noise in critical care

Continuous glucose monitoring systems (CGMs) are critical toward closed-loop diabetes management. The field's progress urges next-generation CGMs with enhanced antinoise ability, reliability, and wearability. Here, we propose a coin-sized, fully integrated, and wearable CGM, achieved by holistically synergizing state-of-the-art interdisciplinary technologies of biosensors, minimally invasive tools, and hydrogels. The proposed CGM consists of three major parts: (i) an emerging biochemical signal amplifier, the organic electrochemical transistor (OECT), improving the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) beyond traditional electrochemical sensors; (ii) a microneedle array to facilitate subcutaneous glucose sampling with minimized pain; and (iii) a soft hydrogel to stabilize the skin-device interface...

BACKGROUND: ICU outcomes are continuing to improve. However, this has not been matched by similar improvements of the ICU bedspace environment, which can detrimentally impact on patient outcomes. Excessive sound and noise, especially, has been linked with adverse and potentially preventable patient outcomes and staff errors. There are many sources of sound in the ICU, with alarms from bedside equipment frequently listed as a main source. The number of alarms is increasing in parallel with the introduction of new and more sophisticated technologies to monitor and support patients...

PURPOSE: The standard of care for prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis is the histopathological analysis of tissue samples obtained via transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided biopsy. Models built with deep neural networks (DNNs) hold the potential for direct PCa detection from TRUS, which allows targeted biopsy and subsequently enhances outcomes. Yet, there are ongoing challenges with training robust models, stemming from issues such as noisy labels, out-of-distribution (OOD) data, and limited labeled data...

INTRODUCTION: Military operations are no longer limited to the application of counterterrorism and counterinsurgency strategies; they are now characterized by hybrid, irregular, and unconventional features. While some authors have indicated the need for medical support to adapt to these new modes of military operations, they have focused mainly on the tactical level of care on the battlefield. As Sun Tzu states, "Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat," further proposals are still needed on the application of both medical tactics and medical strategies in irregular warfare...

BACKGROUND: Alarm fatigue among nurses working in the intensive care unit has garnered considerable attention as a national patient safety priority. A viable solution for reducing the frequency of alarms and unnecessary noise is intensive care unit alarm monitor customization. LOCAL PROBLEM: A 24-bed cardiovascular and thoracic surgery intensive care unit in a large academic medical center identified a high rate of alarms and associated noise as a problem contributing to nurse alarm fatigue...

OBJECTIVE: To analyze and compare the current Spanish and Chilean regulations regarding occupational risk prevention, regarding the existence of specific indications that protect the occupational health and safety of people over 55 years of age. METHOD: Qualitative study in which a documentary content analysis was carried out using ATLAS/ti. The sample was 88 regulatory documents on occupational risk prevention for Spain and Chile. The guidance of the European Agency for Safety at Work (EU-OSHA) regarding age-critical risks was followed...

With increasing computing power, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have prospered, which facilitate the analysis of large datasets, especially those found in critical care. It is important to define these terminologies, to inform a standardized approach to critical care research. This manuscript hopes to clarify these terms with examples from medical literature. Three major components that are required for a successful ML implementation: (i) reliable dataset, (ii) ML algorithm, and (iii) unbiased model evaluation, are discussed...

BACKGROUND: Photoplethysmography (PPG) signals are sensitive to motion-induced interference, leading to the emergence of motion artifacts (MA) and baseline drift, which significantly affect the accuracy of PPG measurements. OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study is to effectively eliminate baseline drift and high-frequency noise from PPG signals, ensuring that the signal's critical frequency components remain within the range of 1 ∼ 10 Hz. METHODS: This paper introduces a novel hybrid denoising method for PPG signals, integrating Variational Mode Decomposition (VMD) with an improved wavelet threshold function...

BACKGROUND: Dual-energy CT (DECT) systems provide valuable material-specific information by simultaneously acquiring two spectral measurements, resulting in superior image quality and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) while reducing radiation exposure and contrast agent usage. The selection of DECT scan parameters, including x-ray tube settings and fluence, is critical for the stability of the reconstruction process and hence the overall image quality. PURPOSE: The goal of this study is to propose a systematic theoretical method for determining the optimal DECT parameters for minimal noise and maximum CNR in virtual monochromatic images (VMIs) for fixed subject size and total radiation dose...

