Description and Analysis of Research on Death and Dying during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Published in Nursing Journals Indexed in SCOPUS.

AIM: To offer an overall picture of the research published regarding the different aspects of death and dying during the COVID-19 pandemic in journals covering the field of nursing in the Scopus database. DESIGN: bibliometric analysis. METHODS: The metadata obtained were exported from Scopus for subsequent analysis through Bibliometrix. Using the VOSviewer co-word analysis function, the conceptual and thematic structure of the publications was identified. RESULTS: A total of 119 papers were retrieved, with the participation of 527 authors. The publications were found in 71 journals covering the nursing area. The main lines of research revolved around the keywords "palliative care" and "end-of-life care" in regard to the ethical, psychological, and organizational challenges faced by the health professionals who cared for these patients. CONCLUSION: The results obtained offer a range of data and images that characterize the scientific production published on this topic, coming to the conclusion that, due to the multifaceted and multidisciplinary approach to the experience of death, care, and accompaniment in the dying process, bibliometric maps improve the comprehensive understanding of the semantic and conceptual structure of this field of research. This study was retrospectively registered with the OSF Registries on the 14 March 2024.

Effectiveness of a Standardized Nursing Process Using NANDA International, Nursing Interventions Classification and Nursing Outcome Classification Terminologies: A Systematic Review.

The decision-making in clinical nursing, regarding diagnoses, interventions and outcomes, can be assessed using standardized language systems such as NANDA International, the Nursing Interventions Classification and the Nursing Outcome Classification; these taxonomies are the most commonly used by nurses in informatized clinical records. The purpose of this review is to synthesize the evidence on the effectiveness of the nursing process with standardized terminology using the NANDA International, the Nursing Interventions Classification and the Nursing Outcome Classification in care practice to assess the association between the presence of the related/risk factors and the clinical decision-making about nursing diagnosis, assessing the effectiveness of nursing interventions and health outcomes, and increasing people's satisfaction. A systematic review was carried out in Medline and PreMedline (OvidSP), Embase (Embase-Elsevier), The Cochrane Library (Wiley), CINAHL (EbscoHOST), SCI-EXPANDED, SSCI and Scielo (WOS), LILACS (Health Virtual Library) and SCOPUS (SCOPUS-Elsevier) and included randomized clinical trials as well as quasi-experimental, cohort and case-control studies. Selection and critical appraisal were conducted by two independent reviewers. The certainty of the evidence was assessed with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation Methodology. A total of 17 studies were included with variability in the level and certainty of evidence. According to the outcomes, 6 studies assessed diagnostic decision-making and 11 assessed improvements in individual health outcomes. No studies assessed improvements in intervention effectiveness or population satisfaction. There is a need to increase studies with rigorous methodologies that address clinical decision-making about nursing diagnoses using NANDA International and individuals' health outcomes using the Nursing Interventions Classification and the Nursing Outcome Classification as well as implementing studies that assess the use of these terminologies for improvements in the effectiveness of nurses' interventions and population satisfaction with the nursing process.

Knowledge of Diabetic Retinopathy among Primary Care Nurses Performing Fundus Photography and Agreement with Ophthalmologists on Screening.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the complications of diabetes mellitus (DM), with macular oedema being one of the leading causes of avoidable blindness among individuals with DM worldwide. Fundus screening is the only method for early detection and treatment. High-quality training programmes for professionals performing primary care screening are essential to produce high-quality images that facilitate accurate lesion identification. This is a two-phase observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study. The first phase analysed DR knowledge in a sample of nurses. The second phase explored agreement on DR screening between referral ophthalmologists in image assessment (gold standard) and a small group of nurses involved in the previous phase. In phase 1, the agreement rate for screening results was 90%. In phase 2, the overall raw agreement on the screening of fundus photography results between nurses and ophthalmologists was 75% (Cohen's kappa = 0.477; p < 0.001). Agreement on screening with ophthalmologists was moderate, suggesting that implementing a specific training programme for nurse-led imaging screening would help develop this competence among nurses, ensuring a good level of agreement and patient safety and adding value for users, and also for the sustainability of the healthcare system. This study was not registered.

Cross-mapping medical records to NANDA-I to identify nursing diagnoses in a vulnerable population.

