Development and psychometric testing of the care dependence perception questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: This multicentre study aimed to develop a measure of the perception of care dependence in patients diagnosed with cancer and to test its psychometric properties. METHODS: The questionnaire was developed based on findings emerged from a meta-synthesis and from qualitative studies conducted in three hospitals in Italy. The draft questionnaire was tested for face and content validity and pilot-tested with patients. The questionnaire was completed by care-dependent patients with cancer. Test-retest was conducted to verify stability. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed using a Maximum Likelihood robust estimator. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The Scale-Content Validity Index was 0.92. The final 15-item questionnaire was completed by 208 patients admitted to two hospitals. The EFA yielded a two-factor model including a positive and a negative perception of care dependence. Factor score determinacy coefficients, Cronbach's alpha coefficients, composite reliability coefficients and Intraclass Correlations Coefficients yielded satisfactory results confirming internal consistency and stability. The hedonic balance score is also available as a single indicator of subjective well-being. The study provides initial validation of the Care DEeP Questionnaire that can be used by cancer nurses to assess positive and negative patient experiences with care dependence and to personalise and improve their care.

Safety and efficacy of Staged Extubation Set in patients with difficult airway: a prospective multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: A safe extubation is the extension of any airway management strategy. Despite different guidelines, a number of extubation accidents still occurs. Re-intubation failure could be fatal, thus a strategy and safe and efficient devices for this purpose are essential. METHODS: Multicentric prospective observational study on adult patients with endotracheal intubation and known difficult airway. A Staged Extubation Set® (SES) was used for extubation. Demographics, ASA, El Ganzouri, type of surgery, re-intubation success/failure and complications were recorded. The aim of the study was the assessment of the rate of re intubation failure, complications during failures, patients' comfort and evidence of airway injury. RESULTS: Overall, 114 subsequent difficult airway patients were enrolled. Fifteen patients (13%) required re-intubation: ten of 15 (66%) were successfully re-intubated, with a first-pass success rate of 100%. In five patients (33%), re-intubation over SES was unsuccessful, with re-intubation difficulty rate three (easy), three (quite easy) and nine (very difficult) and five cases of desaturation. Complications included one case of esophageal intubation, one case of lip trauma, and two cases of airway edema. Of 114 patients, eight (7%) perceived the procedure as intolerable. CONCLUSIONS: The results from this study show a relatively satisfactory success rate with a relatively high number of re-intubations failure and a low incidence of complications when using a SES in a cohort of difficult airway patients, all failures due to guidewire dislodgement during or after extubation. Further research is needed to improve success rate; at the same time the need for an extubation protocol is strongly advocated.

Finding meaning in life: an exploration on the experiences with dependence on care of patients with advanced cancer and nurses caring for them.

PURPOSE: Patients with advanced cancer are likely to face increasing levels of care dependence. Adult patients who become care dependent on others can experience this condition as one of suffering and humiliation. The nurse-patient relationship plays a key role in the experience of dependence. Understanding patients' and nurses' perceptions of care dependence is crucial to addressing the impact it has on the lives of both. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of patients with cancer and nurses caring for them. METHODS: A multicentre qualitative study was conducted in Italy using semi-structured interviews with patients with advanced cancer admitted to 3 hospitals, and 9 focus groups with nurses working in oncology wards of 2 hospitals. Data were analysed with inductive content analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients and 44 nurses participated in the study. Three common themes were identified: within dependence, the relationship is a lifeline; dependence is influenced by internal and external factors and dependence generates changes. Dependence impacts on patients' and nurses' lives and implies a process of personal maturing for both. Patients learn the humility to ask for help by exposing their vulnerability. Nurses become aware that a trusting relationship helps patients to accept dependence, and they learn to self-transcend in order to build it. CONCLUSIONS: Striving to build positive relationships implies a change in nurses' and patients' lives. In this way, they come to understand important aspects of life and find meaning in difficult situations. Further studies should explore also homecare settings and patients' families.

Neural crest derived stem cells from dental pulp and tooth-associated stem cells for peripheral nerve regeneration.

