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Aust Crit Care 2019 Apr 15. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

Royal North Shore Hospital, PO BOX 4007, Royal North Shore LPO, St Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia. Electronic address:

Background: Falls may result in significant patient harm. A recommended strategy to prevent falls is the use of a falls risk assessment tool, but these tools are often specific for older people. Evidence suggests context-specific tools are more effective. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Apr 10. Epub 2019 Apr 10.

Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Management and Intensive Care Unit, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Centre for Integrated Critical Care, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.

Objectives: Critically ill patients are often transferred from the intensive care unit (ICU) to other locations around the hospital during which adverse events, some life threatening, are common. An intercollegiate guideline covering the transport of critically ill patients exists in Australasia; however, compliance with this guideline has previously been shown to be poor, and its role in improving safety in transportation of patients in the ICU is unknown. We performed a pre-post interventional study in a tertiary metropolitan ICU, assessing the impact of the introduction of a transport checklist on guideline compliance. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Apr 9. Epub 2019 Apr 9.

CQUniversity Australia, University Drive, Building 8/G.47 Bundaberg, Branyan Australia, Qld, 4670, Australia. Electronic address:

Aim: Early warning system (EWS) validation studies are conducted predominantly in tertiary metropolitan facilities and are not necessarily applicable to regional hospitals. This study evaluates 12 EWSs for use in regional subcritical hospitals.

Method: This is a retrospective case-control study of patients who experienced severe adverse events (SAEs) in two regional private hospitals. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Mar 29. Epub 2019 Mar 29.

School of Nursing and Midwifery, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Australia; Princess Alexandra Hospital, Australia.

Introduction: Mobilising mechanically ventilated patients is safe and beneficial and improves outcomes. However, early mobilisation is not widely practiced and barriers to its implementation still exist.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess clinician perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours towards mobilising critically ill ventilated patients in the intensive care unit, as well as perceived barriers and facilitators towards mobilisation. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Mar 27. Epub 2019 Mar 27.

School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Building 104, Pell Centre, Ballarat, Vic 3350, Australia. Electronic address:

Introduction: Patients experience physiological changes in the hours preceding adverse medical events, and patients or their family can be the first to identify ominous signs of clinical deterioration that have gone undetected by health professionals. Patient and family activated escalation systems provide consumers access to a referral system that can address their concerns. In Queensland, this escalation system is called Ryan's Rule and once activated, triggers an independent clinical review. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Mar 22. Epub 2019 Mar 22.

Level 3, Ned Hanlon Building, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Butterfield St, Herston, 4029, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Joint Appointment Intensive Care Services, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital and School of Nursing, Queensland University of Technology, Australia. Electronic address:

Background: Organisational and unit-level context can have a significant impact on implementation of evidence in practice, the latter being particularly important in the complex intensive care context. Evaluating the context may allow modifiable characteristics to be identified and addressed.

Objectives: The objective was to examine the relationship between dimensions of the context and research utilisation in one intensive care unit. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Mar 14. Epub 2019 Mar 14.

Discipline of Acute Care Medicine, Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences Building, 4 North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, SA 5000; Intensive Care Unit, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia, VIC 3050; Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, VIC 3050. Electronic address:

Background: Physical activity after intensive care unit (ICU) discharge is challenging to measure but could inform research and practice. A patient's smartphone may provide a novel method to quantify physical activity.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of using smartphone step counts among survivors of critical illness. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Mar 13. Epub 2019 Mar 13.

Department of Biological and Health Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.

Aust Crit Care 2019 Mar 12. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Department of Physiotherapy, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia; Centre for Functioning and Health Research, Metro South Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Australia; La Trobe University, Australia.