PURPOSE: To assess the association between vulnerable populations and nursing care needs, using NANDA-I diagnostics, in the population of the Canary Islands, Spain. METHODS: Nursing social epidemiology study. Cross Mapping of Medical Records to NANDA-I to Identify Nursing Diagnoses in a Population usinga medical, epidemiological follow-up study of a cohort of 7,190 people. The level of vulnerability of the participants was assigned, among those who were also assigned nursing diagnoses, using the "ICE index" to calculate the expected associations. FINDINGS: The most prevalent nursing diagnosis in our sample was Sedentary lifestyle (60.5%), followed by Ineffective health self-management (33.8%) and Risk-prone health behaviour (28.7%). Significant differences were found by sex, age group and social class, with the nursing diagnoses included in the study being more prevalent among the most socio-economically disadvantaged social class. CONCLUSIONS: The cross-mapping method is useful to generate diagnostic information in terms of care needs, using the NANDA-I classification. The expected associations between high social vulnerability and care needs have been verified in a comprehensive and representative sample of the Canarian population (Spain). IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: From an epidemiological perspective, identifying nursing diagnoses at the population level allows us to find the most prevalent needs in the different community groups and to focus appropriate nursing interventions for their implementation and impact assessment.

OBJETIVO: Evaluar la asociación entre las poblaciones vulnerables y las necesidades de cuidados de enfermería, utilizando la clasificación diagnóstica NANDA-I, en la población de las Islas Canarias, España. MÉTODOS: Estudio de epidemiología social enfermera. Mapeo cruzado de registros médicos con la clasificación NANDA-I para identificar los diagnósticos de enfermería en una población mediante un estudio de seguimiento médico y epidemiológico de una cohorte de 7.190 personas. Se asignó el nivel de vulnerabilidad de los participantes, entre los que también se asignaron diagnósticos de enfermería, utilizando el "índice REI" para calcular las asociaciones esperadas. RESULTADOS: El diagnóstico de enfermería más prevalente en nuestra muestra fue Estilo de vida sedentario (60,5%), seguido de Autogestión ineficaz de la salud (33,8%) y Tendencia a adoptar conductas de riesgo para la salud (28,7%). Se encontraron diferencias significativas por sexo, grupo de edad y clase social, siendo los diagnósticos de enfermería incluidos en el estudio más prevalentes entre la clase social más desfavorecida socioeconómicamente. CONCLUSIONES: El método de mapeo cruzado es útil para generar información diagnóstica en términos de necesidades de cuidados, utilizando la clasificación NANDA-I. Se han verificado las asociaciones esperadas entre alta vulnerabilidad social y necesidades de cuidados en una muestra amplia y representativa de la población canaria (España). IMPLICACIONES PARA LA PRÁCTICA ENFERMERA: Desde una perspectiva epidemiológica, la identificación de los diagnósticos de enfermería a nivel poblacional permite encontrar las necesidades más prevalentes en los diferentes grupos de la comunidad y focalizar las intervenciones enfermeras adecuadas para su implementación y evaluación de impacto.

Nursing Diagnoses, Planned Outcomes and Associated Interventions with Highly Complex Chronic Patients in Primary Care Settings: An Observational Study.

The information logged by nurses on electronic health records (EHRs) using standardised nursing languages can help us identify the characteristics of highly complex chronic patients (HCCP) by focusing on care in terms of patients' health needs. The aim of this study was to describe the profile of HCCPs using EHRs from primary care (PC) facilities, presenting patients' characteristics, functional status based on health patterns, NANDA-I nursing diagnoses, health goals based on Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC), and care interventions using Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC). With an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, epidemiological study design, this study was carried out with a sample of 51,374 individuals. The variables were grouped into sociodemographic variables, clinical variables, resources, functional status (health patterns), nursing diagnoses, outcomes, and interventions. A total of 57.4% of the participants were women, with a mean age of 73.3 (12.2), and 51% were frail or dependent. Prevalent conditions included high blood pressure (87.2%), hyperlipidaemia (80%), osteoarthritis (67.8%), and diabetes (56.1%). The participants were frequent users of healthcare services, with 12.1% admitted to hospital in the past year. Some 49.2% had one to four health patterns assessed, with more information on biological and functional aspects than on psychosocial aspects. The mean number of nursing diagnoses was 7.3 (5.2), NOC outcomes 5.1 (4.1), and NIC interventions 8.1 (6.9). Moderately and highly significant differences were observed between dysfunction in physical activity/exercise health pattern and age group, and between dysfunction in other health patterns and classification as a frail or dependent elderly person. Regarding the presence of certain nursing diagnoses, significant differences were observed by age group, classification of elderly person status, and presence of diseases. A total of 20 NIC interventions showed moderately or relatively strong associations for older age groups, higher levels of dependency, and chronic health conditions.

