Comparison of Band Percentage vs Immature Granulocyte Percentage in the Setting of Possible Infection Principle Investigators.

Sepsis is a major cause of mortality worldwide. Early identification and treatment are critical to improve survival. Band count has been used as part of SIRS criteria for the early identification of potentially septic patients.

Traumatic Brain Injury as an Independent Predictor of Futility in the Early Resuscitation of Patients in Hemorrhagic Shock.

This review explores the concept of futility timeouts and the use of traumatic brain injury (TBI) as an independent predictor of the futility of resuscitation efforts in severely bleeding trauma patients. The national blood supply shortage has been exacerbated by the lingering influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of blood donors available, as well as by the adoption of balanced hemostatic resuscitation protocols (such as the increasing use of 1:1:1 packed red blood cells, plasma, and platelets) with and without early whole blood resuscitation. This has underscored the urgent need for reliable predictors of futile resuscitation (FR).

Dietary Intake and Nutritional Status among Refugees in Host Countries: A Systematic Review.

Refugees remain vulnerable to acute food insecurity, malnutrition, and critically inadequate food and nutrient intake after migration, regardless of the economic level of the host country. We conducted this systematic review to summarize and evaluate the dietary intake and nutritional status among refugees resettled in non-camp settings worldwide. We searched PubMed and Web of Science databases to review relevant studies published between 2009 and 2020 using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Reducing outpatient gastrostomy tube complications.

Objective: To monitor the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary education protocol for gastrostomy tube (GT) use and care for patients to reduce complications postplacement.

Methods: Baseline assessment included a preintervention/intervention design through quantitative measures to determine reduction in the number of GT complications postprocedure following implementation of a patient education protocol for 16 patients in the study.

Intervention: A multidisciplinary approach was used in protocol development for standardizing patient education.

Delays in Diagnosis of Pulmonary Lymphangitic Carcinomatosis due to Benign Presentation.

The diagnosis of lymphangitic carcinomatosis is challenging due to the manifestation of nonspecific symptoms and radiographic abnormalities that bear similarity to those of interstitial lung disease. Herein, we report the case of a 53-year-old woman diagnosed with lymphangitic carcinomatosis from metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma, 3 months after her initial presentation.

Updating External Ventricular Drainage Care and Intrahospital Transport Practices at a Community Hospital.

Background: Frontline neurointensive care nurses from 1 community hospital were invited to assess the current state of care related to use of external ventricular drains (EVDs) and intrahospital transport (IHT) policies, investigate and plan practice changes, and implement skills review for nurses caring for the adult patient with an acute brain injury.

Project: Our team researched best practices related to EVD care and IHT procedures, updated current EVD insertion checklists, developed nurse role cards to assist with EVD insertion at the bedside, revised current EVD care policies and procedures, and created a new IHT policy. The same nurses shared updated information and skills review for neuroscience nurse peers.

Night Shift Work and Its Health Effects on Nurses.

The purpose of this research was to study night shift work and its health effects on nurses. This was a quantitative study using descriptive design; it also incorporated three qualitative open-ended questions to complement the study. The data were collected using Survey Monkey, with an Internet based confidential data collection tool.

Long-term Outcomes of Patients With Fungal Infections Associated With Contaminated Methylprednisolone Injections.

Background: The largest health care-associated infection outbreak in the United States occurred during 2012-2013. Following injection of contaminated methylprednisolone, 753 patients developed infection with a dematiaceous mold, . The long-term outcomes of these infections have not been described.

Increasing Registered Nurse Retention Using Mentors in Critical Care Services.

Recruiting and training 1 newly hired registered nurse can cost thousands of dollars. With a high percentage of these newly hired nurses leaving their first place of employment within their first year, the financial implications may be enormous. It is imperative that health care facilities invest in recruiting and retention programs that retain high-quality nurses.

Validation of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) as a Novel Target for Treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcers in Humans and Discovery of a Potent and Selective Small-Molecule MMP-9 Inhibitor That Accelerates Healing.

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a significant health problem. A single existing FDA-approved drug for this ailment, becaplermin, is not standard-of-care. We previously demonstrated that upregulation of active matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 is the reason that the diabetic wound in mice is recalcitrant to healing and that MMP-8 participates in wound repair.

Risk factors for aquiring multidrug-resistant organisms in urinary tract infections: A systematic literature review.

