[Cardiorespiratory arrest in the intensive care unit: theoretical considerations on factors related with iatrogenic events]. / Parada cardiorrespiratória na unidade de terapia intensiva: considerações teóricas sobre os fatores relacionados às ocorrências iatrogênicas.

The attendance of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) demands rapidity, efficiency, scientific knowledge and technical ability. Still, an adequate infra structure is vital as well as the accomplishment of an harmonic and synchronized work and team performance, in order to promote the patient's backup. Iatrogenic factors related to attendance of CPR in the Intensive Care Unit may be due to professional inexperience, insufficient staff and problems with material or equipments. Thus, the team must be prepared to assist the patient efficiently, as resuscitation should restore the life process and not prolong the death process.

[Iatrogenic occurrences in health care: difficulties involved in the subject study]. / Considerações sobre as ocorrências iatrogênicas na assistência à saúde: dificuldades inerentes ao estudo do tema.

The author examines the main difficulties involved in the study of iatrogenic occurrences in health care. Conceptual problems and difficulties related to research methodologies issues are discussed.

[Iatrogenic episodes at the ICU and the quality approach]. / Ocorrências iatrogênicas na UTI e o enfoque de qualidade.

Regarding iatrogenic occurrences in ICUs as events that interfere with the quality of the care given to critical patients, the author contextualizes such occurrences by taking into account the principles of Total Quality Management as a theoretical framework.

[Cardiopulmonary arrest at the intensive care unit: analysis of iatrogenic episodes during care]. / Parada cardiorrespiratória na Unidade de Terapia intensiva: análise das ocorrências iatrogênicas durante o atendimento.

It is a descriptive-exploratory study which made use of the Critical incident Technique either to obtain and carry out the data analysis. Hundred and three nursing professionals working in two general ICUs of a Hospital located in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, provided reports concerning CPR situations. From the total of 126 situations obtained: failure in performing technical procedures (58.6%); problems concerning material resources and equipment (31.2%) and lacking coordination of activities (8.6%). Regarding the consequences generated by the type of attendance, patients[symbol: see text] death (70%) and immediate survival (30%). The results point the need for higher investments in the multiprofessional ICU team capability, as well as in the need to furnish them with adequate material and equipment viewing to minimize iatrogenic occurrences during the attendance.

[Human resources for the intensive care unit at the municipal district of São Paulo]. / Recursos humanos das unidades de terapia intensiva do Município de São Paulo.

The study had the purpose to investigate aspects of the ICUs from the Municipal district of São Paulo, regarding the composition of the clinical staff; characteristics of the nursing personnel and nurses' characterization. Data were collected through 47 questionnaires distributed in 32 hospitals. Results show that: the morning and the afternoon shifts have a larger number of people from all clinical categories, the majority of the nursing personnel work 36 hours per week, nurses' wages varied from 700 to 1,500 "reais" and 66.1% of them were enrolled in Master Programs. Authors concluded that 79.2% of the clinical staff was formed by the nursing personnel.

[Follow-up of nurses graduated from the University of Sao Paulo: their integration into intensive care units]. / Seguimento do enfermeiro graduado na Escola de Enfermagem da USP: sua inserção em Unidades de Terapia Intensiva.

The purposes of this research was to identify the activities developed by the nurses after undergraduation course at the School of Nursing of the University of São Paulo and to characterize their insertion in Intensive Care Units (ICUs), in relation to have been or not their first area of job, their previous experience in ICU, the specific initial training and difficulties faced to take on the ICU activities. The population was composed by nurses graduated between 1991 and 1995. A rol of names, addresses and telephone numbers was obtained at the school office. Two hundred and thirty five questionnaires were sent by mail and 117 (49.8%) were returned. The majority of the respondents (90.5%) were working as nurses, mainly in hospitals, which was the most indicated area of work (76.2%). Almost half of the informants (47.0%) said they worked or were working in ICUs and for 54.5% of them, this was their first job; 52.8% had no previous experience in ICU. Although 64.1% of these nurses had received a specific initial training, some difficulties to take on the ICU activities were faced: lack of knowledge and psychomotor skills (45.4%), handling equipments (25.8%) and relationship with the multiprofessional and the nursing team (8.2%).

