scholarly journals Reliability Study of the Sedation-Agitation Scale in an Intensive Care Unit

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Michelle Ryder-Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Critically Ill Patients ◽  
Medical Staff ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Reliability Study ◽  
Kappa Score ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Icu Patients

<p>The management of sedation in critically ill patients is a complex issue for Intensive Care Units (ICU) worldwide. Notable complications of sedation practices have been identified and efforts to modify these practices in ICUs have begun. While sedation-scoring tools have been introduced into clinical practice in intensive care few have been tested for validity and reliability. One tool which has reliability and validity established is the Sedation-Agitation Scale (SAS). This study is an extension of a previous study by Riker, Picard and Fraser (1999) to determine whether doctors and nurses rate patients similarly using the SAS in a natural ICU setting. It is essential to establish whether these different professionals provide consistent scores and have a mutual understanding of the SAS and its constituent levels. This will help ensure that clinical decisions relating to sedation-needs can be made appropriately and consistently. This quasi-experimental reliability study was set in a 12-bed tertiary general ICU in New Zealand. The SAS had recently been introduced into this unit and a convenience sample of 42 nursing and medical staff performed paired ratings on 69 randomly selected adult ICU patients over an eight week time frame. The mean patient age was 58 years, and 79% of patients were on continuous infusions of Propofol. Intubated patients made up 91% of the sample. 74% of patients were given the same SAS score by the doctor-nurse pair. The weighted kappa score for inter-rater agreement was 0.82 indicating very good agreement. Of the 26% of scores where there was a difference, the two readings were only one score apart. Most of the difference occurred around SAS scores of 1-2 and 3-4. Further analysis found no staff or patient variables to be statistically significant in impacting on the ratings. The SAS was found to be a reliable sedation-scoring tool in a general ICU when used by nurses and doctors of varying experience. The implementation of the SAS should improve the quality of sedation management in critically ill patients, facilitate communication between nurses and medical staff with regard to the effectiveness of sedation regimes, and assist with the development of optimal sedation and analgesia guidelines for ICU patients.</p>

scholarly journals Reliability Study of the Sedation-Agitation Scale in an Intensive Care Unit

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Michelle Ryder-Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Critically Ill Patients ◽  
Medical Staff ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Reliability Study ◽  
Kappa Score ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Icu Patients

<p>The management of sedation in critically ill patients is a complex issue for Intensive Care Units (ICU) worldwide. Notable complications of sedation practices have been identified and efforts to modify these practices in ICUs have begun. While sedation-scoring tools have been introduced into clinical practice in intensive care few have been tested for validity and reliability. One tool which has reliability and validity established is the Sedation-Agitation Scale (SAS). This study is an extension of a previous study by Riker, Picard and Fraser (1999) to determine whether doctors and nurses rate patients similarly using the SAS in a natural ICU setting. It is essential to establish whether these different professionals provide consistent scores and have a mutual understanding of the SAS and its constituent levels. This will help ensure that clinical decisions relating to sedation-needs can be made appropriately and consistently. This quasi-experimental reliability study was set in a 12-bed tertiary general ICU in New Zealand. The SAS had recently been introduced into this unit and a convenience sample of 42 nursing and medical staff performed paired ratings on 69 randomly selected adult ICU patients over an eight week time frame. The mean patient age was 58 years, and 79% of patients were on continuous infusions of Propofol. Intubated patients made up 91% of the sample. 74% of patients were given the same SAS score by the doctor-nurse pair. The weighted kappa score for inter-rater agreement was 0.82 indicating very good agreement. Of the 26% of scores where there was a difference, the two readings were only one score apart. Most of the difference occurred around SAS scores of 1-2 and 3-4. Further analysis found no staff or patient variables to be statistically significant in impacting on the ratings. The SAS was found to be a reliable sedation-scoring tool in a general ICU when used by nurses and doctors of varying experience. The implementation of the SAS should improve the quality of sedation management in critically ill patients, facilitate communication between nurses and medical staff with regard to the effectiveness of sedation regimes, and assist with the development of optimal sedation and analgesia guidelines for ICU patients.</p>

scholarly journals Discomforts in Critically ill Patients: Our Experience in Intensive Care Unit of a Tertiary Care Hospital in India

