Other bulletins in this series include:

Breast Surgery

Thursday 16 February 2012

Development and validation of PRE-DELIRIC delirium prediction model for intensive care patients

Development and validation of PRE-DELIRIC delirium prediction model for intensive care patients: Observational multicentre study. BMJ 2012; 344: e420.

van den Boogaard, M., et al.


Objectives: To develop and validate a delirium prediction model for adult intensive care patients and determine its additional value compared with prediction by care givers.

Nurses' perceptions of communications training in the ICU

Nurses' perceptions of communications training in the ICU. Intensive and critical care nursing, 2012, 28, p.16-25.

Radtke, J.V., et al.


As a direct result of critical illness and its management, ICU patients and their caregivers are vulnerable to communication breakdown and associated adverse sequelae. Nurses are the most frequent communication partners to critically ill patients during the period in which they are unable to speak. However, nurses do not typically receive training in specialised communication assessment or techniques to use with nonspeaking patients.

The lived experiences of adult intensive care patients who were conscious during mechanical ventilation

The lived experiences of adult intensive care patients who were conscious during mechanical ventilation: A phenomenological-hermeneutic study. Intensive and critical care nursing, 2012, 28, p.6-15.

Karlsson, V., et al.


The aim of this study was to illuminate the lived experience of patients who were conscious during mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit.

Should patients receive general anaesthesia prior to extubation at the end of life?

Should patients receive general anaesthesia prior to extubation at the end of life? Critical care medicine, Feb 2012, Vol. 40(2), p. 631-633.

Truog, R.D., et al.


Billings has proposed that any potentially conscious and imminently dying patient who is undergoing withdrawal of ventilator support should be offered general anesthesia to fully protect against suffering. Here we examine whether his proposal is compatible with the doctrine of double effect, a philosophical construct that is generally in accord with the legal requirements for palliative care in the United States.


Zero risk for central line-associated bloodstream infection. Are we there yet?

Zero risk for central line-associated bloodstream infection. Are we there yet? Critical care medicine, Feb 2012, Vol. 40(2), p. 388-393.

McLaws, M-L. and Burrell, A.R.


Objective: Identify the longest period a central line remains free from central line-associated bloodstream infection during an 18-month insertion-bundle project.



Family response to critical illness: Post-intensive care syndrome - family

Family response to critical illness: Post-intensive care syndrome - family. Critical care medicine, Feb. 2012, Vol. 40(2), p. 618-624.

Davidson, J.E., et al.


The family response to critical illness includes development of adverse psychological outcomes such as anxiety, acute stress disorder, posttraumatic stress, depression, and complicated grief. This cluster of complications from exposure to critical care is now entitled postintensive care syndrome–family.


Masseter tissue oxygen saturation predicts normal central venous oxygen saturation during early goal-directed therapy

Masseter tissue oxygen saturation predicts normal central venous oxygen saturation during early goal-directed therapy and predicts mortality in patients with severe sepsis. Critical care medicine, Feb 2012, Vol. 40(23), p. 435-440.

Gwenhael, C., et al.


This study aimed to investigate, in patients with severe sepsis, the correlation between central venous oxygen saturation and tissue oxygen saturation at different levels.

Energy deficit and length of hospital stay can be reduced by a two-step quality improvement of nutrition therapy

Energy deficit and length of hospital stay can be reduced by a two-step quality improvement of nutrition therapy: The intensive care unit dietitian can make the difference. Critical care medicine, Feb 2012, Vol. 40(2), p. 412-419.


Soguel, LRD, et al.

Critically ill patients are at high risk of malnutrition. Insufficient nutritional support still remains a widespread problem despite guidelines. The aim of this study was to measure the clinical impact of a two-step interdisciplinary quality nutrition program.