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American Journal of Critical Care : An... Jul 2024Pediatric patients receiving neurologic and neurosurgical critical care undergo many procedures that result in stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, which...
BACKGROUND
Pediatric patients receiving neurologic and neurosurgical critical care undergo many procedures that result in stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, which increases their risk of poor outcomes. Nurses typically implement a variety of interventions to minimize such stimulation; however, minimal stimulation has not been specifically defined in the literature or described as a standardized bundle of care.
OBJECTIVE
To examine pediatric intensive care unit nurses' interpretation and practice of minimal stimulation in patients with neurologic and neurosurgical conditions and specifically to triangulate nurses' descriptions of this practice with related findings in the literature.
METHODS
This was a qualitative, descriptive, exploratory study that used naturalistic inquiry.
RESULTS
A total of 13 pediatric intensive care unit nurses participated in the study. Three primary themes were identified regarding minimal stimulation: (1) new knowledge and practice, (2) communication, and (3) impact of minimal stimulation.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this study help to establish a working definition of the nursing practice of minimal stimulation and provide a basis for future research. More detailed study is needed on the concept of a standardized minimal stimulation bundle and its impact on patient outcomes.
Topics: Humans; Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; Female; Male; Qualitative Research; Critical Care Nursing; Child; Adult; Communication; Nursing Staff, Hospital
PubMed: 38945813
DOI: 10.4037/ajcc2024104 -
Brain and Behavior Jul 2024Semantic fluency is the ability to name items from a given category within a limited time, which relies on semantic knowledge, working memory, and executive function....
INTRODUCTION
Semantic fluency is the ability to name items from a given category within a limited time, which relies on semantic knowledge, working memory, and executive function. Similar to patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) scored lower than healthy adults in the well-established semantic fluency test. However, it is unclear how unique are the produced words. This study examined the relationship between semantic fluency and words' uniqueness in patients with PSP.
METHODS
Twenty-seven patients with PSP Richardson's syndrome (PSP-RS), 37 patients with PD, and 41 healthy controls (HC) performed a standard semantic fluency test (animals), and their verbal responses were audio-recorded. We used the uniqueness to reflect the ability to produce both original and effective work, that is, creativity.
RESULTS
The PSP-RS group produced fewer correct words and fewer unique words than the PD and HC groups. Moreover, the correlation between fluency and uniqueness was positive in the HC and PD groups but negative in the PSP-RS group. Importantly, the actual levodopa dose was positively correlated with the fluency but negatively correlated with the uniqueness in PSP-RS. The PSP-RS patients who took a greater dose of levodopa tended to produce more correct words but fewer unique words.
CONCLUSIONS
These results suggested that levodopa may modulate semantic fluency and uniqueness in the early stages of PSP-RS.
Topics: Humans; Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive; Male; Female; Aged; Semantics; Levodopa; Parkinson Disease; Middle Aged; Neuropsychological Tests; Antiparkinson Agents
PubMed: 38945805
DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3606 -
Brain and Behavior Jul 2024To analyze the efficacy and associated factors affecting the prognosis in patients with disturbance of consciousness after hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the efficacy and associated factors affecting the prognosis in patients with disturbance of consciousness after hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment.
METHODS
A retrospective study was carried out on patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) receiving HBO treatment from January to January 2022 in the Second Department of Rehabilitation Medicine of the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, China.
RESULTS
HBO therapy improved the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Chinese Nanjing Persistent Vegetative State Scale (CNPVSS), as well as the clinical efficacy in patients with DOC. The comparison of GCS and CNPVSS scores in patients with DOC before and after HBO treatment was all statistically significant, with 325 patients (67.1%) showing effective results and 159 patients (32.9%) having unchanged outcomes. Univariate analysis indicated that there were statistically significant differences in age, HBO intervention time, HBO treatment times, pre-treatment GCS score, and etiology and underlying diseases between the good and poor prognoses groups. Multivariate regression analysis showed that HBO intervention time ≤7 days, HBO treatment > times, high GCS score before HBO treatment, and brain trauma were independent influencing factors in achieving a good prognosis for patients with DOC. Low pre-treatment GCS scores were an independent risk factor for a poor prognosis in patients with brain trauma while being male, late HBO intervention time, fewer HBO treatment times, and low pre-treatment GCS scores were independent risk factors for a poor prognosis in patients with DOC after a stroke. Being ≥50 years of age, late HBO intervention time, and low pre-treatment GCS scores were independent risk factors for a poor prognosis in patients with DOC after hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy.
