British journal of community nursing
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Br J Community Nurs · Aug 2020
Community nursing services during the COVID-19 pandemic: the Singapore experience.
Community nurses in Singapore support vulnerable older persons with chronic health condition(s). In the situation of scaled-down community health and social services during the COVID-19 outbreak, the community nursing team adopted measures for pandemic preparedness. This report is to share the Singapore General Hospital community nursing experience, preparation and transforming efforts during the pandemic. ⋯ Moving to the lockdown phase ('circuit breaker'), teleconsultation, virtual meetings and integrated partnerships were essential to ensure healthcare accessibility and continuity of care. The experience gleaned was valuable to advance future community nursing services in the evolving healthcare landscape. Structured teleconsultation and technology advancement are useful to complement the service.
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Br J Community Nurs · Aug 2020
Nutritional management of patients during and after COVID-19 illness.
The impact of nutrition on recovery from various illnesses is well recognised. Malnutrition can affect duration of hospitalisation and impede recovery, and therefore it is important to monitor this condition, especially in at-risk groups, such as older adults and those with chronic disease. Underlying malnutrition impairs the immune system, potentially making people more vulnerable to infections such as COVID-19 and impacting recovery. ⋯ This article explores the range of symptoms of COVID-19 that can interfere with dietary intake, such as respiratory issues, loss of taste and smell and fatigue and weakness. It goes on to describe how community nurses can identify risk of malnutrition and dietary issues when working remotely. Additionally, it signposts to a range of resources developed to assist patients and carers in accessing appropriate dietary advice.
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Br J Community Nurs · Jul 2020
Ultrasonography for nasogastric tube placement verification: an additional reference.
Nasogastric tube (NGT) insertion is a common procedure performed by community nurses, but verifying correct placement can be challenging due to the limitations of conventional methods. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) for verifying NGT placement and to explore the feasibility of using this imaging modality as the first-line reference for NGT placement verification. The validity of the gastric aspirate pH test was also evaluated. ⋯ The sensitivity and specificity were found to be 95.45% and 100%, respectively, for POCUS, and 90.91% and 100%, for the pH test. POCUS can provide accurate diagnostic imaging of nasogastric tube position and avoid X-ray controls. This imaging modality can complement pH testing in community settings where X-ray scans are not readily available.