Effect of programmed comprehensive nursing on delirium incidence in intensive care unit children following severe cardiac surgery

BACKGROUND Programmed comprehensive nursing was adopted for intensive care unit(ICU)children following severe cardiac surgery to improve respiratory function and delirium incidence.AIM To explore how programmed comprehensive nursing impacts respiratory func-tion and delirium incidence in ICU children post cardiac surgery.METHODS Between January 2022 and January 2024,180 pediatric patients from the Chil-dren’s Hospital of Nanjing were admitted to the ICU after cardiac surgery and randomly grouped.The control group comprised 90 patients and received routine nursing care.The observation group comprised 90 patients and received program-med comprehensive nursing.Both groups received continuous nursing care until discharge.Their respiratory function,incidence of delirium,and clinical outcomes were compared.The memory state and sleep quality of both groups were com-pared.RESULTS The incidence of delirium was 5.56%in the observation group when admitted to ICU,which was lower than that in the control group(20.00%;P<0.05).The observation group demonstrated higher peak expiratory flow rate,respiratory frequency,deep breathing volume,and tidal volume in the ICU compared with the control group.Additionally,the observation group showed higher sleep depth,sleep latency,night awakening,return to sleep,and sleep quality com-pared with the control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Programmed comprehensive nursing in ICU patients following severe cardiac surgery can reduce the impact on respiratory function,improve sleep quality,and alleviate postoperative delirium,showing significant promise for clinical application.

Effects of strengthening prospective nursing practice on sleep quality,anxiety,and depression of awake patients in intensive care unit

BACKGROUND The intensive care unit(ICU)is a specialized hospital department.Awake patients in the ICU frequently encounter adverse psychological states,such as anxiety and fear,often accompanied by poor sleep quality.This situation has garnered significant attention within the medical community.AIM To investigate the impact of prospective nursing intervention strategies on the sleep quality and negative emotional state of conscious ICU patients.METHODS One hundred and twenty ICU awake patients admitted to our hospital were selected and randomly divided into control(n=60)and observation(n=60)groups.Patients in the control group were cared for using the conventional nursing model,while patients in the observation group were cared for using the prospective nursing model.Sleep improvement was assessed using the International Standardized Sleep Efficiency Formula and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI).The PSQI,Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item(GAD-7)scale,Self-Depression Scale(SDS),and satisfaction before and after treatment were used to assess the negative emotional states of patients under the two care models.RESULTS Patient satisfaction in the observation group was significantly higher than in the control group.The GAD-7 and SDS scores in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group,and the total effective rate of sleep improvement in the observation group was significantly higher than in the control group.After treatment,the PSQI scores of the two groups significantly decreased(P<0.05).The decrease in the observation group was more significan than that in the control group,and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant.CONCLUSION Prospective nursing interventions can improve sleep quality and psychological levels and significantly affect conscious patients in the ICU,which is worthy of clinical application.

Effects of nursing team communication and collaboration on treatment outcomes in intensive care unit patients with severe pneumonia

BACKGROUND Severe pneumonia is a common severe respiratory infection worldwide,and its treatment is challenging,especially for patients in the intensive care unit(ICU).AIM To explore the effect of communication and collaboration between nursing teams on the treatment outcomes of patients with severe pneumonia in ICU.METHODS We retrospectively analyzed 60 patients with severe pneumonia who were treated at the ICU of the hospital between January 1,2021 and December 31,2023.We compared and analyzed the respiratory mechanical indexes[airway resistance(Raw),mean airway pressure(mPaw),peak pressure(PIP)],blood gas analysis indexes(arterial oxygen saturation,arterial oxygen partial pressure,and oxygenation index),and serum inflammatory factor levels[C-reactive protein(CRP),procalcitonin(PCT),cortisol(COR),and high mobility group protein B1(HMGB1)]of all patients before and after treatment.RESULTS Before treatment,there was no significant difference in respiratory mechanics index and blood gas analysis index between 2 groups(P>0.05).However,after treatment,the respiratory mechanical indexes of patients in both groups were significantly improved,and the improvement of Raw,mPaw,plateau pressure,PIP and other indexes in the combined group after communication and collaboration with the nursing team was significantly better than that in the single care group(P<0.05).The serum CRP and PCT levels of patients were significantly decreased,and the difference was statistically significant compared with that of nursing group alone(P<0.05).The levels of serum COR and HMGB1 before and after treatment were also significantly decreased between the two groups.CONCLUSION The communication and collaboration of the nursing team have a significant positive impact on respiratory mechanics indicators,blood gas analysis indicators and serum inflammatory factor levels in the treatment of severe pneumonia patients in ICU.

