Critical care outreach: A valuable resource?

Background: Critical Care Outreach Services (CCOS) were recommended by the Department of Health in the United Kingdom in 2000. Despite being an established service, research studies have not explicitly demonstrated its efficacy.

Aim And Objectives: To explore the impact of CCOS from the perspective of hospital ward staff to inform service improvement potential.

Prevention, recognition and management of delirium in patients who are critically ill.

Delirium is common in patients who are critically ill, often resulting in extended hospital stays and increased mortality and morbidity. There are several subtypes of delirium, which are often undiagnosed and untreated, resulting in suboptimal patient outcomes. This article examines delirium in patients in the intensive care unit, including its signs and symptoms, incidence, causes and subtypes.

Managing hyperactive delirium and spinal immobilisation in the intensive care setting: a case study and reflective discussion of the literature.

The management of ventilated patients on intensive care has, at its core, a care bundle; an evidence based group of actions designed to reduce the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia. One of these is the daily cessation of sedation medication to expedite weaning from ventilatory support. A reflection-on-action exercise was carried out when a spinally injured patient became physically active during a sedation hold.