Use of a Probiotic to Enhance Iron Absorption in a Randomized Trial of Pediatric Patients Presenting with Iron Deficiency.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of low dose ferrous sulfate for the treatment of iron deficiency and if the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (LP299v) enhances treatment. STUDY DESIGN: This randomized, double-blinded, controlled trial of the treatment of iron deficiency in children compared the use of low-dose ferrous sulfate (1-3 mg/kg/day), with or without probiotic (LP299v). RESULTS: Serum ferritin level increased in all children from a baseline of 23.7 ng/mL to 45.4 ng/mL after 6-8 weeks of treatment. There was no significant difference in the increase in serum ferritin in children taking the probiotic LP299v compared with controls (23.2 vs 20.0 ng/mL, respectively). Additionally, an increase in ferritin level was not significantly associated with probiotic use when controlling for other factors, including child weight and dosing. Overall, the treatments were well-tolerated, with mild side effects. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with low-dose ferrous sulfate is well-tolerated and effective in correcting iron deficiency in children. However, the probiotic LP299v did not enhance treatment. Further attention should examine the dose-response effect in children, including an alternate day dosing schedule. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01617044.

Hippotherapy in Rehabilitation Care for Children With Neurological Impairments and Developmental Delays: A Case Series.

PURPOSE: This report assesses functional mobility in children with neurological impairments and documented gross motor delays, before and after receiving either hippotherapy or standard outpatient physical therapy (PT). SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS: This is a case-series report using data previously collected for a discontinued randomized controlled trial, in which participants received hippotherapy or standard outpatient clinic PT for a 12-week treatment period. Results demonstrated both subjective and objective functional mobility improvements after treatment in participants receiving hippotherapy and standard outpatient PT, as determined by the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2, the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory, and the Goal Attainment Scaling. STATEMENT OF CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE:: When compared with standard outpatient PT, hippotherapy appears to be a viable treatment strategy for children aged 2 to 5 years with neurological impairments and gross motor delays, but additional research in this area is needed to validate findings.

Acceptability, Adaptation, and Clinical Outcomes of Acupuncture Provided in the Emergency Department: A Retrospective Pilot Study.

Objective: To evaluate acceptability and clinical outcomes of acupuncture on patient-reported pain and anxiety in an emergency department (ED). Design: Observational, retrospective pilot study. Setting: Abbott Northwestern Hospital ED, Minneapolis, MN. Methods: Retrospective data was used to identify patients receiving acupuncture in addition to standard medical care in the ED between 11/1/13 and 12/31/14. Feasibility was measured by quantifying the utilization of acupuncture in a novel setting and performing limited tests of its efficacy. Patient-reported pain and anxiety scores were collected by the acupuncturist using an 11-point (0-10) numeric rating scale before (pre) and immediately after (post) acupuncture. Efficacy outcomes were change in pain and anxiety scores. Results: During the study period, 436 patients were referred for acupuncture, 279 of whom were approached by the acupuncturist during their ED visit. Consent for acupuncture was obtained from 89% (248/279). A total of 182 patients, who had a pre-pain score >0 and non-missing anxiety scores, were included in analyses. Of the 52% (94/182) who did not have analgesics before or during the acupuncture session, the average decrease of 2.37 points (95% CI: 1.92, 2.83) was not different (p > 0.05) than the mean decrease of 2.68 points for those receiving analgesics (95% CI 2.21, 3.15). The average pre-anxiety score was 4.73 points (SD = 3.43) and the mean decrease was 2.27 points (95% CI: 1.89, 2.66). Conclusions: Results from this observational trial indicate that acupuncture was acceptable and effective for pain and anxiety reduction, in conjunction with standard medical care. These results will inform future randomized trials.