The peripheral nerve injuries, representing some of the most common types of traumatic lesions affecting the nervous system, are highly invalidating for the patients besides being a huge social burden. Although peripheral nervous system owns a higher regenerative capacity than does central nervous system, mostly depending on Schwann cells intervention in injury repair, several factors determine the extent of functional outcome after healing. Based on the injury type, different therapeutic approaches have been investigated so far. Nerve grafting and Schwann cell transplantation have represented the gold standard treatment for peripheral nerve injuries, however these approaches own limitations, such as scarce donor nerve availability and donor site morbidity. Cell based therapies might provide a suitable tool for peripheral nerve regeneration, in fact, the ability of different stem cell types to differentiate towards Schwann cells in combination with the use of different scaffolds have been widely investigated in animal models of peripheral nerve injuries in the last decade. Dental pulp is a promising cell source for regenerative medicine, because of the ease of isolation procedures, stem cell proliferation and multipotency abilities, which are due to the embryological origin from neural crest. In this article we review the literature concerning the application of tooth derived stem cell populations combined with different conduits to peripheral nerve injuries animal models, highlighting their regenerative contribution exerted through either glial differentiation and neuroprotective/neurotrophic effects on the host tissue.

Is early integration of palliative care feasible and acceptable for advanced respiratory and gastrointestinal cancer patients? A phase 2 mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence that early integration of palliative care improves quality of life, lowers spending and helps clarify preferences and goals for advanced cancer patients. Little is known about the feasibility and acceptability of early integration. AIM: Assessing feasibility of early integration of palliative care, and exploring concerns perceived and problems encountered by patients, relatives and oncologists. DESIGN: A phase 2 mixed-methods study ( ClinicalTrials.Gov :NCT02078700). METHODS: Oncologists of two outpatient clinics offered a specialised palliative care intervention integrated with standard oncological care to all consecutive newly diagnosed metastatic respiratory/gastrointestinal cancer patients. We interviewed samples of patients, relatives and oncologists to explore strengths and weaknesses of the intervention. RESULTS: The intervention was proposed to 44/54 eligible patients (81.5%), 40 (90.1%) accepted, 38 (95.0%) attended the first palliative care visit. The intervention was completed for 32 patients (80.0%). It did not start for three (7.5%) and was interrupted for three patients who refused (7.5%). The Palliative Care Unit performed 274 visits in 38 patients (median per patient 4.5), and 24 family meetings with relatives of 16 patients. All patients and most relatives referred to the usefulness of the intervention, specifically for symptoms management, information and support to strategies for coping. Oncologists highlighted their difficulties in informing patients on palliative intervention, sharing information and coordinating patient's care with the palliative care team. CONCLUSION: Early integration of palliative care in oncological setting seems feasible and well accepted by patients, relatives and, to a lesser extent, oncologists. Some difficulties emerged concerning patient information and inter-professional communication.

[Perioperative nursing education and client satisfaction: an observational study]. / L'educazione infermieristica perioperatoria e la soddisfazione dell'utente: uno studio osservazionale.

Nowadays, an important goal has been reached in recognizing that the client plays a central role in the caring process. The educational relationship that is created between nurses and patients makes it possible to make the patient aware of his health problems and to understand and actively participate in the caring process. The main aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the teaching process undertaken by nurses , before discharging surgical patients , for rendering patients autonomous once they returned home and their level of "satisfaction" regarding the information they received. For this purpose they were asked to fill in a questionnaire when they returned for their first outpatient control. Results showed that, on the whole, patients were satisfied with the information they received during hospitalization, particularly in terms of postoperative pain, prevention of infections, medical therapy, mobilization and a return to normal eating and drinking. Some aspects still need to be improved regarding a post-discharge phone contact and better hospital-territorial integration.

[The effect of a strategy to improve adherence of irregular non UE citizens to tuberculosis screening in a clinic of Reggio Emilia]. / L'effetto di una strategia per migliorare la compliance degli immigrati 'irregolari' allo screening per la tubercolosi in un ambulatorio di Reggio Emilia.

UNLABELLED: Latent tubercolar infection in irregular non EU-citizens in Italy is an important issue of public health. Aim of this paper is to describe the effects of a new organization of the Centre for the health of foreign families of Reggio Emilia. METHOD: A dedicated nurse, responsible of patients' screening and follow-up, in strict collaboration with a cultural interpreter were made available. Patients adherence to the screening was measured. RESULTS: On 177 eligible patients, 12 (6.7%) refused the Mantoux text. Over the 165 screened patients, 147 (89%) returned to the clinic after 3-4 days. Only 16 (10.8%) needed a phone reminder. Adherence to the screening improved remarkably compared to the previous year (89% vs 68%). CONCLUSIONS: A dedicated nurse and the improvement of communication may contribute to improve patients compliance.