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Thesis (MCUR)--University of stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In trauma the priority is given to identifying the life-threatening injuries and immediately implementing treatment (Demetriades, 1993:3). Severe trauma resuscitation and assessment often have to be carried out simultaneously to detect and treat conditions that are rapidly fatal if not attended to immediately and according to priority. Urgent priorities in trauma management include maintaining a clear and patent airway to facilitate respiration and cervical spine protection by avoiding rough manipulation of the head and neck by supporting the neck with a neck immobiliser. Any external bleeding has to be controlled by applying direct pressure to the wound. Cardiovascular problems, for example shock or myocardial infarction, respiratory problems and hypoxia which are detrimental, particularly in the case of head injury, should be excluded. A detailed head-to-toe examination which includes the head, neck, chest, abdomen, back, musculo-skeletal system, rectum and vagina has to be performed. For the head-injured patient, correct any condition, which may complicate the existing head injury, for example hypoxia, shock, pneumothorax and fractures of long bones or pelvis. Implement the A (airway), B (breathing), C (circulation), D (disability, neurological and drugs) and E (environment) for structured management of the patient. Muller's, (1996) two-phase model was utilised to formulate and validate nursing outcome standards. In phase one literature was explored to develop provisional standards on polytrauma patients with traumatic brain injuries. In phase two the provisional standards were validated by experts (doctors and nurses) in critical care, trauma and emergency nursing including nurses and a doctor working in the casualty department of a provincial hospital in Mafikeng. Final standards were formulated and adapted accordingly. Standards for the management of a polytrauma patient with traumatic brain injuries included: A safe environment for patients, nurses and doctors Primary survey in casualty department which includes the maintenance of airway, breathing, circulation, disability/ neurological, drugs and exposure The secondary survey that includes the head to toe examination, definitive orthopaedic care and stabilisation before transfer to the intensive care unit A standard on all relevant equipment which might be needed in case the patient goes into cardiac arrest on the way to the intensive care unit, was also formulated. The standard on documentation included the primary and secondary survey in the casualty department, transport to the intensive care unit, activities and the condition of the patient. The final standards dealt with the accurate handing over of the patient to the intensive care personnel. The following recommendations were made: • Implement the outcome standard by means of a quality improvement programme through a top-down approach. • Provide training: Nurses and doctors have an obligation to render quality care, therefore they have the right to be trained in emergency procedures. • All registered nurses working in the casualty or emergency departmentsshould be trained in at least Basic Life Support (CPR), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Advanced Paediatric Life Support (APLS) and Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) while waiting to be sent for the trauma-nursing course. • Improve infection control measures in the casualty department • Emergency drugs must always be available. • Improve the on-call system. • Formulate a policy on sharing of the equipment by both casualty and ICU staff. • Motivate for the necessary equipment. Implement procedures for debriefing of staff, the evaluation of actions during resuscitation and implement measures for psychological support of the family. • For further research, implement and test a training programme whereby nurses can formulate their own standards. • Evaluate whether the standards have improved the quality of trauma care, and develop standards for leu nursing of the brain injured patient and the rehabilitation of polytrauma patients with traumatic brain injuries The uniqueness of the study lies in the fact that no formal outcomes standard for trauma patients with traumatic brain injuries have been developed in any of the North West Provincial hospitals. