intensive care unit stay. Patients were stratified by severity of disease by using the APACHE scoring system. Diagnostically, the patients represented the typical medical-surgical intensive care unit population. Patients were asked 11 questions concerning their health and socio-emotional status as it related to their hospitalization and intensive care unit stay. Our results established a practical method of providing outpatient follow-up that may fulfill residency review requirements for critical care fellowships, confirmed previously speculative ideas about ICU experiences, and suggested future research opportunities to study intensive care unit patients following discharge.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 117955732095122
Author(s):  
Chelsea N Lopez ◽  
Amaris Fuentes ◽  
Atiya Dhala ◽  
Jonathan Balk

In intensive care unit (ICU) patients, delirium contributes to prolonged hospitalization, long-term cognitive impairment and increased mortality. Sleep disturbance, a risk factor for delirium, has been attributed to impaired melatonin secretion in critically ill patients. Ramelteon, a synthetic melatonin receptor agonist, is indicated for insomnia; there is limited, but growing evidence, to support its use for the prevention of delirium. The primary objective of this study is to describe the use of ramelteon and the incidence of delirium, assessed by Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU) scores, in adult surgical ICU patients from May 22, 2016 to June 30, 2018. The primary endpoint is the number of delirium free days in the week prior to and post first ramelteon administration. A total of 231 patients were included in the study with 201 (87%) positive for delirium at least once during the study timeframe. The median number of CAM-ICU negative days in the week pre-ramelteon administration was 4 days (IQR 2-7 days) compared to 6 days (IQR 3-7 days) in the week post-first ramelteon administration ( P < .05). The time to CAM-ICU positive increased slightly to 3 days (IQR 1-7 days) following ramelteon initiation compared to 2 days (IQR 1-5 days) from initial ICU admission. Additionally, the median number of antipsychotic doses per patient decreased from 4 doses (IQR 1.25-14 doses) prior to ramelteon to 2 doses (IQR 1-4 doses) after ramelteon. Ramelteon administration was associated with a greater number of CAM-ICU negative days in surgical ICU patients. These findings describe a potential role for ramelteon in mitigating delirium in this patient population.


2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 24-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Rozycki ◽  
Andrew S. Jarrell ◽  
Rachel M. Kruer ◽  
Samantha Young ◽  
Pedro A. Mendez-Tellez

BACKGROUND Society of Critical Care Medicine guidelines recommend the use of pain, agitation, and delirium protocols in the intensive care unit. The feasibility of nurse management of such protocols in the surgical intensive care unit has not been well assessed. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the percentage of adherent medication interventions for patients assessed by using a pain, sedation, and delirium protocol. METHODS Data on all adult patients admitted to a surgical intensive care unit from January 2013 through September 2013 who were assessed at least once by using a pain, sedation, and delirium protocol were retrospectively reviewed. Protocol adherence was evaluated for interventions implemented after a nursing assessment. Patients were further divided into 2 groups on the basis of adherence, and achievement of pain and sedation goals was evaluated between groups. RESULTS Data on 41 patients were included. Of the 603 pain assessments, 422 (70.0%) led to an intervention adherent to the protocol. Of the 249 sedation assessments, 192 (77.1%) led to an adherent intervention. Among patients with 75% or greater adherent pain interventions, all interventions met pain goals with significantly less fentanyl than that used in interventions that did not meet goals. Despite 75% or greater adherence with interventions for sedation assessments, only 8.7% of the interventions met sedation goals. CONCLUSIONs A nurse-managed pain, agitation, and delirium protocol can be feasibly implemented in a surgical intensive care unit.


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