Critical Care Flashcards
What does the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses define critical care nursing as?
a specialty that manages human responses to life-threatening problems
Who composes a rapid response team?
a critical care RN, critical care physician or an advanced practice registered nurse, and a respiratory therapist
How long before cardiac arrest do patients normally show signs of deterioration?
6-8 hours
What is a progressive care unit?
a transitional unit between the ICU and the general unit
What are 3 reasons that patients are commonly admitted to the ICU?
the patient may be physiologically unstable, the patient may be at risk for serious complications and need frequent assessments and other invasive interventions, the patient may need intensive and complicated nursing support
What are the two types of clusters that ICU patients are typically grouped in?
disease condition or age group
What kind of patients are commonly treated in the ICU?
those with respiratory failure, myocardial infarction, or acute neurological impairment or those requiring care after major surgery
What are the most common reasons that ICU patients have anxiety?
the perceived to expected threat to health or life, loss of control of body functions, and a foreign environment as well as pain, impaired communication, sleeplessness, immobilization, and loss if control
What is inadequate pain control linked with?
agitation, fear, and anxiety that adds to the stress response
What kind of ICU patients are at high risk for pain?
those who (1) have medical conditions that include ischemia, infectious, or inflammatory processes, (2) are immobilized, (3) have invasive monitoring devices including ET tubes, and (4) those who undergo procedures
What is the prevalence of delirium in ICU patients?
87%
What are examples of major risks for delirium?
increased age, preexisting dementia, hypertension, alcohol use, and severe illness on admission
Which drugs are linked with delirium?
sedatives (benzodiazepines), analgesics (Opioids), vasopressors
What are two ICU tools used to assess delirium?
Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU) and the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC)
What is hemodynamic monitoring?
the measurement of pressure, flow, and oxygenation within the cardiovascular system