Patients Receiving Integrative Medicine Effectiveness Registry (PRIMIER) of the BraveNet practice-based research network: study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Integrative medicine (IM) provides patient-centered care and addresses the full range of physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and environmental influences that affect a person's health. IM is a "whole systems" approach that employs multiple modalities as opposed to an isolated complementary therapy. Thus, studying outcomes of IM is more challenging than evaluating an isolated intervention. Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) allow for clinicians/investigators at multiple diverse sites using common methodology to pool their data, increase participant sample size and increase generalizability of results. To conduct real-world, practice-based research, the Bravewell Collaborative founded BraveNet in 2007 as the first national integrative medicine PBRN. METHODS AND DESIGN: Patients Receiving Integrative Medicine Effectiveness Registry (PRIMIER) is a prospective, non-randomized, observational evaluation conducted at fourteen clinical sites. Participants receive a non-standardized, personalized, multimodal IM approach for various medical conditions. Using the REDCap electronic platform, an anticipated 10,000 study participants will complete patient-reported outcome measures including Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-29, Perceived Stress Scale-4, and the Patient Activation Measure at baseline, 2, 4, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. Extractions from participants' electronic health records include IM services received, as well as ICD diagnostic codes, and CPT billing codes associated with each IM visit. Repeated-measures analyses will be performed on data to assess change from baseline through 24 months with planned subgroup analyses to include specific clinical population and specific IM intervention or combinations. DISCUSSION: As the PRIMIER registry grows, we anticipate that our results would provide an indication of the promise of PBRN research efforts in IM. Analyses will incorporate a large sample of participants and an expected 10-year observation period and will provide the ability to evaluate the effect of IM on outcomes for specific clinical populations and specific IM interventions or combinations. As such, PRIMIER will serve as a national platform for future evaluations of IM best practices. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials.gov NCT01754038.

Development of a Health System-Based Nurse-Delivered Aromatherapy Program.

Healthcare systems are increasingly looking to integrate aromatherapy (essential oils) as a safe, low-cost, and nonpharmacologic option for patient care to reduce pain, nausea, and anxiety and to improve sleep. This article describes the development and implementation of a healthcare system-wide program of nurse-delivered essential oil therapeutic interventions to inpatients throughout an acute care setting. In addition, we provide lessons learned for nursing administrators interested in developing similar nurse-delivered aromatherapy programs.

Acupuncture provides short-term pain relief for patients in a total joint replacement program.

OBJECTIVE: Given the risks of opioid medications, nonpharmacological strategies should be considered for total joint replacement patients. We investigated acupuncture as an adjunct therapy for postsurgical pain management in a total joint replacement program by examining which total hip and knee replacement patients elected to receive acupuncture and the effect of acupuncture on short-term pain. DESIGN: A total joint replacement program using fast-track physiotherapy offered elective postsurgical acupuncture to all patients, at no additional cost, as an adjunct therapy to opioids for pain management. SETTING: The Joint Replacement Center at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, a 630-bed teaching and specialty hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota from 2010 to 2012. SUBJECTS: Our sample included 2,500 admissions of total hip (THR) and total knee replacement (TKR) patients. METHODS: Self-reported pain was assessed before and after acupuncture using a 0-10 scale and categorized as none/mild (0-4) and moderate/severe pain (5-10). RESULTS: Seventy-five percent of admissions included acupuncture. Women (Odds Ratio: 1.48, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.22, 1.81) had higher odds of receiving acupuncture compared to men, and nonwhite patients (Odds Ratio: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.39, 0.78) had lower odds of receiving acupuncture compared to white patients. Average short-term pain reduction was 1.91 points (95% CI: 1.83, 1.99), a 45% reduction from the mean prepain score. Forty-one percent of patients reported moderate/severe pain prior to receiving acupuncture, while only 15% indicated moderate/severe pain after acupuncture. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture may be a viable adjunct to pharmacological approaches for pain management after THR or TKR.

