Attitudes Towards End-of-life Care: An Educational Intervention in Long-term Care

Background: Nursing assistants provide the most consistent care to dying patients in long-term care facilities; however, they receive little training to do so. Nursing assistants are significant, yet under recognized members of the health care team. Purpose: To provide a brief educational intervention to nursing assistants in long-term care facilities with a goal of increasing comfort and improving attitudes towards caring for palliative care patients. Review of Evidence: Symptom management, stress related to the role as a provider, goals of care, time limitations, and fear, are the most significant challenges nursing assistants experience. Few studies have examined education, age, and years of experience as contributing factors that may influence a nursing assistant’s attitudes towards end-of-life care. Project Design: A pre- and post-test design was used to evaluate the impact of an educational session on the attitudes of nursing assistants towards end-of-life care. Methods: A paper survey and brief educational session was provided to a convenience sample of nursing assistants in four long-term care facilities in the Southeastern United States (N=42). Results: Nursing assistants had more positive attitudes after the educational intervention (p \u3c.001, d= 0.5678). There was a potential relationship between age and attitudes (p = .105, η2= .124), however, years of experience was not a statistically significant variable (p = .642, η2= .050). Conclusion: Additional education is warranted to improve attitudes and knowledge for nursing assistants to influence overall quality of care provided to residents at end-of-life

Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Renal Transplantation in Individuals Undergoing Transplant Evaluation

Background: The underutilization of kidney transplant as the preferred treatment for end-stage renal disease is influenced by a lack of knowledge, poor attitudes toward transplantation, and various socio-demographic characteristics amongst the patient population. Negative attitudes toward renal transplant disengages the patient from the evaluation process and often hinders their likelihood of receiving a transplant. Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was to determine if patients undergoing transplant evaluation had more positive attitudes and greater levels of knowledge about renal transplantation after attending a standardized educational session. Project Design: This project was a cross-sectional study that utilized a pre-test/post-test design to assess attitudes and knowledge toward renal transplant before and after an educational session. Methods: The pre- and post-surveys were distributed to a convenience sample of 341 and 115 patients, respectively, between the months of September and December 2019. Results: Exposure to kidney transplant education resulted in greater levels of knowledge (p = .019, d = 0.334). The following socio-demographic characteristics were significantly associated with more negative baseline attitude scores: end-stage renal disease duration less than one year (p = .011, R2 = 0.943) and no college education (p = .048, d = 0.382). Conclusion: More longitudinal research should be utilized to explore how level of knowledge, attitudes toward transplant, and certain socio-demographic characteristics impact a patient’s intention to pursue kidney transplant. Uncovering reasons as to why certain populations of individuals have more negative baseline attitudes toward kidney transplant may also provide clinicians with valuable information on how pre-transplant education can be tailored to meet the needs of specific populations

HPV Vaccination Knowledge, Attitudes, and Uptake in College Nursing Students

Background: The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a preventable, sexually transmitted infection. The vaccines for HPV are safe and effective, but previous research demonstrated that nursing students have low knowledge levels and vaccine uptake. Low knowledge and attitude levels in nurses and nurse practitioners can influence parental and patient decision making for HPV vaccination. Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was to evaluate HPV knowledge and attitudes and their association with vaccination uptake in college nursing students. There is limited research in the United States on HPV knowledge, attitudes, and uptake of the vaccine among nursing students. Methods: This project was a replication study utilizing an anonymous, cross-sectional, online survey methodology to measure the HPV knowledge, attitudes, and uptake of the vaccine in nursing students. The survey was given to a convenience sample of undergraduate and graduate nursing students (n = 447) at a private, liberal arts university. Results: Nursing students had high knowledge and attitude scores. While there were no significant differences between knowledge between genders (p = .59), there were differences in knowledge between undergraduate and graduate students (p \u3c .001). There were no differences in attitude between genders and student classification. Knowledge was not associated with uptake (p = .63), but there was an association between attitudes and uptake (p Conclusion:This study supported that nursing students have high knowledge and attitude levels towards HPV and HPV vaccination, which may lead to improved vaccination uptake in the future

In vitro antibacterial effect of Euterpe oleracea Mart. and Theobroma grandiflorum hydroalcoholic extracts

This study evaluated the in vitro antimicrobial activity of these species against strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The hydroalcoholic extracts were prepared from dried leaves, pulp and seeds of E. oleracea Mart. and T. grandiflorum by continuous percolation with 70% ethyl alcohol. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated against four microorganisms by the agar disc diffusion method and the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay. The antimicrobial activity showed that the açai pulp and seeds possessed significant inhibition in Clostridium perfringens (320 and 640 MIC), Staphylococcus aureus (80 and 320 MIC) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (640 and 2560 MIC). Cupuassu extracts showed no effect on any bacteria. The use of açai extract products can be a sustainable, viable and an accessible alternative for antimicrobial treatment. New studies should be conducted to determine better results for acai herbals and new formulations of cupuassu extracts

