ABSTRACT
Background: Hospitals are the most frequent place of death in Germany (47%), but at the same time, the least preferred one - for both patients and their relatives. To optimize care in the dying phase by using a bottom-up approach, the StiK-OV project aims to implement and evaluate specific measures on different non-palliative wards at two university hospitals. In the first phase of the project, we assess the current state of care in the dying phase on different wards. Method(s): We conducted an online survey with national health care professionals consisting of seven open questions on important aspects, facilitators, barriers and needs for improvement as well as Covid-19 pandemic specifics regarding care in the dying phase. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically. Result(s): Of 67 participants, 66% work in clinical practice as nursing staff (52%) and physicians (30%) and 34% in management or administration. As relevant topics of care in the dying phase, we identified involvement of relatives, symptom control, patient-centeredness, professional competencies, as well as time, space and human resources. Participants state a need for improvement regarding these topics. During the pandemic, involvement of relatives and patient-centeredness were difficult to maintain due to visiting restrictions and higher workload, resulting in patient isolation and dying in loneliness. Discussion(s): The survey revealed common topics of importance which should be targeted by ward-specific measures. Difficulties due to the pandemic have to be accounted for to achieve optimal care in the dying phase under exceptional circumstances. Conclusion(s): The survey gave insights on care in the dying phase from the perspective of health care professionals that can help to develop and implement situation-specific measures to significantly improve the quality of care during the dying phase in hospitals. A bottom-up approach aims to increase the staff motivation to implement respective measures.
ABSTRACT
Background/aims: Hospitals are the most frequent place of death in Germany (47%) but also the least preferred one - for both patients and relatives. The project 'StiK-OV' aims to optimize care for dying patients in hospitals using a bottom-up approach. Therefore specific measures on non-palliative wards at two university hospitals will be implemented and evaluated. In the first project phase, the current state of non-specialist inpatient care in the dying phase was assessed. Methods: Online survey with national health care professionals in the field of care in the dying phase. The survey consisted of seven open-ended questions on important issues, facilitators, barriers and needs for improvement regarding the care for patients dying in hospitals as well as COVID-19 pandemic specifics. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically. Results: Of 67 participants, 66% worked in clinical practice, 34% in managerial positions. We identified five relevant topics of care in the dying phase: involvement of relatives;symptom control;patient-centeredness;professional competencies;as well as time, space and human resources. Participants aimed to uphold patient-centeredness as a priority in the dying phase despite reporting needs for improvement in all topics: 'Everything that is good for the patient is allowed.' This contrasts with the experience during the pandemic, when involvement of relatives and patient-centerednesswere hard to maintain due to visiting restrictions and high workload - leading to patient isolation and dying in loneliness. Conclusions: The survey revealed common topics on care in the dying phase from the perspective of health professionals to be targeted by ward-specific measures. Difficulties due to the pandemic have to be considered for optimal care in the dying phase under exceptional circumstances. The results can help to develop and implement context-specific measures to improve quality of hospital care during the dying phase.
ABSTRACT
The aim of the study is to identify potential natural compounds against SARS-CoV-2 occurring in essential oils (EOs) following literature data attesting their anti-viral activity. The epidemic virus that started in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, has spread worldwide as a global pandemic. The interest in the development of drugs from natural products has increased greatly in recent decades. (EOs) have been studied over the centuries and are known to possess various pharmaceutical properties. Recent antiviral and silico methods are used to discover phyto-compounds, suitable for coronavirus treatment. To obtain this result we employed gas chromatography for the analysis of essential oils from Laurus nobilis, Pinus pinea, Pistacia palaestina, Juniperus oxycedrus, Juniperus excelsa, Pinus brutia, Cupressus sempervirens, Lavandula stoechas, Origanum syriacum, O. ehrenbergi, Salvia tribola, Satureja thymbra, Calamintha origanifolia, Feoniculum vulgare, Mentha longifolia, Cuminum cyminum and Pinpinella anisum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Plant Biosystems is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)