Application of psychological intervention in intensive care unit nursing for patients with severe acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND Severe acute pancreatitis(SAP)is a familiar critical disease in the intensive care unit(ICU)patients.Nursing staff are important spiritual pillars during the treatment of patients,and in addition to routine nursing,more attention needs be paid to the patient’s psychological changes.AIM To investigate the effects of psychological intervention in ICU patients with SAP.METHODS One hundred ICU patients with SAP were hospitalized in the authors’hospital between 2020 and 2023 were selected,and divided into observation and control groups per the hospitalization order.The control and observation groups received routine nursing and psychological interventions,respectively.Two groups are being compared,using the Self-rating Anxiety Scale(SAS),Self-Determination Scale(SDS),Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation(APACHE)Ⅱ,and 36-item Short Form Health Survey(SF-36)scores;nursing satisfaction of patients;ICU care duration;length of stay;hospitalization expenses;and the incidence of complications.RESULTS After nursing,the SDS,SAS,and APACHEⅡ scores in the experimental group were significantly lower than in the control group(P<0.05).The SF-36 scores in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P<0.05).The nursing satisfaction of patients in the experimental group was 94.5%,considerably higher than that of 75.6% in the control group(P<0.05).The ICU care duration,length of stay,and hospitalization expenses in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group,and the incidence of complications was lower(P<0.05).CONCLUSION For patients with SAP,the implementation of standardized psychological intervention measures can effectively alleviate adverse psychological conditions.

Analysis of the Effect of Intensive Nursing Care on Improving Sleep Quality During the Perioperative Period of Severed Finger Reimplantation

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of perioperative intensive nursing on patients who underwent severed finger reimplantation and its influence on sleep quality.Methods:62 patients who underwent severed finger reimplantation between January 2023 and December 2023 were included.They were divided into two groups:the observation group(n=31)and the control group(n=31).The control group received basic nursing interventions,while the observation group received intensive nursing care.The comparison parameters included visual analog pain score(VAS),incidence of vascular crises,length of hospitalization,Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI),Hamilton Depression Score(HAM-D),Hamilton Anxiety Score(HAM-A),and patient satisfaction.Results:Postoperative VAS score,incidence of vascular crisis,hospitalization time,PSQI score,and HAM-A and HAM-D scores of the observation group were lower than those of the control group(P<0.05).Meanwhile,the patient satisfaction of the observation group was higher than that of the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Perioperative intensive nursing care for patients undergoing severed finger reimplantation demonstrates significant benefits.It reduces postoperative pain,lowers the incidence of vascular crises,shortens hospitalization durations,enhances sleep quality,alleviates negative emotions,and improves nursing satisfaction.These findings underscore the importance and applicability of such care practices.

Development and Evaluation of The Implementation of a Preceptorship Program for The Novice ICU Nurse Intensive Care Unit -A Secondary Publication

This study focused on the development and evaluation of the implementation of a preceptorship program adapted to ICU practice in the Ab.-T.region to provide preceptors with tools to support novice nurses.This action research was made possible with the involvement of the centers,preceptors,and novice nurses throughout the development and implementation of the program.This approach enabled participants to take ownership of the training content and fully utilize various tools.The program was implemented throughout the CISSS,where this study was subsequently carried out.Several novices mentioned that the program reinforced their sense of security and made them feel more equipped to handle complex care situations.The preceptors said they were better equipped to offer clinical support and novices were better prepared to work in the ICU.It is important to evaluate the development of the novice nurses’skills following their participation in this program and the long-term impact of this preceptorship.

