British Orthopaedic Association's Standards for Trauma (BOAST): Care of the older or frail patient with orthopaedic injuries.

Managing elderly, frail patients with orthopaedic injuries, remains a challenge. Their poor bone stock and associated comorbidities makes this special cohort of patients unique in terms of their needs and the risk of developing complications. Published on line in 2019 (www.boa.ac.uk/uploads/assets/04b3091a-5398-4a3c-a01396c8194bfe16/the%20care%20of%20the%20older%20or%20frail%20orthopaedic%20trauma%20patient.pdf) the British Orthopaedic Association's Standards for Trauma focusing on the care of the older or frail patient with orthopaedic injuries, provides a contemporary guide for the holistic management of the spectrum of injury and pre-existing needs of this population.

Nurses' experiences of delivering acute orthopaedic care to patients with dementia.

BACKGROUND: Nurses who care for acute patients with dementia in a hospital setting report a variety of challenges in regard to meeting the complex needs of their patients. In particular, known barriers to optimal care include a lack of knowledge about dementia, lack of dementia-friendly acute clinical environments, lack of time to care for the individual patient and a prioritised focus on the medical issues that triggered the hospitalisation. Research to date has not specifically focused on nurses' experiences of caring for people with dementia in orthopaedic wards. AIM: This study investigates nurses' experiences of caring for people with dementia, in an acute orthopaedic hospital ward setting. DESIGN: Qualitative interviews. METHODS: This qualitative study employs hermeneutic phenomenological research methods. Eight Danish nurses were interviewed in an orthopaedic ward about their experiences in caring for orthopaedic patients with dementia. Nurses with various levels of expertise were selected for interview so that a full range of nursing experiences could inform the research study. RESULTS: The results of the study revealed two major themes: "Nurse communication and patient information" and "Care compromise", with three and four sub-themes, respectively. These findings are used to illustrate how, and why, nurses' experiences of caring for patients with dementia contribute a discontentment and negative preconceived perception by some nurses towards their acute care of patients with chronic dementia. The results are discussed in the context of Interactional Nursing Practice theory and describe the challenges experienced by acute care orthopaedic nurses who care for patients with dementia. CONCLUSION: Orthopaedic nurses find it challenging and professionally difficult to provide person-centred care for patients with dementia during an acute orthopaedic hospital admission. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Orthopaedic nurses should work to adopt a positive attitude, and person-centred approach, towards dementia care. It is also recommended that the electronic patient record should be supplemented by oral dissemination to some extent, as information, plans of action and knowledge about the care situation for patients with dementia has a tendency to drown in chronological data presentation.

Reducing attendance at trauma clinics by providing first-point-of-contact treatment.

In 2016, the urgent and ambulatory care service in Oxfordshire formed part of a cross-organisational partnership working group. The group consisted of Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust community minor injury units (MIUs) at Abingdon and Witney, and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) trauma and orthopaedic specialties and emergency department (ED). The aim was to redesign fracture management pathways and delivery of definitive care at patients' first point of contact with the NHS. This article discusses the implementation of the trauma pathways in two of Oxfordshire's community MIUs. In total, a range of seven common fracture pathways seen in the ED and community MIUs were redesigned so that patients were treated definitively at the first point of contact and discharged with a safety net supported by leaflets; a direct contact facility to OUH trauma specialties was part of the safety net allowing patients to self-refer to the trauma clinic if they had any concerns. In total, 513 patients were treated and discharged on see, treat and discharge fracture pathways in the first year of pathway operation, which represented a 21% decrease in patient referral rates to the trauma clinic at OUH compared with the previous year.

Identifying and managing non-complex fractures.

Helen Chilvers, Senior Lecturer in Nursing, University of Lincoln, HChilvers@lincoln.ac.uk , emphasises the importance of understanding the bone-healing process and describes the care of patients with bony injuries.

Fingertip injuries in children: a review of the literature.

Fingertip injuries in children are a common presentation in emergency settings. These injuries result from a variety of mechanisms with most occurring at home by crushing fingers in a door and are distressing for the child and parent or carer. It is essential that emergency clinicians respond competently and confidently. This article reviews the literature on the management of fingertip crush injuries to establish, where possible, best evidence. The article also describes the anatomy and assessment of the finger in relation to fractures of the distal phalanx, nail bed injury and subungual haematoma, and considers the use of antibiotics in the treatment of a subungual haematoma with a distal phalanx fracture.

