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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
11

How much is too much? : exploring clinical recognition of excessive maternal blood loss during childbirth

Hancock, Angela January 2017 (has links)
Background: Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is the leading cause of maternal death worldwide. For every woman that dies, 20 or 30 more will experience morbidity. Severe PPH is increasing and is the leading cause of severe maternal morbidity in the UK. Rapid recognition of PPH is essential, but concealed bleeding, underestimation of blood loss and a failure to appreciate the physiological effects of blood loss, lead to delays in recognition and treatment. Experts believe that most deaths from PPH could be avoided by earlier diagnosis, but there is a lack of evidence on how to achieve this. Aims: To explore the experiences of those involved in evaluating blood loss during childbirth; and to develop and test a theory of blood loss evaluation and PPH recognition, as a prerequisite to developing strategies to support earlier diagnosis. Study Design: A sequential, exploratory mixed methods design was used. Methods: Qualitative methods included 8 focus groups and 19 one-to-one semi-structured interviews, conducted with 50 participants. These included: women and their birth partners (recruited from Liverpool Women's Hospital); and health professionals (midwives and obstetricians recruited from Saint Mary's Hospital, Manchester). A purposive sampling strategy was used to recruit women, who had experienced vaginal birth with or without PPH, and health professionals, with varying levels of experience in blood loss evaluation and PPH management. A snowball sampling strategy was used to recruit the birth partners of women participants. Phase one was completed from June to September 2014. All discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were managed using NVivo 10 qualitative data analysis software, which also supported the Framework approach to analysis and interpretation. Quantitative methods were used in phase two and involved 10 midwives and 11 obstetricians, recruited from Liverpool Women's Hospital, during February and March 2015. Two scenarios, one of fast and one of slow blood loss, were presented to the sample using clinical simulation with the NOELLE® childbirth simulator, in a pilot, randomised, cross-over study. Participants also completed three questions about the use of the NOELLE® mannequin for these types of scenarios. IBM SPSS Statistics version 23 software was used for quantitative data management and to estimate descriptive statistics. Numerical crossover data were copied into StatsDirect software, to perform the crossover analyses. Results: Women and birth partners were very perceptive to blood loss but felt ill-prepared for the reality of bleeding, with many experiencing negative emotional responses to both PPH and the lochia. Non-verbal communication from staff was used by women and their birth partners to interpret the seriousness of their blood loss. Health professionals: Recognition of PPH mainly occurs as an automatic response to the speed of blood flow. Volume of blood loss is often ascertained and used retrospectively after a PPH diagnosis, to validate the intuitive response and to guide and justify on-going decisions. This was confirmed by the simulation studies, where treatment was initiated at 100ml or less in all blood loss scenarios. Fast blood loss was more likely than slow blood loss to elicit a PPH response, despite volumes in the two groups being similar. Formal quantification of blood loss is not used routinely in practice. When it is used, values are often unofficially normalised to reflect health professionals' perceptions of the woman's clinical condition. Tools introduced to aid diagnosis, such as blood collection bags, routine weighing and the use of early warning scores, are not routinely used in the immediate post-birth period, especially if the woman and her blood loss are perceived to be normal. The tools are again used to validate intuitive feelings about blood loss and maternal condition. When they are used, the values are often modified if they contradict professional judgement. Conclusions: Women and birth partners want more information, open communication, and on-going support, to minimise the emotional impact of blood loss. For health professionals, the speed of blood loss is the crucial factor in PPH recognition rather than an accurate assessment of the volume of blood loss. The amount of visible blood is generally not initially interpreted as a volume, but is used to compare current blood losses to those previously witnessed. Experience therefore plays a crucial role in the decisions of whether blood loss is considered normal or excessive. Formal quantification of blood loss and regular recording of physiological observations do not occur routinely in the immediate post-birth period. Therefore, women with insidious blood loss can have delayed PPH diagnosis because they have a normal blood flow and exhibit minimal physiological changes, due to the compensatory mechanisms of shock. Often such women need to exhibit outward signs of physiological compromise, such as fainting or feeling unwell, before their physiological observations and blood loss are formally re-evaluated. Education of health professionals should highlight the common errors of judgement made during blood loss evaluation and provide feedback on cases of delayed recognition. Future research should examine normal postnatal bleeding in the hours following birth, and create visual aids for women to self-diagnose insidious blood loss. Training should focus on the skills of PPH recognition, particularly those with insidious blood loss and postnatal physiological assessments. Novel tools such as the shock index should be considered and evaluated as tools of assessment.
12

