Prehospital triage, discrepancy in priority-setting between emergency medical dispatch centre and ambulance crews.

BACKGROUND: The timely provision of emergency medical services might be influenced by discrepancies in triage-setting between emergency medical dispatch centre and ambulance crews (ACR) on the scene resulting in overloaded emergency departments (ED) and ambulance activities. The aim of this study was to identify such discrepancies by reviewing ambulance transports within a metropolitan city in the western region of Sweden. METHODS: All data regarding ambulance transports in Gothenburg, Sweden, during a 6-month period were obtained and analyzed by reviewing the available registry. RESULTS: There was a discrepancy between emergency medical dispatch centre and ACR in priority setting, which may result in a number of unnecessary transports to the hospital with consequent overloading of ED and a negative impact on ambulance availability. CONCLUSION: Appropriate ambulance use is one important part of emergency preparedness. Overuse results in decreased emergency medical services (EMS) availability and ED-overcrowding. Several factors, such as an imprecise triage system and increased public demands, may influence such overutilization. Improving the triage system and comprehensive public education on appropriate use of ambulances are two important steps toward a better use of national EMS resources.

Training of attention and memory deficits in children with acquired brain injury.

UNLABELLED: This pilot study concerns cognitive rehabilitation of children with acquired brain injury (ABI). AIM: The aim is threefold; to determine (1) whether the Amsterdam Memory and Attention Training for Children (AMAT-C) programme for children with ABI can be integrated in the child's school, (2) whether supervision in the school-setting maintains the child's motivation throughout the training programme and (3) whether positive changes in memory, attention and executive functions are found with this implementation of the training method. METHODS: Seven children with memory and/or attention deficits after ABI were trained with AMAT-C. Measures used were programme evaluation questions, neuropsychological tests and a questionnaire concerning executive functions. RESULTS: Overall, children, parents and trainers were satisfied with the programme and the children were motivated throughout the programme. The children showed significant improvements in neuropsychological subtests, primarily in tests of learning and memory. No overall change in executive functions was noted. CONCLUSION: Provision of AMAT-C training and supervision at the child's school appears to ensure (1) satisfaction with the programme, (2) sustaining of motivation and (3) improvements in learning and memory.

Underweight, weight loss and related risk factors among older adults in sheltered housing--a Swedish follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Underweight and weight loss are important factors in detecting malnutrition. OBJECTIVE: To describe underweight, weight loss and related nutritional factors after 12 months among individuals 75 years or older and living in sheltered housing. A further aim was to identify possible risk factors associated with underweight and weight loss. DESIGN: This is a part of a cross-sectional follow-up study from a county in Sweden, examining the disabilities, resources and needs of 719 older adults in sheltered housing units. Data were collected twice, with a 12-month interval using the Resident Assessment Instrument. RESULTS: Among the 503 remaining chronically ill individuals with cognitive and functional disabilities, 35% were classified as underweight at the initial assessment and 38% at the second, a non-significant difference. A further analysis showed 39% had decreased weight, 27% remained stable and 28% gained weight. A weight loss of 5% occurred in 27% of the older adults and a loss of 10% occurred in 14%. Risk factors associated with being underweight and weight loss, using scales derived from the instrument were cognitive and functional decline. Dementia and Parkinson's disease, eating dependencies and constipation were the strongest risk factors when analyzed as single items. CONCLUSION: A high percentage was underweight or exhibited weight loss and several risk factors were identified. Ensuring adequate nutritional status in individuals with a variety of diseases and declining health status is challenging. Increased combined efforts using a wide range of measures, nutritional programs and routines need to be regularly implemented.

Different attitudes when handling aggressive behaviour in dementia--narratives from two caregiver groups.

This study highlights the experiences of 15 formal caregivers, during interactions with elderly residents suffering from dementia disease and showing aggressive behaviour. The purpose was to study caregivers' reflections about and attitudes to behavioural and psychiatric symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and how they dealt with the symptoms. This was done by comparing care units with high or low levels of aggressive behaviour in residents. A phenomenological-hermeneutic approach was used for the analysis of the interviews. The main themes that emerged were: a need for balance between demands and competence; and a need for support. The findings indicated the importance of a balance for the residents as well as for the caregivers, if a positive relationship was to develop. Furthermore, caregivers stated that support was crucial, not only for the residents but also for themselves, if they were expected to cope with demanding situations. Different types of support were necessary and included: confirmation, feedback, and supervision. Residents who feel appreciated and respected may be less likely to act out their frustrations in an inappropriate manner. Caregivers who strive to understand the meaning behind a resident's behaviour and who master the necessary care-giving skills, and their implementation, could be more successful at curbing distressing behaviour, than caregivers who act merely in a custodial role.

Experiencing a nurse identity: the meaning of identity to Swedish registered nurses 2 years after graduation.