Application of Flipped Classroom Combined with PBL Teaching Method in the Teaching of Respiratory Intensive Care Unit Nursing

Objective:The aim is to investigate the application effect of flipped classroom combined with problem-based learning(PBL)teaching method in the teaching of respiratory intensive care unit nursing.Methods:100 fresh nursing students who were interned in the respiratory intensive care unit of our hospital from June 2020 to May 2022 were selected and randomly divided into 50 students in the control group and 50 students in the experimental group.The students in the control group were taught by PBL teaching method,and the students in the experimental group were taught by flipped classroom combined with PBL teaching method.After the completion of the teaching,the teachers combined the performance of the two groups of students,and scored them comprehensively in terms of their professional theoretical knowledge,clinical operation skills,independent learning ability,and teamwork ability,and carried out a survey of the experimental group’s students in terms of their satisfaction with the understanding of theoretical knowledge,clinical operation,independent learning ability,teamwork ability,and other dimensions.Results:There was no statistical significance in the specialized theoretical knowledge scores of the two groups of students(P>0.05).The scores of clinical operation,independent learning ability,and teamwork ability of the two groups of students were statistically significant(P<0.05),and all the scores of the students in the experimental group were higher than that of the control group.More than 90%of the students believed that the flipped classroom combined with PBL teaching method could assist in the comprehension of theoretical knowledge,improve the clinical operation skills,enhance the ability of independent learning and teamwork;there were 92%of the students supported the use of flipped classroom combined with PBL teaching in respiratory intensive care unit nursing teaching.Conclusion:In the teaching of respiratory intensive care unit nursing,the use of flipped classroom combined with PBL teaching method can improve the learning effect of students,and has certain value in teaching.

High-risk factors for delirium in severely ill patients and the application of emotional nursing combined with pain nursing

BACKGROUND Delirium is a neuropsychiatric syndrome characterized by acute disturbances of consciousness with rapid onset,rapid progression,obvious fluctuations,and preventable,reversible,and other characteristics.Patients with delirium in the intensive care unit(ICU)are often missed or misdiagnosed and do not receive adequate attention.AIM To analyze the risk factors for delirium in ICU patients and explore the applica-tion of emotional nursing with pain nursing in the management of delirium.METHODS General data of 301 critically ill patients were retrospectively collected,including histories(cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases,hypertension,smoking,alcoholism,and diabetes),age,sex,diagnosis,whether surgery was performed,and patient origin(emergency/clinic).Additionally,the duration of sedation,Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale score,combined emotional and pain care,ven-tilator use duration,vasoactive drug use,drainage tube retention,ICU stay du-ration,C-reactive protein,procalcitonin,white blood cell count,body tempe-rature,Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II(APACHE II)score,and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score were recorded within 24 h after ICU admission.Patients were assessed for delirium according to confusion assessment method for the ICU,and univariate and multivariate logistic regre-ssion analyses were performed to identify the risk factors for delirium in the patients.RESULTS Univariate logistic regression analysis was performed on the 24 potential risk factors associated with delirium in ICU patients.The results showed that 16 risk factors were closely related to delirium,including combined emotional and pain care,history of diabetes,and patient origin.Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that no combined emotional and pain care,history of diabetes,emergency source,surgery,long stay in the ICU,smoking history,and high APACHE II score were independent risk factors for de-lirium in ICU patients.CONCLUSION Patients with diabetes and/or smoking history,postoperative patients,patients with a high APACHE II score,and those with emergency ICU admission need emotional and pain care,flexible visiting modes,and early intervention to reduce delirium incidence.

Remote nursing training model combined with proceduralization in the intensive care unit dealing with patients with COVID-19

The shortage of personal protective equipment and lack of proper nursing training have been endangering health care workers dealing with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).In our treatment center,the implementation of a holistic care model of time-sharing management for severe and critical COVID-19 patients has further aggravated the shortage of intensive care unit(ICU)professional nurses.Therefore,we developed a short-term specialized and targeted nursing training program to help ICU nurses to cope with stress and become more efficient,thus reducing the number of nurses required in the ICU.In order to avoid possible human-to-human spread,small teaching classes and remote training were applied.The procedural training mode included four steps:preparation,plan,implementation,and evaluation.An evaluation was conducted throughout the process of nursing training.In this study,we documented and shared experiences in transitioning from traditional face-to-face programs to remote combined with proceduralization nursing training mode from our daily work experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic,which has shown to be helpful for nurses working in the ICU.

