Decreased level of consciousness in a child: recognition and management.

A child presenting with decreased level of conscious (dLOC) is of great concern due to the wide range of possible causes, and potential for death or serious long-term sequelae. It is therefore vital that health professionals can recognise a child with dLOC quickly, intervene appropriately and escalate for senior review as a matter of urgency. This article provides an explanation for the mechanisms of decreased consciousness, outlines the different causative pathologies, and provides a simple and logical approach to the first-line recognition and management that a health professional may apply when faced with such a patient. Illustrative case studies have been included, to demonstrate how children with dLOC may present in clinical practice.

Coping strategies in caregivers of disorders of consciousness patients.

OBJECTIVE: The management of patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) has raised several important ethical, social, and medical issues. It is also known that families and caregivers are subjected to physical and emotional load due to their assistance activity. The aim of this observational study was to compare distress and coping strategies used among caregivers of two kinds of DOC: vegetative state (VS) and minimally conscious state (MCS). METHODS: We have enrolled 80 caregivers (mean age 47.87 ± 11-28 years) that were tested with self-administered measures of distress and coping to individuate which coping strategies were adopted by caregivers of DOC patients and to analyze how these have influenced the degree of distress. RESULTS: Data showed that the reaction to stress was different between two groups of caregivers (VS and MCS); moreover, it may vary according to the coping strategies used. CONCLUSION: Results showed the importance to develop effective coping strategies aimed to reduce psychological distress and improving caregiver's well-being.

The Glasgow Coma Scale and evidence-informed practice: a critical review of where we are and where we need to be.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This paper aims to critically consider the evidence since the Glasgow Coma Scale was first launched, reflecting on how that evidence has shaped practice. It illustrates the lack of clarity and consensus about the use of the tool in practice and draws upon existing evidence to determine the route to clarity for an evidence-informed approach to practice. BACKGROUND: The Glasgow Coma Scale has permeated and influenced practice for over 40 years, being well-established worldwide as the key tool for assessing level of consciousness. During this time, the tool has been scrutinised, evaluated, challenged and re-launched in a plethora of publications. This has led to an insight into the challenges, and to some extent the opportunities, in using the Glasgow Coma Scale in practice but has also resulted in a lack of clarity. DESIGN: This is a discursive paper that invites readers to explore and arrive at a more comprehensive understanding of the Glasgow Coma Scale in practice and is based on searches of Scopus, Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Science Direct and CINAHL databases. RESULTS: While the Glasgow Coma Scale has been rivalled by other tools in an attempt to improve upon it, a shift in practice to those tools has not occurred. The tool has withstood the test of time in this respect, indicating the need for further research into its use and a clear education strategy to standardise implementation in practice. CONCLUSION: Further exploration is needed into the application of painful stimuli in using the Glasgow Coma Scale to assess level of consciousness. In addition, a robust educational strategy is necessary to maximise consistency in its use in practice. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The evidence illustrates inconsistency and confusion in the use of the Glasgow Coma Scale in practice; this has the potential to compromise care and clarity around the issues is therefore necessary.

Caregiver's burden in disorders of consciousness: a longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVES: To study the changes in the burden of informal caregivers of patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) over time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Short Form-12, Family Strain Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory and Coping Orientations to Problem Experiences were administered. RESULTS: Data collected on 216 informal caregivers of patients with DOC (59.6% females, mean age 53.4 ± 12.7 years old) were analysed at two time-points (mean distance is 2.7 years). Results of the national study revealed that caregivers' mental health improved (T0: M = 41.1, SD = 11.8; T1: M = 45.8, SD = 11.7), whereas the emotional burden (T0: M = 7.4, SD = 3.6; T1: M = 6.6, SD = 3.9) and the presence of depressive symptoms (T0: M = 14.3, SD = 9.3; T1: M = 11.7, SD = 10.2) as well as the need for information about the disease (T0: M = 2.7, SD = 1.2; T1: M = 2.2, SD = 1.4), thoughts of death (T0: M = 3.6, SD = 1.5; T1: M = 3.1, SD = 1.6) and the use of avoiding coping strategy (T0: M = 7.8, SD = 1.0; T1: M = 6.0, SD = 1.3) decreased at T1. Furthermore, depressive symptoms positively correlated with the emotional burden (0.580) and negatively with the mental health component of caregivers' self-perceived health condition (-0.473). Physical (-0.308) and mental health (-0.444) negatively correlated with emotional burden. Finally, the acute event and patients' health condition still have a deep impact on the economic situation of the family. CONCLUSION: Although high level of burden was observed, it tends to decrease over time, except for financial burden. Hence, this study suggests the importance to plan strategies or targeted interventions in order to reduce the psychosocial and financial burden associated with caregiving.

