Effectiveness of nurse-led interventions versus usual care to manage hypertension and lifestyle behaviour: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: This review aimed to investigate the effectiveness of nurse-led interventions vs. usual care on hypertension management, lifestyle behaviour, and patients' knowledge of hypertension and associated risk factors. METHODS: A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted following Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines. MEDLINE (Ovid), EmCare (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO), Cochrane library, and ProQuest (Ovid) were searched from inception to 15 February 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effect of nurse-led interventions on hypertension management were identified. Title and abstract, full text screening, assessment of methodological quality, and data extraction were conducted by two independent reviewers using JBI tools. A statistical meta-analysis was conducted using STATA version 17.0. RESULTS: A total of 37 RCTs and 9731 participants were included. The overall pooled data demonstrated that nurse-led interventions may reduce systolic blood pressure (mean difference -4.66; 95% CI -6.69, -2.64; I2 = 83.32; 31 RCTs; low certainty evidence) and diastolic blood pressure (mean difference -1.91; 95% CI -3.06, -0.76; I2 = 79.35; 29 RCTs; low certainty evidence) compared with usual care. The duration of interventions contributed to the magnitude of blood pressure reduction. Nurse-led interventions had a positive impact on lifestyle behaviour and effectively modified diet and physical activity, but the effect on smoking and alcohol consumption was inconsistent. CONCLUSION: This review revealed the beneficial effects of nurse-led interventions in hypertension management compared with usual care. Integration of nurse-led interventions in routine hypertension treatment and prevention services could play an important role in alleviating the rising global burden of hypertension. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO: CRD42021274900.

Effectiveness of activity-monitoring devices in patients with cardiovascular disease participating in cardiac rehabilitation programs: an umbrella review protocol.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the review is to investigate the effect of activity-monitoring devices and mobile applications on physical activity and health outcomes of patients with cardiovascular disease who are participating in cardiac rehabilitation programs. INTRODUCTION: Supporting patients with cardiovascular conditions to achieve and maintain healthy physical activity levels is the cornerstone of cardiac rehabilitation programs. The effectiveness of activity-monitoring devices and mobile applications (such as physical activity interventions) utilizing consumer-grade monitoring devices and applications to support patients to improve exercise levels during and after program completion has been investigated. Several systematic reviews evaluating the effectiveness of monitoring devices and applications have indicated varying clinical impact, depending on patient characteristics, stage of rehabilitation, and type of intervention. INCLUSION CRITERIA: This review will consider systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials of patients who participated in cardiac rehabilitation programs that included a physical activity intervention that incorporated activity monitoring using electronic devices and/or mobile applications and reported activity and patient health outcomes. METHODS: MEDLINE, Embase, Sport Discus, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Scopus, CINAHL, the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment database, Epistemonikos, and Web of Science will be searched from inception to the present. PROSPERO will be searched for unpublished reviews. Articles will be screened by two independent reviewers for inclusion, and methodological quality will be assessed using a JBI critical appraisal tool. Data will be extracted from systematic reviews and a data synthesis of findings will be presented. The certainty will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42022298877.

Effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation programs in improving medication adherence in patients with cardiovascular disease: a systematic review protocol.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review is to measure the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation programs versus standard care on medication adherence in patients with cardiovascular disease. INTRODUCTION: Poor adherence to long-term medications increases the risk of morbidity and mortality, and decreases quality of life in patients with cardiovascular diseases. Several strategies have been trialed to improve medication adherence, one of which is cardiac rehabilitation programs. Although evidence has indicated that such programs increase medication adherence, the extent of their effectiveness and translation into clinical practice is not well documented. Our systematic review will collect and analyze the available evidence for clinical practice implementation. INCLUSION CRITERIA: The search will aim to locate randomized controlled trials. Where randomized controlled trials are not available, quasi-experimental studies, case-control studies, observational studies, and other study designs will be included. Studies that measure effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation programs compared with standard care on medication adherence in cardiovascular disease patients will be included. METHODS: Databases, including MEDLINE (Ovid), Emcare (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Cochrane CENTRAL, Scopus, CINAHL (EBSCO), and unpublished sources will be searched. Articles in English and non-English-language articles with an English abstract, published from database inception to the present, will be included. Articles will be screened and reviewed by 2 independent reviewers for inclusion. Critical appraisal tools will be applied to the included studies. Data will be extracted using the appropriate extraction tools and synthesized for the objectives of the study. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42021284705.

