Implementation of High-Flow Nasal Cannula Therapy Outside the Intensive Care Setting.

Background: High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is an option for respiratory support in patients with acute hypoxic respiratory failure. To improve patient outcomes, reduce ICU-associated costs, and ease ICU bed availability, a multi-phased, comprehensive strategy was implemented to make HFNC available outside the ICU under the supervision of pulmonology or trauma providers in cooperation with a dedicated respiratory therapy team. The purpose of this study was to describe the education and implementation process for initiating HFNC therapy outside the ICU and to convey key patient demographics and outcomes from the implementation period.

Time for critically ill patients to regain mobility after early mobilization in the intensive care unit and transition to a general inpatient floor.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine if patient mobility achievements in an intensive care unit (ICU) setting are sustained during subsequent phases of hospitalization, specifically after transferring to inpatient floors and on the day of hospital discharge.

Materials And Methods: The study is an analysis of adult patients who stayed in the ICU for 48 hours or more during the second quarter of 2013. The study sample included 182 patients who transferred to a general inpatient floor after the ICU stay.