Purpose: Respiratory complications are the most significant cause of morbidity and mortality in acute cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI). The prevalence of extubation failure (EF) and factors associated with it are unclear. This research aimed to systematically synthesise and pool literature describing EF and associated risk factors in acute CSCI. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Mar 12. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Intensive Care, Erasmus MC - Sophia Children's Hospital Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Background: Critically ill children treated with invasive mechanical ventilation in a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) may suffer from complications leading to prolonged duration of ventilation and PICU stay.

Objective: The objective of this study is to find out if the use of a nurse-driven ventilation weaning protocol in a PICU can shorten the duration of mechanical ventilation.

Methods: In a prospective, pretest-posttest implementation study, we implemented a nurse-driven ventilation weaning protocol and compared its outcomes with those of the usual physician-driven weaning. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Mar 12. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Institute of Health Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 457, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Orthopaedics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Mölndal, Gothenburg, Sweden. Electronic address:

Introduction: Necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) is a severe, life-threatening condition requiring immediate diagnosis and treatment to avoid widespread tissue destruction and death. Current research seeks to explain the complex interaction between patient and disease agent, whereas only few studies have addressed the patient perspective.

Objective: The present study aimed to describe the patient experience of NSTI in the first six months after diagnosis. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Mar 11. Epub 2019 Mar 11.

Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Heart Health and Stroke Strategic Clinical Network-AHS, Canada; Division of Cardiac Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Canada. Electronic address:

Objectives: The objectives were to interpretatively synthesise qualitative findings on patients' lived experience of delirium in the intensive care unit (ICU) and to identify meanings and potential existential issues that affect them during and after their experience. Patients may face existential challenges when they are vulnerable in their confusion, all while confronting the reality of their mortality in the critically ill state.

Review Methods: The study involved meta-ethnographic synthesis of published qualitative studies addressing the lived experience of delirium for patients in ICU based on a systematic literature search. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Mar;32(2):81-82

Intensive Care Unit, Canberra Hospital, Canberra, Australia; Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia; School of Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

Aust Crit Care 2019 Mar;32(2):79-80

Institute of Technical Medicine, Furtwangen University, VS-Schwenningen, Germany.

Aust Crit Care 2019 Feb 21. Epub 2019 Feb 21.

School of Nursing, Queensland University of Technology and Intensive Care Services, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Metro North Health Service District, Queensland, Australia; Institute for Skin Integrity and Infection Prevention, University of Huddersfield, United Kingdom. Electronic address:

Objective: Assessment of safety culture in health care is of particular relevance in the complex intensive care setting, where the effects of human error can have catastrophic consequences. The aim of this review was to examine the literature on safety culture in intensive care units (ICUs) and specifically, to explore the state of knowledge regarding safety culture in the context of Australian ICUs.

Methods: A search was conducted of key databases for studies published in English between January 2008 and December 2017 using terms 'safety culture', 'safety climate', 'safety attitude', 'intensive care', 'ICU' and 'critical care'. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Feb 19. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Locked Bag 2000, Geelong, Victoria, 3220, Australia; Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research - Alfred Health Partnership, 55 Commercial Road Prahran, 3004, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address:

Background: Despite many Australians supporting organ donation, national posthumous organ donation rates have not increased as expected over the last three decades. Little is known about the barriers to organ donation for patients in intensive care that meet the criteria for organ donation.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of patients identified as potentially suitable for organ donation and to explore the variables associated with the success, or failure, of solid organ donation within the context of an Australian public hospital intensive care unit (ICU). Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Feb 19. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

University Clinic for Hand, Hip and Knee Surgery, Regional Hospital Holstebro, Aarhus University, Lægårdvej 12, 7500 Holstebro, Denmark. Electronic address:

Background: Critical illness and mechanical ventilation may cause patients and their relatives to experience symptoms of posttraumatic stress, anxiety, and depression due to fragmentation of memories of their intensive care unit (ICU) stay. Intensive care diaries authored by nurses may help patients and relatives process the experience and reduce psychological problems after hospital discharge; however, as patients particularly appreciate diary entries made by their relatives, involving relatives in authoring the diary could prove beneficial.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the effect of a diary authored by a close relative for a critically ill patient. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Clinical Research Centre, Block MD11, Level 2,10 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597.

