View clinical trials related to Intensive Care.
Filter by:The oral hygiene method commonly used in intubated patients orotracheal is tooth brushing (mechanical removal) and washing the oral cavity and the orotracheal tube (TOT) with digluconate solution chlorhexidine (CLX). However, recent studies have demonstrated that the use of CLX in these conditions may expose the patient to a potential increased risk of mortality. Recent recommendations made by international bodies related to hospital biosafety no longer include the use of CLX in ICU oral hygiene routine. A question not yet answered in the literature is whether the absence of CLX in the critical patient's oral hygiene routine predisposes increased accumulation of dental plaque or microbial colonization related to the risk of systemic complications, such as pneumonia and sepsis. The cost-effectiveness of this protocol change also needs to be evaluated, as the withdrawal of CLX may result in changes in the risk profile morbidity and mortality during hospitalization. The present study aims to investigate whether brushing the oral cavity with mineral water changes the pattern of biofilm accumulation and clinical appearance of the oral mucosa in relation to brushing done with CLX. Microbiological analysis of the oropharyngeal biofilm and cost-effectiveness impact assessment will also be carried out.
A significant proportion of patients who are intubated for trauma-related injuries, will fail the extubation process. This means that, when the decision has been made to remove the endotracheal tube, a certain proportion of these patients will require the endotracheal tube to be re-inserted. Global estimates for the rates of re-intubation range from 5-15% of all patients who have had attempted extubation on Intensive Care Units. The exact figures for intubated victims of trauma are not available. Re-intubation is associated with increased intensive care and hospital length of stay, increased morbidity, and the physical risks to the patient inherent with the intubation process. There is also some evidence that the rates of tracheostomy are higher in patients who have failed extubation. A number of interventions have been developed to help prevent extubation failure. Non-invasive ventilation and high-flow nasal oxygen are routinely employed in practice. However, there have been no specific studies of these interventions in TICU patients. High-flow nasal oxygen therapy (HFNO) has emerged over the last decade as a viable adjunct in the management of patients suffering from, or at risk of, hypoxemic respiratory failure. Within the intensive care unit settings, HFNO has been studies in terms of preventing intubation, but it has been evaluated more often in terms of preventing extubation failure. Our study aims to answer the question of whether HFNO is effective at preventing extubation failure in intubated and ventilated victims of traumatic injuries. Previous studies on the same subject, are not based on unequivocal, robust RCTs with low risk of bias. Our primary outcome measure is re-intubation rates and secondary outcome measures are CO2 accumulation rates, atelectasis rates, nutrition status within first 24 hours post extubation, and post - extubation rates of vomiting. Ours will be a prospective, randomized clinical control study. There will be three arms to the study: a control arm, and two intervention arms. Randomization will be done on a permuted block basis. The control arm will be patients receiving standard oxygen therapy, and the intervention arms will be either High Flow Nasal Oxygen Therapy or Non-invasive Ventilation via mask. We propose that, when compared with either face-mask O2, NIV (CPAP), HFNO administered continuously for 24 hours post extubation of trauma patients on ICU, will result in better patient-related outcomes.
Background: Staffing in intensive care units (ICU) has been in the spotlight since the pandemic. Having enough nurses to deliver safe, quality care in ICU is important. However, what the skill mix should be (how many should be qualified nurses or have an ICU qualification) is unclear. Very little research has been done to look at which nursing staff combinations and mix of skills works best in ICU to support patients (described as 'staffing models').Research shows that there is a link between the quality of nurse staffing and poor patient outcomes, including deaths. Aim: Our research plans to look at different staffing models across the UK. This study aims to examine new staffing models in ICU across six very different Trusts. This study will use a research technique called Realist Evaluation that examines what works best in different situations and help to understand why some things work for some people and not others. The design of this approach will help to better understand the use of different staff ratios across different ICU settings. This study will examine what combinations of staff numbers and skills result in better patient care and improved survival rates. The aim is to produce a template that every ICU unit can use. To do this, this study will compare staffing levels with how well patients recover, and seek to understand the decisions behind staffing combinations. Methods: This study will: 1. carry out a national survey to understand the different staff models being used, comparing this against the current national standard (n=294 ICUs in the UK including Scotland) 2. observe how people at work in 6 hospitals (called ethnography), watching how they make decisions around staffing and the effect on patients. The investigators will also conduct interviews (30 interviews plus 30 ethnographic observations) to understand staffing decisions. 3. look at ICU staffing patterns and models, and linked patient outcomes (such as whether people survive ICU) over 3 years (2019-2023) in those hospitals, including with a very different combination of staffing). The investigators will then carry out some mathematical calculations to understand the best possible staffing combinations, and how this varies.