CONCLUSION
HBO therapy can improve the GCS, CNPVSS scores and clinical efficacy in patients with DOC, and the timing of HBO intervention ≤7 days, times of HBO treatment, high pre-treatment GCS score, and brain trauma were the independent influencing factors of good prognosis in patients with DOC.
Topics: Humans; Hyperbaric Oxygenation; Retrospective Studies; Male; Female; Consciousness Disorders; Middle Aged; Adult; Aged; Glasgow Coma Scale; Prognosis; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult; Adolescent; China
PubMed: 38945804
DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3588 -
Seminars in Hematology Jun 2024Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is diagnosed in patients ages 60 and older in approximately 20%-25% of cases in Western populations. Outcomes in this subset of patients...
Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is diagnosed in patients ages 60 and older in approximately 20%-25% of cases in Western populations. Outcomes in this subset of patients have historically been poor, with 5-year progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival rates significantly lower than those seen in younger patients. Challenges to overcome include age-related co-morbidities, and prominent and potentially lethal treatment-related toxicity. There have been increased efforts to study the older cHL patient population, including analysis of geriatric assessments and the integration of newer targeted therapies such as brentuximab vedotin (BV) and nivolumab (N) into treatment paradigms. A recent phase 3 clinical trial (S1826, NCT03907488) led by the North American oncology cooperative groups compared brentuximab vedotin, doxorubicin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (BV-AVD) with nivolumab, doxorubicin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (N-AVD). At a median follow-up of 1-year, N-AVD improved PFS vs BV-AVD in patients and few immune adverse events were observed. Moreover, in a pre-planned subset analyses of cHL patients ages ≥60 years, the 1-year PFS for N-AVD was 93% (95% CI, 79%-98%) versus 64% (95% CI, 45%-77%) for BV-AVD. In addition, N-AVD was largely better tolerated particularly in older patients, which included markedly less neuropathy, lower treatment discontinuation, and less nonrelapse mortality. As a result, N-AVD is poised to become a standard of care for older, advanced-stage cHL patients who are fit for full-dose anthracycline-based combination therapy. More studies are needed to continue to improve outcomes for older cHL patients, especially unfit and frail populations.
PubMed: 38945791
DOI: 10.1053/j.seminhematol.2024.05.004 -
Research in Social & Administrative... Jun 2024Although the COVID-19 pandemic required community pharmacies to implement several adaptation strategies to ensure medicines' and services' availability, related...
BACKGROUND
Although the COVID-19 pandemic required community pharmacies to implement several adaptation strategies to ensure medicines' and services' availability, related empirical research based on crisis management theory is lacking.
OBJECTIVE
This study sought to holistically depict crisis management in Finnish community pharmacies and explore whether (1) pre-existing crisis plans, (2) crisis teams, (3) shared decision-making or (4) collaboration and communication with external stakeholders can protect staff resilience, pharmacy owners' resilience, organisational cohesion ('team spirit') and pharmacies' resources or finances during the pandemic.
METHODS
A cross-sectional survey was developed based on the crisis management process model and sent to Finnish community pharmacy owners (n = 602) during the pandemic's second wave in October-November 2020. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and logistic regression analysis was performed to explore effects of crisis management efforts. Open-field responses were analysed qualitatively using deductive content analysis.
RESULTS
In total, 221 (36.7 %) pharmacy owners participated in the study. Pharmacies responded to the pandemic with increased order volumes and new suppliers, home deliveries and remote consultations, hand sanitiser production and additional customer counselling concerning the COVID-19. Shared decision-making with pharmacy colleagues (p = 0.025) and collaboration with peers or stakeholders in the supply chain (p = 0.015) protected pharmacy owners' resilience during the pandemic. Additionally, shared decision-making protected pharmacies' finances (p = 0.040). Crisis teams or collaboration with social and healthcare operators did not provide advantage to pharmacies. However, pre-existing pandemic plans associated with reduction of pharmacies' resources (p = 0.006).
CONCLUSIONS
Community pharmacies responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with several measures to ensure the continuity of pharmaceutical services and care and the availability of medicines, disinfectants and personal protective equipment. Developing shared decision-making in pharmacies and active collaboration with peers and supply-chain stakeholders could improve pharmacies' finances and their owners' resilience in future crises.