The effectiveness of integrative medicine interventions on pain and anxiety in cardiovascular inpatients: a practice-based research evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Pain and anxiety occurring from cardiovascular disease are associated with long-term health risks. Integrative medicine (IM) therapies reduce pain and anxiety in small samples of hospitalized cardiovascular patients within randomized controlled trials; however, practice-based effectiveness research has been limited. The goal of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of IM interventions (i.e., bodywork, mind-body and energy therapies, and traditional Chinese medicine) on pain and anxiety measures across a cardiovascular population. METHODS: Retrospective data obtained from medical records identified patients with a cardiovascular ICD-9 code admitted to a large Midwestern hospital between 7/1/2009 and 12/31/2012. Outcomes were changes in patient-reported pain and anxiety, rated before and after IM treatments based on a numeric scale (0-10). RESULTS: Of 57,295 hospital cardiovascular admissions, 6,589 (11.5%) included IM. After receiving IM therapy, patients averaged a 46.5% (p-value < 0.001) decrease in pain and a 54.8% (p-value < 0.001) decrease in anxiety. There was no difference between treatment modalities on pain reduction; however, mind-body and energy therapies (p-value < 0.01), traditional Chinese medicine (p-value < 0.05), and combination therapies (p-value < 0.01) were more effective at reducing anxiety than bodywork therapies. Each additional year of age reduced the odds of receiving any IM therapy by two percent (OR: 0.98, p-value < 0.01) and females had 96% (OR: 1.96, p-value < 0.01) higher odds of receiving any IM therapy compared to males. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiovascular inpatients reported statistically significant decreases in pain and anxiety following care with adjunctive IM interventions. This study underscores the potential for future practice-based research to investigate the best approach for incorporating these therapies into an acute care setting such that IM therapies are most appropriately provided to patient populations.

Significant Pain Reduction in Hospitalized Patients Receiving Integrative Medicine Interventions by Clinical Population and Accounting for Pain Medication.

Background: Prior research has reported that integrative medicine (IM) therapies reduce pain in inpatients, but without controlling for important variables. Here, the authors extend prior research by assessing pain reduction while accounting for each patient's pain medication status and clinical population. Methods: The initial data set consisted of 7,106 inpatient admissions, aged ≥18 years, between July 16, 2012, and December 15, 2014. Patients' electronic health records were used to obtain data on demographic, clinical measures, and pain medication status during IM. Results: The final data set included first IM therapies delivered during 3,635 admissions. Unadjusted average pre-IM pain was 5.33 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.26 to 5.41) and post-IM pain was 3.31 (95% CI: 3.23 to 3.40) on a 0-10 scale. Pain change adjusted for severity of illness, clinical population, sex, treatment, and pain medication status during IM was significant and clinically meaningful with an average reduction of -1.97 points (95% CI: -2.06 to -1.86) following IM. Adjusted average pain was reduced in all clinical populations, with largest and smallest pain reductions in maternity care (-2.34 points [95% CI: -2.56 to -2.14]) and orthopedic (-1.71 points [95% CI: -1.98 to -1.44]) populations. Pain medication status did not have a statistically significant association on pain change. Decreases were observed regardless of whether patients were taking narcotic medications and/or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs versus no pain medications. Conclusions: For the first time, inpatients receiving IM reported significant and clinically meaningful pain reductions during a first IM session while accounting for pain medications and across clinical populations. Future implementation research should be conducted to optimize identification/referral/delivery of IM therapies within hospitals. Clinical Trials.gov #NCT02190240.

Comparison of Pediatric Tracheostomy Stoma Cleaning Solutions.

