SAGE open medicine
-
The Aboriginal people of Australia have much poorer health and social indicators and a substantial life expectancy gap compared to other Australians, with premature cardiovascular disease a major contributor to poorer health. This article draws on research undertaken to examine cardiovascular disparities and focuses on ways in which primary care practitioners can contribute to reducing cardiovascular disparities and improving Aboriginal health. ⋯ Primary care practitioners have an important role in improving Aboriginal cardiovascular care outcomes. It is essential that they recognise the special needs of their Aboriginal patients and work at multiple levels both outside and inside the clinic for prevention and management of disease. A toolkit of proactive and holistic opportunities for interventions is proposed.
-
There is a class I recommendation for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator deactivation discussions to occur between physicians and heart failure patients. Few studies have reported the patient's perspective on the timing of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator deactivation discussions. ⋯ The patient preferences identified in this study support the need to include information on implantable cardioverter-defibrillator deactivation at implant, with change in clinical status and within broader discussions about end-of-life treatment preferences. Using this process to help patients determine and communicate their implantable cardioverter-defibrillator deactivation preferences may reduce the number of patients experiencing distressing implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks at end of life.
-
Muscle atrophy and prolonged inactivity are associated with an increased sensation of fatigue and reduced functional capacity in the postoperative period in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Cardiac rehabilitation after hospital discharge is highly recommended and contributes to improvement in functional capacity and quality of life. However, few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of early mobilization protocols during hospitalization on the patterns of physical activity and functional capacity after coronary artery bypass grafting. ⋯ This is a prospective, randomized, controlled, single-blind trial protocol that will evaluate 66 consecutive patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Patients will be randomized into two training groups: the control group (N = 33), which will perform breathing exercises and the intervention group (N = 33), which will perform breathing exercises and aerobic exercises. The groups will receive treatment from first to the seventh postoperative day, twice daily. In the preoperative period, the following outcomes will be assessed: physical activity level (Baecke Questionnaire), Functional Independence Measure, and functional capacity (6-min walking test). Functional capacity will be reassessed after the 7th and 60th postoperative day. Pulmonary complications and length of hospital stay will also be evaluated. Statistical analysis will be calculated using linear mixed models and will be based on intention-to-treat. The level of significance will be set at α = 5%.
-
It remains uncertain whether nonconvulsive seizures and nonconvulsive status epilepticus in pediatric traumatic brain injury are deleterious to the brain and/or impact the recovery from injury. Consequently, optimal electroencephalographic surveillance and management is unknown. We aimed to determine specialists' opinion regarding the detection and treatment of nonconvulsive seizures or nonconvulsive status epilepticus in pediatric traumatic brain injury, regardless of their practice. ⋯ The Canadian specialists' opinion is that nonconvulsive seizures and nonconvulsive status epilepticus are biomarkers of brain injury and contribute to worsened outcomes. This suggests the urgency of future outcome-oriented research in the identification and management of nonconvulsive seizures or nonconvulsive status epilepticus.
-
Limited literature exists examining the use of enteral clonidine to transition patients from dexmedetomidine for management of agitation. The aim of this study was to evaluate dexmedetomidine discontinuation within 8 h of enteral clonidine administration in addition to the rates of dexmedetomidine re-initiation in patients who failed clonidine transition. ⋯ Enteral clonidine may be an effective and safe alternative to transition patients off of dexmedetomidine for ongoing sedation management. Clinicians should critically evaluate the need for clonidine at ICU and hospital discharge. More studies comparing the use of clonidine to transition from dexmedetomidine infusions are needed.