ATECAM NURSING CONFERENCES

  Therapeutic hypothermia refers to a form of treatment that is aimed at altering the body temperature in order to modify the pathogenesis of the disease and support the recovery of patients. It is a type of targeted temperature management or TTM that involves strict temperature control, especially in patients with cardiac arrest. There is evidence suggesting that TTM may improve the patient's chances of neurologically intact survival, when administered after cardiac arrest. The protocol of therapeutic hypothermia may vary among different healthcare centers with some targeting T36C while some targeting T33C. The treatment is administered keeping in mind the phases of cerebral blood flow after cardiac arrest as given below: ·          Phase 1: Multifocal no-reflow ·          Phase 2: Global hypothermia due to CPR ·          Phase 3: Delayed hypoperfusion in the initial 24 hours after the ROSC (Return of spontaneous circulation) that may lead to cerebral ischemia due to t

  Acute respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS refers to a form of lung injury associated with a high risk of mortality. Supportive therapies including mechanical ventilation form the pillars of treatment for patients with ARDS. Most clinicians prefer invasive mechanical ventilation over non-mechanical ventilation. During invasive mechanical ventilation, the ventilation is provided through the tracheostomy or endotracheal tube with a provision for the breaths to be delivered by the mechanical ventilator. This treatment is suitable for patients diagnosed with moderate to severe ARDS. It is also recommended in cases where the ratio of arterial oxygen tension to a fraction of inspired oxygen is less than or equal to 200 mmHg on PEEP (positive end-expiratory pressure) of more than or equal to 5 cm H2O. Non-invasive ventilation involves ventilation through nasal prongs or a mask with the breaths delivered by the non-invasive ventilation device. This treatment is usually reserved for pa

  Acute respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS refers to a form of lung injury associated with a high risk of mortality. Supportive therapies including mechanical ventilation form the pillars of treatment for patients with ARDS. Most clinicians prefer invasive mechanical ventilation over non-mechanical ventilation. During invasive mechanical ventilation, the ventilation is provided through the tracheostomy or endotracheal tube with a provision for the breaths to be delivered by the mechanical ventilator. This treatment is suitable for patients diagnosed with moderate to severe ARDS. It is also recommended in cases where the ratio of arterial oxygen tension to a fraction of inspired oxygen is less than or equal to 200 mmHg on PEEP (positive end-expiratory pressure) of more than or equal to 5 cm H2O. Non-invasive ventilation involves ventilation through nasal prongs or a mask with the breaths delivered by the non-invasive ventilation device. This treatment is usually reserved for patients

  Acquired infections form a large share of patients who are admitted to a hospital within a month of discharge. There are several other causes of hospital readmissions including lack of proper care at home due to the incorrect use of medications, improper lifestyle, and dietary habits, and so on. Infections of the catheter, IV-line, central line, or Ryle’s tube, and bedsores can also increase the need for hospital readmission. This can put a huge burden on the healthcare expenditure of the state, especially when Medicare has to pay for the expenses of hospitalization. It also creates more strain on the physicians, nurses, and other healthcare practitioners who have to put in extra efforts due to the increase in the number of hospital readmissions. Hence, there is a need to understand how to prevent acquired infections so that patients do not develop serious complications at home after discharge and do not require rehospitalization.Preventing UTIs due to catheters is highly rec

  Recent research studies and surveys have found a clear correlation between healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and the higher rate of hospital readmissions. During hospitalization, patients are more likely to be exposed to a large number of pathogens including viruses, fungi, and bacteria. Hence, the risk of infections during hospitalization is very high. After patients are discharged, they are advised to use medications, which often include antibiotics or antiviral drugs, as a part of the treatment for which they were admitted to the hospital. These medications protect them against infections during their hospital stay. However, in some cases, especially when the patient’s immunity is weak due to a serious acute or chronic disorder, the infection may flare up once the course of antibiotics or antiviral drugs is over. The immune system of the patients may not be able to fight the pathogens harboring in the body. This can increase the risk of infections and even lead to othe

  The latest advancements in the medical field have allowed for the early diagnosis of several illnesses including cancer, osteoporosis, degenerative diseases, and autoimmune disorders. However, on the other hand, most of the latest diagnostic tools are expensive making them unaffordable for a large number of patients across the world. This creates ethical challenges for healthcare practitioners including physicians and nurses. Physicians and nurses need to act as advocates of access for patients who are apprehensive of receiving proper medical attention including diagnosis and treatment due to the lack of income or insurance coverage. The primary responsibility of ensuring the availability of diagnostic tools and treatmentsto all patients at cost-effective prices lies with the government and healthcare authorities. Yet, physicians and nurses need to be ethically responsible to ensure the patients are not deprived of medical care due to unaffordable costs. It is also common f

  It has been estimated that nearly 20% of Medicare beneficiaries get readmitted into a hospital within 30 days of discharge. The cause of readmission varies among patients. However, it raises serious concerns about the preventable consequences the patients are exposed to due to the readmission. Hence, nurses and healthcare practitioners need to adopt several strategies to implement hospital readmission reduction programs that have been proposed to reduce the rate of readmission. The purpose of the hospital readmission reduction programs is to help patients avoid the adverse effects linked to hospitalization such as the exposure to viruses and bacteria. The preventable hospital readmissions also create a huge burden on the taxpayers as it increases expenditure on healthcare facilities and Medicare claims. Hence, there is a need for healthcare reforms aimed at reducing healthcare costs that could be achieved to a great extent by decreasing preventable re-hospitalizations. It i