Application of prone position in hypoxaemic patients supported by veno-venous ECMO.

Introduction: Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VV-ECMO) is an advanced respiratory care therapy allowing replacement of pulmonary gas exchange. Despite VV-ECMO support, some patients may remain hypoxaemic. A possible therapeutic procedure for these patients is the application of prone positioning.

[Modifications of vital signs during hygiene care in intensive care patients: an explorative study].

Unlabelled: Hygiene care in critical patients may alter vital signs. Aim of this paper is to measure vital signs and their modifications in critical patients during hygiene care and measure differences with pre and post hygiene values.

Method: Vital signs of 6 patients two hours before, during and 90 minutes after hygienic care were measured.

[The implementation of NEMS and NAS systems to assess the nursing staffing levels in a polyvalent intensive care unit].

Unlabelled: NEMS and NAS scoring systems allow to calculate the number of nurses needed in an intensive care unit. Aim of the study is the assessment of nursing workload in a polyvalent intensive care unit, the evaluation of easiness of routine use of the systems and the assessment of the number of nurses needed.

Method: The NEMS and NAS scores of 752 patients admitted respectively from may 2004 and July 2006 and of 250 patients admitted from August 2006 to July 2007 were analysed and adjusted to the number of inpatients.