Background: Despite the widespread implementation of medical emergency teams (METs) in hospitals to provide immediate interventions to deteriorating ward patients, little is known about how junior doctors and nurses escalate care for deteriorating ward patients in hospitals with established MET services.

Objectives: The objective of this research study was to explore the experiences of junior doctors and nurses in escalating care for clinically deteriorating patients in general wards.

Methods: Twenty-four individual interviews were conducted with 10 junior doctors and 14 registered nurses of a 1000-bed acute general hospital with the most established MET service in Singapore. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Feb 12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Departments of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Western Health, Melbourne, Australia; Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address:

Background: Although propofol is widely used for sedation in intensive care units around Australia, evaluation of bedside nursing practices of the administration of propofol have been limited. We investigated whether there was a discrepancy between the amount of propofol delivered by the infusion pump and that recorded electronically and consequently patient exposure to avoidable harms.

Aims: The aim of this research was to compare the total amount of propofol administered to intensive care patients via a programmable infusion pump with that documented in the electronic medical record (EMR). Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Intensive Care Service, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Missenden Road, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia; Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Missenden Road, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia. Electronic address:

Background: Management of gut function in the intensive care unit (ICU) is often protocol-driven. Protocols for enteral feeding or bowel management are based on assumptions about what is 'normal' gastrointestinal motility during critical illness or in the early postoperative period, although 'normal' has not been well described in this group.

Objectives: This study aimed to describe aspects of gut function based on an audit of current ICU patients. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Jan 21. Epub 2019 Jan 21.

School of Clinical Sciences, Auckland University of Technology (AUT), North Shore Campus, 90 Akoranga Drive, Northcote, Auckland 0627, New Zealand. Electronic address:

Background And Purpose: Unique work challenges of intensive care nurses can cause both stress and distress to nurses, evident in prevailing literature regarding burnout, compassion fatigue, and moral distress. Identifying factors contributing to intensive care nurses' well-being would complement this focus on nurse ill-being, supporting the development of workplace well-being initiatives. The review seeks to balance the existing negatively skewed evidence base by investigating intensive care nurses' well-being rather than ill-being. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Jan 21. Epub 2019 Jan 21.

Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, PO Box 457, SE-405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Kungälvs Hospital, SE-442 83, Kungälv, Sweden. Electronic address:

Background: Intrahospital transport is a high-risk procedure for critically ill patients, yet there is little known about how the transport team manages critical incidents that occur.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore critical care nurses' and physicians' experiences and practices associated with critical incidents during the transfer process in critically ill patients.

Methods: As a part of an ethnographic study, semistructured interviews were performed using the critical incident technique. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Jan 19. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

Division of Critical Care, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.

Background: Failure of Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality among critically ill patients. Although there is evidence of association between disease related factors and NIV failure, it is unclear whether factors related to NIV application contribute to NIV failure.

Objectives: To evaluate NIV failure rate and factors associated with NIV failure. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Jan 17. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.

Objective: The objective of this review is to describe the practice of memory making as part of end-of-life care within an adult intensive care setting and determine reported outcomes.

Methods: A scoping review of the literature was performed. Data were collected from sources such as ProQuest, CINAHL, Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and PubMed using combinations of the keywords: including adult, critical care, intensive care, ICU, death, dying, grief, bereavement, end?of?life, memento*, memor*, keepsak*, and transitional object. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Jan 17. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

University School of Nursing Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, University of La Laguna, Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. De Candelaria, Ctra. del Rosario, 145, 38010, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. Electronic address:

Objectives: The objective of this review was to describe cardiovascular risk (CVR) assessment methods and to identify evidence-based practice recommendations when dealing with population at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

Review Methods And Data Sources: A literature review following the Arksey and O'Malley scoping review methodology was conducted. By using appropriate key terms, literature searches were conducted in PubMed, SciELO, Cochrane Library, Dialnet, ENFISPO, Medigraphic, ScienceDirect, Cuiden, and Lilacs databases. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Jan 16. Epub 2019 Jan 16.