A Method for Knowledge Engineering in Clinical Decision Making

Giere, Sheila S. 01 May 1989 (has links)
The purpose of this study was to validate the problem behavior evaluation section of an expert system computer program, Class.BO. Class.BO was developed to assist special education personnel in determining whether students qualify for special education services as behaviorally disordered/severely emotionally disturbed students. The subjects were six Utah who regularly individuals from the state of 1) work with behaviorally disordered/severely emotionally disturbed students and 2) participate in multidisciplinary assessment teams. Three of the subjects were special educators, and three were school psychologists. Specifically, this study investigated the impact of five behavioral factors on the subjects' ratings of the seriousness of problem behaviors. The five behavioral factors were 1) the severity or nature of the problem behavior, 2) the frequency with which the problem behavior occurs, 3) the duration over which the problem behavior has been occurring, 4) the generality of the problem behavior or the number of school environments the behavior occurs in , and 5) the percentage of the student's peers who engage in the same behavior. For each behavioral factor, three levels of that factor were determined: high, moderate, and low. Problem behavior descriptions were developed by the researcher, each of which presented the five behavioral factors at a predetermined combination of levels. Of 65 problem behavior descriptions, 3 3 described externalized problem behaviors and 32 described internalized problem behaviors. Subjects were asked to rate the seriousness of each problem behavior description on an 11 point scale, where l=mild and ll=severe. The results showed high levels of agreement among subjects on ratings of seriousness of problem behaviors. There was also high agreement between the subjects' ratings and ratings generated by the Class.BO expert system. Thus, Class. BD was validated. Further, the subjects gave highly similar ratings to descriptions of externalized and internalized problem behaviors. The results also indicated that the severity of the problem behaviors had the most impact on subjects' ratings. Subjects discriminated three levels of severity but only two levels of frequency, duration, generality, and percentage of peers. Finally, the results provided support for the use of analysis of variance as a viable method of knowledge engineering, i.e., extracting information about how experts make decisions. Its superiority over traditional interview methods is discussed.
13

