Systematic Review of the Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Insomnia in Palliative Care.

INTRODUCTION: The primary function of palliative care is to improve quality of life. The recognition and treatment of symptoms causing suffering is central to the achievement of this goal. Insomnia reduces quality of life of patients under palliative care. Knowledge about prevalence, associated factors, and treatment of insomnia in palliative care is scarce. METHODOLOGY: Literature review about the prevalence, predictors, and treatment options of insomnia in palliative care patients. Primary sources of investigation were identified and selected through Pubmed and Scopus databases. The research was complemented by reference search in identified articles and selected reviews. OpenGrey and Google Scholar were used for searching grey literature. Study quality analysis was based on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. RESULTS: A total of 65 studies were included in the review. Most studies had acceptable /good quality. The prevalence of insomnia in the included studies ranged from 2.1% to 100%, with a median overall prevalence of 49.5%. Sociodemographic factors such as age; clinical characteristics such as functional status, disease stage, pain, and use of specific drugs, including opioids; psychological factors such as anxiety/depression; and spiritual factors such as feelings of well-being were identified as predictors. The treatment options identified were biological (pharmacological and nonpharmacological), psychological (visualization, relaxation), and spiritual (prayer). CONCLUSIONS: The systematic review showed that the prevalence of insomnia is high, with at least one in 3 patients affected in most studies. Insomnia's risk factors and treatment in palliative care are both associated to physical, psychological, social, and spiritual factors, reflecting its true holistic nature.

Risk factors for severity and recurrence of colonic diverticular bleeding

Background: Colonic diverticular bleeding is the most common cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Risk factors related to severity and repeated bleeding episodes are not completely clearly defined. Objective: To characterize a Portuguese population hospitalized due to colonic diverticular bleeding and to identify the clinical predictors related to bleeding severity and rebleeding. Methods: Retrospective analysis of all hospitalized patients diagnosed with colonic diverticular bleeding from January 2008 to December 2013 at our institution. The main outcomes evaluated were bleeding severity, defined as any transfusion support requirements and/or signs of hemodynamic shock, and 1-year recurrence rate. Results: Seventy-four patients were included, with a mean age of 75.7 ± 9.5 years; the majority were male (62.2%). Thirty-six patients (48.6%) met the criteria for severe bleeding; four independent risk factors for severe diverticular bleeding were identified: low hemoglobin level at admission (≤ 11 g/dL; OR 18.8), older age (≥ 75 years; OR 4.7), bilateral diverticular location (OR 14.2) and chronic kidney disease (OR 5.6). The 1-year recurrence rate was 12.9%. We did not identify any independent risk factor for bleeding recurrence in this population. Conclusion: In this series, nearly half of the patients hospitalized with diverticular bleeding presented with severe bleeding. Patients with low hemoglobin levels, older age, bilateral diverticular location and chronic kidney disease had a significantly increased risk for severe diverticular bleeding. In addition, a small number of patients rebled within the first year after the index episode, although we could not identify independent risk factors associated with the recurrence of diverticular bleeding (AU)

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Risk factors for severity and recurrence of colonic diverticular bleeding.

BACKGROUND: Colonic diverticular bleeding is the most common cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Risk factors related to severity and repeated bleeding episodes are not completely clearly defined. OBJECTIVE: To characterize a Portuguese population hospitalized due to colonic diverticular bleeding and to identify the clinical predictors related to bleeding severity and rebleeding. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of all hospitalized patients diagnosed with colonic diverticular bleeding from January 2008 to December 2013 at our institution. The main outcomes evaluated were bleeding severity, defined as any transfusion support requirements and/or signs of hemodynamic shock, and 1-year recurrence rate. RESULTS: Seventy-four patients were included, with a mean age of 75.7 ± 9.5 years; the majority were male (62.2%). Thirty-six patients (48.6%) met the criteria for severe bleeding; four independent risk factors for severe diverticular bleeding were identified: low hemoglobin level at admission (≤ 11 g/dL; OR 18.8), older age (≥ 75 years; OR 4.7), bilateral diverticular location (OR 14.2) and chronic kidney disease (OR 5.6). The 1-year recurrence rate was 12.9%. We did not identify any independent risk factor for bleeding recurrence in this population. CONCLUSION: In this series, nearly half of the patients hospitalized with diverticular bleeding presented with severe bleeding. Patients with low hemoglobin levels, older age, bilateral diverticular location and chronic kidney disease had a significantly increased risk for severe diverticular bleeding. In addition, a small number of patients rebled within the first year after the index episode, although we could not identify independent risk factors associated with the recurrence of diverticular bleeding.

