Impact of bed height on the biomechanics of healthcare professionals during chest compressions on the neonate: a descriptive pilot study

ObjectivesThe biomechanics of the healthcare professionals (HCPs) performing the life-saving intervention of chest compressions in the neonatal population is poorly understood. The aim of this pilot study was to describe the variations in body position at a self-selected and a predetermined bed height during neonatal chest compressions. Measures of joint angles, time to postural sway and number of postural adjustments were chosen as indices for the stability of the HCP’s position.SettingData were collected at a simulation-based research centre in which the patient care environment was replicated.ParticipantsHCPs with varying roles working in the neonatal intensive care unit and holding a current Neonatal Resuscitation Program Provider certification were recruited for this study.InterventionsFifteen HCPs performed two trials of chest compressions, each lasting 2 min, at a predetermined bed height and a self-selected bed height. Trials were video recorded, capturing upper and lower body movements. Videos were analysed for time to postural sway and number of postural adjustments. Joint angles were measured at the start and end of each trial.ResultsA statistically significant difference was found between the two bed height conditions for number of postural adjustments (p=0.02). While not statistically significant, time postural sway was increased in the choice bed height condition (85 s) compared with the predetermined bed height (45 s). After 30 s of chest compressions, mean shoulder and knee angles were smaller for choice bed height (p=0.03, 95% CI Lower=−12.14, Upper=−0.68 and p=0.05, 95% CI Lower=3.43, Upper=0.01, respectively). After 1 min and 45 s of chest compressions, mean wrist angles were smaller in the choice bed height condition (p=0.01, 95% CI Lower=−9.20, Upper=−1.22), stride length decreased between the 30 s and 1 min 45 s marks of the chest compressions in the predetermined height condition (p=0.02).

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Lifting Motions During Patient Repositioning in Novice and Experienced Nurses: A Pilot Study

Volume 1A: 36th Computers and Information in Engineering Conference ◽

10.1115/detc2016-59675 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Abigail Holmes ◽

Jessie Opella ◽

Aimee Cloutier ◽

James Yang ◽

Patricia R. DeLucia

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Motion Capture ◽

Occupational Injury ◽

Joint Angles ◽

Patient Transfers ◽

Experienced Nurses ◽

Work Related ◽

Nursing Experience ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Novice Nurses

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2014, nursing and residential care facilities had the highest incidence rate of total nonfatal occupational injury cases in the U.S. Manual patient handling tasks result in high lumbar load (Jager et al., 2013), and most of work-related back disorders in nurses are related to patient transfers. The present pilot study seeks to determine if there are significant differences in the motion of experienced nurses and novice nurses while performing the same patient repositioning tasks. A motion capture experiment was conducted in a laboratory setting on 14 female nurses performing two patient repositioning tasks (moving patient toward the head of the bed; transferring patient from bed to a wheelchair). Of the nurses selected, 7 were experienced nurses (greater than 5 years of nursing experience), and 7 were novice nurses (between 0 and 2 years of nursing experience). The motion capture data were post processed using Cortex and Visual3D software. Average and maximum joint angles for the spine, knees, elbows, and shoulders for each task were compared between the novice and experienced nurses using a Wilcoxon Rank Sum test to determine whether there were significant differences in motion for the same patient repositioning tasks. Although significant differences were not found for average or maximum joint angles between the novice and experienced groups, there was a significant difference in variances between the novice and experienced groups for some angles for the wheelchair task.

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The Effect of a Senior Jazz Dance Class on Static Balance in Healthy Women Over 50 Years of Age: A Pilot Study

Biological Research For Nursing ◽

10.1177/1099800408322600 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 257-266 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Harvey W. Wallmann ◽

Carrie B. Gillis ◽

Patricia T. Alpert ◽

Sally K. Miller

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Postural Sway ◽

Static Balance ◽

Dance Class ◽

Healthy Women ◽

Sensory Organization ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Class 1 ◽