Priority Topics for Panel Engagement in Health Guideline Development

Wiercioch, Wojtek 11 1900 (has links)
Health care guidelines provide a means of assessing the best available research evidence on a given health care topic and offering recommendations about use of specific interventions and management of patient care. Guidelines allow clinicians, patients, health administrators and policy-makers to be efficiently informed and stay up to date on alternative care options. The development of guidelines is a complex and multidisciplinary process, with a defining feature of involving a panel of experts in steps such as selecting health care questions, assessing the research evidence, making judgements about health benefits and harms, and, ultimately, formulating recommendations. Guideline methodology has advanced over the past decades, including establishment of specific steps and standards to ensure trustworthiness of guidelines. However, there remain critical research questions on how to best accomplish and reach these standards, including how to best engage panels in the steps. This thesis presents a body of research on the development and evaluation of new methods for decision-making and considering health outcomes in guidelines, prioritizing health care questions for guidelines, and evaluating the guideline development process. It includes three studies: 1) a methodological study on developing health outcome descriptors to define health outcomes considered in decision-making by guideline panels; 2) a methodological study and randomized controlled trial to evaluate specific criteria for panels to consider when prioritizing health care questions for guidelines and to judge the importance of health outcomes; and 3) an instrument development and validation study to create a tool for panel members to evaluate the appropriateness of the guideline development process they participate in. In these studies, we established a method and steps for creating health outcome descriptors with panels, aimed at achieving consistency in how health outcomes are considered throughout the guideline development process, from prioritization to formulating a recommendation on the basis of those outcomes. The structured approach and criteria evaluated for prioritization of healthcare questions informed panel deliberations and decisions about choosing questions for their guideline topics, and the proposed methods for outcome prioritization facilitated panels in informing what the critical and important outcomes were for decision-making. Finally, the instrument we developed facilitated members of guideline panels to provide their assessment of the guideline development process and identify strengths and weaknesses and areas for improvement. Our findings will allow organizations responsible for guideline development to apply the new methods with their panels and to evaluate their guideline processes to inform quality-improvement efforts. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Health care guidelines, also referred to as clinical practice or public health guidelines, involve summarizing the available research evidence on a given health care topic and issuing recommendations about the best care. Guidelines allow clinicians, patients, health administrators and policy-makers to be efficiently informed and stay up to date on alternative care options, such as the best current treatments and strategies to diagnose various diseases and health conditions. Developing a guideline is a complex and multidisciplinary process that includes involving a panel of experts, typically consisting of clinicians, patients, public health professionals and other providers or consumers of health care. The panel is involved in selecting the health care questions to address (e.g. specific treatments or diagnostic strategies to evaluate), reviewing a summary of the evidence from research studies, and making judgements about benefits and harms of alternate options or strategies. The panel then formulates recommendations that give guidance on what the best options are to use for the health condition in question. The steps and approaches to develop a guideline that is considered trustworthy have been established over the past decades, including universally accepted standards. However, there remain critical research questions on how to best reach these standards, including how to best engage guideline panels in the steps. The research work presented in this thesis focuses on proposing and evaluating new methods and approaches for guidelines panels to make decisions about health outcomes, priority health care questions for guidelines, and to evaluate the guideline development process. It includes three studies: 1) a study on creating health outcome descriptors with panels to provide a commonly accepted definition of a health outcome; 2) a study to evaluate specific criteria that panels can use to prioritize health care questions, and an approach to judge the importance of health outcomes; and 3) a study to develop a survey instrument for guideline panel members to evaluate the guideline development process they participate in. In these studies, we established an approach for creating the health outcome descriptors with panels, which helped in keeping consistency with how panels understood and considered different health outcomes throughout the guideline development process. The criteria evaluated for prioritizing healthcare questions informed panel discussions and selection of questions for their guideline topics. The proposed approach for judging the importance of health outcomes helped panels to select what the critical outcomes were for making decisions about the benefits and harms of alternate options or strategies. Finally, the survey tool we created allowed members of guideline panels to provide feedback on strengths and weaknesses and areas for improvement in the process after they participated in developing a guideline. Our findings will allow organizations responsible for guideline development to apply the new methods with their panels and to evaluate their guideline processes to inform quality-improvement efforts.
14

The Experience of Nurses Who Use Automated Early Warning Systems Technology in Clinical Practice

Geerlinks, Patricia January 2017 (has links)
Failure to rescue (FTR) outcomes may be one consequence of the relationship be-tween healthcare provider behaviors and attitudes, organizational factors, and environ-mental factors that intersect to potentially threaten patient safety. Early warning systems (EWS) were designed as surveillance systems to reduce failure to rescue events and avoid morbidity and mortality. Challenges with EWS include lack of standardization, organiza-tional barriers, such as culture and supports, and human factor attributes such as intuition, expertise, and experience. The experience and perceptions of nurses using EWS technolo-gy as it relates to their clinical assessment, critical thinking, and decision-making skills has yet to be undertaken. This study adds to the body of EWS and FTR literature and the broader culture of safety literature in acute care environments. The purposes of this exploratory qualitative descriptive study was to explore the experiences of nurses using EWS in acute care practice settings and how they perceive it impacts on their critical thinking and clinical decision-making processes. The study identi-fied three informative findings: a) EWS has added value particularly with novice nurses or nurses new to practice settings, b) EWS provides benefits to nurses working in acute clinical environments that experience high volumes and high acuity of patients by alerting or reminding them about potential FTR situations, and c) Existing EWS may require mod-ification to improve adequacy, reduce redundancy, and reduce alarm fatigue. Based on the evidence reviewed, a qualitative study to increase our understanding of the experi-ence of nurses and their perception of the impact of EWS and related technology on their critical thinking and other nursing practice processes has the potential to contribute to a wider evaluation of EWS systems and to improve patient outcomes. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / Before patients on general medical or surgical hospital units become so ill that they need to be transferred to an intensive care unit, they have abnormal vital signs and other physiological changes that can go unnoticed for 2448 hours. As these changes can be hard to detect and serious illness can begin very slowly at first, early warning systems have been developed to help health care professionals respond to patient’s conditions before they need to be in an intensive care unit. These early warning systems can be in the form of new technology and assist nurses with preventing a serious illness from becoming critical. It is not well research or understood how nurses experience such early warning systems technology and it is not well understood how nurses think this technology impacts their nursing practice. The overall aim of the study is to learn more about the experience and perception of nurses who use this technology, how they believe it informs their nursing practice and how it supports them in making clinical decisions about patient care.
15