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die identifisering van lewensbedreigende beserings en die onmiddellike implementering van behandeling, is in trauma 'n eerste prioriteit (Demetriades, 1993: 3). Resussitasie en die beraming van erge traumagevalle noodsaak in baie gevalle, gelyktydige hantering. Sou hierdie hantering nie gelyktydig en onmiddellik volgens prioriteit plaasvind nie, kan dit noodlottige gevolge inhou. Belangrike prioriteite in traumabehandeling sluit in, die instandhouding van 'n patente lugweg om asemhaling te onderhou asook die beskerming van die servikale rugmurgkolom, deur die ruwe manipulasie van die kop en nek te vermy deur die implementering van 'n nekimmobiliseerder. Kardiovaskulere probleme, byvoorbeeld skok of miokardiale infarksie, asook respiratoriese probleme wat lewensbedreigend vir die pasient met 'n hoofbeseering is, moet uitgesluit word. 'n Gedetailleerde van kop-tot-tone ondersoek, wat die kop, nek, borskas, abdomen, rug, muskulo-sketale stelsel, rektum en vagina insluit, moet uitgevoer word. In die pasient met hoofbeserings moet enige toestand byvoorbeeld frakture van die langbene of die pelvis, skok of 'n pneumothorax, eers behandel word. Implementeer die A (Iugweg - "airway"), B (asemhaling - "breathing"), C (sirkulasie -"circulation"), D (gestremdheid - "disability", neurologies- "neurological" en drogerye-"drugs") en E (omgewing - "environment") vir die gestruktureerde behandeling van die pasient. Die twee fase model van Muller (1996) is gebruik vir die formulering en validering van die verpleeguitkomsstandaarde. In fase een is die literatuur verken om die voorlopige standaarde vir polytrauma pasiente met traumatiese breinbeserings te ontwikkel. In fase twee is die voorlopige standaarde gevalideer deur kundiges (dokters en verpleegkundiges) in kritieke sorg, trauma en noodverpleging. Die verpleegkundiges en dokter wat werksaam is in die ongevalle-eenheid van 'n plaaslike provinsiale hospitaal in Mafikeng is ook ingesluit. Finale standaarde is geformuleer en dienooreenkomstig aanvaar. Die standaarde vir die politrauma pasient met traumatiese breinbeserings, sluit in: 'n Veilige omgewing vir pasiente, verpleegkundiges en dokters. Die prirnere beraming in ongevalle ten opsigte van instandhouding van die lugweg, asemhaling, sirkulasie, gestremdheid, drogerye en blootstelling. Die sekondere beraming: wat behels die kop-tot-tone ondersoek. Definitiewe ortopediese behandeling en stabilisering voor oorplasing na die intensiewe-sorg-eenheid. 'n Standaard met betrekking tot die nodige toerusting wat benodig mag word tydens 'n hart stilstand, oppad na die intensiewe-sorg-eenheid, is ook geformuleer. Die standaard ten opsigte van dokumentasie sluit die primere, en sekondere beraming, vervoer na die intensiewe-sorg-eenheid, aktiwiteite en toestand van die pasient, in. Die finale standaarde is gebaseer op die oorhandiging van die pasient aan die intensiewe-sorg-personeel. Die volgende aanbevelings word gemaak: • Implementeer die uitkomsstandaarde deur middel van 'n gehalteverbeteringsprogram deur gebruik te maak van 'n "top-down" benadering -, • Voorsien opleiding: Verpleegkundiges en dokters het 'n verpligting om gehaltesorg te lewer, hulle het dus 'n reg om onderrig te ontvang in noodprosedures, en verder het die pasient die req op gehalter noodbehandeling. • Aile geregistreerde verpleegkundiges wat in die ongevalle en die noodafdeling werk, behoort opgelei word in ten minste basiese lewensondersteuning (CPR), Gevorderde Trauma Lewens Ondersteuning (ACLS), Gevorderde Pediatriese lewensondersteuning (APLS) en Gevorderde Trauma lewensondersteuning (ATLS), terwyl gewag word om die trauma verpleegkundigekursus te deurloop. • Verbeter mteksiebeheermaatreels in ongevalle. • Noodmedikasie moet ten aile tye beskikbaar wees. • Verbeter die op-roepstelsel ("on cali"). • Formuleer 'n beleid oor die gesamentlike gebruik van toerusting deur beide ongevalle- en intensiewe-sorg-eenheid-personeel. • Motiveer vir die nodige toerusting. • Implementeer prosedures om personeel to te laat vir ontlonting (debriefing), die evaluering van aksies tydens die resusitasie prosedure en implementeer metodes vir die sielkundige ondersteuning van die familie. • Ten opsigte van verdere narvorsing behoort 'n opleidingsprogram qeunplernenteer en getoets te word met betrekking tot verpleegkundiges wat hulle eie standaarde will formuleer. • Evalueer of die standaarde die gehalte van traumasorg verbeter het en ontwikkel standaarde vir intensierwe-sorg-verpleging van die breinbeseerde pasient asook die rehabilitasie van politrauma pasiente met traumatise breinbeesering. Die unieke bydra van die studie word gevind in die feit dat daar nog geen gerformaliseerde uitkomstandaarde vir traumapasiente met breinbeseerings in enige van die Noord Wes Provinsie se hospitale ontwikkel is nie.

