Background: Particular circumstances in the intensive care unit have led the patients to experience significant levels of pain and discomfort. On the other hand, these patients cannot express their discomfort due to several reasons. Aim: to develop the causes of discomfort in the intensive care units. Methods: In order for assessing the causes of discomfort, the initial questionnaire was extrac...

Objective This paper reviews existing literature on delirium that arises during mechanical ventilation in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). It looks at the physiology of delirium, its subtypes and risk factors. It further considers the impact of delirium on cognitive and psychosocial function of patients after their discharge from acute care. The aim of this paper was to increase awareness of ICU ...

objective one of the prominent microorganisms in several reports of nosocomial infections is staphylococcus aureus (s. aureus) which is carried by several health care workers (hcw) many times throughout the day. the present investigation was conducted to assess the nasal and hand carriage rate of s. aureus amongst medical personnel of loghman hakim hospital's toxicological intensive care unit (...

Background & Aims: Hospitals are the most important centers that provide health services in the country. They have to use scientific and efficient management at all levels for promoting health. Intensive care units (ICU) are one of the most sensitive parts of the hospitals; therefore, paying attention to its efficiency is of particular importance. The purpose of this paper was to estimate the t...

the United States are infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and that the infection is undiagnosed in 20%. Today, persons infected with HIV are admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) more often than in the past. The introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has led to enhanced management of HIV disease, allowing infected persons to live longer and thus increasing their likelihoo...

In their recent study ‘Changes in appetite related gut hormones in intensive care unit patients: a pilot cohort study’ Nematy and colleagues further elucidated intensive care unit (ICU) patients’ poor nutritional status. They reported high levels of peptide YY (PYY) and low levels of ghrelin in fasting plasma samples from ICU patients compared with healthy, nonhospitalized controls [1]. While i...

Introduction Prolonged stay in intensive care unit (ICU) after cardiac surgery may increase the long-term risk of readmission. Preoperative risk factors, surgical complications, infections and organ failure may need specific intensive support, increasing costs of reimbursement mainly for ICU interventions. Readmission costs over months after discharge may be a dependant of the need of intensive...

Intensivists may be unaware of the longer term consequences of intensive therapies for their patients, and several paper reports in the present issue focus on the post-intensive care unit (ICU) hospital and community morbidity and mortality. This of course encompasses ethical issues concerning the futility of intensive care in certain circumstances, and the elderly population is highlighted in ...

Improvements in living conditions and increasing life expectancy have combined to result in ever older patients being admitted to hospital. In parallel, the increasing incidence of cancer, along with the improved efficacy of anti-cancer therapies has led to greater needs for intensive care among cancer patients. The objectives underpinning the management of cancer patients in the intensive care...