Improvement of the nutritional support management system for patients in intensive care units

BACKGROUND Nutritional support for patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit(ICU)is an important part of clinical treatment and care,but there are significant implementation difficulties.AIM To introduce a modified nutritional support management system for ICU patients based on closed-loop information management and psychological counseling.METHODS The division of functions,personnel training,system construction,development of an intelligent decision-making software system,quality control,and improvement of the whole process were carried out to systematically manage nutritional support for ICU patients.RESULTS Following the implementation of the whole process management system,the scores of ICU medical staff’s knowledge,attitudes/beliefs,and practices regarding nutritional support were comprehensively enhanced.The proportion of hospital bed-days of total enteral nutrition(EN)in ICU patients increased from 5.58%to 11.46%,and the proportion of EN plus parenteral nutrition increased from 42.71%to 47.07%.The rate of EN initiation within 48 h of ICU admission increased from 37.50%to 48.28%,and the EN compliance rate within 72 h elevated from 20.59%to 31.72%.After the implementation of the project,the Self-rating Anxiety Scale score decreased from 61.07±9.91 points to 52.03±9.02 points,the Self-rating Depression Scale score reduced from 62.47±10.50 points to 56.34±9.83 points,and the ICU stay decreased from 5.76±2.77 d to 5.10±2.12 d.CONCLUSION The nutritional support management system based on closed-loop information management and psychological counseling achieved remarkable results in clinical applications in ICU patients.

Revolutionizing Healthcare—The Integration of Virtual Worlds, AR, and Metaverse Technology

This paper explores the transformative impact of virtual worlds, augmented reality (AR), and the metaverse in the healthcare sector. It delves into the ways these technologies are reshaping patient care, medical education, and research, while also addressing the challenges and opportunities they present. The paper highlights the potential benefits of these technologies and emphasizes the need for comprehensive regulatory frameworks and ethical guidelines to ensure responsible integration. Finally it outlines their transformative impact and discusses the challenges and opportunities they present for the future of healthcare provision.

Perceptions of nurses in Japan toward their patients' expectations of care: A qualitative study

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate ideal nurse involvement based on the expectations of patients.Data on conflicts between nurses and patients were obtained.The patient situation involved standard nursing treatment,rather than acute phase or palliative care.Methods: Questionnaires were distributed among senior nurses attending a series of trainings in 2012 and 2013.The nurses were requested to return their completed questionnaires within two weeks.We ensured the effectiveness of the interview process to obtain accurate answers.The sample comprised 240 head nurses and assistant head nurses who were asked to respond anonymously to 57 questions about non-acute (stable) psychiatric or physical nurse-patient scenarios.Qualitative data analysis was conducted using these responses.Results: We received 41 completed responses (response rate =17.1%).The expectations of patients and their families were reflected in five categories,namely,inference,empathic understanding,listening attitude,individual treatment,and reliable skills and explanations.Inference was independently categorized as a particularly strong characteristic of Japanese patients' expectations.Conclusions: Nursing care in situations where conflicts or misunderstandings may arise can be improved by encouraging nurses to be attentive to the moods,feelings,and expectations of patients and their families.The findings from this study can improve the quality of Japanese nursing care with regard to sensing (inferring) and reacting to the expectations of patients.

Study on Related Factors of Acute Kidney Injury in Patients under Intensive Care

Objectives:To study the related factors of acute kidney injury(AKI)in intensive care unit(ICU)patients.Methods:The clinical data of 879 patients in the intensive care unit were retrospectively analyzed.AKI patients were selected according to the AKI clinical diagnostic criteria,the causal analysis was performed,the indicators of AKI patients were tested,and the urine volume and the time of admission to the ICU were recorded.Finally,logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors that affect the prognosis.Results:Among the 879 patients in the intensive care unit,96 patients(10.9%)met the KDIGO-AKI diagnostic criteria,of which 29(30.31%)died and 49(51.04%)required renal replacement therapy.As the age and stage of AKI patients increase,the mortality rate also increases.The pathology constituted 46 septic patients(47.92%)and 50 non-septic patients(52.08%).Patients with septic AKI have longer ICU and hospital stay than patients with non-septic AKI(t=2.291,0.023;t=2.082,0.041),and the rate of renal replacement therapy is higher(χ2=4.091,P=0.042).Logistic regression analysis shows that old age,low urine volume,shock,acidosis,stage 3 of AKI,intake of blood pressure drugs,infections,and the need for renal replacement therapy are relevant factors that affect AKI.Conclusions:In the intensive care unit,the incidence and mortality of AKI are very high;the treatment of AKI is related to many factors;early detection and treatment is very crucial to reduce the mortality of AKI.

