There Is Significant Within-Subject Variation in the Time from Light Stimulus to Maximum Pupil Constriction Among Healthy Controls.

: Handheld quantitative pupilometers (QPs) measure each phase of the pupillary light reflex (PLR) and provide a summary score based on these values. One phase of the PLR is the period of time from the onset of light exposure to the maximum constriction of the pupil, also known as time to maximum constriction (tMC). Although tMC has been found to vary significantly among patients with neurological injury, there are no studies reporting tMC in healthy controls.

Critical Care Clinicians' Knowledge of Post-Intensive Care Syndrome.

Background: The term post-intensive care syndrome refers to a group of symptoms that commonly occur after intensive care unit discharge, leading to worsening physical or mental health. The incidence of this syndrome is increasing. Critical care clinicians can play a pivotal role in improving patient outcomes through knowledge of post-intensive care syndrome risk factors and symptoms.

Implementing MATRIX acuity tool to improve nursing satisfaction on a stroke and epilepsy monitoring unit.

Purpose: Nursing satisfaction is a critical component of effective patient care. In the Acute Stroke Unit (ASU) and Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU), patients have specialized needs that require critical nursing skills. The purpose of this study was to examine nurse satisfaction after implementation of the MATRIX acuity tool.

Implementing a Critical Thinking Tool to Evaluate Educational Needs for Inpatient Rehabilitation Nurses.

Background: Most critical thinking assessment tools are resource intensive and require significant time and money to administer. Moreover, these tools are not tailored to evaluate critical thinking skills among inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) nurses. This pilot study explores the efficacy of using short videos to evaluate critical thinking for nurses working in an IRF.

Time to maximum pupil constriction is variable in neurocritical care patients.

Quantitative pupillometry (QP) use has grown exponentially. Each QP scan captures images of the pupil before, during, and after light exposure to provide component measures of the pupillary light reflex (PLR). This study explores if the time to maximum constriction (tMC) is uniform among neuroscience intensive care unit (NSICU) patients.

Implementation of a Novel Seizure Assessment Tool for Unified Seizure Evaluation Improves Nurse Response.

BACKGROUND: Ictal and postictal testing is an essential aspect of clinical care when diagnosing and treating seizures. The epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) has standard operating procedures for nursing care during and after seizure events, but there is limited interrater reliability. Streamlining ictal and postictal testing processes may enhance care consistency for patients in the EMU unit.

Anisocoria After Direct Light Stimulus is Associated with Poor Outcomes Following Acute Brain Injury.

Background: Assessing pupil size and reactivity is the standard of care in neurocritically ill patients. Anisocoria observed in critically ill patients often prompts further investigation and treatment. This study explores anisocoria at rest and after light stimulus determined using quantitative pupillometry as a predictor of discharge modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores.

The Presence of Blood in a Strain Gauge Pressure Transducer Has a Clinical Effect on the Accuracy of Intracranial Pressure Readings.

Importance: Patients admitted with cerebral hemorrhage or cerebral edema often undergo external ventricular drain (EVD) placement to monitor and manage intracranial pressure (ICP). A strain gauge transducer accompanies the EVD to convert a pressure signal to an electrical waveform and assign a numeric value to the ICP.

Objectives: This study explored ICP accuracy in the presence of blood and other viscous fluid contaminates in the transducer.

Implementing a Critical Thinking Tool to Evaluate Educational Needs for Inpatient Rehabilitation Nurses.

BACKGROUND: Most critical thinking assessment tools are resource intensive and require significant time and money to administer. Moreover, these tools are not tailored to evaluate critical thinking skills among inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) nurses. This pilot study explores the efficacy of using short videos to evaluate critical thinking for nurses working in an IRF.

Complementary and alternative medicine carts in the inpatient rehabilitation unit: Access and nurses' use.

Purpose: To determine if increased accessibility to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) increases the usage of CAM interventions.

Methods: A prospective pre-post study with a "run-in" design in a hospital with two inpatient rehabilitation floors was used. Data were analyzed with SAS v9.

Use of Family Photographs Reduces Restlessness in Neurocritical Care Patients.

BACKGROUND: Patients admitted to the neuroscience intensive care unit often experience varying states of confusion and restlessness. The purpose of this study was to examine restlessness in acutely confused patients through use of familiar photographs. METHODS : This randomized prospective pilot study placed family photographs (photos) on the bedrail of confused patients during the night shift (8 pm to 4 am ) in a neuroscience intensive care unit.