School of Nursing, Queensland University of Technology and Intensive Care Services, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Metro North Health Service District, Queensland, Australia; Institute for Skin Integrity and Infection Prevention, University of Huddersfield, United Kingdom. Electronic address:

Background: Safety culture is significant in the complex intensive care environment, where the consequences of human error can be catastrophic. Research within Australian intensive care units has been limited and little is understood about the safety culture of intensive care units in Queensland.

Aim: The aim was to evaluate and compare safety culture in the intensive care units of two metropolitan tertiary hospitals in Queensland. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Jan 14. Epub 2019 Jan 14.

QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston 4006, QLD, Australia.

Background: Monitoring gastric residual volume (GRV) and titrating enteral nutrition (EN) towards goal rate are common practices in the intensive care unit (ICU) despite limited supportive evidence. We investigated the effect of removal of GRV monitoring and commencing EN at goal rate had on EN provision in mechanically ventilated ICU patients.

Methods: We conducted a single-centre, pre-post implementation study, in a 10-bed ICU comprising 181 patients with ventilation ≥48 h and given EN within 24 h of intubation. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Jan 9. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

Menzies Health Institute, Queensland, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University, Australia.

Background: Change in healthcare organisations is constant and requires adequate resources for effective implementation. Same-day discharge after percutaneous coronary intervention has been found to be no different from the patients who stayed overnight after procedure; however, its uptake remains low.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to identify what factors helped or hindered the implementation of same-day discharge. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Jan 4;32(1):28-33. Epub 2018 Jul 4.

Institute of Higher Education and Research in Healthcare - IUFRS, University of Lausanne and Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department Woman-Mother-Child, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address:

Background: Stress during ambulance transportation has been described in adult healthy volunteers where indicators of stress such as heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol increased significantly. In neonates, a few studies have described stress in ambulance with behavioural scales. However, there is no study in neonates assessing both behavioural and physiological indicators of stress simultaneously during ambulance transportation. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Jan;32(1):1-3

School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Faculty Health Sciences, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia; School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, 8-11 Kirkby Place, Room 205, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, United Kingdom. Electronic address:

Aust Crit Care 2018 Dec 27. Epub 2018 Dec 27.

The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China. Electronic address:

Introduction: Various critical care outreach services have been developed and evaluated worldwide; however, the conflicting findings indicate the need to strengthen the outreach service research. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a nurse-led critical care follow-up program on intensive care unit (ICU) readmission and hospital mortality in patients with respiratory problems discharged from the ICU in Hong Kong.

Methods: A quasi-experimental study design, with a historical control and a prospective intervention for 13 months, was used. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2018 Dec 24. Epub 2018 Dec 24.

Fundamental Care and Medical-Surgical Nursing Department, School of Nursing, University of Barcelona, Pavelló de Govern, 3° pl. 08907 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; IDIBELL, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, Avinguda de la Granvia, 199. 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.

Background: The satisfaction of critical care patients regarding the nursing care received is a key indicator of the quality of hospital care. It is, therefore, essential to identify the factors associated with the level of satisfaction of critical care patients.

Objectives: To analyse the level of satisfaction of critical care patients in relation to the nursing care received and to determine the relationship between the level of satisfaction and the sociodemographic and clinical variables. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2018 Dec 24. Epub 2018 Dec 24.

Discipline of Acute Care Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia; Intensive Care Unit, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address:

Introduction: Critically ill patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic hyperglycaemia may benefit from a more liberal approach to glucose control than patients with previously normal glucose tolerance. It may therefore be useful to rapidly determine HbA1c concentrations. Point-of-care (POC) analysers offer rapid results but may be less accurate than laboratory analysis. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2018 Dec 24. Epub 2018 Dec 24.

