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This study describes the discharge recommendations made following inpatient geriatric rehabilitation, quantifies adherence to different types of recommendations, determines factors related to adherence, and describes the relationship between patient characteristics and adherence. Sixty-three patients admitted to geriatric rehabilitation units participated in this study. Prior to discharge, all patients received a discharge recommendation form that summarized recommendations. Six weeks after the discharge, patients were contacted by telephone to assess adherence. Adherence varied by type of recommendation was facilitated by the availability of transportation and/or the availability of caregivers to assist with recommendations. The perception that the recommendation was unnecessary was a barrier to adherence, as was lack of transportation, particularly for adhering to appointment recommendations. This study describes common types of discharge recommendations made in geriatric rehabilitation, quantifies adherence to specific recommendations, and identifies factors related to adherence. Strategies that address facilitators and barriers to adherence need to be developed and tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study., Objective: To evaluate intensive postoperative nutritional supplementation on wound healing complications and outcomes after spinal fusion surgery., Background: Poor nutritional status leads to inferior postoperative outcomes by increasing mortality and predisposing patients to infection and wound healing complications. While perioperative nutritional supplementation has shown promise in mitigating these risks, there is a paucity of literature regarding specific nutritional routines in spinal fusion surgery., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent spinal fusion surgery between 2019 and 2022. Demographic and nutritional data, including preoperative prealbumin levels (PAB) and postoperative supplemental diet, were examined. Primary endpoints included wound complications, with secondary outcomes assessing Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Health (PH) scores. Statistical analyses included unpaired t-tests and Chi-squared/Fischer's exact tests with significance set at P<0.05., Results: Patients receiving the supplemental diet (n=229) demonstrated fewer wound complications (7% vs. 21%, P=0.004) and reoperations (3% vs. 11%, P=0.016) compared to those without supplementation (n=56). No significant differences were observed in preoperative or postoperative PROMIS PH or ODI scores. Patients with normal preoperative PAB had more wound complications without the supplemental diet (5% vs. 18%, P=0.025). A similar trend was seen in the patients with low preoperative PAB (12% vs. 26%, P=0.12)., Conclusion: Postoperative nutritional supplementation significantly reduces wound complications after spinal fusion surgery in a cost-effective manner. This study underscores the modifiability of certain perioperative risk factors and suggests that nutritional strategies can mitigate potential complications., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest and Sources of Funding: None., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Pectoral nerves (PECS II) block is a popular regional analgesia technique for breast surgery. PECS II block or local infiltration by surgeon may improve outcomes including quality of recovery (QoR)., Methods: In this multicenter randomized clinical trial, 104 female patients undergoing breast surgery received: (1) PECS II block with local anesthetic and surgical infiltration with 0.9% saline (PECS group) or (2) PECS II block with 0.9% saline and surgical infiltration with local anesthetic (infiltration group). Patients, anesthetists, surgeons, nursing staff, and research assistants were blinded to group allocation. Patients received standardized general anesthesia and multimodal analgesia. The primary outcome was the global score (maximum score, 150; good recovery, 118) of the multidimensional (pain, comfort, independence, psychological, emotional) QoR-15 questionnaire measured 24 hours postoperatively. Secondary outcomes were pain, and its functional interference measured 24 hours and 3 months postoperatively using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) short form (0, optimal; 120, worst possible). Randomly assigned groups were compared on outcomes using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and the results were reported as median difference with 95% confidence interval., Results: One hundred eight patients were recruited from August 17, 2016 to June 8, 2018, and 4 patients were withdrawn. Twelve patients from 104 had mastectomy, with the remainder having less invasive surgery. Baseline QoR-15 global scores reported as median [quartiles] were 135 [129, 143] in the PECS group and 139 [127, 143] in the infiltration group. The 24-hour QoR-15 global score reported as median [quartiles] was 131 [116, 140] in the PECS group and 123 [117, 143] in the infiltration group (P = .60), with median difference (95% confidence interval) of -2 (-9 to 5). The median difference reported as infiltration minus PECS for QoR-15 domains was pain 0 (-2 to 1), physical comfort -1 (-3 to 2), physical independence 0 (-2 to 1), psychological support 0 (0-0), and emotions 0 (-1 to 2) (P > .28). The BPI pain subscale at 24 hours (0-40, lower score indicates less pain), reported as median [quartiles], was 7 [2, 13] in the PECS group and 10 [5, 17] in the infiltration group (P = .15). The BPI global score at 24 hours, reported as median [quartiles], was 20 [7, 36] in the PECS group and 23 [10, 43] in the infiltration group (P = .34) and at 3 months was 0 [0, 14] and 0 [0, 11] (P = .85)., Conclusions: After mostly minor surgery for breast cancer, PECS II block was not superior to local infiltration by the surgeon.