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reetu Verma ◽  
Sasmita Panda ◽  
Rajeev Kumar Nishad
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Nursing Care ◽  
Critically Ill Patients ◽  
Tertiary Care Hospital ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Icu Patients ◽  
Common Cause

Introduction: Patients admitted in the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) experiences various discomforts which may be recognised or unrecognised. These discomforts may arise from the environment, may be related to the ICU care and discomfort related to the health status of the patient and critical care interventions. Aim: To identify the various discomforts in ICU patients, to classify them with respective causes, identify the most common cause among them and whether ICU sedation helps in reducing discomforts. Materials and Methods: This observational study was conducted from 15th July to 15th October 2018 on 120 mixed ICU patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital in India. Patients who were admitted to ICU for more than 24 hours, aged 18 years and above, those who gave written informed consent were observed and enquired for any discomfort. Discomforts have been identified and recorded by a fulltime intensivist by direct observation, by interacting with the patients and asking the family members and others (indirect approach). Through this study discomforts of critically ill patients were broadly classified into four categories 1. Due to existing illness, 2. Due to ICU interventions, 3. Due to improper nursing care and 4. Due to environmental factors. Results: Out of 120 patients studied, 84 patients (70%) reported some kind of discomfort during their ICU stay. Existing illness was the most common cause of discomfort, 80 patients (66.6%) suffered due to it. ICU interventions was the second most common cause, 71 patients (59.1%) had discomfort due to interventions. Thirty five patients (29.1%) suffered due to improper nursing care and 25 patients (20.8%) suffered due to the environmental factors. In this study, it was observed that sedation reduces all kind of discomforts. conclusion: In this study 70% of patients, who were admitted to ICU due to various illness reported some kind of discomfort. The most common cause of ICU discomforts was existing illness followed by ICU interventions. In this study it was observed that sedation reduces all kind of discomforts. Sedated patients tolerate the endotracheal tube better and they had less environmental and procedure related discomforts. With the present study observation it can be suggested that ICU charts of nurses and doctors can carry a separate column for mentioning discomforts in different duty shifts. However, with the use of appropriate analgesia and sedation discomfort can be reduced.

scholarly journals Low Caspofungin Exposure in Patients in Intensive Care Units

2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim C. M. van der Elst ◽  
Anette Veringa ◽  
Jan G. Zijlstra ◽  
Albertus Beishuizen ◽  
Rob Klont ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Critically Ill Patients ◽  
Drug Exposure ◽  
Standard Dose ◽  
Drug Distribution ◽  
Volume Of Distribution ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Time Curve ◽  
Icu Patients

ABSTRACT In critically ill patients, drug exposure may be influenced by altered drug distribution and clearance. Earlier studies showed that the variability in caspofungin exposure was high in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The primary objective of this study was to determine if the standard dose of caspofungin resulted in adequate exposure in critically ill patients. A multicenter prospective study in ICU patients with (suspected) invasive candidiasis was conducted in the Netherlands from November 2013 to October 2015. Patients received standard caspofungin treatment, and the exposure was determined on day 3 of treatment. An area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 24 h (AUC0–24) of 98 mg · h/liter was considered adequate exposure. In case of low exposure (i.e., <79 mg · h/liter, a ≥20% lower AUC0–24), the caspofungin dose was increased and the exposure reevaluated. Twenty patients were included in the study, of whom 5 had a positive blood culture. The median caspofungin AUC0–24 at day 3 was 78 mg · h/liter (interquartile range [IQR], 69 to 97 mg · h/liter). A low AUC0–24 (<79 mg · h/liter) was seen in 10 patients. The AUC0–24 was significantly and positively correlated with the caspofungin dose in mg/kg/day (P = 0.011). The median AUC0–24 with a caspofungin dose of 1 mg/kg was estimated using a pharmacokinetic model and was 114.9 mg · h/liter (IQR, 103.2 to 143.5 mg · h/liter). In conclusion, the caspofungin exposure in ICU patients in this study was low compared with that in healthy volunteers and other (non)critically ill patients, most likely due to a larger volume of distribution. A weight-based dose regimen is probably more suitable for patients with substantially altered drug distribution. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. NCT01994096.)