'Balancing complexity, resources and demand' : a grounded theory of clinical decision making in psychological therapy for older people with posttraumatic stress symptoms

Billett, Jane January 2014 (has links)
Background: Preliminary evidence suggests there are differences in how older people and younger people with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) present. However, currently little robust evidence exists relating to the presentation, assessment and intervention of PTSD in a rapidly ageing population. Faced with limited and conflicting evidence, clinical psychologists are reliant on their clinical expertise to make decisions in this context. Method: Eight studies reporting current prevalence of PTSD in older people were systematically reviewed. Semi-structured interviews with eight clinical psychologists with experience of assessment and intervention of post-traumatic stress symptomology in older people were analysed according to grounded theory methods. The analysis abstracted categories of data to construct a substantive theory of clinical decision making in this context. Results: Current and 12 month prevalence of PTSD ranged from 0.7% to 4.0% and 0.2% to 0.4% respectively. Partial PTSD was estimated at 1% to 10%. The quality of evidence limits the generalisability of the results. ‘Balancing complexity, resources and demand’ emerged from participants’ accounts as the core theoretical category, underpinning decision making in this context. Seven sub-categories comprise the model, ‘culture’; ‘NHS’; ‘clinician competencies’; “what the client brings”; ‘reconciling understanding’; ‘tailoring’ and ‘therapeutic relationship’. Conclusions: PTSD appears to be relatively rare among older people but more research is required to better understand the presentation and prevalence of full and partial PTSD. The theoretical model is broadly consistent with extant literature pertaining to the adaptation of psychological therapy for older people, offering further detail on implementation and the influence of treatment non-specific factors.
16

Utilization and Influence of Health Information Technology on Kentucky Advanced Practice Registered Nurses' Clinical Decision Making

Shuffitt, Jason T. January 2011 (has links)
Information technology is ubiquitous in society and industry; however, healthcare is just beginning to explore how health information technology (HIT) can be optimized to support quality care. HIT can assist with standardizing care delivery, increasing access to evidence-based medicine, improving accuracy and ease of documentation, and assisting with patient education. Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs), specifically nurse practitioners (NPs) and certified nurse midwives (CNMs), play a pivotal role in the healthcare delivery system. To be effective practitioners, providers must manage, integrate, and assimilate a multitude of knowledge with each patient encounter. HIT can serve as the channel through which the NP and CNM provides cost-effective, efficient, and quality care. However, healthcare providers have been slow to adopt and implement HIT resources. We know that adoption of HIT by healthcare providers is varied among provider and practice settings. However, few studies have examined the impact on and utilization of information technology by APRNs, specifically nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives.The purpose of this research was to investigate the utilization and influence of HIT on the clinical decision making of Kentucky nurse practitioners and nurse midwives (Kentucky APRNs). A descriptive cross-sectional design using survey methodology and convenience sampling was employed. Participants were asked to complete an author-modified, web-based survey tool that was based on current research. The 40-question tool was designed to explore providers' attitudes and perceptions of technology, determine their knowledge and utilization of various electronic and traditional print medical resources, and assess the penetration of and daily usage of HIT in practice.This study revealed information related to Kentucky APRN's utilization and influence of HIT on clinical decision making. Establishing exploratory Kentucky APRN findings will assist in evaluating further HIT utilization in Kentucky. Findings suggested that APRNs in Kentucky are beginning to explore the benefits of HIT; however, additional research will be required to identify the true penetration and utilization of technology in Kentucky. Although additional research is needed, HIT appears to be having an overall impact on the clinical practice of Kentucky APRNs.
17

Testing and refinement of an integrated, ethically-driven environmental model of clinical decision-making in emergency settings