The Impact

The purpose of this pilot study is to assess the impact of a senior jazz dance class on static balance for healthy women over 50 years of age using the NeuroCom Smart Balance Master System (Balance Master). A total of 12 healthy women aged 54—88 years completed a 15-week jazz dance class which they attended 1 time per week for 90 min per class. Balance data were collected using the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) at baseline (pre), at 7 weeks (mid), and after 15 weeks (post). An equilibrium score measuring postural sway was calculated for each of six different conditions. The composite equilibrium score (all six conditions integrated to 1 score) was used as an overall measure of balance. Repeated measures analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were used to compare the means of each participant's SOT composite equilibrium score in addition to the equilibrium score for each individual condition (1—6) across the 3 time points (pre, mid, post). There was a statistically significant difference among the means, p < .0005. Pairwise (Bonferroni) post hoc analyses revealed the following statistically significant findings for SOT composite equilibrium scores for the pre (67.33 + 10.43), mid (75.25 + 6.97), and post (79.00 + 4.97) measurements: premid (p = .008); prepost (p < .0005); midpost (p = .033). In addition, correlational statistics were used to determine any relationship between SOT scores and age. Results indicated that administration of a 15-week jazz dance class 1 time per week was beneficial in improving static balance as measured by the Balance Master SOT.

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Telemedicine Chronic Viral Hepatitis C Treatment during the Lockdown Period in Romania: A Pilot Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18073694 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (7) ◽

pp. 3694

Author(s):

Irina Paula Doica ◽

Dan Nicolae Florescu ◽

Carmen Nicoleta Oancea ◽

Adina Turcu-Stiolica ◽

Mihaela-Simona Subtirelu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatitis C ◽

Medication Adherence ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Multidisciplinary Approach ◽

Therapy Monitoring ◽

Antiviral Agents ◽

Item Score ◽

Hcv Therapy ◽

Viral Hepatitis C ◽

Significant Difference

The COVID-19 pandemic is currently delaying the process of chronic hepatitis C (HCV) eradication, since most of the chronic diseases are neglected. Thus, there is a need for alternative programs for HCV therapy implementation and disease monitoring. Our aim was to provide a multidisciplinary approach, so that HCV-infected patients from distant locations may benefit from HCV antivirals during the COVID-19 outbreak and within the lockdown period in Romania. Previously diagnosed HCV patients willing to participate in this telemedicine pilot study were included. Patient characteristics and medical adherence were assessed and compared to the year preceding the pandemic. We proposed a multidisciplinary approach by using a telemedicine program for HCV therapy monitoring. Patients also received a satisfaction questionnaire after delivering the sustained virologic response (SVR) result. A total of 41 patients agreed to participate in this study. The medication adherence was 100% for patients included in the telemedicine group, with a statistically significant difference from the medication adherence of the patients treated in 2019. The satisfaction item score was 4.92 out of 5 and our results (r = −0.94, p < 0.0001) suggested that older patients embraced the telemedicine program less, but with the same success in terms of SVR (100%) and medication adherence (100%). Our pilot study offers the first example of a telemedicine program in Romania for HCV therapeutic management. During the lockdown period, telemedicine has served as a reliable tool and novel alternative for conventional monitoring of patients treated with direct antiviral agents and should be further considered even following the pandemic.

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Endoscopic prediction of submucosal invasion in Barrett’s cancer with the use of Artificial Intelligence: A pilot Study

Endoscopy ◽

10.1055/a-1311-8570 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Alanna Ebigbo ◽

Robert Mendel ◽

Tobias Rückert ◽

Laurin Schuster ◽

Andreas Probst ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Artificial Intelligence ◽

Deep Learning ◽

Pilot Study ◽

White Light ◽

Submucosal Invasion ◽

Learning System ◽

Endoscopic Images ◽

Barrett’S Cancer ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Sensitivity Specificity

Background and aims: The accurate differentiation between T1a and T1b Barrett’s cancer has both therapeutic and prognostic implications but is challenging even for experienced physicians. We trained an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system on the basis of deep artificial neural networks (deep learning) to differentiate between T1a and T1b Barrett’s cancer white-light images. Methods: Endoscopic images from three tertiary care centres in Germany were collected retrospectively. A deep learning system was trained and tested using the principles of cross-validation. A total of 230 white-light endoscopic images (108 T1a and 122 T1b) was evaluated with the AI-system. For comparison, the images were also classified by experts specialized in endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of Barrett’s cancer. Results: The sensitivity, specificity, F1 and accuracy of the AI-system in the differentiation between T1a and T1b cancer lesions was 0.77, 0.64, 0.73 and 0.71, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the performance of the AI-system and that of human experts with sensitivity, specificity, F1 and accuracy of 0.63, 0.78, 0.67 and 0.70 respectively. Conclusion: This pilot study demonstrates the first multicenter application of an AI-based system in the prediction of submucosal invasion in endoscopic images of Barrett’s cancer. AI scored equal to international experts in the field, but more work is necessary to improve the system and apply it to video sequences and in a real-life setting. Nevertheless, the correct prediction of submucosal invasion in Barret´s cancer remains challenging for both experts and AI.