Measurement of Sleep in Critically Ill Patients

2000 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy C. Richards ◽  
Patricia S. O’Sullivan ◽  
Robin L. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Critically Ill ◽  
Critically Ill Patients ◽  
Gold Standard ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Internal Consistency Reliability ◽  
Efficiency Index ◽  
Single Factor ◽  
Analog Scale ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Sleep Measurement

Research to evaluate interventions to promote sleep in critically ill patients has been restricted by the lack of brief, inexpensive outcome measures. This article describes the development and testing of an instrument to measure sleep in critically ill patients. A convenience sample of 70 alert, oriented, critically ill males was studied using polysomnography (PSG), the gold standard for sleep measurement, for one night. In the morning the patients completed the Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ), a five-item visual analog scale. Internal consistency reliability of the RCSQ was .90 and principal components factor analysis revealed a single factor (Eigenvalue = 3.61, percent variance = 72.2). The RCSQ total score accounted for approximately 33% of the variance in the PSG indicator sleep efficiency index (p < .001). The data provide support for the reliability and validity of the RCSQ.

scholarly journals Acinetobacterinfections: a growing threat for critically ill patients

2007 ◽  
Vol 136 (8) ◽  
pp. 1009-1019 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. E. FALAGAS ◽  
E. A. KARVELI ◽  
I. I. SIEMPOS ◽  
K. Z. VARDAKAS
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Critically Ill Patients ◽  
Relative Frequency ◽  
The United States ◽  
Considerable Proportion ◽  
Southern Europe ◽  
Icu Patients

SUMMARYThere has been increasing concern regarding the rise ofAcinetobacterinfections in critically ill patients. We extracted information regarding the relative frequency ofAcinetobacterpneumonia and bacteraemia in intensive-care-unit (ICU) patients and the antimicrobial resistance ofAcinetobacterisolates from studies identified in electronic databases.Acinetobacterinfections most frequently involve the respiratory tract of intubated patients andAcinetobacterpneumonia has been more common in critically ill patients in Asian (range 4–44%) and European (0–35%) hospitals than in United States hospitals (6–11%). There is also a gradient in Europe regarding the proportion of ICU-acquired pneumonias caused byAcinetobacterwith low numbers in Scandinavia, and gradually rising in Central and Southern Europe. A higher proportion ofAcinetobacterisolates were resistant to aminoglycosides and piperacillin/tazobactam in Asian and European countries than in the United States. The data suggest thatAcinetobacterinfections are a growing threat affecting a considerable proportion of critically ill patients, especially in Asia and Europe.

The Concerns of Recovery Practitioners Assisting in the Care of ICU Patients

2001 ◽  
Vol 2 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 6-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn Sealey
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Intensive Care Units ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Critically Ill Patients ◽  
Training And Development ◽  
Small Study ◽  
Icu Patients ◽  
Recovery Unit ◽  
High Dependency

When high dependency and intensive care units are full, which occurs more and more often nationally, recovery wards are being utilised to hold critically ill patients. Recovery practitioners are often expected to assist in the care of these patients.A small study established the views of a sample of recovery practitioners regarding the recovery unit being used as stop-gap, or ICU overflow. There were positive and negative opinions from recovery practitioners who were involved in the care of these critically ill patients. Recovery practitioners often reported feeling inexperienced and ill equipped, with increased levels of stress when working in the ICU bay. Only 20% of recovery practitioners in the study, expressed optimism about working in the ICU bay, and 60% identified that training and development was a strategy which may help to overcome some of their perceived problems.This paper reports these concerns and identifies strategies which have been implemented to address some of these concerns.

scholarly journals Study on Intensive Care Unit Nutritional Protocol Based on Timing of National Health Insurance Coverage in Taiwan

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 850-850
Author(s):  
Shih-Ching Lo ◽  
Yu-Chin Hsiao ◽  
Ying-Ru Chen ◽  
Hsing-Chun Lin
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
National Health Insurance ◽  
National Health ◽  
Critically Ill Patients ◽  
Nutritional Intervention ◽  
Icu Patients ◽  
Nutritional Care