RATIONALE: Summarizing the perioperative nursing experience in the successful treatment of 4 neonates with critical pulmonary stenosis (CPS). PATIENT CONCERNS: Of the 4 patients, 3 had postnatal shortness of breath and varying degrees of cyanosis, aggravated by crying and noise, and 1 had no obvious shortness of breath and cyanosis. The preoperative auscultation of the precordial region could be heard 3-4/6 systolic murmur; echocardiography was diagnosed as CPS, combined with patent ductus arteriosus, right ventricular dysplasia, and severe tricuspid regurgitation...

BACKGROUND: Quality of work life (QWL) refers to the degree to which employees contribute to the organization's goals while also experiencing personal and professional satisfaction. This study conducted to evaluate the quality of nursing work life (QNWL) level and its associated factors among nurses working in critical care units. METHODS: A convenience sample technique among critical care nurses in Jordan by using a cross-sectional, descriptive design. A self-reported questionnaire was used...

The use of deep learning algorithms to extract meaningful diagnostic features from biomedical images holds the promise to improve patient care given the expansion of digital pathology. Among these deep learning models, Vision Transformer (ViT) models have been demonstrated to capture long-range spatial relationships with more robust prediction power for image classification tasks than regular convolutional neural network (CNN) models, and also better model interpretability. Model interpretation is important for understanding and elucidating how a deep learning model makes predictions, especially for developing transparent models for digital pathology...

Pneumonia, a respiratory disease often caused by bacterial infection in the distal lung, requires rapid and accurate identification, especially in settings such as critical care. Initiating or de-escalating antimicrobials should ideally be guided by the quantification of pathogenic bacteria for effective treatment. Optical endomicroscopy is an emerging technology with the potential to expedite bacterial detection in the distal lung by enabling in vivo and in situ optical tissue characterisation. With advancements in detector technology, Optical endomicroscopy can utilize fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) to help detect events that were previously challenging or impossible to identify using fluorescence intensity imaging...

In the urban environment, the quality refers to the capacity that provides and fulfills the material and spiritual needs of inhabitants. In order to improve the quality of urban life and standard of living for their citizens, planners and managers strive to raise Urban Environmental Quality. The objective of this study is to evaluate the quality of urban environment through the spatial analysis of a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) method utilizing CRITIC. This research is conducted in district 4 and district 2 of the Tabriz Metropolis Municipality...

SIGNIFICANCE: The non-invasive measurement of cerebral blood flow based on diffuse optical techniques has seen increased interest as a research tool for cerebral perfusion monitoring in critical care and functional brain imaging. Diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) and speckle contrast optical spectroscopy (SCOS) are two such techniques that measure complementary aspects of the fluctuating intensity signal, with DCS quantifying the temporal fluctuations of the signal and SCOS quantifying the spatial blurring of a speckle pattern...

AIM: To critically assess the effects of white noise on the pain level, weight gain and vital signs (heart rate, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation) of preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). DESIGN: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS: Ten databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SinoMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP and Wanfang Data) were systematically reviewed from inception to July 2022...

Orthopaedic surgeries pose various risks to the health of orthopaedic surgeons: radiation, noise, infection, chemical exposure, and musculoskeletal injury. These are associated with short and long-term health problems including malignancy and teratogenicity. Orthopaedic surgeons' health is critical to ensure optimal patient care. Most of these hazards can be obviated or minimized by adopting rigorous prevention protocols and raising awareness. Further related research is warranted and guidelines regarding prevention need to be framed by regulatory bodies...

BACKGROUND: Pain, when treated inadequately, puts preterm infants at a greater risk of developing clinical and behavioural sequelae because of their immature pain system. Preterm infants in need of intensive care are repeatedly and persistently exposed to noxious stimuli, and this happens during a critical window of their brain development with peak rates of brain growth, exuberant synaptogenesis and the developmental regulation of specific receptor populations. Nearly two-thirds of infants born at less than 29 weeks' gestation require mechanical ventilation for some duration during the newborn period...

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the voice use of nurses working in intensive care units (ICUs) and their perception of acoustic environments. SETTING AND SAMPLE: The research was conducted in four different hospitals in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 60 ICU nurses were recruited for their voice use monitoring and 100 nurses participated in the survey. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: Firstly, voice-related parameters such as voice level (SPL, dB), fundamental frequency (F0, Hz), and voicing time percentage (Dt, %) were measured using a vocal monitor...

Conventional imaging systems can only capture light intensity. Meanwhile, the lost phase information may be critical for a variety of applications such as label-free microscopy and optical metrology. Existing phase retrieval techniques typically require a bulky setup, multiframe measurements, or prior information of the target scene. Here, we proposed an extremely compact system for complex amplitude imaging, leveraging the extreme versatility of a single-layer metalens to generate spatially multiplexed and polarization phase-shifted point spread functions...