ObjectiveTo explore the application of different digestive system management strategies in the perioperative period of thoracolumbar fracture.MethodsThe clinical data of the patients with thoracolumbar fractures and pedicle screw fixation in Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from January 2016 to January 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. According to different perioperative management strategies of the digestive system, they were divided into two groups. Patients with careful management strategy were included in the observation group, and patients with routine management were included in the control group. The baseline conditions, the abnormalities of digestive tract function at admission and before and after surgery, the postoperative first feeding time, exhaust time, defecation time, the incidence of other postoperative complications except digestive tract complication, length of stay and patient satisfaction were compared between the two groups. At 6 months after surgery, the fracture healing, loosening or fracture of internal plants were compared between the two groups.ResultA total of 121 patients were included in the study, including 67 cases in the observation group and 54 cases in the control group. There was no significant differences in the baseline conditions between the two groups (P>0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in the incidences of digestive system dysfunction at admission (P>0.05). The incidences of digestive system dysfunction in the observation group before and after surgery were lower than those in the control group (29.9% vs. 53.7%, P<0.05; 35.8% vs. 61.1%, P<0.05). The first eating time [(3.7±1.1) vs. (6.7±2.6) h], exhaust time [(7.8±2.3) vs. (13.6±4.2) h], defecation time [(26.7±8.1) vs. (40.9±11.2) h] and length of stay [(6.5±2.4) vs. (9.0±2.7) d] in the observation group were shorter than those in the control group (P<0.005), and the patients’ satisfaction was better than that of the control group (8.3±1.1 vs. 7.6±1.3; t=−3.208, P=0.002). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of postoperative complications except digestive tract complication, and the fracture healing rate, the incidence of nail-rod breakage at6 months after surgery between the two groups (P>0.05). No internal plant loosening was found in the two groups of patients within 6 months after surgery.ConclusionThe application of the careful digestive system management strategy in patients with thoracolumbar fractures can help reduce the incidence of perioperative gastrointestinal dysfunction, promote the recovery of perioperative gastrointestinal function, shorten the length of hospital stay, and improve patient satisfaction.
ObjectiveTo understand the status and risk factors of care ability among main caregivers of stroke patients.MethodsA total of 395 stroke patients and their main caregivers were enrolled in the Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University from August 2017 to February 2018. General data of the patients and their main caregivers were collected. The caring ability of the main caregivers was assessed by the family care test inventory. Connor- Davision Resilience Scale and Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale-Family Member Form were used to assess the psychological resilience and uncertainty illness of caregivers. Single factor analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were all used to explore the risk factors.ResultsThe care ability of the main caregivers of stroke patients was basically at a high level. Multivariate analysis showed that patients’ age [non-standardized partial regression coefficient (b)=−0.051, 95% confidence interval (CI) (−0.079, −0.024), P<0.001], family income [b=−0.455, 95%CI (−0.770, −0.141), P=0.005], and activities of daily living ability at admission [b=−0.017, 95%CI (−0.029, −0.006), P=0.003], and caregivers’ sleeping status [b=0.636, 95%CI (0.340, 0.932), P<0.001], scores of resilience [b=−0.143, 95%CI (−0.202, −0.083), P<0.001] and illness uncertainty [b=−0.127, 95%CI (−0.153, −0.100), P<0.001] were influencing factors of caregivers’ care ability.ConclusionsThe main caregivers of stroke patients have good care ability. The older the patients are, the higher the family income is, and the better the ability of activities of daily living at admission is, the better the caregivers’ care ability they have. The better the caregivers’ sleep is, and the stronger the caregivers’ psychological resilience and uncertainty of disease are, the better the caring ability they have. It is suggested that we should pay more attention to the physical and mental status of caregivers, raise their awareness of stroke, teach them relevant knowledge and care skills, so as to lighten the physical and mental burden of caregivers, improve the prognosis of patients and finally improve the quality of life of patients and their caregivers.
ObjectiveTo explore the psychological pressure in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurses and the sources of their pressure. MethodWe investigated the ICU nurses in West China Hospital with a self-designed psychological pressure questionnaire from March to September 2013. ResultsThe total stress level of ICU nurses was 2.89±0.86. The top five sources were low salaries and welfare benefits (3.37±0.61), high frequency of night work (3.31±0.88), wide need of knowledge (3.22±0.41), heavy workload (3.20±0.80) and chronic fatigue syndrome (3.19±0.75). ConclusionsGreat psychological pressure exists in ICU nurses. We urgently need effective approaches to relieve the stress of ICU nurses in order to improve the efficiency and quality of nursing service.
