Feasibility and Performance of Continuous Glucose Monitoring to Guide Computerized Insulin Infusion Therapy in Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the feasibility of real-time continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for titrating continuous intravenous insulin infusion (CII) to manage hyperglycemia in postoperative individuals in the cardiovascular intensive care unit and assessed their accuracy, nursing acceptance, and postoperative individual satisfaction. METHODS: Dexcom G6 CGM devices were applied to 59 postsurgical patients with hyperglycemia receiving CII. A hybrid approach combining CGM with periodic point-of-care blood glucose (POC-BG) tests with two phases (initial-ongoing) of validation was used to determine CGM accuracy. Mean and median absolute relative differences and Clarke Error Grid were plotted to evaluate the CGM accuracy. Surveys of nurses and patients on the use of CGMs experience were conducted and results were analyzed. RESULTS: In this cohort (mean age 64, 32% female, 32% with diabetes) with 864 paired POC-BG and CGM values analyzed, mean and median absolute relative difference between POC-BG and CGM values were 13.2% and 9.8%, respectively. 99.7% of paired CGM and POC-BG were in Zones A and B of the Clarke Error Grid. Responses from nurses reported CGMs being very or quite convenient (n = 28; 93%) and it was favored over POC-BG testing (n = 28; 93%). Majority of patients (n = 42; 93%) reported their care process using CGM as being good or very good. CONCLUSION: This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility, accuracy, and nursing convenience of adopting CGM via a hybrid approach for insulin titration in postoperative settings. These findings provide robust rationale for larger confirmatory studies to evaluate the benefit of CGM in postoperative care to improve workflow, enhance health outcomes, and cost-effectiveness.

What the American Journal of Critical Care Junior Peer Reviewers Were Reading During Year 2 of the Program.

The American Journal of Critical Care's Junior Peer Reviewer program aims to mentor novice reviewers in the peer review process. To grow their critical appraisal skills, the participants take part in discussion sessions in which they review articles published in other journals. Here we summarize the articles reviewed during the second year of the program, which again focused on the care of critically ill patients with COVID-19. This article aims to share these reviews and the reviewers' thoughts regarding the relevance, design, and applicability of the findings from the selected studies. High rates of delirium associated with COVID-19 may be impacted by optimizing sedation strategies and allowing safe family visitation. Current methodology in crisis standards of care may result in inequity and further research is needed. The use of extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal to facilitate super low tidal volume ventilation does not improve 90-day mortality outcomes. Continued research to better understand the natural history of COVID-19 and interventions useful for improving outcomes is imperative.

What the American Journal of Critical Care Junior Peer Reviewers Were Reading During the First Year of the Program: Caring for Patients With COVID-19.

The Junior Peer Reviewer program of the American Journal of Critical Care provides mentorship in the peer review process to novice reviewers. The program includes discussion sessions in which participants review articles published in other journals to practice and improve their critical appraisal skills. The articles reviewed during the first year of the program focused on caring for patients with COVID-19. The global pandemic has placed a heavy burden on nursing practice. Prone positioning of patients with acute respiratory failure is likely to improve their outcomes. Hospitals caring for patients needing prolonged ventilation should use evidence-based, standardized care practices to reduce mortality. The burden on uncompensated caregivers of COVID-19 survivors is also high, and such caregivers are likely to require assistance with their efforts. Reviewing these articles was helpful for building the peer review skills of program participants and identifying actionable research to improve the lives of critically ill patients.

Nurses' Competence Caring for Hospitalized Patients With Ventricular Assist Devices.