Increased care demand and medical costs after falls in nursing homes: A Delphi study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: To estimate the increased care demand and medical costs caused by falls in nursing homes. BACKGROUND: There is compelling evidence that falls in nursing homes are preventable. However, proper implementation of evidence-based guidelines to prevent falls is often hindered by insufficient management support, staff time and funding. DESIGN: A three-round Delphi study. METHODS: A panel of 41 experts, all working in nursing homes in the Netherlands, received three online questionnaires to estimate the extra hours of care needed during the first year after the fall. This was estimated for ten falls categories with different levels of injury severity, in three scenarios, that is a best-case, a typical-case and a worst-case scenario. We calculated the costs of falls by multiplying the mean amount of extra hours that the participants spent on the care for a resident after a fall with their hourly wages. RESULTS: In case of a noninjurious fall, the extra time spent on the faller is on average almost 5 hr, expressed in euros that add to € 193. The extra staff time and costs of falls increased with increasing severity of injury. In the case of a fracture of the lower limb, the extra staff time increased to 132 hr, expressed in euros that is € 4,604. In the worst-case scenario of a fracture of the lower limb, the extra staff time increased to 284 hr, expressed in euros that is € 10,170. CONCLUSIONS: Falls in nursing homes result in a great deal of extra staff time spent on care, with extra costs varying between € 193 for a noninjurious fall and € 10,170 for serious falls. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study could aid decision-making on investing in appropriate implementation of falls prevention interventions in nursing homes.

Nurse Practitioner Fracture Liaison Role: A Concept Analysis.

BACKGROUND: With the worldwide growing aging population, the high prevalence of osteoporosis-related fractures is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Healthcare costs for treating fractures and subsequent complications will increase to $25 billion by 2025. PURPOSE: This article articulates a comprehensive concept analysis of the nurse practitioner fracture liaison (NPFL) role to provide new insights into the role of nurse practitioner in osteoporosis care coordination. METHODS: Walker and Avant's concept analysis framework was used to identify the attributes, antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents of the NPFL role. Model cases illustrated real-life examples of the NPFL role. CONCLUSION: The impact of NPFL role is rather novel in promoting healthy bone living at local, national, and international communities. Linking the refined outcome of the concept analysis of the NPFL role to osteoporosis care helps close osteoporosis care gaps, improve healthcare outcomes, and alleviate financial burden by reducing secondary fracture and complications.

To log-roll or not to log-roll - That is the question! A review of the use of the log-roll for patients with pelvic fractures.

Pelvic fractures are one of the most serious injuries in polytrauma - massive haemorrhage is a major complication and the leading cause of death. The assessment and early management of these injuries in the Emergency Department (ED) focuses on the recognition of haemodynamic instability and should follow Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) guidelines. The log-roll technique, although an accepted practice in trauma care, has been reported to be inadvisable when a pelvic fracture is suspected. This paper, which includes a case study, briefly explains the pathophysiology and initial management of pelvic fractures. It aims to emphasise how the use of the log-roll can affect the haemodynamic stability of a patient with a pelvic fracture, highlighting gaps in research, along with the ethical and legal implications associated with polytrauma care. It also encourages practitioners to consider reasonable alternatives to the log-roll technique when beneficial and applicable.

Effect of tailored educational intervention to improve self-care maintenance and quality of life in postmenopausal osteoporotic women after a fragility fracture: the Guardian Angel® study.

Osteoporosis has a significant impact on affected patients. Healthcare providers should encourage postmenopausal women to improve self-care maintenance behaviors and quality of life following a fragility fracture. The aims of this study were to a) develop two new instruments for measuring, respectively, self-care maintenance and quality of life, in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis; b) evaluate the effectiveness of a tailored educational intervention to improve self-care maintenance and quality of life after a fragility fracture in postmenopausal women. For the first aim, a cross-sectional study will be performed; for the second aim, a multicenter, quasi-experimental, interventional design will be used. A convenience sample of postmenopausal women admitted to 44 hospitals in Italy with a diagnosis of bone fragility fracture will be enrolled and surveyed at 7, 30, 60 and 180 days after discharge. Trained nurses will conduct the educational intervention. The new instruments will allow the measurement of self-care and quality of life in postmenopausal women following a fragility fracture. Through tailored educational interventions, women can be helped to take their medications correctly, adopt a healthy lifestyle, reduce the occurrence of bone fractures, and have a better quality of life.

