Bowel management post major joint arthroplasty: A randomised controlled trial to test two pre-admission bowel regimens.

BACKGROUND: The length of stay for patients undergoing joint arthroplasty has reduced but there is a paucity of knowledge relating to bowel management within this enhanced recovery framework. AIM: The study's primary aim was to determine which of two dosage regimens of macrogol (Movicol®) commenced pre-operatively is most effective in facilitating a return to normal bowel function. PROCEDURE: Ninety-one eligible patients were randomised to one of three groups: 1) commence macrogol one sachet in the morning for two days prior to surgery; 2) commence macrogol one sachet, morning and evening of the day prior to surgery; or 3) control group. RESULTS: Seventy-seven percent of patients in group one, and 83% of group two had returned to normal bowel function by one-week post discharge compared to 70% of control patients (p = .470). Participants in group one required less aperients in the week following discharge compared with the other two groups although the result was not statistically significant (p = .060). CONCLUSION: Despite not reaching statistical significance, the results are considered clinically significant. The authors recommend patients commence macrogol one sachet in the morning for the two days prior to admission for major joint arthroplasty and the Murdoch Bowel Protocol® continue to be followed for inpatients.

How Well Do We Understand Health Care Professionals' Perceptions and Needs in the Provision of Palliative Care? A Mixed Methods Study.

OBJECTIVES: Despite palliative care being standard for patients with chronic and/or life-limiting conditions, a perceived lack of clarity regarding the definition and scope of palliative care persists. We aimed to identify health care professionals' (HCPs) perspectives, education, and support needs related to palliative care provision in a large private Australian tertiary hospital. METHODS: A validated survey was administered and four focus groups were conducted with multidisciplinary HCPs. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 50% (n = 302). Although critical care HCPs scored symptom management and patient/family interaction items more highly compared with other HCPs, mean scores (<4.0) for both groups indicated participants lacked confidence to perform this aspect of care independently. Critical care HCPs were more comfortable caring for dying patients (p < 0.001) and talking to families about death (p < 0.001). Ward HCPs were more supportive of early referral to palliative care (p < 0.001). Cancer diagnoses were overestimated as common causes of death. Education needs focused on ethical issues, end-of-life communication skills, dealing with delirium, and use of the Liverpool Care Pathway. Key themes identified from the four focus groups were (1) delays or nonreferral to palliative care created considerable stress and feelings of inadequacy despite a perceived understanding of the broader definition of palliative care and (2) HCPs commonly focused on end-of-life care. CONCLUSION: Ambiguity regarding the meaning and delivery of palliative care persists in the acute care setting across disciplines. Results confirmed that innovative approaches to education and upskilling HCPs in palliative care and referral pathways is warranted.

Bowel management post major joint arthroplasty: results from a randomised controlled trial.

AIM: To evaluate the effect of a new post-operative bowel protocol in total hip and total knee replacement patients. BACKGROUND: Up to 65% of total hip and total knee replacement patients experience some degree of constipation post-operatively. A lack of robust evidence to guide bowel management and reduce constipation in this cohort was the impetus for this study. DESIGN: A multisite cluster randomised trial in private secondary and tertiary hospitals. METHODS: In total 331 patients were recruited across seven Australian hospitals over 13 months. Control participants (n = 171) received routine bowel management whilst intervention participants (n = 160) received bowel management as per the trial protocol. RESULTS: Intervention patients took 6 days less than controls to return to normal bowel function, and were more than seven times more likely to return to normal bowel function by day 5 post operatively. Age, gender and length of pre-operative fasting had no effect on these outcomes. CONCLUSION: These results support the use of the Murdoch Bowel Protocol(®) for hip and knee replacement patients and may be relevant for other patient groups who experience opioid induced bowel dysfunction.