Mo-Im Kim Nursing Research Institute, College of Nursing, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Background: Early mobilisation (EM) of critically ill patients is an evidence-based intervention designed to improve treatment outcomes and enhance the quality of life after intensive care. However, several barriers exist to its establishment in clinical practice. Thus, the objective of the present study was to identify barriers perceived by critical care nurses, corresponding educational needs, and provide useful information for program implementation in Korea. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

General and Specialized Nursing Department, Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address:

Background: In patients with short-term percutaneous central venous catheter (CVC), it is recommended that a dressing be applied to the catheter insertion site to prevent catheter-related infections.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial to compare the efficacy of chlorhexidine-impregnated dressing with that of polyurethane dressing in the prevention of catheter-related infections in critically ill adult patients with short-term percutaneous CVC.

Methods: One hundred fifteen patients with a CVC were randomised to chlorhexidine-impregnated gel dressing (chlorhexidine gel group) or transparent polyurethane dressing (polyurethane group) between April and December 2014. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Jan 13;32(1):55-62. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Queensland, Australia; University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Australia.

Background: The complexity and variation in ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) definitions in paediatrics may pose threats to the reliable identification of VAP. The revision of the surveillance definition to ventilator-associated event (VAE) has been mandated in adult populations, to overcome these issues. However, the evidence for application of the definition is unknown in children. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Jan 13;32(1):63-75. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Department of Nursing, Hunan Children's Hospital, Changsha, Hunan Province, People's Republic of China; School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health and Human Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK. Electronic address:

Objective: The objective of this study was to review English and Chinese randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to determine the effects of family-centred care (FCC) interventions on preterm infants' and parental outcomes in the neonatal intensive care units and to conduct a meta-analysis.

Review Method Used: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data Sources: Medline, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, BNI, and AMED and the Chinese databases CNKI and Wanfang Data were searched in April 2017 and updated in August 2018. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Intensive Care Unit, Austin Health, 145 Studley Road, Heidelberg, Victoria, 3084, Australia.

Background: There is a lack of knowledge about tasks intensive care unit liaison nurses (ICU LNs) perform during patient review, despite this role operating in at least 31 acute care hospitals in Australia.

Objectives: To evaluate the tasks that ICU LNs perform during patient review in the following referral subcategories: review after ICU discharge, rapid response team (RRT) review, and ward referral.

Methods: A 2-month prospective observational study using standardised case report forms to collect data on patients reviewed by ICU LNs in 20 Australian hospitals was conducted. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Perth Children's Hospital, Child and Adolescent Health Service, Hospital Avenue, Nedlands, Perth, 6009 Australia; School of Nursing, Midwifery & Paramedicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, WA, 6845, Australia. Electronic address:

Objectives: The objective of this study was to review and synthesise international literature to reveal the contemporary structures, processes, and outcomes of critical care nurse (CCN) education.

Method: An integrative review on specialist critical care education was guided by Whittemore and Knafl's integrative review steps: problem identification; literature search; and data evaluation, analysis, and presentation. Donabedian's Quality Framework (Structure-Process-Outcome) provided a useful analytical lens and structure for the reporting of findings. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2018 Nov 29. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

Department of Research and Development, Division of Emergencies and Critical Care, Oslo University Hospital Norway, P. O. Box 4950 Nydalen N-0424 Oslo, Norway; Department of Nursing Science, Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, P.O.Box 1078 Blindern NO-0316 Oslo, Norway. Electronic address:

Background: Family caregivers of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) experience impairments in the quality of life. Previous studies report that psychological quality of life improves over time, but there has been limited longitudinal research, and measurement points have differed. Factors such as age, gender, and posttraumatic stress symptoms have been found to be associated with the quality of life, but level of hope and its associations with the quality of life have not been investigated. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2018 Nov 27. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research - Monash Health Partnership, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia; Deakin University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Geelong, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria, 3125, Australia. Electronic address:

Objective: The objective of this review was to identify evidence to inform clinical practice guidelines for magnesium sulphate (MgSO) replacement therapy for postoperative cardiac surgery patients.

