Aligning peripheral intravenous catheter quality with nursing culture-A mixed method study.

AIM: To explore barriers and facilitators that influence adherence to evidence-based guidelines for peripheral intravenous catheter care in different hospital wards. DESIGN: Sequential explanatory mixedmethod study design, with qualitative data used to elaborate on quantitative findings. METHOD: Data were collected between March 2021 and March 2022 using the previously validated Peripheral Intravenous Catheter mini questionnaire (PIVC-miniQ) on each ward in a tertiary hospital in Norway. Survey completion was followed by individual interviews with nurses from selected wards. The Pillar Integration Process was used to integrate and analyse the quantitative and qualitative findings. RESULTS: The PIVC-miniQ screening assessed 566 peripheral intravenous catheters in 448 patients in 41 wards, and we found variation between wards in the quality of care. Based on the quantitative variation, we interviewed 24 nurses on wards with either excellent or not as good quality. The integration of the quantitative and qualitative findings in the study enabled an understanding of factors that influence nurses' adherence to the care of peripheral venous catheters. One main theme and four subthemes emerged. The main finding was that ward culture affects education practice, and this was evident from four subthemes: (1) Deviation from best practice, (2) Gaps in education and clinical training, (3) Quality variation between wards and (4) The importance of supportive leadership. CONCLUSION: This mixed method study is the first study to explore reasons for variability in peripheral intravenous catheter quality across hospital wards. We found that ward culture was central to catheter quality, with evidence of deviations from best practice correlating with observed catheter complications. Ward culture also impacted nursing education, with the main responsibility for learning peripheral intravenous catheter management left to students' clinical training placements. Addressing this educational gap and fostering supportive leadership, including champions, will likely improve peripheral intravenous catheter care and patient safety. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: Nurses learn good peripheral intravenous catheter care in wards with supportive leaders and champions. This implies that the quality of nursing practice and patient outcomes are situational. Nurses need a strengthened emphasis on peripheral catheter quality in the undergraduate curriculum, and nurse leaders must emphasize the quality of catheter care in their wards. IMPACT: The study findings impact nurse leaders who must commit to quality and safety outcomes by appointing and supporting local ward champions for promoting peripheral intravenous catheter care. This also impacts nursing education providers, as the emphasis on catheter care must be strengthened in the undergraduate nursing curriculum and continually reinforced in the hospital environment, particularly when guidelines are updated. REPORTING METHOD: The study adhered to the Good Reporting of A Mixed Method Study (GRAMM). PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: A patient representative has been involved in planning this study.

Effect of a low-carbohydrate diet on pain and quality of life in female patients with lipedema: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) compared with a control diet on pain in female patients with lipedema. The secondary objectives were to compare the impact of the two diets on quality of life (QoL) and investigate potential associations of changes in pain with changes in body weight, body composition, and ketosis. METHODS: Adult female patients with lipedema and obesity were randomized to either the LCD or control diet (energy prescription: 1200 kcal/day) for 8 weeks. Body weight and body composition, pain (Brief Pain Inventory measured pain), and QoL (RAND 36-Item Health Survey [RAND-36], Impact of Weight on Quality of Life [IWQOL]-Lite, and Lymphoedema Quality of Life [LYMQOL]) were measured at baseline and at postintervention. RESULTS: A total of 70 female patients (age, mean [SD], 47 [11] years; BMI 37 [5] kg/m2) were included. The LCD group had greater weight loss (-2.8 kg; 95% CI: -4.1 to -1.0; p < 0.001) and larger reduction in pain now (-1.1; 95% CI: -1.9 to -0.3; p = 0.009) compared with the control group. No association was found between changes in pain now and weight loss. Both groups experienced improvements in several QoL dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: Diet-induced weight loss in women with lipedema can improve QoL. An energy-restricted LCD seems to be superior to a standard control diet in reducing pain.

