A Toolkit for Delirium Identification and Promoting Partnerships Between Carers and Nurses: A Pilot Pre-Post Feasibility Study.

BACKGROUND: Delirium is frightening for people experiencing it and their carers, and it is the most common hospital-acquired complication worldwide. Delirium is associated with higher rates of morbidity, mortality, residential care home admission, dementia, and carer stress and burden, yet strategies to embed the prevention and management of delirium as part of standard hospital care remain challenging. Carers are well placed to recognize subtle changes indicative of delirium, and partner with nurses in the prevention and management of delirium. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a Prevention & Early Delirium Identification Carer Toolkit (PREDICT), to support partnerships between carers and nurses to prevent and manage delirium. DESIGN: A pre-post-test intervention and observation study. MAIN MEASURES: Changes in carer knowledge of delirium; beliefs about their role in partnering with nurses and intended and actual use of PREDICT; carer burden and psychological distress. Secondary measures were rates of delirium. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were carers of Indigenous patients aged 45 years and older and non-Indigenous patients aged 65 years and older. INTERVENTION: Nurses implemented PREDICT, with a view to provide carers with information about delirium and strategies to address caregiving stress and burden. KEY RESULTS: Participants included 25 carers (43% response rate) (n = 17, 68% female) aged 29-88 (M = 65, SD = 17.7 years). Carer delirium knowledge increased significantly from pre-to-post intervention (p = < .001; CI 2.07-4.73). Carers' intent and actual use of PREDICT was (n = 18, 72%; and n = 17, 68%). Carer burden and psychological distress did not significantly change. The incidence of delirium in the intervention ward although not significant, decreased, indicating opportunity for scaling up. CONCLUSION: The prevention and management of delirium are imperative for safe and quality care for patients, carers, and staff. Further comprehensive and in-depth research is required to better understand underlying mechanisms of change and explore facets of nursing practice influenced by this innovative approach.

The ACCELERATE Plus (assessment and communication excellence for safe patient outcomes) Trial Protocol: a stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial, cost-benefit analysis, and process evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Nurses play an essential role in patient safety. Inadequate nursing physical assessment and communication in handover practices are associated with increased patient deterioration, falls and pressure injuries. Despite internationally implemented rapid response systems, falls and pressure injury reduction strategies, and recommendations to conduct clinical handovers at patients' bedside, adverse events persist. This trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness, implementation, and cost-benefit of an externally facilitated, nurse-led intervention delivered at the ward level for core physical assessment, structured patient-centred bedside handover and improved multidisciplinary communication. We hypothesise the trial will reduce medical emergency team calls, unplanned intensive care unit admissions, falls and pressure injuries. METHODS: A stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial will be conducted over 52 weeks. The intervention consists of a nursing core physical assessment, structured patient-centred bedside handover and improved multidisciplinary communication and will be implemented in 24 wards across eight hospitals. The intervention will use theoretically informed implementation strategies for changing clinician behaviour, consisting of: nursing executive site engagement; a train-the-trainer model for cascading facilitation; embedded site leads; nursing unit manager leadership training; nursing and medical ward-level clinical champions; ward nurses' education workshops; intervention tailoring; and reminders. The primary outcome will be a composite measure of medical emergency team calls (rapid response calls and 'Code Blue' calls), unplanned intensive care unit admissions, in-hospital falls and hospital-acquired pressure injuries; these measures individually will also form secondary outcomes. Other secondary outcomes are: i) patient-reported experience measures of receiving safe and patient-centred care, ii) nurses' perceptions of barriers to physical assessment, readiness to change, and staff engagement, and iii) nurses' and medical officers' perceptions of safety culture and interprofessional collaboration. Primary outcome data will be collected for the trial duration, and secondary outcome surveys will be collected prior to each step and at trial conclusion. A cost-benefit analysis and post-trial process evaluation will also be undertaken. DISCUSSION: If effective, this intervention has the potential to improve nursing care, reduce patient harm and improve patient outcomes. The evidence-based implementation strategy has been designed to be embedded within existing hospital workforces; if cost-effective, it will be readily translatable to other hospitals nationally. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ID: ACTRN12622000155796. Date registered: 31/01/2022.