BACKGROUND: Nursing care is an essential component of the delivery of high-quality patient care for advanced heart failure patients with ventricular assist devices (VADs). However, there is little information about how VAD patient care competence is formed, and there are no empirical data regarding the bed nurses' competence. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explain how nurses perceived their competence related to VAD technology and how they utilized resources to equip themselves for the management of patients with implantable VADs. METHODS: An exploratory correlational research design was used in this study. Online surveys including demographic and work characteristics questionnaires as well as VAD Innovation in Nursing Appraisal Scale (knowledge, adoption, and communication) were completed by 237 critical-care unit and progressive care unit (PCU) nurses. RESULTS: Ventricular assist device knowledge, adoption, and communication of innovation mean scores were 3.9 ± 0.6, 3.9 ± 0.8, and 3.7 ± 0.9, respectively, indicating moderate/high levels. Critical-care unit nurses reported higher levels of knowledge (3.7 vs 3.6) and adoption (4.0 vs 3.8; P < .05) of innovation than did the PCU nurses, with no differences in communication. Compared with PCU nurses, critical-care unit nurses were more likely to seek VAD competence-related information using mass media. Innovation and adoption were associated with years of nursing experience and some hospital characteristics. CONCLUSION: Critical-care unit nurses have higher self-reported VAD care competence than PCU nurses. Further research is needed to confirm the findings and link nurse competence with VAD patient outcomes.

Instituting a Standardized Mobility Aid in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit.

The complexity of ambulation increases when patients are challenged with acute illness in the cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU). The difficulties in this setting entailed limited ancillary assistance, proper equipment, and complex medical devices. It was imperative that mobility was made a priority in the CVICU despite multiple barriers. To improve mobility functionality, mobility aids were obtained. To evaluate the effectiveness of the mobility aids, data were collected, including staff surveys, time studies, and chart audits. The outcomes from implementing the mobility aids revealed a reduction in the number of staff required to ambulate medically complex patients from an average of 2.3 to 1.9 staff members and in medically noncomplex patients remained unchanged from 1.4 to 1.6 staff members. Preparation time for ambulation was reduced from 12.8 to 8.3 minutes on average for medically noncomplex patients and from 14 to 9.7 minutes for the medically complex patients. Ambulation sessions for medically noncomplex patients increased on average from 1.5 to 2.8 sessions per day and for medically complex patients decreased from 1.2 to 0.5 sessions per day. Overall, clinically significant improvements were noted with both preparation time for ambulation and the number of mobility sessions that support the use of a standardized mobility aid.

Specialty Linens and Pressure Injuries in High-Risk Patients in the Intensive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND: The cardiovascular and surgical intensive care units had the highest unit-acquired pressure injury rates at an institution. Patients in these units had multiple risk factors for pressure injuries. Various interventions had been used to minimize pressure injuries, with limited results. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of specialty linens on the rate of pressure injuries in high-risk patients. The specialty linen was a synthetic silklike fabric that addressed the microclimate surrounding the patient, with the purpose of minimizing friction, shear, moisture, and heat. METHODS: The specialty linen was tried on 24 beds in the cardiovascular intensive care unit and 20 beds in the surgical intensive care unit, including sheets, underpads, gowns, and pillow cases. Data obtained from a retrospective review of electronic health records were compared for 9 months before and 10 months after specialty linens were implemented. RESULTS: Total unit-acquired pressure injury rates for both units combined declined from 7.7% (n = 166) before to 5.3% (n = 95) after the intervention. The intervention was associated with a significant reduction in posterior (coccyx, sacrum, back, buttock, heel, and spine) pressure injury rates, from 5.2% (n = 113) before to 2.8% (n = 51) after specialty linens were implemented (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Addressing the microclimate, friction, and shear by using specialty linens reduces the number of posterior pressure injuries. The use of specialty linens in addition to standard techniques for preventing pressure injuries can help prevent pressure injuries from developing in high-risk patients in intensive care units.

Patients' Hand Washing and Reducing Hospital-Acquired Infection.

BACKGROUND: Hand hygiene is important to prevent hospital-acquired infections. Patients' hand hygiene is just as important as hospital workers' hand hygiene. Hospital-acquired infection rates remain a concern across health centers. OBJECTIVES: To improve patients' hand hygiene through the promotion and use of hand washing with soap and water, hand sanitizer, or both and improve patients' education to reduce hospital-acquired infections. METHODS: In August 2013, patients in a cardiothoracic postsurgical step-down unit were provided with individual bottles of hand sanitizer. Nurses and nursing technicians provided hand hygiene education to each patient. Patients completed a 6-question survey before the intervention, at hospital discharge and 1, 2, and 3 months after the intervention. Hospital-acquired infection data were tracked monthly by infection prevention staff. RESULTS: Significant correlations were found between hand hygiene and rates of infection with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (P = .003) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (P = .01) after the intervention. After the implementation of hand hygiene interventions, rates of both infections declined significantly and patients reported more staff offering opportunities for and encouraging hand hygiene. CONCLUSION: This quality improvement project demonstrates that increased hand hygiene compliance by patients can influence infection rates in an adult cardiothoracic step-down unit. The decreased infection rates and increased compliance with hand hygiene among the patients may be attributed to the implementation of patient education and the increased accessibility and use of hand sanitizer.

