Effect of a Comprehensive Total Parenteral Nutrition Training Program on Knowledge and Practice of Nurses in NICU.

BACKGROUND: Parenteral nutrition is a lifesaving therapy for many infants who are unable to tolerate enteral feedings. It fulfils preterm neonates' needs for growth and development when their sizes or conditions preclude enteral feeding. Virtuous nursing care and close biochemical monitoring are absolutely essential for successful parenteral nutrition therapy. Since poor knowledge in parenteral nutrition can causes severe impairment to neonatal infants, the conduction of this study is essential. AIMS: The present study aims to: (1) examine the knowledge and practice of nurses in total parenteral nutrition (TPN); (2) employ training programs for improving knowledge and practice in management of TPN in new-borns. METHOD: A quasi-experimental study was carried out in Sarem Maternity Hospital in Tehran, Iran. The study population included nurses working in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) who were included in the study using headcount census method (n=30). A two-part questionnaire including demographic information; 20 multiple choice questions on the nurses' knowledge of TPN therapy and 19-item 3-point Likert-type checklist on administration of TPN completed by observing the nurses' practice. To examine the reliability of the practice part, Cronbach's alpha method was used (α=0.78). Study interventions were mentoring education by the researcher and researcher-developed training manual and educational video and guidelines about neonatal parenteral nutrition. Before and after intervention data were collected and compared using paired t-test. RESULTS: The mean scores of nurses' knowledge before and afterward parenteral nutrition (PN) training program were 11.93±1.91 and 17.56±1.59, respectively. The mean scores of the nurses' practice earlier and after training program were 38.84±2.96 and 40.15±3.02, respectively. Comparing the mean scores of the nurses' familiarity, before and after taking the training course, demonstrated a significant difference (p<0.0001). The knowledge of the nurses in all areas of parenteral nutrition prescription was significantly improved after the employment of mentoring method (p<0.05). Despite an increase in the post-intervention total score, the nurses' practice, before and after, the intervention was not statistically significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: There is a breach between nursing knowledge and practice in prescribing parenteral nutrition. The gap between knowledge and practice in this area can lead to more morbidity and negative influences on the infant. Therefore, it is required that the gap between knowledge and practice is known as the infant gets less damage.

Reducing head computed tomography after mild traumatic brain injury: Screening value of clinical findings and S100B protein levels.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: The present prospective study was performed to investigate whether primary clinical findings and serum S100B concentrations at 3 and 6 hours post-trauma can contribute to the selection of patients for an initial computed tomography (CT) scanning. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: S100B was measured in serum samples obtained at 3 and 6 hours after the injury. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) associated with demographics and clinical predictors of positive CT scan were calculated. Sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values were also calculated for S100B levels. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: It was found that the presence of loss of consciousness (OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.00-4.01; p = 0.008) and post-traumatic vomiting ≥ 2 episodes (OR = 1.8; 95% CI = 1.08-3.29; p = 0.019) are factors associated with positive CT scan. In this study the best cut-off point of 0.115 µg L(-1) for 3-hour S100B has sensitivity of 94.9% (95% CI = 86.8-98.3) with specificity of 35.4% (95% CI = 25.2-47.0) to predict intracranial injury on CT scanning. The corresponding results for 6-hour S100B > 0.210 µg L(-1) were 98.7% (95% CI = 92.1-99.9) for sensitivity and 39.2% (95% CI = 28.6-50.8) for specificity. CONCLUSIONS: Serum S100B measurement along with clinical evaluation of patients with mild traumatic brain injury has promising screening value to support selection of patients for CT scanning.

S100B protein as a screening tool for computed tomography findings after mild traumatic brain injury: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To determine whether S100B protein in serum can predict intracranial lesions on computed tomography (CT) scan after mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). RESEARCH DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis Methods and procedures: A literature search was conducted using Medline, Embase, Cochrane, Google Scholar, CINAHL, SUMSearch, Bandolier, Trip databases, bibliographies from identified articles and review article references. Eligible articles were defined as observational studies including patients with MTBI who underwent post-traumatic head CT scan and assessing the screening role of S100B protein. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: There was a significant positive association between S100B protein concentration and positive CT scan (22 studies, SMD = 1.92, 95% CI = 1.29-2.45, I2 = 100%; p < 0.001). The pooled sensitivity and specificity values for a cut-point range = 0.16-0.20 µg L-1 were 98.65 (95% CI = 95.53-101.77; I2 = 0.0%) and 50.69 (95% CI = 40.69-60.69; I2 = 76.3%), respectively. The threshold for serum S100B protein with 99.63 (95% CI = 96.00-103.25; I2 = 0.0%) sensitivity and 46.94 (95% CI = 39.01-54.87; I2 = 95.5%) specificity was > 0.20 µg L-1. CONCLUSIONS: After MTBI, serum S100B protein levels are significantly associated with the presence of intracranial lesions on CT scan. Measuring the protein could be useful in screening high risk MTBI patients and decreasing unnecessary CT examinations.

Nerve Stimulator Guided Axillary Block in Painless Reduction of Distal Radius Fractures; a Randomized Clinical Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Given the high prevalence of upper extremity fractures and increasing need to perform painless reduction in the emergency departments, the use of analgesic methods with fewer complications and more satisfaction appears to be essential. The aim of this study is comparison the nerve stimulator guided axillary block (NSAB) with intravenous sedation in induction of analgesia for painless reduction of distal radius fractures. METHODS: In the present randomized clinical trial, 60 patients (18-70 years of age) suffered from distal radius fractures, were divided into two equal groups. One group received axillary nerve block by nerve stimulator guidance and the other procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA) using midazolam/fentanyl. Onset of analgesia, duration of analgesic effect, total procedure time and pain scores were recorded using visual analogue scale (VAS) and the outcomes were compared. Chi-squared and student t test were performed to evaluate differences between two groups. RESULTS: Sixty patients were randomly divided into two groups (83.3% male). The mean age of patients was 31 ±0.7 years. While the onset of analgesia was significantly longer in the NSAB group, the mean total time of procedure was shorter than PSA (p<0.001). The NSAB group needed a shorter post-operative observation time (P<0.001). Both groups experienced equal pain relief before, during and after procedure (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: It seems that shorter post-operative monitoring time and consequently lesser total time of procedure, make nerve stimulator guided axillary block as an appropriate alternative for procedural sedation and analgesia in painless reduction of distal radius fractures in emergency department.

Views of Users towards the Quality of Hospital Information System in Training Hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Users of hospital information system (HIS) use these systems dur-ing working day and know its problems better than others know. Studying their views is very important and can be espe-cially effective in the development of the in-formation system. The aim of this study was to investigate the users' views to-wards the qual-ity of hospital information system in the training hospitals of Mash-had University of medical sciences. METHODS: The current study was an applied research in Training Hos-pitals of Mash-had (East of Iran), which was conducted with de-scriptive cross-sectional method.  A four-section questionnaire was de-signed for data collection consisting of: characteristics of informa-tion quality, reasons of low quality of information, accessi-bility of infor-mation and decision support. Validity and reliability were tested and SPSS was used for data analysis.  RESULTS: 62.8% of users explained that one of reasons of low qual-ity information was a problem related to obtaining information. 47.7% of them were unsatisfied with hospital information system abil-ity for decision-making support. In general, 53.2% of users were slightly satisfied with the overall quality information of the sys-tem. CONCLUSION: There are some problems concerning information qual-ity of HIS in Mashhad training hospitals. These problems in-clude inappropriate information qual-ity of the system and incom-patibility with user needs which leads to de-creased satisfaction of us-ers towards the system.