Checklist Prompters Support ICU Rounds

New research from UPMC points to the potential for patient-specific checklists as a valid way to effectively translate the latest evidence into clinical practice. The study published in American Journal of Critical Care measured performance on the ABCDEF bundle during rounds.

Treble clef treatment: Music to counter delirium in mechanically ventilated older adults in the ICU

Regenstrief Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine and Mayo Clinic researcher-clinicians are conducting a multi-site study to establish that music intervention can reduce the likelihood of critically ill, mechanically ventilated older adults in a hospital intensive care unit (ICU) developing delirium and can also improve their post-ICU brain health.

New study finds persistent viral shedding of COVID-19 is associated with delirium and six-month mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients

The Northwestern Medicine Neuro COVID-19 research team discovered patients who continued to test positive more than 14 days after their initial positive test were more likely to experience delirium, longer hospital stays, were less likely to be discharged home, and had a greater six-month mortality than those without persistent viral shedding of COVID-19.

EMS Ketamine Use on Agitated Patients on Cocaine Increases Intubation 5.75-fold

Patients with excited delirium often are administered ketamine by EMS before arriving at the hospital. Many of them are intoxicated or are using illicit substances, which may alter the properties of ketamine.

Hopkins Med News Update

NEWS STORIES IN THIS ISSUE:

-Study: Race and Ethnicity May Impact Prevalence and Treatment of Heart Valve Dysfunction
-Johns Hopkins Medicine Suggests Eliminating Nerve Cell Protein May Stop ALS, Dementia
-Researchers Tell Doctors to Avoid Routine Urinary Tests for Older Patients with Delirium
-Johns Hopkins Medicine Researchers Show How Air Pollution May Cause Chronic Sinusitis
-Researchers ID Location on Brain Protein Linked to Parkinson’s Disease Development
-COVID-19 News: The Return of Onsite Schooling — and How to Keep Your Kids Safe from COVID

Depression in older adults undergoing hip fracture repair associated with delirium after surgery

Screening for even mild depressive symptoms before hip fracture repair may be helpful in predicting which patients are at higher risk of developing delirium after emergency surgery, according to results of a new study by researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine. The researchers say their findings also add to evidence that symptoms of depression and postoperative delirium may be an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease, although those findings were not conclusive.

Vanderbilt, Zambia Researchers Find Delirium in Hospitalized Patients Linked to Mortality, Disability in Sub-Saharan Africa

Delirium, a form of acute brain dysfunction, is widespread in critically ill patients in lower resourced hospitals, and the duration of delirium predicted both mortality and disability at six months after discharge, according to a study published in PLOS ONE.

6 Simple Steps Physician Anesthesiologists Can Lead on to Reduce Older Adults’ Risk of Surgery-related Delirium

A new paper defines the key practical steps that can be taken before, during, and after surgery to reduce patients’ risk of developing delirium and related problems that have long-term implications for brain health. Due to their unique role in perioperative care, physician anesthesiologists are ideally suited to lead multidisciplinary teams to implement these recommendations devoted to ensuring safety for all patients.

Alabama Symphony Orchestra musicians perform virtual concerts for sickest COVID-19 patients at UAB Hospital

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the sickest patients at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital have had their troubles eased, however briefly, thanks to an innovative musical project. Helping those patients recover — and keeping their spirits up amid the isolation the virus requires — is the motivation for the project, an effort between UAB health care staff and the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.

AACN-funded Research Influences Nursing Practice

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses invites clinicians and nurse scientists to submit research projects by Oct. 30, 2020, for the next application cycle, with total available funding of $160,000. The most recent recipients and their projects exemplify AACN’s commitment to nurse-driven research and evidence-based practice.