Air embolisms can be caused by trauma, barotrauma, or due to surgical procedures in neurosurgery, vascular surgery, and cardiac surgery. An atrial-esophageal fistula (AEF) is a life-threatening complication that can occur following left atrial ablation therapy, which is used to treat refractory atrial fibrillation (Afib). AEF, if left untreated, can lead to serious neurological complications such as pneumocephalus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Physical therapy for patients in the ICU is advanced practice demanding specialized knowledge and skills. However, ICU physical therapy competency standards lack uniformity or defined processes.
Objectives: To describe the development process of the Perme ICU Physical Therapy Competency and to assess its face and content validity.
Healthcare systems are large contributors to global emissions, and intensive care units (ICUs) are a complex and resource-intensive component of these systems. Recent global movements in sustainability initiatives, led mostly by Europe and Oceania, have tried to mitigate ICUs' notable environmental impact with varying success. However, there exists a significant gap in the U.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDriving pressure (∆P) is a core therapeutic component of mechanical ventilation (MV). Varying levels of ∆P have been employed during MV depending on the type of underlying pathology and severity of injury. However, ∆P levels have also been shown to closely impact hard endpoints such as mortality.
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