[Analgesia, sedation, neuromuscular blockade and delirium management practices in Chilean intensive care units]. / Prácticas nacionales de analgesia, sedación y delirium en las Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos de adultos en Chile.

BACKGROUND: The appropriate use of analgesia, sedation, neuromuscular blockade and the diagnosis and prevention of delirium (ASBD) are associated with better outcomes in critically ill patients at Intensive Care Unit (ICUs). AIM: To know the practices about analgesia, sedation, delirium, and neuromuscular blockade use among healthcare professionals working in adult ICUs in Chile. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An electronic survey was sent to 812 professionals working in ICUs using a previously published instrument, which was adapted and authorized by the author. RESULTS: We received 278 surveys. Fifty two percent of respondents were physicians, 34% nurses and 11% physical therapists. Their age ranged between 30 and 39 years in 43% and was over 50 years in 9%. Eighty four percent evaluated pain routinely, but only 26% use a validated scale. Sedation was routinely evaluated with a validated scale and 73% referred to have a protocol. Neuromuscular block is seldom used, and little monitoring occurs (43%). Delirium is routinely evaluated by 48% of respondents, usually using the CAM-ICU scale. CONCLUSIONS: There is a heterogeneous adherence to the ASBD recommended practices. The main gaps are in the assessment of pain, monitoring of neuromuscular blockade and diagnosis of delirium through validated instruments.

Prácticas nacionales de analgesia, sedación y delirium en las Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos de adultos en Chile / Analgesia, sedation, neuromuscular blockade and delirium management practices in Chilean intensive care units

Background: The appropriate use of analgesia, sedation, neuromuscular blockade and the diagnosis and prevention of delirium (ASBD) are associated with better outcomes in critically ill patients at Intensive Care Unit (ICUs). Aim: To know the practices about analgesia, sedation, delirium, and neuromuscular blockade use among healthcare professionals working in adult ICUs in Chile. Material and Methods: An electronic survey was sent to 812 professionals working in ICUs using a previously published instrument, which was adapted and authorized by the author. Results: We received 278 surveys. Fifty two percent of respondents were physicians, 34% nurses and 11% physical therapists. Their age ranged between 30 and 39 years in 43% and was over 50 years in 9%. Eighty four percent evaluated pain routinely, but only 26% use a validated scale. Sedation was routinely evaluated with a validated scale and 73% referred to have a protocol. Neuromuscular block is seldom used, and little monitoring occurs (43%). Delirium is routinely evaluated by 48% of respondents, usually using the CAM-ICU scale. Conclusions: There is a heterogeneous adherence to the ASBD recommended practices. The main gaps are in the assessment of pain, monitoring of neuromuscular blockade and diagnosis of delirium through validated instruments.

Sistema hospitalario en situación de crisis: implementación de sistema de comando de incidentes para enfrentar pandemia SARS-CoV-2 en Clínica Las Condes, Chile / Implementation of incident command system to deal with SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Clínica Las Condes, Chile

La pandemia en Chile generó un desafío de modernización y gestión de los Cuidados Intensivos, haciendo necesario que las unidades de pacientes críticos realizaran un aumento de su capacidad hospitalaria, lo que requiere preparar una infraestructura, un equipamiento mínimo, protocolos y un equipo humano preparado y alineado, para garantizar la seguridad y calidad de atención a los pacientes. Una forma de lograrlo es la incorporación de la estrategia militar de Sistema de Comando de Incidentes, utilizado para enfrentar distintos tipos de desastres, con una estructura modular de comando y sus seccionales de trabajo, con diferentes equipos y líderes para hacer frentes a los variados desafíos. El objetivo de este artículo es describir la instauración del sistema de comando de incidentes en un hospital privado, detallando su conformación y los resultados logrados.

The pandemic in Chile has been a real challenge in terms of modernization and management of intensive care. Critical care units have been forced to increase their hospital capacity in terms of infrastructure, equipment, protocols and human team, while guaranteeing safety and high-quality patient care.One approach to achieve this objective is to develop the army strategy called incident command system that has been used to face different types of disaster. A modular command structure is developed based on the creation of teams each lead by an expert in different areas in order to cope with a variety of upcoming challenges.The objective of this article is to describe the setting up of a successful incident command system in a private hospital, detailing its formation and results obtained.

Gobernanza de enfermería: adaptación en tiempos de pandemia: experiencia en Clínica Las Condes / Nursing governance: adaptation in times of pandemic: experience at Clínica Las Condes

La pandemia SARS-CoV-2 ha desafiado el despliegue de todo el equipo de salud, movilizando no solo un recurso humano, también equipamiento, insumos y una infraestructura, que permita responder una alta demanda de pacientes críticos, que requirió abrir más camas críticas, manejada por un personal sanitario sin experiencia en UCI y con equipamiento e insumos limitados. El trabajo en equipo, la comunicación efectiva y el liderazgo en enfermería, son competencias esenciales en la primera ola de la pandemia, por lo que el objetivo de este artículo es describir la innovación de la orgánica estructural de enfermería, especialmente en las áreas de hospitalización de paciente crítico, para velar por el cuidado del paciente, la familia y el equipo de salud.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has challenged the deployment of the entire health team, mobilizing not only a human resource, but also equipment, supplies and an infrastructure, which allows responding to a high demand for critical patients, which required opening more critical beds, managed by health personnel without ICU experience and with limited equipment and supplies. Teamwork, effective communication and leadership in nursing are essential competencies in the first wave of the pandemic, so the objective of this article is to describe the innovation of the structural nursing organization, especially in hospitalization areas. Critical patient, to ensure the care of the patient, the family and the health team

Enfermedad metastásica de la columna vertebral / Metastatic spine disease

Siendo el cáncer la segunda causa de muerte en el mundo, las metástasis óseas son su tercera localización más frecuente, junto con la columna vertebral, ocupando el 65% de ellas. Lo anterior, sumado a una población envejeciendo y un abismante progreso en los tratamientos de quimio, radio y hormonoterapia, junto con técnicas quirúrgicas cada vez menos invasivas exige abordar este tema. Se realiza una revisión narrativa, con la literatura actual y consensos internacionales en el área, describiendo los factores que generan las metástasis vertebrales, sus síntomas de alarma (dolor y compromiso neurológico), métodos de estudio y diagnóstico (Rx, TAC, RMN, cintigrama óseo, Pet CT, biopsia) y método de clasificación de la compresión medular. Además, se revisan diferentes tipos de puntuación para la toma de decisión quirúrgica y se exponen las técnicas más modernas de tratamiento combinado de cirugía separación más radioterapia esterotáctica que ofrecen menor invasión al paciente con mejores resultados de control local de la enfermedad.

Being cancer the second cause of death in the world, bone metastases are its third most frequent location, along with the spine, occupying 65% of them. The aforementioned, added to an aging population and an abysmal progress in the treatments of Chemo, Radio and Hormone therapy, together with increasingly less invasive surgical techniques requires addressing this issue. A narrative review is carried out, with current literature and international consensus in the area, describing the factors that generate vertebral metastases, their alarm symptoms (pain and neurological compromise), study and diagnostic methods (Rx, CT Scan, MRI, Bone Scan, PET CT, needle Biopsy) and method of classification of spinal compression. In addition, different types of punctuation for surgical decision making are revised and the newer combine treatment with less invasive surgery plus Sterotactic High dose radiation is presented as the todaýs gold standard for the best local control for the Metastatic Spine Disease.