Nurses' Sedation Practices During Weaning of Adults From Mechanical Ventilation in an Intensive Care Unit.

Background: Sedation and analgesia have an important impact on the outcome of patients treated with mechanical ventilation. International guidelines recommend use of sedation protocols to ensure best patient care.

Objective: To determine the sedation practice of intensive care nurses weaning adults from mechanical ventilation.

Cuff pressure of endotracheal tubes after changes in body position in critically ill patients treated with mechanical ventilation.

Background: In order to avoid microaspiration and tracheal injury, the target for endotracheal tube cuff pressure is 20 to 30 cm H2O.

Objective: To assess the effect of changes in body position on cuff pressure in adult patients.

Methods: Twelve orally intubated and sedated patients received neuromuscular blockers and were positioned in a neutral starting position (backrest, head-of-bed elevation 30º, head in neutral position) with cuff pressure at 25 cm H2O.

Morbidity and mortality of bloodstream infections in patients with severe burn injury.

Background: Bloodstream infections are common in burn patients.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of bloodstream infections in patients with severe burn injuries.

Methods: A retrospective, pairwise-matched, risk-adjusted cohort study in a 6-bed burn unit was done.

Nurses' knowledge of evidence-based guidelines for the prevention of surgical site infection.

Background: Prevention of surgical site infection (SSI) is an important responsibility for nurses. Knowledge of the related evidence-based recommendations is necessary to provide high-quality nursing care.

Aim: Development of an evaluation tool and subsequent evaluation of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses' knowledge of the SSI prevention guideline to identify their specific educational needs, as part of a needs analysis preceding the development of an e-learning module on infection prevention.

Epidemiology and outcome of nosocomial bloodstream infection in elderly critically ill patients: a comparison between middle-aged, old, and very old patients.

Background: We investigated the epidemiology of nosocomial bloodstream infection in elderly intensive care unit (ICU) patients.

Methods: In a single-center, historical cohort study (1992-2006), we compared middle-aged (45-64 years; n = 524), old(65-74 years; n = 326), and very old ICU patients (> 75 years; n = 134) who developed a nosocomial bloodstream infection during their ICU stay.

Results: Although the total number of ICU admissions (patients aged > or = 45 years) decreased by approximately 10%, the number of very old patients increased by 33% between the periods 1992-1996 and 2002-2006.