Background: Critically ill morbidly obese patients pose considerable healthcare delivery and resource utilisation challenges. However little is known about the care of these patients in intensive care.
Objective: To explore medical and nursing practices and attitudes in intensive care when caring for critically ill morbidly obese patients.
Methods: A focused ethnographic approach was adopted. Participant observation of care practices and interviews with intensive care doctors and nurses were undertaken over a four month period. Qualitative analysis was conducted using constant comparison.
Setting: An 18 bedded tertiary intensive care unit in New Zealand.
Participants: Sixty-seven intensive care nurses and 13 intensive care doctors involved with the care and management of seven critically ill patients with a body mass index ≥40kg/m.
Findings: Morbidly obese patients present significant physical and language challenges for intensive care practice. The physical shape of morbidly obese patients did not appropriately fit the different equipment used. Staff used specific knowledge of the patient's body size and shape to adapt care practices and keep patients safe and comfortable. There were also specific language challenges where staff expressed concern about what words were most appropriate to use to describe body mass when in the presence of morbidly obese patients.
Conclusions: Bariatric care pathways need to be developed that use more suitable body measurements to inform the use of bariatric equipment. Intensive care staff need to engage in debate about what is acceptable, respectful, and appropriate language in the delivery of bariatric patient care.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aucc.2017.02.070 | DOI Listing |
Mult Scler Relat Disord
January 2025
Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence West, Veterans Affairs, USA; Rehabilitation Care Service, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 S Columbian Way, Seattle, Washington, 98108, USA; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, 325 9th Avenue, Seattle, Washington, 98104, USA. Electronic address:
Background/objective: Identifying research priorities of Veterans, MS researchers, and key stakeholders is critical to advance high-quality, evidence-based, and Veteran-specific MS care.
Methods: We used a modified Delphi approach to identify research priorities for Veterans with MS. Electronic surveys were distributed to Veterans with MS (n = 50,975), MS researchers (n = 191), VA healthcare providers (1,337), and funding agency representatives (n = 6) asking about their 2-3 most important research questions that would benefit Veterans with MS for researchers to answer in the next 5-10 years.
STAR Protoc
January 2025
Heinz-Nixdorf-Chair of Biomedical Electronics, TranslaTUM, School of Computation, Information and Technology, TUM, Germany; Munich Institute of Biomedical Engineering, TUM, Germany. Electronic address:
Blood cell aggregates are clinically useful biomarkers in a number of medical disorders. This protocol provides accurate and quantitative analysis of cell aggregates using a small volume of whole blood and imaging flow cytometry. We describe steps for sample collection, staining, and measurement.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBr J Nurs
January 2025
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Ward of the 21st Century, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Introduction: Peripheral intravenous cannulation (PIVC) is a common and complex procedure with low first-attempt success rates, causing patient suffering and increased healthcare costs. Quiet Eye (QE) training, a gaze-focused approach, has shown promise in improving procedural PIVC skills. We will examine the effectiveness of traditional technical training (TT) and QE training (QET) on student nurse PIVC performance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnn Intensive Care
January 2025
Division of Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria.
Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in critically ill patients and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Its complications often require renal replacement therapy (RRT). Invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and infections are considered risk factors for the occurrence of AKI.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci China Life Sci
January 2025
Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare neoplastic disease affecting the lung, kidney, and lymphatic system with a molecular mechanism of tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (TSC2) mutations. Vascular endothelial growth factor D (VEGF-D), a ligand for vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR3), is a diagnostic biomarker of LAM and is associated with lymphatic circulation abnormalities. This study explored the interaction between LAM cells and lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) and the effects of rapamycin on this interaction, which may help to identify new targets for LAM treatment.
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