Adesão ao regime terapêutico medicamentoso e aspectos biopsicossociais dos idosos integrados em cuidados continuados domiciliários / Adherencia al régimen terapéutico medicamentoso y aspectos biopsicosociales de los ancianos integrados en cuidados continuados domiciliarios / Adherence to the therapeutic medication and biopsychosocial aspects of elderly integrated in the home-based long-term care

RESUMO Objetivo Avaliar a associação entre os aspetos biopsicossociais e a adesão ao regime terapêutico medicamentoso dos idosos integrados nas equipes de cuidados continuados domiciliários. Métodos Estudo transversal, quantitativo com amostra constituída por 198 idosos. As entrevistas decorreram entre maio de 2012 e maio de 2013, em Portugal. Para caraterização terapêutica fez-se a coleta de dados recorrendo a dois questionários e uma entrevista. Análise dos dados feita pelo programa Statistical Package for Social Sciences, versão 20.0. Utilizou-se a estatística descritiva para apresentação dos resultados e o teste Qui-Quadrado para avaliar a associação entre variáveis. Resultados Verifica-se que 49% dos idosos não adere ao regime terapêutico medicamentoso e que o nível de adesão apresentou associação estatisticamente significativa, com estado de nutrição (p=0,002), autonomia instrumental (p=0,030) e isolamento social (p=0,046). Conclusões Conhecendo a multiplicidade de aspectos envolvidos na adesão, sugere-se que os mesmos sejam considerados nas intervenções de enfermagem promotoras de medidas de controle da terapêutica.

RESUMEN Objetivo Evaluar la asociación entre los aspectos biopsicosociales y la adherencia al régimen terapéutico medicamentoso de los ancianos integrados en los equipos de cuidados continuados domiciliarios. Métodos Estudio transversal, cuantitativo con muestra de 198 personas de edad avanzada. Las entrevistas tuvieron lugar entre mayo de 2012 y mayo de 2013 en Portugal. Para la caracterización terapéutica se hizo la recolección de datos utilizando dos cuestionarios y una entrevista. Análisis de los datos realizado por el programa Statistical Package for Social Sciences versión 20.0. Se utilizó la estadística descriptiva para presentar los resultados y la prueba de Chi-cuadrado para evaluar la asociación entre variables. Resultados Se observa que el 49% de los ancianos no se adhiere al régimen terapéutico medicamentoso y que el nivel de adherencia presentó una asociación estadísticamente significativa, con el estado nutricional (p = 0,002), la autonomía instrumental (p = 0,030) y el aislamiento social (p = 0,046). Conclusiones Conociendo la pluralidad de aspectos que intervienen en la adherencia, se sugiere que los mismos sean considerados en las intervenciones de enfermería que promueven medidas de control de la terapéutica.

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the association between the biopsychosocial aspects and the adherence to the therapeutic medication of elderly integrated into the home-based long-term care teams. Methods A cross-sectional, quantitative study, with a sample of 198 eldery. Interviews took place between May 2012 and May 2013 in Portugal. For therapeutic characterization, the data were collected using two questionnaires and one interview. Data analysis made with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0. Descriptive statistics were used to present the results and the Chi-Square test to evaluate the association between variables. Results It was observed that 49% of the elderly do not adhere to the therapeutic medication and the level of adherence showed a statistically significant association with nutritional status (p = 0.002), instrumental autonomy (p = 0.030) and social isolation (p = 0.046). Conclusions Due to the multiplicity of aspects involved in adherence, it is suggested that they be considered in the nursing interventions that promote therapeutic control measures.

New perspectives on the conservative management of osteoradionecrosis of the mandible: A literature review.