RATIONALE: The professional identity and experiences of nurses have been focused upon in different studies AIM: This is a longitudinal study whose aim was to understand how nurses experience the meaning of their identity as nurses, when they are students and nurses 2 years after graduation. DESIGN: Data were collected through interviews once a year during education and two years after graduation, and were analysed using a phenomenological hermeneutic method, inspired by the philosophy of Paul Ricoeur. FINDINGS: The analyses of the narratives resulted in four perspectives: 'Having the patient in focus', 'Being a team leader', 'Preceptorship' and 'Task orientation'. The nurses did not change perspectives but the perspective showed a transition over time. CONCLUSION: The nurses' not changing perspective over time is understood as being a life paradigm, remaining throughout the years.

Registered nurses' experiences of caring for the elderly in different health-care areas.

Caring for elderly patients is an undertaking for a majority of Swedish nurses in different health-care sectors. The purpose of the study was to understand how nurses experienced the meaning of caring for elderly patients after 2 years as Registered Nurses. Interviews were conducted with 20 nurses 2 years after graduation. Data were analysed with a phenomenological-hermeneutic method and resulted in two themes: (i) providing the elderly with a sense of trust; and (ii) commitment to elderly patients. Each theme was made up of four subthemes, expressing both positive and negative aspects. Caring for the elderly means that the core of caring is in focus. Nurses need a supportive context for their care of the elderly, especially when they experience that they or their staff cannot provide the optimal quality of care for the patients.

Individualized music played for agitated patients with dementia: analysis of video-recorded sessions.

Many nursing home patients with dementia suffer from symptoms of agitation (e.g. anxiety, shouting, irritability). This study investigated whether individualized music could be used as a nursing intervention to reduce such symptoms in four patients with severe dementia. The patients were video-recorded during four sessions in four periods, including a control period without music, two periods where individualized music was played, and one period where classical music was played. The recordings were analysed by systematic observations and the Facial Action Coding System. Two patients became calmer during some of the individualized music sessions; one patient remained sitting in her armchair longer, and the other patient stopped shouting. For the two patients who were most affected by dementia, the noticeable effect of music was minimal. If the nursing staff succeed in discovering the music preferences of an individual, individualized music may be an effective nursing intervention to mitigate anxiety and agitation for some patients.

Carers' reflections about their video-recorded interactions with patients suffering from severe dementia.

Stimulated recall interviews were used in connection with carers' video-recorded interactions with patients suffering from severe dementia before, during and after a 1-year intervention involving supervision for individualized nursing care. The aim was to illuminate carers' reflections on their everyday life with the patients, and to find out if any changes took place across the intervention. A phenomenological-hermeneutic approach was used in the analysis, which revealed that carers' reflections were focused on the carers themselves, on the patients, on context and on the work itself in the shared everyday life. After repeated stimulated recall interviews, together with supervision every month, an improvement in carers' ability to verbalize their reflections and an awareness and knowledge about their own influence on care quality were seen. The interdependence between carers and patients made it necessary for the carers to cope with many complicated here-and-now situations, and in their reflections the carers kept coming back to their efforts to maintain a sense of dignity for the patients as well as for themselves. Reflection through stimulated recall seems to be an important tool for carers in dementia care to facilitate understanding and to help them learn through lived experience, thus developing their skills in nursing care.

Patient life stories and current situation as told by carers in nursing home wards.

Knowing a patient's life story is important for good nursing care of frail and vulnerable elderly people with cognitive impairments. The aim of the study was to compare patients' life stories and current situations as told by carers before and after 1 year of supervision, in which the Resident Assessment Instrument was used as a basis for individualized nursing care. Qualitative content analysis was used to disclose changes and to enable descriptions of patterns. After the intervention, two overall perspectives emerged from the analysis: the patient as a unique person with resources and abilities, despite limitations, and the carers' awareness of their own professional approach. It seemed as if the supervision and the use of a comprehensive and detailed assessment tool contributed to increased knowledge about the patients and to efforts to see them as real persons behind the dementia surface.

Review of nursing documentation in nursing home wards - changes after intervention for individualized care.

Using standardized assessment instruments may help staff identify needs, problems and resources which could be a basis for nursing care, and facilitate and improve the quality of documentation. The Resident Assessment Instrument/Minimum Data Set (RAI/MDS) especially developed for the care of elderly people, was used as a basis for individualized and documented nursing care. This study was carried out to compare nursing documentation in three nursing home wards in Sweden, before and after a one-year period of supervised intervention. The review of documentation focused on structure and content in both nursing care plans and daily notes. The greatest change seen after intervention was the writing of care plans for the individual patients. Daily notes increased both in total and within parts of the nursing process used, but reflected mostly temporary situations. Even though the documentation of nursing care increased the most, it was the theme medical treatment which was the most extensive overall. A difference was seen between computer-triggered Resident Assessment Protocol (RAP) items, obtained from the RAI/MDS assessments, and items in the nursing care plans; the former could be regarded as a means of quality assurance and of making staff aware of the need for further discussions. The RAI/MDS instrument seems to be a useful tool for the dynamic process in nursing care delivered and as a basis for documentation. The documentation should communicate a patient's situation and progress, and if staff are to be able to use it in their everyday nursing care activity, it must be well-structured and freely available. The importance of continuing education and supervision in nursing documentation for development of a reliable source of information was confirmed by the present study.

