Can we back off using antibiotics in the NICU?

Antibiotics are extensively and inconsistently prescribed in neonatal ICUs, and usage does not correlate with rates of culture positive sepsis. There is mounting data describing the short and long-term adverse effects associated with antibiotic overuse in neonates, including the increased burden of multi-drug resistant organisms. Currently there is considerable variation in antibiotic prescribing practice among neonatologists. Applying the practice of antibiotic stewardship in the NICU is crucial for standardizing antibiotic use and improving outcomes in this population.Several approaches have been proposed to identify neonatal sepsis, with the hope of reducing antibiotic utilization. These strategies all have their limitations, and often include laboratory testing and treatment of well-appearing, non-septic, infants. A conservative “watch and wait” algorithm is suggested as an alternative method for when to initiate antibiotics. This observational approach relies on availability of trained personnel able to examine infants at specified intervals, without delaying antibiotics, should signs of sepsis arise.     

Characterizing Standardized Functional Data at Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities

ObjectiveThe Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014 mandates using standardized patient functional data across post-acute settings. This study characterized similarities and differences in clinician-observed scores of self-care and transfer items for the standardized section GG functional domain and the functional independent measure (FIM) at inpatient rehabilitation facilities.DesignWe conducted secondary analyses of 2017 Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation national data. Patients were assessed by clinicians on both section GG and FIM at admission and discharge. We identified 7 self-care items and 6 transfer items in section GG conceptually equivalent with FIM. Clinician-assessed scores for each pair of items were examined using score distributions, Bland-Altman plot, correlation (Pearson coefficients), and agreement (kappa and weighted kappa) analyses.Setting and ParticipantsIn all, 408,491 patients were admitted to Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation-affiliated inpatient rehabilitation facilities with one of the following impairments: stroke, brain dysfunction, neurologic condition, orthopedic disorders, and debility.MeasuresSection GG and FIM.ResultsPatients were scored as more functionally independent in section GG compared with FIM, but change score distributions and score orders within impairment groups were similar. Total scores in section GG had strong positive correlations (self-care: r = 0.87 and 0.95; transfer: r = 0.82 and 0.90 at admission and discharge, respectively) with total FIM scores. Weak to moderate ranking agreements with total FIM scores were observed (self-care: kappa = 0.49 and 0.60; transfers: kappa = 0.43 and 0.52 at admission and discharge, respectively). Lower agreements were observed for less able patients at admission and for higher ability patients of their change scores.Conclusions and ImplicationsOverall, response patterns were similar in section GG and FIM across impairments. However, variations exist in score distributions and ranking agreement. Future research should examine the use of GG codes to maintain effective care, outcomes, and unbiased reimbursement across post-acute settings.     

Development and validation of standardized severity rating scale to assess the consistency of drug-drug interaction severity among various drug information resources

BackgroundThe consistency in reporting the severity of drug interactions across the drug information resources is important in guiding the appropriate clinical use of drug-pairs, to minimize the associated adverse events. This necessitates the need of a standardized severity rating scale, that can accommodate the different severity ratings of the same interacting drug-pair into a reasonable severity category, that can ease the consistency assessment among different drug information resources.ObjectiveTo develop and validate a standardized severity rating scale that can ease the consistency assessment among the various drug information resources.MethodsThe definitions of various severity rating categories as documented in the eight drug information resources was consolidated to develop a standardized severity rating scale. Thus developed rating scale was validated using twenty commonly used drug-pairs. Fleiss' kappa score was used as an indicator for assessing overall consistency among various drug information resources, whereas, Cohen's kappa was used as an indicator of level of consistency between two drug information resources and between individual drug information resource and newly developed standardized severity rating scale.ResultsThe newly developed standardized severity rating scale classifies the severity of drug-drug interactions into three categories namely mild, moderate and major. The Fleiss' kappa score was improved from 0.047 to 0.176, indicating improved strength of agreement [Average pairwise agreement: 16% Vs 36.7%] among various drug information resources. The average pairwise Cohen's kappa was 0.082 [Strength of agreement: poor] in original severity ratings whereas it was improved to 0.198 [Strength of agreement: almost equal to fair] in standardized severity rating scale.ConclusionThe newly developed standardized severity rating scale can be used as a tool to assess the consistency of severity rating categories among the various drug information resources.     

个性化健康教育在妊高症42例护理中的应用

目的对妊娠高血压综合征患者采用个性化健康教育的效果进行探究。方法选择本院收治的妊娠高血压综合征患者84例作为本次研究的纳入对象,时间为2019年4月至2020年4月。按照随机处理的方式对其予以分组,其中甲组42例,乙组42例。通过常规护理的方式对甲组予以护理,以此为基础,通过个性化健康教育的方式对乙组予以护理。比较两组的护理效果。结果护理前,两组的血压水平比较差异不显著(P>0.05),护理后,乙组的血压水平明显低于甲组(P<0.05);乙组的不良妊娠结局率明显低于甲组(P<0.05)。结论针对妊娠高血压综合征患者实施个性化健康教育具有显著效果,能够有效降低患者的血压水平,还可以改善其妊娠结局。     

Prediction of all-cause mortality with malnutrition assessed by nutritional screening and assessment tools in patients with heart failure：a systematic review