Evaluation of the nurse-assisted eHealth intervention 'eHealth@Hospital-2-Home' on self-care by patients with heart failure and colorectal cancer post-hospital discharge: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients with heart failure (HF) and colorectal cancer (CRC) are prone to comorbidity, a high rate of readmission, and complex healthcare needs. Self-care for people with HF and CRC after hospitalisation can be challenging, and patients may leave the hospital unprepared to self-manage their disease at home. eHealth solutions may be a beneficial tool to engage patients in self-care. METHODS: A randomised controlled trial with an embedded evaluation of intervention engagement and cost-effectiveness will be conducted to investigate the effect of eHealth intervention after hospital discharge on the self-efficacy of self-care. Eligible patients with HF or CRC will be recruited before discharge from two Norwegian university hospitals. The intervention group will use a nurse-assisted intervention-eHealth@Hospital-2-Home-for six weeks. The intervention includes remote monitoring of vital signs; patients' self-reports of symptoms, health and well-being; secure messaging between patients and hospital-based nurse navigators; and access to specific HF and CRC health-related information. The control group will receive routine care. Data collection will take place before the intervention (baseline), at the end of the intervention (Post-1), and at six months (Post-2). The primary outcome will be self-efficacy in self-care. The secondary outcomes will include measures of burden of treatment, health-related quality of life and 30- and 90-day readmissions. Sub-study analyses are planned in the HF patient population with primary outcomes of self-care behaviour and secondary outcomes of medication adherence, and readmission at 30 days, 90 days and 6 months. Patients' and nurse navigators' engagement and experiences with the eHealth intervention and cost-effectiveness will be investigated. Data will be analysed according to intention-to-treat principles. Qualitative data will be analysed using thematic analysis. DISCUSSION: This protocol will examine the effects of the eHealth@ Hospital-2-Home intervention on self-care in two prevalent patient groups, HF and CRC. It will allow the exploration of a generic framework for an eHealth intervention after hospital discharge, which could be adapted to other patient groups, upscaled, and implemented into clinical practice. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trials.gov (ID 301472).

Multimodal Analgesic Effectiveness on Acute Postoperative Pain Management After Adult Cardiac Surgery: Protocol for a Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Many patients report moderate to severe pain in the acute postoperative period. Enhanced recovery protocols recommend multimodal analgesics, but the optimal combination of these is unknown. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to synthesize the best available evidence about effectiveness of multimodal analgesics on pain after adult cardiac surgery. METHODS: A systematic review to determine the effect of multimodal postoperative analgesics is proposed (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews Registration CRD42022355834). Multiple databases including the Cochrane Library, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, American Psychological Association, the Education Resources Information Centre, the Excerpta Medica database, the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Scopus, Web of Science, and clinical trials databases will be searched. Screening in Covidence and quality assessment will be conducted by 2 authors. A grading of recommendations, assessment, development, and evaluation summary of findings will be presented if meta-analysis is possible.

Patient-reported outcomes the first thirty days after fast-track primary total hip arthroplasty. A prospective cohort study using a web-based registration tool for postoperative follow-up.

INTRODUCTION: The documentation on patient reported outcomes the first weeks at home following total hip arthroplasty (THA) is sparse. Length of hospital stay after THA is substantially reduced. Therefore, knowledge on whether patients are managing their own postoperative rehabilitation early after discharge is important, in order to give the patients realistic preoperative information, to modify expectations and enable patients to monitor their own rehabilitation process. METHODS: Eighty-two THA patients were included in a prospective cohort study. Patient-reported outcomes were collected twice a week thirty days postoperatively using a web-based registration tool. Numeric rating scales (0-10) for pain, function, and quality of life, EQ-5D, and the use of opioids were registered. Four weeks postoperatively a telephone interview were conducted. Pain, EQ5D and hip specific physical function score (HOOS-PS) were recorded preoperatively, at three- and twelve-months follow-up. RESULTS: Pain was maintained the first days after hospital discharge. From day 0 to day 30, pain decreased from 4.0 (SD 2.23) to 2.3 (SD 1.75), function improved from 4.4 (SD 2.06) to 7 (SD 1.57), quality of life improved from 6.3 (SD 2.69) to 7.8 (SD 1.47), and EQ-5D improved from 0.4 to (SD 0.27) to 0.7 (SD 0.14). After 30 days, 32% still used opioids. All patients completed the web-registration. Pain, EQ-5D and HOOS-PS improved substantially from preoperatively to twelve months follow-up. CONCLUSION: Fast-track THA patients can expect continued postoperative pain and impaired quality of life the first week at home, before gradually improvement. After thirty days, 32 % of the patients still used opioids.

Assessing a nurse-assisted eHealth intervention posthospital discharge in adult patients with non-communicable diseases: a protocol for a feasibility study.