Wolf, Lisa Adams January 2011 (has links)
Thesis advisor: Dorothy A. Jones / Thesis advisor: Pamela J. Grace / The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between multiple variables within a model of critical thinking and moral reasoning that support and refine the elements that significantly correlate with accuracy and clinical decision-making. <bold>Background:</bold> Research to date has identified multiple factors that are integral to clinical decision-making. The interplay among suggested elements within the decision making process particular to the nurse, the patient, and the environment remain unknown. Determining the clinical usefulness and predictive capacity of an integrated ethically driven environmental model of decision making (IEDEM-CD) in emergency settings in facilitating accuracy in problem identification is critical to initial interventions and safe, cost effective, quality patient care outcomes. Extending the literature of accuracy and clinical decision making can inform utilization, determination of staffing ratios, and the development of evidence driven care models. <bold>Methodology:</bold> The study used a quantitative descriptive correlational design to examine the relationships between multiple variables within the IEDEM-CD model. A purposive sample of emergency nurses was recruited to participate in the study resulting in a sample size of 200, calculated to yield a power of 0.80, significance of .05, and a moderate effect size. The dependent variable, accuracy in clinical decision-making, was measured by scores on clinical vignettes. The independent variables of moral reasoning, perceived environment of care, age, gender, certification in emergency nursing, educational level, and years of experience in emergency nursing, were measures by the Defining Issues Test, version 2, the Revised Professional Practice Environment scale, and a demographic survey. These instruments were identified to test and refine the elements within the IEDEM-CD model. Data collection occurred via internet survey over a one month period. Rest's Defining Issues Test, version 2 (DIT-2), the Revised Professional Practice Environment tool (RPPE), clinical vignettes as well as a demographic survey were made available as an internet survey package using Qualtrics TM. Data from each participant was scored and entered into a PASW database. The analysis plan included bivariate correlation analysis using Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficients followed by chi square and multiple linear regression analysis. <bold>Findings: </bold>The elements as identified in the IEDEM-CD model supported moral reasoning and environment of care as factors significantly affecting accuracy in decision-making. Findings reported that in complex clinical situations, higher levels of moral reasoning significantly affected accuracy in problem identification. Attributes of the environment of care including teamwork, communication about patients, and control over practice also significantly affected nurses' critical cue recognition and selection of appropriate interventions. Study results supported the conceptualization of the IEDEM-CD model and its usefulness as a framework for predicting clinical decision making accuracy for emergency nurses in practice, with further implications in education, research and policy / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. Connell School of Nursing. / Discipline: Nursing.
18

Bayesian networks for evidence based clinical decision support

Yet, Barbaros January 2013 (has links)
Evidence based medicine (EBM) is defined as the use of best available evidence for decision making, and it has been the predominant paradigm in clinical decision making for the last 20 years. EBM requires evidence from multiple sources to be combined, as published results may not be directly applicable to individual patients. For example, randomised controlled trials (RCT) often exclude patients with comorbidities, so a clinician has to combine the results of the RCT with evidence about comorbidities using his clinical knowledge of how disease, treatment and comorbidities interact with each other. Bayesian networks (BN) are well suited for assisting clinicians making evidence-based decisions as they can combine knowledge, data and other sources of evidence. The graphical structure of BN is suitable for representing knowledge about the mechanisms linking diseases, treatments and comorbidities and the strength of relations in this structure can be learned from data and published results. However, there is still a lack of techniques that systematically use knowledge, data and published results together to build BNs. This thesis advances techniques for using knowledge, data and published results to develop and refine BNs for assisting clinical decision-making. In particular, the thesis presents four novel contributions. First, it proposes a method of combining knowledge and data to build BNs that reason in a way that is consistent with knowledge and data by allowing the BN model to include variables that cannot be measured directly. Second, it proposes techniques to build BNs that provide decision support by combining the evidence from meta-analysis of published studies with clinical knowledge and data. Third, it presents an evidence framework that supplements clinical BNs by representing the description and source of medical evidence supporting each element of a BN. Fourth, it proposes a knowledge engineering method for abstracting a BN structure by showing how each abstraction operation changes knowledge encoded in the structure. These novel techniques are illustrated by a clinical case-study in trauma-care. The aim of the case-study is to provide decision support in treatment of mangled extremities by using clinical expertise, data and published evidence about the subject. The case study is done in collaboration with the trauma unit of the Royal London Hospital.
19