BACKGROUND: In the limited literature on cleaning tracheostomy stoma sites, there is no standard guideline for the cleaning solution. The objective of this study was to determine whether signs of stoma-site infection were different among a hospitalized pediatric population when using sterile water, sterile saline solution, or 0.25% acetic acid solution for tracheostomy stoma cleaning. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was completed and included nursing and physician notes. The subjects were <1 y of age, in the neonatal ICU, and received a tracheostomy within the previous 30 days. Clinical signs of infection were visually observed by the providers and documented in the medical record. The subjects were divided into 3 groups, those prescribed 0.25% acetic acid, those prescribed sterile water, and those prescribed sterile saline solution for twice daily tracheostomy stoma care. We compared the rate of signs of infection of the tracheostomy stoma site across the 3 treatments by using a chi-square test. RESULTS: In the 102 subjects included, there were significantly more signs of infection in the subjects for whom 0.25% acetic acid was not used for daily stoma cleaning (P = .03). There were no differences in signs of infection between those cleaned with saline solution (39%) and those cleaned with sterile water (31%) for daily stoma cleaning. Overall, there were 29% fewer signs of infection when 0.25% acetic acid was used than either sterile water or saline solution. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of our findings indicated that a 0.25% acetic acid solution used for stoma cleaning may be associated with fewer signs of infection than sterile water or sterile saline solution. More research is warranted toward establishing a standard practice.

Cost Savings from Reducing Pain Through the Delivery of Integrative Medicine Program to Hospitalized Patients.

OBJECTIVES: An important task facing hospitals is improving pain management without raising costs. Integrative medicine (IM), a promising nonpharmacologic pain management strategy, is yet to be examined for its cost implications in an inpatient setting. This institution has had an inpatient IM department for over a decade. The purpose was to examine the relationship between changes in patients' pain, as a result of receiving IM therapy, and total cost of care during an inpatient hospital admission. DESIGN: In this retrospective analysis, data from an EPIC-based electronic health record (EHR) patient demographics, length of stay (LOS), and All Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Groups (APR-DRG) severity of illness measures were utilized. IM practitioners collected and entered patient-reported pain scores into the EHR. The authors regressed the demographic, change in pain, LOS, and APR-DRG variables with changes in pain on total cost for the hospital admission. To estimate cost savings to the hospital, they computed the average reduction in cost associated with reduction in pain by multiplying the coefficient for change in pain by average total cost. SETTING/LOCATION: A large, tertiary care hospital in Minneapolis, MN. SUBJECTS: Adult inpatient admissions, 2730, during the study period where patients received IM for pain and met eligibility criteria. INTERVENTION: IM services provided to inpatients. OUTCOME MEASURES: Change in pain on an 11-point numeric rating scale before and after initial IM sessions; total costs for hospital admissions. RESULTS: Both LOS and age were found to increase cost, as did being white, male, married, and having APR-DRG severity coded as extreme. For patients receiving IM therapies, pain was reduced by an average of 2.05 points and this pain reduction was associated with a cost savings of $898 per hospital admission. CONCLUSIONS: For patients receiving IM therapies, pain was significantly reduced and costs were lowered by about 4%.

Referrals to integrative medicine in a tertiary hospital: findings from electronic health record data and qualitative interviews.

OBJECTIVE: To examine patterns of, and decision-making processes, informing referrals for inpatient access to integrative medicine (IM) services at a large, acute care hospital. DESIGN: Retrospective electronic health record review and structured qualitative interviews. SETTING: A 630-bed tertiary care hospital with an IM service available to inpatients. PARTICIPANTS: IM referrals of all inpatients aged ≥18 years between July 2012 and December 2014 were identified using the hospital's electronic health record. Fifteen physicians, 15 nurses and 7 administrators were interviewed to better understand roles and perspectives in referring patients for IM services. RESULTS: In the study hospital, primary sources of referrals for IM services were the orthopaedic and neuroscience/spine service lines. While the largest absolute number of IM referrals was made for patients with lengths of stay of 3 days or fewer, a disproportionate number of total IM referrals was made for patients with long lengths of stay (≥10 days), compared with a smaller percentage of patients in the hospital with lengths of stay ≥10 days. Physicians and nurses were more likely to refer patients who displayed strong symptoms (eg, pain and anxiety) and/or did not respond to conventional therapies. IM referrals were predominantly nurse-initiated. A built-in delay in the time from referral initiation to service delivery discouraged referrals of some patients. CONCLUSIONS: Conventional providers refer patients for IM services when these services are available in a tertiary hospital. Referral patterns are influenced by patient characteristics, operational features and provider perspectives. Nurses play a key role in the referral process. Overcoming cultural and knowledge differences between conventional and IM providers is likely to be a continuing challenge to providing IM in inpatient settings.

