Acute respiratory failure and intensive measures.

Critical patients presenting with acute respiratory failure (ARF) offer a plentiful, dynamic, and complex picture, which requires a deep understanding of gas exchange, pulmonary dynamics, and mechanical ventilation strategies. The most frequent cause of ARF is chronic disease with exacerbation. Interventions treating acute exacerbation, along with ventilatory support, physical therapy, and evidence-based strategies, may improve immediate outcomes.

Clinical practice guidelines for the maintenance of patient physical safety in the intensive care unit: use of restraining therapies--American College of Critical Care Medicine Task Force 2001-2002.

Objective: To develop clinical practice guidelines for the use of restraining therapies to maintain physical and psychological safety of adult and pediatric patients in the intensive care unit.

Participants: A multidisciplinary, multispecialty task force of experts in critical care practice was convened from the membership of the American College of Critical Care Medicine (ACCM), the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN).

Evidence: The task force members reviewed the published literature (MEDLINE articles, textbooks, etc.