Experience of patients waiting for a hip or pelvic fracture surgery ­ a qualitative study / Wie Patient(inn)en mit einer Hüft- oder Beckenfraktur das Warten auf die Operation erleben - eine qualitative Studie

Background: In Swiss hospitals, patients are waiting for a hip fracture surgery due to a variety of reasons, despite the guidelines recommending a rapid surgical treatment. Quantitative studies show that long delays have a negative impact on the physical and psychological health. Caregivers are confronted directly with waiting patients. Often they feel insecure and helpless, because little is known about how patients experience their waiting period. Aim: In order to derive implications for nursing care, the study describes the experiences of patients with hip fracture while waiting for this specific surgery. Method: A qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews was chosen. The data were analysed with the open coding method by Saldaña. Results: Due to recruitment problems, patients with pelvic fracture were subsequently included. The participants ­ 33 to 89 year old ­ had an average waiting time of 68 hours. This condition has been perceived as a standstill and waste of time. Adequate information and attentive care, improved the confidence in the medical team and understanding of the situation, eased the waiting period, while physical and psychological distress such as pain, immobility or worries influenced it negatively. Under these circumstances, patients could hardly occupy themselves. They let time pass and appreciated distraction by their relatives. Conclusions: Consequently, reliable, consistent information and a compassionate, attentive care are core elements in caring for patients with delayed surgery.

Condições clínicas de idosos vítimas de trauma musculoesquelético1 / Condiciones clínicas de ancianos víctimas de trauma musculoesquelético / Clinical conditions of elderly who are victims of muscle-skeletal trauma1

RESUMO O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar as condições clínicas do idoso com traumas musculoesqueléticos. Estudo transversal, descritivo e observacional realizado com 133 idosos hospitalizados com traumas de membros inferiores. Os dados foram coletados entre janeiro e agosto de 2014. Aplicou-se formulário fundamentado na teoria de Henderson. As condições clínicas dos idosos foram avaliadas a partir das variáveis: quedas da própria altura, uso de medicação, acuidade visual e auditiva, comprometimento musculoesquelético, tabagismo, uso de álcool e doenças de base. Analisou-se a associação entre a queda da própria altura e as características demográficas/clínicas pelos testes de □2 e razão de verossimilhança, calculou-se as RCs e seus IC95%. Predominou o sexo feminino (52,6%), média de idade 78,7±9,9 anos. Adoecimentos como hipertensão e diabetes favorecem a ocorrência de quedas. Verificou-se comprometimento da faixa etária de 79 a 98 anos com fraturas de colo de fêmur (RC= 1,07; IC95% 0,42-270) e trocânter (RC=1,52; IC95% 0,59-3,92). Dentre as necessidades fundamentais avaliadas, destacou-se: dependência total para alimentar-se, uso de fraldas, queda da própria altura, diminuição visual e fraturas de fêmur. Os resultados apontam para o despertar do enfermeiro no atendimento dessa parcela populacional de modo a planejar cuidados preventivos de complicações e reestabelecer sua capacidade funcional.

RESUMEN El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar las condiciones clínicas del anciano con traumas musculoesqueléticos. Estudio transversal, descriptivo y observacional realizado con 133 ancianos hospitalizados con traumas de miembros inferiores. Los datos fueron recolectados entre enero y agosto de 2014. Se aplicó un formulario fundamentado en la teoría de Henderson. Las condiciones clínicas de los ancianos fueron evaluadas a partir de las variables: caídas de la propia altura, uso de medicación, acuidad visual y auditiva, comprometimiento musculoesquelético, tabaquismo, uso de alcohol y enfermedades de base. Se analizó la asociación entre la caída de la propia altura y las características demográficas/clínicas por las pruebas de □2 y la razón de verosimilitud, se calcularon las RCs y sus IC95%. Predominó el sexo femenino (52,6%), promedio de edad 78,7±9,9 años. Enfermedades como hipertensión y diabetes favorecen la ocurrencia de caídas. Se verificó comprometimiento de la franja de edad de 79 a 98 años con fracturas del cuello del fémur (RC= 1,07; IC95% 0,42-270) y trocánter (RC=1,52; IC95% 0,59-3,92). Entre las necesidades fundamentales evaluadas, se destacó: dependencia total para alimentarse, uso de pañales, caída de la propia altura, disminución visual y fracturas de fémur. Los resultados señalan para el despertar del enfermero en la atención de esta parte de la población de modo a planificar cuidados preventivos de complicaciones y restablecer su capacidad funcional.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical conditions of the elderly with muscle-skeletal trauma. A cross-sectional, descriptive and observational study was carried out with 133 elderly patients hospitalized with lower limb traumas. The data were collected between January and August 2014. A form based on Henderson's theory was applied. The clinical conditions of the elderly were evaluated from the following variables: height, medication use, visual and auditory acuity, muscle-skeletal impairment, smoking, alcohol use and basic diseases. The association between height decrease and demographic/clinical characteristics by the □2 and likelihood ratio tests was analyzed; the CRs and their IC95% were calculated. The prevalence was female (52.6%), mean age 78.7 ± 9.9 years-old. Diseases such as hypertension and diabetes favor the occurrence of falls. There was a compromise of the age group 79-98 with femoral neck fractures (CR = 1.07, IC95% 0.42-270) and trochanter (CR = 1.52, IC95% 0.59-3, 92). Among the fundamental needs assessed, the following stand out: total dependence on feeding, diaper use, height decrease, visual impairment and femoral fractures. The results point to the nurses' awakening in the care of this population in order to plan preventive care of complications and reestablish their functional capacity.