Background and aimsIn the absence of a gold standard or scientific consensus regarding the nutritional evaluation of heart failure (HF) patients, this study aimed to summarize and systematically evaluate the prognostic value of nutritional screening and assessment tools used for all-cause mortality in HF patients.Methods and resultsRelevant studies were retrieved from major databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang Data, and China Biology Medicine disc (CMB)) and searched from the earliest available date until July 2021. If three or more studies used the same tool, meta-analysis using RevMan 5.3 was performed. This systematic review was registered at PROSPERO (number CRD42021275575). A total of 36 articles involving 25,141 HF patients were included for qualitative analysis and 31 studies for quantitative analysis. Meta-analysis of these studies indicated, poor nutritional status evaluated by using 5 nutritional screening tools (Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), Controlling Nutritional Status Score (CONUT), Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), and Short Form Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA-SF)) or 2 nutritional assessment tools (the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and Generated Subjective Global Assessment (SGA)) predicted all-cause mortality in HF patients. Of all tools analyzed, MNA had the maximum HR for mortality [HR = 2.62, 95%CI 1.11–6.20, P = 0.03] and MNA-SF [HR = 1.94, 95%CI 1.40–2.70, P＜0.001] was the best nutritional screening tools.ConclusionPoor nutritional status predicted all-cause mortality in HF patients. MNA may be the best nutritional assessment tool, and MNA-SF is most recommended for HF patient nutritional screening. The application value of MNA, especially in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), needs to be further confirmed. The clinical application value of Mini-Nutrition Assessment Special for Heart Failure (MNA-HF) and Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) in HF patients needs to be confirmed.     

Dose Rate Simulation of the Urine Collection Bag of Patients Undergoing Bone Scintigraphy

ObjectiveThe objective of the study was to estimate the determined dose rate in the urine collection bag of patients undergoing bone scintigraphy.MethodThe ^99m Tc-methylene diphosphonate accumulated activity eliminatedin urine was estimated and calculated by the Committee on Medical Internal Radiation Dose 14 method. This allowed the calculation of the dose rate emitted at distances of 10, 50, and 100 cm and the creation of a simulation collection bag to validate the calculations by means of measurements carried out with a Geiger Müller counter in the same situations. A linear regression test was performed to verify the significant difference between the measurements and validate the dose rate estimate.ResultsThe calculated and measured dose rates showed the highest values at a distance of 10 cm up to 3 hours after administering the radiopharmaceutical to the patient. After this period, as the collection bag was emptied for image acquisition, the dose rate was close to the background radiation.ConclusionThe maximum accumulated activity in the urine collection bag, and consequently, the maximum dose rate, occurs at the time of emptying the bag for image acquisition. Therefore, in addition to exposure to radiation, there is a considerable risk of contamination by ionizing radiation for the professional who performs the procedure. To minimize this risk and the exposure, the recommendation is to use personal protective equipment and to consider radiological protection factors, which are shorter exposure time, longer distance, and greater barrier between the professional and the radioactive source.     

Protocol for a pilot and feasibility study of nurse practitioner-pharmacist telehealth collaboration to simplify complex medication regimens

IntroductionNew and flexible multidisciplinary workforce models are needed to address unnecessary medication regimen complexity in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). This study will investigate the feasibility of a nurse practitioner-pharmacist telehealth-based collaborative care model to simplify complex medication regimens.MethodsThis is a pragmatic, non-randomized pilot and feasibility study of up to 30 permanent residents from 4 RACFs in Western Australia. Simplification will be conducted in accordance with a validated 5-step implicit process. Nurse practitioners will identify residents potentially interested in and who may benefit from simplification, including any regulatory or safety imperatives that might preclude simplification. Medication regimens will be assessed by an off-site clinical pharmacist to identify opportunities for simplification in terms of drug–drug, drug–food, or drug–time interactions, and the availability of alternative formulations. The pharmacist will communicate simplification opportunities to nurse practitioners via video case conferencing. Nurse practitioners will then discuss simplification opportunities with the resident, caregiver and the health and care team, including any unintended consequences for the resident or RACF. The primary outcome measure will be feasibility (stakeholder acceptability, protocol adherence, recruitment and retention rates). Secondary outcomes include change in the number of medication administration times per day, medication and behavioral incidents, falls and fractures, hospitalization and mortality at 4 months.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval has been obtained from the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee. Research findings will be disseminated through industry report, lay summaries, conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications.     

Nurses’ behavioral intention in using virtual clinical simulation training: By structural equation modeling

AimTo examine the relationship between the nurses’ behavioral intention to use virtual clinical simulation training and study variables, including perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, self-efficacy, technology anxiety, perceived enjoyment and personal innovativeness.BackgroundLittle is known about the nurses’ behavioral intentions behind using virtual clinical simulation training.DesignA cross-sectional study.MethodsA total of 206 registered nurses participated in this survey. Data were collected through online survey from March 20, 2021, to April 2, 2021, since entry into the hospital was strictly controlled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.ResultsStructural equation modeling identified that both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were the predictors which influenced behavioral intention. Additionally, perceived enjoyment indirectly affected behavioral intention by influencing both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use.ConclusionThe successful introduction of virtual clinical simulation training depends on nurses’ willingness and acceptance of its use. The findings of this study show that virtual clinical simulation training should be perceived as useful, easy to use and enjoyable to be accepted by nurses. Virtual clinical simulation programs may have the potential to help improve nurses’ clinical skills and competencies in patient care.Tweetable abstractThis study revealed that the usefulness of its contents, ease of use and enjoyment are important to increase nurses' behavioral intention to use virtual clinical simulation training.