Quality of Life (QoL) in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): a Literature Review

Purpose: To describe the definition of quality of life (QoL) and identify the most appropriate tool for QoL assessment used in patients with TBI.Method: Searching was conducted from PubMed, CINAHL, EBSCO, and ProQuest during 2000-2011. A total of 33 studies were analyzed for this review consisting of 9 review studies, 2 intervention studies, and 22 descriptive studies.Result: Two important definitions of QoL were used in studies related to TBI namely achievement and subjective well-being. Although varieties of generic measurements have been used to measure QoL in TBI patients, there was a lack of TBI-specific Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) instrument. Despite the different approach and time measured either short or long outcomes, appropriate domains of QoL tool seem essential particularly among those with moderate and severe TBI.Conclusion: QoL is a wide concept which can be defined in several dimensions. The QOLIBRI as a new disease-specific QoL measurement in TBI seems a feasible and valid approach for the assessment of QoL in TBI. However, the application across cultural remains a challenge and needs a validation

Nurses’ Knowledge and Practice Regarding the Prevention of Cesarean Section Surgical Site Infection in Indonesia

To identify the level of nurses’ knowledgeand practices regarding the prevention of Cesarean Section (CS) Surgical Site Infection (SSI).Methods: Participants were nurses and midwives working in the labor rooms and postnatal wards. Data collection was conducted at ten government hospitals selected in West Sumatra Indonesia using self-report questionnaires. A total of 201 nurses completed the questionnaires. The levels of knowledge and the levels of practice were categorized as very low, low, moderate, high, and very high.Results: Nurses had low levels of knowledge and high levels of practice regarding the prevention of CS-SSI in Indonesia.Conclusions: Nurses' knowledge and practice in certain areas of the prevention of CS-SSI need to be improved. Education and training programs should be conducted in Indonesia to improve nurses’ knowledge and practice regarding CS-SSI prevention using evidence-based practice

Diabetic Foot Care Knowledge and Behaviors of Individuals with Diabetes Mellitus in Indonesia

The most common diabetes mellitus (DM) complication is diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), which is costly and has devastating adverse effects. It was found that 6.8 % of DM patients suffered from DFU. According to Indonesian Hospital Association, DFU was reported to cause an amputation rate of 15-30 %. The aims of this study were to assess the levels of diabetic foot care knowledge and behaviors and its relationship among diabetic patients attending Public Health Center at Bojonegoro, East Java, Indonesia. Eighty-one participants with DM were selected from two public health centers based on inclusion criteria. Modified Diabetic Foot Care Knowledge and Modified Diabetic Foot Care Behaviors Questionnaires were used in this study. The diabetic foot care knowledge and behaviors were categorized into 3 levels as poor (80%). Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. Pearson correlation coefficient was employed to analyze the correlation between diabetic foot care knowledge and behaviors among participants. Based on the result, the diabetic foot care knowledge score was at poor level (M = 57.8, SD = 14.6) of which 39.5 % of them had poor knowledge, 58 % had moderate and only 2.5 % had good knowledge. Diabetic foot care behaviors was at poor level (M = 46.7, SD = 10.9%) of which 86.4 % of them had poor behaviors and the remaining of 12.3 % had moderate behaviors. The correlations between diabetic foot care knowledge and behaviors were not significantly correlated (p = .09). The diabetic foot care knowledge and behaviors are still become the biggest concern among diabetic’s patients in Indonesia. This study showed that DM patients with good knowledge of DM foot care might not always transform their knowledge into practices. Further research is needed to enhance diabetic foot care knowledge and behaviors among DM patients in Indonesia

Thai Nurses' Learning Needs Regarding Disaster Nursing: High Needs?