Framing moving and handling as a complex healthcare intervention within the acute care of older people with osteoporosis: a qualitative study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate healthcare staff's views and experiences of caring for older hospitalised adults (aged 60+) with osteoporosis focusing on moving and handling. Specific objectives were to explore the composition of manual handling risk assessments and interventions in osteoporosis. BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease that reduces bone density and causes increased fracture risk. Incidence rises with age and osteoporotic fractures cause increased morbidity and mortality. It is a major global health problem. In the UK older hospitalised adults are normally screened for falls risk but not necessarily for osteoporosis. As presentation of osteoporosis is normally silent until fractures are evident, it is frequently undiagnosed. Healthcare staff's knowledge of osteoporosis is often suboptimal and specific manual handling implications are under-researched. DESIGN: An exploratory qualitative content analysis research design informed by critical realism. METHODS: The purposive sample comprised 26 nursing and allied health professionals. Semi-structured interviews addressed topics including knowledge of osteoporosis, implications for acute care, moving and handling and clinical guidelines. Qualitative content data analysis was used. RESULTS: Awareness of osteoporosis prevalence in older populations varies and implications for nursing are indistinct to nonspecialists. In-hospital fractures potentially linked to suboptimal moving and handling seemed rare, but prospective studies are needed. Categories of 'Understanding moving and handling as routine care or as a healthcare intervention', with further categories 'healthcare practitioners' capacities and capabilities for dealing with people with osteoporosis' and 'the structural and organisational context for moving and handling' are reported alongside safety, frailty and dependency dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: This study informs moving and handling in higher risk groups such as osteoporosis. Clinical knowledge/expertise is required when adapting generic manual handling guidelines to specific patients/contexts. Patients' experiences of moving and handling have received limited attention. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Increased focus on musculoskeletal conditions and moving and handling implications is required.

[Anesthesiological care in orthogeriatric co-management. Perioperative treatment of geriatric trauma patients]. / Anästhesiologische Betreuung im orthogeriatrischen Co­Management. Perioperative Versorgung des geriatrischen Traumapatienten.

Elderly patients increasingly need to undergo surgery under anesthesia, especially following trauma. A timely interdisciplinary approach to the perioperative management of these patients is decisive for the long-term outcome. Orthogeriatric co-management, which includes geriatricians and anesthesiologists from an early stage, is of great benefit for geriatric patients. Patient age, comorbidities and self-sufficiency in activities of daily life are decisive for an anesthesiological assessment of the state of health and preoperative risk stratification. If necessary additional investigations, such as echocardiography must be carried out, in order to guarantee optimal perioperative anesthesiological management. Certain medical factors can delay the initiation of anesthesia and it is absolutely necessary that these are taken into consideration for surgical management. Not every form of anesthesia is equally suitable for every geriatric patient.

Actions to improve documented pain assessment in adult patients with injury to the upper extremities at the Emergency Department - A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Pain is one of the most common symptoms in the Emergency Department (ED) and is the cause of more than half of the visits to the ED. Several attempts to improve pain management have been done by using, for example, standards/guidelines and education. To our knowledge no one has investigated if and how different actions over a longitudinal period affect the frequency of pain documentation in the ED. Therefore the aim of this study was to describe the frequency of documented pain assessments in the ED. METHOD: A cross-sectional study during 2006-2012 was conducted. The care of patients with wrist/arm fractures or soft tissue injuries on upper extremities was evaluated. RESULT: Despite various actions our result shows that mandatory pain assessment in the patient's computerized medical record was the only successful intervention to improve the frequencies of documentation of pain assessment during care in the ED. During the study period, no documentation of reassessment of pain was found despite the fact that all patients received pain medication. CONCLUSION: To succeed in increasing the frequency of documented pain assessment, mandatory pain rating is a successful action. However, the re-evaluation of documented pain assessment was nonexisting.