ATIVIDADE ANTIMICROBIANA DO EXTRATO HIDROALCÓOLICO DE FICUS CARICA E POLYGALA SPECTABILIS

O objetivo foi avaliar a eficácia de diferentes formulações de fitoterápicos candidatos a antimicrobianos, produzidos a partir de folhas de caamembeca (Polygala spectabilis - EFC) e figo (Ficus carica - EFF). Os fitoterápicos foram produzidos com 30 dias de percolação a 4ºC e liofilizados, sendo posteriormente utilizados para realizar a marcha fitoquímica, o teste de toxicidade e o ensaio antioxidante. O bioensaio de ação antibacteriana foi realizado frente a Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa e Staphylococcus aureus utilizando diluições em caldo com concentrações exponenciais (20 μg.ml-1 a 2560 μg.ml-1) dos extratos. Nas análises fitoquímicas, foram evidenciados diversos compostos com propriedades antimicrobianas. A atividade antioxidante mensurada em 640 μg/ml, em relação ao ácido ascórbico, do EFC foi de 68,4% ao passo que para o EFF foi de 89,9%. O EFF teve eficácia, frente a todas as bactérias testadas, com uma concentração bactericida mínima (CBM) de 1280; 2560; 1280 e 320 μg/ml, para C. perfringens, E. coli, P. aeruginosa e S. aureus, respectivamente, todavia o EFC só agiu frente a S. aureus, com CBM de 2560 μg/ml. Os resultados obtidos nos testes bioquímicos, juntamente com os encontrados nos testes in vitro, evidenciaram que o EFF é um candidato a antimicrobiano.

Efeito acaricida in vitro do extrato hidroalcoólico de Himatanthus sucuuba contra Rhipicephalus microplus

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a eficácia in vitro de extratos hidroalcóolicos de Himatanthus sucuuba frente a larvas e fêmeas ingurgitadas do carrapato Rhipicephalus microplus. Os fitoterápicos foram produzidos com percolação de látex, caule e folhas, sendo posteriormente liofilizados. Foi realizado o teste do pacote de larvas, TPL em concentrações crescentes (0,4 - 204,8 mg.ml-1) e o teste de imersão de adulto, TIA (6,2 - 396,8 mg.ml-1) ambos com seis repetições. Foi realizada a análise fitoquímica completa dos três extratos. No TPL e TIA, o fitoterápico produzido com látex demonstrou os melhores resultados, com DL50 de 21,4 e 105,2 mg.ml-1, respectivamente. Os dados da marcha fitoquímica, aliado aos resultados dose-dependente obtidos nos testes in vitro evidenciam que o extrato produzido a partir do látex possui potencial para combater o R. microplus. Novos estudos devem ser realizados buscando maximizar a eficácia deste extrato, uma vez que foram encontrados resultados promissores

UNA NUEVA ESPECIE DE PHYSALOPTERA (NEMATODA: PHYSALOPTEROIDEA) DE CERRADOMYS SUBFLAVUS (RODENTIA: SIGMODONTINAE) EN EL BIOMA CERRADO, BRAZIL

Physaloptera galvaoi n.sp. fue registrada parasitando en el estómago de Cerradomys subflavus (Rodentia: Sigmodontinae) capturados en el Parque Nacional Serra da Canastra (São Roque de Minas, Minas Gerais, Brasil). El género Physaloptera tiene 13 especies que parasitan los roedores en todo el mundo. Entre ellos, cinco fueron registrados en las Américas. Las principales características de la nueva especie son el tamaño, la forma de la espícula y la relación de longitud de la espícula con la longitud total del cuerpo, las papilas pre y pos cloacal equidistantes en los espécimen masculinos, y el útero con cuatro hasta cinco ramas en las hembras. La nueva especie difiere de las otras especies del género Physaloptera registradas en América como Physaloptera bispiculata, Physaloptera murisbrasiliensis, Physaloptera calnuensis, Physaloptera longispicula y Physaloptera hispida por tener: (1) una espícula pequeña, (2) primero y segundo par de papilas asimétricamente desplazadas (la izquierda anterior a la derecha), (3) útero de cuatro hasta cinco ramas (tetra y pentadelphy). Estos caracteres morfológicos representan a P. galvaoi como una nueva especie para el género. Por lo tanto, los especimens de nemátodos parásitos de estómago del hospededor C. subflavus representan una nueva especie de la familia Physalopteridae llamado P. galvaoi n.sp