Cardiac Transplant Postoperative Management and Care.

Heart failure impacts a multitude of individuals each year. Treatment is based on the progression of the disease and severity of symptoms. Cardiac transplant is the gold standard treatment of advanced heart failure, although the availability of organs limits the number of transplants received each year. Postoperative care and monitoring for cardiac transplant is complex and requires specialized nurses and providers at transplant centers for successful outcomes. This article outlines cardiac transplant from preoperative care through transplant, as well as posttransplant monitoring and care including discharge. Special attention is focused on management in the intensive care unit setting and potential complications that can occur in the immediate postoperative period. Interventions for potential complications are also highlighted.

The Path From Heart Failure to Cardiac Transplant.

Heart failure is a progressive and fatal disease impacting millions of American each year. Divided into stages, heart failure presents with progressive symptoms requiring a wide range of medical treatments. Treatments include diet and lifestyle changes, medications, electrical therapies (defibrillator and/or cardiac resynchronization therapy), as well as mechanical circulatory support. Cardiac transplant is the gold standard treatment of heart failure, although the availability of donors limits the utility of a cardiac transplant. This article outlines heart failure treatments and the indications, contraindications, and pretransplant evaluation for a cardiac transplant. Information on the allocation of donor hearts and donor characteristics is also included for the reader.

Reducing interruptions to improve medication safety.

In the fast-paced environment of a cardiac and thoracic surgery telemetry unit, nurses are interrupted hundreds of times per day. These interruptions can have a detrimental effect on patient safety during medication administration. This article describes a bundle of safety interventions that reduced the average number of interruptions during medication administration by 2.11 interruptions per encounter and decreased reported medication errors by a total of 28 incidents over a 3-month period.

Mobilization of intensive care cardiac surgery patients on mechanical circulatory support.

Historically, intensive care cardiac surgery patients remained on bed rest for several days postoperatively to prevent complications and promote rest and healing. Over time, the cardiac surgery discipline has acknowledged the benefits of early mobility, including reduced risk of venous thromboembolism and pulmonary emboli, improved pulmonary toilet, prevention of pneumonia, decreased length of stay, reduced deconditioning, and need for rehabilitation, among others advantages. These benefits have changed clinical practice, with emphasis on early extubation, progressive mobility, and reduced lengths of stay. Early mobility is a staple in postoperative intensive care of cardiac surgery patients. Patient mobility practices include range of motion, dangling at the bedside, and transition to the chair on the operative day, if able. Postoperative day 1 entails transferring from the bed to the chair 2 to 3 times and, if feasible, ambulation in the room and hallway. Patients with pulmonary artery catheters, arterial lines, chest tubes, and mechanical circulatory support devices are included in early progressive mobility to prevent postoperative complications. This article will discuss early progressive mobility in cardiovascular intensive care unit patients, with a focus on specific considerations for patients post-cardiac surgery and those with mechanical circulatory support devices.

Expanded resources through utilization of a primary care giver extracorporeal membrane oxygenation model.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a long-term extracorporeal support for critically ill patients with life-threatening compromises in cardiac and/or respiratory function. The unpredictability of ECMO resources for a large pediatric and adult population prompted a need for the ability to respond to significant fluctuations in the volume of patients on ECMO. Through multidisciplinary collaboration, the Primary Care Giver (PCG) ECMO Staffing Model was developed to accommodate unpredictable fluctuations in ECMO activity and to maintain flexibility and fiscal responsibility in turbulent economic times. Advancements in extracorporeal technology supported the opportunity to develop a safe and extended staffing model for ECMO. Combining the use of a centrifugal pump system with specialized and experienced cardiovascular intensive care nurses and the ECMO specialist team provided a milieu for education and training to support the new staffing model. The PCG ECMO model provides a safe, flexible, and fiscally responsible staffing model for variable ECMO activity.