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by Gabriel Ott, Yannik Schaubelt, Juan Miguel Lopez Alcaraz, Wilhelm Haverkamp, Nils Strodthoff
Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading global cause of mortality. Age is an important covariate whose effect is most easily investigated in a healthy cohort to properly distinguish the former from disease-related changes. Traditionally, most of such insights have been drawn from the analysis of electrocardiogram (ECG) feature changes in individuals as they age. However, these features, while informative, may potentially obscure underlying data relationships. In this paper we present the following contributions: (1) We employ a deep-learning model and a tree-based model to analyze ECG data from a robust dataset of healthy individuals across varying ages in both raw signals and ECG feature format. (2) We use explainable AI methods to identify the most discriminative ECG features across age groups.(3) Our analysis with tree-based classifiers reveals age-related declines in inferred breathing rates and identifies notably high SDANN values as indicative of elderly individuals, distinguishing them from younger adults. (4) Furthermore, the deep-learning model underscores the pivotal role of the P-wave in age predictions across all age groups, suggesting potential changes in the distribution of different P-wave types with age. These findings shed new light on age-related ECG changes, offering insights that transcend traditional feature-based approaches.To describe the experiences of patients who have postacute sequelae SARS-CoV-2 infection with internal vibrations and tremors as a prominent component, we leveraged the efforts by Survivor Corps, a grassroots COVID-19 patient advocacy group, to gather information from individuals belonging to its Facebook group with a history of COVID-19 suffering from vibrations and tremors.
A narrative analysis was performed on 140 emails and 450 social media comments from 140 individuals collected as a response to a call to >180 000 individuals participating in Survivor Corps between 15 July and 27 July 2021. We used common coding techniques and the constant comparative method for qualitative data synthesis and categorising emails. Coded data were entered into NVivo V.12 to identify recurrent themes, theme connections and supporting quotations. Comments were analysed using Word Clouds, generated with R V.4.0.3 using quanteda, wordcloud and tm packages.
Patient-reported long COVID symptom themes and domains related to internal tremors and vibration.
The respondents’ emails represented 22 themes and 7 domains pertaining to their experience with internal tremor and vibrations. These domains were as follows: (1) symptom experience, description and anatomic location; (2) initial symptom onset; (3) symptom timing; (4) symptom triggers or alleviators; (5) change from baseline health status; (6) experience with medical establishment and (7) impact on individuals’ lives and livelihood. There were 22 themes in total, each corresponding to one of the broader domains. Among the responses, many described symptoms that varied in location, timing and triggers, occurred soon after their COVID-19 infection, and were markedly debilitating. There were often frustrating experiences with the healthcare system.
This study describes key themes and experiences among a group of people reporting long COVID and having a prolonged and debilitating symptom complex that prominently features internal tremors and vibrations.
Health professionals witness pain and suffering when they care for sick people and their families. Compassion is a necessary quality in their work as it combines the will to help, alleviate suffering and promote the well-being of both the people they are attending and the professionals themselves. The aim of the study was to design and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Capacity for Compassion Scale (CCS).
A quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out to evaluate the psychometric properties of the scale (reliability, temporal stability, content validity, criterion validity and construct validity).
The study was carried out in two phases: pilot study and final validation. The data were collected between April and May 2022. The sample was selected by convenience sampling and was made up of a total of 264 participants, 59 in the pilot phase and 205 in the final validation.
The Capacity for Compassion Scale has been shown to have good psychometric properties in relation to reliability, temporal stability, and content, criterion, and construct validity. Factor analysis showed that there were four subdimensions of the scale: motivation/commitment, presence, shared humanity and self-compassion. The results also indicate that compassionate ability is significantly correlated with age and work experience.
The Capacity for Compassion Scale shows adequate psychometric properties. This instrument measures the compassion capacity of health professionals, which is a valuable discovery for new lines of research in this field.
Through this scale, low levels of capacity for compassion can be detected that negatively influence the quality of care provided by health professionals. The Capacity for Compassion Scale can therefore contribute to the identification of needs and promote training around compassion for health professionals.
No patient or public contribution.
Compassion in health professionals has positive effects on improving the quality of care, the satisfaction of professionals and the work environment. There are compassion cultivation programmes whose validity has been proven for the development of the dimensions of compassion. There is no specific instrument that measures capacity for compassion in healthcare professionals.
A scale is designed to measure capacity for compassion in health professionals. This is the only such scale available up until now. The scale measures four dimensions of compassion: motivation/commitment, presence, shared humanity and self-compassion.
The development of specific programmes that can increase the compassion of health professionals with all the benefits that this can bring to health care is encouraged. It will be possible to analyse the effects of training programmes on the cultivation of compassion.
The study explores the experiences of women with low-risk pregnancies and no complications who planned a home birth.
A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire.
The questionnaire included socio-demographic, obstetric and perinatal variables. Birth satisfaction was evaluated via the Spanish version of the childbirth experience questionnaire. The study group comprised home-birthing women in Catalonia, Spain. Data were collected from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2021. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS.
A total of 236 women responded. They reported generally positive experiences, with professional support and involvement being the most highly rated dimensions. Better childbirth experiences were associated with labour lasting less than 12 h, no perineal injuries, no intrapartum transfers to hospital, euthocic delivery and the presence of a midwife.
Women's positive home birth experiences were linked to active participation and midwife support. Multiparous women felt safer. Medical interventions, especially transfers to hospitals, reduced satisfaction, highlighting the need for improved care during home births.
Home births should be included among the birthplace options offered by public health services, given the extremely positive feedback reported by women who gave birth at home.
