ACCCN Workforce Standards for Intensive Care Nursing: Systematic and evidence review,development, and appraisal

Background

The intensive care nursing workforce plays an essential role in the achievement of positive healthcare outcomes. A growing body of evidence indicates that inadequate nurse staffing and poor skill mix are associated with negative outcomes for patients, and potentially compromises nurses’ ability to maintain the safety of those in their care. In Australia, the Australian College of Critical Care Nurses (ACCCN) has previously published a position statement on intensive care staffing. There was a need for a stronger more evidence based document to support the intensive nursing workforce.

Cranial Tumor Surgical Outcomes at a High-Volume Academic Referral Center

Objective

To determine adverse event rates for adult cranial neuro-oncologic surgeries performed at a high-volume quaternary academic center and assess the impact of resident participation on perioperative complication rates.

Evaluation of functional capacity during exercise radionuclide angiography

This study compared functional capacity during treadmill exercise testing and during bicycle exercise radionuclide angiography. 262 patients performed maximal upright bicycle exercise and also performed maximal graded exercise testing using either the Bruce (n = 158) or Naughton (n = 104) treadmill protocols. The functional capacity was well correlated between bicycle and treadmill for Bruce (r = 0.89), Naughton (r = 0.93), or combined treadmill (r = 0.90) protocols. However, the functional capacity was significantly lower during bicycle than during treadmill testing for Bruce (8.3 vs. 10.5 METs), Naughton (7.8 vs. 8.7 METs), or combined treadmill (8.1 vs. 9.8 METs) protocols. Treadmill functional capacity could be predicted from bicycle functional capacity using the following equations: Bruce METs = 1.00 X (bike METs) + 2.23, Naughton METs = 0.94 X (bike METs) + 1.40, and combined treadmill METs = 0.98 X (bike METs) + 1.85.     

A model to predict multivessel coronary artery disease from the exercise thallium-201 stress test

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to (1) determine whether nonimaging variables add to the diagnostic information available from exercise thallium-201 images for the detection of multivessel coronary artery disease; and (2) to develop a model based on the exercise thallium-201 stress test to predict the presence of multivessel disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study populations included 383 patients referred to the University of Virginia and 325 patients referred to the Massachusetts General Hospital for evaluation of chest pain. All patients underwent both cardiac catheterization and exercise thallium-201 stress testing between 1978 and 1981. RESULTS: In the University of Virginia cohort, at each level of thallium-201 abnormality (no defects, one defect, more than one defect), ST depression and patient age added significantly in the detection of multivessel disease. Logistic regression analysis using data from these patients identified three independent predictors of multivessel disease: initial thallium-201 defects, ST depression, and age. A model was developed to predict multivessel disease based on these variables. As might be expected, the risk of multivessel disease predicted by the model was similar to that actually observed in the University of Virginia population. More importantly, however, the model was accurate in predicting the occurrence of multivessel disease in the unrelated population studied at the Massachusetts General Hospital. CONCLUSION: It is, therefore, concluded that (1) nonimaging variables (age and exercise-induced ST depression) add independent information to thallium-201 imaging data in the detection of multivessel disease; and (2) a model has been developed based on the exercise thallium-201 stress test that can accurately predict the probability of multivessel disease in other populations.     

Effect of the degree of effort on the sensitivity of the exercise thallium-201 stress test in symptomatic coronary artery disease

The sensitivity of ST-segment depression on the electrocardiogram during exercise is influenced by the level of effort. Whether such is the case with thallium-201 imaging (initial defect or redistribution) has not been established. Accordingly, the prevalence of these parameters was evaluated in 288 patients (age 59 +/- 10 years, 88% men) with coronary artery disease who underwent both exercise thallium-201 imaging and coronary angiography within 3 months of each other: 159 had a prior myocardial infarction, 72 had 1-vessel, and 216 had multivessel disease. The degree of effort was evaluated by 3 criteria: (1) percentage of maximal predicted heart rate (less than or equal to 65, greater than 65 to 85, greater than 85%); (2) workload during exercise (less than or equal to 4, greater than 4 to 8, greater than 8 METs); and (3) duration of exercise (less than or equal to 3, greater than 3 to 6, greater than 6 minutes). The prevalence of defects on initial images was higher than both redistribution on delayed images and ST-segment depression on the electrocardiogram (p less than 0.01). The overall prevalence of initial defects remained the same for all levels of effort and was not influenced by the presence or absence of a prior infarction. However, it decreased in patients with 1-vessel disease who exercised to higher workloads. The prevalence of redistribution on delayed thallium-201 images was higher than that of ST-segment depression on the electrocardiogram (p less than 0.01), except at higher levels of effort where they were similar.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Type IV collagen and laminin in the synovial intimal layer: An immunohistochemical study

Summary The distribution of type IV collagen and laminin in the intimal layer of rheumatoid, osteoarthritic, traumatic and normal human synovium was determined by immunohistochemistry using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. All samples showed a similar pattern of labelling with type IV collagen and laminin present around the synovial intimal cells. Type IV collagen has previously only been identified in association with basement membranes which are not found at this site. Two major basement membrane components around synovial cells suggest the formation of a modified basement membrane-like structure.     

Transoesophageal echocardiographic assessment of primum, secundum and sinus venosus atrial septal defects

We compared the ability of transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography to determine the presence and site of an atrial septal defect and associated anomalous pulmonary venous connexions in 13 school age children (aged 5 to 15 years) and 12 adults (aged 25 to 68 years). Transthoracic echocardiography detected atrial septal defects in 12 children and 6 adults. Transoesophageal echocardiography confirmed the position of 16 (13 secundum, 3 primum) of these 18 defects but altered the diagnosis from a secundum defect to a sinus venosus defect in one and from a sinus venosus defect to a high secundum defect in another. In addition to these 18, transoesophageal echocardiography diagnosed a defect in 5 adults (3 secundum and 2 sinus venosus defects) and 1 child (secundum defect). In an adult with inconclusive transthoracic findings, transoesophageal echocardiography enabled clear visualisation of the atrial septum and excluded an atrial septal defect. Transoesophageal echocardiography showed anomalous attachment of a pulmonary vein into the region of a sinus venosus defect (n = 3) but did not show anomalous connexions to the superior caval vein (n = 3) or the inferior caval vein (n = 1). Transoesophageal echocardiography provides a reliable method of diagnosing or excluding an atrial septal defect in patients with inconclusive transthoracic findings and is of particular diagnostic value in sinus venosus defects.