Editorials:

Christopher W. Bryan-Brown and Kathleen Dracup

The Whole Truth
Am J Crit Care 2006 15(5): 448-450. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Letters to the Editor:

Carrie Scotto

Context Is Key When Considering End-of-Life Treatment Options
Am J Crit Care 2006 15(5): 452. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Pulmonary Critical Care:

Cindy L. Munro, Mary Jo Grap, R.K. Elswick, Jr, Jessica McKinney, Curtis N. Sessler, and Russell S. Hummel, III

Oral Health Status and Development of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia: A Descriptive Study
Ventilator-associated pneumonia, a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, may be influenced by oral health. These authors describe the relationship between ventilator-associated pneumonia and oral health status, changes in oral health status during the first 7 days after intubation, and microbial colonization of the oropharynx and trachea in a sample of 66 patients.
Am J Crit Care 2006 15(5): 453-460. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]  

Neurological Critical Care:

Mabrouk Bahloul, Anis N. Chaari, Hatem Kallel, Abdelmajid Khabir, Adnène Ayadi, Hanène Charfeddine, Leila Hergafi, Adel D. Chaari, Hedi E. Chelly, Chokri Ben Hamida, Noureddine Rekik, and Mounir Bouaziz

Neurogenic Pulmonary Edema Due to Traumatic Brain Injury: Evidence of Cardiac Dysfunction
Though often underdiagnosed, acute neurogenic pulmonary edema can contribute to pulmonary dysfunction in patients with head injuries. To explore myocardial function in patients with evident neurogenic pulmonary edema after traumatic head injury, these authors collected and analyzed information on patients admitted to the intensive care unit of a university hospital in Sfax, Tunisia.
Am J Crit Care 2006 15(5): 462-470. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]  

Cardiac Surgical Critical Care:

Gilles Dupuis, Elaine Kennedy, Ruth Lindquist, Franca B. Barton, Michael L. Terrin, Byron J. Hoogwerf, Susan M. Czajkowski, J. Alan Herd for the Post CABG Biobehavioral Study Investigators.

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery and Cognitive Performance
This prospective, observational, multicenter study evaluates cognitive performance in patients before and after coronary artery bypass graft surgery by measuring the patients’ verbal ability, attention/concentration, logical/verbal and visual memory, and facial recognition.
Am J Crit Care 2006 15(5): 471-478. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] [CE Test]  

End-of-Life Care in the Intensive Care Unit:

Catherine McBride Robichaux and Angela P. Clark

Practice of Expert Critical Care Nurses in Situations of Prognostic Conflict at the End of Life
Research suggests that critical care nurses do not participate in end-of-life decision making and care planning. Often they are asked to prolong the living-dying process with inappropriate treatment. For this qualitative analysis, the authors conducted interviews with 21 critical care nurses from 7 facilities to explore their practice in end-of-life conflicts and to describe the actions they took when they felt that continued aggressive medical interventions were not warranted.
Am J Crit Care 2006 15(5): 480-491. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] [CE Test]  

Pediatric Critical Care:

Charmaine Kleiber, Tina Davenport, and Barbara Freyenberger

Open Bedside Rounds for Families With Children in Pediatric Intensive Care Units
These authors describe the implementation and evaluation of a unit-based policy change to improve quality of care: encouraging open access to bedside rounds for families of patients in the pediatric intensive care unit.
Am J Crit Care 2006 15(5): 492-496. [Full Text] [PDF] [CE Test]  

Marcella Donkin, Nikoleta Kolovos, and Paul A. Checchia

Effect of a Specialized Pediatric Institutional Setting on Organ Recovery From Potential Donors
The relationship between accessibility to the full range of subspecialty care available at freestanding pediatric hospitals and organ donor management and recovery rates has not been studied. Data from the hospitals served by Mid-America Transplant Services were reviewed and compared to those of other types of institutions to determine rates of recovery of organs from children for transplantation.
Am J Crit Care 2006 15(5): 497-501. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]  

Critical Care Management:

David A. Gruenberg, Wayne Shelton, Susannah L. Rose, Ann E. Rutter, Sophia Socaris, and Glenn McGee

Factors Influencing Length of Stay in the Intensive Care Unit
Long stays in the intensive care unit are costly and burdensome to patients, their families, and society. To determine whether an organizational pattern might be useful in reducing prolonged length of stay, these authors searched articles published between January 1990 and March 2005, identifying and categorizing factors associated with prolonged stay in the intensive care unit and describing nonmedical interventions designed to reduce it.
Am J Crit Care 2006 15(5): 502-509. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]  

Current Controversies in Critical Care:

Lisa Day

Industry Gifts to Healthcare Providers: Are the Concerns Serious?
Am J Crit Care 2006 15(5): 510-513. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Cardiology Casebook:

Kathryn Buchanan Keller and Louis Lemberg

Secondary Prevention of Coronary Artery Disease in Elderly Persons: A Treatise on a Report by the American Heart Association
Am J Crit Care 2006 15(5): 514-518. [Full Text] [PDF]  

ECG Puzzler:

Mary G. Carey and Michele M. Pelter

Nonsustained Ventricular Tachycardia in the Elderly
Am J Crit Care 2006 15(5): 519-520. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Education Directory:

EDUCATION DIRECTORY
Am J Crit Care 2006 15(5): 522. [Full Text] [PDF]  

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