Nursing & Health

The "7 Dimensions of Wellness" is a 9-part short documentary series that explores pathways for enhancing our overall health and wellbeing. Join Darren Morton as he speaks to leading experts, conducts fun experiments and presents fascinating insights into how we can live our best life.

The "7 Dimensions of Wellness" is a 9-part short documentary series that explores pathways for enhancing our overall health and wellbeing. Join Darren Morton as he speaks to leading experts, conducts fun experiments and presents fascinating insights into how we can live our best life.

The "7 Dimensions of Wellness" is a 9-part short documentary series that explores pathways for enhancing our overall health and wellbeing. Join Darren Morton as he speaks to leading experts, conducts fun experiments and presents fascinating insights into how we can live our best life.

The "7 Dimensions of Wellness" is a 9-part short documentary series that explores pathways for enhancing our overall health and wellbeing. Join Darren Morton as he speaks to leading experts, conducts fun experiments and presents fascinating insights into how we can live our best life.

The "7 Dimensions of Wellness" is a 9-part short documentary series that explores pathways for enhancing our overall health and wellbeing. Join Darren Morton as he speaks to leading experts, conducts fun experiments and presents fascinating insights into how we can live our best life.

The "7 Dimensions of Wellness" is a 9-part short documentary series that explores pathways for enhancing our overall health and wellbeing. Join Darren Morton as he speaks to leading experts, conducts fun experiments and presents fascinating insights into how we can live our best life.

The "7 Dimensions of Wellness" is a 9-part short documentary series that explores pathways for enhancing our overall health and wellbeing. Join Darren Morton as he speaks to leading experts, conducts fun experiments and presents fascinating insights into how we can live our best life.

The "7 Dimensions of Wellness" is a 9-part short documentary series that explores pathways for enhancing our overall health and wellbeing. Join Darren Morton as he speaks to leading experts, conducts fun experiments and presents fascinating insights into how we can live our best life.

The "7 Dimensions of Wellness" is a 9-part short documentary series that explores pathways for enhancing our overall health and wellbeing. Join Darren Morton as he speaks to leading experts, conducts fun experiments and presents fascinating insights into how we can live our best life.

Neurological deterioration in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and resulting motor dysfunction arises from Lewy body formation and dopaminergic neuronal death in the substantia nigra. Two factors contributing to PD-related apoptosis and subsequent motor dysfunction involve improper cellular metabolism of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and impaired mitochondrial functionality. The co-factor Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+), reduction of which has been implicated in the development of neurodegenerative disease, is a critical player in maintaining cellular redox metabolism and mitochondrial function. We present a case study of a PD patient who has become near asymptomatic through the use of intravenous (I.V.) NAD+. This report documents the patient’s initial symptom changes while receiving I.V. NAD+ over the course of eight treatment days, with two non-treatment days in between. The treatment entailed 1500 mg. I.V. NAD+ on day one, 1000 mg. I.V. NAD+ on day two, and 750 mg. I.V. NAD+ on day three. Symptoms were documented by medical staff for the next two days of non-treatment. Following this, 750 mg. I.V. NAD+ was administered on treatment days four and five, 500 mg. I.V. NAD+ on treatment days six and seven, and 750 mg. I.V. NAD+ on treatment day eight. Over the course of treatment, the patient’s hand tremors decreased to a mild level, permitting coordinated use of a pen and utensils. Hand tremors were absent on days one and six. Visual hallucinations were absent on days two through seven. To maintain tremors at a tolerable level, aftercare involved I.V. NAD+ every four to six weeks, with a daily regimen of 300 mg/ml NAD+ nasal spray. Moreover, the patient discontinued PD-related medication, thereby preventing visual hallucination side effects. Although more research on NAD+ in clinical use is needed, the evidence obtained from these symptom improvements indicates NAD+ as having the potential for clinical use in at least a subset of PD sufferers.

