A number of interventions have been shown to improve the outcomes of patients who are invasively ventilated in intensive care units (ICUs). However, significant problems still exist in implementing research findings into clinical practice. The aim of this study was to assess whether the systematic and methodical implementation of evidence-based interventions encapsulated in a care bundle influenced length of ventilation and ICU length of stay (LOS). A ventilator care bundle was introduced within a general ICU and evaluated 1 year later. The care bundle was composed of four protocols that consisted of prophylaxis against peptic ulceration, prophylaxis against deep vein thrombosis, daily cessation of sedation and elevation of the patient's head and chest to at least 30 degrees to the horizontal. Compliance with the bundle was assessed, as was ICU LOS, ICU mortality and ICU/high-dependency unit patient throughput. Mean ICU LOS was reduced from 13-75 [standard deviation (SD) 19.11] days to 8.36 (SD 10.21) days (p<0.05). Mean ventilator days were reduced from 10.8 (SD 15.58) days to 6.1 (SD 8.88) days. Unit patient throughput increased by 30.1% and the number of invasively ventilated patients increased by 39.5%. Care bundles encourage the consistent and systematic application of evidence-based protocols used in particular treatment regimes. Since the introduction of the ventilator care bundle, length of ventilation and ICU LOS have reduced significantly.
Chapter 5 discusses care during and after radiotherapy for children and young people. During and immediately after treatment, children and young people receiving radiotherapy need monitoring for acute complications of treatment and may require supportive care. Following completion of treatment, a response assessment is needed, followed by ongoing surveillance for recurrence. If relapse occurs, consideration can be given to further treatment, which may be radical or palliative in intent. With the passing of time, the risks of relapse recede and monitoring for the late effects of treatment becomes more important. As the majority of patients will have some long-term sequelae, some of which can be ameliorated by timely intervention, patients should be followed in a multidisciplinary clinic. A detailed treatment summary will help predict the risk of complications and guide long-term follow-up. Patients, when they reach adult life, should be aware of possible problems, including fertility issues and second malignant neoplasms.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.