Home birth is not an option offered under Catalonia's public health system only as a private service. The experience of home-birthing women is unknown. This study shows a very positive birth experience due to greater participation and midwife support. The results help stakeholders assess home birth's public health inclusion and understand valued factors, supporting home-birthing women.
The study followed the STROBE checklist guidelines for cross-sectional studies.
Women who planned a home birth participated in the pilot test to validate the instrument, and their contributions were collected by the lead researcher. The questionnaire gathered the participants' email addresses, and a commitment was made to disseminate the study's results through this means.
To assess the survival predictivity of baseline blood cell differential count (BCDC), discretised according to two different methods, in adults visiting an emergency room (ER) for illness or trauma over 1 year.
Retrospective cohort study of hospital records.
Tertiary care public hospital in northern Italy.
11 052 patients aged >18 years, consecutively admitted to the ER in 1 year, and for whom BCDC collection was indicated by ER medical staff at first presentation.
Survival was the referral outcome for explorative model development. Automated BCDC analysis at baseline assessed haemoglobin, mean cell volume (MCV), red cell distribution width (RDW), platelet distribution width (PDW), platelet haematocrit (PCT), absolute red blood cells, white blood cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils and platelets. Discretisation cut-offs were defined by benchmark and tailored methods. Benchmark cut-offs were stated based on laboratory reference values (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute). Tailored cut-offs for linear, sigmoid-shaped and U-shaped distributed variables were discretised by maximally selected rank statistics and by optimal-equal HR, respectively. Explanatory variables (age, gender, ER admission during SARS-CoV2 surges and in-hospital admission) were analysed using Cox multivariable regression. Receiver operating curves were drawn by summing the Cox-significant variables for each method.
Of 11 052 patients (median age 67 years, IQR 51–81, 48% female), 59% (n=6489) were discharged and 41% (n=4563) were admitted to the hospital. After a 306-day median follow-up (IQR 208–417 days), 9455 (86%) patients were alive and 1597 (14%) deceased. Increased HRs were associated with age >73 years (HR=4.6, 95% CI=4.0 to 5.2), in-hospital admission (HR=2.2, 95% CI=1.9 to 2.4), ER admission during SARS-CoV2 surges (Wave I: HR=1.7, 95% CI=1.5 to 1.9; Wave II: HR=1.2, 95% CI=1.0 to 1.3). Gender, haemoglobin, MCV, RDW, PDW, neutrophils, lymphocytes and eosinophil counts were significant overall. Benchmark-BCDC model included basophils and platelet count (area under the ROC (AUROC) 0.74). Tailored-BCDC model included monocyte counts and PCT (AUROC 0.79).
Baseline discretised BCDC provides meaningful insight regarding ER patients’ survival.
Objetivo principal: Describir el significado del cuidado humanizado de enfermeras hacia el adulto mayor en asilos. Metodología: Estudio cualitativo, descriptivo realizado con enfermeras de tres asilos de Guanajuato de agosto a octubre de 2021. Selección de participantes por disponibilidad y voluntariedad (n= 9), se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas telefónicas, análisis de datos con análisis de contenido temático, cuidando los principios éticos con consentimiento informado. Resultados principales: Emergieron cinco temas que construyen el cuidado humanizado: 1. Favorecer la plenitud física, emocional y espiritual, 2.Cuidar es recreación, 3.Acompañamiento en la soledad, 4.Brindar confianza, atención y disposición y 5.Cuidando en valores. Conclusión principal: El cuidado humanizado es hacer sentir al adulto mayor confianza, brindándole apoyo, respeto, atendiendo sus necesidades básicas, el cuidar de forma humanizada refleja un acto de acompañamiento en la última etapa de la vida donde se da el valor de ser humano.
Objetivo principal: analizar el abordaje y cuidados de los profesionales de Enfermería en la atención a personas con esclerosis múltiple. Meto-dología: Revisión bibliográfica tipo narrativa realizada entre febrero y abril de 2020 para un análisis reflexivo de los artículos científicos entre 2015-2020. Las bases de datos consultadas fuero: Scielo, Pubmed y Cuiden. Tras las estrategias de búsqueda se obtuvieron 52 artículos de los cuales tras aplicar los criterios de inclusión y exclusión se seleccionaron 27 estudios. Resultados principales: Las intervenciones del personal de Enfermería van encaminadas a ayudar al paciente a buscar estrategias de afrontamiento para aceptar los cambios que le producen la enfermedad. Conclusión principal: El abordaje de Enfermería, con un plan de cuidados individualizado, pautas, recomendaciones, escucha y cuidados humanizados, mejoran la calidad de vida de los pacientes con EM atendidos por Enfermería respecto a los no atendidos.
Objetivo principal: identificar la existencia de escalas de medición validadas que nos ayuden a predecir la existencia de deterioro neurológico del origen respiratorio y digestivo. Metodología: se realizó una revisión bibliográfica en diciembre de 2019 en las principales bases de datos. Resultados principales: se incluyeron artículos que describen instrumentos para la detección precoz del deterioro neurológico y la calidad de vida en pacientes con Esclerosis Lateral Amiotrófica. Se incluyeron 15 artículos que nos brindaron información sobre los ocho cuestionarios más importantes disponibles y validados para evaluar la progresión de la esclerosis lateral amiotrófica (EuroQoL, SF-12, SPB, ALSFR, ALSFRS-R, NPS, DMN, ALSAQ40). Conclusión principal: a pesar del trabajo constante para mejorar la calidad de vida y la dignidad de los pacientes y sus familias, actualmente no existe un cuestionario validado que prediga la existencia de deterioro neurológico respiratorio y digestivo.
Rev Enferm;41(2): 96-100, feb. 2018. tab, ilus. [Artículo]
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