A qualitative study exploring clinicians' attitudes toward responding to and escalating care of deteriorating patients.

Recognition and escalation of the deteriorating patient is multifaceted and relevant to all clinicians involved. However, little evidence exists exploring how clinicians from different professions make decisions about early signs of clinical deterioration and how this affects their actions. The aim of this study was to explore interprofessional clinicians' and students' experiences of responding to and escalating care of deteriorating patients. A convenience sample of clinicians and students from acute hospital settings in regional Australia participated in focus groups. Participants were able to identify barriers, facilitators, and strategies for improvement during the recognition and escalation of the deteriorating patient. Four themes were detected throughout the 38 focus group discussions: a Standardized Approach, Workplace Culture and Teamwork, Confidence and Experience, and Communication. Although standardization of systems and processes supported clinician's recognition and escalation of the deteriorating patient, use and misuse of the systems by some participants were identified as barriers to seeking assistance. Positive workplace culture and teamwork were important to promoting the escalation of care. Participants identified that experience in recognizing and responding to deteriorating patients increased their confidence.

Clinicians' attitudes towards escalation and management of deteriorating patients: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Internationally, rapid response systems have been implemented to recognise and categorise hospital patients at risk of deterioration. Whilst rapid response systems have been implemented with a varying amount of success, there remains ongoing concern about the lack of improvement in the escalation, and management of the deteriorating patient. It also remains unclear why some clinicians fail to escalate concerns for the deteriorating patient. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore clinicians' attitudes towards the escalation, and management of the deteriorating patient. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey of conveniently sampled clinicians from the acute care sector in a regional health district in Australia was conducted. The Clinicians' Attitudes towards Responding and Escalating care of Deteriorating patients scale, was used to explore attitudes towards the escalation and management of the deteriorating patient. RESULTS: Survey responses were received from medical officers (n = 43), nurses (n = 677), allied health clinicians (n = 60), and students (n = 57). Years of experience was significantly associated with more confidence responding to deteriorating patients (p < .001) and significantly less fears about escalating care (p < .001). Nurses (M = 4.16, SD = .57) and students (M = 4.11, SD = .55) in general had significantly greater positive beliefs that the rapid response system would support them to respond to the deteriorating patient than allied health (M = 3.67, SD = .64) and medical (M = 3.87, SD = .54) clinicians, whilst nurses and medical clinicians had significantly less fear about escalating care and greater confidence in responding to deteriorating patients than allied health clinicians and healthcare students (p < .001). CONCLUSION: Nurses and medical officers have less fear to escalate care and greater confidence responding to the deteriorating patient than allied health clinicians and students. Whilst the majority of participants had positive perceptions towards the rapid response system, those with less experience lacked the confidence to escalate care and respond to the deteriorating patient.

Australian nurses' and midwives' perceptions of their workplace environment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Working as a front-line worker during a pandemic is a unique situation that requires a supportive work environment. An informed understanding of nurses' and midwives' workplace experiences during a pandemic, such as COVID-19, may enable better preparation and targeted support for future pandemics at an individual, organisational, and policy level. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore nurses' and midwives' workplace experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic response. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey consisting of open-ended questions was conducted with a convenience sample of nurses and midwives (n = 1003) working in New South Wales Health hospital settings, in Australia. Open-ended questions were analysed using content analysis. Results: Five themes were identified; 'organisational communication', 'workplace support', 'availability of personal protective equipment', 'flexible working', and 'new ways of working'. Nurses' and midwives' workplace experiences during COVID-19 were influenced by leaders who were perceived to be adaptive, authentic, responsive, transparent, and visible. While many expressed a number of workplace challenges, including access to personal protective equipment, there was opportunity to explore, develop, and evaluate new and alternate models of care and working arrangements. Conclusion: It is important that nurses and midwives are supported and well prepared to cope during pandemics in the workplace. Organisational leadership and timely dissemination of transparent pandemic plans may support nurses' adaptive workplace experiences.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic-related stress experienced by Australian nurses.