a cross-sectional survey of nurses' perception of patient monitoring in the ICUs
Mechanical ventilation is the continuation of respiratory function from outside by means of special devices until adequate oxygenation is provided by the patient's own respiratory functions in patients whose oxygenation is not sufficient for any reason. . Mechanical ventilation support is provided to patients with respiratory distress with a medical device called an endotracheal tube (ET) inserted through the mouth or nose. Endotracheal intubation is the most common access route for invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) in critical care areas such as the intensive care unit. As in the intensive care unit, as the tube insertion time increases, it becomes very important to fix the tube so that it does not come out. One of the most important and most common complications after ET placement is unplanned extubation. Correct tube detection is the best way to prevent unplanned extubation. In current clinical practice, there are several methods for securing ETs, including adhesive or cloth tapes and endotracheal tube attachment devices. Although there are many types of endotracheal tube holders today, the use of bandages or tapes is still the most commonly used method. Different endotracheal tube fixation techniques used have different advantages and complications. Skin injury and allergy due to adhesive tapes, which are frequently used in the detection of ET, are complications that can be seen in every patient and age group. Endotracheal tube fixation methods may increase the risk of infection due to the material from which they are produced.We planned this study to determine whether the endotracheal tube fixation tie or the gauze fixation from my tube fixation materials contains pathogens, and if so, the pathogen hosting rates.
This is a research study to determine if a particular method of providing nutrition improves the clinical outcomes of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) who have undergone abdominal surgery and would require nutrition delivered via the bloodstream (called total parenteral nutrition or TPN). The nutrition method we are testing is a structured nutrition delivery plan that involves tube feeding, oral nutrition supplements, and the use of a device (called an indirect calorimeter or IC) to measure calorie needs. This study will also use two devices to measure fat and muscle mass to examine changes during hospitalization. Subjects will be followed throughout hospitalization where nutrition status and fat and muscle mass will be closely monitored. Study activities will begin within 72 hours of a patient's abdominal surgery. TPN (total parenteral nutrition, a method of feeding that bypasses the usual process of eating and digestion) will be started, a non-invasive method of assessing calorie needs (indirect calorimetry (IC)) will be started, a urine sample will be collected to help assist in protein needs, and fat/muscle mass will be measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and an ultrasound. This is a minimal risk study and all products/devices used are non-invasive and FDA-approved. Indirect calorimetry and urine sample collection will be conducted every 3 days during the stay in the Intensive Care Unit - ICU, then every 5 days until hospital discharge. BIA and muscle ultrasound will be conducted every 7 days during ICU stay, then every 14 days until hospital discharge.
Evaluation of the pharmacokinetics of levosimendan and its metabolites in intensive care patients with normal, reduced and dialysis supported renal function.
Peripheral venous catheterization represents the preferential option for term or preterm infant care in order to start drug treatment or hydration, or perform anesthesia. However, the peripheral venous access is associated in approximately 50% of cases with a failure of the insertion on the first attempt in an emergency context. Using a micro-guide may facilitate the peripheral venous catheterization in newborns, by guiding the catheter in the vein and, thereby reduce the risk of transfixion of the vascular lumen.
During major surgery, it is recommended to monitor invasive arterial blood pressure and cardiac output (CO) during hemodynamic interventions (fluid challenge or vasopressors). Esophageal Doppler is currently considered as the reference method for monitoring cardiac output in the operating room. The PRAM method (pressure recording analytical method) with the MostCareUp monitor (Vytech, Padova, Italy) and the LTIA method (long time interval analysis) allow cardiac output estimation derived from non-calibrated arterial pressure waveform analysis. Few studies have looked at relative changes in cardiac output during hemodynamic intervention with these two methods. The aim of this study is to compare the relative changes in cardiac output during hemodynamic interventions as measured using PRAM and LTIA methods, compared to esophageal Doppler.
The EMPIRE study will assess the effect of music listening on patients in critical care. 30 patients from the Adult Intensive Care Unit (AICU) at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital will be recruited to undergo a single 40-minute session of supervised music listening. Before and after the session, patients will be asked to describe their pain and anxiety on a rating of 1-10, and the patient's level of agitation/sedation will also be measured. In addition, physiological data such as heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure and level of sedation (bispectral index score) will be measured throughout the listening session. Finally, a 3-month follow-up interview will be conducted to assess the influence of the music on participants' experience of the Adult Intensive Care Unit.