Effect of patient COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy on hospital care team perceptions

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic posed new challenges in patient care worldwide.Vaccinations,which have proven efficacious in lowering the COVID-19 hospital burden,are still avoided by large populations.We,therefore,hypothesized that hospital care teams would have worse perceptions regarding the characteristics and care of patients with vaccine hesitancy.AIM To evaluate whether patient vaccine hesitancy affected the hospital care team(HCT)perceptions.METHODS We performed a prospective clinical study using structured questionnaires.We approached physicians and nurses with previous experience caring for COVID-19patients from 11 medical centers across Israel during the fourth COVID-19 surge(September and October 2021).The participants completed a questionnaire with the following parts:(1)Sociodemographic characteristics;(2)Assessment of anger(STAXI instrument)and chronic workplace stress(Shirom-Melamed burnout measure);and(3)Three tools to assess the effect of patient vaccine hesitancy on the HCT perceptions(the difficult doctor-patient relation questionnaire,the medical staff perception of patient’s responsibility questionnaire and the characterological derogation questionnaire).Results were evaluated according to each part of the questionnaire and the questionnaire as a whole.Associations between HCT perceptions and their baseline characteristics,anger or chronic workplace stress were assessed.RESULTS The HCT experienced their relationship with unvaccinated patients as more difficult(P<0.001,Cohen’s d=0.85),perceived unvaccinated patients as responsible for their medical condition(P<0.001,d=1.39)and perceived vaccinated patients as having a higher character value(P<0.001,d=1.03).Unvaccinated patients were considered selfish(P<0.001),less mature(P<0.001)and less satisfying to care for(P<0.001).The relationship with unvaccinated patients was more difficult among HCT with higher burnout(r=0.37,n=66,P=0.002).No correlations with baseline characteristics were found.All three study tools showed high internal consistency(αbetween 0.72 and 0.845).CONCLUSION Our results should raise awareness of the possible effects of vaccine hesitancy on HCT perceptions regarding unvaccinated patients.In order to minimize the potential negative impact on patient care,designated departments should promote specific patient-centered preparations.Further investigations should assess whether vaccine hesitancy directly affects patient quality of care.

Sleeping Conditions of Older Adults with Delirium Receiving Home Care

We aimed to clarify the sleep status before delirium onset among older adults receiving home care. The sleep status of 21 participants aged ≥65 years was monitored while they slept with a sensor placed under their bedding, after ruling out insomnia and dementia. The incidence of delirium was 28.6%;delirium onset occurred within an average of 2.7 (SD = 12) days after the start of home care among those whose care environment was changed due to hospital discharge or moving. Increased interrupted sleep and activity during sleep indicated that sleep fragmentation occurred before delirium onset. In conclusion, individuals aged ≥65 years and those whose care environment has changed should be screened for delirium because the time to delirium onset is short. Further, interventions to monitor the sleep status and prevent delirium onset should be implemented from the day home care begins.