Facilitating patients with disorders of consciousness to sit without trunk support: a qualitative study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to clarify why and how clinical nurses facilitate sitting without trunk support among patients with disorders of consciousness. BACKGROUND: Recent attention has focused on encouraging patients with disorders of consciousness to sit without trunk support, but no reports describe this intervention among patients with poor awareness and physical disuse. DESIGN: Qualitative research design. METHODS: We enrolled five clinical nurses with interventional experience in rehabilitating patients with disorders of consciousness to sit without trunk support. Participant observation and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The data were analysed by text-mining method. RESULTS: Three reasons for nursing in the sitting position were identified: to raise the patient's body to assess the recovery of activities of daily living, to adjust their circadian rhythm and encourage the will to sit, and to make it easier to breathe. Five practices were identified: moving the patient to the prone position to sit in safety and comfort, developing postural stability by improving the flexibility of the lower limbs, improving the flexibility of the hip joints, developing trunk balance and encouraging hand use for stability, and ensuring safety by terminating the sitting practice when symptoms of respiratory failure, heart failure, or excessive tiredness developed. CONCLUSIONS: The rationale for nursing patients with disorders of consciousness to sit without trunk support was to establish a foundation for independent living. This was achieved by preparing patient's disused body for activity by improving the flexibility of hip joint in the prone position. This represents a new intervention for patients with disorders of consciousness that could facilitate independent living. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study provides empirical and practical evidence from nurses who perform novel clinical interventions that specifically promote independent living. Further accumulation of quantitative clinical results and physiological verification are required.

Pain indicators in brain-injured critical care adults: an integrative review.

INTRODUCTION: Health professionals are confronted with the difficulty of adequately evaluating pain in critically ill, brain-injured patients, as these patients are often unable to self-report. In addition, their confused and stereotyped behaviours may change their responses to pain; the indicators and descriptors generally used to evaluate pain in the critically ill may therefore not be appropriate for brain-injured patients. AIM: The aim of this integrative review was to identify clinically measurable and observable pain indicators and descriptors for brain-injured, critically ill adults. METHOD: A search of electronic databases (Medline, CINAHL, Embase) combined with cross-referencing was performed. Articles were included if they described pain indicators in critically ill adults and included brain-injured patients in their population. RESULTS: Seven articles met the inclusion criteria. They were critically appraised for their quality and their relevance for the population of brain-injured patients. Behavioural pain indicators such as facial expressions, body movements and muscle tension were found in all of the articles. However, the descriptions of the indicators differ from one article to another. The intensity and nature of behavioural pain responses vary according to the level of consciousness. Changes in physiological parameters have also been reported, but these results are inconclusive. CONCLUSION: Additional research is needed to identify and better describe pain indicators that are specific to brain-injured patients in the ICU. Studies with large samples, different brain injury diagnoses and various levels of consciousness are warranted.

Observing and recording neurological dysfunction.

Despite research suggesting that the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) has limitations, its results are regarded as the gold standard in assessments of patient consciousness levels. This article discusses and evaluates the GCS, and reviews the literature on the advantages and limitations of the tool, and considers whether the Lowry Coma Record (Lowry 1999) should be used instead.

How to ensure patient observations lead to effective management of altered consciousness.

Altered level of consciousness is common in critically ill patients and is associated with potentially life threatening airway compromise. As problems with airway, breathing or circulation can lead to an altered level of consciousness, the initial priorities are to ensure a clear airway, and that breathing and circulation are adequate. This article aims to outline the management of altered level of consciousness.

The experience of family caregivers caring for a patient with chronic disorders of consciousness: a qualitative content analysis.

BACKGROUND: Management of a patient with chronic disorders of consciousness is a long-term and stressful situation for family caregivers. AIMS: The aim of this study was to describe the experiences of family caregivers of patients with chronic disorders of consciousness. METHODS: Purposeful sampling was used, data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews at participants' homes. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. FINDINGS: Results indicated that family caregivers of patients with chronic disorders of consciousness face many difficulties in providing care to vegetative state (VS) and minimally conscious state (MCS) patients; they experience it as a challenging type of care, which influences their mental health. CONCLUSION: Family caregivers are faced with many challenges because of the high burden of care, round-the-clock concern, taking care of an alive but unresponsive patient without receiving enough support. They experience mental and inner turmoil because of social isolation and dealing with contradictory feelings in their daily life.