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The Surprise Question and Serious Illness Conversations: A pilot study

Nursing Ethics ◽

10.1177/0969733020983392 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 096973302098339

Author(s):

Kathy Le ◽

Jenny Lee ◽

Sameer Desai ◽

Anita Ho ◽

Holly van Heukelom

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Acute Medicine ◽

Serious Illness ◽

Patient Goals ◽

Ethical Approval ◽

Seriously Ill Patients ◽

Surprise Question ◽

Seriously Ill

Background: Serious Illness Conversations aim to discuss patient goals. However, on acute medicine units, seriously ill patients may undergo distressing interventions until death. Objectives: To investigate the feasibility of using the Surprise Question, “Would you be surprised if this patient died within the next year?” to identify patients who would benefit from early Serious Illness Conversations and study any changes in the interdisciplinary team’s beliefs, confidence, and engagement as a result of asking the Surprise Question. Design: A prospective cohort pilot study with two Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles. Participants/context: Fifty-eight healthcare professionals working on Acute Medicine Units participated in pre- and post-intervention questionnaires. The intervention involved asking participants the Surprise Question for each patient. Patient charts were reviewed for Serious Illness Conversation documentation. Ethical considerations: Ethical approval was granted by the institutions involved. Findings: Equivocal overall changes in the beliefs, confidence, and engagement of healthcare professionals were observed. Six out of 23 patients were indicated as needing a Serious Illness Conversation; chart review provided some evidence that these patients had more Serious Illness Conversation documentation compared with the 17 patients not flagged for a Serious Illness Conversation. Issues were identified in equating the Surprise Question to a Serious Illness Conversation. Discussion: Appropriate support for seriously ill patients is both a nursing professional and ethical duty. Flagging patients for conversations may act as a filtering process, allowing healthcare professionals to focus on conversations with patients who need them most. There are ethical and practical issues as to what constitutes a “serious illness” and if answering “no” to the Surprise Question always equates to a conversation. Conclusion: The barriers of time constraints and lack of training call for institutional change in order to prioritise the moral obligation of Serious Illness Conversations.

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The Effect of Alcohol on Telomere Length: A Systematic Review of Epidemiological Evidence and a Pilot Study during Pregnancy

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18095038 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (9) ◽

pp. 5038

Author(s):

Andrea Maugeri ◽

Martina Barchitta ◽

Roberta Magnano San Lio ◽

Maria Clara La Rosa ◽

Claudia La Mastra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Telomere Length ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Potential Association ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Periconceptional Period ◽

Using Data

Several studies—albeit with still inconclusive and limited findings—began to focus on the effect of drinking alcohol on telomere length (TL). Here, we present results from a systematic review of these epidemiological studies to investigate the potential association between alcohol consumption, alcohol-related disorders, and TL. The analysis of fourteen studies—selected from PubMed, Medline, and Web of Science databases—showed that people with alcohol-related disorders exhibited shorter TL, but also that alcohol consumption per se did not appear to affect TL in the absence of alcohol abuse or dependence. Our work also revealed a lack of studies in the periconceptional period, raising the need for evaluating this potential relationship during pregnancy. To fill this gap, we conducted a pilot study using data and samples form the Mamma & Bambino cohort. We compared five non-smoking but drinking women with ten non-smoking and non-drinking women, matched for maternal age, gestational age at recruitment, pregestational body mass index, and fetal sex. Interestingly, we detected a significant difference when analyzing relative TL of leukocyte DNA of cord blood samples from newborns. In particular, newborns from drinking women exhibited shorter relative TL than those born from non-drinking women (p = 0.024). Although these findings appeared promising, further research should be encouraged to test any dose–response relationship, to adjust for the effect of other exposures, and to understand the molecular mechanisms involved.

