Critical Care Alert – April 1, 2003

April 1, 2003

• PA Catheter Use and Outcomes in High-Risk Surgical Patients 

  Pulmonary artery catheters (PACS) are widely used in critically ill patients. Proponents of the catheter, introduced into the clinical arena more than 30 years ago, argue that physiologic data provided by the use of the PAC permit clinicians to target treatment and improve patient outcomes.

  Read more

• Special Feature: Blood Culture Dilemmas in the ICU

  Sepsis and its consequences are common causes of death in the United States. Detection of infection and its proper treatment are essential for survival in all patients, but especially those in the ICU.

  Read more

• Assessing BIS Monitoring in Critical Care

  Bispectral index (BIS) monitoring has received a generally favorable reception since its formal introduction at the American Association of Critical Care Nurses National Teaching Institute and Critical Care Exposition last spring.

  Read more

• CDC Halts Frequent Ventilator Breathing Circuit Changes

  In guidance that should spell millions of dollars saved for the nations hospitals, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is calling a halt to routine changes of ventilator breathing circuits.

  Read more

• Clinical Briefs in Primary Care Supplement

  Read more

• Pharmacology Update: Warfarin Effectively Prevents Venous Thromboembolism

  Low intensity warfarin therapy effectively prevents recurrent venous thromboembolism, according to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

  Read more