Use of the Nursing Interventions Classification and Nurses' Workloads: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: The Nursing Interventions Classification allows the systematic organisation of care treatments performed by nurses, and an estimation of the time taken to carry out the intervention is included in its characteristics. The aim of this study is to explore the evidence related to the use of the Nursing Interventions Classification in identifying and measure nurses' workloads. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted through a search of the databases Ovid Medline, PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, Scopus, LILACS and Cuiden. The DeCS/MeSH descriptors were: "Standardized Nursing terminology" and "Workload". The search was limited to articles in Spanish, English and Portuguese. No limits were established regarding year of publication or type of study. RESULTS: Few reports were identified (n = 8) and these had methodological designs that contributed low levels of evidence. Research was focused on identifying specific interventions, types of activities, the prevalence of interventions and the time required to perform them. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence found on determination of nurses' workloads using the Nursing Interventions Classification was inconclusive. It is essential to increase the number of reports, as well as the settings and clinical context in which the Nursing Interventions Classification is used, with greater quality and methodological rigour.

Use of the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) to measure perceived knowledge about the control of SARS-CoV-2 infection: The impact of a training program in primary healthcare professionals.

PURPOSE: To analyze the impact of an online training intervention on primary healthcare professionals in Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain), evaluating the perceived knowledge about prevention and control of SARS-CoV-2 infection using the NOC outcome "Knowledge: Infection management" [1842]. METHODS: Quasi-experimental design with prepost analysis of 12 indicators. The participants were the 705 primary healthcare professionals, both healthcare professionals and nonhealthcare professionals, who completed the online training program prepared and implemented by nurses in the teaching and research fields between May and July 2020. The change in the perceived level of knowledge before and after, as well as other associations between this knowledge and the other variables included in the study, were confirmed. FINDINGS: The results of the study describe significant differences in the change between pre- and posttraining for all indicators included in the comparison. CONCLUSIONS: This research shows the effectiveness of an online training program, appropriate for the need for social distancing required by the pandemic, in improving the knowledge of primary healthcare professionals about prevention and control of COVID-19. It also describes a new context for the use of the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) through a training program organized and led by nurses. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Our results suggest that the NOC classification is useful for assessing perceived knowledge about prevention and control of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the community among primary healthcare professionals. This study also provides evidence of the effectiveness of a nurse-led, nurse-designed online training intervention. To this end, the outcome criterion "Knowledge: Infection management" [1842] was used and its 12 original indicators were operationally defined. Overall, this study proposes a useful new framework for the NOC taxonomy, which, in addition to being intended for the assessment of outcomes among patients, families, and communities, is versatile enough to assess knowledge outcomes among professionals as well.

[Nursing care for controlling coronavirus infections in positive cases: a narrative review]. / Cuidados enfermeros orientados a mitigar la transmisión del coronavirus en casos positivos: una revisión narrativa.

OBJECTIVE: This review aims to map scientific evidence in nursing care aimed at controlling coronavirus infections. METHOD: A bibliographic search was conducted in the Medline, CINAHL, Scopus and WOS main databases, with no date limit and using the keywords «transmission¼, «infection¼, «contagious¼, «spreads¼, «coronavirinae¼, «coronavirus¼, «covid 19¼, «sars cov 2¼, «nurses¼ and «nursing¼. Initially, 154 studies were identified and, after selecting them according to eligibility criteria, 16 were included. RESULTS: Among the main recommendations according to the available evidence are air exchange in rooms as a measure to reduce the risk of infection among patients; reinforcement of measures in intensive care units; follow-up of positive case contacts; and adequate training of professionals. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The studies included in the review addressed infection prevention and control practices by analyzing risks associated with exposure and listing actions to avoid complications in critically ill patients. Patterns of case transmission, contacts and associated factors were identified. Professional knowledge and attitudes were also studied, showing the importance of good infection control training, and of sufficient equipment and adequate infrastructure.Nurses are important vectors of spread. Although there is little evidence available on the effectiveness of care to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, published studies on the prevention and control of previous outbreaks of coronavirus are of considerable value.

A New Instrument for Measuring Dietary Knowledge in Patients With Diabetes: Psychometric Testing of the CoNOCidiet-Diabetes.