Application of Intensive Pain Nursing in Postoperative Nursing of Clinical Patients with Lung Cancer

Objective:The intensive pain nursing was added to the surgical nursing of lung cancer and the clinical nursing effect was discussed.Methods:50 patients with lung cancer received in our hospital from January 2020 to June 2021.The observation group was given intensive pain nursing and the control group was given routine nursing.The clinical nursing effects of the two groups were studied.Results:The pain degree of the two groups was improved after nursing.The pain relief effect of the observation group was higher than that of the control group,and the nursing effect of the two groups was different(P<0.05)・Conclusion:In the postoperative nursing of patients with lung cancer,the intervention of intensive pain nursing can relieve the pain of patients,which is worth popularizing.

Research and Application of Multi-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Teaching in Geriatric Nursing Teaching in the Context of Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Purpose:Study the specific application effect of multi-dimensional and three-dimensional teaching in Geriatric Nursing teaching in the context of mass entrepreneurship and innovation.Methods:Respectively select 80 nursing undergraduates of 2015 and 80 nursing undergraduates of 2014 in our school as the research object of the experimental group and the control group.In terms of Geriatric Nursing teaching,nursing students in the control group adopt traditional classroom teaching methods to carry out,while students in the experimental group adopt multi-dimensional and three-dimensional teaching in the context of mass entrepreneurship and innovation.Then observe and compare the geriatric nursing knowledge scoring as well as theory and practice assessment results in the two groups taught with different methods.Results:It's obvious that the scoring of nursing students in the experimental group is higher than those in the control group in respect of geriatric nursing knowledge,and statistical significance exists in the between-group differences(P<0.05).The nursing students in the experimental group perform obviously better than those in the control group in terms of the results of theory,practice and comprehensive assessment as well as total score,and statistical significance exists in the between-group differences(P<0.05).Conclusion:Implementing Geriatric Nursing teaching for higher education nursing undergraduates with multi-dimensional and three-dimensional teaching in the context of mass entrepreneurship and innovation can remarkably improve nursing students'cognitive level in geriatric nursing as well as their mastery degree of theoretical,practical and comprehensive knowledge.Thus,the multi-dimensional and three-dimensional teaching mode in the context of mass entrepreneurship and innovation makes 80 nursing undergraduates of 2015 in our school direct beneficiaries,which could be popularized and applied in medical colleges.

The Clinical Effects of Psychological Nursing in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Objective:To explore the effects of psychological nursing in the pediatric intensive care unit.Methods:110 cases of intensive care of children from January 2014 to January 2015 were selected and randomly divided into the observation group(n=55)and the control group(n=55).The children of the control group were given usual nursing care,the patients of the observation group were given psychological nursing.On two groups of patients before and after the intervention of the SAS scores and SDS scores、compliance、parents care quality satisfaction are compared.Results:Before intervention,the observation group of patients and the control group of patients with SAS scores and SDS scores difference no statistical significance(P>0.05),and after the intervention,the observation group patients'scores of SAS and SDS were significantly better than the control group,and the observation group below the control group(P<0.05).The observation group of compliance rate was 96.36%,and the control group of compliance rate was 69.09%,it below the observation(P<0.05).Parents care quality satisfaction of observation group was obviously better than that of control group with that difference is statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion:psychological nursing measures used in pediatric intensive care unit has certain feasibility and is worth popularizing clinically.

Effect of Intensive Nursing on the Incidence of Thrombosis in Patients Undergoing PICC Line Placement

Objective:To explore the effect of intensive nursing on the incidence of thrombosis in patients undergoing PICC line placement.Methods:A total of 50 patients with tumor who underwent PICC line placement in Jiangsu Zhenjiang First People’s Hospital(from January 2019 to January 2020)were randomly selected for this research.According to the random number table method,they were divided into two groups:group A(25 cases)for routine nursing and group B(25 cases)for intensive nursing.The incidence of thrombosis,coagulation indices,quality of life,and nursing satisfaction were compared between the two groups.Results:The incidence of thrombosis of group B was lower than that of group A,and the coagulation indices,quality of life,as well as the nursing satisfaction of group B were higher than those of group A(P<0.05).Conclusion:Intensive nursing can effectively improve the coagulation,reduce thrombosis,and improve the quality of life of patients.The clinical application effect is remarkable,and it should be popularized.