[Follow-up of nurses who have finished the specialization courses in intensive care nursing]. / Seguimento dos enfermeiros egressos dos cursos de especialização em enfermagem em cuidados intensivos.

The purpose of this study was to analyse the contribution of the Extension Courses in the Intensive Care held at the Nursing School from USP, with the aim to: 1) Follow up nurses in their work at the ICU. 2) Evaluate the contribution offered by the course. The population was formed by 38 nurses, considering that 60.5% didn't work in the ICU anymore mainly because they assumed another function in the institution and had several private problems. Regarding the contribution offered by the course, the main evaluation was the acquirement of knowledge (91.7%). However, 74.2% of the nurses declared the course didn't contribute to the increase of their wage, what do not impair them from investing in their professional improvement.

[Continuing education of the intensive care units nursing staff in the city of Sao Paulo]. / Educação continuada da equipe de enfermagem nas UTIs do município de São Paulo.

This study is part of a project about ICU's characteristics in São Paulo city. This article describes the continuing education programs for nursing staff. 43 ICUs were analysed and the questionnaire answered by the ICU nurse coordinator was used to collect data. Results showed that 34 (79.1%) of the ICUs have initial program for training each nursing staff category and 18 (41.9%) had regular continuing education program focusing primarily on nursing procedures and routines and the update in pathologies. Continuing education programs are developed primarily by ICU's nurses. 50.2% of the nurses answered that they attended specialisation/extension courses too, in Medical Surgical Nursing or in other areas or in both areas. Due to this result and the development of the ICU's nurses as specialists, some suggestions are presented to improve the continuing education program in these Units.

[Adverse effects of drugs in intensive care units: analysis of the administration of electrolyte solutions and antibiotics]. / Ocorrências adversas com medicação em unidade de terapia intensiva: análise da administração de soluções hidroeletrolíticas e antibióticos.

The aims of this study were: 1) to verify the incidence of adverse occurrences (AOs) with medication related to the time of electrolyte solutions infusion and the frequency of doses of antibiotics prescribed and administered to the patients; 2) to characterize the nature of those occurrences. The study was developed in two ICUs of a general hospital of São Paulo City. The population was composed by 51 patients that were in the ICUs in August of 1996. Sixty percent of the patients were older than 60 years, 58.8% were women, 49.1% remained in ICU from 1 to 4 days and 41.2% went to the Intermediate Care Units after ICU. Regarding the incidence of AOs related to the time of administration of the electrolyte solutions and the frequency of doses of antibiotics the non execution of the patient's medical prescriptions was verified in 76.3% and 38.8% respectively. The largest frequency of irregularities with the electrolyte solutions (60.2%) was the infusion faster than the prescribed time followed by the reduction of the number of doses of antibiotics administered. Taking these into consideration we have to invest in preventive measures to reduce those occurrences.

[The physical assessment and the intensive care unit nurse]. / O exame físico e o enfermeiro de UTI.

The goal of this study was to analyse some practicing, teaching and learning aspects of physical examination done by ICU's nurses. It was accomplished with 26 ICU nurses that concluded the Intensive Care Nursing Specialization Course at the School of Nursing at São Paulo University. The results showed that 31 (68.9%) of the 45 presented items were done frequently by more than 50% of the nurses. The professional practice was considered the most important moment to physical examination learning. The responsibility by teaching was attributed to undergraduation course by 69.2% of the nurses.

[The characterization of the patients in 2 intensive therapy units (ICU): the biosocial conditions, the hospitalization process and the therapeutic interventions]. / Caracterização dos pacientes de duas unidades de terapia intensiva (UTI): condições bio-sociais, processo de internação e intervenções terapêuticas.

The objective of this study was to characterize the patients of two intensive care units (ICU) considering the structural variables, provenance, permanence and the destination after the discharge, the main diagnosis, invasive procedures and to classify them based on therapeutic procedures.