Objective: The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine has updated the treatment guidelines in its Elbow Disorders chapter through revision processes begun in 2006. This abbreviated version of that chapter highlights some of the evidence and recommendations developed., Methods: Comprehensive systematic literature reviews were accomplished with article abstraction, critiquing, grading, evidence table compilation, and guideline finalization by a multidisciplinary expert panel and extensive peer-review to develop evidence-based guidance. Consensus recommendations were formulated when evidence was lacking and often relied on analogy to other disorders for which evidence exists. A total of 108 high- or moderate-quality trials were identified for elbow disorders., Results: Guidance has been developed for 13 major diagnoses and includes 270 specific recommendations., Conclusion: Quality evidence is now available to guide treatment for elbow disorders, particularly for lateral epicondylalgia.

Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitors can improve vessel patency for patients with myocardial infarction and angina. Patients who receive these drugs can be managed more conservatively, without invasive procedures, and may have less risk of recurrent infarction and death.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) may be a major endogenous mediator of sepsis-induced acute organ injury. We proposed that treatment of septic pigs with the combined agents ibuprofen, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, and histamine receptor antagonists, cimetidine (H2 antagonist) and diphenhydramine (H1 antagonist) would result in lower circulating levels of TNF and decreased parameters of sepsis-induced injury in these animals. To test this, plasma TNF activity, cardiac index, systemic and pulmonary arterial pressures, arterial PO2 and bronchoalveolar lavage protein content were monitored for 300 min in four groups of anesthetized pigs: saline-infused control pigs (n = 4); pigs infused for 60 min with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5 x 10(8) organisms/mL, .3 mL/20 kg/min) (n = 5) and pigs infused for 60 min with P. aeruginosa plus ibuprofen (12.5 mg/kg) alone (n = 4) or ibuprofen plus cimetidine (150 mg) and diphenhydramine (30 mg/kg) at 0 and 120 min (CID, n = 4). Within 60 min, pigs infused with P. aeruginosa exhibited increased plasma TNF activity (>8-fold increase in ng/mL TNF; L929 cytolysis assay) and showed alterations in all hemodynamic and pulmonary parameters. Ibuprofen or CID administration in the septic pigs decreased peak TNF activity by 4.6 and 10.2 ng/mL, respectively, and CID treatment was correlated with better attenuation of certain sepsis-induced alterations. These results show that CID treatment attenuates sepsis-induced injury and that this is correlated with reduced plasma TNF activity in a porcine model of sepsis-induced acute organ injury.

Streptococcal infection of the large skeletal muscles is a rare but often rapidly fatal condition that may occur for no apparent reason. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may have an adverse effect on outcome. A high index of suspicion is the key to early diagnosis.

We reviewed 374 consecutive trauma patients over age 65 years to determine (1) if the emergency room Trauma Score (TS) could predict mortality, thereby improving ICU triage, and (2) the frequency of preventable complications in patients who died (n = 31). Fifty-two percent of deaths (n = 16) occurred in patients with TS = 15 or 16. Multiple organ failure/sepsis (MOF/S) was the most common cause of death overall (42%) and was also the most frequent cause of death in patients with a TS = 15-16 (63%). Nonsurvivors in the TS = 15-16 subgroup were older (80.9 +/- 2.0 vs. 74.9 +/- 0.5 years, p less than 0.02) and had greater ISSs (15.8 +/- 3.7 vs. 8.0 +/- 0.4, p = 0.001) than survivors. Patients with a TS less than 15 suffered high overall mortality (45%). Preventable complications contributed to mortality in 32% of all deaths and in 62% of MOF/S deaths. Aggressive care to prevent avoidable complications may improve survival in elderly trauma victims.