Effectiveness of telehealth versus standard care on health care utilization, health-related quality of life, and well-being in homebound populations: a systematic review protocol.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the review is to determine the effectiveness of telehealth versus in-person care on health care utilization, health-related quality of life, and well-being in homebound populations. INTRODUCTION: Globally, an increasing number of people are becoming homebound. These individuals experience high levels of social isolation and deterioration of their well-being. Reports from homebound people and recent publications suggest that this cohort may benefit from accessing telehealth solutions from their homes to treat and prevent serious issues affecting their health and well-being. This review will synthesize the evidence on the effectiveness of telehealth compared to standard care (in-person care) on health care utilization, health-related quality of life, and well-being in homebound populations. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Studies including people living in community settings, whose daily life is physically limited to the boundary of their homes because of their ongoing health, energy, and psychosocial or socio-functional impairments will be considered for inclusion. METHODS: This review will consider relevant, peer-reviewed primary experimental and quasi-experimental studies, with no limit on language or date. Databases to be searched include MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Scopus, LILACS, JBI Evidence Synthesis (hand-searched for further studies), and Web of Science. Two independent reviewers will be involved in study selection and data extraction. Eligible studies will be critically appraised for methodological quality using the relevant JBI critical appraisal checklists, and statistical meta-analysis will be done (where possible). Findings will be presented in narrative form. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42021289578.

Period Prevalence of Rheumatic Heart Disease and the Need for a Centralized Patient Registry in American Samoa, 2016 to 2018.

Background Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a severe, chronic complication of acute rheumatic fever, triggered by group A streptococcal pharyngitis. Centralized patient registries are recommended for RHD prevention and control, but none exists in American Samoa. Using existing RHD tracking systems, we estimated RHD period prevalence and the proportion of people with RHD documented in the electronic health record. Methods and Results RHD cases were identified from a centralized electronic health record system, which retrieved clinical encounters with RHD International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes, clinical problem lists referencing RHD, and antibiotic prophylaxis administration records; 3 RHD patient tracking spreadsheets; and an all-cause mortality database. RHD cases had ≥1 clinical encounter with RHD ICD-10-CM codes, a diagnostic echocardiogram, or RHD as a cause of death, or were included in RHD patient tracking spreadsheets. Period prevalence per 1000 population among children aged <18 years and adults aged ≥18 years from 2016 to 2018 and the proportion of people with RHD with ≥1 clinical encounter with an RHD ICD-10-CM code were estimated. From 2016 to 2018, RHD was documented in 327 people (57.2%: children aged <18 years). Overall RHD period prevalence was 6.3 cases per 1000 and varied by age (10.0 pediatric cases and 4.3 adult cases per 1000). Only 67% of people with RHD had ≥1 clinical encounter with an RHD ICD-10-CM code. Conclusions RHD remains a serious public health problem in American Samoa, and the existing electronic health record does not include all cases. A centralized patient registry could improve tracking people with RHD to ensure they receive necessary care.

The 2020 Australian guideline for prevention, diagnosis and management of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.

INTRODUCTION: Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) cause significant morbidity and premature mortality among Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. RHDAustralia has produced a fully updated clinical guideline in response to new knowledge gained since the 2012 edition. The guideline aligns with major international ARF and RHD practice guidelines from the American Heart Association and World Heart Federation to ensure best practice. The GRADE system was used to assess the quality and strength of evidence where appropriate. MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS: The 2020 Australian guideline details best practice care for people with or at risk of ARF and RHD. It provides up-to-date guidance on primordial, primary and secondary prevention, diagnosis and management, preconception and perinatal management of women with RHD, culturally safe practice, provision of a trained and supported Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce, disease burden, RHD screening, control programs and new technologies. CHANGES IN MANAGEMENT AS A RESULT OF THE GUIDELINE: Key changes include updating of ARF and RHD diagnostic criteria; change in secondary prophylaxis duration; improved pain management for intramuscular injections; and changes to antibiotic regimens for primary prevention. Other changes include an emphasis on provision of culturally appropriate care; updated burden of disease data using linked register and hospitalisations data; primordial prevention strategies to reduce streptococcal infection addressing household overcrowding and personal hygiene; recommendations for population-based echocardiographic screening for RHD in select populations; expanded management guidance for women with RHD or ARF to cover contraception, antenatal, delivery and postnatal care, and to stratify pregnancy risks according to RHD severity; and a priority classification system for presence and severity of RHD to align with appropriate timing of follow-up.

A national prospective surveillance study of acute rheumatic fever in Australian children.

