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Background Patient safety depends on nurses' clinical judgment. In post-anaesthetic care, objective scoring systems are commonly used to help nurses assess when a patient is ready to go back to the ward or be discharged home after day surgery. Although there are several criteria used to assess patient readiness for discharge from the post-anaesthetic care unit, evaluation of the validity and reliability of these criteria is scarce. Aims This article presents key findings from a systematic review conducted to identify the essential components of an effective and feasible scoring system to assess patients following surgical anaesthesia for discharge from the post-anaesthetic care unit. Methods The protocol for the systematic review of quantitative studies investigating assessment criteria for discharge of adult patients from the post-anaesthetic care unit was approved by the Joanna Briggs Institute and conducted consistent with the methodology of the Institute. Twelve databases and grey literature, such as conference proceedings, were searched for published studies between 1970 and 2010. Two reviewers independently assessed study eligibility for inclusion. Reference lists of included studies were appraised. Results Eight studies met the inclusion criteria; only one was a randomised controlled trial. Variables identified as essential when assessing a patient's readiness for discharge from the post-anaesthetic care unit were conscious state, blood pressure, nausea and vomiting, and pain. Assessment of psychomotor and cognitive recovery and other vital signs were also identified as relevant variables to consider. Conclusions There was limited high-quality research regarding criteria to assess patient readiness for discharge from the post-anaesthetic unit. The key recommendations, with moderate to high risk of bias, include that assessment of specific variables (pain, conscious state, blood pressure, and nausea and vomiting) should be made before patient discharge. These key findings have informed a subsequent study to reach international consensus on effective assessment criteria and a project to test the clinical reliability of a tool for use by nurses in assessing patient readiness for discharge from post-anaesthetic care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim This paper is an update to a systematic review that presents the best available evidence on the factors that are most effective in promoting constructive staff–family relationships in the care of older people in the institutional healthcare setting. Methods Systematic review. Results The updated review supports findings from the earlier review. Additional evidence points to the importance of monitoring care, family involvement in decision-making, staff upholding the uniqueness of the older person, trust, the involvement of the multidisciplinary care team and family dynamics as factors underpinning effective staff–family relationships. Conclusion A number of factors critical to the development and maintenance of positive staff–family relationships in the institutional setting have been identified. The delivery of quality care is predicated on staff having an understanding of these factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Modern healthcare philosophy espouses the virtues of holistic care and acknowledges that family involvement is appropriate and something to be encouraged due to the role it plays in physical and emotional healing. In the aged care sector, the involvement of families is a strong guarantee of a resident’s well-being. The important role family plays in the support and care of the older adult in the residential aged care environment has been enshrined in the Australian Commonwealth Charter of Residents’ Rights and Responsibilities and the Aged Care Standards of Practice. Despite wide acknowledgement of the importance of family involvement in the healthcare of the older adult, many barriers to the implementation of participatory family care have been identified in past research. For older adults in the healthcare environment to benefit from the involvement of their family members, healthcare professionals need an understanding of the issues surrounding family presence in the healthcare environment and the strategies to best support it. Objectives The objectives of the systematic review were to present the best available evidence on the strategies, practices and organisational characteristics that promote constructive staff–family relationships in the care of older adults in the healthcare setting. Specifically this review sought to investigate how staff and family members perceive their relationships with each other; staff characteristics that promote constructive relationships with the family; and interventions that support staff–family relationships. Search strategy A literature search was performed using the following databases for the years 1990–2005: Ageline, APAIS Health, Australian Family and Society Abstracts (FAMILY), CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Dare, Dissertation Abstracts, Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Social Science Index. Personal communication from expert panel members was also used to identify studies for inclusion. A second search stage was conducted through review of reference lists of studies retrieved during the first search stage. The search was limited to published and unpublished material in English language. Selection criteria The review was limited to studies involving residents and patients within acute, subacute, rehabilitation and residential settings, aged over 65 years, their family and healthcare staff. Papers addressing family members and healthcare staff perceptions of their relationships with each other were considered for this review. Studies in this review also included those relating to interventions to promote constructive staff–family relationships including organisational strategies, staff–family meetings, case conferencing, environmental approaches, etc. The review considered both quantitative and qualitative research and opinion papers for inclusion. Data collection and analysis All retrieved papers were critically appraised for eligibility for inclusion and methodological quality independently by two reviewers, and the same reviewers collected details of eligible research. Appraisal forms and data extraction forms designed by the Joanna Briggs Institute as part of the QARI and NOTARI systematic review software packages were used for this review. Findings Family