Pressure injury prevention in adult critically ill patients: best practice implementation project.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed compliance with the best practices for pressure injury prevention among ICU patients at a tertiary hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. INTRODUCTION: Intensive care patients are at high risk of developing a pressure injury; preventing this requires a best practice protocol. METHOD: This best practice implementation project was conducted in a Brazilian tertiary hospital in three phases following the JBI Model of Evidence-based Healthcare. Ten criteria derived from the best available evidence were audited and monitored before and after best practice implementation. RESULTS: The baseline and follow-up audits evaluated 28 patients at each step. A total of 448 h of care were analyzed using a monitoring camera and medical records. Compliance with all 10 audited criteria increased, with a 50% reduction in the prevalence of pressure injuries in intensive care. Of the 223 employees, 71% claimed to have some knowledge of pressure injury prevention, and 66% reported adequate adherence to prevention protocols. CONCLUSION: The audit and feedback strategy improved compliance with the criteria. Future audits are needed to promote the sustainability of evidence-based practice.

Effectiveness of teaching strategies to improve critical thinking in nurses in clinical practice: a systematic review protocol.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this review is to identify and synthesize the best available evidence on the effectiveness of teaching strategies aimed at improving critical thinking (CT) in registered nurses who provide direct patient care. Specifically, the research question is: What are the best teaching strategies to improve CT skills in registered nurses who provide direct patient care?

Long-Term Follow-Up Evaluation of Renal Function in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Undergoing Cardiac Surgery.

Background. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication of cardiac surgery but its long-term consequences, in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), are not known. Methods. We compared the long-term prognoses of CKD patients who developed (n = 23) and did not develop (n = 35) AKI during the period of hospitalization after undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Fifty-eight patients who survived (69.6 ± 8.4 years old, 72% males, 83% Whites, 52% diabetics, baseline GFR: 46 ± 16 mL/min) were followed up for 47.8 ± 16.4 months and treated for secondary prevention of events. Results. There were 6 deaths, 4 in the AKI+ and 2 in the AKI- group (Log-rank = 0.218), two attributed to CV causes. At the end of the study, renal function was similar in the two groups. One AKI- patient was started on dialysis. Only 4 patients had an increase in serum creatinine ≥ 0.5 mg/dL during follow-up. Conclusion. CKD patients developing AKI that survived the early perioperative period of coronary intervention present good renal and nonrenal long-term prognosis, compared to patients who did not develop AKI.