To systematically review the existing literature and address the following research question: What are the most effective techniques used to minimise adverse effects resulting from subcutaneous injections of low-molecular-weight heparin among patients with cardiovascular diseases?
A scoping review.
A comprehensive search was conducted across multiple databases, including CINAHL, PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library, from 1 February 2014 to 31 January 2024. Participants were aged 18 years or older, diagnosed with venous thromboembolism or arterial thromboembolism and had prescribed subcutaneous injections of low-molecular-weight heparin. The collected data were analysed following the Joanna Briggs Institute approach, and it was organised and categorised based on the main objectives of the review.
Twenty studies were eligible, including 1 best practice project, 7 randomised controlled trials and 9 quasi-experimental studies. The techniques under investigation encompassed various aspects, including the injection site, injection duration (e.g., 30 s vs. 10 s), injection method (e.g., needle insertion angle), duration of needle withdrawal after injection, pressure application time and cold pressure. Preliminary evidence suggests that techniques such as using the abdominal site and slower injection rates may help reduce adverse effects. However, the optimal parameters for injection duration, waiting time, pressure and cold application, including the duration of these applications, remain uncertain due to limitations in sample size and heterogeneity in interventions and outcome measures across the studies.
Ensuring the accurate administration of low-molecular-weight heparin is of utmost importance as it plays a critical role in decreasing mortality rates and minimising substantial healthcare costs linked to complications arising from incorrect administration. The findings from the current review have significantly contributed to strengthening the evidence base in this field, providing more robust and reliable information.
This review emphasises the significance of implementing standardised subcutaneous injection techniques for low-molecular-weight heparin in patients with cardiovascular disease in order to reduce complications and enhance patient outcomes.
This study followed the applicable guidelines established by the PRISMA 2020 statement. The PRISMA checklist for systematic reviews was utilised for reporting purposes.
There is no patient or public contribution to declare.
OSF registries: osf.io/phk72
To develop the Preschool Children eHealth Cardiac Rehabilitation programme based on the Interaction Model of Client Health Behaviour, and to evaluate its effects on children after congenital heart surgery.
A parallel two-arm randomised controlled trial was conducted.
A total of 84 participants were recruited from July 2022 to June 2023 and randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n = 40) or control group (n = 44). The intervention group participated in a 3-month eHealth Cardiac Rehabilitation programme, while the control group received routine care. Outcomes were measured at baseline, 3 months post baseline (intervention endpoint), and 6 months post baseline. Eighty participants completed the study.
Compared to the intervention group, the control group demonstrated significantly worse outcomes at both 3 and 6 months, including a higher risk of heart failure, lower left ventricular ejection fraction scores, and shorter 6-min walk distance tests. The intervention group engaged in significantly more vigorous physical activity. Significant between group differences were also observed in parental knowledge, attitudes, behaviours and trust levels. Additionally, the proportion of parents experiencing anxiety decreased significantly more in the intervention group by 6 months post baseline.
This pioneering eHealth programme transforms home-based rehabilitation for preschool children with congenital heart disease, addressing a critical gap in accessible and long-term paediatric cardiac rehabilitation care.
The use of eHealth programmes is valuable for improving paediatric cardiac rehabilitation by empowering parents, enhancing care continuity, and reducing barriers to accessing specialised services in paediatric care, especially in areas with limited medical resources.
This study establishes the first validated eHealth framework for family-centred cardiac rehabilitation in preschool children following congenital heart surgery, addressing the critically low uptake of previously home-based rehabilitation. It also provides clinicians with a scalable solution for delivering care in underserved regions lacking access to specialised cardiac services.
This study adhered to the CONSORT checklist guidelines for reporting randomised controlled trials.
This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct, or reporting.
This study was a randomised controlled clinical trial. The research protocol was registered with the China Clinical Trial Registration Center (registration number: ChiCTR2200062022; https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=174261).
To develop and validate a machine learning-based risk prediction model for delirium in older inpatients.
A prospective cohort study.
A prospective cohort study was conducted. Eighteen clinical features were prospectively collected from electronic medical records during hospitalisation to inform the model. Four machine learning algorithms were employed to develop and validate risk prediction models. The performance of all models in the training and test sets was evaluated using a combination of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, Brier score, and other metrics before selecting the best model for SHAP interpretation.
A total of 973 older inpatient data were utilised for model construction and validation. The AUC of four machine learning models in the training and test sets ranged from 0.869 to 0.992; the accuracy ranged from 0.931 to 0.962; and the sensitivity ranged from 0.564 to 0.997. Compared to other models, the Random Forest model exhibited the best overall performance with an AUC of 0.908 (95% CI, 0.848, 0.968), an accuracy of 0.935, a sensitivity of 0.992, and a Brier score of 0.053.
The machine learning model we developed and validated for predicting delirium in older inpatients demonstrated excellent predictive performance. This model has the potential to assist healthcare professionals in early diagnosis and support informed clinical decision-making.
