Brief description of media:

Our study objective was to assess health-related quality of life in survivors of acute lung injury (ALI) and to supplement generic and disease-specific questionnaires with findings from a focus group of ALI survivors. Six patients participated in the focus group, which revealed patient concerns with amnesia, depressed mood, avoidance behaviors, and a prolonged recovery period. Using a cross-sectional study design, 24 patients completed a questionnaire 6 to 41 mo after their lung injury. A total of 43% of the patients with ALI met criteria for depression; 43% had self-reported significant functional limitations, although 39% had minimal or no limitations. Significant respiratory and psychologic symptoms were reported in a quarter to a third of patients. There were large decrements in all domains of the SF-36 (a generic health-related quality-of-life instrument) in our sample compared with norms previously established for the general population. In addition, our patients had similar physical difficulties compared with previously studied patients with chronic medical illnesses but had more deficits in the social functioning and mental health domains. We conclude that long after lung injury, survivors have significantly lower health-related quality of life than the general population and are likely to have pulmonary and psychologic symptoms.

Brief description of media:

The two pager provide information about Delirium which included: definition, symptoms, causes. and how it can be treated

Brief description of media:

the one pager explains the effect of post intensive care syndrome (PICS) on the ICU patients and their families.

Brief description of media:

The article is a guide for medical practitioner to monitor ICU patients and prevent them to develop Delirium

Brief description of media:

The CPOT includes evaluation of four different behaviors (facial expressions, body movements, muscle tension, and compliance with the ventilator for mechanically ventilated patients or vocalization for nonintubated patients) rated on a scale of zero to two with a total score ranging from 0 to 8. The CPOT is feasible, easy to complete, and simple to understand.

Brief description of media:

Each year, hundreds of thousands of patients in the U.S. and millions worldwide become critically ill. Patients who require care in the intensive care unit (ICU) have the most serious illnesses, often requiring multiple forms of life support. While the science of medicine has significantly advanced in the past 30 years, these advances sometimes create many questions, such as:
• Will my loved one be able to live independently after this?
• What kind of rehabilitation will my loved one need?
• What will my loved one’s quality of life be after this illness?
More than ever, medical teams rely on families to help them make important decisions about their loved ones’ care, and their futures. The purpose of this series is built on the ideas that knowledge is power and that every patient needs an advocate. Here, we share some of the most important advances in ICU medicine so patients and their families can ask educated questions.

Brief description of media:

Since critical care began over 50 years ago, there have been
tremendous advances in the science and practice that
allow more severely ill and injured patients to survive.
Each year, millions of people are discharged back to the community. The recognition of long-term consequences for ICU survivors and their families is a growing concern. Critical care practitioners have always known that the patients have a long road to recovery after discharge from the ICU. In the 2 past
decades, research has revealed how remarkably common and
devastating long-term consequences of critical illness can be
and how much some patients and their families suffer (1–9). These consequences in patients are referred to as postintensive care syndrome (PICS) and in families as postintensive care syndrome-family (PICS-F) (1).

Brief description of media:

Advances in critical care medicine have improved patients’ survival rate. However, physical and cognitive sequels after Intensive Care Unit (ICU) discharge remain substantial. Our objectives were to evaluate the Health-related Quality of Life (HRQL) at 6-month after ICU discharge and identify the risk factors of this outcomes.

Brief description of media:

As ICU mortality decreases, post-ICU morbidity has been reported in
over 50% of ICU survivors. Hallmark features of post-ICU morbidity are the new or worsened functioning in one or more of the following domains after critical
illness: Physical, Cognitive, Psychological

Brief description of media:

Define Post‐Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS),
associated risk factors, and long term
consequences
Recognize available resources to address PICS
through education, therapy, and support groups
Integrate knowledge into practice to guide at risk
patients/families towards available resources

Brief description of media:

Adult ICU patients routinely experience pain, both at rest and with routine ICU care such as procedures or wound care. Lack of treatment of pain can result in many complications including delirium. The PADIS Guidelines suggest that pain be routinely monitored in all adult ICU patients. Self- reporting is the gold standard for assessment of pain. Vital signs should not be used alone for assessment of pain in patients that are unable to communicate. The Behavioral Pain Scale (BPS) and the Critical‐Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) are the most valid and reliable behavioral pain scales for assessing pain in adult, ICU patients unable to communicate pain.

Brief description of media:

• BACKGROUND Improving communication and collaboration among doctors and nurses can improve satisfaction among participants and improve patients’ satisfaction and quality of care.
• OBJECTIVE To determine the impact of a multidisciplinary intervention on communication and collaboration among doctors and nurses on an acute inpatient medical unit.
• METHODS During a 2-year period, an intervention unit was created that differed from the control unit by the addition of a nurse practitioner to each inpatient medical team, the appointment of a hospitalist medical director, and the institution of daily multidisciplinary rounds. Surveys about communication and
collaboration were administered to personnel in both units. Physicians were surveyed at the completion of each rotation on the unit; nurses, biannually.
• RESULTS Response rates for house staff (n = 111), attending physicians (n = 45), and nurses (n = 123) were 58%, 69%, and 91%, respectively. Physicians in the intervention group reported greater collaboration with nurses than did physicians in the control group (P< .001); the largest effect was among the residents. Physicians in the intervention group reported better collaboration with the nurse practitioners than with the staff nurses (P< .001). Physicians in the intervention group also reported better communication with fellow physicians than did physicians in the control group (P=.006). Nurses in both groups reported similar levels of communication (P= .59) and collaboration (P= .47) with physicians. Nurses in the intervention group reported better communication with nurse practitioners than with physicians (P<.001).
• CONCLUSIONS The multidisciplinary intervention resulted in better communication and collaboration
among the participants. (American Journal of Critical Care. 2005;14:71-77)