ObjectiveTo explore the effect of goal directed analgesia on patients with noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) in the intensive care unit (ICU).MethodsThis was a retrospective study. Two hundred sixty-four patients requiring non-invasive positive pressure ventilation were enrolled in the ICU of this hospital, including 118 patients in the empirical analgesia group and 146 in the goal directed analgesia group. The empirical analgesia group was treated with remifentanil to analgesia and propofol, midazolam or dexmedetomidine to sedation. The sedative depth maintained <1 measured by the score of the Richmond restless sedative scale (RASS). The same analgesic and sedative drug were first used in the goal directed analgesia group to maintain the Critical Care Pain Observation Tool score <2, and the RASS score <1 was maintained after the analgesia depth were achieved. Whether the patients occurred delirium was assessed by the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU. The dosage of analgesic and sedative drugs, the dependability (based on the total ventilation time in the first 24 hours after ventilation), the incidence of delirium, the rate of invasive ventilation, the total time of NPPV and the length of stay of ICU were observed in the two groups.ResultsThere were no significant differences in age, sex, APACHEⅡ score, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, SpO2, arterial blood gas and the reason of NPPV between the two groups. The dosage of analgesic and sedative drugs in the goal directed analgesia group were less than the empirical analgesia group, and the dependability was higher than that of the empirical analgesia group ［(12.6±5.8)h vs. (10.9±4.8)h, P<0.05), and the incidence of delirium and the rate of invasive ventilation were also lower than those of the empirical analgesia group (15.8% vs. 25.4%, P<0.05; 32.9% vs. 44.9%, P<0.05). The total time of NPPV in the goal directed analgesia group was shorter than that of the empirical analgesia group ［(28.6±8.8)h vs. (37.3±10.7)h, P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the length of stay in ICU.ConclusionGoal directed analgesia can improve the dependability of NPPV patients, reduce the use of sedative drugs, and decrease the incidence of delirium and rate of invasive ventilation.
Objective To discuss the effect of monitoring-training-planning (MTP) intervention model on the prevention and control of catheter–associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Methods Patients with indwelling catheter from departments with ICU (ICU, ICU of the Department of Neurosurgery, ICU of the Department of Neurologic Medicine) between 2014 and 2015 were included in this study. Based on the inclusion criteria, target monitoring indicators were set in accordance with Hospital Infection Monitoring Norms. A total of 493 patients with indwelling catheters from January to December 2014 were subjected to target surveillance, and were used as baseline for the study. A total of 529 patients with indwelling catheters from January to December 2015 were treated with MTP intervention. The occurrence of indwelling catheter–associated urinary tract infections in the intensive care unit was compared before and after intervention. Results The incidence of indwelling catheter-associated urinary tract infections before and after MTP intervention were different, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion MTP intervention model can effectively prevent and reduce indwelling catheter-associated urinary tract infections in ICU.
Objective To explore the burden situation among caregivers of stroke survivors, and analyze the association between burden and the quality of life among caregivers. Method In this cross-sectional study, a total of 230 stroke survivor-caregivers were investigated with basic demographic information, Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument-Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF) from May 2015 to November 2015. Results The mean age of the caregivers of stroke survivors was (66.7±11.7) years, and the caregiver burden was in the mild level with the mean ZBI score of 21.11±6.96. The multiple linear regression analysis showed that the influencing factors of caregiver burden were the complications, self-care ability, residence of stroke survivors, and the self-rating health status of caregivers (P<0.05). And the total ZBI score was negatively correlated with the total WHOQOL-BREF scores (P<0.01), physiological dimensional scores (P<0.01), social dimensional scores (P<0.01), and environmental dimensional scores of caregivers (P<0.01). Conclusions The caregivers of stroke survivors suffer from general caregiver burden, and the heavier caregiver burden is, the poorer the quality of life of the caregivers is. According to the different conditions between urban and rural areas of China, it is reasonable to formulate a targeted program with the consideration of requirements referring to stroke survivors and their caregivers. It should involve physiological, psychological, social, environmental factors and so on to improve the caregivers’ quality of life finally.
