Management of acute confusion in patients with CNS infections.

This article discusses the management of acute confusion and aggression in patients with infections of the central nervous system (CNS). The issues discussed are applicable to the management of acute confusion of any cause and the principles of care apply to all confused patients. The article addresses many of the challenges encountered by nurses caring for confused patients, including the recognition of acute confusion, use of screening tools, and the management and treatment of these patients.

Lumbar puncture: diagnosing acute central nervous system infections.

Lumbar puncture has an important role in the diagnosis of acute central nervous system infections. The clinical contraindications to lumbar puncture must be considered before the procedure is carried out, and nurses need to have an understanding of how best to inform, support and reassure patients.

Learn about this neurological emergency before it's too late.

I have spent the past five years of my nursing career caring for and supporting people affected by encephalitis. I have also researched the condition and the nursing care required to give patients the best outcomes.

Managing patients with encephalitis.

This article provides an overview of encephalitis and addresses its diagnosis, some of the common presenting signs and symptoms, and the different aspects of nursing care required for these patients. In particular, it addresses how to explain encephalitis to the patient's relatives, the rehabilitation needs of these patients, and important aspects of discharge planning. Tests that are necessary for diagnosis in patients with suspected encephalitis and the importance of these are explained.

A survey of UK healthcare workers' attitudes on volunteering to help with the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the barriers and enablers for UK healthcare workers who are considering going to work in the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa, but have not yet volunteered. DESIGN: After focus group discussions, and a pilot questionnaire, an anonymous survey was conducted using SurveyMonkey to determine whether people had considered going to West Africa, what factors might make them more or less likely to volunteer, and whether any of these were modifiable factors. PARTICIPANTS: The survey was publicised among doctors, nurses, laboratory staff and allied health professionals. 3109 people answered the survey, of whom 472 (15%) were considering going to work in the epidemic but had not yet volunteered. 1791 (57.6%) had not considered going, 704 (22.6%) had considered going but decided not to, 53 (1.7%) had volunteered to go and 14 (0.45%) had already been and worked in the epidemic. RESULTS: For those considering going to West Africa, the most important factor preventing them from volunteering was a lack of information to help them decide; fear of getting Ebola and partners' concerns came next. Uncertainty about their potential role, current work commitments and inability to get agreement from their employer were also important barriers, whereas clarity over training would be an important enabler. In contrast, for those who were not considering going, or who had decided against going, family considerations and partner concerns were the most important factors. CONCLUSIONS: More UK healthcare workers would volunteer to help tackle Ebola in West Africa if there was better information available, including clarity about roles, cover arrangements, and training. This could be achieved with a well-publicised high quality portal of reliable information.