Comparison of selected sedation scales for reporting opioid-induced sedation assessment.

A descriptive survey-based study was undertaken to test the validity and reliability of three scales that are used to assess sedation during opioid administration for pain management: the Inova Health System Sedation Scale (ISS), the Richmond Agitation and Sedation Scale (RASS), and the Pasero Opioid-Induced Sedation Scale (POSS). The study was conducted in a large (830 beds) suburban level I trauma hospital with a random convenience sample of 96 medical-surgical nurses. The study reports: measures of reliability and validity of each scale and significant findings related to correct nursing score and selected actions; nurses' ratings of each scale in terms of combined ease of use; information provided by the scale to inform clinical decisions; and nursing confidence measures. Both the RASS and the POSS demonstrated adequate measures of reliability and validity for measurement of sedation during opioid administration for pain management. However, the POSS scored higher in combined measures of ease of use, nursing confidence, and usefulness of information provided to make clinical decisions. The POSS also yielded the highest percentage agreement with the correct score and correct nursing actions chosen by the nurse among the three scales tested. Study results have clinical significance for accuracy of clinical assessments and subsequent actions on behalf of patients experiencing advancing sedation during opioid analgesia. The POSS can be recommended as a superior sedation scale for the measurement of sedation during opioid administration for pain management.

Interrater reliability and predictive validity of the FOUR score coma scale in a pediatric population.

The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) was developed in 1974 to objectively describe neurological status and predict outcome in neuroscience patients. Through the years, the GCS has become the gold standard for coma assessment. Despite its widespread use, the GCS has many limitations that are well documented in the literature. The Full Outline of Unresponsiveness (FOUR) score is a new coma scale that was recently developed and validated in adults as a proposed replacement for the GCS. The purpose of this study was to compare the interrater reliability and predictive validity of the FOUR score and the GCS in pediatric patients. The interrater reliability for the GCS was good (k(w) = .738), and that for the FOUR score was excellent (k(w) = .951). Outcome prediction analysis showed that the FOUR score and the GCS are both able to predict in-hospital morbidity and poor outcome at the end of hospitalization. The results from this pediatric study were consistent with the adult studies which suggest that the FOUR score is a reliable and valid tool for use in a wide variety of neuroscience patients.

Cervical spine clearance in the nonalert, noncommunicative, or unreliable pediatric blunt trauma patient.

Currently, there is no nationally recognized evidence-based guideline or protocol for cervical spine clearance in nonalert, noncommunicative, or unreliable pediatric blunt trauma patients. This descriptive survey study sought to identify current practices and elicit expert opinion data regarding pediatric cervical spine clearance in a specialized population of children in trauma centers in the United States. A 93-item electronic Pediatric Cervical Spine Clearance Survey was sent to 309 members of the Pediatric Special Interest Group of the National Society of Trauma Nurses. The main areas of interest in the survey included trauma verification, annual volume of pediatric trauma cases, and sequence and time frames of diagnostic testing for cervical spine clearance by age group. Additional areas of interest were perceived supports and barriers to meeting target time frames for diagnostic testing and outcomes to evaluate the impact of a cervical spine clearance guideline for pediatric blunt trauma. The results from 44 respondents demonstrate that trauma centers are using a variety of diagnostic testing sequences and time frames when clearing children for suspected cervical spine injury.

The role of the trauma nurse leader in a pediatric trauma center.

The trauma nurse leader role was developed by a group of trauma surgeons, hospital administrators, and emergency department and trauma leaders at Nationwide Children's Hospital who recognized the need for the development of a core group of nurses who provided expert trauma care. The intent was to provide an experienced group of nurses who could identify and resolve issues in the trauma room. Through increased education, exposure, mentoring, and professional development, the trauma nurse leader role has become an essential part of the specialized pediatric trauma care provided at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

[Complications of the hemodialysis procedure in acute renal failure patients: nursing interventions]. / Complicações do procedimento hemodialítico em pacientes com insuficiência renal aguda: intervenções de enfermagem.