Interventions to improve communication between nurses and physicians in the intensive care unit: An integrative literature review

Effective communication among healthcare professionals in the intensive care unit (ICU) is a particular imperative,with accurate and efficient interdisciplinary communication being a critical prerequisite for high-quality care.Nurses and physicians are highly important parts of the healthcare system workforce.Thus,identifying strategies that would improve communication between these two groups can provide evidence for practical improvement in the ICU,which will ultimately improve patient outcomes.This integrative literature review aimed to identify interventions that improve communication between nurses and physicians in ICUs.Three databases (Medline,CINAHL,and Science Direct) were searched between September 2014 and June 2016 using 11 search terms,namely,nurse,doctor,physician,resident,clinician,ICU,intensive care unit,communication,teamwork,collaboration,and relationship.A manual search of the reference lists of found papers was also conducted.Eleven articles met the inclusion criteria.These studies reported on the use of communication tools/checklists,team training,multidisciplinary structured work shift evaluation,and electronic situation-background-assessment -recommendation documentation templates to improve communication.Although which intervention strategies are most effective remains unclear,this review suggests that these strategies improve communication to some extent.Future studies should be rigorously designed and outcome measures should be specific and validated to capture and reflect the effects of effective communication.

A research regarding the relationship among intensive care nurses' self-esteem, job satisfaction and subjective well-being

Objective:The paper aims to explore the status of intensive care unit(ICU)nurses'self-esteem,job satisfaction,and subjective well-being and to investigate the relationship among the three elements.Methods:A cross-sectional survey of 224 nurses from five teaching hospitals in Tianjin,China,was conducted.Self-esteem scale,job satisfaction scale,and subjective well-being scale were used to explore the status of ICU nurses'self-esteem,job satisfaction,and subjective well-being.Correlation among the three elements was calculated by SPSS 17.0.Results:The scores of three scales(i.e.,ICU nurses'self-esteem,job satisfaction,and subjective well-being)were 27.67±3.41,43.57±9.04,and 69.73±11.60,respectively.The subjective well-being was significantly positively correlated with self-esteem and job satisfaction(r=0.454,P<0.01;r=0.584,P<0.01,respectively).Conclusion:The study shows that the prevalence of subjective well-being and self-esteem with ICU nurses are at a low level,and job satisfaction is at the median level.Associations among self-esteem,job satisfaction,and subjective well-being in ICUs have been confirmed.Self-esteem and job satisfaction positively correlated with nurse subjective well-being.The higher the self-esteem and job satisfaction levels are,the stronger the subjective well-being is.The working pressure in ICUs cannot be alleviated temporarily;hence,to promote a high subjective well-being,managers and ICU nurses increase their self-esteem and job satisfaction through taking strategies that strengthen psychological construction.

Nurses’ Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Oral Care for Intensive Care Unit Patients

The aim of this study was to describe the intensive care unit (ICU) nurses’ knowledge, attitude, and practice of mouth care for their patients. This is a cross sectional hospital based study. A total of 154 ICU nurses were randomly selected from seven governmental hospitals in Khartoum state and were invited to take part in this study. 97.4% of ICU nurses had high knowledge of the importance of mouth care for ICU patients and similarly for the priority of mouth care. However, only 20% of nurses were found to apply good practice. 64.5% of the nurses received training in mouth care provision, and (81%) indicated that further training would be beneficial. The oral care practice of ICU nurses ranged between average among 57% and poor among 23%. The study highlighted the need for setting of ICU protocols and adoption of advanced training for ICU nurses.

Intensive Care Nurses’Experiences of Caring for Intubated Patients under Light Sedation:A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Previous studies have shown that a light sedation level is beneficial for intubated patients in the Intensive care unit (ICU). Aim: This study aimed to describe intensive care nurses’ experiences of caring for intubated patients under light sedation. Methods: This study was an explorative descriptive qualitative study. Data were collected from 12 intensive care nurses by three focus group interviews and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Findings: Five categories emerged from the data: 1) the importance of verbal communication and the nurses’ presence, 2) feelings of frustration and heavy workload, 3) assessment of patients’ pain and anxiety, 4) the nurses’ desire for the development of guidelines, and 5) being inspired by the care. Conclusion: The study found that intensive care nurses were positive towards light sedation care but the organization of care did not support them as the patients cared for with light sedation treatments demanded their physical presence at patients’ bed site.