Background: This is the first review to analyze literature identifying risk factors for a multidrug-resistant urinary tract infection (MDR UTI). Risk factors for other infections involving multidrug-resistant organisms have been evaluated in other reviews, but they do not assess urinary tract infections. The purpose of this study is to collect currently published data to determine the most commonly and consistently identified risk factors for UTIs.

Self-care Habits of Nurses and the Perception of Their Body Image.

The aim of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore the self-care habits of nurses in the hospital setting and how these habits influenced the perception of body image. The nursing profession often requires the nurse to place the health of patients before their own. Very little information is found in the literature regarding the self-care habits of nurses.

Estimated Mortality of Breast Cancer Patients Based on Stage at Diagnosis and National Screening Guideline Categorization.

Purpose: To compare overall and stage I to IV mortalities of patients diagnosed with breast cancer, calculated from stage at diagnosis using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database stage mortality estimates, which are based on national screening guideline categorization.

Methods: From the stage at diagnosis of new breast cancer patients between 2010 and 2014, percentages of invasive cancers, stage 0 + I of total cancers, and stage I of invasive cancers, were calculated. Five-year estimated overall and invasive mortalities were calculated based on stage at diagnosis and SEER survival data.

Night Shift Work and Its Health Effects on Nurses.

The purpose of this research was to study night shift work and its health effects on nurses. This was a quantitative study using descriptive design; it also incorporated three qualitative open-ended questions to complement the study. The data were collected using Survey Monkey, with an Internet-based confidential data collection tool.

Building Cultural Competence: The Lived Experience of Semester Study Abroad Students.

College students who participate in semester abroad programs have diverse but positive experiences. Variables such as the educational institution attended by the students and the location of the study abroad can affect the experiences of the students. There is minimal research concerning students from Christian colleges who study abroad.

Report of the ACR's Economics Committee on Value-Based Payment Models.

A major outcome of the current health care reform process is the move away from unrestricted fee-for-service payment models toward those that are based on the delivery of better patient value and outcomes. The authors' purpose, therefore, is to critically evaluate and define those components of the overall imaging enterprise that deliver meaningful value to both patients and referrers and to determine how these components might be measured and quantified. These metrics might then be used to lobby providers and payers for sustainable payment solutions for radiologists and radiology services.

A Qualitative Study of Health Care Experiences Among International Students.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the health care experiences of international students at a college in Indiana. The study answered the following research question: What are the lived experiences of international students while seeking health care? This research question was identified after a literature review, which showed a lack of research regarding international students' health care experiences. The data in this study were collected through in-depth interviews with 5 participants who resided at the college.

Oral Health Behaviors and Perceptions Among College Students.

Oral health is a simple and important part of college students' lives but might often be overlooked or undermined because of increased stress levels and unhealthy habits associated with the college setting. Despite the challenges, college days may be one of the best times to establish lifelong healthy habits, including oral health routines. The purpose of this study was to determine the current oral care behaviors and perceptions of students at a midwestern college.

Increasing Registered Nurse Retention Using Mentors in Critical Care Services.

Recruiting and training 1 newly hired registered nurse can cost thousands of dollars. With a high percentage of these newly hired nurses leaving their first place of employment within their first year, the financial implications may be enormous. It is imperative that health care facilities invest in recruiting and retention programs that retain high-quality nurses.

Predictors of early progression to severe sepsis or shock among emergency department patients with nonsevere sepsis.

Background: Progression from nonsevere sepsis-i.e., sepsis without organ failure or shock-to severe sepsis or shock among emergency department (ED) patients has been associated with significant mortality.

Restoring Speech to Tracheostomy Patients.

Tracheostomies may be established as part of an acute or chronic illness, and intensive care nurses can take an active role in helping restore speech in patients with tracheostomies, with focused nursing assessments and interventions. Several different methods are used to restore speech, whether a patient is spontaneously breathing, ventilator dependent, or using intermittent mechanical ventilation. Restoring vocal communication allows patients to fully express themselves and their needs, enhancing patient satisfaction and quality of life.

Value management program: performance, quantification, and presentation of imaging value-added actions.

Health care is in a state of transition, shifting from volume-based success to value-based success. Hospital executives and referring physicians often do not understand the total value a radiology group provides. A template for easy, cost-effective implementation in clinical practice for most radiology groups to demonstrate the value they provide to their clients (patients, physicians, health care executives) has not been well described.