Globally, the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers' mental health has been a major focus of recent research. However, Australian research involving nurses, particularly across the acute care sector, is limited. This cross-sectional research aimed to explore the impact of pandemic-related stress on psychological adjustment outcomes and potential protective factors for nurses (n = 767) working in the Australian acute care sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses completed an online questionnaire with psychometrically validated measures of pandemic-related stress, psychological adjustment outcomes (depression, anxiety, and subjective well-being), and protective factors (posttraumatic growth and self-compassion). Descriptive analyses revealed that pandemic-related stress was reported by 17.7% of the participants. Psychological adjustment outcome scores above normal for depression (27.5%) and anxiety (22.0%) were found, and 36.4% of the participants reported poor subjective well-being. Regression analyses suggest that pandemic-related stress predicted greater depression (B = 0.32, SE = 0.02, 95% confidence interval [0.28, 0.35]) and anxiety (B = 0.26, SE = 0.01, 95% confidence interval [0.24, 0.29]) and less subjective well-being (B = -0.14, SE = 0.01, 95% confidence interval [-0.16, -0.12]). Self-compassion weakened the relationship between pandemic-related stress and greater depression, however, exacerbated the relationship between pandemic-related stress and less subjective well-being. Posttraumatic growth reduced the negative relationship between pandemic-related stress and psychological adjustment outcomes. These findings will inform strategies to facilitate psychological resources that support nurses' psychological adjustment, enabling better pandemic preparedness at both an individual and organizational level.

First-in-Human Studies of MW01-6-189WH, a Brain-Penetrant, Antineuroinflammatory Small-Molecule Drug Candidate: Phase 1 Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetic, and Pharmacodynamic Studies in Healthy Adult Volunteers.

MW01-6-189WH (MW189) is a novel central nervous system-penetrant small-molecule drug candidate that selectively attenuates stressor-induced proinflammatory cytokine overproduction and is efficacious in intracerebral hemorrhage and traumatic brain injury animal models. We report first-in-human, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1 studies to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of single and multiple ascending intravenous doses of MW189 in healthy adult volunteers. MW189 was safe and well tolerated in single and multiple doses up to 0.25 mg/kg, with no clinically significant concerns. The most common drug-related treatment-emergent adverse event was infusion-site reactions, likely related to drug solution acidity. No clinically concerning changes were seen in vital signs, electrocardiograms, physical or neurological examinations, or safety laboratory results. PK analysis showed dose-proportional increases in plasma concentrations of MW189 after single or multiple doses, with approximately linear kinetics and no significant drug accumulation. Steady state was achieved by dose 3 for all dosing cohorts. A pilot pharmacodynamic study administering low-dose endotoxin to induce a systemic inflammatory response was done to evaluate the effects of a single intravenous dose of MW189 on plasma cytokine levels. MW189 treatment resulted in lower levels of the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α and higher levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 compared with placebo treatment. The outcomes are consistent with the pharmacological mechanism of MW189. Overall, the safety profile, PK properties, and pharmacodynamic effect support further development of MW189 for patients with acute brain injury.

Clinical pattern of zileuton-associated liver injury: results of a 12-month study in patients with chronic asthma.