Swedish fathers' involvement in and experiences of childbirth preparation and childbirth.

OBJECTIVE: To discover the expectations and experiences of childbirth preparation and childbirth of Swedish men in order to contribute to a basis of reflections in the midwifery profession. DESIGN: Three tape-recorded interviews were performed: before and after childbirth preparation, and between one and three weeks after the baby was born. SETTING: Swedish maternity care. PARTICIPANTS: Eleven men who participated with their partners in antenatal classes. MEASUREMENTS AND FINDINGS: The interviews were analysed in several steps and included co-assessments by co-workers. Finally, an interpretation based on the concept 'vital involvement' was undertaken. Indications of vital involvement as well as various levels of involvement or distance were found. The participation in childbirth was more demanding than expected for the eleven men. They felt unprepared for an unpredictable process, the experience of time and pain, the woman's action, and their own reactions. The men who were regarded by the authors as vitally involved seemed to manage overwhelming feelings of helplessness during childbirth, to support the women, and experience the meeting with the baby positively. KEY CONCLUSION: It seems important for midwives to meet men individually, design childbirth preparation from men's perspective, follow up interpretations of the content, discuss expectations with regard to the men's role, and assess their experiences during the birth process.

Neuropsychological functioning after treatment for hematological malignancies in childhood, including autologous bone marrow transplantation.

Neuropsychological functioning and academic achievement were assessed in 26 patients 2-10 years after autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) for childhood hematological malignancies. Serial tests of general intelligence before and after ABMT were supplemented with a cross-sectional study of neuropsychological functioning. Test results for general intelligence were in the normal range and mainly unaffected over time, but below average performance in specific neuropsychological tests was found in a higher number of children than expected, especially for the variables "Strategies," "Attention," and "Memory." All school children were in regular classes; 5/15 obtained extra tutorial help and two of them had major learning difficulties. Eight young adults reported normal academic achievement. Low age at diagnosis and long time since ABMT correlated significantly with lower test results on general intelligence and "Attention," and high intensity of treatment directed to the central nervous system correlated with more learning difficulties as assessed by teachers. Children with identified problems in school were offered educational counseling based on their test profiles. To enable such counseling, it is suggested that both IQ tests and neuropsychological tests on memory and attention be included in follow-up programs for children who have received high-intensity cancer treatment.

Neuropsychological findings in children with benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes.

Benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BCECTS) is a well-known idiopathic age- and localization-related epileptic syndrome with characteristic clinical and EEG manifestations. Due to the reported benign evolution of this epilepsy syndrome, neuropsychological assessment has been considered unnecessary. However, the benign nature of BCECTS has recently been challenged: verbal dysfunction as well as impaired visuomotor coordination, specific learning disabilities, and attention deficit have been noticed. These findings prompted this research study in which all children with BCECTS attending our epilepsy clinic underwent neuropsychological assessment. Seventeen children (10 boys and seven girls) aged 7 to 14 years were investigated with a neuropsychological test battery focusing on immediate and delayed recall of auditory-verbal and visual material, verbal fluency, problem-solving ability, and visuospatial constructional ability. Raven's coloured matrices and questionnaires regarding school functioning and behaviour were also administered. The children were matched with control subjects for age, sex, and school. Children with BCECTS had significantly lower scores than their control subject partners on the neuropsychological items. Intellectual abilities did not differ and neither did school functioning or behaviour according to teachers. Parents, however, recognized greater difficulties with concentration, temperament, and impulsiveness in children with BCECTS.

Staff views on the Resident Assessment Instrument, RAI/MDS, in nursing homes, and the use of the Cognitive Performance Scale, CPS, in different levels of care in Stockholm, Sweden.

Multidimensional functional assessment is the basis of individualized care. It is especially important in the care of elderly, with the complexity of symptomatology and often with cognitive impairment present. An assessment instrument for elderly persons, used in this study, is the Resident Assessment Instrument/Minimum Data Set (RAI/MDS) and its incorporated MDS Cognitive Performance Scale (CPS). The purposes of the study were to demonstrate the cognitive performance in elderly persons in different levels of care by using the CPS and to elicit the views of staff on use of the RAI/MDS. Cognitive impairment was found in 1276 elderly persons in six levels of care studied, an important factor to consider when organizing care of elderly. An intervention study was carried out for 1 year in three nursing home wards, with training and supervision in implementation of the RAI/MDS including individualized and documented care. Part of a questionnaire was used to evaluate staff (n = 50) views on using the instrument. A majority of the staff thought that the RAI/MDS could contribute to the improvement of quality of care, documentation in nursing records, and in co-operation and engagement. Further research is necessary to elicit more knowledge on the usefulness and benefits of the instrument.

