Effectiveness of Applying Evidence-based Guidelines for Nurses Training on Nasogastric Tube Care.

BACKGROUND: This study formulated clinical guidelines for assessing nasogastric tube placement and for health education guidance according to evidence-based recommendations. METHOD: This study used a single group, pre- and postintervention design. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants from nursing institutions in Taiwan. RESULTS: Sixty-two individuals in charge of nursing institutions were recruited to participate in the in-service training program. Statistically significant differences were observed in the four major items in the self-directed learning readiness scale (t = 3.85, p < .00; t = 3.99, p < .00; t = 2.94, p < .01; t = 4.13, p < .00). With regard to program satisfaction, the mean score was 4.88 to 4.9 points. The mean score for teaching satisfaction was 4.94 to 4.9 points. Furthermore, the participants scored more than 80 points in the online course test and the nasogastric tube placement skill. CONCLUSION: The individuals in-charge are expected to be willing to apply and promote methods of literature collation and recommendation in their respective institutions. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2021;52(7):326-334.].

Influenza vaccination and the endurance against air pollution among elderly with acute coronary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Air pollution, weather condition and influenza are known risk factors of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) among elderly people. The influenza vaccine (IV) has been shown to reduce major cardiovascular events. The purpose of this study was to compare resistance to air pollution and weather factors causing ACS between vaccinated and less-vaccinated elderly people. METHODS: A case-crossover design was applied to 1835 elderly ACS patients who were obtained from the 1-million sample of Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Data with inclusion criteria: (1) the first diagnosis of ACS was in cold season and at age 68 or more, (2) had received the free IV program at least once during the period 3years before the ACS. They were stratified into two groups: 707 had received flu vaccinations for all the 3years and the remaining 1128 had not. The measurements of air pollutants, temperature, and humidity corresponding to each of the 3days prior to the ACS diagnosis date were retrieved from the data banks of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration and Central Weather Bureau. FINDINGS: Increases in air pollution concentrations of CO, NO2, PM10 or PM2.5 and decreases in temperature significantly influenced the risk of ACS for the non-continuously vaccinated elderly population; however, less significant effects were observed for the continuously vaccinated population. CONCLUSION: Consecutive influenza vaccination may potentially offer resistance against the detrimental effects of air pollution and changes in temperature in frail elderly adults with ACS. Future studies are needed to directly assess the interaction effect between the vaccination and environmental factors on ACS.

A Matched Influenza Vaccine Strain Was Effective in Reducing the Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Elderly Persons: A Population-Based Study.

The aim of this study was to explore whether matched or mismatched strains of influenza vaccines (IVs) are beneficial at reducing the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in elderly persons.Data were obtained from the Longitudinal Health Database 2005 (LHID 2005) which is maintained by the National Health Insurance Research Institute in Taiwan. The analytical data included individuals who were vaccinated with mismatched vaccines during the October 2007 to December 2007 season and individuals vaccinated with matched strains during the October 2008 to December 2008 season. All participants were 65 years of age and older. In this analysis, individuals were considered to be exposed if their records showed that they were vaccinated against influenza, and they were considered to be nonexposed if they were not vaccinated during these seasons. A Cox hazard model was used to estimate AMI hazard ratio.This study enrolled 93,051 exposed and 109,007 unexposed individuals. The AMI hazards ratios (HRs) for the men and women exposed to mismatched vaccine (in 2007) were 0.990 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.745-1.316) and 1.102 (95% CI: 0.803-1.513), respectively. Men exposed to matched vaccines (in 2008) had significant HRs (HR: 0.681; 95% CI: 0.509-0.912) while the HRs in the women were barely significant (HR: 0.737; 95% CI: 0.527-1.029).AMI risk could be particularly reduced in men if the IV matches well with the circulating strains in elderly people 65 years of age and older.