Exploring older people's experiences of the interpersonal care relationship between nurses and patients during hospitalization in the pandemic period: A qualitative study.

AIM: This article presents the findings of a qualitative study focusing on the experiences of people aged over 70 years in the interpersonal nurse-patient care relationship in hospital settings during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim was to analyse different aspects of this relationship, including nurses' behaviour and caring attitudes, the person-centred model of care, patients' involvement in their own care and communication in the hospital context. DESIGN: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted on the basis of an interpretative framework. METHODS: Six focus groups were conducted. A total of 34 participants were purposively recruited from three nursing homes in Spain, Italy and Portugal. Specific inclusion criteria were used to select participants. RESULTS: Five main categories were identified. Analysis revealed the importance of empathy and sensitivity in caring relationships, as well as the need for personalized and patient-centred care. The importance of effective communication and recognition of ageist behaviour by professionals was highlighted. In addition, independent of the pandemic, situational factors in the hospital environment were identified that influence the interpersonal care relationship. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the need to promote a person-centred model of care that takes into account the specific preferences and needs of older people. This is achieved by identifying elements of the interpersonal nurse-patient relationship. In addition to highlighting the disparity of opinion regarding an active or passive role in self-care and decision making, the importance of addressing ageism and improving communication is emphasized. WHAT PROBLEM DID THE STUDY ADDRESS?: The importance of the patient-nurse relationship in hospital care has been highlighted in previous studies. Critical elements of the patient care experience have been identified as empathy and effective communication. Ageism in healthcare has been recognized as a potential barrier to patient-centred care. WHAT WERE THE KEY FINDINGS?: The main findings highlight the importance of empathy and personalized care, emphasize the importance of effective communication and address ageist behaviours in the nurse-patient relationship. WHERE AND WHO WILL THE RESEARCH IMPACT?: By highlighting the need for person-centred care and improved communication strategies, particularly in the context of caring for older patients during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, this research will have an impact on healthcare professionals, policy makers and carers. REPORTING METHOD: The COREQ guideline was used. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: This study adopted a collaborative approach to ensure that patient perspectives were integrated into the research process. We organized regular focus groups. Patients were actively involved in shaping the research questions, refining the study design and interpreting the emerging findings. Their valuable input helped us to understand the nuances of their experience and to prioritize the aspects that were critical to their well-being. In addition, their insights guided the development of practical recommendations aimed at improving the interpersonal care relationship between nurses and patients in hospital settings, ensuring that their voices were heard and reflected in the proposed interventions. This patient-centred approach fostered a sense of empowerment among the participants. It reinforced the notion that their experiences and opinions are integral to shaping healthcare practice.

Comparación entre dos biomodelos murinos (ratones Balb/c y ratas Sprague Dawley) en el ensayo de micronúcleos transplacentarios / Comparison between two murine biomodles (Balb/c mice and Sprague Dawley rats) in a transplacental micronucleus assay

Objetivo: comparar fetos de ratones Balb/c y ratas Sprague Dawley como biomodelos en el ensayo de micronúcleos transplacentarios, determinando la frecuencia espontánea e inducida, y vincular el efecto genotóxico y reproductivo. Métodos: se formaron tres grupos experimentales/especie: control negativo (simulacro), control solvente NaCl (0,9 %) y ciclofosfamida 50 mg/kg. Todos los grupos se administraron por vía intraperitoneal los días 14, 15 y 16 de la gestación, y 24 h después de la última inoculación en ratones y 48 h en ratas se procedió a realizar la eutanasia de las gestantes, para obtener las muestras de hígado fetal. Resultados: los fetos de ratas Sprague Dawley demostraron tener menores índices de citotoxicidad y de genotoxicidad, y se obtuvieron los resultados más bajos de micronúcleos endógenos. Los mejores resultados de inducción de citotoxicidad y genotoxicidad por la alta formación de micronúcleos con ciclofosfamida fueron en fetos de ratas Sprague Dawley, los que resultaron más susceptibles al daño genotóxico de este mutágeno. Se corroboró el poder clastogénico transplacentario de la ciclofosfamida, vinculando este ensayo de genotoxicidad a toxicología de la reproducción. Conclusiones: los resultados sugieren el mejor uso de fetos de ratas Sprague Dawley como biomodelo en este ensayo cuando es utilizada la ciclofosfamida como control positivo por la vía y dosis estudiada; además, se pudieran utilizar en la evaluación de nuevas drogas con carácter antigenotóxico por vía transplacentaria.

