Editorials:

Christopher W. Bryan-Brown and Kathleen Dracup

"What I Don’t Know Isn’t Knowledge"
Am J Crit Care 2002 11(3): 188-192. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Letters to the Editor:

Beth Henneman

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS
Am J Crit Care 2002 11(3): 194-196. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Rebecca Renbourne

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS
Am J Crit Care 2002 11(3): 196. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Julie Daly-Dorrian

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS
Am J Crit Care 2002 11(3): 196. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Bruce Jones

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS
Am J Crit Care 2002 11(3): 196-197. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Families in Critical Care:

Karin T. Kirchhoff, Lee Walker, Ann Hutton, Vicki Spuhler, Beth Vaughan Cole, and Terry Clemmer

The Vortex: Families’ Experiences With Death in the Intensive Care Unit
Lack of communication from healthcare providers contributes to the anxiety and distress reported by families after a patient's death in the ICU. The authors addressed 2 broad questions: (1) what were the experiences of family members of patients who died in the ICU and (2) what were the family members' expectations of ICU care during the time before and immediately after the death.
Am J Crit Care 2002 11(3): 200-209. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] [CE Test]  

Cardiology Critical Care:

Mary S. Riedinger, Kathleen A. Dracup, Mary-Lynn Brecht, and for the SOLVD Investigators

Quality of Life in Women With Heart Failure, Normative Groups, and Patients With Other Chronic Conditions
The authors describe quality of life in a large sample of women with heart failure and compare it with the quality of life of normative groups and of patients with other chronic diseases. To characterize the quality of life of these women, descriptive techniques were applied to baseline data collected in the SOLVD trials.
Am J Crit Care 2002 11(3): 211-219. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] [CE Test]  

Sandra Oliver-McNeil and Nancy T. Artinian

Women’s Perceptions of Personal Cardiovascular Risk and Their Risk-Reducing Behaviors
Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in women. However, many women underestimate their risk or are unaware of their risk factors and therefore cannot protect themselves. The authors of this study describe perceptions of cardiovascular risk factors and risk-reducing behaviors among 33 women with newly diagnosed coronary heart disease.
Am J Crit Care 2002 11(3): 221-227. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]  

Cardiac Surgery Critical Care:

Marilyn Hravnak, Leslie A. Hoffman, Melissa I. Saul, Thomas G. Zullo, and Gayle R. Whitman

Resource Utilization Related to Atrial Fibrillation After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
Atrial fibrillation is the most common complication after CABG. These authors conducted a retrospective review of clinical and administrative electronic databases for 720 subjects who underwent isolated CABG. The prevalence of atrial fibrillation was determined, and resource utilization in various hospital cost centers was compared between patients with and without atrial fibrillation.
Am J Crit Care 2002 11(3): 228-238. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]  

Trauma Critical Care:

Janice M. Morse and Charlotte Pooler

Patient-Family-Nurse Interactions in the Trauma-Resuscitation Room
Controversy about the presence of patients' family members in the emergency department has centered on the trauma-resuscitation room. In this study, the authors viewed and analyzed 88 videotapes of trauma room care that showed the presence of patients' family members. Behavioral responses of the family members and their interactions with nurses and the patient in the trauma room are categorized and discussed.
Am J Crit Care 2002 11(3): 240-249. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]  

Cardiovascular Surgery Critical Care:

Daleen Aragon, Virginia Burton, Jacqueline F. Byers, and Michael Cohen

The Effect of a Critical Pathway on Patients’ Outcomes After Carotid Endarterectomy
In 1996, an integrated plan of care was implemented to improve quality of care for patients undergoing elective carotid endarterectomy. Goals were to reduce length of stay, costs, number of preoperative and intensive care unit admissions, and use of diagnostic procedures yet maintain good outcomes. The authors of this study set out to determine whether these goals were met.
Am J Crit Care 2002 11(3): 250-258. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] [CE Test]  

Critical Care Monitoring:

Douglas Houghton, Stephen Cohn, Vaunne Schell, Kelly Cohn, and Albert Varon

Routine Daily Chest Radiography in Patients with Pulmonary Artery Catheters
Are daily chest radiographs necessary to assess migration of pulmonary artery catheters? The authors evaluated 100 patients with pulmonary artery catheters to answer this question. Clinical criteria for optimal position of the pulmonary artery catheters and findings on chest radiographs were compared, yielding a total of 390 comparisons.
Am J Crit Care 2002 11(3): 261-265. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]  

Current Controversies in Critical Care:

Patricia Benner

Living Organ Donors: Respecting the Risks Involved in the "Gift of Life"
Am J Crit Care 2002 11(3): 266-268. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Cardiology Casebook:

Kathryn Buchanan Keller and Louis Lemberg

Retirement Is No Excuse for Physical Inactivity or Isolation
Am J Crit Care 2002 11(3): 270-272. [Full Text] [PDF]  

ECG Puzzler:

Mary G. Adams and Michele M. Pelter

Reperfusion Arrhythmias
Am J Crit Care 2002 11(3): 273-275. [Full Text] [PDF]  

2002 National Teaching Institute Research Abstracts:

2002 National Teaching Institute Research Abstracts
Am J Crit Care 2002 11(3): 276-300. [Full Text] [PDF]  

AACN 2002 Distinguished Research Lecture:

Barbara J. Drew

Celebrating the 100th Birthday of the Electrocardiogram: Lessons Learned From ECG Monitoring Research
Am J Crit Care 2002 11(3): 301. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]  

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