Lifestyle interventions can effectively reduce chronic disease risk factors. This study examined the effectiveness of an established lifestyle intervention contextualized for low-literacy communities in Fiji. Ninety-six adults from four villages, with waist circumference (WC) indicative of risk of chronic disease, were randomly selected to an intervention or control group. Process evaluation indicated one intervention and one control village fulfilled the study protocol. There were no differences between intervention and control for body mass index BMI (P = 0.696), WC (P = 0.662), total cholesterol (TC) (P = 0.386), and TC:high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio (P = 0.485). The intervention village achieved greater reductions than the control village at 30 and 90 days for systolic blood pressure (30 days: −11.1% vs. −2.5%, P = 0.006; 90 days: −14.5% vs. −6.7%, P = 0.019); pulse rate (30 days: −7.0% vs. −1.1%, P = 0.866; 90 days: −7.1% vs. 4.3%, P = 0.027), and HDL (30 days: −13.9% vs. 1.7%, P = 0.206; 90 days: −18.9% vs. 2.2%, P = 0.001); at 90 days only for diastolic blood pressure (−14.4% vs. −0.2%, P = 0.010); at 30 days only for low-density lipoprotein (−11.6% vs. 8.0%, P = 0.009); and fasting plasma glucose (−10.2% vs. 4.3%, P = 0.032). However, for triglycerides, the control achieved greater reductions than the intervention village at 30 days (35.4% vs. −12.3%, P = 0.008; marginal at 90 days 16.4% vs. −23.5%, P = 0.054). This study provides preliminary evidence of the feasibility and potential effectiveness of the intervention to lower several risk factors for chronic disease over 30 days in rural settings in Fiji and supports consideration of larger studies.

Objectives: To examine the responsiveness of an Aboriginal cohort to a community-based lifestyle intervention targeting risk factors for type II diabetes.

Methods: A Pre-test/post-test cohort study conducted in two rural Australian locations: Port Augusta, South Australia and Drouin, Victoria. The cohort consisted of 25 individuals of Aboriginal descent (mean age = 44.4 ± 12.3 yrs, age range = 25-70 yrs, 7 males/18 females). The intervention used was the Complete Health Improvement Program, involving 11 group sessions conducted over a one-month period, which promoted a low-fat plant-based diet and physical activity. The main outcomes measured were changes in body weight, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), lipid profile and blood pressure (BP).

Results: Over the 4 week intervention mean body weight decreased by 3.1 kg (95% CI 2.26 to 4.06), a 3.5% reduction from baseline (p 5.5 mmol/L at baseline showed a 23.6% reduction in mean FPG (7.82 mmol/L to 5.97 mmol/L, p=0.005) and a 4.12% reduction in body weight (98.85 kg to 94.78 kg, p

Conclusion: This feasibility study showed that a lifestyle intervention promoting a low-fat eating pattern combined with physical activity reduced risk factors associated with type II diabetes in a rural Aboriginal cohort when conducted in their usual living environment.

Implications: There is potential for committee-based lifestyle interventions to improve the health risk profile of Aboriginal participants.

As documented by health and medical professionals and social and behavioral scientists, stress has a pervasive presence in our society. The effects of stress on both the individual and our culture have received much attention. The research presented in this book explores how the presence of stress has impacted society. [Book description from publisher's website]

Background

The cost-effectiveness of patient isolation as part of an infection prevention effort is poorly understood. The potential to reduce risks of transmission saving costs and improving health outcomes is strong, yet up front investments in patient isolation are required. We report a cost-effectiveness model to inform adoption of a portable single isolation rooms into Australian publicly funded acute hospitals.

Methods

Information is harvested from a range of contemporary sources to reveal the expected changes to total costs and total health benefits measured by life years gain. An Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio is estimated with uncertainty in all model parameters included by probabilistic sensitivity analysis.

Results

The adoption decision was found to change total costs per 100,000 occupied bed-days by $1,429,011 and generate health benefits of 436 life years. The mean cost per life year gained is $3278. The probability an adoption decision is cost saving is 2.1%.

Conclusion

There is some evidence that adoption of rediroom is likely to be a cost-effective solution for Australian hospitals. Important caveats and assumptions need to be considered when interpreting this conclusion.

This article discusses the program for the 4th International Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC) Conference, which focuses on the future of infection prevention and control.