Data Sources: Three databases were systematically searched: CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE Complete, and EmBase.

Review Method Used: A systematic literature review method was used to locate, appraise, and synthesise available evidence for each step of the medication management cycle (indication, prescription, preparation, administration, and monitoring) for MgSO replacement therapy. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2019 Mar 22;32(2):179-181. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

Deakin University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, 3125, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address:

Aust Crit Care 2018 Nov 21. Epub 2018 Nov 21.

Western Sydney University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Centre for Applied Nursing Research (CANR), Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith NSW 2751, Australia. Electronic address:

Introduction: Clinical supervision and transitional support programs are important in supporting the successful transition and retention of new graduate nurses and their intention to work in specialty settings. However, little is known about which elements of support programs influence this intention. This study aimed to examine new graduate nurses' perceptions of clinical supervision and the practice environment, and how these influenced their intention to stay in critical and non-critical care areas following their transitional support program. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2018 Nov 20. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

School of Nursing, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; Intensive Care Services, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia; Institute for Skin Integrity and Infection Prevention, University of Huddersfield, UK. Electronic address:

Introduction: Pressure injuries are harmful, painful, and potentially preventable. Although hospital-acquired pressure injury prevalence is decreasing, it is unclear if some pressure injuries develop before hospital admission. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of pressure injury in adults on arrival by ambulance to the emergency department (ED). Read More

Aust Crit Care 2018 Nov 20. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

School of Nursing and Midwifery, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia; Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.

Background: Patients presenting to the cardiac catheter laboratory for treatment of unstable acute coronary syndromes (ACS) experience a mismatch in myocardial oxygen supply and demand, causing vital sign abnormalities prior to neurological, cardiac and respiratory deterioration. Delays in detecting clinical deterioration and escalating care increases risk of adverse events, unplanned intensive care (ICU) admission, cardiac arrest, and in-hospital mortality.

Objectives: The objective of the study was to explore how nurses in the cardiac catheter laboratory (CCL) recognise and respond to clinical deterioration in patients with unstable ACS undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Read More

Aust Crit Care 2018 Nov 19. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address:

Introduction: Violence in healthcare settings is a concern for healthcare professionals and patients. Media reports, and debate within the healthcare profession, and the academic literature infer that workplaces such as intensive care units are becoming exposed to increasing violence. Increases in the incidence of violent behaviour are sometimes attributed to the increased pressure on emergency departments to accelerate the throughput of patients to meet targets. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2018 Nov 13. Epub 2018 Nov 13.

The Canberra Hospital, Australia; Australian National University Medical School, Australia.

Background: Achieving shared decision-making in the intensive care unit (ICU) is challenging because of limited patient capacity, leading to a reliance on surrogate decision-makers. Prior research shows that ICU staff members often perceive that patients receive inappropriate or futile treatments while some surrogate decision-makers of patients admitted to the ICU report inadequate communication with physicians. Therefore, understanding the perceptions of both ICU staff and surrogate decision-makers around wishes for ICU treatments is an essential component to improve these situations. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2018 Nov 9. Epub 2018 Nov 9.

Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia. Electronic address:

Background: Falls in older adults are common. Age is a risk factor for falls and with an ageing population, presentation to the emergency department (ED) resulting from falls is rising. Reasons for falls in older adults are numerous and include cardiac arrhythmias. Read More

Aust Crit Care 2018 Nov 4;31(6):337-338. Epub 2018 Jul 4.

Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Raipur, India. Electronic address:

Aust Crit Care 2018 Nov;31(6):339

CIBERES, Vall d'Hebron Institut of Research, Barcelona, Spain.