Background: Disaster nursing has become a critical concern, worldwide, due to a trend toward management strategy. However, limited studies are conducted in Thailand where nurses have faced increasing threat to both natural and man-made disasters.Purpose: To describe the amounts of learning needs (both expressed and normative needs) regarding disaster nursing among Thai nurses.Methods: The sample included 454 registered nurses who have been working inThailand for at least six months selected through the multi-stage sampling methods. Data were collected using questionnaire included the Learning Needs Regarding Disaster Nursing Questionnaire (LNDNQ), developed based on the learning needs triangle model and the concept the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Framework of Disaster Nursing Competencies. The LNDNQ was tested for content validity by three experts and for reliability with 20 nurses using Cronbach's alpha coefficient yielding a value of .97 (expressed needs), and .99 (normative needs), respectively. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics.Result: This study found that the top three contents of the most learning needs in expressed needs were similarly with the most normative needs which items were related to mitigation/prevention and response phase. The most learning needs they expressed were assisting and first aid for victims at the scene (n=229, 50.4%), followed by basic principle of triage (n=218, 48.0%), and training of the disaster nursing management plans (n=217, 47.80%). However, the top least expressed needs were related to mitigation/prevention and recovery/rehabilitation phase. These were providing an information for community with the notification, and announcement the severity level of disaster (n=32, 7.0%), followed by preparing and organizing the evacuation area for victims (n=37, 8.1%).Conclusion: The contents related to the most learning needs (expressed needs andnormative needs) regarding disaster nursing must be emphasized in training course and nursing curriculums in Thailand to improve Thai nurses' capability in disaster nursing management

Hybrid Equation/Agent-Based Model of Ischemia-Induced Hyperemia and Pressure Ulcer Formation Predicts Greater Propensity to Ulcerate in Subjects with Spinal Cord Injury

Pressure ulcers are costly and life-threatening complications for people with spinal cord injury (SCI). People with SCI also exhibit differential blood flow properties in non-ulcerated skin. We hypothesized that a computer simulation of the pressure ulcer formation process, informed by data regarding skin blood flow and reactive hyperemia in response to pressure, could provide insights into the pathogenesis and effective treatment of post-SCI pressure ulcers. Agent-Based Models (ABM) are useful in settings such as pressure ulcers, in which spatial realism is important. Ordinary Differential Equation-based (ODE) models are useful when modeling physiological phenomena such as reactive hyperemia. Accordingly, we constructed a hybrid model that combines ODEs related to blood flow along with an ABM of skin injury, inflammation, and ulcer formation. The relationship between pressure and the course of ulcer formation, as well as several other important characteristic patterns of pressure ulcer formation, was demonstrated in this model. The ODE portion of this model was calibrated to data related to blood flow following experimental pressure responses in non-injured human subjects or to data from people with SCI. This model predicted a higher propensity to form ulcers in response to pressure in people with SCI vs. non-injured control subjects, and thus may serve as novel diagnostic platform for post-SCI ulcer formation. © 2013 Solovyev et al

Quality of Life (QoL) in patients with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): A Literature Review

Purpose: To describe the definition of quality of life (QoL) and identify the most appropriate tool for QoL assessment used in patients with TBI.Method: Searching was conducted from PubMed, CINAHL, EBSCO, and ProQuest during 2000-2011. A total of 33 studies were analyzed for this review consisting of 9 review studies, 2 intervention studies, and 22 descriptive studies.Result: Two important definitions of QoL were used in studies related to TBI namely achievement and subjective well-being. Although varieties of generic measurements have been used to measure QoL in TBI patients, there was a lack of TBI-specific Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) instrument. Despite the different approach and time measured either short or long outcomes, appropriate domains of QoL tool seem essential particularly among those with moderate and severe TBI.Conclusion: QoL is a wide concept which can be defined in several dimensions. The QOLIBRI as a new disease-specific QoL measurement in TBI seems a feasible and valid approach for the assessment of QoL in TBI. However, the application across cultural remains a challenge and needs a validation.</p

Knowledge and skills of Emergency Care During Disaster For Community Health Volunteers: A Literature Review

Background: Nowadays, disaster preparedness and responses are essential for everyone to be involved since the disaster becomes increasing. The Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) in particular are the key partners required adequately prepared in emergency care during disaster event. Purpose: The study aims to examine the essential knowledge and skills of emergency care during natural disaster for CHVs. Method: The reviews published during 2000 and 2011 searching from PubMed, Science Direct, CINAHL, ProQuest Medical Library were conducted. Result: Twenty-four articles and documents related to community-based disaster preparedness programs were intensively reviewed. Based on the review, six components of knowledge and skills for emergency care in natural disaster for CHVs are required including 1) early warning, 2) disaster triage, 3) first aid, 4) search and rescue, 5) logistic and communication, and 6) team organizations. Conclusion: There was a few studies focusing on the emergency care in disaster management and some factors related to knowledge and skills were shown. It is therefore recommended that the current CHVs’ knowledge and skills should be explored in order to assist people in their community following disaster event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. Key words: Knowledge, Skill, Community health volunteers, Emergency care, Natural disaster