INTRODUCTION: A growing number of patients with non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as heart failure (HF) and colorectal cancer (CRC), are prone to comorbidity, a high rate of readmissions and complex healthcare needs. An eHealth intervention, however, could potentially ameliorate the increasing burdens associated with NCDs by helping to smoothen patient transition from hospital to home and by reducing the number of readmissions. This feasibility study therefore aims to assess the feasibility of a nurse-assisted eHealth intervention posthospital discharge among patients with HF and CRC, while also examining the preliminary clinical and behavioural outcomes of the intervention before initiating a full-scale randomised controlled trial. The recruitment ended in January 2023. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Twenty adult patients with HF and 10 adult patients with CRC will be recruited from two university hospitals in Norway. Six hospital-based nurse navigators (NNs) will offer support during the transition phase from hospital to home by using a solution for digital remote care, Dignio Connected Care. The patients will use the MyDignio application uploaded to an iPad for 30 days postdischarge. The interactions between patients and NNs will then be assessed through direct observation and qualitative interviews in line with a think-aloud protocol. Following the intervention, semistructured interviews will be used to explore patients' experiences of eHealth support and NNs' experiences of eHealth delivery. The feasibility testing will also comprise a post-test of the Post-System Usability Questionnaire and pretesting of patient-reported outcomes questionnaires, as well as an inspection of user data collected from the software. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been approved by the Norwegian Centre for Research Data (ID.NO: 523386). All participation is based on informed, written consent. The results of the study will be published in open-access, peer-reviewed journals and presented at international and national scientific conferences and meetings.

Amiodarone-induced phlebitis: incidence and adherence to a clinical practice guideline.

AIMS: Intravenous amiodarone is an irritant of peripheral blood vessels with phlebitis as an adverse effect. The aims were to determine the incidence of intravenous amiodarone-induced phlebitis, to describe adherence to a clinical practice guideline, and to determine how characteristics were distributed between those with and without phlebitis. METHODS AND RESULTS: A prospective observational study was conducted. Adult patients treated with amiodarone through a peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) or a central venous catheter were included. PIVC characteristics were measured using the PIVC mini questionnaire. Patients with ≥two signs of phlebitis were categorized as having phlebitis. Adherence to the clinical practice guideline was registered on a standard abstract sheet. Data were collected from the amiodarone start-up to 2 days after the amiodarone was discontinued. In total, 124 patients with amiodarone infusions were observed, of which 69% were administered via a PIVC. The phlebitis rate was 44%. Fifty-three per cent developed amiodarone-induced phlebitis during the infusion phase, while 47% presented phlebitis during the post-infusion phase. The three most observed signs or symptoms of phlebitis were redness (87%), pain (81%), and swelling (71%). The most commonly used PIVC site was the elbow, and 35% of the PIVCs were large (18 gauge), which was the last preferred site and size according to the clinical practice guideline. CONCLUSION: A large proportion of the patients developed amiodarone-induced phlebitis. The adherence to the clinical practice guideline was not optimal according to the PIVC recommendations. Prevention of amiodarone-induced phlebitis should have high priority to reduce patient harm.

An Update on Prevalence, Assessment, and Risk Factors for Sleep Disturbances in Patients with Advanced Cancer-Implications for Health Care Providers and Clinical Research.

Patients with advanced cancer experience multiple symptoms, with fluctuating intensity and severity during the disease. They use several medications, including opioids, which may affect sleep. Sleep disturbance is common in cancer patients, decreases the tolerability of other symptoms, and impairs quality of life. Despite its high prevalence and negative impact, poor sleep quality often remains unrecognized and undertreated. Given that sleep is an essential aspect of health-related quality of life, it is important to extend both the knowledge base and awareness among health care providers in this field to improve patient care. In this narrative review, we provide recommendations on sleep assessment in patients with advanced cancer and highlight cancer-related factors that contribute to insomnia. We also present direct implications for health care providers working in palliative care and for future research.

