Editorial

Author Jean-Louis Vincent Head, Department of Intensive Care, Erasme Hospital Free University of Brussels, Belgium Information technology has ‘invaded’ the intensive care unit at an astonishing rate over the last few years. Hand-held personal digital assistants (PDAs), patient databases, and clinical information systems are now widely used in many units, and telemedicine, and even robots...

News and Innovations

Author Kirstie Edwards, BSc MA MISTC Correspondence [email protected] Avian Influenza Action Plans A global meeting between the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the World Organisation for Animal Health and the World Bank, held 7-9 November 2005, defined an action plan to control avian influenza in animals and limit the threat of a human influe...

Author Rory Watson EU Correspondent Correspondence [email protected] While preparation for the 7th European Framework research programme is currently under way, EuroMPs have called on the European Commission (EC) to stop financing stem cell research. The EC is resisting attempts by a large group of Euro MPs to prevent EU financing of embryonic stem cell and therapeutic cloning resear...

Cover Story:Care with IT

Authors Johan Decruyenaere MD, PhD, Director Kirsten Colpaert, MD Dept of Intensive Care Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium Correspondence [email protected] Drs Decruyenaere and Colpaert review the impact of information technology on intensive care practice and the need for computer supported decision making. The intensive care unit (ICU) has several characterist...

Author Paul Vespa, MD Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Neurology David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA University of California, Los Angeles Dr Vespa writes on the benefits of Robotic Telepresence based on practical experience at UCLA Neurointensive Care Unit. The Problem Providing timely and routine attending-level expertise is one of the main goals of critical care medicine...

Authors JR Raja, MD BK Abraham, MD, MRCP N Ramakrishnan AB (Int Med), AB (Crit Care) MMM, FACP, FCCP Department of Critical Care Medicine, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, India Dr Raja and colleagues explain the potential of telemedicine for critical care in India, the obstacles to its implementation and how these are currently being addressed. Potential in India Most ICUs in India fac...

Author Stephen E. Lapinsky MB BCh, MSc, FRCPC Technology Application Unit & Intensive Care Unit Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada Handheld computing technology has the potential to become an important component of integrated information management systems for intensive care. These devices provide a portable platform for point-of-care clinical reference, patient management and communicat...

Authors On behalf of the NICE foundation P.M. Benner, MD N.F. de Keizer, PhD D.G.T. Arts, PhD R.J. Bosman, MD Website www.stichting-nice.org Dr Benner and colleagues describe the online version of the Dutch National IC Evaluation (NICE) registry, which allows real time data analysis and retrieval for benchmarking. In 1996 the National Intensive Care Evaluation (NICE) registry was...

Authors Bernd Hartmann, MD Rainer Röhrig, MD Axel Junger MD, PhD, MBA Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine, and Pain Therapy, University Hospital, Giessen, Germany Keyboards in ICUs may serve as reservoirs for microorganisms, which may be transferred via the hands of personnel to patients causing nosocomial infections. Reviewing the Evidence It is estimated that a...

Matrix Features: Nephrology & Respiratory

Authors John. A. Kellum, MD Ramesh Venkataraman MD The CRISMA Laboratory (Clinical Research, Investigation, and Systems Modeling of Acute Illness) Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, USA Correspondence [email protected] Drs Kellum and Venkataraman review the evidence on timing of initiation of renal replacement therapy in Acute Renal Failure. Acu...

Authors Richard Ferrer Ana Navas Antonio Artigas Critical Care Centre, Sabadell Hospital Parc Tauli University Institute, Barcelona Autonomous University. Spain Correspondence [email protected] The appropriate use of prevention strategies for ventilator-associated pneumonia can reduce morbidity and mortality and costs associated with this nosocomial infection. Ventilator-associated pneu...

Product Comparison:Ventilators

Authors Salvatore Grasso Dipartimento dell’Emergenza e Trapianti d’Organo (DETO), Sezione di Anestesiologia e Rianimazione, Ospedale Policlinico, Bari, Italy V Marco Ranieri Università di Torino, Dipartimento di Anestesiologia e Rianimazione Ospedale S. Giovanni Battista- Molinette, Torino Professor Ranieri and Dr Grasso review recent improvements in mechanical ventilation....

ECRI is a totally independent non profit research agency designated as a Collaborating Centre of the World Health Organization (WHO). Such organizations are appointed to contribute to WHO’s public health mission by providing specialized knowledge, expertise, and support in the health field to the WHO and its member nations. ECRI is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading independent organizatio...

Management

ICU, Design, Intensive care units

Professor Flaatten explains how design can affect patient outcome, and reports data collected from a temporary ICU set-up during reconstruction of his ICU at Haukeland University. Does design matter? Intuitively most intensivists would probably answer yes to this question, given the experience we all have from various designs and functions in our daily life. Anyone who has tried to use a nail without a...

Author Todd Dorman, MD, FCCM Ronald Pauldine MD, Fellow Johns Hopkins University [email protected] Recent research is informing on the impact of poor communication skills in intensive care practice.Dr Todd Dorman reviews the sources and consequences of ineffective communication and recommendscorrective strategies. Effective communication is of central importance to sound management in th...