Level of Stress at Nurses Working in Emergency Clinic and Central Intensive Care: University Clinical Centre of Kosovo

Background: Emergency Clinic (EC) and Central Intensive Care (CIC) are high-stress environments that directly affect the health status of nurses. Methods: The aim of this study was to assess the level of stress at nurses working in the Emergency Clinic and nurses working in the Central Intensive Care. The study included 90 nurses, 45 nurses working in Emergency Clinic and 45 nurses working in Central Intensive Care. The study applied the Emergency Nurse Stress Questionnaire as an instrument to gather the data. This questionnaire was adopted from the Operational Police Stress Questionnaire in order to serve for the function and aim of the present study. Results: Nurses’ cohort-age ranged from 20 to 62 years. The largest proportion of respondents 40 (44.4%) was in the 20 - 30 age group, 58 (64.4%) were married, 60 (66.6%) hold bachelor degree and (33.3%) were with secondary school educational level. In terms of work-related fatigue, significant difference was found in working hours, participants reported that there was a significant difference in fatigue between 12 hours shift nurses (61 ± 10.5) compared to 8 hours nurses (41 ± 23.6) with P < 0.001. Results indicated that a vast majority of participants reported moderate to high levels of stress (81% of participants). There was no significant difference in the level of stress between the two groups of participants. There were also no significant differences compared to their demographic characteristics. Conclusion: These findings emphasize the role of using and assuring adequate strategies for ensuring quality management and finding ways of facilitating the increase in the number of nursing staff in these two departments because workplace overload and fatigue are potential factors that increase nurses’ stress levels.

Vigilance in Nurses Working in Intensive Care Units

Background and Aim: Vigilance is an essential element in intensive care nursing. This study was conducted to determine nursing vigilance in nurses working in the intensive care units of educational and medical centers in Ardabil, Iran. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study with 192 ICU nurses as the participants. The data were obtained through questionnaires regarding demographic characteristics and nursing vigilance. SPSS software version 24 was used for the statistical analysis. Results: The mean total vigilance score was 3.86 ± 0.23 of 5. The mean scores of the timely diagnosis of changes, pattern recognition, and clinical decision-making subscales were 4.07 ± 0.26, 04.04 ± 0.41, and 3.44 ± 0.25, respectively. No significant relationships were observed between the total or subscale vigilance scores and other demographic characteristics. Conclusion: We assessed ICU nurses’ vigilance behaviors and found that their mean vigilance score was higher than the expected average, indicating our participants had a high level of clinical vigilance. These results suggest a need for effective educational interventions to boost clinical decision-making skills in ICU nurses, especially younger nurses.

Effect of the Early Introduction of Mild Mobilization Performed by Nurses on the Recovery of Patients in the Intensive Care Unit

Rationale: Recent studies have reported the effectiveness of the early introduction of rehabilitation for preventing muscle weakness in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). The early introduction of full-scale rehabilitation by a physical therapist is difficult in some cases because of disease severity and/or patient conditions. However, mild mobilization by a nurse (MMN), as a part of standard care performed, may have a positive effect on patient recovery. We examined the effect of the early introduction of MMN on the recovery of patients in the ICU. Methods: We retrospectively examined patients admitted to Niigata University Hospital’s ICU during between April 2014 and March 2015 who were receiving mechanical ventilation for 7 days or more. Patients were divided into two groups according to the date of initiation of MMN: group L comprised patients for whom MMN was started after 72 hours and group E comprised patients for whom MMN was started within 72 hours after ICU admission. The data were analyzed using the Fisher test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Wilcoxon test. Statistical significance was defined as P Results: Sixty-three patients were included: 42 patients in group L and 21 in group E. There was no significant difference between the two groups in patients’ background, including the type of illness, steroid use, presence of sepsis or diabetes, and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score on ICU admission;however, the SOFA score at ICU discharge was significantly decreased in group E compared to that in group L (6.21 versus 4.30;P = 0.034). Conclusion: Our results indicate that MMN may reduce disease severity if started within 72 hours after ICU admission.