Pain Management An Issue Of Critical Care Nursing Clinics Of North America

Pain Management, An Issue of Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America

In this issue of Critical Care Nursing Clinics, guest editor Dr. Deborah Garbee brings her considerable expertise to the topic of Older Adults in Critical Care. Older adults often present to critical care settings with multiple co-morbidities, polypharmacy, and geriatric syndromes, and critical care nurses need knowledge and skills to address the challenges presented by older adult patients and their care. In this issue, top nursing experts discuss new models of care, approaches to assessment and management, and guidelines for critical care nurses. Contains 14 practice-oriented topics including delirium in older adults; biofilm and hospital-acquired infections in older adults; progressive supranuclear palsy; sepsis across the continuum; improving outcomes in cardiovascular geriatric patients related to polypharmacy; and more. Provides in-depth clinical reviews on older adults in critical care, offering actionable insights for clinical practice. Presents the latest information on this timely, focused topic under the leadership of experienced editors in the field. Authors synthesize and distill the latest research and practice guidelines to create clinically significant, topic-based reviews.

Dr. Stephen Krau, Consulting Editor of Critical Care Nursing Clinics, is stepping into the Guest Editor role, with colleague Dr. Maria Overstreet, to address the topic of pain management in the critically ill. The review articles in this issue will provide an up-to-date look at the current strategies to improve patient outcomes in pain management for those patients in the ICU. Top authors will be writing on the following topics: Physiology of Pain; Classifications of Pain; Current Trends in Pain Assessment; Spiritual Aspects of Pain; Pharmacologic Interventions for Pain Management; Non-Alliopathic Interventions for the Management of Pain; Pain Associated with Chest Tube Removal; Discomfort Associated with Respiratory Issues; Pain Management in Obstetrics; Technological Interventions for Acute Pain Management; Pain Management Services and Policy; and Management of Chronic Cardiac Angina. Readers will come away with the current knowledge in this important field.

In this issue of Critical Care Nursing Clinics, guest editor Dr. Melissa Nunn, Instructor of Clinical Nursing at LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing, brings her considerable expertise to the topic of Pediatric Intensive Care Nursing. Top experts in the field present systematic, evidence-based processes for decision making and care, addressing topics such as palliative communication in the PICU; dialysis care in the PICU; caring for hematology/oncology emergencies in the PICU; nurse-led rounds in the PICU; asthma care protocol implementation in the PICU; and more. Contains 12 relevant, practice-oriented topics including acute pain management protocols in the PICU; kangaroo care implementation; unplanned extubations in the PICU; pediatric delirium screening in the ICU; battling alarm fatigue within the PICU; and more. Provides in-depth clinical reviews on pediatric intensive care nursing, offering actionable insights for clinical practice. Presents the latest information on this timely, focused topic under the leadership of experienced editors in the field. Authors synthesize and distill the latest research and practice guidelines to create clinically significant, topic-based reviews.

Intensive care units (ICUs) provide comprehensive, advanced care to patients with serious or life-threatening conditions and consequently, a significant amount of end-of-life care (EOLC). Indeed, approximately 20% of deaths in the U.S. are associated with an ICU stay, and nearly half of U.S. patients who die in hospitals experience an ICU stay during the last 3 days of life. Despite the commonality of the ICU experience, ICU patients typically suffer from a range of distressing symptoms such as pain, fatigue, anxiety, and dyspnea, causing families significant distress on their behalf. Thus, there is a growing imperative for better provision of palliative care (PC) in the ICU, which may prevent and relieve suffering for patients with life threatening illnesses. Effective palliative care is accomplished through aggressive symptom management, communication about the patient and family’s physical, psychosocial and spiritual concerns, and aligning treatments with each patient’s goals, values, and preferences. PC is also patient-centered and uses a multidisciplinary, team-based approach that can be provided in conjunction with other life-sustaining treatments, or as a primary treatment approach. Failure to align treatment goals with individual and family preferences can create distress for patients, families, and providers. If implemented appropriately, palliative care may significantly reduce the health care costs associated with intensive hospital care, and help patients avoid the common, non-person centered treatment that is wasteful, distressing, and potentially harmful. Due to the success of many PC programs, administrators, providers, and accrediting bodies are beginning to understand that palliative care in the ICU is vital to optimal patient outcomes.

In this issue of Critical Care Nursing Clinics, guest editor Dr. Melissa Nunn, Instructor of Clinical Nursing at LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing, brings her considerable expertise to the topic of Pediatric Intensive Care Nursing. Top experts in the field present systematic, evidence-based processes for decision making and care, addressing topics such as palliative communication in the PICU; dialysis care in the PICU; caring for hematology/oncology emergencies in the PICU; nurse-led rounds in the PICU; asthma care protocol implementation in the PICU; and more. Contains 12 relevant, practice-oriented topics including acute pain management protocols in the PICU; kangaroo care implementation; unplanned extubations in the PICU; pediatric delirium screening in the ICU; battling alarm fatigue within the PICU; and more. Provides in-depth clinical reviews on pediatric intensive care nursing, offering actionable insights for clinical practice. Presents the latest information on this timely, focused topic under the leadership of experienced editors in the field. Authors synthesize and distill the latest research and practice guidelines to create clinically significant, topic-based reviews.

In Collaboration with Consulting Editor, Dr. Jan Foster, Drs. Martin and Badeaux have created an issue where top authors in critical care nursing provide current updates on sepsis care and management. Authors have written clinical reviews on the following topics: International Sepsis Guidelines 2016; Pros and Cons of Early Administration of Intravenous Fluids; PTSD After ICU Stay; Role of Vitamin C and Carbon Monoxide in Sepsis; Neonatal Sepsis; Use of Etomidate in the Septic Patient; Simulation to Manage the Septic Patient in the ICU; Cardiogenic Shock Complicating Sepsis management; Hospital Costs associated with Sepsis Compared to other Medical Conditions; Special Considerations for the Septic Patient Going to the Operating Room; Management of the Septic Patient in the Emergency Room; and Management of Sepsis in the Obstetrical Patient. Reader will come away with the information they need to improve patient outcomes.