British Journal of Nursing最新文献

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in Ireland with knee osteoarthritis the most common presentation. One in five women and one in 10 men over the age of 60 in Ireland are diagnosed with osteoarthritis. The causative factors are multifactorial, but the increasing incidence of obesity is contributing greatly to the occurrence of osteoarthritis of the weight-bearing joints. The rheumatology advanced nurse practitioner is an autonomous clinical practitioner and potential solution to the growing numbers of people needing interventions for osteoarthritis, due to their ability to assess, diagnose, treat, and discharge these patients who ordinarily would be assessed from a medical waiting list. As obesity is becoming increasingly prevalent, it is important to address this with the patient cohort to try to reduce the burden of disease and treat not only the symptomatic knee osteoarthritis but the causative factors and provide patient-centred care.

John Tingle, Lecturer in Law, Birmingham Law School, University of Birmingham, discuses some key NHS stakeholder perspectives on NHS patient safety.

Richard Griffith, Senior Lecturer in Health Law at Swansea University, considers the practical implications of undertaking mental capacity assessments with a person across a range of different decisions.

Amyloidosis can affect any organ in the body by deposition of amyloid fibrils. When these aggregate in the heart, it leads to cardiac amyloidosis a life-threatening and progressive disease. Although considered a rare condition, advances in imaging techniques and raised awareness have shown that it might be more frequent than has been historically estimated. Cardiac amyloidosis can be hereditary or occur as a consequence of the ageing process but, regardless of type, patients experience a heavy symptomatic burden. This article provides an overview of its pathophysiology, signs and symptoms and how any nurse can look for the main red flags in clinical practice. Early referral for specialist care can have a significant impact on disease progression and patient quality of life.

Background: The Medical Emergencies in Eating Disorders (MEED) report was first released by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2022 (updated 2023) to aid clinicians in recognising medical compromise due to an eating disorder and to provide guidance for management.

Aims: This study looked at admissions over 5 years to explore whether there is a correlation between MEED medical compromise parameters and three outcomes: length of stay, detainment under the Mental Health Act 1983, and discharge destination.

Methods: A retrospective study of 26 patients admitted to a large teaching hospital for an eating disorder between 2018 and 2023. The risk assessment from the MEED report was used to create a score for physical compromise and analysed to determine whether there was a correlation between the score and discharge destination, detainment under the Mental Health Act and length of stay.

Findings: Demographic data were comparable with larger studies, with increasing numbers and 19.2% having autism spectrum disorder. There was no correlation between the scoring tool and detainment under the Act, discharge destination or length of stay.

Conclusion: Increasing numbers of patients are presenting with eating disorders. Physical compromise was not a predictor for admission outcomes, but this could be further explored in larger studies.