Cover Article:

Christopher S. Lee

Role of Exogenous Arginine Vasopressin in the Management of Catecholamine-Refractory Septic Shock
The author reviews normal physiological mechanisms of endogenous vasopressin, describes clinical benefits and adverse reactions associated with exogenous arginine vasopressin, and provides recommendations for nursing care of patients who require the exogenous form.
Crit Care Nurse 2006 Dec;26(6):17-23. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Clinical Articles:

Maureen F. Cooney

Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia: Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment
This article provides a discussion of the risk factors, pathogenesis, diagnosis, manifestation, and management of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia from the perspective of critical care nurses.
Crit Care Nurse 2006 Dec;26(6):30-36. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Sandra Lins, Denise Guffey, Sharon VanRiper, and Eva Kline-Rogers

Decreasing Vascular Complications After Percutaneous Coronary Interventions: Partnering to Improve Outcomes
The authors describe a partnership between nurses and physicians in a unique collaborative to improve quality of care and reduce vascular complications after PCIs through aggressive collection of data and timely sharing of risk-adjusted data.
Crit Care Nurse 2006 Dec;26(6):38-45. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Special Features:

Linda A. Briggs, Helen Brown, Karen Kesten, and Janie Heath

Certification A Benchmark for Critical Care Nursing Excellence
Crit Care Nurse 2006 Dec;26(6):47-53. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Susan Yeager, Katherine Dale Shaw, Jennifer Casavant, and Suzanne M. Burns

An Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Model of Care for Neurosurgical Patients
Crit Care Nurse 2006 Dec;26(6):57-64. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Editorials:

Grif Alspach

NURSES’ USE AND UNDERSTANDING OF EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE: SOME PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE
Crit Care Nurse 2006 Dec;26(6):11-12. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Ask the Experts:

Suzanne M. Burns

Ask the Experts
Crit Care Nurse 2006 Dec;26(6):65-67. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Book Reviews:

Linda Bell

You Are the Leader You’ve Been Waiting For: Enjoying High Performance & High Fulfillment at Work
Crit Care Nurse 2006 Dec;26(6):67. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Linda Bell

To Do or Not To Do: How Successful Leaders Make Better Decisions
Crit Care Nurse 2006 Dec;26(6):67-68. [Full Text] [PDF]  

In Our Unit:

Kathryn Snow

Recognizing Accomplishments of New Graduates in the Neurologic ICU
Crit Care Nurse 2006 Dec;26(6):80-79. [Full Text] [PDF]  

Education Directory:

Education Directory
Crit Care Nurse 2006 Dec;26(6):77. [Full Text] [PDF]  

To see an article, click its [Full Text] link.