PubMed: 38945767
DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2024.06.010 -
Nefrologia Jun 2024Sarcopenia and dynapenia are two terms associated with ageing that respectively define the loss of muscle mass and strength. In 2018, the European Working Group on...
Sarcopenia and dynapenia are two terms associated with ageing that respectively define the loss of muscle mass and strength. In 2018, the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) introduced the EWGSOP2 diagnostic algorithm for sarcopenia, which integrates both concepts. It consists of 4 sequential steps: screening for sarcopenia, examination of muscle strength, assessment of muscle mass and physical performance; depending on these last 3 aspects sarcopenia is categorised as probable, confirmed, and severe respectively. In the absence of validation of the EWGSOP2 algorithm in various clinical contexts, its use in haemodialysis poses several limitations: (a) low sensitivity of the screening, (b) the techniques that assess muscle mass are not very accessible, reliable, or safe in routine clinical care, (c) the sequential use of the magnitudes that assess dynapenia and muscle mass do not seem to adequately reflect the muscular pathology of the elderly person on dialysis. We reflect on the definition of sarcopenia and the use of more precise terms such as "myopenia" (replacing the classic concept of sarcopenia to designate loss of muscle mass), dynapenia and kratopenia. Prospective evaluation of EWGSOP2 and its comparison with alternatives (i.e. assessment of kratopenia and dynapenia only; steps 2 and 4) is proposed in terms of its applicability in clinical routine, resource consumption, identification of at-risk individuals and impact on events.
PubMed: 38945744
DOI: 10.1016/j.nefroe.2023.08.007 -
Academic Radiology Jun 2024To determine the risk of lung cancer and inter-observer agreement for small pulmonary nodules either touching or near the pleura.
PURPOSE
To determine the risk of lung cancer and inter-observer agreement for small pulmonary nodules either touching or near the pleura.
METHODS
Nodules were derived from two cohorts: patients from the National Lung Screening Trial with a solid nodule measuring 6-9.5 mm; and patients with incidental pulmonary nodules in our healthcare system with a solid nodule measuring 1-8 mm. Only the dominant nodule was evaluated for each patient. All malignant nodules as well as a random sample of 200 benign nodules from each cohort were included. Two fellowship-trained thoracic radiologists independently reviewed each case to record nodule morphology (compatible with lymph node or not) and nodule location (pleural-based, septal connection to the pleura, or neither). One radiologist measured the distance to the pleura.
RESULTS
After exclusion criteria were applied, a total of 434 nodules were included, of which 45 were lung cancers. Considering all pleural-based nodules with lymph node morphology as benign, 0-7% of cancers were misclassified as benign, specificity 33%, and κ = 0.69. Considering subpleural nodules and those with septal connection to the pleura, 7-11% of cancers were misclassified (p = 0.16-0.25 versus pleural-based), specificity 40-52% (p < .0001), and κ = 0.60. Considering nodules with lymph node morphology ≤ 2 mm from the pleura, 2-7% of cancers were misclassified (p = 1 versus pleural-based), specificity 41-36% (p < .0001), and κ = 0.78.
CONCLUSION
Considering nodules with lymph node morphology with septal connection, or those ≤ 2 mm from the pleura, as benign does not lead to significant misclassification of lung cancers as benign.
PubMed: 38945743
DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2024.06.021 -
Urologic Oncology Jun 2024Ipsilateral local recurrence (LR) after partial nephrectomy (PN) for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) may result from a metachronous tumor or PN bed recurrence. To date,...
PURPOSE
Ipsilateral local recurrence (LR) after partial nephrectomy (PN) for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) may result from a metachronous tumor or PN bed recurrence. To date, literature has predominantly reported ipsilateral LRs collectively, although the pathophysiology and prognostic implications of these event may be distinct. We sought to assess variables associated with LR and evaluated associations of LR with metastasis and death from RCC.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We identified adults undergoing PN for unilateral, sporadic, localized RCC from 2000 to 2019 using a prospectively maintained, single institution registry. LR was defined as new, enhancing tumor within/near the PN bed on MRI/CT. Cox proportional hazards models were used to create a preoperative risk score for LR and to examine the association of LR with metastasis and CSS following PN among patients with clear cell RCC.