Avaliação dos aspectos ultrassonográficos pulmonares em pacientes submetidos a teste de respiração espontânea para desmame da ventilação mecânica

Antonio, Ana Carolina Pecanha January 2016 (has links)
Introdução: Descontinuação prematura ou tardia da ventilação mecânica invasiva (VM) associa-se a maior morbimortalidade. Redução da pressão intratorácica durante o teste de respiração espontânea (TRE) pode precipitar disfunção cardíaca através da elevação abrupta do retorno venoso e da pós-carga do ventrículo esquerdo. Da mesma maneira, alterações na demanda respiratória e cardíaca que ocorrem ao longo do TRE também podem manifestar-se à ultrassonografia pulmonar. O padrão B é um artefato sonográfico que se correlacionada com edema intersticial. Um ensaio clínico randomizando concluiu que a ultrassonografia pulmonar foi capaz de prever insuficiência ventilatória pós extubação através de variações na aeração pulmonar observadas durante o procedimento de desmame; contudo, a ferramenta não pôde rastrear pacientes antes da submissão ao TRE. O impacto do balanço hídrico (BH) e de sinais radiológicos de congestão pulmonar antes do TRE sobre os desfechos no desmame também precisam ser determinados. Métodos: Cinquenta e sete indivíduos elegíveis para o desmame ventilatório foram recrutados. Traqueostomizados foram excluídos. Realizou-se avaliação ultrassonográfica de seis zonas pulmonares imediatamente antes e ao final do TRE. Predominância B foi definida como qualquer perfil com padrão B presente bilateralmente em região torácica anterior. Os pacientes foram seguidos por até 48 horas depois da extubação. Após esse estudo piloto, foi conduzido um estudo observacional, prospectivo, multicêntrico em duas unidades de terapia intensiva (UTIs) clínico-cirúrgicas ao longo de dois anos. Os mesmos critérios de inclusão e de exclusão foram aplicados; contudo, a ultrassonografia foi realizada apenas antes do TRE. O desfecho primário foi falha no TRE, definido como incapacidade de tolerar o teste T durante 30 a 120 minutos e, nesse caso, o paciente não era extubado. Dados demográficos e fisiológicos, BH das 48 horas antecedendo o TRE (entrada de fluidos menos débitos durante 48 horas) e desfechos foram coletados. Em uma análise post hoc de 170 procedimentos de desmame, um radiologista aplicou um escore radiológico na interpretação de radiografias digitais de tórax realizadas previamente ao TRE – o exame mais recente disponível foi avaliado em termos de congestão pulmonar. Resultados: No estudo piloto, 38 indivíduos foram extubados com sucesso, 11 falharam no TRE e 8 necessitaram de reintubação em até 48 horas após a extubação. No início do teste T, padrão B ou consolidação já estava presente em porções inferiores e posteriores dos pulmões em mais da metade dos casos, e tais regiões mantiveram-se não aeradas até o final do teste. Perda de aeração pulmonar durante o TRE foi observada apenas no grupo que falhou no mesmo (p= 0,07). Esses pacientes também demonstraram maior predominância B ao final do teste (p= 0,019). Antes do procedimento de desmame, todavia, não foi possível discernir indivíduos que falhariam no TRE, tampouco aqueles que necessitariam de reintubação dentro de 48 horas. Posteriormente, de 2011 a 2013, 250 procedimentos de desmame foram avaliados. Falha no TRE ocorreu em 51 (20,4%). Cento e oitenta e nove pacientes (75,6%) foram extubados na primeira tentativa. Indivíduos que falharam no TRE eram mais jovens (mediana de 66 versus 75 anos, p= 0,03) e apresentaram maior duração de VM e maior prevalência de doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica (DPOC) (19,6 versus 9,5%, p= 0,04). Predominância B mostrou-se um preditor muito fraco para falha no TRE, exibindo sensibilidade de 47%, especificidade de 64%, valor preditivo positivo de 25% e valor preditivo negativo de 82%. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa no BH das 48 horas antecedendo o TRE entre os grupos (falha no TRE: 1201,65 ± 2801,68 ml versus sucesso no TRE: 1324,39 ± 2915,95 ml). Entretanto, em pacientes portadores de DPOC, ocorreu associação estatisticamente significativa entre BH positivo nas 48 horas antes do TRE e falha no TRE (odds ratio= 1,77 [1,24 – 2.53], p= 0,04). O escore radiológico, obtido em 170 testes T, foi similar entre os pacientes com falha e sucesso no TRE (mediana de 3 [2 – 4] versus 3 [2 – 4]), p= 0, 15). Conclusão: Maior perda de aeração pulmonar observada à ultrassonografia durante o TRE pode sugerir disfunção cardiovascular e aumento na água extravascular, ambos induzidos pelo processo de desmame. BH, sinais radiológicos de congestão pulmonar ou padrão B documentado através de um protocolo ultrassonográfico simplificado não devem contraindicar o TRE em pacientes