The impact of educational concerns and satisfaction on baccalaureate nursing students' distress and quality of life during the Covid-19 pandemic; a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: High levels of psychological distress and poor overall quality of life (QOL) have been identified among nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic necessitated improvised reconstructions of educational curriculums and restrictions in clinical placement and training at campuses, possibly reducing educational quality. OBJECTIVES: We explored whether baccalaureate nursing students' concerns and satisfaction with the educational curriculum, focusing on the conduct of clinical training, were associated with perceived psychological distress and overall QOL. METHODS: Baccalaureate nursing students (N=6088) from five Norwegian universities were invited to an internet-based, cross-sectional survey during the second wave of the pandemic. The survey included COVID-19 specific questions on health, education and clinical training, the Fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S), The Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL-5) and overall QOL. Data from national surveys on satisfaction with the educational curriculum, before and during the pandemic were used for comparison. RESULTS: In total, 2605 (43%) students responded, of whom 1591 (61%) had been engaged in clinical training during the pandemic. Overall, 53% were either satisfied or fully satisfied with their educational curriculum, with the level of satisfaction being significantly lower than pre-pandemic reference values. Also, 79% were concerned or highly concerned about the educational quality. In multiple regression analyses for all students, lower levels of satisfaction and higher levels of quality concerns were associated with worse SCL-5 scores. Furthermore, satisfaction with the educational curriculum was positively associated with overall QOL. For students engaged in clinical training, only concerns about infecting others were additionally associated with psychological distress. None of the items related to clinical training were associated with overall QOL. CONCLUSION: Nursing students' educational satisfaction and quality concerns may significantly impact perceived psychological distress and overall QOL during a pandemic. However, with necessary adaptations implemented, concerns regarding the conduct of clinical training account for little of these associations.

Task shifting of intravitreal injections from physicians to nurses: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor are high-volume procedures and represent a considerable workload on ophthalmology departments. Several departments have tried to meet this increase by shifting the task to nurses. To maintain high-quality patient care, we developed a training program for nurses that certifies them to administer injections. This qualitative study aimed to evaluate whether the nurses were confident and in control after participating in the training program and whether they were satisfied with the training and the new task. METHODS: Between 2014 and 2018, 12 registered nurses were trained in a tertiary hospital in central Norway. All the nurses were interviewed, either individually (n = 7) or in a group (n = 5). We analysed the interviews using Graneheim and Lundman's qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Eight subthemes were clustered within four main themes: 1) procedure and challenges, 2) motivation, 3) cooperation and confidence, and 4) evaluation. The nurses felt confident and in control when administering injections but experienced moments of insecurity. The new task gave the nurses a sense of achievement, and they highlighted improvement of patients' lives as positive. A greater level of responsibility gave the nurses pride in their profession. They had suggestions that could improve training efficiency but were overall satisfied with the training program. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the nurses were satisfied with the training and that learning a new task led to higher self-esteem and increased respect from patients and colleagues. Suggestions to improve the training were identified; these should be considered before implementation by other departments.

Self-Reported Gastrointestinal Symptoms Two To Four Years After Bariatric Surgery. A Cross-Sectional Study Comparing Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) are efficient methods for weight loss (WL) and WL maintenance in severe obesity. However, the knowledge of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms after surgery is limited. This study aimed to compare the severity of GI symptoms, pain, and self-rated health 2 to 4 years after RYGBP and LSG surgery. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, RYGBP and LSG patients answered a questionnaire including the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS), questions from the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), and self-rated health (SRH). RESULTS: A total of 172/303 (57%) responded, RYGBP (n=73) and LSG (n=99). The mean age was 45.3 (SD 11.1) years (74% females). There was no evidence of a difference in total GSRS scores between the surgical methods (p=0.638). There were higher scores of reflux symptoms in LSG vs. RYGBP (both median 1, 75-percentile 2.5 vs. 1.0, p <0.001) and higher consumption of acid-reducing medication after LSG (32% vs. 12%, p <0.001). Pain scores were low in both groups; however, average abdominal pain was higher for RYGBP, median 2 (IQR 0-4) vs. median 1 (IQR 0-3) for LSG (p = 0.025). There was no significant difference in SRH. CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing RYGBP and LSG surgery reported similar total GSRS scores and low pain scores 2 to 4 years after surgery. However, reflux symptoms and use of acid-reducing medication occurred more frequently after LSG surgery, while abdominal pain was more frequent in RYGBP surgery. These findings are important for surgical decision-making and follow-up.

Nurses' perceptions of patient participation in the myocardial infarction pathway.