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The Effect of Reflexology on Lactation in Women Who Had Cesarean Section: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

Complementary Medicine Research ◽

10.1159/000513924 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Sevde Aksu ◽

Pelin Palas Karaca

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Cesarean Section ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Breast Pain ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Right ◽

Documentation Tool ◽

And Control

Aim: The research was conducted as a randomized controlled pilot study to evaluate the effects of reflexology on lactation in mothers who delivered by cesarean section (CS). Methods: A single-blind randomized controlled experimental study was conducted with a total of 60 postpartum women in the reflexology application (n = 30) and control groups (n = 30). After the CS, the mothers in the control group were given approximately 3-h routine nursing care after recovering from the effects of anesthesia; the introductory information form was applied, and the Breastfeeding Charting System and Documentation Tool (LATCH) and visual analog scale (VAS) for the signs of the onset of lactation were implemented on the first and second days. Reflexology was applied to the women in the intervention group after an average of 3 h following the mother’s condition had become stable and she had recovered from the effects of anesthesia. Reflexology was applied a total of 20 min – 10 min for the right foot, 10 min for the left foot – twice a day with 8-h intervals on the first and second days after CS. After the last reflexology application, the LATCH and VAS for the signs of the onset of lactation were applied. Results: Of the women, 70% breastfed their babies within 60 min after delivery; 46.7% of the mothers received breastfeeding training and 81.7% needed support for breastfeeding after the CS. The LATCH breastfeeding scores of the women in the intervention group on both days were significantly higher compared to those of the women in the control group (p < 0.001). On the first day after the CS, apart from breast pain, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of breast heat and breast tension (p > 0.05). On the second day after the CS, apart from breast tension, there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of breast heat and breast pain (p < 0.05). In the study, women in the intervention group were found to have higher scores in terms of all three symptoms compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: In the study, it was determined that LATCH scores and signs of the onset of breastfeeding increased in the mothers who received reflexology after CS.

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The hospital telemedicine TELEMED database: Providing information on evidence-based telemedicine services to hospital managers and healthcare professionals

Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare ◽

10.1177/1357633x211015585 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1357633X2110155

Author(s):

Kristian Kidholm ◽

Ida W Svendsen ◽

Knud Yderstræde ◽

Anne M Ølholm ◽

Kathrine Rayce ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Literature Search ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Economic Effects ◽

Control Group ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Implementation Challenges ◽

Hospital Managers ◽

Pubmed Database ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Hospital Patients

Background Increased use of telemedicine in the healthcare system is a political goal in Denmark. Although the number of hospital patients using interventions such as the video consultation has increased in recent years only a small proportion of the outpatient and inpatient visits involve telemedicine. The TELEMED database ( https://telemedicine.cimt.dk/ ) has been launched at the Center for Innovative Medical Technologies in Denmark to ensure that hospital managers and healthcare professionals have access to information about telemedicine services and their effectiveness. This article describes the development and the content of the TELEMED database. Methods A structured literature search was made in the PubMed Database for randomised controlled trials or observational studies with a control group that investigated the effect of telemedicine interventions for hospital patients. Data were extracted from each article on the clinical effectiveness, patient perceptions, economic effects and implementation challenges. As the database should only provide inspiration to healthcare professionals regarding possibilities for use of telemedicine, the risk of bias in the studies was not assessed. Results The literature search resulted in 2825 hits. Based on full text assessment, 331 articles were included for data extraction and assessment. These articles present telemedicine services used in 22 different medical specialities. Forty-eight percent of the studies found a positive, statistically significant clinical effect, while 47% showed no statistically significant difference. In 48% of the studies, patients’ experiences were examined and of these 68% found positive patient experiences. Fifty-four percent of the articles included information on the economic effects and, of these, 51% found reduction in healthcare utilization. In the majority of studies between two and four types of implementation challenges were found. Conclusions and recommendations: The TELEMED database provides an easily accessible overview of existing evidence-based telemedicine services for use by hospital managers and health professionals, who whish to to implement telemedicine. The database is freely available and expected to be continuously improved and broadened over time.

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Does body position, age, and heart rate induce IOP’s changes?