Predictive risk factors for prolonged stay in intensive care unit in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery

Objective To describe the preoperative factors of prolonged intensive care unit length of stay after coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods From 1997 to 2009, 1318 patients underwent isolated CABG in our hospital. Retrospective analysis was performed on these cases. Univariate and multivariate analyses

Predictive risk factors associated with prolonged stay in the intensive care unit for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery

Objective The rate of post-operative complications has been increased with the changes in patients’age,prolonged duration,more severe and diffused lesions,and more patients with complications in recent years. We try to identify the risk factors associated with prolonged stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) . Methods 1623 patients who received CABG surgery in Beijing Anzhen Hospital

Awareness of Radiologists and Radiographers toward Patient Care in the Interventional Radiology Department

Background: The hospitals and health care centres are organized around the patient, a model in which healthcare providers partner with patients and families to identify and satisfy patients’ needs and preferences. Providers respect patients’ values and preferences, address their emotional and social needs, and involve them and their families in decision making. According to the best of our knowledge, there is no evidence to prove, radiologists and radiographers are aware enough about the patient safety, care, and code of conduct with their patients in the interventional radiology department. Objective: This article aims to measure the awareness of radiologists and radiographers toward care and safety in an interventional radiology department. Material and Method: This study was carried in period from 15 February to 20 April 2022. One hundred sixty-four radiographers and radiologists participating in this study completed the questionnaire, which equals a response rate of approximately 82%. The questionnaire was fully completed by almost all responders;only a few of them gave partial answers. Results: The first question for radiographers and radiologists was “the sufficient awareness about the patient safety and care during the interventional radiology procedure. Also, the majority of the radiographers and radiologists are providing the patients with sufficient information when he/she ask for help or queries. A large number of radiographers and radiologists were participating in this study explaining the procedures to patients before starting the examinations in a structured way. Finally, the result shows both radiographers and radiologists respect the patient’s rights, privacy, and dignity and also kept the radiation protection during the interventional radiology procedures. Conclusion: This article summarizes the key categories of awareness of patient care issues in the provision of interventional radiology services, from the joint perspectives of radiographers and radiologists, and provides references for further reading in all major relevant areas.

Clinical and cost impact of intravenous proton pump inhibitor use in non-ICU patients

AIM:To assess the appropriateness of the indication and route of administration of proton-pump-inhibitors (PPIs) and their associated cost impact. METHODS:Data collection was performed prospec-tively during a 6-mo period on 340 patients who re-ceived omeprazole intravenously during their hospital stay in non-intensive care floors. Updated guidelines were used to assess the appropriateness of the indication and route of administration. RESULTS:Complete data collection was available for 286 patients which were used to assess intravenous (IV) PPIs utilization. Around 88% of patients were receiving PPIs for claimed stress ulcer prophylaxis (SUP) indication; of which,only 17% met the guideline criteria for SUP indication,14% met the criteria for non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory drugs-induced ulcer prophylaxis,while the remaining 69% were identifi ed as having an unjustified indication for PPI use. Theinitiation of IV PPIs was appropriate in 55% of pa-tients. Half of these patients were candidates for switching to the oral dosage form during their hos-pitalization,while only 36.7% of these patients were actually switched. The inappropriate initiation of PPIs via the IV route was more likely to take place on the medical floor than the surgical floor (53% vs 36%,P = 0.003). The cost analysis associated with the appro-priateness of the indication for PPI use as well as the route of administration of PPI revealed a possible saving of up to $17 732.5 and $14 571,respectively. CONCLUSION:This study highlights the over-utili-zation of IV PPIs in non-intensive care unit patients. Restriction of IV PPI use for justified indications and route of administration is recommended.

Big Data Analytics in Healthcare——A Systematic Literature Review and Roadmap for Practical Implementation