By identifying patients at risk of delirium early, healthcare professionals can implement preventive measures and timely interventions, potentially reducing the incidence and severity of delirium. The model's ability to support informed clinical decision-making can lead to more personalised and effective care strategies, ultimately benefiting both patients and healthcare providers.
This study was reported in accordance with the TRIPOD statement.
No patient or public contribution.
To construct and evaluate a novel nomogram for predicting the risk of dual dimensional frailty (comorbidity between physical frailty and social frailty) in older maintenance haemodialysis.
A cross-sectional investigation was conducted. A total of 386 older MHD patients were recruited between September and December 2024 from four haemodialysis centres in four tertiary hospitals in Sichuan Province, China. LASSO regression and binary logistic regression were employed to determine the predictors of dual dimensional frailty. The prediction performance of the model was evaluated by discrimination and calibration. The decision curve was utilised to estimate the clinical utility. Internal validation with 1000 bootstrap samples was conducted to minimise overfitting.
In the overall sample (386 cases), a total of 92 (23.8%) of patients exhibited dual dimensional frailty. Five relevant predictors, including physical activity, self-perceived health status, ADL impairment, malnutrition, and self-perceptions of aging, were identified for constructing the nomogram. Internal validation indicated excellent discriminatory power and calibration of the model, while the clinical decision curve demonstrated its remarkable clinical utility.
The novel nomogram constructed in this study holds promise for aiding healthcare professionals in identifying physical and social frailty risks among older patients on maintenance haemodialysis, potentially informing early and targeted interventions.
This nomogram enables nurses to efficiently stratify dual-dimensional frailty risk during routine assessments, facilitating early identification of high-risk patients. Its visual output can guide tailored interventions, such as exercise programmes, nutritional support, and counselling, while optimising resource allocation.
Data were collected from self-reported conditions and patients' clinical information.
STROBE checklist was employed.
There are few reports on compliance with oral nutritional supplements (ONS) after surgery in hospitalized patients. This study aimed to investigate the compliance with ONS and its influencing factors after surgery in colorectal cancer patients.
STROBE checklist was used during the preparation of this paper. A total of 103 postoperative colorectal cancer patients were selected from November 2020 to April 2021 from the Department of Anorectal Surgery in our institution, which is a tertiary hospital in Hangzhou, China. The compliance with ONS was recorded by a self-record sheet, and sociodemographic and disease-related information of these patients was gathered through a self-designed questionnaire.
The overall ONS compliance rate of patients with colorectal cancer was 57.6%. Results of univariate analysis revealed that ONS compliance rate was related to sex, admission body mass index, abdominal distension, attitude towards ONS, and satisfaction with ONS. Multi-factor analysis showed that age, sex, and perceived benefits of nutrition therapy independently influenced the ONS compliance rate.
The postoperative ONS compliance rate of colorectal cancer patients needs to be further improved. Healthcare professionals should pay more attention to the postoperative ONS compliance and acknowledging the influence of age, gender, and attitudes towards ONS on ONS compliance. Notably, patients' perspectives towards ONS play a crucial and modifiable role in determining ONS compliance. Nurses ought to assist patients in cultivating a positive attitude towards ONS.
Dosage form and delivery method are also influence factors that deserves further exploration in the future. Future research endeavours should endeavour to craft tailored, meticulous nutritional intervention strategies tailored to the diverse factors that influence ONS compliance, ultimately leading to enhanced ONS adherence. Our findings could serve as valuable evidence for the development of strategies aimed at enhancing ONS usage practices.
To identify the contaminated areas of the hand collection and analyse the distribution characteristics of bacteria in the hand after swab collection.
This study used a cross-sectional design.
A cross-sectional study sampling 50 pairs of hands (sampling hand and auxiliary hand) of healthcare workers was performed. Ten samples were collected from each participant. The optimal hand hygiene rates and bacterial colony counts of the whole hand and different hand sections without hand hygiene were identified as the primary outcomes.
The optimal hand hygiene rates of the sampling hand and auxiliary hand were 88.8% (222/250) and 91.6% (229/250), respectively. The lowest optimal hand hygiene rates for the sampling hand and the auxiliary hand were both on the dorsal side of the finger and the dorsum of the hand (86.0%, 86.0% vs. 90.0%, 86.0%); the optimal hand hygiene rates for both sites of the sampling hand were 86.0% (43/50), and the optimal hand hygiene rates for the auxiliary hand were 90.0% (45/50) and 86.0% (43/50). The bacteria colony counts did not differ between the sampling hands and auxiliary hand.
The dorsal side of the finger and dorsum of the hand were the most likely to be contaminated during oropharyngeal swab collection. Therefore, it is essential to pay extra attention to hand hygiene care of these two sites during the collection process to minimize the risk of cross-contamination.
The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines were adopted in this study.