Objectives: to compare fetuses from Balb/c mice and Sprague Dawley rats as biomodels in transplacental micronuclei assay and to determine the spontaneous and induced frequency to link the genotoxic and reproductive effect. Methods: three experimental groups by species were formed: a negative control (simulation), NaCl (0.9 %) solvent control and 50 mg/kg cyclophosphamide. All the groups were intraperitoneally administered at 14th, 15th and 16th days of gestation, and 24 h after the last inoculation in mice and 48 h in rats, it proceeded to perform euthanasia in the pregnant animals to obtain the fetal liver samples. Results: the fetuses from Sprague Dawley exhibited smaller cytotoxicity and genotoxicity indexes, and the lowest endogenous micronucleus results. The best results of the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity induction for the high micronucleus formation with cyclophosphamide were found in Sprague Dawley rat fetuses, being more susceptible to the genotoxic damage by this mutagen. The clastogenic transplacental power of cyclophosphamide was confirmed whereas this genotoxicity assay was linked to reproduction toxicology. Conclusions: these results suggest that the Sprague Dawley rats fetuses could be better used as biomodels in this assay when cyclophosphamide is employed as positive control through the way of administration and the studied dosage. It could be similarly used in the evaluation of new antigenotoxic drugs with antigenotoxic effect through transplacental administration.

Comparación entre dos biomodelos murinos (ratones Balb/c y ratas Sprague Dawley) en el ensayo de micronúcleos transplacentarios / Comparison between two murine biomodles (Balb/c mice and Sprague Dawley rats) in a transplacental micronucleus assay

Objetivo: comparar fetos de ratones Balb/c y ratas Sprague Dawley como biomodelos en el ensayo de micronúcleos transplacentarios, determinando la frecuencia espontánea e inducida, y vincular el efecto genotóxico y reproductivo. Métodos: se formaron tres grupos experimentales/especie: control negativo (simulacro), control solvente NaCl (0,9 %) y ciclofosfamida 50 mg/kg. Todos los grupos se administraron por vía intraperitoneal los días 14, 15 y 16 de la gestación, y 24 h después de la última inoculación en ratones y 48 h en ratas se procedió a realizar la eutanasia de las gestantes, para obtener las muestras de hígado fetal. Resultados: los fetos de ratas Sprague Dawley demostraron tener menores índices de citotoxicidad y de genotoxicidad, y se obtuvieron los resultados más bajos de micronúcleos endógenos. Los mejores resultados de inducción de citotoxicidad y genotoxicidad por la alta formación de micronúcleos con ciclofosfamida fueron en fetos de ratas Sprague Dawley, los que resultaron más susceptibles al daño genotóxico de este mutágeno. Se corroboró el poder clastogénico transplacentario de la ciclofosfamida, vinculando este ensayo de genotoxicidad a toxicología de la reproducción. Conclusiones: los resultados sugieren el mejor uso de fetos de ratas Sprague Dawley como biomodelo en este ensayo cuando es utilizada la ciclofosfamida como control positivo por la vía y dosis estudiada; además, se pudieran utilizar en la evaluación de nuevas drogas con carácter antigenotóxico por vía transplacentaria.(AU)

Objectives: to compare fetuses from Balb/c mice and Sprague Dawley rats as biomodels in transplacental micronuclei assay and to determine the spontaneous and induced frequency to link the genotoxic and reproductive effect. Methods: three experimental groups by species were formed: a negative control (simulation), NaCl (0.9 %) solvent control and 50 mg/kg cyclophosphamide. All the groups were intraperitoneally administered at 14th, 15th and 16th days of gestation, and 24 h after the last inoculation in mice and 48 h in rats, it proceeded to perform euthanasia in the pregnant animals to obtain the fetal liver samples. Results: the fetuses from Sprague Dawley exhibited smaller cytotoxicity and genotoxicity indexes, and the lowest endogenous micronucleus results. The best results of the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity induction for the high micronucleus formation with cyclophosphamide were found in Sprague Dawley rat fetuses, being more susceptible to the genotoxic damage by this mutagen. The clastogenic transplacental power of cyclophosphamide was confirmed whereas this genotoxicity assay was linked to reproduction toxicology. Conclusions: these results suggest that the Sprague Dawley rats fetuses could be better used as biomodels in this assay when cyclophosphamide is employed as positive control through the way of administration and the studied dosage. It could be similarly used in the evaluation of new antigenotoxic drugs with antigenotoxic effect through transplacental administration.(AU)

Comparison in the efficiency of different murine lines for genotoxicity assays.

The aim of this research was to compare the efficiency of different murine lines for genotoxicity assays. Rats and mice of different murine lines were used. The spontaneous and induced indexes were evaluated according to alkaline comet assay of peripheral blood leukocytes, micronucleus and chromosomic aberration assay of bone marrow cell, and sperm head morphology assay. In most of the evaluated assays the line of Balb/c mice turned out to be the ideal biomodel, with less spontaneous indexes and high induced indexes to the mutagen used; allowing to detect in a narrow error margin those substances that are classified of very low genotoxicity. These results demonstrate that genetically the line of Balb/c mice in both sexes is more stable than the other ones evaluated. This suggests the use of the Balb/c line on in vivo genotoxicity assay will increase sensibility and robustness.