Determinants of caregiver burden of patients with haemorrhagic stroke in China.

AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the caregiver burden over time of patients with haemorrhagic stroke and the determinants of this. BACKGROUND: Identification of the predictors for caregiver burden can be used to improve the outcomes of stroke survivors and caregivers. Few studies focus on the caregiver burden of patients with haemorrhagic stroke and how this changes over time. DESIGN: This was a prospective longitudinal study. METHODS: A convenience sample of 202 stroke survivor/caregiver pairs were recruited in the neurosurgery unit from March 2015 to March 2016. The participants were assessed at three different times by face to face or telephone interview. Caregiver burden was assessed using the Bakas Caregiver Outcomes Scale. Sociodemographic data and other characteristics of the pairs were also collected. Multiple linear regression was performed to identify the determinants. RESULTS: Caregiver burden decreased from T1 to T3 significantly. The physical function, depression of stroke survivors, and self-rated burden of caregivers were the most important determinants for overall caregiver burden. The factors identified explained 41.6% to 67.4% of overall burden. CONCLUSION: Caregiver burden decreased over time, affected by factors from patients and caregivers. More professional caregivers are needed to support informal carers.

PINGS (Phone-Based Intervention Under Nurse Guidance After Stroke): Interim Results of a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Stroke exacts an immense toll in sub-Saharan Africa where there are few resources, and stroke prevention research is limited. The aim of this study is to test the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an m-Health technology-enabled, nurse-guided intervention in improving blood pressure (BP) control among Ghanaian stroke patients within 1 month of symptom onset. METHODS: We conducted a 2-arm cluster pilot randomized controlled trial involving 60 recent stroke survivors encountered within a single tertiary medical system in Ghana. Subjects in the intervention arm (n=30) received a Blue-toothed UA-767Plus BT BP device and smartphone for monitoring and reporting BP measurements and medication intake for 3 months compared with standard of care (n=30). Primary outcome measure was systolic BP <140 mm Hg at month 3; secondary outcomes included medication adherence and autonomous self-regulation. Analysis accounting for clustering was made using generalized linear mixed model by intention to treat. RESULTS: Mean±SD age was 55±13 years, 65% male. Systolic BP <140 mm Hg at month 3 was found in 20/30 subjects (66.7%) in the intervention arm versus 14/30 subjects (46.7%) in the control arm (P=0.12). Medication possession ratio scores at month 3 were better in the intervention (0.88±0.40) versus control (0.64±0.45) arm (P=0.03). One subject in control arm died from a recurrent hemorrhagic stroke. CONCLUSIONS: It is feasible to conduct an m-Health-based, nurse-guided BP control intervention among recent stroke patients in sub-Saharan Africa. We observed a potential signal of efficacy with the intervention, which will need to be tested in a future large definitive study. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02568137.

End-of-life care in the neonatal intensive care unit: applying comfort theory.

The provision of quality end-of-life care is essential when a neonate is dying. End-of-life care delivered in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) must consider the needs of both the newborn and their family. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how comfort theory and its associated taxonomic structure can be used as a conceptual framework for nurses and midwives providing end-of-life care to neonates and their families. Comfort theory and its taxonomic structure are presented and issues related to end-of-life care in the NICU are highlighted. A case study is used to illustrate the application of comfort theory and issues related to implementation are discussed. The delivery of end-of-life care in the NICU can be improved through the application of comfort.

Computed tomography diagnosis of neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy combined with intracranial hemorrhage and clinical nursing treatment.

Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), one of the common causes of newborn invalidism, is likely to induce nervous system-associated sequelae and even intracranial hemorrhage in severe cases. The incidence rate of HIE has been rising in recent years. In order to study the clinical nursing effect for HIE combined with intracranial hemorrhage, 76 newborns diagnosed with HIE combined with intracranial hemorrhage by spiral computed tomography (CT) from the of Binzhou People’s Hospital, Shandong, China were selected. They were divided into a control group and an intervention group. The control group received routine nursing, while the intervention group received comprehensive nursing intervention. The experimental results suggested that the mental developmental index (MDI) value and the psychomotor developmental index (PDI) value of patients in the intervention group were much higher than those of the control group and the difference was significant (p<0.05). The curative effect of the intervention group was remarkably better than that of the control group and the difference was also statistically significant (p less than 0.05). Moreover, the intervention group had a lower incidence rate of untoward reactions. All the findings suggest that comprehensive nursing intervention can help newborns diagnosed with HIE combined with intracranial hemorrhage recover more effectively, therefore is worth applying.

