scholarly journals Nursing Interventions to Prevent Delirium in Critically Ill Patients in the Intensive Care Unit during the COVID19 Pandemic—Narrative Overview

Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 578
Author(s):  
Dorota Ozga ◽  
Sabina Krupa ◽  
Paweł Witt ◽  
Wioletta Mędrzycka-Dąbrowska

It has become a standard measure in recent years to utilise evidence-based practice, which is associated with a greater need to implement and use advanced, reliable methods of summarising the achievements of various scientific disciplines, including such highly specialised approaches as personalised medicine. The aim of this paper was to discuss the current state of knowledge related to improvements in “nursing” involving management of delirium in intensive care units during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This narrative review summarises the current knowledge concerning the challenges associated with assessment of delirium in patients with COVID-19 by ICU nurses, and the role and tasks in the personalised approach to patients with COVID-19.

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 299-306
Author(s):  
Diego Dias de Araujo ◽  
Daniel Vinicius Alves Silva ◽  
Carolina Amaral Oliveira Rodrigues ◽  
Patricia Oliveira Silva ◽  
Tamara Goncalves Rezende Macieira ◽  
...  

Background Critically ill patients are susceptible to the development of dry eye. Few studies have been conducted on how to best prevent and treat this condition. Objective To compare the effectiveness of 2 nursing interventions in preventing dry eye in adult intensive care unit patients: liquid artificial tears (Lacribell; Latinofarma) and artificial tears gel (Vidisic Gel; Bausch and Lomb). Methods In this randomized controlled trial, 140 participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups: a liquid artificial tears group (n = 70) and an artificial tears gel group (n = 70). The study inclusion criteria were as follows: admission to the intensive care unit, age of 18 years or older, no diagnosis of dry eye at admission, receipt of mechanical ventilation, blink rate of less than 5 times per minute, and a score of 7 or less on the Glasgow Coma Scale. On 5 consecutive days, a single researcher who was unaware of the treatment assignment assessed the participants’ eyes using the fluorescein eye stain test and the Schirmer test for dry eye. Results Dry eye developed in 21% of participants who received liquid artificial tears versus 9% of participants who received artificial tears gel (P = .04). Conclusions In this study, artificial tears gel was superior to liquid artificial tears in preventing the development of dry eye. These results may help nurses deliver evidence-based eye care aimed at reducing the risk of dry eye in critically ill patients.


1994 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Kleiber ◽  
M Halm ◽  
M Titler ◽  
LA Montgomery ◽  
SK Johnson ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND: The needs and satisfaction levels of family members of critically ill patients have received much attention in the literature. The feelings of family members, however, have not been thoroughly investigated. To develop appropriate nursing interventions to assist family members in coping with a critical care hospitalization, accurate information about their emotional response to the situation is needed. OBJECTIVE: To examine emotional responses of family members and their descriptions of supportive behaviors of others during a critical care hospitalization. METHODS: An exploratory design was used to study 52 subjects with critically ill family members in the pediatric, neonatal, medical, surgical and cardiovascular intensive care units in a large tertiary care hospital. The subjects kept daily logs of their feelings and the supportive behaviors of others. Thematic analysis was used to identify major themes. RESULTS: Analysis revealed a broad range of powerful emotions throughout the intensive care unit stay. Negative and positive emotions such as despair and joy were sometimes identified by subjects within a 24-hour period. Although fear, worry, anger and exhaustion were dominant themes during the first 24 hours and when the family received bad news about the patient, there was no pattern of emotional response evident as the stay progressed. Some differences between subjects drawn from the medical and neonatal intensive care units were evident. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that family members of critically ill patients experience deep emotional turmoil throughout the intensive care unit stay. Specific nursing interventions to promote adaptive coping are needed throughout the experience.


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 20-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krystal Orth

Surgical site infections are significant contributors to health care–associated infections. Nursing interventions may help decrease the incidence of surgical site infections, particularly in regards to the management of postsurgical abdominal drains. This comprehensive guide, compiled from evidence-based practice literature, is intended for nurses to use to reduce surgical site infections secondary to postsurgical abdominal drains. This article focuses on drain management in intensive care unit patients, who are at risk for infection because of their immunocompromised state.


TH Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 05 (02) ◽  
pp. e134-e138
Author(s):  
Anke Pape ◽  
Jan T. Kielstein ◽  
Tillman Krüger ◽  
Thomas Fühner ◽  
Reinhard Brunkhorst

AbstractThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has a serious impact on health and economics worldwide. Even though the majority of patients present with moderate and mild symptoms, yet a considerable portion of patients need to be treated in the intensive care unit. Aside from dexamethasone, there is no established pharmacological therapy. Moreover, some of the currently tested drugs are contraindicated for special patient populations like remdesivir for patients with severely impaired renal function. On this background, several extracorporeal treatments are currently explored concerning their potential to improve the clinical course and outcome of critically ill patients with COVID-19. Here, we report the use of the Seraph 100 Microbind Affinity filter, which is licensed in the European Union for the removal of pathogens. Authorization for emergency use in patients with COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care unit with confirmed or imminent respiratory failure was granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on April 17, 2020.A 53-year-old Caucasian male with a severe COVID-19 infection was treated with a Seraph Microbind Affinity filter hemoperfusion after clinical deterioration and commencement of mechanical ventilation. The 70-minute treatment at a blood flow of 200 mL/minute was well tolerated, and the patient was hemodynamically stable. The hemoperfusion reduced D-dimers dramatically.This case report suggests that the use of Seraph 100 Microbind Affinity filter hemoperfusion might have positive effects on the clinical course of critically ill patients with COVID-19. However, future prospective collection of data ideally in randomized trials will have to confirm whether the use of Seraph 100 Microbind Affinity filter hemoperfusion is an option of the treatment for COVID-19.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nobuto Nakanishi ◽  
Rie Tsutsumi ◽  
Kanako Hara ◽  
Masafumi Matsuo ◽  
Hiroshi Sakaue ◽  
...  

Titin is a giant protein that functions as a molecular spring in sarcomeres. Titin interconnects the contraction of actin-containing thin filaments and myosin-containing thick filaments. Titin breaks down to form urinary titin N-fragments, which are measurable in urine. Urinary titin N-fragment was originally reported to be a useful biomarker in the diagnosis of muscle dystrophy. Recently, the urinary titin N-fragment has been increasingly gaining attention as a novel biomarker of muscle atrophy and intensive care unit-acquired weakness in critically ill patients, in whom titin loss is a possible pathophysiology. Furthermore, several studies have reported that the urinary titin N-fragment also reflected muscle atrophy and weakness in patients with chronic illnesses. It may be used to predict the risk of post-intensive care syndrome or to monitor patients’ condition after hospital discharge for better nutritional and rehabilitation management. We provide several tips on the use of this promising biomarker in post-intensive care syndrome.


Pharmacy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 121
Author(s):  
Roland N. Dickerson ◽  
Christopher T. Buckley

Propofol, a commonly used sedative in the intensive care unit, is formulated in a 10% lipid emulsion that contributes 1.1 kcals per mL. As a result, propofol can significantly contribute to caloric intake and can potentially result in complications of overfeeding for patients who receive concurrent enteral or parenteral nutrition therapy. In order to avoid potential overfeeding, some clinicians have empirically decreased the infusion rate of the nutrition therapy, which also may have detrimental effects since protein intake may be inadequate. The purpose of this review is to examine the current literature regarding these issues and provide some practical suggestions on how to restrict caloric intake to avoid overfeeding and simultaneously enhance protein intake for patients who receive either parenteral or enteral nutrition for those patients receiving concurrent propofol therapy.


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