Aim: To explore nurses' perceptions of patient participation in different phases of the myocardial infarction pathway. Design: Qualitative design with a hermeneutical approach. Methods: Five focus groups were conducted at two hospitals, one with and one without percutaneous coronary intervention facilities, between February-November 2018. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling. Twenty-two nurses experienced in cardiac care participated. The analysis had a hermeneutical approach. Results: The findings revealed nurses' perceptions of patient participation in different phases of the myocardial infarction pathway. Four themes were identified: (a) variation between paternalism and autonomy in the acute phase; (b) individualization of dialogue and patient participation during treatment; (c) lack of coherence in the pathway hinders patient participation at discharge; and (d) cardiac rehabilitation promotes patients' autonomous decisions in lifestyle changes.

Correction to: Monitoring quality of care for peripheral intravenous catheters; feasibility and reliability of the peripheral intravenous catheters mini questionnaire (PIVC-miniQ).

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Use of peripheral venous catheters in two Norwegian hospitals. / Bruk av perifere venekatetre ved to norske sykehus.

BACKGROUND: Most patients in Norwegian hospitals are routinely given one or more peripheral venous catheters. A peripheral venous catheter is considered to be a benign device but may entail a risk of local infection with resulting bloodstream infection and sepsis. Good practice in the insertion and care of these catheters is essential to prevent infection. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This study presents Norwegian data from the 'One Million Global Catheters Study', which evaluated practice in relation to peripheral venous catheters in 419 hospitals in 51 countries. Two Norwegian hospitals collected data from medical and surgical wards on a single day in November 2014 (Levanger Hospital) and a single day in February 2015 (St Olavs Hospital). Professional development nursing specialists recorded observations of peripheral venous catheters such as insertion site, dressing, documentation and indication. RESULTS: We evaluated 136 peripheral venous catheters in a total of 121 patients. We found 44 (32.4 %) catheters associated with various clinical problems such as pain, redness or swelling around the insertion site, catheter dislocation, or blood in the infusion set. Altogether 50 peripheral venous catheters (36.8 %) were not in use for either medications or fluid on the day in question. In 93 of 131 cases (71.0 %), there was no documentation of venous catheter assessment in the previous 24 hours. INTERPRETATION: Care and monitoring of venous catheters could be significantly improved. There was considerable incidence of unused peripheral venous catheters, and lack of documentation was widespread.

Trajectories of Pain in Patients Undergoing Lung Cancer Surgery: A Longitudinal Prospective Study.

CONTEXT: Lung cancer surgery is among the surgical procedures associated with the highest prevalence of pain, but prospective longitudinal studies after the pain trajectory are scarce. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to describe the pain trajectory in patients undergoing surgery for primary lung cancer and investigate whether distinct groups of patients could be identified based on different pain trajectories. METHODS: Patients (n = 264; 95% thoracotomies) provided data on the average and worst pain intensity, pain location, and comorbidities before, and at one month and five, nine, and 12 months after surgery. Pain profiles were analyzed by latent class mixed models. RESULTS: The occurrence of any pain increased from 40% before surgery to 69% after one month and decreased to 56%, 57%, and 55% at five, nine, and 12 months, respectively. Latent class mixed models identified two classes both for average and worst pain; one class started low with high ratings after one month, then returning to a level slightly higher than baseline. The other class started higher with similar scores through the trajectory. Patients reporting no pain (8%) were placed in a separate class. Higher comorbidity score, preoperative use of both pain and psychotropic medicine characterized the class with overall highest pain for average and/or worst pain. CONCLUSION: Pain was highly prevalent after surgery, and subgroups could be identified based on different pain trajectories. Patients reported both postoperative pain and pain from chronic conditions. Knowledge about vulnerable patients and risk factors for pain is important to tailor interventions and information about pain.

Monitoring quality of care for peripheral intravenous catheters; feasibility and reliability of the peripheral intravenous catheters mini questionnaire (PIVC-miniQ).