OBJECTIVE: Zileuton is a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor approved by the US FDA in 1996 for the treatment of asthma in adults and children. During phase II/III clinical trials, zileuton was generally well tolerated, although elevations in ALT and AST levels were noted in some patients, and a single treated patient developed hepatocellular jaundice. To more fully characterise the hepatic effects of zileuton, and to establish appropriate monitoring guidelines, a 12-month open-label, safety surveillance study was conducted prior to FDA approval. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this study, 2458 patients with asthma received zileuton 600mg four times daily in addition to usual asthma care, and 489 patients were treated with usual asthma care only. All patients had their liver biochemistry checked monthly for the first 5 months, and at months 7, 10 and 12 thereafter. RESULTS: A total of 109 patients (4.4%) receiving zileuton treatment had elevations in ALT levels to > or =3 x the upper limit of normal (ULN), including 31 patients (1.3%) who had levels elevated to > or =8 x ULN, compared with 5 of 480 patients in the usual care alone group (1.0%) who had levels elevated to > or =3 x ULN, of whom 1 (0.2%) had levels elevated to > or =8 x ULN. Elevations in ALT levels were generally not associated with increases in alkaline phosphatase and/or total bilirubin levels. Therefore, the hepatic injury was predominantly hepatocellular. The majority of elevations in ALT level to > or =3 x ULN (64.2%) in the zileuton-treated group occurred within the first 3 months of treatment. There was no correlation between the time of onset of ALT level elevation and the height of the peak ALT level observed. There was no overall difference in the occurrence of elevations in ALT level to > or =3 x ULN between men (4.5%) and women (4.7%), but more women than men experienced an ALT level > or =8 x ULN (1.8% vs 0.5%). Women aged > or =65 years appeared to be at higher risk of elevated ALT levels than those aged <65 years (a rate of 10.1% compared with 4.1%). Patients who experienced ALT levels of > or =3 x ULN but <5 x ULN were allowed to remain on treatment and 52.5% of these patients were able to continue zileuton therapy and experienced resolution of the elevation (a reduction in level to <2 x ULN). In each of the patients who discontinued treatment because of elevated ALT levels, the ALT level returned towards baseline, with a mean time to resolution (defined as a reduction in levels to <2 x ULN) of 4 weeks. No patient in this study developed clinically apparent jaundice or liver failure. Two patients (0.1%) experienced total bilirubin levels > or =1.5 x ULN in association with serum ALT levels exceeding 3 x ULN. CONCLUSIONS: This study established that liver chemistry monitoring is most effective in detecting elevation of ALT levels during the first 3 months of zileuton therapy and that with appropriate monitoring the risk of irreversible liver injury appears to be low.

Arbaclofen in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized, Controlled, Phase 2 Trial.

Several lines of emerging data point to an imbalance between neuronal excitation and inhibition in at least a subgroup of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including in those with fragile X syndrome (FXS), one of the most common genetic syndromes within ASD. In animal models of FXS and of ASD, GABA-B agonists have improved both brain and behavioral phenotypes, including social behavior. A phase 2 randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial found that the GABA-B agonist arbaclofen improved social avoidance symptoms in FXS. A pilot open-label trial of arbaclofen suggested similar benefits in ASD. We therefore evaluated arbaclofen in a randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 2 study of 150 participants, aged 5-21 years, with ASD. No difference from placebo was detected on the primary outcome measure, the parent-rated Aberrant Behavior Checklist Social Withdrawal/Lethargy subscale. However, a specified secondary analysis found improvement on the clinician-rated Clinical Global Impression of Severity. An exploratory post hoc analysis of participants with a consistent rater across the trial revealed greater improvement in the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales II socialization domain in participants receiving arbaclofen. Affect lability (11%) and sedation (9%) were the most common adverse events. In this exploratory study, secondary analyses suggest that arbaclofen may have the potential to improve symptoms in some children with ASD, but further study will be needed to replicate and extend these initial findings.

Arbaclofen in fragile X syndrome: results of phase 3 trials.

