Spirituality in Critical Care: An Observational Study of the Perceptions of Professionals, Patients and Families, in Spain and Latin America.

This research aims to describe the perspectives of health care professionals, patients, and family members regarding spiritual care options in intensive care units (ICUs). Participants were recruited consecutively from January to August 2019, during which time data collection was conducted. A total of 1211 Spanish-language questionnaires were collected from 41 ICUs in Spain and Latin America. Approximately 655 participants worked as ICU professionals (74.5% of these participants were women, and 47.5% were nurses). Additionally, 340 questionnaires were sent to patients' families, and patients completed 216 questionnaires; 59.7% of these participants were men, and their mean age was 59.4 years. Most (69.7%) of the critical care professionals considered this type of care to be a part of their profession, 50.1% did not feel competent to provide this type of care, and 83.4% felt that training in this area was necessary. Most families (71.7%) and patients (60.2%) felt that spiritual suffering occurred during their stay in the ICU. The results of this study suggest a perceived deficit in spiritual care in ICUs.

Effect of an enteral diet enriched with eicosapentaenoic acid, gamma-linolenic acid and anti-oxidants on the outcome of mechanically ventilated, critically ill, septic patients.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: To assess the effect of an enteral diet enriched with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), and anti-oxidants on the incidence of organ dysfunction and nosocomial infections in septic patients with acute lung injury or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) compared with a standard enteral diet. METHODS: This prospective, randomized, open-label study was performed in 11 Spanish intensive care units (ICU). Adult patients with sepsis and acute lung injury or ARDS were randomly allocated to receive either an EPA-GLA diet or a control diet. RESULTS: Of the 198 patients that were eligible, 160 were randomized and 132 were studied. Patient demographics, APACHE II and SOFA scores, and nutritional variables on admission were similar between the EPA-GLA diet and control diet groups. The EPA-GLA diet group showed a trend toward a decreased SOFA score, but it was not significant. No differences were observed in the PaO(2)/FiO(2) ratio or the days on mechanical ventilation between the groups. Incidence of infections was similar in the groups. The control group stayed longer in the ICU than the EPA-GLA diet group (16 vs. 18; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: A diet enriched with EPA, GLA, and anti-oxidants does not improve gas exchange or decrease the incidence of novel organ failures in critically ill septic patients with acute lung injury or ARDS. Patients treated with the EPA-GLA diet stayed in the ICU for less time, but we did not find any differences in infectious complications.