CONTEXT Stress is a usual and normal part of our daily lives. It is a normal physical reaction to an internal or external pressure that is placed on a person's system. Extended periods of stress can cause destructive changes in the body. OBJECTIVES (1) To assess the prevalence of stress and its level among intensive care unit (ICU) staff (doctors and nurses) of various hospitals and (2) to co...

The critical care literature in the US has recently brought attention to the impact an ICU experience can have long after the patient survives critical illness, particularly if delirium was present. Current recommendations to mitigate post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) are embedded in patient and family-centered care and aim to promote family presence in the ICU, provide support for decision-m...

Because of high risk and instability of the patients in Intensive care unit(ICU), the design of ICU is very difficult. ICU design, auxiliary building design, lighting design, noise control and other aspects can also enhance its management. In this paper, we compare ICU design in China and Holland based on related standards. We also premeditate the indoor environment from planning perspective, a...

PURPOSE To describe the psychosocial needs of critically ill patients, including descriptions of patients' experiences when these needs are not met, and behaviors of families, friends, and ICU staff that help or impede meeting these needs. DESIGN A qualitative research design was used. Participants were 45 adult critically ill patients in the medical or surgical ICU for a minimum of 3 days in...

Dear Editor, The medical personnel of the intensive care unit (ICU) encounter patients who are critically ill, have severe injuries, or require multiple life-sustaining interventions on a daily basis. Working in a stressful environment such as the ICU can be highly rewarding, but it may also have detrimental effects on the physiological and psychological well-being of the staff.1,2 A study by M...

The working environment of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses is a constant source of stress. Researchers have described ICU as a stressful environment because of the complex nature of patients’ health problems requiring an extensive use of very sophisticated technology. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of stress among staff nurses working in ICU, Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysi...

Nosocomial infections are problematic in the ICU because of their frequency, morbidity, and mortality. The most common ICU infections are pneumonia, bloodstream infection, and urinary tract infection, most of which are device related. Surgical site infection is common in surgical ICUs, and Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea is occurring with increasing frequency. Prospective observationa...

PURPOSE The implementation of three different insulin protocols in intensive care unit (ICU) settings in two community hospitals and one academic hospital is described. SUMMARY Each institution possessed a commitment to improve the existing insulin protocols in order to achieve tighter glycemic control for ICU patients. Studies have shown that the maintenance of tight glycemic control provide...

OBJECTIVE To report occupationally related outbreak of chickenpox in intensive care unit (ICU). CASE PRESENTATION AND INTERVENTION The index patient was a 4-year-old child who presented with a 3-day history of fever and rash and was clinically diagnosed as chickenpox encephalitis. She was admitted to an isolation room in ICU, kept on oxygen mask and given intravenous fluids, anticonvulsant, a...