Neurocritical care: why does it make a difference?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The care of critically ill brain-injured patients is complex and requires careful balancing of cerebral and systemic treatment priorities. A growing number of studies have reported improved outcomes when patients are admitted to dedicated neurocritical care units (NCCUs). The reasons for this observation have not been definitively clarified. RECENT FINDINGS: When recently published articles are combined with older literature, there have been more than 40 000 patients assessed in observational studies that compare neurological and general ICUs. Although results are heterogeneous, admission to NCCUs is associated with lower mortality and a greater chance of favorable recovery. These findings are remarkable considering that there are few interventions in neurocritical care that have been demonstrated to be efficacious in randomized trials. Whether the relationship is causal is still being elucidated but potential explanations include higher patient volume and, in turn, greater clinician experience; more emphasis on and adherence to protocols to avoid secondary brain injury; practice differences related to prognostication and withdrawal of life-sustaining interventions; and differences in the use and interpretation of neuroimaging and neuromonitoring data. SUMMARY: Neurocritical care is an evolving field that is associated with improvements in outcomes over the past decade. Further research is required to determine how monitoring and treatment protocols can be optimized.

Satisfaction with palliative care after stroke: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The determinants of satisfaction for families of acute stroke patients receiving palliative care have not been extensively studied. We surveyed families to determine how they perceived palliative care after stroke. METHODS: Families of patients palliated after ischemic stroke, intracerebral, or subarachnoid hemorrhage were approached. Four weeks after the patient's death, families were administered the After-Death Bereaved Family Member Interview to determine satisfaction with the care provided. RESULTS: Fifteen families participated. Families were most satisfied with participation in decision making and least satisfied with attention to emotional needs. In stroke-specific domains, families had less satisfaction with artificial feeding, hydration, and communication. Overall satisfaction was high (9.04 out of 10). CONCLUSIONS: Families of patients receiving palliative care at our institution showed generally high satisfaction with palliation after stroke; specific domains were identified for improvement. Further study in larger populations is required.

Sitting without back support position for prolonged consciousness disturbance patients: an intervention program case study.

The purpose of this research was to document and compare the before and after levels of consciousness of patients with prolonged consciousness disturbance (PCD) who sat for a specified length of time in a specially designed backless chair (Suwarou-Kun). Three patients were selected as participants using the PCD criteria described by Jennet and Plum in 1972. The Kohnan Vegetative Score (henceforth referred to as the Kohnan PCD Scale) and electroencephalography (EEG) measurements, together with direct observation of subtle changes, were used to record each participant's overt behavior and autonomic responses. A single-case observation/intervention time series design was used in this study. Length of exposure to the intervention and mean exposure time per session were as follows: case 1, 65 days and 30 minutes; case 2, 36 days and 11 minutes; and case 3, 43 days and 36 minutes. The Wilcoxon's rank sum test was used to analyze the pair of Kohnan PCD Scale and EEG scores collected before and at the midway point of each intervention session. Because more than two variables were being measured, the data were reanalyzed using repeated-measure analysis of variance. In cases 2 and 3, there were significant differences in the Kohnan PCD Scale and EEG scores during the "sitting without back support position" (SB) intervention period as well as at the midway point of each session (p < .05) compared with the measurements taken before the intervention. In all three cases, there also were subtle changes during the intervention, for example, eye movement, finger or thumb movement, strength of voice, and salivation. Alpha and beta waves were greater after the introduction of the SB intervention and preceded the behavioral response changes. The SB intervention resulted in at least some improvement in the level of consciousness for each participant. It remains an open question, however, whether longer exposure would have brought about further change. The SB intervention is costly in terms of human time and effort, and its beneficial effects beyond those measured in this study will require additional research.

Recombinant factor VIIa and the patient with neurologic bleeding: separating fact from fiction.

Notwithstanding its limited Food and Drug Administration-approved indications, rFVIIa has rapidly gained widespread use for the treatment of a variety of hemorrhagic conditions, including intracranial bleeding from spontaneous, traumatic, surgical, and coagulopathic causes. Although it appears that the drug only minimally increases the risk of thromboembolic events, its efficacy remains in question. The idea of finding a universal cure for hemorrhage in a medication bottle remains highly appealing, but enthusiasm for the concept is no replacement for evidence. Neuroscience nurses, who are the interface between patients and rFVIIa, need to balance hope and hype until the facts are all in.