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Background: Patients treated in the intensive care unit require enteral feedings to maintain adequate nutrition during critical illness. Aim of the study: to compare the effect of intermittent enteral feeding by using syringe pump versus hospital blended formula by using feeding bag on patients’ outcomes. Setting: was carried out in three settings at Assiut university hospital. Sample: A randomized controlled experimental study in which seventy patients were selected by convenience sampling and assigned into two equal groups (35 patients each). Both groups received 2000 ml of feed per day and the same formula per day which was 30-35ml/kg of water, 1.5 g/kg of protein. The only manipulation was in the flow rate and the device by which the feed was administered. Tools: The three tools used in this study were developed by the researcher based on reviewing of the literatures. The first tool was general assessment sheet, the second tool is the feeding assessment sheet, The third tool is Patients' outcomes evaluation sheet Results: There were significant statistical differences between the outcomes of the two groups. The complications in the intermittent enteral feeding group were lower than those in feeding bag group as in gastrointestinal (P

Background Impaired sleep is a common complaint among patients undergoing major surgery and may be a contributing factor in postoperative pain. The provision of eye masks to patients after cardiac surgery may reduce postoperative pain through improvements in sleep quality. Objective To examine the effect of nocturnal eye masks on postoperative pain and sleep quality in cardiac surgical patients. Methods In this randomized controlled trial, 70 adult patients who had undergone cardiac surgery requiring immediate postoperative care in the intensive care unit were randomly assigned to sleep with or without nocturnal eye masks for the first 3 nights in the unit. A visual analog scale was used to assess pain intensity, and the Arabic version of the Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire was used to assess subjective sleep quality. Results A total of 66 patients completed the trial. A statistically significant difference was found between groups in mean total Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire score over the 3-day study period (P = .001), with the intervention group reporting better sleep quality. A statistically significant difference was also found between groups in mean pain score on days 1, 2, and 3 (P < .001), with the intervention group having less pain. Conclusion Nocturnal eye masks are a simple, low-risk, low-cost intervention that may contribute to reductions in perceived pain in cardiac surgery patients.

Background Patients in intensive care units require comprehensive care. Hence, improving health care quality depends on accurate assessment and documentation. Aim To develop and validate the content of an assessment sheet for critically ill patients. Study design and methods A Delphi design study was conducted between January and March 2020. The content validity index (CVI) was used to calculate the degree of agreement among the experts to analyse the instrument and the entire set of items. Content validity was determined by seven experts (three critical care nursing professionals, two critical care doctors, and two anaesthesiologists) using a four-point Likert scale. They evaluated the items in terms of the following: 1 = "irrelevant," 2 = "somewhat relevant if the phrasing is profoundly adjusted," 3 = "relevant with some adjustment as to phrasing," and 4 = "very relevant." The CVI was applied, and the accepted value was ≥0.50. Results Three rounds of evaluation were required to achieve the minimum index. The items were reviewed for content and face validity. The instrument was validated with 86 items with a total CVI of 0.90, a face validity of 1, and a scale-level content validity index/universal agreement calculation method (S-CVI/UA) value of 0.813. Conclusion This instrument can help nurses, doctors, academics, and students assess patients in intensive care units. Recommendations Further research should be conducted to assess the construct validity and reliability of this newly developed instrument. It can then be recommended for use in intensive care units because of its ability to improve the management of the care of critically ill patients.

Sağır, Özlem (Balikesir Author), Introduction More than 300 million surgical procedures are performed each year. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after major surgery and is associated with adverse short-term and long-term outcomes. However, there is a large variation in the incidence of reported AKI rates. The establishment of an accurate epidemiology of surgery-associated AKI is important for healthcare policy, quality initiatives, clinical trials, as well as for improving guidelines. The objective of the Epidemiology of Surgery-associated Acute Kidney Injury (EPIS-AKI) trial is to prospectively evaluate the epidemiology of AKI after major surgery using the latest Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) consensus definition of AKI. Methods and analysis EPIS-AKI is an international prospective, observational, multicentre cohort study including 10 000 patients undergoing major surgery who are subsequently admitted to the ICU or a similar high dependency unit. The primary endpoint is the incidence of AKI within 72 hours after surgery according to the KDIGO criteria. Secondary endpoints include use of renal replacement therapy (RRT), mortality during ICU and hospital stay, length of ICU and hospital stay and major adverse kidney events (combined endpoint consisting of persistent renal dysfunction, RRT and mortality) at day 90. Further, we will evaluate preoperative and intraoperative risk factors affecting the incidence of postoperative AKI. In an add-on analysis, we will assess urinary biomarkers for early detection of AKI. Ethics and dissemination EPIS-AKI has been approved by the leading Ethics Committee of the Medical Council North Rhine-Westphalia, of the Westphalian Wilhelms-University Münster and the corresponding Ethics Committee at each participating site. Results will be disseminated widely and published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at conferences and used to design further AKI-related trials. Trial registration number NCT04165369. ©

Terlipressin, in general, is a vasopressor which acts via V1 receptors. Its infusion elevates mean blood pressure and can reduce bleeding which has a splanchnic origin. The primary outcome was to assess the impact of intraoperative terlipressin infusion on portal venous pressure during hepatobiliary surgery; the 2ry outcomes included effects upon systemic hemodynamics, estimated blood loss, and postoperative renal functions. This prospective randomized study involved 50 patients undergoing hepatobiliary surgery who were randomly and equally allocated into terlipressin group, or a control group. The terlipressin group received an initial bolus dose of (1 mg over 30 min) followed by a continuous infusion of 2 μg/kg/h throughout the procedure and gradually weaned over the first four postoperative hours, whereas the control group received the same volumes of normal saline. The portal venous pressure changes were measured directly through a portal vein angiocatheter. Portal pressure was significantly reduced over time in the terlipressin group only (from 17.88 ± 7.32 to 15.96 ± 6.55 mmHg, p

