Improving Outcomes for Critically Ill Cardiovascular Patients Through Increased Physical Therapy Staffing.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To examine the effect of increasing physical therapy (PT) staff in a cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU) on temporal measures of PT interventions and on outcomes important to patients and hospitals.

Design

Retrospective pre/post subgroup analysis from a quality improvement initiative.

Setting

Academic medical center.

Participants

Cardiovascular patients in either a baseline (N=52) or quality improvement period (N=62) with a CVICU length of stay (LOS) ≥7 days and use of any one of the following: mechanical ventilation, continuous renal replacement therapy, or mechanical circulatory support.

Interventions

The 6-month quality improvement initiative increased CVICU-dedicated PT staff from 2 to 4.

Main outcome measures

Changes in physi

SUBMITTER: Johnson JK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6348132 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature