Nursing management of patients dealing with spina bifida: from the prenatal diagnosis to adulthood / nursing intervention for the improvement of the impact of urinary and fecal incontinence on the quality of life of people dealing with spina bifida.

BACKGROUND: Urinary and fecal incontinence in people dealing with spina bifida, has inevitably an influence on the quality of life. In this analysis, the degree of education on how to manage incontinence and retention is studied, as well as the problems those might create and the consequential degree of autonomy and independence reached into the management of those. The main goal is to increase both nursing assistance and the education of the people dealing with spina bifida. METHODS: A multiple-choice questionnaire with open questions, concerning the bowel and bladder management was structured by all the authors and shared by the Google Docs platform among the members of the ASBI (Associazione Spina Bifida Italia) by the secretariat of the association itself. 125 patients affected by Spina Bifida voluntarily decided to participate and complete the questionnaire. The questionnaire didn't set any limits as regards the age. For minors, its completion was made under the observation of the caregivers who gave their consent. All the authors participated to administration of the questionnaire to minors. RESULTS: out of 125 participants, 80 were females and 25 males. The questions concerned the level of deambulation (the 35,2% was autonomous, the 30,4% were people who use wheelchairs while the 34,4% is aid-supported), urinary incontinence, with great concern to the self-catheterization technique (the 80,8% claimed to be autonomous in performing self-catheterization, unlike the remaining 19,2%) and the impact of the said incontinence on social life (the 59,2% claimed they do not feel restrained because of their bladder incontinence or retention, unlike the remaining 40,8%). Lastly, we focused on fecal constipation and incontinence (the 57,6% claimed to struggle with incontinence, the 12% claimed they don't and the 30,4% struggles with both conditions), on the ability of the people dealing with this to intervene to prevent unpleasant situations, in particular by using trans-anal irrigation (the 57,6% doesn't feel autonomous in performing it). CONCLUSION: urinary and fecal incontinence have, of course, an impact on the quality of life of people dealing with spina bifida. Nevertheless, we can observe that it is possible to improve the quality of life of these people, letting them feel confident enough to take part in social activities, through education from an incredibly young age, from 0 up to 25 years old and over, supplied by the medical staff and mostly by the parents (previously educated by the medical staff as well).

Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 Inhibitors Use for Atherogenic Dyslipidemia in Solid Organ Transplant Patients.

Dyslipidemia is a widespread risk factor in solid organ transplant patients, due to many reasons, such as the use of immunosuppressive drugs, with a consequent increase in cardiovascular diseases in this population. PCSK9 is an enzyme mainly known for its role in altering LDL levels, consequently increasing cardiovascular risk. Monoclonal antibody PCSK9 inhibitors demonstrated remarkable efficacy in the general population in reducing LDL cholesterol levels and preventing cardiovascular disease. In transplant patients, these drugs are still poorly used, despite having comparable efficacy to the general population and giving fewer drug interactions with immunosuppressants. Furthermore, there is enough evidence that PCSK9 also plays a role in other pathways, such as inflammation, which is particularly dangerous for graft survival. In this review, the current evidence on the function of PCSK9 and the use of its inhibitors will be discussed, particularly in transplant patients, in which they may provide additional benefits.

The role of the nurse in the Obesity Clinic: a practical guideline.

Obesity is a major public health issue, and its trend is increasing worldwide. Interventions to effectively treat obesity and its related diseases are advocated. Given the complexity of obesity management, nurses need specific core skills to work in the Obesity Clinic and can act as key players in the multidisciplinary team of the Obesity Clinic. To provide practical guidelines for nurses working in Obesity Clinic for effective management of obesity and its related diseases, the current evidence on the role nurses in the obesity clinic was reviewed. Nurses can play a pivotal role in the management of patients with obesity and associated diseases that may require a stricter follow-up than usual care. Given the complexity of the treatment of obesity and its comorbidity, nurses should receive a specific training for: 1) methods and tools to effectively treat obesity and obesity-related disease; 2) patients and families education on nutrition, lifestyle changes, and prevention/management of obesity-related diseases; 3) motivation of patients towards adherence to treatment to achieve their specific goals. This review highlights the need of specific core skills for nurses working in the Obesity Clinic.

Tolerability of a new amino acid-based formula for children with IgE-mediated cow's milk allergy.

BACKGROUND: Amino acid-based formula (AAF) is a relevant dietary strategy for paediatric patients affected by cow's milk allergy (CMA). The present study was designed to evaluate the hypoallergenicity of a new AAF in children with immunoglobulin (Ig)E-mediated CMA. METHODS: According to the criteria provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics Subcommittee on Nutrition and Allergic Diseases, we designed a prospective trial in CMA children (aged 1-36 months) aimed to demonstrate the hypoallergenicity of the new AAF in 90% of subjects with 95% confidence during the double-blind, placebo-controlled challenge (DBPCFC). A skin prick test (SPT) with the new AAF was also performed. RESULTS: Twenty-nine children [all Caucasian, 55.2% male, mean age (±SD) 16.9 ± 5.7 months] were enrolled. The SPT and the DBPCFC with the new AAF were negative in all study subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The study results support the hypoallergenicity of the new AAF. This formula could be considered an additional dietary option for non-breastfed children affected by CMA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov Protocol Registration System (ID number: NCT03909113 ).

Combined Timed Surgery and Conservative Management of Primary Necrotizing Fasciitis of the Breast: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Necrotizing fasciitis is a life-threatening infection that involves the deep fascia and the surrounding tissue, but rarely involves the female breast. The most common treatment for necrotizing fasciitis of the breast is total mastectomy. However, the use of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), after surgical debridement, is reported to promote the more rapid development of granulation tissue, before reconstructive surgery. This report presents the case of a 53-year-old woman with necrotizing fasciitis of the breast who underwent combined timed surgery and conservative management. CASE REPORT A 53-year-old woman presented with necrotizing fasciitis of the right breast, involving the right lateral chest wall and flank. She was referred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital with septic shock. After hemodynamic stabilization was achieved, she underwent surgical debridement. Excised breast tissues were sent for histology, and intraoperative swabs were collected and sent for microbiological examination. Intravenous antibiotic therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy commenced. The patient was managed with NPWT dressings, followed by reconstructive breast surgery. The right chest and flank completely healed. CONCLUSIONS This case has shown that early diagnosis and management of necrotizing fasciitis of the breast can be life-saving and may allow for breast conservation. Early aggressive debridement combined with NPWT dressings and reconstructive breast surgery resulted in successful wound healing and preservation of the breast with a satisfactory cosmetic outcome.

Colorectal Cancer in the Elderly Patient: The Role of Neo-adjuvant Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy has a significant role in downstaging cancer. It improves the local control of the disease and can make conservative resection of rectal cancer possible. METHODS: We enrolled 114 patients with subperitoneal rectal cancer who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradio-therapy and radical excision with total mesorectal excision (TME). The primary endpoint was oncological outcomes and the secondary endpoint was surgical outcomes.We evaluate the experience of a multidisciplinary team and the role of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in integrated treatment of cancer of the subperitoneal rectum. RESULTS: Surgical procedures performed were abdominal perineal resection in 4 cases (3.5%), anterior resection in 89 cases (78%), Hartmann's procedure in 5 cases (4.4%), and ultralow resection with coloanal anastomosis and diverting stoma in 16 patients (14%).Local recurrence occurred in 6 patients (5.2%), the overall survival was 71.9% at 5 years and disease-free survival was about 60%. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of pathological downstaging amounted to 58.8%, including cPR. The pathologic complete remission occurred in 8.8% of cases.The outcomes of neoadjuvant therapy can be achieved when this treatment is associated with correct surgical technique with TME and the prognosis is defined by an anatomopathological examination performed according to Quirke's protocol.

Dietary Treatment with Extensively Hydrolyzed Casein Formula Containing the Probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG Prevents the Occurrence of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children with Cow's Milk Allergy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the addition of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) to the extensively hydrolyzed casein formula (EHCF) for cow's milk allergy (CMA) treatment could reduce the occurrence of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs). STUDY DESIGN: This cohort study included children with a positive history for CMA in the first year of life who were treated with EHCF alone or in combination with LGG and had evidence of immune tolerance acquisition to cow's milk for at least 12 months. FGID was diagnosed according to the Rome III diagnostic criteria by investigators unaware of previous treatment. A cohort of consecutive healthy children was also evaluated as a control population. RESULTS: A total of 330 subjects were included, 110 per cohort (EHCF, EHCF+LGG, and healthy controls). The rate of subjects with ≥1 FGID was significantly lower in the EHCF+LGG cohort compared with the EHCF cohort (40% vs 16.4%; P < .05). In the EHCF+LGG cohort, a lower incidence was observed for all components of the main study outcome. The prevalence of FGIDs in the healthy cohort was lower than that in the EHCF cohort and similar to that in the EHCF+LGG cohort. The incidence rate ratio of FGIDs for the EHCF+LGG cohort vs the EHCF cohort (0.40; 95% CI, 0.25-0.65; P < .001) was unmodified after correction for age at CMA diagnosis, breastfeeding, weaning time, and presence of a first-degree relative with an FGID. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm the increased risk for developing FGIDs in children with CMA and suggest that EHCF+LGG could reduce this risk.

Use of the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association taxonomies, Nursing Intervention Classification, Nursing Outcomes Classification and NANDA-NIC-NOC linkage in cardiac rehabilitation.

This study aims at creating a standardized language for each patient admitted to Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit (CR) by identifying nursing diagnosis, interventions, results/objectives expected and related correlations. The primary outcome was identifying health needs of all patients admitted to CR. The secondary outcomes were the identification of North American Nursing Diagnosis Association -International diagnoses (NANDA-I), of nursing intervention classification (NIC), of nursing outcomes classification (NOC) and their correlation NANDA-NIC-NOC linkage (NNN linkage) in order to define a standardized language for all nursing staff. This is a retrospective study involving a sample of 168 patients discharged from CR. The NANDA-I, the NIC, the NOC and the most frequently used NNN connections were identified and collected by using structured form including the 11 functional models of Marjory Gordon. Data from 76 patients were analyzed (92.1% male; mean age (± SD) 62.7±9 yrs; IQ range: 42-82). The main NANDA-I nursing diagnosis belongs to psychological sphere, but not to physiological domains. The statement NIC has allowed to put into practice actions of health prevention and education. Nursing care documentation and NNN taxonomic language promotes a wide diffusion of nursing discipline culture and significant qualitative improvement of patient's care, further improving the communication between nurses and other health professionals.

Does virtual reality reduce pain in pediatric patients? A systematic review.

Virtual Reality (VR) as a tool for pain reduction is the research topic of several clinical trial for Randomized Controlled Trials despite its wide use in the daily clinical practice for non- pharmacological reduction of pain in some countries. At present, there are no published reviews of VR-efficacy of pain reduction in pediatric patients. That is why we made a systematic review of the efficacy of VR as a tool for pain reduction in children and adolescents. Electronic databases and gray literature published between 2014 and 2019 were analyzed. A total of 9 studies were eligible according to the established inclusion criteria. Results show that virtual reality is a valid tool for non-pharmacological pain reduction and that this approach is to be preferred to the standard reduction techniques currently in use. However, more studies using standardized experimental methodologies are needed to provide more systematic comparison and quantitative synthesis.