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Am J Crit Care 2022 May 8:e1-e10. Epub 2022 May 8.

Michelle Ng Gong is a professor, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, chief, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, and chief, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center.

Background: Understanding the distribution of organ failure before and during the COVID-19 pandemic surge can provide a deeper understanding of how the pandemic strained health care systems and affected outcomes.

Objective: To assess the distribution of organ failure in 3 New York City hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of adult admissions across hospitals from February 1, 2020, through May 31, 2020, was conducted. Read More

Am J Crit Care 2022 May;31(3):189-201

Douglas B. White is a professor, School of Medicine; Department of Critical Care Medicine; Clinical Research, Investigation, and Systems Modeling of Acute Illness Center; Program on Ethics and Decision Making in Critical Illness, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Background: Large-scale efforts to train clinicians in serious-illness communication skills are needed, but 2 important gaps in knowledge remain. (1) No proven training method exists that can be readily scaled to train thousands of clinicians. (2) Though the value of interprofessional collaboration to support incapacitated patients' surrogates is increasingly recognized, few interventions for training intensive care unit (ICU) nurses in important communication skills can be leveraged to provide interprofessional family support. Read More

Am J Crit Care 2022 May;31(3):181-188

Karen T. Warfield is a nurse manager, Department of Nursing, Mayo Clinic.

Background: Nursing handoff is a communication activity with a high risk for loss or omission of information. Efforts to improve handoffs include standardization of the processes and content of handoff communications.

Objectives: To examine nurses' perspectives on the structure and organization of change-of-shift handoffs. Read More

Am J Crit Care 2022 May;31(3):202-208

Teresa L. May is a neurointensivist and medical intensivist, Department of Critical Care Services, Maine Medical Center.

Background: Intensive care unit (ICU) sedation guidelines recommend targeting a light sedation level, but light sedation has no accepted definition, and inconsistent levels have been proposed.

Objective: To determine Sedation-Agitation Scale and Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale scores that best describe patients' ability to follow voice commands.

Methods: This prospective, observational pilot study enrolled a convenience sample of ICU patients receiving mechanical ventilation. Read More

Am J Crit Care 2022 May;31(3):220-228

Michele DeGrazia is director of nursing research, neonatal ICU, Cardiovascular and Critical Care Services, Boston Children's Hospital, and an assistant professor of pediatrics, Harvard Medical School.

Background: The inadequate oxygen delivery (IDo2) index is used to estimate the probability that a patient is experiencing inadequate systemic delivery of oxygen. Its utility in the care of critically ill children with sepsis is unknown.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between IDo2 dose and major adverse events, illness severity metrics, and outcomes among critically ill children with sepsis. Read More

Am J Crit Care 2022 May;31(3):212-219

Richard W. Carlson is a professor, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Phoenix, and Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, Scottsdale, Arizona, and chair emeritus, Department of Medicine, Valleywise Health Medical Center.

Background: Studies of alcohol withdrawal syndrome indicate a higher prevalence in men than in women. However, it is unknown how the condition differs between the sexes.

Objective: To assess alcohol withdrawal syndrome in women versus men at a single site. Read More

Am J Crit Care 2022 May;31(3):174-176

Aluko A. Hope is coeditor in chief of the American Journal of Critical Care. He is an associate professor and physician scientist at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon.

Am J Crit Care 2022 May;31(3):e20-e25

Am J Crit Care 2022 May;31(3):211

Am J Crit Care 2022 May;31(3):255-256

Michele M. Pelter is an associate professor in the Department of Physiological Nursing at University of California, San Francisco, California.

Am J Crit Care 2022 May;31(3):209-210

Grant A. Pignatiello is a National Institutes of Health Clinical Research KL2 Scholar and an instructor, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.

Am J Crit Care 2022 May;31(3):250-254

At the time of the study, Clive Persaud was a surgical resident, St Joseph's University Medical Center, Paterson, New Jersey.

Background: Many critically ill patients have invasive arterial catheters inserted for blood pressure monitoring. Whether catheter leveling method and alternative transducer location affect the accuracy of blood pressure measurements is unknown.

Objective: To determine whether the use of alternative transducer locations and visual alignment versus laser device leveling significantly affect the accuracy of blood pressure measurements. Read More

Am J Crit Care 2022 May;31(3):179

Am J Crit Care 2022 May;31(3):230-239

Martha A. Q. Curley is the Ruth M. Colket Endowed Chair in Pediatric Nursing, Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; a professor, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and a professor, Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Background: Parents' perceptions of critical care during the final days of their child's life shape their grief for decades. Little is known about nursing care needs of children actively dying in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Objectives: To examine associations between patient characteristics, circumstances of death, and nursing care requirements for children who died in the PICU. Read More

Am J Crit Care 2022 Apr 15:e1-e8. Epub 2022 Apr 15.

Ruth Kleinpell is a professor at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Nashville, Tennessee.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged health care professionals, especially those working in intensive care units (ICUs).

Objectives: To explore critical care nurses' experiences with and perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic during the early phases of the pandemic.

