Navigating Giant Cell Arteritis (Gca) Service during and Post Covid-19 Pandemic: An Audit of Gca Care at North Bristol Nhs Trust against the Bsr Quality Standards

Background/Aims GCA is a systemic vasculitis predominantly affecting the large vessels that requires prompt diagnosis and management. This clinical audit aims to study the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on our GCA service and to identify areas for improvement to ensure good and safe practice amid healthcare crisis. Methods We audited referrals for suspected GCA from February 2021 until September 2022 and measured our patient care against the BSR quality standards. We performed retrospective data collection from digital care record systems and analysed our data using the IBM SPSS Statistics version 29. Results 106 patients with suspected GCA were included, 73% were female and the mean age was 70 years. 75% of the referrals were from primary care. Main presenting symptoms were headaches (95.7%), scalp tenderness (69.6%), tongue/jaw claudication (52.2%), visual symptoms (47.8%), constitutional symptoms (43.5%) and polymyalgic symptoms (21.7%). 33% of patients were diagnosed and treated as GCA. Mean CRP was 23.9mg/L and mean plasma viscosity was 1.89mPA. The mean referral-to-specialist review time has reduced to 1.6 days, compared with 2.7 days pre-pandemic. All patients had vascular ultrasound but only 7.5% had a temporal artery biopsy (TAB), compared with 41% pre-pandemic. Table 1 compares expected and achieved BSR quality standards. Conclusion Changes in work pattern during the pandemic meant that the time from referral to specialist review was significantly reduced, by implementing twice weekly registrar-led 'Hot' clinics and reserving ad hoc slot(s) in on-call consultant's clinics for GCA referrals. We have ramped up our vascular imaging capacity for vascular ultrasound during the pandemic in response to reduced surgical operating capacity for TAB. Strategies to address areas for improvement identified in this audit include: (1) clear and timely communication with referrer about steroid initiation and dosage, at the time of referral;(2) improving communication with primary care, emphasising need for urgent Ophthalmology input in patients with suspected GCA-related visual symptoms, through updating our regional GCA guideline for primary care;(3) standardising and implementing a GCA review proforma or checklist in our department to ensure that the BSR GCA care bundle is being implemented and addressed at the earliest opportunity. (Table Presented).

Ulinastatin for Aki: Should It Be in Our Care Bundle ?

Introduction: In critically ill patients with AKI, unacceptably high mortality rates reaching up to 50-80% in all dialyzed ICU patients are seen despite the availability of intensive renal support. At present there is no specific or targeted therapy for AKI. Pathophysiology of AKI is multifactorial. Systemic inflammation, mediated in part by cytokines, might be contributing majorly to the development of AKI. This mandates a multipronged approach to the treatment of AKI. There are hardly any studies on the use of ulinastatin in AKI. Our premise regarding the use of molecule in AKI was based on the fact that this molecule acts at multiple levels in the sepsis and can act to stop the cascade and thereby stop the "storm." Methods: We studied a total of 200 patients with AKI who needed ICU care in our hospital in the period between June 2017 - Jan 2020. Out of these, 100 patients received Injection ulinastatin 3 doses a day for 5 days, against a similar number of control patients. We included those patients with AKI who had SOFA scores more than 8. None of the patients had COVID 19 infection. We compared the same number of patients who had received ulinastatin with controls. Injection ulinastatin 1,50,000IU was given three times a day for 5 days. All the patients included had received dialytic therapy. We recorded the age of the patients, it varied from 11-94 years (mean age 52 years), > 60 % (120) of the patients being in the age group of 26-40 years. The ratio of males to females 1.8:1 (M: F 129:71). The etiologies were as follows: Malaria - complicated - P vivax, P falciparum (n= 76) 38% Enteric fever (n= 40) 20% UTI (n=30) 15% Post-partum (n=20) 10% Dengue (n = 14) 7% Acute gastroenteritis/diarrheal diseases (n= 12) 6% Pancreatitis (n= 6) 3% Obstructive uropathy (n= 3) 1.5% 33 % (n= 66) patients had diabetes as a co morbid condition. The renal function tests of all the patients along with liver function tests, sepsis parameters like d-dimer, serum procalcitonin levels, CRP-hs levels, coagulation tests, complete blood counts, and arterial blood gas analysis were done We recorded the length of stay, need and duration of renal replacement therapy, time to stoppage of renal replacement therapy, need for mechanical ventilation, mortality and post AKI recovery and progression to CKD. Result(s): The patients who received ulinastatin had a shorter stay in the ICU (p <0.01 vs control group);also, the time to stoppage of renal replacement therapy was shorter (p < 0.05). The recovery of renal function was seen in 84% (n=168). The progression to CKD was seen in 11% (n=22) of patients. The average number of sittings of dialysis needed were 11 (range3-20), lesser number of dialysis were needed in the ulinastatin group. The overall mortality was 36 %(n=72).The average follow up period post discharge has been 141 days (21 - 240 days) Conclusion(s): There definitely seem to be advantages in using ulinastatin and results look promising. But there are limitations to this study - this was a retrospective analysis hence not all the patients received ulinastatin. Moreover, the drug is expensive. This study was done in a semi urban set up where causes for AKI are predominantly infective. A larger prospective double-blind study will be needed to consider ulinastatin as a routine option for treating AKI. Till then preventing AKI should be the aim for us. No conflict of interestCopyright © 2023