The effectiveness of nurse-delivered aromatherapy in an acute care setting.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the use and effectiveness of essential oil therapeutic interventions on pain, nausea, and anxiety, when provided by nurses to patients in acute hospital settings across a large health system. This study expands upon the limited body of literature on aromatherapy use among inpatients. DESIGN: Retrospective, effectiveness study using data obtained from electronic health records. SETTING: Ten Allina Health hospitals located in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. INTERVENTIONS: Nurse-delivered aromatherapy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Change in patient-reported pain, anxiety, and nausea, rated before and after receiving aromatherapy using a numeric rating scale (0-10). RESULTS: There were 10,262 hospital admissions during the study time frame in which nurse-delivered aromatherapy was part of patient care. The majority of admissions receiving aromatherapy were females (81.71%) and white (87.32%). Over 75% of all aromatherapy sessions were administered via inhalation. Lavender had the highest absolute frequency (49.5%) of use regardless of mode of administration, followed by ginger (21.2%), sweet marjoram (12.3%), mandarin (9.4%), and combination oils (7.6%). Sweet marjoram resulted in the largest single oil average pain change at -3.31 units (95% CI: -4.28, -2.33), while lavender and sweet marjoram had equivalent average anxiety changes at -2.73 units, and ginger had the largest single oil average change in nausea at -2.02 units (95% CI: -2.55, -1.49). CONCLUSIONS: Essential oils generally resulted in significant clinical improvements based on their intended use, although each oil also showed ancillary benefits for other symptoms. Future research should explore use of additional essential oils, modes of administration, and different patient populations.

Practitioner Perspectives on Delivering Integrative Medicine in a Large, Acute Care Hospital.

Background. We describe the process and challenges of delivering integrative medicine (IM) at a large, acute care hospital, from the perspectives of IM practitioners. To date, minimal literature that addresses the delivery of IM care in an inpatient setting from this perspective exists. Methods. Fifteen IM practitioners were interviewed about their experience delivering IM services at Abbott Northwestern Hospital (ANW), a 630-bed tertiary care hospital. Themes were drawn from codes developed through analysis of the data. Results. Analysis of interview transcripts highlighted challenges of ensuring efficient use of IM practitioner resources across a large hospital, the IM practitioner role in affecting patient experiences, and the ways practitioners navigated differences in IM and conventional medicine cultures in an inpatient setting. Conclusions. IM practitioners favorably viewed their role in patient care, but this work existed within the context of challenges related to balancing supply and demand for services and to integrating an IM program into the established culture of a large hospital. Hospitals planning IM programs should carefully assess the supply and demand dynamics of offering IM in a hospital, advocate for the unique IM practitioner role in patient care, and actively support integration of conventional and complementary approaches.

Resilience Training: A Pilot Study of a Mindfulness-Based Program with Depressed Healthcare Professionals.

CONTEXT: Mindfulness-based programs have been primarily used to target anxiety or the prevention of relapse in recurrent depression; however, limited research has been conducted on the use of mindfulness programs for relief of current depressive symptoms. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential effect of resilience training (RT) on symptom relief for current or recurrent depression, and other psychological/behavioral outcomes. DESIGN: Wait-list comparison pilot study. SETTING: Penny George Institute for Health and Healing, Allina Health, Minneapolis, MN. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 40 actively working healthcare professionals age 18-65 years. INTERVENTION: RT is an eight-week mindfulness-based program that synergizes elements of mindfulness meditation with nutrition and exercise. The first 20 consecutive individuals meeting all eligibility criteria were assigned to the RT group. The next 20 consecutive eligible individuals were placed into the wait-list control group and had an eight-week waiting period before starting the RT program. OUTCOME MEASURES: Psychological/behavioral outcomes were measured before and after completion of the RT program and two months after completion. Wait-list participants also had measures taken just before starting on the wait-list. RESULTS: The RT group exhibited a 63-70% (P ≤ .01) reduction in depression, a 48% (P ≤ .01) reduction in stress, a 23% (P ≤ .01) reduction in trait anxiety, and a 52% (P ≤ .01) reduction in presenteeism (a per-employee savings of $1846 over the eight-week program). All outcomes were statistically significantly different from the wait-list group. Most improvements persisted up to two months after completion of the RT program. CONCLUSIONS: Further replication with a larger sample size, and enhanced control group is warranted.