Objective: To determine the feasibility of utilizing a scintigraphic technique to differentiate patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome due to sepsis syndrome from control volunteers and patients with congestive heart failure. Gamma scintigraphy was compared with chest roentgenograms to predict mortality rate and morbidity in adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients., Design: Prospective study., Setting: University hospital ICUs., Patients: Thirty-five control volunteers, 19 patients with congestive heart failure, 30 patients with a diagnosis of sepsis., Measurements and Main Results: All patients were infused iv with technetium 99m-labeled albumin and underwent computerized gamma-scintigraphic analysis with a portable gamma camera. Lung-to-heart ratio of tracer was calculated and expressed as the slope index. Increase in slope index indicated increased pulmonary albumin flux. Slope index was no different in controls compared with congestive heart failure patients, unless the pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (PAOP) was greater than 30 mm Hg. Patients with a diagnosis of sepsis had an overall increased slope index compared with the other groups. A subgroup of patients in the septic group had a normal slope index. Septic patients with an increased slope index had a significantly (p less than .01) longer duration of mechanical ventilation (36 +/- 5 vs. 7 +/- 1 days), spent longer in the ICU (67 +/- 9 vs. 11 +/- 1 days), and had a longer hospital stay (113 +/- 20 vs. 35 +/- 5 days) than septic patients with a normal slope index., Conclusions: Gamma scintigraphy successfully differentiated between control volunteers and patients with congestive heart failure with PAOP less than 30 mm Hg from patients with sepsis-induced ARDS. Although all of the patients with a clinical diagnosis of septic ARDS had similar impairments in oxygenation and chest roentgenograms, those patients with a significantly increased pulmonary albumin flux (greater than 2 SD above control mean) had a markedly increased morbidity.

Unlabelled: The effects of intravenous ibuprofen on measurements of pulmonary function and alveolar capillary membrane permeability to protein in sepsis-induced porcine acute lung injury (ALI) were studied. Young swine (15-25 kg) were anesthetized, cannulated, and ventilated (5 cm H2O PEEP, 0.5 FIO2, and 15 cc/kg tidal volume). Three groups were studied: septic animals (Ps, n = 10) received Pseudomonas aeruginosa for 1 hr IV, controls (C, n = 9) received 0.9% NaCl, and ibuprofen-treated septic animals (Ps + Ibu, n = 7) received ibuprofen 12.5 mg/kg at 0 and 120 min post Ps. Systemic (SAP) and pulmonary (PAP) arterial pressures, PaO2, cardiac index (CI), static lung compliance (CL), EVLW (thermal cardiogreen), and peripheral white blood cell counts (WBC) were measured. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed for protein and % neutrophil (%PMN) content., Results: Ps produced significant (p less than 0.05) decreases in CL, PaO2, SAP, CI, and peripheral WBC and increases in PAP, EVLW, BAL protein, and %PMN's vs. controls. Ibu prevented the early increase in PAP and attenuated the late increase in PAP and EVLW. Ibu also maintained PaO2, CL, BAL protein, and %PMN's in BAL at control levels, but exhibited no significant effect on peripheral leukopenia. These data strongly suggest that ibuprofen administered before and at 120 min after onset of Pseudomonas infusion improves lung compliance and affects neutrophil function sufficiently to significantly ameliorate many of the physiologic derangements in acute sepsis.

By helping patients, families, the hospital staff deal with the emotional effects of illness, the psychiatric liaison nurse plays a significant role in patients' healing. Since this type of role may be new to the organization, the psychiatric nurse and the nursing administrator must work in tandem to ensure successful role development and entry into the hospital system, both of which are crucial to the effectiveness of the liaison nurse. In our clinical experience, these issues need careful consideration and attention by both nurse administrators and psychiatric liaison nurses. We have attempted to provide practical considerations for facilitating the success of a psychiatric liaison nurse in the hospital system and justifying the value of this role.