BACKGROUND: Peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) account for a mean of 38% of catheter associated bloodstream infections (CABSI) with Staphylococcus aureus, which are preventable if deficiencies in best practice are addressed. There exists no feasible and reliable quality surveillance tool assessing all important areas related to PIVC quality. Thus, we aimed to develop and test feasibility and reliability for an efficient quality assessment tool of overall PIVC quality. METHODS: The Peripheral Intravenous Catheter- mini Questionnaire, PIVC-miniQ, consists of 16 items calculated as a sum score of problems regarding the insertion site, condition of dressing and equipment, documentation, and indication for use. In addition, it contains background variables like PIVC site, size and insertion environment. Two hospitals tested the PIVC-miniQ for feasibility and inter-rater agreement. Each PIVC was assessed twice, 2-5 min apart by two independent raters. We calculated the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for each hospital and overall. For each of the 16 items, we calculated negative agreement, positive agreement, absolute agreement, and Scott's pi. RESULTS: Sixty-three raters evaluated 205 PIVCs in 177 patients, each PIVC was assessed twice by independent raters, in total 410 PIVC observations. ICC between raters was 0.678 for hospital A, 0.577 for hospital B, and 0.604 for the pooled data. Mean time for the bedside assessment of each PIVC was 1.40 (SD 0.0007) minutes. The most frequent insertion site symptom was "pain and tenderness" (14.4%), whereas the most prevalent overall problem was lack of documentation of the PIVC (26.8%). Up to 50% of PIVCs were placed near joints (wrist or antecubital fossae) or were inserted under suboptimal conditions, i.e. emergency department or ambulance. CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights the need for PIVC quality surveillance on ward and hospital level and reports the PIVC-miniQ to be a reliable and time efficient tool suitable for frequent point-prevalence audits.

Sleepless nights and sleepy days: a qualitative study exploring the experiences of patients with chronic heart failure and newly verified sleep-disordered breathing.

BACKGROUND: Sleep-disordered breathing, including obstructive sleep apnoea and central sleep apnoea, is a common disorder among patients with chronic heart failure. Obstructive sleep apnoea is often treated with continuous positive airway pressure, but central sleep apnoea lacks a clear treatment option. Knowledge of how sleep-disordered breathing is experienced (e.g. difficulties and care needs) and handled (e.g. self-care actions) by the patients is limited, but needed, to provide patient-centred care. AIM: To explore how newly verified sleep-disordered breathing is experienced by patients with chronic heart failure. METHODS: Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed with qualitative content analysis. Seventeen participants (14 men, three women), mean age 60 years (range 41-80) diagnosed with chronic heart failure and objectively verified sleep-disordered breathing (nine obstructive, seven central and one mixed) were strategically selected from heart failure outpatient clinics at two Norwegian university hospitals. RESULTS: Patients with chronic heart failure and newly verified sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) described experiences of poor sleep that had consequences for their daily life and their partners. Different self-care strategies were revealed, but they were based on 'common sense' and were not evidence-based. The awareness of having SDB was varied; for some, it gave an explanation to their trouble while others were surprised by the finding. CONCLUSION: Patients with chronic heart failure and sleep-disordered breathing experienced reduced sleep quality, influencing their daily life. Possible underlying causes of disrupted sleep, such as sleep-disordered breathing, should be identified to establish proper patient-centred treatment strategies. There is a need for new strategies to approach patients with chronic heart failure (i.e. those with central sleep apnoea) who are not subject to continuous positive airway pressure treatment for their sleep-disordered breathing.

Long-term health-related quality of life and survival after cardiac surgery: A prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important end point after cardiac surgery, particularly in patients of older age. However, prospective long-term studies describing the trajectory of HRQOL after cardiac surgery are still scarce. Therefore, the aim was to assess survival, functional status, and trajectory of HRQOL 10 years after cardiac surgery. METHODS: In a prospective population-based study, 534 patients (23% aged 75 years or older, 67% male) were consecutively included before surgery. Functional status was measured according to self-assigned New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification. HRQOL was measured using the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Questionnaires were given to the patients at baseline and sent by post at 6 and 12 months, and 5 and 10 years after surgery. RESULTS: Three hundred fifty-two patients were eligible after 10 years, 274 responded (77.8%). Total survival at 10 years was 67.8%. Patients aged 75 years or older at surgery had lower survival rates than younger patients (44.6% vs 74.6%, P < .001). Seven of 8 SF-36 subscales were improved at 10 years compared with baseline. Older patients improved less than younger patients and linear mixed models showed that older patients had significantly worse trajectories on 3 of 8 SF-36 subscales. NYHA classification improved from baseline to 10 years also among older patients, with 59% in NYHA class III/IV at baseline compared with 30.3% after 10 years (P < .013). CONCLUSIONS: HRQOL and function improved from before to 10 years after cardiac surgery, also for older patients. These long-term results are of major importance when discussing the use of health care resources and patient-centered clinical decision-making.