Outcomes of a Multimodal Resilience Training Program in an Outpatient Integrative Medicine Clinic.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the outcomes of resilience training (RT) in an outpatient clinical setting on symptom relief for current or recurrent depression, as well as perceived stress and state and trait anxiety. DESIGN: Observational effectiveness study. SETTINGS/LOCATION: Penny George Institute for Health and Healing, Allina Health, Minneapolis, MN. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 728 men and women age 18 years and older who participated in the RT program between December 1, 2007, and November 31, 2012. Of these individuals, 371 were considered study contributors and completed at least one questionnaire both before (pre-RT) and after (post-RT) completion of the program. The remaining participants were considered study non-contributors and did not complete any questionnaires. INTERVENTIONS: RT is a mindfulness-based program that synergizes elements of mindfulness meditation with nutrition and exercise into a cohesive intervention. OUTCOME MEASURES: Depressive symptoms, as well as state and trait anxiety and perceived stress. RESULTS: Among the 371 RT participant contributors, depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and state and trait anxiety improved significantly from pre-RT to post-RT. Furthermore, among participants with depression at baseline, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-10 scores decreased by a mean of 44.0% (from 17.5 to 9.8), a value below the cutoff for significant depressive symptoms. Baseline perceived stress scores were the most predictive of program success. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that a multimodal RT program delivered in a real-world clinical setting improves symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Limitations of this effectiveness study include a homogeneous population of mostly white women and a large amount of randomized, imputed, and missing data. Future work should include a randomized controlled trial and potentially studies to separate RT into the three components to determine which may be primarily responsible for the improved outcomes.

Effects of integrative medicine on pain and anxiety among oncology inpatients.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have investigated the effectiveness of integrative medicine (IM) therapies on pain and anxiety among oncology inpatients. METHODS: Retrospective data obtained from electronic medical records identified patients with an oncology International Classification of Diseases-9 code who were admitted to a large Midwestern hospital between July 1, 2009 and December 31, 2012. Outcomes were change in patient-reported pain and anxiety, rated before and after individual IM treatment sessions, using a numeric scale (0-10). RESULTS: Of 10948 hospital admissions over the study period, 1833 (17%) included IM therapy. Older patients had reduced odds of receiving any IM therapy (odds ratio [OR]: 0.97, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 0.96 to 0.98) and females had 63% (OR: 1.63, 95% CI = 1.38 to 1.92) higher odds of receiving any IM therapy compared with males. Moderate (OR: 1.97, 95% CI = 1.61 to 2.41), major (OR: 3.54, 95% CI = 2.88 to 4.35), and extreme (OR: 5.96, 95% CI = 4.71 to 7.56) illness severity were significantly associated with higher odds of receiving IM therapy compared with admissions of minor illness severity. After receiving IM therapy, patients averaged a 46.9% (95% CI = 45.1% to 48.6%, P <.001) reduction in pain and a 56.1% (95% CI = 54.3% to 58.0%, P <.001) reduction in anxiety. Bodywork and traditional Chinese Medicine therapies were most effective for reducing pain, while no significant differences among therapies for reducing anxiety were observed. CONCLUSIONS: IM services to oncology inpatients resulted in substantial decreases in pain and anxiety. Observational studies using electronic medical records provide unique information about real-world utilization of IM. Future studies are warranted and should explore potential synergy of opioid analgesics and IM therapy for pain control.