Background Blood loss and perioperative blood transfusion requirements affect the long-term survival after liver resection for malignant tumours. Terlipressin is a synthetic vasopressin analogue with relative specificity for the splanchnic circulation where it causes vasoconstriction with subsequent reduction of blood loss during abdominal surgeries. We tried to examine the impact of terlipressin on blood loss and blood transfusion needs during liver resection. Methods In this randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled trial 84 patients scheduled for major liver resections were randomly assigned to receive either terlipressin at the onset of surgery as an initial bolus dose of (1 mg over 30 minutes) followed by a continuous infusion of 2 μg/kg/h throughout the procedure (Terlipressin group) or the same volume and rate of 0.9% saline (Placebo group).The primary outcome was the amount of intra-operative blood loss. Results The mean (SD) of the amount of intra-operative blood loss was 1351 (887) in the terlipressin group versus 1892 (889) mL in the placebo group (P = 0.006). Thirteen (30%) patients received blood transfusion in the terlipressin group compared with t27 (64.2%) in the placebo group (P = 0.002) with a statistically significant difference in the median (range) number of the transfused units of packed RBCs [0 (0-5) units and 1 (0-6) units in the two groups respectively; P = 0.001]. Conclusion Terlipressin infusion during major liver resection was associated with less bleeding compared to placebo. More studies are required to confirm our results especially in patients with normal portal pressure.

Background Shoulder pain is a commonly observed but mostly neglected consequence of cesarean section and little is known as well as explored about intraoperative shoulder pain. We conducted this randomized prospective double-blinded study to evaluate the efficacy of ketorolac in reducing the incidence and severity of intraoperative shoulder pain in patients undergoing cesarean section. Methods Two hundred ASA I and II patients scheduled to undergo elective cesarean section under spinal anesthesia were randomized to receive either intravenous ketorolac 30 mg (ketorolac group) or normal saline (control group). The primary outcome was the incidence of intraoperative shoulder pain. Secondary outcomes were severity of intraoperative shoulder pain, amount of intraoperative blood loss, incidence of hypotension, bradycardia and request for intraoperative rescue analgesia. Results The incidence of intraoperative shoulder pain in the control group was significantly higher than the ketorolac group (P = 0.003). Severity of shoulder pain and requests for intraoperative analgesia was significantly higher in the control group (P = 0.012, P = 0.006 respectively). Patients in the Ketorolac group experienced significantly higher incidences of bradycardia (P = 0.037). Conclusion 30 mg ketorolac administered intravenously just before the operation could decrease incidence and severity of intraoperative shoulder pain in patients undergoing cesarean section. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrial.gov (Registration number: NCT02380898 , first registered in 01/03/2015).

The purpose of the study is to highlight that prolonged blocks with spinal anesthesia are not usually due to neurologic defects. Consent for data publication was obtained. A 35-year-old female patient with right upper tibial chondrosarcoma was planned to undergo excision and reconstruction with a free vascularized fibular graft. The patient had no significant medical history. We gave spinal anesthesia, which is to be continued with general anesthesia after regression of the sensory level. After 3 hours, we evaluated the patient for the second time to find sensory block at T10 level. It was decided to carry out these evaluations hourly and wait for general anesthesia. Ten hours after the spinal anesthesia, the sensory block was still at T10 level. After 13 hours, the surgical procedure was finished, and the sensory block was still at T10 level and the motor block according to the Bromage scale remained at grade 4. A computed tomography was performed and did not reveal signs of spinal compression, spinal canal stenosis, or other anomalies (magnetic resonance imaging was unavailable). A complete motor and sensory recovery from the spinal block was observed 20 hours after spinal anesthesia. We present a case of major microscopic surgery done over 13 hours with a single shot of spinal anesthesia in a 35-year-old female patient. Complete recovery of sensory and motor blocks has been after 20 hours. We also review other cases of unusually prolonged spinal blocks and the possible differential diagnosis for that.

Background and objective: Elevated pressure within the cavity of the abdomen is a serious complication that can threat the life of critically ill patients. Thus, there is an intense need to highlight the outcomes of intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) that can face critical care nurses. This work aimed to explore the deterioration of mechanical ventilated patients in the presence of IAH.Methods: Design: A non-randomized prospective study. Procedures: This trial was implemented in trauma and general intensive care in the period between December 2015 and August 2016. The pressure within the abdomen was measured for each patient, three times with 8-hr interval, at the third day of mechanical ventilator (MV). Sepsis-related organ failure assessment score was measured for all patients at first day of admission. All patients who had normal intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) or developed IAH were observed, monitored and evaluated for the clinical outcomes until discharged. Results: Of the 60 MV patients, 83.3% developed IAH. Higher mean of MV and stay period among patients with increased pressure within the abdomen (14.04 ± 10.30 and 16.30 ± 9.36) than normotensive patients (6.90 ± 2.80 and 11.000 ± 3.77) with significant difference (p = .001). Non-survivor had a significantly higher mean IAP than survivor (23.266 ± 2.37 vs. 7.91 ± 3.17) (p value < .001).Conclusions: The occurrence of IAH complicated 83.3% of mechanical ventilated clients in the study period: like longer stay and use of ventilator, and high mortality rate.