How are hospitals in England caring for women at risk of preterm birth in 2021? The influence of national guidance on preterm birth care in England: a national questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: National guidance (Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle Version 2 (SBLCBv2) Element 5) was published in 2019, with the aim to standardise preterm care in England. We plan to identify how many preterm birth surveillance clinics there are in England, and to define current national management in caring for women who are both asymptomatic and high-risk of preterm birth, and who arrive symptomatically in threatened preterm labour, to assist preterm management both nationally and internationally. METHODS: An online survey comprising of 27 questions was sent to all maternity units in England between February 2021 to July 2021. RESULTS: Data was obtained from 96 units. Quantitative analysis and free text analysis was then undertaken. We identified 78 preterm birth surveillance clinics in England, an increase from 30 preterm clinics in 2017. This is a staggering 160% increase in 4 years. SBLCBv2 has had a considerable impact in increasing preterm birth surveillance clinic services, with the majority (61%) of sites reporting that the NHS England publication influenced their unit in setting up their clinic. Variations exist at every step of the preterm pathway, such as deciding which risk factors warrant referral, distinguishing within particular risk factors, and offering screening tests and treatment options. CONCLUSIONS: While variations in care still do persist, hospitals have done well to increase preterm surveillance clinics, under the difficult circumstances of the COVID pandemic and many without specific additional funding.

Recruitment of Patients during the Pandemic in Interact3 Trial: Indian Experience

Background and Aims: The case fatality rate of acute spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is high 54% at 1 year, and only 12% to 39% of survivors achieve long term functional independence. The INTEnsive care bundle with blood pressure Reduction in Acute Cerebral haemorrhage Trial (INTERACT3) was an international, multicentre, cluster-randomized clinical trial to assess a multifaceted goal-directed care bundle of physiological management in patients with acute ICH. We aimed to study the challenges encountered in recruitment during the pandemics in India. Method(s): Between August 2020 and October 2022, all adult patients presenting with spontaneous ICH within 6 hours from symptom onset were enrolled under the standard of usual care management until they are informed of crossing over to intervention and to be contacted at 6 months follow-up. Result(s): Six out of ten screened centres participated. The pandemic posed many challenges to the recruitment of patients in the trial: The ethics committee meetings were interrupted, preventing us enrolling more sites. Fewer patients presented to hospital due to fear of covid, economic crisis, transportation barriers, delayed presentation beyond 6 hours due to poor triaging, delay in RTPCR testing, slow referrals, unwillingness to followup in outpatient clinic. Solutions: frequent virtual meetings with ethics committees were held by site PIs, RTPCR switched to rapid testing, ER physicians trained to rapidly identify ICH cases and trial strategy was modified at each centre to boost recruitment. Conclusion(s): Alternative approaches for rapid triaging and modified strategies to recruitment are needed to overcome challenges of implementing a stroke trial during a pandemic.