BACKGROUND: Arbaclofen improved multiple abnormal phenotypes in animal models of fragile X syndrome (FXS) and showed promising results in a phase 2 clinical study. The objective of the study is to determine safety and efficacy of arbaclofen for social avoidance in FXS. METHODS: Two phase 3 placebo-controlled trials were conducted, a flexible dose trial in subjects age 12-50 (209FX301, adolescent/adult study) and a fixed dose trial in subjects age 5-11 (209FX302, child study). The primary endpoint for both trials was the Social Avoidance subscale of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community Edition, FXS-specific (ABC-CFX). Secondary outcomes included other ABC-CFX subscale scores, Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I), Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S), and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition (Vineland-II) Socialization domain score. RESULTS: A total 119 of 125 randomized subjects completed the adolescent/adult study (n = 57 arbaclofen, 62 placebo) and 159/172 completed the child study (arbaclofen 5 BID n = 38; 10 BID n = 39; 10 TID n = 38; placebo n = 44). There were no serious adverse events (AEs); the most common AEs included somatic (headache, vomiting, nausea), neurobehavioral (irritability/agitation, anxiety, hyperactivity), decreased appetite, and infectious conditions, many of which were also common on placebo. In the combined studies, there were 13 discontinuations (n = 12 arbaclofen, 1 placebo) due to AEs (all neurobehavioral). The adolescent/adult study did not show benefit for arbaclofen over placebo for any measure. In the child study, the highest dose group showed benefit over placebo on the ABC-CFX Irritability subscale (p = 0.03) and Parenting Stress Index (PSI, p = 0.03) and trends toward benefit on the ABC-CFX Social Avoidance and Hyperactivity subscales (both p < 0.1) and CGI-I (p = 0.119). Effect size in the highest dose group was similar to effect sizes for FDA-approved serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). CONCLUSIONS: Arbaclofen did not meet the primary outcome of improved social avoidance in FXS in either study. Data from secondary measures in the child study suggests younger patients may derive benefit, but additional studies with a larger cohort on higher doses would be required to confirm this finding. The reported studies illustrate the challenges but represent a significant step forward in translating targeted treatments from preclinical models to clinical trials in humans with FXS.

STX209 (arbaclofen) for autism spectrum disorders: an 8-week open-label study.

STX209 (arbaclofen), a selective GABA-B agonist, is hypothesized to modulate the balance of excitatory to inhibitory neurotransmission, and has shown preliminary evidence of benefit in fragile X syndrome. We evaluated its safety, tolerability, and efficacy in non-syndromic autism spectrum disorders, in an 8-week open-label trial enrolling 32 children and adolescents with either Autistic Disorder or Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified, and a score ≥17 on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC)-Irritability subscale. STX209 was generally well-tolerated. The most common adverse events were agitation and irritability, which typically resolved without dose changes, and were often felt to represent spontaneous variation in underlying symptoms. Improvements were observed on several outcome measures in this exploratory trial, including the ABC-Irritability (the primary endpoint) and the Lethargy/Social Withdrawal subscales, the Social Responsiveness Scale, the CY-BOCS-PDD, and clinical global impression scales. Placebo-controlled study of STX209 is warranted.

Effects of STX209 (arbaclofen) on neurobehavioral function in children and adults with fragile X syndrome: a randomized, controlled, phase 2 trial.

Research on animal models of fragile X syndrome suggests that STX209, a γ-aminobutyric acid type B (GABA(B)) agonist, might improve neurobehavioral function in affected patients. We evaluated whether STX209 improves behavioral symptoms of fragile X syndrome in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study in 63 subjects (55 male), ages 6 to 39 years, with a full mutation in the FMR1 gene (>200 CGG triplet repeats). We found no difference from placebo on the primary endpoint, the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Irritability (ABC-I) subscale. In the other analyses specified in the protocol, improvement was seen on the visual analog scale ratings of parent-nominated problem behaviors, with positive trends on multiple global measures. Post hoc analysis with the ABC-Social Avoidance scale, a newly validated scale for the assessment of fragile X syndrome, showed a significant beneficial treatment effect in the full study population. A post hoc subgroup of 27 subjects with more severe social impairment showed improvements on the Vineland II-Socialization raw score, on the ABC-Social Avoidance scale, and on all global measures. STX209 was well tolerated, with 8% incidences of sedation and of headache as the most frequent side effects. In this exploratory study, STX209 did not show a benefit on irritability in fragile X syndrome. Nonetheless, our results suggest that GABA(B) agonists have potential to improve social function and behavior in patients with fragile X syndrome.