estáveis hemodinamicamente e adequadamente oxigenados, haja vista o fato de tais variáveis não terem predito maior probabilidade de falha de desmame em pacientes críticos clínico-cirúrgicos. Ainda assim, evitar BH positivo em pacientes com DPOC parece otimizar os desfechos do desmame. / Introduction: Both delayed and premature liberation from mechanical ventilation (MV) are associated with increased morbi-mortality. Inspiratory fall in intra-thoracic pressure during spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) may precipitate cardiac dysfunction through abrupt increase in venous return and in left ventricular afterload. Changes in respiratory and cardiac load occurring throughout SBT might manifest with dynamic changes in lung ultrasound (LUS). B-pattern is an artifact that correlates with interstitial edema. A randomized controlled trial concluded that bedside LUS could predict post extubation distress due to changes in lung aeration throughout weaning procedure; however, it could not screen patients before submission to SBT. The impact of fluid balance (FB) as well as of radiological signs of pulmonary congestion prior to SBT on weaning outcomes must also be determined. Methods: Fifty-seven subjects eligible for ventilation liberation were enrolled. Patients with tracheostomy were excluded. LUS assessment of six thoracic zones was performed immediately before and at the end of SBT. B-predominance was defined as any profile with anterior bilateral B-pattern. Patients were followed up to 48 hours after extubation. After this pilot report, we conducted a 2-year prospective, multicenter, observational study in two adult medical surgical intensive care units (ICUs). Same inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied; however, LUS was performed only immediately before SBT. The primary outcome was SBT failure, defined as inability to tolerate a T-piece trial during 30 to 120 minutes, in which case patients were not extubated. Demographic, physiologic, FB in the preceding 48 hours of SBT (fluid input minus output over the 48-hour period), and outcomes data were collected. As a post hoc analysis in 170 weaning procedures performed in one of the ICUs, an attending radiologist applied a radiological score on interpretation of digital chest x-rays performed before SBT - the most recent available exam was analyzed regarding degree of lung fluid content. Results: In the pilot study, 38 subjects were successfully extubated, 11 failed the SBT and 8 needed reintubation within 48 hours of extubation. At the beginning of T-piece trial, B-pattern or consolidation were already found at lower and posterior lung regions in more than half of the individuals and remained nonaerated at the end of the trial. Loss of lung aeration during SBT was observed only in SBT-failure group (p= 0.07). These subjects also exhibited higher B-predominance at the end of trial (p= 0.019). Prior to weaning procedure, however, we were not capable to discriminate individuals who would fail SBT, nor who would need reintubation within 48 hours. Afterwards, from 2011 to 2013, 250 weaning procedures were evaluated. SBT failure occurred in 51 (20.4%). One hundred eighty-nine patients (75.6%) were extubated at first attempt. Individuals who failed SBT were younger (median 66 versus 75 years, p= 0.03), had higher duration of MV (median 7 versus 4 days, p< 0.0001) and higher prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (19.6 versus 9.5%, p= 0.04). B-predominance was a very weak predictor for SBT failure, showing 47% sensitivity, 64% specificity, 25% positive predictive value, and 82% negative predictive value. There were no statistically significant differences in 48 hour-FB prior to SBT between groups (SBT failure: 1201.65 ± 2801.68 mL versus SBT success: 1324.39 ± 2915.95 mL). However, in COPD subgroup, we found significant association between positive FB in the 48 hours prior to SBT and SBT failure (odds ratio = 1.77 [1.24 – 2.53], p= 0.04). Radiological score, obtained in 170 T-piece trials, was similar between SBT failure and success subjects (median 3 [2 - 4] vs 3 [2 - 4], p= 0.15). Conclusion: Higher loss of lung aeration observed by LUS during SBT might suggest cardiovascular dysfunction and increases in extravascular lung water, both induced by weaning. Neither FB, nor radiological findings of pulmonary congestion, nor B-pattern detected by a simplified LUS protocol should preclude hemodynamically stable, sufficiently oxygenated patients from performing an SBT, since such variables did not predict greater probability of weaning failure in medical-surgical critically ill population. Notwithstanding, avoiding positive FB in COPD patients might improve weaning outcomes.
20