members’ perceptions of their relationships with staff showed that a strong focus was placed on opportunities for the family to be involved in the patient’s care. Staff members also expressed a theoretical support for the collaborative process, however, this belief often did not translate to the staff members’ clinical practice. In the studies included in the review staff were frequently found to rely on traditional medical models of care in their clinical practice and maintaining control over the environment, rather than fully collaborating with families. Four factors were found to be essential to interventions designed to support a collaborative partnership between family members and healthcare staff: communication, information, education and administrative support. Based on the evidence analysed in this systematic review, staff and family education on relationship development, power and control issues, communication skills and negotiating techniques is essential to promoting constructive staff–family relationships. Managerial support, such as addressing workloads and staffing issues; introducing care models focused on collaboration with families; and providing practical support for staff education, is essential to gaining sustained benefits from interventions designed to promote constructive family–staff relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The promotion of sleep in older adults is a significant issue in high-level residential aged care facilities, with as many as 67% of residents experiencing disruptions to their sleep patterns. Not only do health concerns such as cognitive impairment, pain and incontinence impact upon this population's sleep quality and quantity, but environmental factors including noise, light and night-time nursing care also affect sleep of those residing in institutions. In order to address the issue of sleep disruption, assessment and diagnosis of sleep problems and implementation of interventions that are effective in promoting sleep are essential.The objective of this review was to determine the most effective tools for the assessment and diagnosis of sleep in older adults in high-level aged care. The review also sought to determine the most effective strategies for the promotion of sleep in this population. Outcome measures for this review were: indicators of improved sleep quality and quantity, including an improvement in daytime functioning and improved night-time sleep; reduction in use of hypnotics and sedatives; and increased satisfaction with sleep.A literature search was performed using the following databases for the years 1993–2003: AgeLine, APAIS Health, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Current Contents, Dissertation Abstracts International, Embase, Medline, Proquest, PsycInfo, Science Citations Index. A second search stage was conducted through review of reference lists of studies retrieved during the first search stage. The search was limited to published and unpublished material in English language.The review was limited to papers addressing sleep diagnosis, assessment and/or management in adults aged 65 or over who were residing in high-level aged care. The review included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and, due to the limited number of RCTs available, non-RCTs, cohort and case control studies and qualitative research were also considered for inclusion. Research was included if it addressed the assessment, diagnosis or management of sleep using outcome measure of improved night-time sleep or daytime function, improvements in resident satisfaction with sleep or reduction in medication use associated with sleep. The types of interventions considered by this review were alternative therapies including massage, aromatherapy and medicinal herbs; behavioural or cognitive interventions; biochemical interventions; environmental interventions; pharmacological interventions and related nocturnal interventions such as continence care. Instruments and strategies to diagnose and assess the sleep of older high-level care residents, including objective and subjective assessment tools, were considered by this review.All retrieved papers were critically appraised for eligibility for inclusion and methodological quality independently by two reviewers, and the same reviewers collected details of eligible research. Papers were grouped according to the type of intervention or type of assessment tool used and findings were presented in a narrative summary.Wrist actigraphy was found to be the most accurate objective sleep assessment tool for use in the population of interest, and issues surrounding its use are presented. Although no subjective sleep assessment tools were identified in this review, the evidence suggested that subjective reports of sleep quality are an important consideration in sleep assessment. Evidence suggested that behavioural observations may be an effective assessment strategy when conducted on a frequent basis. The review found no evidence on the effectiveness of any assessment tools for the diagnosis of specific sleep problems in older adults. The use of multidisciplinary strategies including reduction of environmental noise, reduction of night-time nursing care that disrupts sleep and daytime activity is likely to be the most effective strategy for the promotion of sleep in older high-level care residents. The use of sedating medications did not appear to have a substantial effect in promoting sleep, and health practitioners in high-level aged care should consider their use cautiously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research on the use of antiseptics as well as antibiotics for venous leg ulcers. It references a study by D. Al-Kurdi and colleagues, published in the 2010 issue of "Cochrane Database System Review." They examined controlled trials that compared antimicrobial and antibacterial products with standard care products like hydrocolloid. They found that cadexomer iodine is more effective than standard care products.

The article focuses on venous leg ulcers and the best compression bandage or stocking system that can aid their healing. Venous leg ulcers are usually caused by venous insufficiency with increased hydrostatic pressure in leg veins. In the 39 randomized controlled trials reviewed, it was discovered that there was no significant difference in the use of compression with primary dressing, one trial found that a 4LB system has greater chances of ulcers completely healing after 24 weeks and that there is no significance when 4LB is compared to Unna's boot.