Heart & Lung : the Journal of Critical Care

BACKGROUND: Thirst is a frequent and burdening symptom in many patients, especially in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and/or receiving hemodialysis (HD). As drug therapies are not feasible, non-pharmacological strategies are needed to reduce thirst and thirst-related burden. OBJECTIVES: To identify non-pharmacological interventions aiming to reduce thirst in patients with CHF and/ or HD, to describe intervention components, and to evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions...

BACKGROUND: Validating walking trails is essential to promote physical activity (PA) safely and confidently in people with COPD. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to validate predetermined light, moderate, and vigorous intensities of walking trails in people with COPD. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included individuals with COPD walking in predetermined light, moderate and vigorous intensity trails. Activity intensity and volume outcomes were collected...

BACKGROUND: Cardiogenic shock (CS), a complex and life-threatening medical condition, has an astounding hospital mortality rate spanning from 40 % to 59 %. Frequently, CS requires the use of pulmonary artery catheters (PACs) for management. OBJECTIVE: This literature review aims to investigate the relationship between PAC utilization in CS patients and in-hospital 30-day mortality rates compared to noninvasive vital sign monitoring alone. METHODS: An integrative literature search was conducted from January 1, 2003, until August 1, 2023...

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial evaluation for transplant suitability is required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as a condition of participation for transplant programs. There are no regulations regarding follow-up reassessment for transplant readiness after waitlisting. OBJECTIVES: An evidence-based pilot project was developed and implemented to evaluate the feasibility of psychosocial readiness assessments for waitlisted heart transplantation candidates...

BACKGROUND: Causal association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure (HF) has been controversial. This study used Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis to clarify the potential causal connection between these two conditions. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to investigate the causal relationship between COPD and HF based on the hypothesis that the genetic predisposition to COPD could lead to an increased risk of developing HF METHODS: A two-sample MR analysis of genetic data was performed for COPD and HF...

BACKGROUND: The use of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) is increasing with an estimated 2500 devices implanted each year. When burdens of the LVAD outweigh benefits, most individuals with LVADs will undergo deactivation in the hospital setting. While the decision to deactivate an LVAD is considered an ethical practice, little is known about the experience and needs of bereaved family members. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the experiences of bereaved family members of patients who died following LVAD deactivation...

BACKGROUND: The incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is increasing among young and middle-aged people, and such patients need to be reemployed after AMI events from the individual and society perspectives. However, the situation of employment after AMI was not ideal. Early identification of patients vulnerable to decreased work ability and provided targeted intervention may be beneficial. OBJECTIVE: To identify the profiles and associated factors of work ability in young and middle-aged AMI patients...

BACKGROUND: Solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) are more likely to suffer complications after being infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). OBJECTIVES: We aimed to describe the clinical features of SOTRs infected with SARS-CoV-2 and to assess independent risk factors associated with the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) following COVID-19 infection in SOTRs based on the new ARDS definition. METHODS: 358 SOTRs infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recruited and divided into two groups, patients with ARDS (n = 81) and patients without ARDS (n = 277)...

BACKGROUND: Iron Deficiency (ID) is common in Heart Failure (HF) and associated with poor outcomes. Replacement with intravenous (IV) iron can improve functional status, quality of life and risk of unplanned admission. In 2015/16 a local service evaluation was performed which found that of people admitted with HF, only 27.5 % had assessment of iron status, and when identified, replacement occurred in fewer than half. Education strategies were employed to increase awareness of the importance of assessment and correction...

BACKGROUND: Previous observational studies have suggested associations between Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and Mental Health Disorders (MHD). However, the causal nature of these relationships has remained elusive. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to elucidate the causal relationships between eight distinct types of CHD and six types of MHD using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. METHODS: The MR analysis employed a suite of methods including inverse variance-weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, weighted mode, weighted median, and simple mode techniques...

BACKGROUND: Early cardiac rehabilitation plays a crucial role in the recovery of patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This study sought to determine the effect of a program of sitting Baduanjin exercises on early cardiac rehabilitation. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of sitting Baduanjin exercises on cardiovascular and psychosocial functions in patients with STEMI following PCI...

BACKGROUND: The health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with heart failure (HF) in rural settings in China remains unclear. Limited studies explored the mediating effect of uncertainty in illness between heart failure symptoms and HRQoL in this population. OBJECTIVES: To explore the status of HRQoL in rural patients with HF; assess the impact of HF symptoms and uncertainty in illness on HRQoL; and examine the mediating effect of uncertainty in illness on the relationship between symptoms and HRQoL in rural patients with HF...

BACKGROUND: Heart Failure (HF) is a growing global public health problem affecting approximately 64 million people worldwide. OBJECTIVES: The Heart Failure Patient Foundation developed a position statement to advocate for adult patients with HF to be an active participant in research and for HF leaders to integrate patients throughout the research process. METHODS: A review of the literature and best practices was conducted. Based on the evidence, the HF Patient Foundation made recommendations regarding the inclusion of adult patients with HF throughout the research process...

BACKGROUND: Social determinants of health (SDOH) may influence the clinical management of patients with heart failure. Further research is warranted on the relationship between SDOH and Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) therapy for heart failure. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this integrative review was to synthesize the state of knowledge on the intersection of SDOH with VAD therapy. METHODS: Guided by Whittemore and Knafl's methodology, this literature search captured three concepts of interest including VAD therapy, SDOH, and their domains of intersection with patient selection, decision-making, treatment outcome, and resource allocation...

BACKGROUND: Oxygen therapy constitutes a crucial element of post-cardiac operative care. The study assessed the effectiveness of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) in comparison to conventional oxygen therapy (COT). OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of HFNC in comparison to COT for adult patients following cardiac surgery. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search of Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases from inception until April 18, 2023, to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and crossover studies that compared the efficacy of HFNC with COT in adult patients following cardiac surgery...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: The presence of family members in an isolated ICU during an isolation disease outbreak is restricted by hospital policies because of the infectious risk. This can be overcome by conferring to family members the skill and the ability to safely don and doff the personal protective equipment (PPE) through a nurse-led training intervention and assess their satisfaction, to respond to the need to define a safe, effective and quality care pathway focused on Family-Centered Care (FCC) principles...

BACKGROUND: Several studies have shown that dietary isoflavones are negatively correlated with total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. However, few studies have investigated the link between dietary isoflavones and remnant cholesterol (RC). OBJECTIVES: We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database to explore the association between dietary isoflavone intake and RC. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 4731 participants aged ≥ 20 years from the 2007-2008, 2009-2010, and 2017-2018 NHANES databases...

BACKGROUND: Few studies have investigated the prevalence of pathogens in patients with acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (AE-IPF), specifically, the interactions between respiratory pathogens and AE-IPF during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to analyze pathogens in patients with AE-IPF between September 2020 and December 2022. METHODS: This retrospective observational study was conducted at our hospital between September 2020 and December 2022...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.