Probable reasons for expressed agitation in persons with dementia.

Nursing home patients with dementia were videotaped in three previous studies. Sixty sequences of nine patients exhibiting agitated behaviors were examined to identify the most probable antecedents to agitation. Probable reasons were interpreted and applied to the Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold model, which suggests that agitation is stress related. Analysis suggests that agitation often serves as a form of communication. Two underlying reasons seem to be that the patient had loss of control over the situation and deficient autonomy. The most common causes for expressed agitation were interpreted as discomfort, a wish to be served immediately, conflict between patients or with nursing staff, reactions to environmental noises or sound, and invasion of personal space. It is recommended that nursing staff promote autonomy and independency for this group of patients whenever possible. By evaluating probable reasons for expressed agitation, the nursing staff can take steps to prevent or alleviate agitation.

Descriptions of suffering in connection with life values. Healthy individuals' reflections in interviews.

Nine semistructured interviews with attendant questions were conducted with the purpose of elucidating how healthy individuals describe suffering and life values in their reflections upon active euthanasia. In order to find the intended meaning in utterances, the interviews were interpreted step by step. The point of departure was the following question: What expressions of suffering and what expressions of life values can be found in the text? A connection was found between the interviewees' descriptions of suffering and life values in their reflections upon active euthanasia. The interviewees who considered close relations to be a value of life expressed suffering as dependence, compassion, violation, abandonment and feelings of guilt, while those to whom health was a value of life expressed suffering as torment, dependence, physical pain, feebleness, hopelessness and dying. Those who saw autonomy as a value of life expressed suffering as dependence and violation and those to whom doing good was a value of life expressed suffering as compassion. When organizing health care and deciding about the response to suffering, it seems important to strive for a response built upon the individual patient's description of suffering and life values.

Music and other strategies to improve the care of agitated patients with dementia. Interviews with experienced staff.

Many patients with dementia symptoms display forms of agitation such as the repeating of words, restlessness and aggression. These forms of behaviour may inflict strain on the co-patients and the caregivers. In this study, 17 experienced formal caregivers from nursing homes and collective residential units were interviewed about their experiences of agitated patients with dementia and strategies to improve their care. The questions were open except for specific questions about sound, music, and opinions about pharmacological treatment. A calm atmosphere and a slow pace emerged as important strategies to control agitation. Fixed routines could develop this. The mixing of lucid and agitated dementia patients appeared as a major problem, because some lucid patients became angry when patients with dementia displayed agitation. Irritability in one patient could trigger agitation in other patients but was possible to stop at an early stage. Several responders had successfully used music to calm individual agitated patients. Music seemed to be an underestimated nursing intervention to control agitation in daily life, but uncontrolled sound could cause agitation in the patients and stress in the nursing staff.

Intracerebroventricular administration of GM1 ganglioside to presenile Alzheimer patients.

We have conducted a preliminary study of the optimum conditions for a therapeutic effect of ganglioside GM1 in Alzheimer's disease. Five patients with the early onset form of Alzheimer's disease (AD type I) received the ganglioside by intracerebroventricular administration for 12 months. Bilateral stereotactic punction of the frontal horns of the ventricular system was performed, and shunt catheters were implanted and connected to a programmable pump. The optimum GM1 dose varied between 20 and 30 mg/24 h. Neurological neuropsychological, psychiatric and neurochemical examinations were performed 7 days before surgery and on days 30, 90, 180 and 360. No patient found the surgery difficult and no patient or relative regretted that they participated in the study. The patients became more active and safer in relation to others and to performance of various activities from day 90. The cerebrospinal fluid level of the monoamine metabolites homovanillic acid and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and the neuropeptide somatostatin increased.

Dinner music for demented patients: analysis of video-recorded observations.

At a nursing home ward for demented patients, selections of dinner music were played during three periods of 2 weeks. At the end of the study was a control period. The reactions of five patients to three different types of music were registered by video observations. This study showed that the patients were affected by music, particularly soothing music. For example, it was found that when music was played one of the study's restless patients became unusually calm whereas another fed herself more than usual. The patients spent more time with dinner when music was played. Dinner music made the patients eat more calmly. Music as a nursing tool is an intervention that is simple to realize and worth trying. A tentative conclusion of this study is that music can beneficially affect restless and agitated demented patients.