Objectives: Whole grain sorghum is a promising ingredient in foods, especially those targeting satiety and weight control. This study aimed to test weight loss effects of a whole grain red sorghum product incorporated into an energy-restricted diet.

Methods: Sixty subjects (46 females) were randomized to either a sorghum (intervention) or white wheat (control) group, receiving 45 g of flaked cereal biscuits to include daily in their prescribed diets for 12 weeks. Primary outcome was weight loss. Secondary outcomes included plasma glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), insulin, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), triacylglycerides (TAG), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC; measured at 0 and 12 weeks).

Results: After 12 weeks, there were no significant differences in weight loss or any clinical variables between a wheat control and sorghum cereal group in an energy-restricted diet. Equivalent amounts of weight were lost (p = 0.369) in both groups, and the majority of clinical indices such as fasting glucose, insulin, cholesterol, and key inflammatory biomarkers showed significant beneficial changes over time (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Although both groups experienced significant weight loss and general improvement in a number of clinical measures, no effects appeared specifically related to sorghum consumption. Further clinical trials are necessary to establish an evidence base for weight loss effects from chronic sorghum intake. Sorghum represents a viable, gluten-free grain alternative in the formulation of novel food products.

Clinical specialty pathways have long been part of a nursing career. Recent changes within the healthcare arena has seen the demolition of critical care boundaries/walls, the learning pathway for critical care nurses is seen as a way to prepare nurses for this role and encourage a more proactive approach to lifelong learning and professional development. As part of moving forward in our approach to providing post graduate nurse education The College of Nursing has developed a learning pathway for critical care nurses. This poster articulates this pathway for the clinical specialties of emergency, cardiac, cardiothoracic intensive care and intensive care nursing. The pathway starts with an introductory module which lays the foundation for the nurse to then move along the learning pathway where students can exit with a graduate certificate or ultimately completing at Masters level. The learning pathway embodies the ethos that lifelong learning and professional development enables nurses to provide patient centred care regardless of physical location within the health service. The modules build on each other to equip the nurse with the knowledge and ability to recognise the early signs of physical deterioration, assess the individuals’ immediate needs, and facilitate care needs in a timely manner. The nurse can enrol in a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) framework or a Graduate Certificate framework which will then articulate with a variety of Masters programmes offered at universities throughout Australia. This allows The College of Nursing to meet the individual student needs and successfully facilitate their learning and professional development.

Australia is increasingly becoming a culturally diverse country, with this trend being reflected in nursing education as significant numbers of students enrol from backgrounds where English is a second/other language (ESL). These students will enable the provision of culturally competent care that a culturally diverse health system requires (Ohr et al., 2010), however they require significant levels of support to not only achieve academically in their nursing programme, but also to perform at the expected level during clinical placements (Boughton et al., 2010). Difficulties communicating with colleagues, patients and their families in the clinical setting have been identified among the challenges that ESL nurses face (Boughton et al., 2010; Jeong et al., 2011). A review of the literature indicates sporadic research into the education of nurses from ESL backgrounds. This paper discusses and raises awareness of common themes such as the challenges of adjusting to Western culture and using the advanced and technical English required by higher education and healthcare. This paper also discusses mixed results reported from a number of English language support programmes. This indicates a need for further research in this area to strengthen support for these nurses who can assist in the provision of culturally competent care.

Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. During 2009, a national surveillance definition for SAB was developed through the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare (ACSQHC). The aim of this paper is to review the literature surrounding SAB surveillance and in doing so, evaluate the recently developed Australian national definition for SAB. The issues examined in this paper that relate to SAB surveillance include detection, the management of duplicates, classification and acquisition of SAB. Upon reviewing the literature, it was clear that the national Australian SAB surveillance definitions developed by the ACSQHC Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance Committee are consistent with the majority of literature. Where inconsistencies exist, for example the lack of acquisition information in SAB surveillance programs in the United Kingdom, it is clear that the Australian surveillance definitions are more robust and provide more useful information. The national surveillance definitions for SAB developed by the ACSQHC surveillance committee sets an improved standard for other countries.