Highlights ■ Nursing workload is high with patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. ■ The initial 24 hours of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation have the highest workload, quantified using the Nursing Activities Score. ■ Presence of COVID-19 and delayed extracorporeal membrane oxygenation initiation increase the workload in the initial 24 hours of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. ■ Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation care demands adjustments in the nurse-to-patient ratio in the intensive care unit. ABSTRACT Objective: To identify the factors associated with nursing workload with […]

ABSTRACT Purpose of review Coronary artery bypass grafting, revascularization by percutaneous coronary intervention, and heart valve surgery are crucial therapeutic interventions for patients with various cardiovascular diseases. The objective of this literature review was to present the main evidence and practical aspects of the perioperative management of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting and heart valve surgery. Recent findings Despite advancements in surgical and anesthetic techniques, coronary artery bypass grafting and heart valve surgery present significant risks for perioperative complications […]

ABSTRACT Introduction Spirituality has emerged as a phenomenon of interest in various global contexts. The adoption of spirituality as a fundamental aspect of healthcare remains underexplored, especially in critical environments such as intensive care units. Objective To identify strategies for incorporating spiritual care into adult intensive care environments through an integrative literature review. Methods An integrative review was conducted using the Embase, Web of Science, Medline/PubMed, PsycINFO, LILACS, and Cochrane Central databases. Twenty-one studies published in English, Spanish, or Portuguese […]

Highlights ■ Public intensive care unit COVID-19 patients presented with more comorbidities and higher severity at admission. ■ Public intensive care units required more invasive organ support (e.g., mechanical ventilation, vasopressors, and renal replacement therapy) but less non-invasive ventilation and high-flow nasal cannula than private intensive care units. ■ In-hospital mortality was higher in public intensive care units, with an increased risk of death even after adjusting for patient characteristics and illness severity at intensive care unit admission. ABSTRACT Objective: […]

ABSTRACT Purulent pericarditis is rare condition in the modern era of antibiotics. However, it is a serious condition as it has an accelerated progression and is difficult to diagnose due to its nonspecific clinical presentation, resulting in high mortality. Herein, we present a case in which a 36-year-old male patient with otherwise unremarkable medical history developed abdominal sepsis complicated by purulent pericarditis post-appendectomy. While the initial clinical presentation was not compatible with the classic signs of purulent pericarditis, the diagnosis […]

Highlights Worse outcomes were more prevalent in the teaching hospital. Understanding the importance of teaching hospitals to implement well-established care protocols is critical.   INTRODUCTION Some studies have reported the association between receiving hospital characteristics and the number of patients assisted with clinical outcomes.(,) Some authors have also demonstrated this relationship in scenarios such as coronary care units and care units for patients with diabetes.(,) Reportedly, hospitals with high admission volumes have better outcomes for surgical procedures; however, studies on […]

ABSTRACT Objective To compare in-hospital outcomes between small-for-gestational-age and appropriate-for-gestational-age preterm neonates who needed intensive care. Methods A retrospective cohort study with preterm newborns, from January to December 2017. The results are presented as median, frequency, and odds ratio. Numerical variables were compared using the Wilcoxon test. Categorical variables were compared using the χ2 test. We considered p

ABSTRACT Objective: To identify the need of family members of patients hospitalized in a coronary intensive care unit and their degree of satisfaction with the care provided. Methods: An observational and cross-sectional study including family members of patients hospitalized in the coronary intensive care unit for acute coronary syndrome in Killip I or II. After the second visit of the same family member to the patient in the unit, a 43-item inventory of needs and stressors of family members was […]

ABSTRACT Objective To propose a predictive model for the length of stay risk among children admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit based on demographic and clinical characteristics upon admission. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at a private and general hospital located in the municipality of Sao Paulo, Brazil. We used internal validation procedures and obtained an area under ROC curve for the to build of the predictive model. Results The mean hospital stay was 2 days. […]

ABSTRACT Objective To understand the use of tools, protocols and comfort measures related to sedation/analgesia, and to screen the occurrence of delirium in pediatric intensive care units. Methods A survey with 14 questions was distributed by e-mail to Brazilian critical care pediatricians. Eight questions addressed physician and hospital demographics, and six inquired practices to assess sedation, analgesia, and delirium in pediatric intensive care units. Results Of 373 questionnaires sent, 61 were answered (16.3%). The majority of physicians were practicing in […]