RESULTS
In a cohort of 2,164 PNs, 106 true LRs were identified, for a 10-year incidence of 6.2%. A preoperative risk score for LR based on age, symptoms, solitary kidney, complex tumor necessitating open partial nephrectomy, and cT stage was created (c-index = 0.73). Postoperatively, positive margins, pT stage, and clear cell subtype were associated with LR. Notably, 21% (23/106) of patients with LR presented with synchronous metastases. Following LR, 5-year metastasis-free and cancer-specific survival were 64% and 71%, respectively. LR remained associated with metastasis (HR 6.25; P < 0.001) and death from RCC (HR 1.93; P = 0.03) on multivariable analysis.
CONCLUSIONS
We developed a preoperative risk score to identify patients at risk for LR following PN. LR was an independent risk factor for metastasis and death from RCC. Further study is warranted to determine whether treatment of LR improves oncologic outcomes.
PubMed: 38945735
DOI: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2024.05.004 -
Seminars in Oncology Nursing Jun 2024Peripherally inserted central catheters are commonly used in cancer patients and provide vascular access for the administration of chemotherapy, antibiotics, or...
OBJECTIVES
Peripherally inserted central catheters are commonly used in cancer patients and provide vascular access for the administration of chemotherapy, antibiotics, or parenteral nutrition. Besides many advantages, they represent a source of possible complications such as catheter related blood stream infection, catheter occlusion, or thrombosis. In this study, the catheter-related complication rate between oncologic and non-oncologic patients was compared.
METHODS
This retrospective cohort-study included 411 patients who underwent their first catheter placement at the Vienna General Hospital-Medical University of Vienna from January 2013 to June 2018. Patient demographics and catheter-related parameters were collected and statistically analyzed using a competing risk model.
RESULTS
Mean catheter dwell time was 27.75 days. The overall complication rate was 7.54% (2.72 per 1000 catheter days). Underlying malignant disease (hazard ratio: 0.351, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.133-0.929, P = .035) and chemotherapy administration (hazard ratio: 2.837, 95% CI: 1.088-7.394, P = .033) were significantly associated with the occurrence of any kind of complication. Catheter related blood stream infection was observed among 11 (2.68%) patients and again significantly associated with chemotherapy administration (hazard ratio: 4.545, 95% CI: 1.178-17.539; P = .028). Thrombosis was found in 7 (1.70%) patients and occlusion in 13 (3.16%) cases.
CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE
Choice of venous access is an interdisciplinary decision with emphasis on patient participation. In oncologic patients, our data suggests that the benefits of peripherally inserted central catheters regarding costs, invasiveness, and accessibility might be outweighed by the higher rate of complications associated with the device. This becomes even more important in a community care setting, where standardized handling procedures and patient education play a pivotal role in device safety.
PubMed: 38945733
DOI: 10.1016/j.soncn.2024.151681 -
Seminars in Oncology Nursing Jun 2024Provide an overview of hospital-associated deconditioning in hospitalized patients with cancer, including risk factors and trajectory of deconditioning. Discuss...
OBJECTIVES
Provide an overview of hospital-associated deconditioning in hospitalized patients with cancer, including risk factors and trajectory of deconditioning. Discuss interdisciplinary roles in preventing deconditioning, best practices, and oncology nursing implications.
METHODS
A literature search was conducted in PubMed and on Google Scholar using search terms Hospital*, Mobility, Immobility, Deconditioning, Cancer, and Oncology. Peer-reviewed research studies, review articles, and websites of professional organizations were reviewed to provide an overview on mobility concerns in hospitalized patients with cancer.
RESULTS
Thirty-eight references were included in this overview of hospital-associated deconditioning (HAD) in patients with cancer. HAD is a widespread phenomenon with grave consequences. Patients with cancer are particularly vulnerable to HAD due to their cancer diagnosis and treatment effects. Physical activity in hospitalized patients is one of the most important practices to prevent HAD and is achieved through standardized mobility assessment and interdisciplinary collaboration.
CONCLUSIONS
Promoting mobility in hospitalized patients with cancer is essential to prevent the complications of HAD.
IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE
Nurses are leaders of the interdisciplinary approach to enhance inpatient mobility. As they are most often at the bedside, nurses assess patients' level of mobility, recognize risk factors for HAD, and implement safe mobility interventions. Nurses experience barriers to promoting mobility including workforce shortages, high workloads, and competing priorities.
PubMed: 38945732
DOI: 10.1016/j.soncn.2024.151676