The advent of healthcare information management systems(HIMSs)continues to produce large volumes of healthcare data for patient care and compliance and regulatory requirements at a global scale.Analysis of this big data allows for boundless potential outcomes for discovering knowledge.Big data analytics(BDA)in healthcare can,for instance,help determine causes of diseases,generate effective diagnoses,enhance Qo S guarantees by increasing efficiency of the healthcare delivery and effectiveness and viability of treatments,generate accurate predictions of readmissions,enhance clinical care,and pinpoint opportunities for cost savings.However,BDA implementations in any domain are generally complicated and resource-intensive with a high failure rate and no roadmap or success strategies to guide the practitioners.In this paper,we present a comprehensive roadmap to derive insights from BDA in the healthcare(patient care)domain,based on the results of a systematic literature review.We initially determine big data characteristics for healthcare and then review BDA applications to healthcare in academic research focusing particularly on No SQL databases.We also identify the limitations and challenges of these applications and justify the potential of No SQL databases to address these challenges and further enhance BDA healthcare research.We then propose and describe a state-of-the-art BDA architecture called Med-BDA for healthcare domain which solves all current BDA challenges and is based on the latest zeta big data paradigm.We also present success strategies to ensure the working of Med-BDA along with outlining the major benefits of BDA applications to healthcare.Finally,we compare our work with other related literature reviews across twelve hallmark features to justify the novelty and importance of our work.The aforementioned contributions of our work are collectively unique and clearly present a roadmap for clinical administrators,practitioners and professionals to successfully implement BDA initiatives in their organizations.

Perceptions of the effectiveness of Advanced Practice Nurses on a neurosurgery unit in a Canadian Tertiary Care Centre:A pre-and-post implementation design

Objectives:A framework for the advanced practice nurse(APN)role was developed in our Canadian Tertiary Care Centre,delineating five domains of advanced nursing practice:clinical practice,consultation,research,education and leadership.The goal of this study was to evaluate perceptions of the effectiveness of the implementation of an innovative APN role on an in-patient Neurosurgery unit.Methods:A pre-and-post implementation design,incorporating both qualitative and quantitative data,was utilized.An innovative APN role was implemented within the Neurosurgery program focusing on the clinical domain and required the successful candidates to be NP prepared.This APN role was designed to improve patient flow,documentation,communication and patient and staff satisfaction.Three primary outcomes were measured:pre-implementation questionnaire(nurses),post-implementation questionnaire(nurses and residents)and number of pages to the on-call resident.Results:Survey scores by nurses and residents indicated improvement across all aspects studied.Average scores increased from 1.1 to 2.6,reflecting an overall statistically significant increase.The number of pages to the on-call resident also showed a decrease.Conclusion:Perceptions of patient care delivery and professional collaboration improved following implementation of the APN role.Responses indicated that APNs significantly impacted patient care and improved nurses and residents'job satisfaction.

Management experience of care workers during epidemic prevention and control of COVID-19

Since the rapid spread of COVID‑19,our hospital has actively implemented the idea of“preventing the coronavirus from entering.”We paid close attention to details,rapidly carried out personnel and material management at all levels,and strived to do a good job in the prevention and control of the epidemic,so as to achieve zero infection.Patients’carers are an important part of quality care.Lacking of protection knowledge of infectious diseases would increase the risk of nosocomial infection.Therefore,our nursing department set up a team of epidemic prevention and control management.The team made the revision on contingency plans and care management regulations during the outbreak of COVID‑19,strengthened epidemic prevention and control knowledge training,carried out the supervision inspection work,and paid attention to humanized management measures to provide an important guarantee for victory over the COVID‑19.

Alphabet strategy for diabetes care:A checklist approach in the time of COVID-19 and beyond

Chronic disease management requires achievement of critical individualised targets to mitigate again long-term morbidity and premature mortality associated with diabetes mellitus.The responsibility for this lies with both the patient and health care professionals.Care plans have been introduced in many healthcare settings to provide a patient-centred approach that is both evidence-based to deliver positive clinical outcomes and allow individualised care.The Alphabet strategy(AS) for diabetes is based around such a care plan and has been evidenced to deliver high clinical standards in both well-resourced and underresourced settings.Additional patient educational resources include special care plans for those people with diabetes undertaking fasting during Ramadan,Preconception Care, Prevention and Remission of Diabetes.The Strategy and Care Plan has facilitated evidence-based,cost-efficient multifactorial intervention with an improvement in the National Diabetes Audit targets for blood pressure,cholesterol levels and glycated haemoglobin.Many of these attainments were of the standard seen in intensively treated cohorts of key randomized controlled trials in diabetes care such as the Steno-2 and United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study.This is despite working in a relatively under-resourced service within the United Kingdom National Health Service.The AS for diabetes care is a useful tool to consider for planning care, education of people with diabetes and healthcare professional.During the time of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic the risk factors for the increased mortality observed have to be addressed aggressively.The AS has the potential to help with this aspiration.