Efficacy of zileuton controlled-release tablets administered twice daily in the treatment of moderate persistent asthma: a 3-month randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: A controlled-release (CR) formulation of zileuton was developed to simplify administration from 600 mg 4 times daily (Zyflo) to 1,200 mg twice daily. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of zileuton CR, two 600-mg tablets twice daily, compared with placebo. METHODS: Patients with moderate asthma treated with short-acting beta-agonists only were randomized to receive zileuton CR, 1,200 mg twice daily (n = 206); placebo CR, twice daily (n = 203); zileuton immediate-release (IR), 600 mg 4 times daily (n = 101); or placebo IR, 4 times daily (n = 103), for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy variable was change from baseline in morning trough forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1). RESULTS: Improvement in trough FEV1 was observed after 2 weeks of treatment (P = .001) and was maintained throughout the study. After 12 weeks of dosing, FEV1 improved by a mean of 0.39 L (20.8%) in the zileuton CR group vs 0.27 L (12.7%) in the placebo CR group (P = .02). A significant decline in beta-agonist use and a smaller proportion of patients reporting asthma exacerbations were observed in the zileuton CR group vs the placebo CR group. Adverse event profiles were similar across treatment groups. Elevations in alanine aminotransferase levels at least 3 times the upper limit of normal that reversed after drug withdrawal were seen in 5 zileuton CR-treated patients (2.5%) vs 1 placebo CR-treated patient (0.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with zileuton CR, 1,200 mg twice daily, resulted in a significant improvement in asthma control, and the safety and efficacy profile was similar to that observed with zileuton IR, 600 mg 4 times daily (Zyflo).

The safety and efficacy of zileuton controlled-release tablets as adjunctive therapy to usual care in the treatment of moderate persistent asthma: a 6-month randomized controlled study.

This study was conducted to assess the safety and efficacy of zileuton controlled release [CR] 1,200 mg BID added to usual care (UC) in 926 patients with moderate asthma (619 patients randomized to zileuton CR and 307 to placebo). Sustained improvements in AM and PM peak expiratory flow (PEF) were observed in the zileuton CR group compared to placebo. The adverse event profile was similar in the two treatment groups. Eleven patients (1.8%) receiving zileuton CR and 2 (0.7%) receiving placebo experienced elevations of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) >or= 3X the upper limit of normal (ULN). These elevations typically occurred (81.8%) during the first 3 months of exposure and most resolved within 21 days after discontinuation.

Enzyme replacement therapy for mucopolysaccharidosis I: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multinational study of recombinant human alpha-L-iduronidase (laronidase).

OBJECTIVE: To confirm the efficacy and safety of recombinant human alpha-L-iduronidase (laronidase) in patients with mucopolysaccharidosis I (MPS I). STUDY DESIGN: This was a randomized, double-blinded, multinational study of 45 patients with MPS I administered 100 U/kg (0.58 mg/kg) laronidase, or placebo intravenously weekly for 26 weeks. The coprimary efficacy end points compared the median change from baseline to week 26 between groups in percentage of predicted normal forced vital capacity (FVC) and in 6-minute walk test (6MWT) distance through the use of the Wilcoxon rank sum test. RESULTS: The laronidase (n=22) and placebo (n=23) groups had similar baseline characteristics. After 26 weeks, patients receiving laronidase compared with placebo showed mean improvements of 5.6 percentage points in percent of predicted normal FVC (median, 3.0; P=.009) and 38.1 meters in 6MWT distance (median, 38.5; P=.066; P=.039, analysis of covariance). Laronidase also significantly reduced hepatomegaly and urinary glycosaminoglycans, and, in more severely affected patients, improved sleep apnea/hypopnea and shoulder flexion. Laronidase was well-tolerated. Nearly all patients receiving enzyme had development of IgG antibodies, without apparent clinical effects. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with MPS I, laronidase significantly improves respiratory function and physical capacity, reduces glycosaminoglycan storage, and has a favorable safety profile.