Abstract Objectives Aggressive nutritional intervention may improve the outcomes of critically ill patients. Therefore, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) in Taiwan revised its relevant fee schedule. On October 1, 2019, nutritional care items for intensive care unit (ICU) patients, covered by the NHIA under the category of nutritional care fees, were introduced to reflect real clinical needs. Methods This retrospective cohort study was conducted in a medical center ICU. The study period was January 1, 2019 to May 31, 2020, before and after the start of national health insurance (NHI) coverage of new nutritional care items for ICU patients. A total of 5292 patients were recruited and divided into two groups based on timing of NHI coverage. There were 1591 patients included in the analysis (751 in the non-NHI group and 840 in the NHI group). In the NHI group, the following nutritional protocol was implemented: First visit was at 48hr following admission to the ICU with 2 follow up visits over the next 5 days, then 3 visits the following week. Patient demographics, daily nutritional data, and outcomes were collected to investigate the impact of this protocol. Results Both groups were given the same nutritional intervention initially. However, there were significant differences in nutritional intervention following the incorporation of this treatment protocol in the ICU. Closely monitored nutritional intervention met critical requirements without overfeeding and led to shorter ICU stays (non-NHI 8.11 ± 6.69 days vs NHI 7.12 ± 7.43 days, p &lt; 0.01). Conclusions Nutritional care plan based on frequent assessments and interventions by dietitians is associated with reduced ICU stays for critically ill patients. Funding Sources None.

scholarly journals Herpes DNAemia and TTV Viraemia in Intensive Care Unit Critically Ill Patients: A Single-Centre Prospective Longitudinal Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
François Mallet ◽  
Léa Diouf ◽  
Boris Meunier ◽  
Magali Perret ◽  
Frédéric Reynier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Critically Ill Patients ◽  
Wilcoxon Test ◽  
Icu Patients ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal Study ◽  
Severity Scores ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal

IntroductionWe analysed blood DNAemia of TTV and four herpesviruses (CMV, EBV, HHV6, and HSV-1) in the REAnimation Low Immune Status Marker (REALISM) cohort of critically ill patients who had presented with either sepsis, burns, severe trauma, or major surgery. The aim was to identify common features related to virus and injury-associated pathologies and specific features linking one or several viruses to a particular pathological context.MethodsOverall and individual viral DNAemia were measured over a month using quantitative PCR assays from the 377 patients in the REALISM cohort. These patients were characterised by clinical outcomes [severity scores, mortality, Intensive Care Unit (ICU)-acquired infection (IAI)] and 48 parameters defining their host response after injury (cell populations, immune functional assays, and biomarkers). Association between viraemic event and clinical outcomes or immune markers was assessed using χ2-test or exact Fisher’s test for qualitative variables and Wilcoxon test for continuous variables.ResultsThe cumulative incidence of viral DNAemia increased from below 4% at ICU admission to 35% for each herpesvirus during the first month. EBV, HSV1, HHV6, and CMV were detected in 18%, 12%, 10%, and 9% of patients, respectively. The incidence of high TTV viraemia (&gt;10,000 copies/ml) increased from 11% to 15% during the same period. Herpesvirus viraemia was associated with severity at admission; CMV and HHV6 viraemia correlated with mortality during the first week and over the month. The presence of individual herpesvirus during the first month was significantly associated (p &lt; 0.001) with the occurrence of IAI, whilst herpesvirus DNAemia coupled with high TTV viraemia during the very first week was associated with IAI. Herpesvirus viraemia was associated with a lasting exacerbated host immune response, with concurrent profound immune suppression and hyper inflammation, and delayed return to immune homeostasis. The percentage of patients presenting with herpesvirus DNAemia was significantly higher in sepsis than in all other groups. Primary infection in the hospital and high IL10 levels might favour EBV and CMV reactivation.ConclusionIn this cohort of ICU patients, phenotypic differences were observed between TTV and herpesviruses DNAemia. The higher prevalence of herpesvirus DNAemia in sepsis hints at further studies that may enable a better in vivo understanding of host determinants of herpesvirus viral reactivation. Furthermore, our data suggest that EBV and TTV may be useful as additional markers to predict clinical deterioration in ICU patients.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document