Perceptions of critically ill individuals with acute and chronic spinal cord injury requiring a tracheostomy tube.

Study Design: Observational study.

Objectives: To evaluate the perceptions of patients requiring a tracheostomy tube and to identify possible different perceptions in critically ill patients with tracheostomy tubes who have acute (ASCI) or chronic spinal cord injuries (CSCI).

Setting: Medical and surgical intensive care units (ICU) and intermediate care unit of the BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil Bochum, Germany.

Behavioral pain scale may not be reliable in awake non-verbal intensive care patients: a case control study.

Background: The evaluation of pain in patients, unable of oral communication, often relies on behavioral assessment. However, some critically ill patients, while non-verbal, are awake and have some potential for self-reporting. The objective was to compare the results of a behavioral pain assessment with self-reporting in awake, non-verbal, critically ill patients unable to use low-tech augmentative and alternative communication tools.

Development of the Tracheostomy Well-Being Score in critically ill patients.

Purpose: Little attention has been given to understanding the experiences and perceptions of tracheostomized patients. This study aimed to measure the impact of tracheostomy on well-being in critically ill patients with the development of the Tracheostomy Well-Being Score (TWBS).

Methods: This is a prospective, monocentric, observational study including critically ill patients with a tracheostomy without delirium.

Pilot study: advanced haemodynamic monitoring after acute spinal cord injury-Keep the pressure up?

Background: Although the use of vasopressors to maintain haemodynamic goals after acute spinal cord injury (SCI) is still recommended, evidence regarding the target values and possible risks of this practice is limited, and data on haemodynamic parameters unaffected by catecholamines are rare. In this pilot study, we show the haemodynamic profile of patients with acute SCI mainly unaffected by vasopressor use and other factors that influence the cardiovascular system.

Methods: From March 2018 to March 2020, we conducted a prospective, single-centre pilot study of 30 patients with acute SCI.

The use of predefined scales and scores with eye-tracking devices for symptom identification in critically ill nonverbal patients.

Background: Eye tracking (ET) may be a novel tool to enable nonverbal communication. We hypothesized that ET could be used successfully by intensive care unit (ICU) patients with artificial airways to express their levels of pain and mood, quality of life, and self-esteem with predefined scales and scores.

Methods: Prospective, monocentric, observational study, including patients with an endotracheal tube or tracheostomy tube and a history of mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours without delirium, and inadequate nonverbal communication skills.

Approach to the basic needs in patients on invasive ventilation using eye-tracking devices for non-verbal communication.

Purpose: To analyze the feasibility of eye-tracking (ET) devices as a communicative approach to the basic needs (BN) of intensive care unit (ICU) and invasively ventilated nonverbal patients.

Methods: Prospective, monocentric, and observational study including all patients without delirium, with an endotracheal tube or tracheostomy tube, with a history of invasive ventilation for more than 48 h, and inadequate nonverbal communication skills. The investigation was performed with commercially available ET devices (Tobii Dynavox I-15+) to express BN of ICU patients following a standardized 30-item yes-or-no questionnaire.

First experiences of communication with mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit using eye-tracking technology.

Introduction: Eye-tracking (ET) may be a novel tool for communication with intubated and mechanically ventilated critically ill patients. We hypothesized that ET could be learned fast and be used successfully by intensive care unit (ICU) and intermediate care (IMC) patients with artificial airways for communication.

Methods: Including all patients with mechanical ventilation via oral intubation or tracheostomy, who were at least 18 years of age with a score of -1 to +1 points on the Richmond agitation-sedation scale and a history of ventilation for more than 48 h.