The transition from Final Year Medical Student to Foundation Doctor : the clinical reasoning journey

Smith, Julie MacAulay January 2015 (has links)
Although clinical reasoning is both broad and complex, the term “clinical reasoning” is contested and multiple definitions have been mooted within different contexts. In its simplest form, clinical reasoning is regarded as a “decision-making” process. Other definitions outline it in terms of a complex cognitive process, posited within multiple contextual factors. Traditionally, clinical reasoning models have been based upon cognitive theories. More recently, interpretive theories have been applied. Despite extensive research over the past four decades, no consensus on how clinical reasoning actually occurs has been achieved. Accurate clinical reasoning is vital to patient safety. Its importance as an essential clinical competence for healthcare professionals is well established. Indeed, it is the crux of a clinician’s work. Frequently, Foundation doctors are the first to review acutely unwell patients. During out-of-hours shifts senior help can be scant and Foundation doctors may have to rely on their own initial clinical reasoning to manage acutely unwell patients. This PhD explores clinical reasoning development in the transition phase between final year medical student and Foundation doctor (5MB-FY1 transition) in relation to acutely unwell patients. It follows a cohort of final year medical students from a single UK university on their clinical reasoning journeys as they transition into Foundation doctors, focusing on the role of the simulated healthcare setting and the workplace. The principle research question for this PhD was how does clinical reasoning develop across the transition phase between final year of medical school and Foundation year one? Within this overarching research question, the following sub-questions were posed: What do participants understand by the term clinical reasoning? What types of clinical reasoning experiences do participants narrate? How do participants clinically reason for acutely unwell patients? Which factors do participants perceive as being facilitating and hindering to their clinical reasoning? How do participants’ clinical reasoning processes develop across the 5MB-FY1 transition phase? This PhD uses multiple methodologies derived from interpretive approaches in innovative ways to tap into clinical reasoning processes and its development across four data collection points: T1: group and individual interviews; T2: Ward Simulation Exercise observations and stimulated recall interviews; T3: workplace observations and stimulated recall interviews; T4: final interviews. Data were collected from T1/T2 and T3/T4 during the final year of medical school and Foundation year one respectively. Primary thematic analyses were carried out cross-sectionally and longitudinally in terms of what participants said and how they said it. Secondary narrative analyses were undertaken of participants’ Personal Incident Narratives. By taking an interpretive approach, the complexities of clinical reasoning processes, both in terms of internal cognition and external socio-cultural influences were illuminated, drawing upon clinical reasoning, complexity and situated learning theories. The key findings of this PhD were that participants conceptualised clinical reasoning as a “decision-making” and “thinking” process, leading to a clinical judgement for patient care; participants narratives aided understanding of clinical reasoning process and factors which facilitated and hindered them; participants used experiential knowledge and protocols to clinically reason for diagnosis, investigation, management and prioritisation; participants retained flexibility and contextual variability in the processes of making their clinical judgements; multiple factors facilitated and hindered the equilibrium of clinical judgement processes; and clinical reasoning development is dependent upon a complex interplay of individual, interpersonal and systemic factors which are deeply embedded in social-cultural theory. This study has multiple strengths and original features such the high participant retention rate throughout the longitudinal study, the exploration of the 5MB-FY1 transition, contemporaneous observations of clinical interactions with patients, the exploration of the out-of-hour setting contemporaneously and the multiple methods of data collection used in innovative ways. This PhD develops the published literature further in these domains. However, its challenges were predominantly ethical, such as lack of patient capacity to consent in the workplace.

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