This retrospective study has identified both the prevalence of complications during hemodialitic treatment in patients carrying acute renal failure (ARF) in an intensive care unit of a university hospital and the nursing conduct performed during those episodes. We have assessed sixty-five (282 sessions) records of ARF patients who underwent renal replacement therapy and presented complications during hemodialysis sessions. We have noticed that the most prevalent intradialitic complications were: arterial hypotension (35%), hypothermia (29%), and lack of flow in the vascular access (24.1%). The nursing interventions prioritized during episodes of clinical complications involved clinical assessment (66.8%) and evaluation of patients' consciousness level (59.9%). The search for nursing procedures that are suitable to different situations experienced by patients during hemodialysis, as well as the continuing education of the nursing team are actions that may minimize the intercurrence rate.

Is oral feeding compatible with an unresponsive wakefulness syndrome?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to explore the possibility of oral feeding in unresponsive wakefulness syndrome/vegetative state (UWS/VS) patients. METHOD: We reviewed the clinical information of 68 UWS/VS patients (mean age 45 ± 11; range 16-79 years) searching for mention of oral feeding. UWS/VS diagnosis was made after repeated behavioural assessments using the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised. Patients also had complementary neuroimaging evaluations (positron emission tomography, functional magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography and diffusion tensor imaging). RESULTS: Out of the 68 UWS/VS patients, only two could resume oral feeding (3%). The first patient had oral feeding (only liquid and semi liquid) in addition to gastrostomy feeding and the second one could achieve full oral feeding (liquid and mixed solid food). Clinical assessments concluded that they fulfilled the criteria for a diagnosis of UWS/VS. Results from neuroimaging and neurophysiology were typical for the first patient with regard to the diagnosis of UWS/VS but atypical for the second patient. CONCLUSION: Oral feeding that implies a full and complex oral phase could probably be considered as a sign of consciousness. However, we actually do not know which components are necessary to consider the swallowing conscious as compared to reflex. We also discussed the importance of swallowing assessment and management in all patients with altered state of consciousness.

Recognizing thyroid storm in the neurologically impaired patient.

Thyroid storm is a life-threatening complication of thyroid dysfunction that is manifested by signs of cardiac arrhythmias, fever, and neurological impairment. These symptoms can easily be attributed to a multitude of factors commonly seen in neurological intensive care units, making the recognition and diagnosis of this event difficult. In this case study, a patient presents with a complicated course of hospitalization exacerbated by thyroid storm. Early nursing care and medical collaboration offset a potentially fatal condition.

Assessment of altered conscious level in clinical practice.

This article will critically appraise the literature focusing on the use and application of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). Historically the GCS tool was created in a 14-point format and later revised to a 15-point format. Critical analysis of this potentially confusing aspect will be explored. The GCS tool enables the healthcare practitioner to effectively monitor the level of consciousness. The authors believe that anatomical and physiological knowledge is required to competently interpret assessment of level of consciousness. The article will review the anatomical basis of consciousness and consider some of the issues of application of GCS in practice, including painful stimuli.

How accurate is the AVPU scale in detecting neurological impairment when used by general ward nurses? An evaluation study using simulation and a questionnaire.

OBJECTIVES: to evaluate accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and inter-rater agreement of AVPU (Alert, Voice, Pain, Unresponsive) when used by non-specialist nursing staff assessing consciousness, and to investigate users' views. METHODS: Video-recorded simulations of assessments of consciousness were developed and verified by an expert panel. Participants scored simulations using AVPU and completed questionnaires eliciting views on the scale. AVPU scores were compared with functional levels agreed by the panel. SETTING: A large urban teaching hospital. RESULTS: Fifty-one participants scored 255 simulations. Overall accuracy was 82.4% (95% CI=77.7-87.1%), sensitivity 0.94 (95% CI=0.90-0.98), specificity 0.74 (95% CI=0.66-0.82) and inter-rater agreement (un-weighted kappa) 0.782. Accuracy was low for simulations depicting an orientated patient whose eyes open to speech (49% correct) and a confused patient with spontaneous eye opening (61.5% correct). Sensitivity and agreement for levels corresponding to "Alert" and "Voice" were 0.81 (95% CI=0.69-0.93) and kappa=0.506. Participants expressed uncertainty about aspects of AVPU's use. CONCLUSIONS: AVPU had low rates of accuracy, sensitivity and agreement in distinguishing between "Alert" and "Voice", and low specificity overall, suggesting it may be unsuitable for early warning scoring. Participants expressed doubts about the use of AVPU.