PURPOSE: To determine the psychometric properties of the CoNOCidiet-Diabetes, a new instrument based on nursing outcome "Knowledge: prescribed diet." METHODS: Methodological design. The participant were 359 patients diagnosed with diabetes visiting 27 primary healthcare centers in Spain. Reliability (internal consistency and test-retest), validity (convergent criterion validity, concurrent content validity and known-groups validity), and sensitivity to change was tested. FINDINGS: CoNOCidiet-Diabetes has shown evidence of acceptable psychometric properties as instrument but some items should be revised. CONCLUSIONS: This research provides a new instrument developed to specifically measure dietary knowledge in individuals with diabetes. IMPLICATIONS: For nursing practice: The literalness of the CoNOCidiet-Diabetes with the nursing outcome "Knowledge: prescribed diet" facilitate its measurement using the patient's statements.

OBJETIVO: Determinar las propiedades psicométricas del CoNOCidiet-Diabetes, un nuevo instrumento basado en el resultado enfermero "Conocimiento: dieta prescrita". MÉTODOS: Diseño metodológico. Los participantes fueron 359 pacientes diagnosticados de diabetes que acudieron a 27 centros de atención primaria de salud en España. Se comprobó la fiabilidad (consistencia interna y test-retest), la validez (validez de criterio convergente, validez de contenido concurrente y validez de grupos conocidos) y la sensibilidad al cambio. RESULTADOS: El CoNOCidiet-Diabetes ha mostrado evidencias de tener unas propiedades psicométricas aceptables como instrumento, pero algunos ítems deben ser revisados. CONCLUSIONES: Esta investigación proporciona un nuevo instrumento desarrollado para medir específicamente el conocimiento sobre dieta en personas con diabetes. IMPLICACIONES PARA LA PRÉCTICA ENFERMERA: La literalidad del CoNOCidiet-Diabetes con el resultado enfermero "Conocimiento: dieta prescrita" facilita la medición de este último utilizando las declaraciones del paciente.

Adherencia a la dieta mediterránea en tutores y residentes de una Unidad Docente Multiprofesional de Atención Familiar y Comunitaria de Tenerife / Adherence to the Mediterranean diet in tutors and residents of a Multiprofessional Teaching Unit for Family and Community Care in Tenerife

INTRODUCCIÓN: Son múltiples los beneficios en salud de la dieta mediterránea. Existen pocos estudios que hayan valorado su adherencia en profesionales sanitarios. OBJETIVOS: Valorar la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea (DM) en tutores y residentes de una Unidad Docente Multiprofesional de Atención Familiar y Comunitaria (UDMAFyC) y su asociación con la edad, género, condición de tutor o residente, profesión y país de origen. MÉTODOS: Se diseñó un estudio descriptivo transversal. La población de estudio la formaron tutores y residentes de Medicina y Enfermería Familiar y Comunitaria de la UDMAFyC Tenerife zona I. Aprovechando un encuentro formativo, cumplimentaron un cuestionario que contenía las variables siguientes: adherencia a la dieta mediterránea (cuestionario MEDAS-14, de 14 ítems; alta adherencia: ≥ 9 puntos, baja adherencia: < 9 puntos), edad, género, ser tutor o residente, profesión (médico o enfermero) y país de origen. RESULTADOS: Participaron 136 profesionales sanitarios, 76 tutores, 56 de Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria (MFyC) y 20 de Enfermería Familiar y Comunitaria (EFyC) y 60 residentes (55 de MFyC y 5 de EFyC). La adherencia a la DM fue alta en 96 profesionales (70,6%), y baja en 40 (29,4%). La adherencia media fue 9,46 (DT: 1,92). No se observaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre ésta y el resto de variables. Sí se detectaron diferencias en el cumplimiento de los siguientes ítems del cuestionario en tutores y residentes: consumo de dos o más cucharadas de aceite de oliva al día (73,7% frente a 53,3%; p= 0,014), consumo de tres o más raciones a la semana de pescado y marisco (40,8% frente a 21,7%; p= 0,018) y consumo preferente de carne blanca (84,2% frente a 98,3%; p= 0,005). CONCLUSIONES: Los tutores y residentes de MFyC y EFyC de esta Unidad Docente tienen un grado de adherencia alto a la dieta mediterránea

