Background & Aims: A fter cancer and cardiovascular diseases, pressure ulcers are the third costly disorders. Most common causes of pressure ulcers development are age over 70 years, being male, white skin, smoking, low body mass index, impaired mobility, altered mental status, urinary and fecal incontinence, malnutrition, etc. Pressure ulcers are a potential complication of intensive care patients and preventing them is a major issue in nursing care.Materials & Methods: This article reviews newest preventive methods of pressure ulcers in ICU.Results: The prevalence of pressure ulcers in Intensive Care Unit is higher than other units. 8% to 40% of ICU patients develop bedsores because of immunocompromised individuals.Conclusion: Nursing care is regarded as the key factors in the prevention of pressure ulcers. Identification of patients at risk of pressure sore development is the most important issue in pressure sore prevention. The best predictive tool for pressure sores in the intensive care unit is the Braden Scale. This scale is divided into six risk categories: sensory perception, moisture activity mobility, nutrition friction, and shear.

Background and Aim: Nosocomial Infections are nearly the most important health problem in the world. The high costs of treatment, the great number of patients with high mortality and morbidity rates and also increased incidence of these infections are suggestive of the importance of these infections. The aim of this study was to assess the epidemiologic status and the rate of acquired infections together with their related factors in ICU and post ICU patients at Tohid Hospital, in Sanandaj.Material and Methods: This is a cross sectional descriptive study. The sample size included 160 patients who had been admitted to ICU and post ICU during a period of 6 months. Demographic data and prevalence rate of nosocomial infections and results of clinical and Para-clinical measures were recorded. The data were analyzed by means of SPSS-win software.Results: In our study the prevalence rate of nosocomial infections was 15.6%. The most frequent infections were pneumonia (68%), UTI (19.2%), bed sore (7.8%), sepsis (3.8%) and infections of unknown origin (3.8%). The most frequent isolated microorganisms were Klebsiella Pneumonia (47.05%), Ecoli (17.64%), and Entrobacter spp (17.64%). There was an important relationship between the duration of hospitalization and the prevalence rate of the infections (p=0.000). But there was no significant linkage between age, intubation or tracheostomy with the prevalence rate of the infections.Conclusions: The results of our study supported previous data concerning nosocomial infections. In order to decrease the rate of nosocomial infections, assignment of one nurse for one patient and proper hand washing should be emphasized.

Background: Sepsis is a very common serious medical condition among patients admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) that increases with age and ICU length of stay (LOS). Objectives: The primary goal of this study was to estimate the mortality rate due to sepsis among adult patients admitted to the mixed medical– surgical ICUs for a long time. The secondary goal was to identify factors associated with predicting ICU mortality in individuals with long-term ICU LOS. Methods: Adult patients admitted to the medical ICU for a long time (≥ 75 days) were included in this retrospective secondary analysis study. Baseline demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were recorded upon inclusion in the study. Results: ICU mortality occurred in 78 (43. 1%) patients, out of 188 participants. A greater portion of patients with sepsis at admission (62. 7%) were observed in the death group (59. 2% vs. 30. 8%, P < 0. 001), than the survivor group. Additionally, survived patients differed significantly in terms of age, family engagement, baseline cognitive impairment, activity, nurse anticipated turnover scale (ATS), duration of a mechanical ventilator (MV), and ICU LOS. The results of multivariate binary logistic regression showed that the older age and low family intervention can increase the risk of mortality in patients with sepsis at the time of admission, with a long ICU LOS. Conclusion: Our findings are crucially important to increase the awareness of the impact of sepsis, highlight the need for continued research into potential preventive and therapeutic interventions, and help guide resource allocation.

Background & Aims: Open ICU visiting is recommended because of positive effects on patients and relatives. However, patient visiting in Iranian’ s ICU is restricted now. Many issues around the subject have not been properly addressed. Here the visiting challenges have been discussed. Methods: This is a qualitative descriptive-exploratory study conducted through semi-structured deep interview with 35 participants (6 patients, 20 nurses, and 9 patient relatives) in Shahrekord in 2017. Data analysis was carried out with a thematic analysis approach. Results: The main emerged theme was the “ Conflict Experience” . Families (patients’ relatives) and patients consider the visiting as an important and necessary need, and this unmet need causes “ imbalance between the families’ need and laws” and the “ imbalance between the patient’ s need and the laws. ” Meanwhile, there was another dichotomy that was imbalance between “ nurses’ human and scientific beliefs on the patients and families’ need” and “ nurse’ s belief in the reasons for the forbidden visiting and laws” . Conclusion: Experiencing “ conflict” in participants indicates the necessity to find scientific and applicable strategies to address the visiting challenge.