Bedside nursing handover and organisational will to achieve personalisation within an Italian Cardiac SurgeryUnit: the nurses' viewpoint through a qualitative study.

INTRODUCTION: Bedside nursing handover may be an efficient way to achieve quality nursing outcomes, supporting the personalization of care. Recent literature attests to how bedside nursing handover is perceived by cardiac patents, but the experience of nurses participating in these handovers is largely unknown. The aim of this study is to explore nurses' experiences after the implementation of bedside nursing handover in an Italian cardiac surgical ward. METHOD: A qualitative descriptive research approach was used to respond to the study aim, and the data was collected using two focus groups. RESULTS: The main themes that were identified revolved around improving nursing care, greater professionalism, effective relationships, consequences for the patient, and obstacles to change. Moreover, we found that nurses perceive bedside nursing handover to be effective in promoting patient-centred care. The nurses in our study also felt that any difficulties with the implementation of a bedside nursing handover protocol (e.g. confidentiality) should be addressed through continued nursing education. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a valuable insight into nurses' perceptions of bedside nursing handover in a single cardiac surgery setting in Italy and is the first qualitative investigation from this perspective. Further research may help to elucidate the impact of bedside nursing handover on clinical and organisational outcomes.

Efficacy of Polyhexamethylene Biguanide in Reducing Post-Operative Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Post-operative infections are a substantial cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) is an antimicrobial agent that has been used in various surgical settings to prevent infections. However, the literature on its efficacy in reducing post-operative infections remains unclear. Materials and Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the efficacy of PHMB in reducing post-operative infections. The risk of bias and methodologic quality of the included studies were also assessed. Results: The systematic review included nine RCTs, and eight were included in the meta-analysis that showed that the use of PHMB was associated with a reduction in the rate of post-operative infections. The overall effect size was statistically significant, with moderate heterogeneity across the included studies (log Peto's odds ratio [OR], -0.890; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.411 to -0.369; I2 = 41.89%). However, the diversity in the application of PHMB and the potential influence of other factors, such as adherence to infection prevention protocols and organizational-level variables, underscore the need for further primary studies. Conclusions: Polyhexamethylene biguanide appears to be a promising intervention for reducing post-operative infections. However, more high-quality, well-designed RCTs are needed to confirm these findings and to explore the most effective ways to use PHMB within specific infection prevention bundles. Future research should also aim to control for potential confounding factors to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the efficacy of PHMB in reducing post-operative infections.