Is perioperative home the future of surgical patient care?

Perioperative home(PH)or perioperative surgical home(PSH)is a patient centered medical service or primary care provider aimed at share decision-making and seamless continuity of care for the surgical patient.The goal is to improve operational efficiency,decrease resource utilization,reduce length of hospital/intensive care unit(ICU)stay and readmission,and to decrease complication and mortality rates.PH is an innovative model of delivering health care during the entire patient surgical/procedural experience.This model is centered around patient from the time of the decision for surgery till the patients have recovered and

Molecular Detection of Carbapenemase Genes in Extensive Drug Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Clinical Isolates from ICU Patients, Khartoum

Background: The emergence of carbapenemase producing Acinetobacter baumannii is increasingly reported nowadays and constitutes a major problem to the intensive care unit (ICU) patients with notable extensive-drug resistance ability. The study investigates carbapenemase producing A. baumannii strains exhibiting an extensively drug-resistant (XDR) phenotype, isolated from ICU patients in Khartoum. Methods: A total of 100 nonduplicate Gram-negative coccobacilli strains were obtained from microbiology laboratory of ICU patients’ clinical isolates. Molecular identification of A. baumannii was performed by targeting 16S rRNA gene using specifically designed primers. Then, XDR strains were determined by susceptibility testing (disc diffusion). For detection of carbapenemase genes Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out. Result: Of 100 ICU clinical isolates, 38 (38.0%) was confirmed A. baumannii strains, those strains showed 100% carbapenem resistance and 60.5% extensive drug resistance to the antibiotics tested. The frequency of carbapenemase producer was 57.9% (22/38) of carbapenem resistance A. baumannii (CRAB). The most common carbapenemase associated with resistance was blaOXA gene followed by blaNDM and blaGES A. baumannii isolates. The co-occurrence of blaOXA-48-like and blaNDM, blaOXA-23-like and blaOXA-51, and blaNDM-1 and blaOXA-51 was detected in 22.7%, 18.2% strains and 4.5% respectively. A unique characteristic of our findings was the coharbouring of the genes blaNDM-1, blaOXA-23-like, blaOXA-51 and blaOXA-143 in 9.1% strains (2/22), and this was the first report in the Khartoum city, Sudan. Conclusion: We have demonstrated for the first time a high prevalence of XDR-carbapenemase producing A. baumannii clinical isolates from ICU patients in Khartoum. Also an emergent blaOXA-143 was reported as High-Risk Clones. This highlights the routine mentoring of XDR-carbapenemase producing A. baumannii to avoid clone dissemination in our region hospitals.

Nursing students’ experiences of caring for dying patients and their families: a systematic review and meta-synthesis

Objective: Nurses play important roles in caring for dying patients and their families. Difficulties students confronted when facing dying patients challenge the quality of nursing education. A better understanding of students' experiences would enhance teachers' ability in helping students. This study aims to describe available evidence about nursing students' experiences when caring for dying patients and their families.Methods: A review of qualitative studies published between 2005 and 2017 was undertaken using the following databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL, ProQuest Central, ScienceDirect, and CNKI. The keywords included were nursing students, experience, care, end-of-life, and dying. Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument was used to assess the quality of the studies by two independent reviewers. The data from the studies were analyzed by meta-synthesis.Results: Eighteen English and two Chinese studies were selected in this review. Four themes were emerged:(1) Students with dying patients: students did not have enough ability in symptoms control, comfort supply, and therapeutic communication for dying patients.(2) Students with the patients' families: students advocated more caring for patients' families.(3) Students with the surroundings: professional medical staffs, especially the nursing preceptors, were key roles in constructing a supporting system for students.(4) Students with themselves: nursing students underwent various negative feelings and adopted both negative and positive strategies to cope with such feelings;students experienced professional and personal development during the caring for dying patients.Conclusions: Nursing students' abilities in terminal symptom control, comfort supply, and therapeutic communication should be improved by more theoretic learning and simulation practice. The nursing preceptors were key roles in constructing a supporting system for students and helping them to control the negative emotions when facing dying patients.