Pressure ulcers in patients with COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome undergoing prone positioning in the intensive care unit: A pre- and post-intervention study.

BACKGROUND: Prone positioning has been widely used to improve oxygenation and reduce ventilator-induced lung injury in patients with severe COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). One major complication associated with prone positioning is the development of pressure ulcers (PUs). AIM: This study aimed to determine the impact of a prevention care bundle on the incidence of PUs in patients with COVID-19 ARDS undergoing prone positioning in the intensive care unit. STUDY DESIGN: This was a single-centre pre and post-test intervention study which adheres to the Standards for Reporting Implementation Studies (StaRI) guidelines. The intervention included a care bundle addressing the following: increasing frequency of head turns, use of an open gel head ring, application of prophylactic dressings to bony prominences, use of a pressure redistribution air mattress, education of staff in the early identification of evolving PUs through regular and rigorous skin inspection and engaging in bedside training sessions with nursing and medical staff. The primary outcome of interest was the incidence of PU development. The secondary outcomes of interest were severity of PU development and the anatomical location of the PUs. RESULTS: In the pre-intervention study, 20 patients were included and 80% (n = 16) of these patients developed PUs, comprising 34 ulcers in total. In the post-intervention study, a further 20 patients were included and 60% (n = 12) of these patients developed PUs, comprising 32 ulcers in total. This marks a 25% reduction in the number of patients developing a PU, and a 6% decrease in the total number of PUs observed. Grade II PUs were the most prevalent in both study groups (65%, n = 22; 88%, n = 28, respectively). In the post-intervention study, there was a reduction in the incidence of grade III and deep tissue injuries (pre-intervention 6%, n = 2 grade III, 6% n = 2 deep tissue injuries; post-intervention no grade III ulcers, grade IV ulcers, or deep tissues injuries were recorded). However, there was an increase in the number of unstageable PUs in the post-intervention group with 6% (n = 2) of PUs being classified as unstageable, meanwhile there were no unstageable PUs in the pre-intervention group. This is an important finding to consider as unstageable PUs can indicate deep tissue damage and therefore need to be considered alongside PUs of a more severe grade (grade III, grade IV, and deep tissue injuries). CONCLUSION: The use of a new evidence-based care bundle for the prevention of PUs in the management of patients in the prone position has the potential to reduce the incidence of PU development. Although improvements were observed following alterations to standard practice, further research is needed to validate these findings. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The use of a new, evidence-based care bundle in the management of patients in the prone position has the potential to reduce the incidence of PUs.

Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Clinical Practice Guideline for Care of Preterm Infants Receiving Non-Invasive Ventilation: A Before and After Study

