Protecting Patient Safety and Preventing Modifiable Complications After Acute Ischemic Stroke

Aspiration pneumonia in nursing literature-a mapping review

Introduction

Aspiration pneumonia (AP) is an infection of the lungs caused by inhalation of material. The reported incidences vary across literature and clinical populations and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Management of AP is best carried out by a multidisciplinary team.

Methods

This aim of this review was to collate and describe the available evidence on AP to develop a greater understanding of the concept of AP as it is represented in the nursing literature. As a collaborative team, we undertook the six stages of a systematic mapping review. We searched for the term aspiration pneumonia in 200 peer reviewed nursing journals across 10 databases, over a ten-year period (2013-2023).

Results

In this review, 293 papers were coded. Dysphagia, oral health and tube feeding emerged as the most frequent risk factors for AP, and the most reported factors for preventing this condition. Mortality was the most commonly described consequence of AP, followed by hospitalisations and morbidity. Multiple management approaches were reported including dysphagia assessment, risk evaluation, oral care and texture modification of food and fluids. The role of nurses and interprofessional collaborations were described.

Discussion

Despite limited evidence related to the topic of AP in the nursing literature, the complexity of the causes, prevention, management and consequences of AP emerged. Certain factors, such as dysphagia, oral health, and tube feeding, were described under prevention, cause and management of AP. The importance of multidisciplinary approach in the management and prevention of AP was presented.

Comparison of the performance of different nutritional indicators for predicting poststroke depression in older adults with ischemic stroke

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the relationships between three different nutritional indicators and poststroke depression (PSD) and to analyze the performance of these nutritional indicators in predicting the occurrence of PSD in older adults with ischemic stroke to provide a reference for nurses to identify high-risk patients with PSD early, optimize stroke management, and improve patient prognosis.

Methods

This cohort study prospectively included 239 older adults with ischemic stroke in the Department of Neurology of a hospital in Shenzhen from September 2022 to May 2023. The nutritional status of the patients were evaluated by laboratory indicators, the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF), and the Geriatric Nutrition Risk Index (GNRI). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression (HADS-D) was used to evaluate PSD. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect demographic information and disease-related information. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze factors related to PSD, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was also used to compare the performance of these nutritional indicators.

Results

A total of 239 older adults with ischemic stroke were included; the mean age was 71.10 ± 7.41 years, and 66.5% (159/239) were males. The incidence of PSD was 32.6% (78/239). The incidence of PSD in the low-value group was significantly greater than that in the high-value group according to the different nutritional indices, and the difference was statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the albumin (ALB) level (OR = 0.681; 95% CI, 0.508-0.913; P = 0.010), GNRI score (OR = 1.238; 95% CI, 1.034-1.483; P = 0.020), and MNA-SF score (OR = 0.708; 95% CI, 0.614-0.815; P < 0.001) were influencing factors for PSD in this population (P < 0.05). Combined with the ALB, GNRI, and MNA-SF, the area under the ROC curve for predicting the incidence of PSD in older adults with ischemic stroke was the largest and had a high degree of differentiation (AUC, 0.738; sensitivity, 75.6%; specificity, 60.9%).

Conclusion

The nutritional indices ALB, GNRI, and MNA-SF can be used as auxiliary tools to predict the risk of PSD in older adults with ischemic stroke malnutrition. Further validation by nurses in a more diverse patient population is needed to demonstrate the accuracy of the predictions.

The application of cluster nursing to prevent bacterial pneumonia in stroke patients in neurology department

The research aims to explore the intervention effect of cluster nursing methods on bacterial pneumonia in stroke patients in neurology. A retrospective analysis is conducted on 120 patients diagnosed with stroke in the hospital from 2020 to 2022, who are diagnosed as stroke patients in the neurology department by doctors. 120 patients are randomly separated into a control group (CG) and a research group (RG) for the experiment, with 60 people in each group. The CG receive normal nursing; The RG adopt cluster nursing methods. Comparison have done in the general information, nursing satisfaction, physical improvement after intervention, and oral hygiene indicators of the 2 groups of patients, and the intervention effect of the 2 nursing methods on patients suffering from bacterial pneumonia is evaluated. When the time reached the 7th day, the nutritional risk screening scores of both groups were (9.53 ± 2.29) and (8.10 ± 2.12), respectively. The serum albumin levels were (36.46 ± 4.80) g/L and (34.16 ± 3.69) g/L, respectively. After simultaneous nursing intervention, there were P < .005 in respiratory rates in the 2nd and 4th months of intervention, as well as after the completion of nursing intervention. The respiratory rates of the RG patients improved toward a larger range of normal respiratory rates, with significant statistical significance (P < .005). As time passed, the number of people with shortness of breath in the CG increased sharply to 46, while those in the RG was only 27, indicating P < .05 between the 2 groups. At the beginning of the 3rd month, the satisfaction rates of the RG and the CG were (92.33 ± 1.17)% and (78.18 ± 1.07)%, respectively, and there was P < .0.05 between the 2 groups of data. The cluster nursing strategy has a significant relieving effect on bacterial pneumonia in stroke patients in the neurology department, which can effectively reduce the probability of pneumonia, improve their physical condition, and enhance their quality of life. It has certain clinical application value.

Care of the Patient With Acute Ischemic Stroke (Posthyperacute and Prehospital Discharge): Update to 2009 Comprehensive Nursing Care Scientific Statement: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

In 2009, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association published a comprehensive scientific statement detailing the nursing care of the patient with an acute ischemic stroke through all phases of hospitalization. The purpose of this statement is to provide an update to the 2009 document by summarizing and incorporating current best practice evidence relevant to the provision of nursing and interprofessional care to patients with ischemic stroke and their families during the acute (posthyperacute phase) inpatient admission phase of recovery. Many of the nursing care elements are informed by nurse-led research to embed best practices in the provision and standard of care for patients with stroke. The writing group comprised members of the Stroke Nursing Committee of the Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing and the Stroke Council. A literature review was undertaken to examine the best practices in the care of the patient with acute ischemic stroke. The drafts were circulated and reviewed by all committee members. This statement provides a summary of best practices based on available evidence to guide nurses caring for adult patients with acute ischemic stroke in the hospital posthyperacute/intensive care unit. In many instances, however, knowledge gaps exist, demonstrating the need for continued nurse-led research on care of the patient with acute ischemic stroke.