ObjectiveTo investigate the knowledge and need of caregivers who perform self-nursing for children with peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC), in order to provide evidence for health education for children in-patients and children discharged from hospital with central venous catheter. MethodsSelf-designed questionnaire was used to investigate 364 caregivers who performed nursing for 162 PICC pediatric in-patients bwtween December 2013 and July 2015. The investigation was carried out on the general information, nursing knowledge, and the acquisition approach of caregivers' existing nursing knowledge. ResultsThe majority of indwelling PICC pediatric caregivers were elderly people, and the common care model was alternate caring carried out by core family members. The children were cared by the elderly in 59 families (36.42%). Twenty-one families had the parents of the children as the major caregivers (12.96%), and alternate caring by parents and the elderly happened in 82 families (50.62%). The total score of the investigation was ranged from 5 to 29 with an average of 11.37±5.68. Nineteen children were discharged with catheter, whose caregivers got a score from 6 to 11, averaging 8.41±4.33. ConclusionThe ratio of self-nursing knowledge in caregivers for pediatric PICC patients is generally low, especially in those caregivers for patients discharged with central venous catheter. Nursing administrators should pay attention to training of the nurses, trying to improve the knowledge of nurses on PICC health education. Different forms of health education should be carried out for different caregivers. Finally, health education model should also be continuously improved to raise the quality of PICC pediatric nursing.
ObjectiveTo explore the effectiveness of lung ultrasound-guided pulmonary rehabilitation training in ICU patients on mechanical ventilation.MethodsPatients on mechanical ventilation admitted to the ICU of a tertiary A-level hospital in Hefei city from July 2022 to December 2023 were selected and randomly divided into a control group and an experimental group using a random number table method. The control group received conventional pulmonary rehabilitation training, while the experimental group underwent lung ultrasound-guided pulmonary rehabilitation training. The differences in lung ultrasound scores, oxygenation index, diaphragm function, weaning success rate, and mechanical ventilation time were compared between the two groups on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th days of intervention.ResultsThe study was completed with 48 cases in the experimental group and 46 cases in the control group. Repeated measures ANOVA showed statistically significant intergroup effects, time effects, and interaction effects on lung ultrasound scores, oxygenation index, diaphragm mobility, and diaphragm thickness variability rate (P<0.05). The weaning success rate was higher in the experimental group than in the control group, and the mechanical ventilation time was shorter, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05).ConclusionsThe lung ultrasound-guided pulmonary rehabilitation training program can effectively improve the pulmonary status, oxygenation, and diaphragm function of ICU patients on mechanical ventilation, increase the success rate of weaning, shorten the mechanical ventilation time, and accelerate patient recovery.
Objective To investigate the current status of higher education of allied health professions (AHPs), professional human resource as well as the career development of allied health professionals, and to provide references for the planning of higher education of AHPs in China. Methods Literature was reviewed in relation to the current status of higher education of AHPs and professional human resource in China. A questionnaire survey was conducted to determine the career development conditions of allied health professionals. Results a) Currently, the higher education of AHPs in China was faced with such problems as a limited scale, a lower structural level, and an absent degree system. b) The number of allied health professionals was small with lower qualifications. Higher-end professionals were in shortage. C) The professionals saw multiples glass ceilings over career orientation, academic advancement, and professional entitlement. Conclusion Efforts should be made to expand the scale of higher education of AHPs, elevate degree structure, and to construct a professional education system with multiple layers and categories. The professional education should be combined with the career development for planning and collaboration to provide assurance for the career development of the professional in China.
Objective To retrospectively analyze the clinical characteristics of different lactate trajectories in sepsis patients receiving mechanical ventilation (MV) and to investigate their associations with acute kidney injury (AKI) and in-hospital death risk, aiming to provide references for early renal protection in critically ill sepsis patients. Methods Data from sepsis patients receiving MV were extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care Ⅳ (MIMIC-Ⅳ) database. The daily mean lactate values over the first 10 days were calculated. The latent class trajectory model (LCTM) was used to identify lactate trajectories over time and group the patients accordingly. AKI was the primary outcome measure, while in-hospital death was the secondary outcome measure. Logistic regression and Cox regression analyses were used to explore the associations between different lactate trajectories and these outcomes. Kaplan-Meier curves were drawn to compare in-hospital death risks among different lactate trajectory groups. Results A total of 2 062 MV-treated sepsis patients were included. After LCTM analysis, 1 396 patients were classified into the low lactate trajectory group, 451 into the moderate lactate trajectory group, and 215 into the high lactate trajectory group. After adjusting for confounding factors, the high lactate trajectory group was associated with an increased risk of AKI and in-hospital death (P<0.05). Conclusions In sepsis patients receiving MV, those with high lactate trajectories have a higher risk of AKI. Lactate trajectory changes can serve as an early assessment indicator for AKI and mortality risk in critically ill sepsis patients.