European Journal of Ophthalmology ◽

10.1177/11206721211023313 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 112067212110233

Author(s):

Marcelina Sobczak ◽

Magdalena Asejczyk ◽

Malwina Geniusz

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Body Position ◽

Age Groups ◽

Cardiovascular Parameters ◽

Entire Cohort ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Group A ◽

The Difference ◽

Group B ◽

Effect Of Age

Objectives: The main goal of this research was to determine the differences between the values of intraocular pressure (IOP) in the supine and sitting positions, and to assess the effect of age and cardiovascular parameters. Methods: Seventy-two healthy adults were enrolled and classified into age groups: 20–30 years (group A), 31–40 years (group B), and 41–71 years (group C). Corneal biometry and cardiovascular parameters, such as heart rate (HR), were measured. IOP measurements were taken in the sitting position (IOPS) and in the supine position (IOPL) using the iCare® Pro tonometer. Results: A significant difference between the IOPS and IOPL in the entire cohort was found ( p < 0.001). Regarding the age subgroups, a significant difference ( p < 0.001) between the IOPS and IOPL was obtained in group A (2.6 ± 1.6 mmHg) and group C (1.5 ± 1.3 mmHg). There were no significant differences in the IOPS between groups. The highest IOP values were obtained for group A. The correlations between HR and IOPS are statistically significant for group A and group B, and for HR and IOPL-S for group B only. Multivariate analysis showed that HR has a significant influence on the difference in IOP in the two body positions. Conclusion: A statistically significant difference between the effect of age and the values of IOPS and IOPL was shown. Cardiovascular parameters showed some relevant statistical dependencies, but with a rather marginal significance in young people. The influence of body position for the measurement of IOP for healthy subjects does not seem to matter, despite the fact that there are some dependencies that are statistically significant.

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0588 Ring Pulse Oximeter for Screening of Moderate to Severe OSA: A Pilot Study

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsaa056.585 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 43 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. A225-A225

Author(s):

J Xue ◽

R Zhao ◽

J Li ◽

L Zhao ◽

B Zhou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Pulse Oximeter ◽

Characteristic Curve ◽

Diagnostic Value ◽

Receiver Operator Characteristic Curve ◽

Oxygen Desaturation ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Acceptance Range ◽

The Difference ◽

Two Parameters

Abstract Introduction To evaluate the utility of the ring pulse oximeter for screening of OSA in adults. Methods 87 adults were monitored by a ring pulse oximeter and PSG simultaneously during a nocturnal in-lab sleep testing. 3% oxygen desaturation index (ODI3); Mean oxygen saturation(MSpO2), Saturation impair time below 90% (SIT90) derived from an automated algorithm of the ring pulse oximeter. Meanwhile, the parameters of PSG were scored manually according to the AASM Manual. Correlation and receiver operator characteristic curve analysis were used to measure the accuracy of ring pulse oximeter and its diagnostic value for moderate to severe OSA (AHI≥15). Results Among the 87 participants, 18 cases were AHI<5, 17 cases were diagnosed with mild OSA (AHI:5-14.9), 25 cases were diagnosed with moderate OSA (AHI:15-29.9) and 27 cases were diagnosed with severe OSA (AHI≥30). There was no significant difference between PSG and ring pulse oximeter in regard to ODI3 (23.4±23.5 vs 24.7 ± 21.7), and SIT90 (1.54%, range 0.14%-8.99% vs. 3.20%, range 0.60%, 12.30%) (P>0.05], Further analysis indicated that two parameters from the oximeter correlated well with that derived from PSG (r=0.889, 0.567, respectively, both p<0.05). Although MSpO2 correlated significantly (r=0.448, P<0.05), the difference was remarkable [95.9%, range 94.0% to 97.0% vs. 94.5%, range 93.3% to 95.7%, p<0.05]. Bland-Altman plots showed that the agreement of these three parameters was within the clinical acceptance range. The ROC curve showed that the sensitivity and specificity of the ring pulse oximeter when the oximeter derived ODI3 ≥12.5 in the diagnosis of moderate to severe OSA were 82.7% and 74.3%, respectively. Conclusion The pilot study indicated that ring pulse oximeter can detect oxygen desaturation events accurately, therefore to be used as a screening tool for moderate to severe OSA. Support The study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81420108002 and NO. 81570083).

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