Therapeutic Environment and Premature newborns Development

Introduction: Prematurity is the leading cause of neonatal mortality, however, the survival of preterm infants is guaranteed. Prolonged exposure to numerous sensory stimuli during early neonatal intensive care units contributes to the increased likelihood of organic and/or psychological sequelae. Objectives: Identify the best measures to minimize the impact that the sensorial environment of neonatal intensive care units has on the development of premature newborns. Methods: An integrative literature review was carried out in CINAHL, PubMed and MEDLINE databases, according to the PICOD methodology (participants, intervention, context, results and design). Results: The analysis of the 6 articles included in the study showed a set of environmental measures to be included in the care of premature newborns. The main recommendations mentioned were organized into categories, namely, physical environment, sensory environment, technology and parental training. Conclusion: From this review emerges the need to define consistent and consensual strategies for the optimization of the therapeutic environment in neonatal intensive care units

Optimal productive size of hospital’s intensive care units

Hospital, Intensive Care Units, Returns to Scale, Optimal Size

The validity and reliability of the Portuguese versions of three tools used to diagnose delirium in critically ill patients

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study are to compare the sensitivity and specificity of three diagnostic tools for delirium (the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist, the Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Units and the Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Units Flowsheet) in a mixed population of critically ill patients, and to validate the Brazilian Portuguese Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Units. METHODS: The study was conducted in four intensive care units in Brazil. Patients were screened for delirium by a psychiatrist or neurologist using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Patients were subsequently screened by an intensivist using Portuguese translations of the three tools. RESULTS: One hundred and nineteen patients were evaluated and 38.6% were diagnosed with delirium by the reference rater. The Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Units had a sensitivity of 72.5% and a specificity of 96.2%; the Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Units Flowsheet had a sensitivity of 72.5% and a specificity of 96.2%; the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist had a sensitivity of 96.0% and a specificity of 72.4%. There was strong agreement between the Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Units and the Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Units Flowsheet (kappa coefficient = 0.96) CONCLUSION: All three instruments are effective diagnostic tools in critically ill intensive care unit patients. In addition, the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Units is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of delirium among critically ill patients

Haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients admitted to intensive care units.

Hutchison and colleagues report a 10-year experience of dialysis patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) in the UK excluding Scotland. Their study is the largest published so far and raises issues of interest to both ICU physicians and nephrologists. Overall, the dialysis patients, although sicker on admission and having pre-existing co-morbidities, do as well as other ICU patients. Their clinical progress after leaving the ICU, however, is less good than for other ICU patients, raising the possibility that the patients might be leaving too early, or perhaps that dialysis patients should be discharged to a high-dependency unit rather than go direct to a renal ward. All in all, the paper by Hutchison and colleagues provides a useful foundation for planning the critical care management of dialysis patients in the UK and elsewhere

Intestinal constipation in intensive care units

Constipation is a common complication identified among critically ill patients. Its incidence is highly variable due to lack of definition of such patients. Besides the already known consequences of constipation, in recent years it was observed that this complication may also be related to worse prognosis of critically ill patients. This review endeavors to describe the main available scientific evidence showing that constipation is a prognostic marker and a clinical representation of intestinal dysfunction, in addition to eventually interfering in the prognosis with treatment. Ogilvie syndrome, a major cause of morbidity and mortality in intensive care units was also reviewed. Considering the above cases it was concluded that more attention to this disorder is required in intensive care units as well as development of protocols for diagnosis and management of critically ill patients.A constipação intestinal é uma complicação comumente identificada entre pacientes graves. Sua incidência é bastante variável devido à carência de uma definição aplicável a estes pacientes. Além das consequências já conhecidas da constipação, nos últimos anos tem-se percebido que essa complicação também pode estar relacionada ao pior prognóstico de pacientes críticos. Ao longo desta revisão procurou-se descrever as principais evidências científicas disponíveis mostrando ser a constipação um marcador prognóstico e uma das representações clínicas da disfunção intestinal, além da possibilidade de interferir no prognóstico com o tratamento. Revisou-se também a síndrome de Ogilvie, importante causa de morbidade e mortalidade nas unidades de terapia intensiva. Conclui-se, por todo o exposto, ser necessária mais atenção a esse distúrbio nas unidades de terapia intensiva, com elaboração de protocolos de diagnóstico e manejo em pacientes graves.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)UNIFESPSciEL