Authors Maureen Ben-Nun, RN Sergio Konichezk, MD Yael Polishuk, RN MA Kaplan Medical Centre, Rehovot, Israel Julie Benbenishty, RN Hadassah Medical Centre Jerusalem Maureen Ben-Nun and her colleagues have researched, developed and implemented a protocol for the care and respect of the bodies of deceased patients, to help families during the period of bereavement. This project was aw...

Author Julie Benbenishty RN BA ICU, Hadassah Medical Organization Jerusalem, Israel Correspondence [email protected] Nursing research can improve patient care and outcome, promote professional growth and help avoid staff burnout. In this article, Julie Benbenishty describes the steps from asking a research question to completing research. Also in this issue of ICU Management (page 34),...

Authors Thomas Owen MBBCh, FRCA. Specialist Registrar in Anaesthesia & Intensive Care, North West Deanery, UK Andrew Smith FRCA, MRCP (UK), Royal Lancaster Infirmary, UK Correspondence [email protected] Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has been defined as the integration of individual clinical expertise and best external evidence from research (Sackett et al. 1996). The...

Views and Interviews

Author Geoff Bellingan Clinical Director, Critical Care Unit University College Hospital, London Correspondance [email protected] Dr Bellingan presents his viewpoint on the isolation of MRSA patients in intensive care. Overview There is little unanimity in the management of MRSA. I believe that we must use the best evidence available and, where lacking, we should continue...

Interviewee Jacques-Andre Romand Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Department of Anaesthesiology, Pharmacology and Surgical Intensive Care, Geneva, University Hospital Correspondence [email protected] Jacques-Andre Romand shares his management experiences from a surgical intensive care unit (SICU). Introduction Doctor Romand, a practicing intensivist and anaesthesiologist,...

EU Focus: Institution Series

Author Helicia Herman Editor European Affairs Correspondence [email protected] Overview The European Parliament (EP) represents the interests of the people of the European Union Member States. The President directs all activities of the Parliament and acts as its representative. Since 1979 its members, (MEPs), have been directly elected every five years by the people they represent. MEPs...

Authors Helicia Herman Editor European Affairs Sonja Planitzer Editor European Affairs Correspondence [email protected] Helicia Herman and Sonja Planitzer explain what an MEP can do for you, how to reach the right person, how to prepare for lobbying, and present advice from MEP Karl-Heinz Florenz. Lobbying Your MEPs Currently there are about 15,000 lobbyists in Brussels (consul...

Author Richard Corbett Party of the European Socialists (PES) Correspondence [email protected] Website http://europa.eu.int/comm/commission_barroso/kallas/transparency_en.htm Richard Corbett describes the role of an MEP, and in particular how this compares to the role of an MP. He is spokesperson for the Party of European Socialists on the European Parliament's Constitutional...

Country Focus:UK

Author Kim Sutherland Senior Research Associate Judge Business School University of Cambridge Correspondence [email protected] Dr Kim Sutherland, co-author of “The Quest for Quality in the NHS: a chartbook on quality of care in the UK” (2005), describes the infrastructure of the NHS in England. The National Health Service (NHS) was established in 1948 and since that time...

Authors Bob Winter Honorary Secretary Saxon Ridley Immediate Past President On behalf of the UK Intensive Care Society Correspondence [email protected] Website www.ics.ac.uk Drs Ridley and Winter present the facts on intensive care in the UK. Bearing in mind the problems with the definition of an intensive care unit and the existence of single specialty units, ther...

Author Kathryn Rowan Ph.D, Director, ICNARC, London, UK Correspondence [email protected] Website www.icnarc.org Acknowledgements ICNARC is an independent, charitable company. Established in 1994, through an initial two-year grant from the UK government, it is now self-financing. Kathryn Rowan describes the goals of the Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre (ICNARC)....

Author Dr Peter Royle, MBBS FRCA MBA Consultant in Anaesthesia and Critical Care Anaesthetic Department, University Hospital of North Tees, UK Correspondence [email protected] Dr Peter Royle explains the activities of the Adult Critical Care Stakeholder Forum in the UK, and its most recent project “Quality Critical Care: Beyond Comprehensive Critical Care”. Forum The Adul...

Author Christine Bates, MBChB MRCPath Department of Microbiology, Royal Hallamshire Hospital Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust Sheffield, UK Correspondence [email protected] This article outlines the current UK strategy for combating MRSA at a national and local level. The prevalence of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) colonisation and inf...

Author Sarah Bateman RGN, Dip(HE)MNS, Senior Sister, Critical Care Outreach Team, Southampton University Hospitals Trust, UK Correspondence [email protected] Acknowledgements Thank you to the Critical Care Outreach Team at SUHT for their support with this article. Sarah Bateman describes the development of outreach in the UK and how her team operates.Major UK governme...

Congress Previews

Author Jean-Louis Vincent Head, Department of Intensive Care, Erasme Hospital, Free University of Brussels, Belgium. Professor Jean-Louis Vincent presents a flavour of the programme for the 26th International Symposium of Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine. The 26th International Symposium of Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine will be held at the Congress Centre in Brussels from Ma...

Authors Antonio Artigas Critical Care Centre, Sabadell Hospital University Institute Parc Taulí Sabadell Spain Jean Carlet Intensive Care Department Hôpital St. Joseph, Paris France Michael Niederman Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Winthrop University Hospital Minneola New York USA Professor Artigas welcomes you to Seville February 3-4, 2006 for an upd...


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