Methods: Data were from national surveys conducted during March and April 2020 to assess ICU providers' perceptions of the initial phases of the pandemic. Read More

Am J Crit Care 2022 03;31(2):127-128

Grant A. Pignatiello is a National Institutes of Health Clinical Research KL2 Scholar and an instructor, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.

Am J Crit Care 2022 03;31(2):129-136

Douglas B. White is a vice chair and professor of critical care medicine, and director, Program on Ethics and Decision Making in Critical Illness, CRISMA Center, Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Background: Although proactive interprofessional family meetings are widely recommended as a best practice for patient- and family-centered care in intensive care units (ICUs), adherence to this recommendation is low.

Objectives: To enhance understanding of practices, barriers, and facilitators related to the conduct of family meetings from the perspective of ICU clinicians and to elicit clinicians' ideas and opinions about strategies to achieve proactive interprofessional family meetings.

Methods: Semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with ICU clinicians who were purposively selected from among a national sample. Read More

Am J Crit Care 2022 03;31(2):111-118

Jessica Ward is a research nurse scientist in the Institute for Nursing and Interprofessional Research at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

Background: Nurses working in pediatric intensive care units report high levels of compassion fatigue from exposure to critical and traumatic events. Cumulative stress debriefings can reduce compassion fatigue.

Objective: To evaluate the use of cumulative stress debriefings to alleviate symptoms of compassion fatigue and promote job satisfaction in nurses. Read More

Am J Crit Care 2022 03;31(2):137-144

Babar Khan is a professor, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep and Occupational Medicine, Department of Medicine, a researcher, Center for Health Innovation and Implementation Science, Indiana University School of Medicine; and a research scientist and codirector, IU Center for Aging Research, Regenstrief Institute.

Background: Cognitive impairment is common in intensive care unit survivors, pointing to the potential utility of a caregiver-based tool to screen for post-intensive care syndrome.

Objective: To validate the Healthy Aging Brain Care Monitor, Caregiver Version (HABC-M CG), as a caregiver-based tool to screen for post-intensive care syndrome.

Methods: A total of 116 patients who survived a stay in the intensive care unit completed standardized assessments of cognition, psychological symptoms, and physical functioning, and their caregivers completed the HABC-M CG. Read More

Am J Crit Care 2022 03;31(2):119-126

Patricia A. Hickey is the senior vice president and associate chief nurse, Nursing and Patient Care Operations, Boston Children's Hospital; and an assistant professor of pediatrics, Harvard Medical School.

Background: The Intensive Care Unit Complexity Assessment and Monitoring to Ensure Optimal Outcomes (ICU CAMEO III) acuity tool measures patient acuity in terms of the complexity of nursing cognitive workload.

Objective: To validate the ICU CAMEO III acuity tool in US children's hospitals.

Methods: Using a convenience sample, 9 sites enrolled children admitted to pediatric intensive care units (ICUs). Read More

Am J Crit Care 2022 03;31(2):90-92

Cindy L. Munro is coeditor in chief of the American Journal of Critical Care. She is dean and professor, School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida.

Am J Crit Care 2022 03;31(2):161-165

Margo A. Halm is associate chief nurse executive, nursing research and evidence-based practice, VA Portland HealthCare System, Portland, Oregon.

Am J Crit Care 2022 03;31(2):145

Am J Crit Care 2022 03;31(2):158-160

Kathryn Petrovic is director, Department of Standards and Survey Methods, The Joint Commission.

Am J Crit Care 2022 03;31(2):167-168

Mary G. Carey is director for clinical nursing research, Strong Memorial Hospital, Rochester, New York.

Am J Crit Care 2022 03;31(2):93-94

New York, New York.

Am J Crit Care 2022 03;31(2):93

Huntsville, Alabama.

Am J Crit Care 2022 May;31(3):240-248

Meredith Van-stone is an associate professor, Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University.

Background: Infection control protocols, including visitor restrictions, implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic threatened the ability to provide compassionate, family-centered care to patients dying in the hospital. In response, clinicians used videoconferencing technology to facilitate conversations between patients and their families.

Objectives: To understand clinicians' perspectives on using videoconferencing technology to adapt to pandemic policies when caring for dying patients. Read More

Am J Crit Care 2022 03;31(2):104-110

Peggy Leung is an infection prevention RN specialist, St Jude Medical Center.

Background: In March 2020, the caseload of patients positive for COVID-19 in hospitals began increasing rapidly, creating fear and anxiety among health care workers and concern about supplies of personal protective equipment.

Objectives: To determine if implementing safety zones improves the perceptions of safety, well-being, workflow, and teamwork among hospital staff caring for patients during a pandemic.

Methods: A safety zone process was implemented to designate levels of contamination risk and appropriate activities for certain areas. Read More

Am J Crit Care 2022 01;31(1):42-50

Hanmin Lee is a professor and chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco.

Background: Accurately measuring the risk of pressure injury remains the most important step for effective prevention and intervention. Relative contributions of risk factors for the incidence of pressure injury in adult critical care patients are not well understood.

Objective: To develop and validate a model to identify risk factors associated with hospital-acquired pressure injuries among adult critical care patients. Read More