COVID-19 in Intensive Care Units

Klinički se virus prezentira od vrlo blagih simptoma, blage prehlade pa sve do pneumonije koja može dovesti do akutnoga respiratornog zatajenja i u kasnijoj fazi multiorganskog zatajivanja sa smrtnošću od 2 do 10 %. Kod hospitaliziranih bolesnika intersticijska upala pluća i ARDS javljaju se obično tijekom drugog tjedna liječenja, 7 − 9 dana od početka bolesti. Neinvazivna ventilacijska potpora nije se pokazala učinkovitom u liječenju ovog tipa ARDS-a uz postojeći dodatni rizik od pojačanog širenja bolesti na medicinsko osoblje (otvoreni sustav ventilacije), a odgađanje invazivne ventilacijske potpore često dovodi do pogoršanja stanja bolesnika. Bolesnici sa saturacijom 75 − 80 % i PaO2/FiO2 < 150 zahtijevaju invazivno ventilacijsko liječenje. Kod ovih bolesnika može se javiti fulminantna kardiomiopatija čak i u stadijima oporavka od bolesti. Još nije jasno izaziva li infekcija virusnu kardiomiopatiju ili je srčana disfunkcija posljedica citokinske oluje. Pravovremeno odvajanje od mehaničke ventilacije ključni je dio uspješnog liječenja COVID-19 bolesnika iz razloga što je uopće respiratorna potpora bila u većini slučajeva granično indicirana. Produženom ventilacijom bolesnika, dužom od 5 do 7 dana stvaraju se uvjeti za naseljavanje drugih patogena počesto rezistentnih bakterija i gljivica koje nailaze na izrazito oslabljen imunološki odgovor domaćina čime je put prema sepsi značajno skraćen i ubrzan. Za kontroliranje i uspješno liječenje najtežih COVID-19 respiratornih infekcija važna je dobra organizacija jedinica intenzivnog liječenja uz jasno definirane protokole. U takvoj jedinici mora raditi dovoljan broj medicinskog osoblja, prvenstveno najiskusniji liječnici intenzivisti, medicinski tehničari koji su ujedno i najvažnije osoblje.The virus develops from very mild symptoms, mild colds, to pneumonia that can lead to acute respiratory failure and ultimately to multiorgan failure with a mortality of 2 to 10%. In hospitalized patients, interstitial pneumonia and ARDS usually occur during the second week of treatment, 7 – 9 days from the onset of the disease. Non-invasive ventilation support has not been shown to be effective in treating this type of ARDS with the existing additional risk of increased disease spread to medical staff (open ventilation system). But delaying invasive ventilation support often leads to worsening of the patient\u27s condition. Patients with a saturation of 75 – 80% and PaO2 / FiO2 <150 require invasive ventilation treatment. Fulminant cardiomyopathy may occur in these patients even in the stages of recovery from the disease. It is not yet clear whether the infection causes viral cardiomyopathy or whether cardiac dysfunction is due to a cytokine storm. Early weaning from mechanical ventilation is one of the key aspects of successful treatment of patients with COVID-19 because respiratory support in general was borderline indicated in most cases. Prolonged ventilation of patients for more than 5 – 7 days creates conditions for the colonization of other pathogens, often resistant bacteria and fungi that encounter a markedly weakened immune response of the host, which significantly shortens and accelerates the path to sepsis. Good organization of intensive care units with clearly defined protocols is important for the control and successful treatment of the most severe COVID-19 respiratory infections. Such units must have a sufficient number of medical staff, primarily meaning the most experienced intensive care physicians, and medical technicians who are essentially the most important personnel

Trends and Variation in End-of-Life Care for Medicare Beneficiaries With Severe Chronic Illness

Provides an updated analysis of regional and hospital variations in end-of-life care for Medicare beneficiaries with chronic illnesses, including percentage of hospital deaths, days in intensive care units, and physician labor per patient

Intensive Care Units (ICUs), and Ordinary Means: Turning Virtue Into Vice

There is a social process by which what have been virtues in one social context can become vices in another. Alasdair MacIntyre 1 </jats:p