Background: Nowadays, noninvasive ventilation is the mainstay of the ventilation strategy in the neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and most of infants, especially preterm infants, having respiratory problems, are provided noninvasive ventilation (NIV) upon their demands. Nevertheless, complication of NIV device-related pressure injury was common, the incidence of nasal injury ranged from 20% to 60%. Limited studies were found evaluating the nursing care of preterm infants receiving NIV. Aims: This study aimed to develop an evidence-based clinical practice guideline for preterm infants receiving NIV, implement the guideline in a NICU of a regional hospital, and evaluate infant outcomes including comfort, incidence of NIV device-related pressure injury. Besides, improvement on nurse's knowledge and practice for caring infants under NIV were assessed. Study Design and Methods: The Iowa Model-Revised was adopted as the theoretical framework to guide the study process. A multidisciplinary workgroup consists of eight stakeholders in NICU was formed for the process and acted as the champions for the new practice. A before and after study design was adopted and included the preimplementation and post-implementation phases. An integrative review was conducted to identify relevant studies from eight electronic databases before the study. All eligible studies were appraised using the Johns Hopkins University's evidence appraisal tool. Neonatal Pain, Agitation and Sedation Scale (N-PASS) for pain assessment and two self-developed NIV care bundle knowledge test and audit tool were used for the study. Results: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the study was extended for a month and ended in January 2021. A total of 74 infants in Pre-implementation phase (before group) and 67 infants in Post-implementation phase (after group) were recruited. Logistic regression model was used to compare the incidence of pressure injury between groups after adjusted for all substantial covariates in the study. Infants in after group had an 84% decreased odds of acquiring pressure injury (adjusted OR=0.149, 95% CI 0.045-0.495, p=0.002). Infant's comfort level whilst receiving NIV was not determined in the study as the after group having a significantly lesser mean time (p<0.001) in calm state but lower N-PASS score. Regarding nurse participants, 71 nurses received the training programme on NIV care bundle, and overall nurses' knowledge level improved immediately (adjusted p<0.001) and at 12 weeks after the programme. Three audits were conducted to evaluate nurses' practice, nurses' compliance rate to the care bundle significantly improved at 12 (p<0.001) and 24 weeks (p<0.001) in comparison with baseline compliance rate in the pre-implementation phase. However, nurses' knowledge retention at 12-week and compliance rate at 24-week after the training programme declined. Conclusion: The evidence-based clinical practice guideline aims to promote comfort and prevent injury in infants receiving NIV, and outcomes of the infants depend on vigilant nursing care and compliance to this clinical practice guideline. Declining of nurse's knowledge level and practice compliance found in the study indicates the needs of continuous education and audit on the practice to sustain the service quality and patient's safety.

Impact of sepsis education for healthcare professionals and students on learning and patient outcomes: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is an important global healthcare problem that is a key challenge faced by healthcare professionals face worldwide. One key effort aimed at reducing the global burden of sepsis is educating healthcare professionals about early identification and management of sepsis. AIM: To provide a comprehensive evaluation of sepsis education among healthcare professionals and students. METHODS: Six databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scopus) were searched. We included studies that described and evaluated any form of education or training on sepsis delivered to healthcare professionals and students. Study outcomes were summarized according to the adapted Kirkpatrick model of training evaluation. RESULTS: Thirty-two studies were included in the review. The learning contents were reported to be in accordance with the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines. Seven studies included the topic of interprofessional teamwork and communication in their sepsis education content. Most educational programmes were effective and reported positive effects on immediate knowledge outcomes. Interventions that were delivered through an active learning approach such as simulation and game-based learning generally produced greater gains than didactic teaching. Improvements in patient care processes and patient outcomes were associated with the concomitant existence or implementation of a hospital sepsis care bundle. CONCLUSION: Incorporating active learning strategies into sepsis education interventions has the potential to improve learners' long-term outcomes. In addition, sepsis education and a protocol-based sepsis care bundle act in synergy to augment greater improvements in care processes and patient benefits.

Using a multimodal strategy to improve patient hand hygiene.

OBJECTIVE: The role of health care worker hand hygiene in preventing health care associated infections (HCAI) is well-established. There is less emphasis on the hand hygiene (HH) of hospitalized patients; in the context of COVID-19 mechanisms to support it are particularly important. The purpose of this study was to establish if providing patient hand wipes, and a defined protocol for encouraging their use, was effective in improving the frequency of patient HH (PHH). DESIGN: Before and after study. SETTIN: General Hospital, United Kingdom. PARTICIPANTS: All adult patients admitted to 6 acute elderly care/rehabilitation hospital wards between July and October 2018. METHODS: Baseline audit of PHH opportunities conducted over 6 weeks. Focus group with staff and survey of the public informed the development of a PHH bundle. Effect of bundle on PHH monitored by structured observation of HH opportunities over 12 weeks. RESULTS: During baseline 303 opportunities for PHH were observed; compliance with PHH was 13.2% (40/303; 95% confidence interval 9.9-7.5). In the evaluation of PHH bundle, 526 PHH opportunities were observed with HH occurring in 58.9% (310/526); an increase of 45.7% versus baseline (95% confidence interval 39.7%-51.0%; P < .001). CONCLUSION: Providing patients with multiwipe packs of handwipes is a simple, cost-effective approach to increasing PHH and reducing the risk of HCAI in hospital. Health care workers play an essential role in encouraging PHH.