Patients’ perspectives of falling while in an acute care hospital and suggestions for prevention.

Appl Nurs Res. 2010 Nov;23(4):238-41

Authors: Carroll DL, Dykes PC, Hurley AC

Patient falls and falls with injury are the largest category of reportable incidents and a significant problem in hospitals. Patients are an important part of fall prevention; therefore, we asked patients who have fallen about reason for fall and how falls could be prevented. There were two categories for falls: the need to toilet coupled with loss of balance and unexpected weakness. Patients asked to be included in fall risk communication and asked to be part of the team to prevent them from falling. Nurses need to share a consistent and clear message that they are there for patient safety.

PMID: 21035035 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Treatment of Heart Failure in Long-term Dialysis Patients: A Reappraisal.

Am J Kidney Dis. 2011 Feb 22;

Authors: Wang AY, Sanderson JE

Heart failure is one of the most frequent cardiac complications in patients with end-stage renal disease receiving long-term hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis and is associated strongly with a poor prognosis. Despite the significant morbidity and mortality associated with heart failure, there are very limited therapeutic options proved to prevent and treat heart failure in dialysis patients. This limitation largely reflects the paucity of adequately powered prospective randomized clinical trials that have examined the efficacy of different therapeutic options in long-term dialysis patients with heart failure. In this article, the second in a series discussing the management of heart failure in dialysis patients, current therapeutic options for heart failure in the maintenance dialysis population are reviewed and potential novel therapeutic options are discussed.

PMID: 21349619 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Prevention of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy by Bolus Injection of Sodium Bicarbonate in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease Undergoing Emergent Coronary Procedures.

Am J Cardiol. 2011 Feb 22;

Authors: Ueda H, Yamada T, Masuda M, Okuyama Y, Morita T, Furukawa Y, Koji T, Iwasaki Y, Okada T, Kawasaki M, Kuramoto Y, Naito T, Fujimoto T, Komuro I, Fukunami M

We conducted a prospective study to determine whether a bolus injection of sodium bicarbonate before emergent coronary procedures in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) might prevent contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). We enrolled 59 patients with CKD, defined by a serum creatinine concentration of >1.1 mg/dl or an estimated glomerular filtration rate of <60 ml/min, who were scheduled at admission to undergo an emergent coronary procedure. The patients were randomized to receive a bolus intravenous injection of 154 mEq/L of sodium bicarbonate (n = 30) or sodium chloride (n = 29) at the dose of 0.5 ml/kg, before contrast administration, followed by infusion of 154 mEq/L sodium bicarbonate at 1 ml/kg/hour for 6 hours in both groups. The primary end point was the occurrence of CIN, defined as an increase by >25% or >0.5 mg/dl of the serum creatinine level within 2 days after the procedure. In the sodium bicarbonate group, the serum creatinine concentration remained unchanged within 2 days of contrast administration (from 1.32 ± 0.46 to 1.38 ± 0.60 mg/dl, p = 0.33). In contrast, it had increased in the sodium chloride group (1.51 ± 0.59 to 1.91 ± 1.19 mg/dl, p = 0.006). The incidence of CIN was significantly lower in the sodium bicarbonate group than in the sodium chloride group (3.3% vs 27.6%, p = 0.01). In conclusion, rapid alkalization by bolus injection of sodium bicarbonate was effective for the prevention of CIN in patients with CKD undergoing emergent procedures.

PMID: 21349483 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Related Articles

Inpatient falls: the impact of family and personal caregivers.

Appl Nurs Res. 2009 Aug;22(3):159-65

Authors: Tzeng HM, Yin CY

The impact of family and personal caregivers on inpatients with fall-related injuries in a Taiwanese medical center is investigated in this study. Taiwan has a prevalent custom for families to accompany their hospitalized loved ones during hospital stays. During the 95-day data collection period, 228 falls occurred. Results showed that if no family members were present when a patient fell, the fall-related injury was less serious. Nurses in Taiwan tend to depend on family members to help provide patient care. Regardless of whether an inpatient has a family member present, frequent bedside nursing visits are important to prevent falls.

PMID: 19616163 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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