Aim The purpose of the study was to formally identify trauma care delivery problems at the study institution, implement a solution in the form of trauma case management (TCM), and measure the effect of TCM on staff satisfaction, clinical coding accuracy and patient outcomes, using practice-specific outcome variables such as in-hospital complication rates, length of stay, resource use and allied health service intervention rates. This research also aimed to make a unique contribution to the international trauma literature by addressing the lack of any evidence specifically measuring the impact of trauma case management intervention. Methods St George Hospital is a 600 bed urban Teaching Hospital of the University of NSW. It is a designated Trauma Centre, seeing around 200 severely injured patients and around 2500 injury admissions per year. A series of focus groups and a staff satisfaction survey identified perceived problems associated with trauma care, and a trauma case management program was implemented. A preliminary study was conducted with positive results and funding was obtained to provide TCM seven days a week to all trauma patient admissions. A larger clinical trial was conducted and data from 754 patients were collected over fourteen months after TCM was introduced at the study hospital. These data were compared with 777 matched patients from the previous 14 months as a control group. An audit was conducted on trauma patient clinical coding using the daily progress record kept by the trauma case manager. The data were analysed with SPSS. The statistical tests used were Mann-Whitney U, chi-squared (2) logistic regression and generalised linear models. Results Focus groups and the staff satisfaction survey identified communication and coordination as the main problems associated with trauma care delivery. Following the initial implementation of the program, staff support for TCM was overwhelming. TCM greatly improved the rate of and time to Allied Health intervention (p&lt0.0001). Results demonstrated a decrease in the occurrence of deep vein thrombosis (p&lt0.038), coagulopathy (p=0.041) and respiratory failure. A reduced hospital length of stay (LOS), particularly in the paediatric (p&lt0.05) and 45 - 64 years age group was noted. There were 6621 fewer pathology tests performed (p&lt0.0001) and the total number of bed days was 483 days less than predicted from the control group. Many hospital clinical coding errors and omissions were highlighted by the TCM record comparison. The use of TCM records resulted in Twenty eight percent of recoded records having their Australian national diagnostic related group (AN-DRG) changed, which resulted in the identification over $39,000 in unidentified funding. Conclusion TCM improves staff satisfaction, communication and clinical coding accuracy. The introduction of TCM improved the efficiency and effectiveness of trauma patient care in our institution. This initiative demonstrates that TCM results in improvements to quality of care, trauma patient morbidity, financial performance and resource use. This research makes an important and original contribution to the international trauma literature by providing the results of a clinical trial formally measuring the impact of trauma nursing case management intervention.

Thesis (M. Comm. (Human resource management))-University of Pretoria, 2004. / Summary in English. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality during the post-operative phase of patients’ recovery. Wound infections are the second most commonly encountered type of nosocomial infection. Because wound infections can be introduced by not applying infection control measures and sterile technique principles in the operating room, the implementation of infection control principles is an imperative. The aim of this study was to explore and describe infection control practices related to the prevention of Surgical site infections in the operating rooms in a public health care sector in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. The findings were compared with practices, as indicated in an evidence-based guideline. The research design was quantitative, explorative, descriptive, comparative-descriptive and contextual in nature. The research sample consisted of all the professional nurses, in the operating room. The data were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics was used to present the data in the form of tables and graphs. Based on the analysis of the data, some recommendations were made for the implementation of infection control practices, in order to prevent Surgical site infections in the operating room.

Background Instillation of nonnal saline before suctioning is a common nursing intervention although little research supports the practice. Objectives To detennine when and how often saline is used during suctioning and to assess the knowledge of nurses and respiratory therapists of the advantages and dangers of using saline during endotracheal suctioning. Methods A survey of nurses and respiratory therapists working in adult and neonatal intensive care units was conducted in three large teaching hospitals in the UAE. Results Of the 81 respondents, 38 (47%) rarely instil saline before suctioning, whereas 20 (25%) frequently use saline. Seventy-four percent use saline to enhance retrieval of secretions, and 72% use it to stimulate cough. Nurses and respiratory therapists differ in their use and understanding of saline instillation. Most nurses (56%) rarely use saline before suctioning, whereas most respiratory therapists (37%) frequently use saline. Respiratory therapists (93%) were more aware than were nurses (61%) of the benefit of using nonnal saline to stimulate a cough. Respiratory therapists considered oxygen desaturation as a major adverse effect of saline instillation in comparison to nurses who stressed on pulmonary infection as a major side effect. Conclusion The results of the survey indicates that the practice of these professionals are not in line with most recent research results in the area and indicate a need for in-service education. / Thesis (M.Cur.)-University of Natal,Durban, 2002.