Effects of nutrients on immunomodulation in patients with severe COVID-19:Current knowledge

Recent research has demonstrated that critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)show significant immune system dysregulation.Due to that,some nutrients that influence immunomodulation have been suggested as a form of treatment against the infection.This review collected the information on the impact of vitamins on the prognosis of COVID-19,with the intention of facilitating treatment and prevention of the disease risk status in patients.The collected information was obtained using the PubMed electronic database by searching for articles that relate COVID-19 and the mechanisms/effects of the nutrients:Proteins,glucose,lipids,vitamin B12,vitamin D,calcium,iron,copper,zinc,and magnesium,including prospective,retrospective,and support articles.The findings reveal an optimal response related mainly to omega-3,eicosapentaenoic acid,docosahexaenoic acid,calcium,and iron that might represent benefits in the treatment of critically ill patients.However,nutrient supplementation should be done with caution due to the limited availability of randomized controlled studies.

Satisfaction of Patients Examined with Mobile X-Ray vs. X-Ray at the Hospital—A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: In the Municipality of Aarhus, Denmark, mobile X-ray is offered to selected patients when a transfer to the Department of Radiology may be an obstacle. To our knowledge, no studies have examined patient’s satisfaction with mobile X-ray in a randomized controlled trial, but international qualitative and quantitative studies report a high level of patient satisfaction with mobile X-ray. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate whether patients in aged care facilities who were offered mobile X-ray were more satisfied with the X-ray examination compared to patients examined with X-ray at the Department of Radiology, Aarhus University Hospital. Design: A part of a randomized controlled trial. Methods: Satisfaction was measured using a self-developed questionnaire, containing 13 questions measuring satisfaction from different perspectives. Participants: Due to patient’s fragility, healthcare staff members answered questions concerning satisfaction on behalf of the patients, who had been examined with mobile X-ray (n = 66) or X-ray at the hospital (n = 63). The patients were living in nursing homes and homes for the elderly in Aarhus Municipality. Data: Data were collected and stored using the computer program REDCap. Data were statistically analyzed using Fisher’s exact test. Results: Patients examined with mobile X-ray had a significantly higher satisfaction rate than those examined with X-ray at the hospital. Conclusion: Satisfaction of patients examined with X-ray was reported by healthcare staff to be in favor of mobile X-ray.

Clinical Trial Protocol: Randomized Controlled Trial of Cancer Pain Monitoring System (CAPAMOS) in Patients with Advanced Cancer

Purpose: This randomized controlled trial (RCT) protocol was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Cancer Pain Monitoring System (CAPAMOS), a telenursing system designed to alleviate pain in ambulatory patients with advanced cancer. Methods: The study design involved a randomized controlled trial consisting of an intervention group using CAPAMOS and a control group that received usual care. At the time of enrollment, both groups will be given a questionnaire regarding issues, such as concerns related to cancer pain and self-management of opioid medication. Patients will then receive pain relief education based on the results of the questionnaire. Subjects in the control group will receive a pain diary and pain-relief pamphlet that acts as an educational tool. They could also call the outpatient clinic if they wanted to ask for a nursing consultation. The intervention group will be able to use CAPAMOS to manage their pain and receive video consultation with a telenurse, who is an oncology nursing specialist. Educational tools will be built into CAPAMOS. The study will be conducted for one month. The primary endpoint of this study was to calculate the Japanese Brief Pain Inventory score. The secondary endpoints were to assess the opioid medication self-management, Barriers Questionnaire, Japanese EuroQol 5-dimensions 5-level, and economic evaluation. Assessment items will be evaluated at registration and 2 and 4 weeks after registration. Conclusions: A RCT based on this protocol is expected to validate the efficacy of telenursing using CAPAMOS in patients with advanced cancer and pain.