Advancing the Art and Science of Professional Nursing Practice With the Virtually Integrated CareSM Model.

The purpose of this article is to share the transformative vision of 2 nurse executives and how this vision paved the way for the development of a revolutionary model that changed care delivery. The CommonSpirit Health Virtually Integrated Care Team operationalized the vision by leveraging technology to develop a team-based care model that seamlessly integrates a virtual nurse as part of the care team. This article will discuss the spark that created the impetus for the creation of this metamorphic, interprofessional care delivery model and how this model unburdens the workload of the nurses to idealize the art and science of professional nursing practice.

The Future of Critical Care: Optimizing Technologies and a Learning Healthcare System to Potentiate a More Humanistic Approach to Critical Care.

While technological innovations are the invariable crux of speculation about the future of critical care, they cannot replace the clinician at the bedside. This article summarizes the work of the Society of Critical Care Medicine-appointed multiprofessional task for the Future of Critical Care. The Task Force notes that critical care practice will be transformed by novel technologies, integration of artificial intelligence decision support algorithms, and advances in seamless data operationalization across diverse healthcare systems and geographic regions and within federated datasets.

Longitudinal airway remodeling in active and past smokers in a lung cancer screening population.

Objectives: To longitudinally investigate smoking cessation-related changes of quantitative computed tomography (QCT)-based airway metrics in a group of heavy smokers.

Methods: CT scans were acquired in a lung cancer screening population over 4 years at 12-month intervals in 284 long-term ex-smokers (ES), 405 continuously active smokers (CS), and 31 subjects who quitted smoking within 2 years after baseline CT (recent quitters, RQ). Total diameter (TD), lumen area (LA), and wall percentage (WP) of 1st-8th generation airways were computed using airway analysis software.

Effect of smoking cessation on quantitative computed tomography in smokers at risk in a lung cancer screening population.

Objective: To longitudinally evaluate effects of smoking cessation on quantitative CT in a lung cancer screening cohort of heavy smokers over 4 years.

Methods: After 4 years, low-dose chest CT was available for 314 long-term ex-smokers (ES), 404 continuous smokers (CS) and 39 recent quitters (RQ) who quitted smoking within 2 years after baseline CT. CT acquired at baseline and after 3 and 4 years was subjected to well-evaluated densitometry software, computing mean lung density (MLD) and 15th percentile of the lung density histogram (15TH).

New bone post-processing tools in forensic imaging: a multi-reader feasibility study to evaluate detection time and diagnostic accuracy in rib fracture assessment.

Purpose: The aim of this multi-reader feasibility study was to evaluate new post-processing CT imaging tools in rib fracture assessment of forensic cases by analyzing detection time and diagnostic accuracy.

Materials And Methods: Thirty autopsy cases (20 with and 10 without rib fractures in autopsy) were randomly selected and included in this study. All cases received a native whole body CT scan prior to the autopsy procedure, which included dissection and careful evaluation of each rib.

Randomized Study on Early Detection of Lung Cancer with MSCT in Germany: Results of the First 3 Years of Follow-up After Randomization.

Introduction: The German Lung Cancer Screening Intervention Trial (LUSI) is one of the European randomized trials investigating the efficacy of low-dose multislice computed tomography (MSCT) as a screening tool for lung cancer. In the evaluation of the first (prevalence) screening round, we observed exceptionally high early recall rates, which made the routine application of MSCT screening questionable. Because screening may behave differently in subsequent (incidence) screening rounds, we analyzed (a) basic characteristics for the annual rounds 2 to 4, which have now also been completed, and (b) the first 3 years with complete follow-up since time of randomization.

Lung nodule detection in a high-risk population: comparison of magnetic resonance imaging and low-dose computed tomography.

Objective: To investigate the potential of MRI for lung nodule detection in a high-risk population in comparison to low-dose CT.

Methods: 49 participants (31 men, 18 women, 51-71 years) of the German Lung Cancer Screening and Intervention Trial (LUSI) with a cancer-suspicious lung lesion in CT were examined with non-contrast-enhanced MRI of the lung at 1.5 T.

Randomized study on early detection of lung cancer with MSCT in Germany: study design and results of the first screening round.

Purpose: Low-dose multislice-CT (MSCT) detects many early-stage lung cancers with good prognosis, but whether it decreases lung cancer mortality and at which costs is yet insufficiently explored. Scope of the present study is to examine within a common European effort whether MSCT screening is capable to reduce the lung cancer mortality by at least 20 % and at which amount of undesired side effects this could be achieved.

Methods: Overall 4,052 heavy smoking men and women were recruited by a population-based approach and randomized into a screening arm with five annual MSCT screens and an initial quit-smoking counseling, and a control arm with initial quit-smoking counseling and five annual questionnaire inquiries.

[Multiple space-occupying lesions of the liver: a rare differential diagnosis].

The case of a 73-year-old female patient with a known increase in tumor markers is described. The course of this patient shows that a definitive diagnosis can sometimes not be achieved with comprehensive laboratory and imaging investigations alone.

The CardioOP-Data Clas (CDC). Development and application of a thesaurus for content management and multi-user teleteaching in cardiac surgery.

Objectives: Self-directed and customized medical education programs are gaining importance in health care instruction. We prototypically implemented a repository-driven online computer system (CardioOP) for teleteaching in Heart Surgery. It supports authoring and multiple re-use of multimedia data for different user groups in different instructional applications and therefore requires a process of content management.

CardioOp: an integrated approach to teleteaching in cardiac surgery.

Introduction/purpose: The complexity of cardiac surgery requires continuous training, education and information addressing different individuals: physicians (cardiac surgeons, residents, anaesthesiologists, cardiologists), medical students, perfusionists and patients. Efficacy and efficiency of education and training will likely be improved by the use of multimedia information systems. Nevertheless, computer-based education is facing some serious disadvantages: 1) multimedia productions require tremendous financial and time resources; 2) the obtained multimedia data are only usable for one specific target user group in one specific instructional context; 3) computer based learning programs often show deficiencies in the support of individual learning styles and in providing individual information adjusted to the learner's individual needs.

Intravenous aminophylline in the treatment of acute bronchospastic exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Often chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients treated for acute exacerbations receive intravenous (IV) aminophylline in addition to inhaled bronchodilators that may raise serum levels of theophylline into the toxic range. A double-blind, randomized study of 52 men with COPD who came to the emergency department for treatment of exacerbations was initiated to establish the efficacy and safety of this common practice. After history and physical examination, patients were treated with 28% oxygen by Venturi mask and 0.