Critical Area and Research

Several topics are currently being studied by the EOC Critical Care Department, the following are the most relevant:

• Diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care ultrasound in different clinical settings, particularly in anesthesiology and intensive care medicine.
• Cost-effectiveness analysis in Anesthesiology.
• Perioperative transfusion strategies.
• Use of different analgesic regimens and analgesic procedures in postoperative care.
• Treatment strategies for chronic pain syndromes.
• Impact of pandemic COVID-19 on the occurrence of various complications (herpes simplex relapse) in the ICU population.
• Best practices for the care of mild traumatic brain injury in the Emergency Department (ED).
• Communication practices in the Emergency Department for outpatients.

One of the goals of the Critical Care Area Department is to encourage joint projects among the different departments in the department, particularly in the area of transition of care (interdisciplinary and interprofessional projects). Studies on quality and especially process improvement are still scarce in medicine and especially in acute care.
Here is a selection of the most promising ongoing projects:

• Optimization of patient transfer time from the ER to the ICU and identification of barriers.
• Use of artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques for early identification of nosocomial infections.
• Strategies to improve communication skills of ER physicians.
• Impact of delayed transfer of patients from the ward to the ICU.
  

Department of Critical Care
Lugano Regional Hospital, Civic
+41 (0) 91 811 61 11