BACKGROUND: Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is an important cause of heart disease in Indigenous people of northern and central Australia. However, little is known about ARF in children across all Australian population groups. This national prospective study was conducted to determine patterns of disease, and populations and regions at highest risk. METHODS: The Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit surveillance model was used to collect data on children with ARF across Australia. Children up to 15 years of age were included if they had an ARF episode diagnosed between October 1, 2007 and December 31, 2010 that met the case definition. RESULTS: ARF was identified in 151 children: 131 Indigenous Australians, 10 non-Indigenous Australians, 8 Pacific Islanders and 1 African (1 unknown). Common presenting features were joint symptoms, fever and carditis. Sydenham chorea was reported in 19% of children. Aseptic monoarthritis was a major manifestation in 19% of high-risk children. Seven non-Indigenous Australian children presented with classic, highly specific features compared with 23% of high-risk children, suggesting that subtle presentations of ARF are being missed in non-Indigenous children. Recent sore throat was reported in 33% of cases, including 25% of remote Indigenous children. There were delays in presentation to care and referral to higher-level care across urban/rural and remote areas. CONCLUSIONS: ARF may be more common than previously thought among low-risk children. These data should prompt an awareness of ARF diagnosis and management across all regions, including strategies for primary prevention. There should be renewed emphasis on treatment of sore throat in high-risk groups.

Persistence of acute rheumatic fever in a tertiary children's hospital.

AIM: To identify and describe all children admitted with acute rheumatic fever (ARF) to a tertiary paediatric hospital in Sydney over a 9-year period and to describe their demographic and clinical characteristics, management and short-term outcomes. Delays in diagnosis, recurrence of ARF and use of secondary prophylaxis were also documented. METHODS: Retrospective review of medical records for children aged < 15 years admitted to the Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, with ARF (International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 classification I0.0-109.9) during 2000-2008. Only cases meeting the National Heart Foundation of Australia diagnostic criteria for ARF were included. RESULTS: Twenty-six children met the National Heart Foundation of Australia criteria for ARF. The median age was 11.5 years (range 5.8-14.6) and 15 (58%) were male. Ten (38%) identified as Pacific Islander, and 5 (19%) as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI). Most (n= 20, 77%) lived in suburban Sydney, and 69% were classified in the two most disadvantaged quintiles on the Index of Relative Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Advantage. Four (15%) had Sydenham's chorea, and 81% had carditis (mitral and/or aortic regurgitation). Six (23%) children had previous ARF. Antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent recurrent ARF was prescribed in all cases, but 50% received oral penicillin, rather than by intramuscular injection. Barriers to timely diagnosis were identified in 81%, including delayed presentation and delayed referral. CONCLUSION: Most children presenting to the hospital with ARF lived in disadvantaged areas of Sydney. Pacific Islander and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were over-represented. Mitigation of RHD requires early identification of ARF and appropriate delivery of secondary prophylaxis.

Control of rheumatic heart disease in the Pacific region.

This article outlines the impact of rheumatic heart disease for the individual, the international community and the Pacific region. It then appraises the three main strategies for control of rheumatic heart disease. Secondary prevention is the regular delivery of antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent further episodes of recurrent rheumatic fever and is the only prevention activity that is proven to be effective and cost effective at the individual and community level. The article explores the essential facets of a successful control program focussing upon health education and promotion, and then discusses previous experience with control programs for rheumatic heart disease. Finally it describes the current Pacific Rheumatic Heart Disease Control Program.

Local reactions after the fourth dose of acellular pertussis vaccine in South Australia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the reported rate of local reactions after administration of acellular pertussis vaccine (DTPa) according to dose number and type of pertussis vaccine (whole-cell or acellular) used for the primary course, and to document the severity and outcome of fourth-dose local reactions. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective review. Reports of adverse events after vaccination in South Australia between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2000 were reviewed, and a questionnaire administered to all parents who reported a local reaction after the fourth dose of DTPa. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The number, and rate per 100 000 administered doses, of local reactions following the primary and booster doses of DTPa, and of local reactions after the fourth-dose in cohorts of children whose primary vaccinations were with either DTPw or DTPa. Redness and/or swelling at the injection site as reported by parents. RESULTS: Of 581 reported adverse events after vaccination, 138 were local reactions after a pertussis-containing vaccine. Primary vaccinations with DTPa was a significant risk factor for a fourth-dose local reaction (relative risk, 6.7; 95% CI, 2.4-18.5). Parental questionnaires were completed for 45 of the 71 children (63%) with reported local reactions after the fourth dose of DTPa; extensive limb swelling was reported in 8 children (18%) and all except one child had recovered by the time of review. CONCLUSIONS: Parents should be informed that children receiving booster doses of DTPa vaccine, after primary doses with DTPa, are at increased risk of local reactions (which tend to resolve spontaneously) but not of systemic effects. Studies should be initiated to investigate the pathogenesis and the risk of recurrence of local reactions to further improve vaccination schedules.