INTRODUCTION: There are multiple health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. There are few studies that have evaluated its adherence in health professionals. OBJECTIVES: To assess the adherence to the Mediterranean diet in tutors and residents of a Multiprofessional Teaching Unit for Family and Community Care and its association with age, gender, the condition of tutor or resident, their profession and the country of origin. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was designed. The study population were tutors and residents of Family and Community Medicine and Nursing of the Multiprofessional Teaching Unit of Family and Community Attention of Tenerife zone I. Taking advantage of a training meeting, they completed a questionnaire that contained the following variables: adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MEDAS-14 questionnaire, of 14 items; high adherence: ≥9 points, low adherence: <9 points), age, gender, being a tutor or resident, profession (doctor or nurse) and country of origin. RESULTS: 136 health professionals participated, 76 of them tutors (56 from Family Medicine and 20 from Family Nursing) and 60 residents (55 from Family Medicine and 5 from Family Nursing). Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was high in 96 healthcare professionals (70.6%), and lowin 40 (29.4%). The mean adherence was 9.46 (SD: 1.92). No statistically significant differences were observed between this and the rest of the study variables. Differences were detected in the adherence of the following items of the questionnaire in tutors and residents: consumption of two or more tablespoons of olive oil per day, whose compliance frequency was 73.7% in tutors and 53.3% in residents (p = 0.014), consumption of three or more servings per week of fish and shellfish, which compliance was affirmed by 40.8% of the tutors and by 21.7% of the residents (p = 0.018 ) and preferential consumption of white meat, whose adherence was higher in residents (tutors:84.2; residents: 98.3%; p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the fact that the tutors and residents of Family Medicine and Family Nursing of this Teaching Unit have a high degree of adherence to DM, the consumption of fish or shellfish, legumes and fruit in these professionals can be improved

El humor como intervención enfermera / Humor as a nursing intervention

OBJETIVOS: Describir el uso del humor en la práctica enfermera y los conocimientos sobre esta intervención; analizar factores asociados a su utilización y al nivel de conocimientos. MÉTODO: Estudio observacional, descriptivo, transversal, realizado mediante encuesta distribuida por correo electrónico y redes sociales, con variables sociodemográficas y otras relacionadas con el humor como intervención enfermera. El análisis descriptivo se realiza mediante frecuencia de categorías y media con desviación estándar o mediana y percentiles 5-95. Para el análisis bivariante se utilizan correlaciones de Pearson-Spearman, T de Student, ANOVA de un factor y Chi-Cuadrado. Todas son pruebas bilaterales, nivel de significación p < 0.05, realizadas con el programa SPSS V.21.0. RESULTADOS: Participaron 224 enfermeras, 75,4 % mujeres, con 42 (±10) años y 19,8 (±9.5) de experiencia. El 84,9 %, en función asistencial y el 46,4 %, de ámbito hospitalario. El 99,1 % opina que el humor influye positivamente en la salud y un 72,3 %, que existe evidencia al respecto; mientras que un 59,4 % describe poca evidencia disponible sobre el efecto positivo del humor como intervención enfermera. El 95,3 % refiere utilizarlo con compañeros, y un 87,3 %, con pacientes. El 63,8 % no reconoce el humor como intervención de la clasificación Diagnósticos de Enfermería Nanda (NIC). Sobre los conocimientos relacionados con sus actividades, la media de aciertos fue de 11,3 (±1.7) sobre 15. El análisis bivariado indica significación estadística en la asociación de distintas variables. CONCLUSIONES: Este estudio representa una aproximación a la utilización del humor en nuestro contexto profesional, donde destaca un uso habitual por parte de las enfermeras. Sin embargo, existe desconocimiento sobre su pertenencia a la NIC

OBJECTIVES: To describe the use of humor in nursing practice and the knowledge about this intervention; to analyze factors associated with their use and the level of knowledge. METHOD: Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study, carried out using a survey distributed by email and social networks, with socio-demographic variables and others related to humor as a nurse intervention. The descriptive analysis is made by the frequency of categories and means with standard deviation or median and percentiles 5-95. For the bivariate analysis Pearson-Spearman correlations, Student's T, one-factor ANOVA and Chi-square are used. All are bilateral tests, level of significance p <0.05. RESULTS: 224 nurses participated, 75.4 % of them were women, they were 42 (± 10) years old and had 19.8 (± 9.5) years of experience. 84.9 % work in professional care and 46.4 %, in the hospital setting. 99.1 % think that humor positively influences health and 72.3 %, that there is evidence, while 59.4 % describe little evidence available on the positive effect of humor as a nurse intervention. 95.3 % reported using it with colleagues and 87.3 %, with patients. 63.8 % do not recognize humor as an intervention of the NIC classification. Regarding knowledge related to NANDA Nursing Diagnoses (NIC) activities, the mean of correct answers was 11.3 (± 1.7) out of 15. The bivariate analysis indicates statistical significance in the association between different variables. CONCLUSIONS: This study can be an approximation of the use of humor in our professional context, highlighting its frequent use by nurses. However, there is a lack of knowledge about their listing in the NIC classification