Over the last decades, several therapeutic options were considered in the treatment of the osteoradionecrosis (ORN) of the mandible, including supportive measures, ultrasound therapy, corticosteroids, hyperbaric oxygen, surgical resection with reconstruction, and, more recently, drugs capable of reversing the fibroatrophic process. Once established, the ORN does not spontaneously disappear and a standard treatment has not yet been defined. The clear clinical effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) varies according to the literature and there are some economic/logistic issues to be considered; the triplet tocopherol/pentoxifylline/clodronate demands greater evidence from randomized clinical trials and also resilience from the patient, given the long treatment duration and its possible side effects. Controversy around the ideal treatment of the initial stage ORN of the mandible persists. More rigorous randomized prospective trials are essential. The purpose of this article was to review the relevant literature on the physiopathology of ORN of the mandible and discuss the new perspectives of its conservative treatment. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: 1708-1716, 2016.

Dimensões da Qualidade de Vida e Apoio Social dos Pacientes Hospitalizados nas Unidades de Assistência à Saúde do Algarve / Quality of Life and Social Support of the Patients of Continued Care Units of Algarve

RESUMO Este estudo avaliou a relação entre qualidade de vida e rede de apoio social dos pacientes das unidades de cuidados continuados do Algarve, através de WHOQOL-BREF e ASSIS. Participaram 92 pacientes, com idades entre 34-101 anos: muito idosos (40,2%), sexo feminino (58,7%), viúvas (40,2%), classe média-alta (46,8%), coabitando com o cônjuge (43,2%), e parcialmente dependentes (72,5%). As redes de apoio emocional, material e informativo eram compostas maioritariamente por familiares. Observamos relações significativas entre o apoio informativo e os domínios físico, relações sociais e ambiente da qualidade de vida (p<0,05). Os resultados sugerem uma percepção e satisfação com a saúde razoáveis, mas inferiores no domínio físico. A necessidade de apoio informativo esteve negativamente associada aos domínios psicológico e relações sociais da qualidade de vida.

ABSTRACT This study assessed the relations between quality of life and social support network of patients in continuing care units in Algarve, using WHOQOL-BREF and ASSIS. Participants were 92 users of ages between 34-101 years: very elderly (40.2%), female (58.7%), widows (40.2%), upper-middle class (46.8%), cohabiting with spouse (43.2%), and partly dependent (72.5%). Emotional, tangible and informational support networks were mainly composed by family. We found significant associations between informative social support and physical domains, social relations and environment of quality of life (p< 0.05). The results suggest middle levels in self-perception and satisfaction with health, and lower levels in physical domain. Informational support needs were negatively associated with psychological and social relations dimensions of quality of life.

Cardiac function and critical swimming speed of the winter flounder (Pleuronectes americanus) at two temperatures.

Using Transonic flow probes and a uniquely designed swimming flume, we directly measured cardiac parameters (Q, cardiac output; SV, stroke volume; and fH, heart rate) in winter flounder (Pleuronectes americanus) before and during critical swim speed (Ucrit) tests at 4 and 10 degrees C. Resting Q, SV and fH averaged 9.8 ml min(-1) kg(-1), 0.5 ml kg(-1) (1.0 ml g ventricle(-1)) and 21 beats min(-1) at 4 degrees C and 15.5 ml min(-1) kg(-1), 0.5 ml kg(-1) (0.95 ml g ventricle(-1)) and 34 beats min(-1) at 10 degrees C (Q10 values of 2.13, 0.91 and 2.35, for Q, SV and fH, respectively). Cardiac output, SV and fH increased by approx. 170%, 70% and 60% at both temperatures during the Ucrit test. However, cardiac parameters generally reached near maximal levels almost immediately upon swimming and remained at these levels until Ucrit (0.65 +/- 0.06 bl s(-1) at 4 degrees C and 0.73 +/ -0.07 bl s(-1) at 10 degrees C). This rapid rise in cardiac function to near maximal levels did not appear to be the result of stress alone, as Q only fell slightly when flounder were swum for 75 min at < 0.4 bl s(-1), speeds at which they appeared to swim comfortably. Our results suggest that both Q and Ucrit have been significantly overestimated in flatfishes, and that "lift-off"/slow swimming is energetically expensive. Furthermore, they show that maximum and resting stroke volume (per g of ventricle) are extremely high in the flounder as compared with other teleosts.