Cuidados enfermeros orientados a mitigar la transmisión del coronavirus en casos positivos: una revisión narrativa / Nursing care for controlling coronavirus infections in positive cases: a narrative review

OBJETIVO: Esta revisión tiene como objetivo realizar un mapeado de evidencias científicas en cuidados enfermeros dirigidos a controlar infecciones por coronavirus. MÉTODO: Se llevó a cabo una búsqueda bibliográfica en las bases de datos Medline, CINAHL, Scopus y en la colección principal de la WOS, sin límite de fecha y a través de las palabras clave «transmission», «infection», «contagious», «spreads», «coronavirinae», «coronavirus», «covid 19», «sarscov 2», «nurses» y «nursing». Inicialmente se identificaron 154 estudios y, tras seleccionarlos según criterios de elegibilidad, se incluyeron 16. RESULTADOS: Entre las recomendaciones principales, según la evidencia disponible, se encuentran el intercambio de aire en las habitaciones como medida para reducir el riesgo de contagio entre pacientes; el refuerzo de medidas en unidades de cuidados intensivos; seguimiento de contactos de casos positivos; y una adecuada formación de los profesionales. DISCUSIÓN Y CONCLUSIONES: Los estudios incluidos en la revisión trataron sobre prácticas de prevención y control de contagios, analizando riesgos asociados a la exposición y enumerando acciones para evitar complicaciones en pacientes críticos. Se identificaron patrones de transmisión de casos, contactos y factores asociados. También se estudiaron los conocimientos y actitudes profesionales, mostrando la importancia de una buena formación para el control de infecciones, y de disponer de equipos suficientes y adecuadas infraestructuras. Las enfermeras son vectores importantes de propagación. A pesar de que la evidencia disponible sobre la efectividad de cuidados para evitar el contagio por SARS-CoV-2 es escasa, los estudios publicados sobre la prevención y control ante brotes anteriores por coronavirus son de considerable utilidad

OBJECTIVE: This review aims to map scientific evidence in nursing care aimed at controlling coronavirus infections. METHOD: A bibliographic search was conducted in the Medline, CINAHL, Scopus and WOS main databases, with no date limit and using the keywords «transmission», «infection», «contagious», «spreads», «coronavirinae», «coronavirus», «covid 19», «sarscov 2», «nurses» and «nursing». Initially, 154 studies were identified and, after selecting them according to eligibility criteria, 16 were included. RESULTS: Among the main recommendations according to the available evidence are air exchange in rooms as a measure to reduce the risk of infection among patients; reinforcement of measures in intensive care units; follow-up of positive case contacts; and adequate training of professionals. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The studies included in the review addressed infection prevention and control practices by analyzing risks associated with exposure and listing actions to avoid complications in critically ill patients. Patterns of case transmission, contacts and associated factors were identified. Professional knowledge and attitudes were also studied, showing the importance of good infection control training, and of sufficient equipment and adequate infrastructure. Nurses are important vectors of spread. Although there is little evidence available on the effectiveness of care to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, published studies on the prevention and control of previous outbreaks of coronavirus are of considerable value

METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY OF ECONOMIC EVALUATIONS ALONGSIDE TRIALS OF KNEE PHYSIOTHERAPY.

OBJECTIVES: The methodological quality of an economic evaluation performed alongside a clinical trial can be underestimated if the paper does not report key methodological features. This study discusses methodological assessment issues on the example of a systematic review on cost-effectiveness of physiotherapy for knee osteoarthritis. METHODS: Six economic evaluation studies included in the systematic review and related clinical trials were assessed using the 10-question check-list by Drummond and the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. RESULTS: All economic evaluations were performed alongside a clinical trial but the studied interventions were too heterogeneous to be synthesized. Methodological quality of the economic evaluations reported in the papers was not free of drawbacks, and in some cases, it improved when information from the related clinical trial was taken into account. CONCLUSIONS: Economic evaluation papers dedicate little space to methodological features of related clinical trials; therefore, the methodological quality can be underestimated if evaluated separately from the trials. Future economic evaluations should follow more strictly the recommendations about methodology and the authors should pay special attention to the quality of reporting.