Subacute Care Research Articles

Feasibility & Efficacy of Deprescribing rounds in a Singapore rehabilitative hospital- a randomised controlled trial

BackgroundDeprescribing is effective and safe in reducing polypharmacy among the elderly. However, the impact of deprescribing rounds remain unclear in Asian settings. Hence, we conducted this study.MethodsAn open label randomised controlled trial was conducted on patients of 65 years and above, under rehabilitation or subacute care and with prespecified medications from a Singapore rehabilitation hospital. They were randomised using a computer generated sequence.The intervention consisted of weekly multidisciplinary team-led deprescribing rounds (using five steps of deprescribing) and usual care. The control had only usual care.The primary outcome is the percentage change in total daily dose (TDD) from baseline upon discharge, while the secondary outcomes are the total number of medicine, total daily cost and TDD up to day 28 postdischarge, overall side-effect rates, rounding time and the challenges. Efficacy outcomes were analysed using intention-to-treat while other outcomes were analysed as per protocol.Results260 patients were randomised and 253 were analysed after excluding dropouts (female: 57.3%; median age: 76 years). Baseline characteristics were largely similar in both groups. The intervention arm (n = 126) experienced a greater reduction of TDD on discharge [Median (IQR): − 19.62% (− 34.38, 0.00%) versus 0.00% (− 12.00, 6.82%); p < 0.001], more constipation (OR: 3.75, 95% CI:1.75–8.06, p < 0.001) and laxative re-prescriptions (OR: 2.82, 95% CI:1.30–6.12, p = 0.009) though death and hospitalisation rates were similar. The median rounding time was 7.09 min per patient and challenges include the inconvenience in assembling the multidisciplinary team.ConclusionDeprescribing rounds can safely reduce TDD of medicine upon discharge compared to usual care in a Singaporean rehabilitation hospital.Trial registrationThis study is first registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (protocol number: NCT03713112) on 19/10/2018 and the protocol can be accessed on https://www.clinicaltrials.gov.

The role of speech-language pathology weekend service in inpatient subacute care: A national survey

Purpose Limited evidence is available on speech-language pathology (SLP) weekend services within the subacute inpatient setting. This study aimed to describe Australian SLP weekend services for stroke adult inpatients in subacute units and to explore clinicians’ perspectives on factors that influence the delivery of the service. Method Speech-language pathologists who worked in Australian subacute hospital-based units participated in an online cross-sectional survey. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were undertaken to analyse quantitative and qualitative data. Result From the total of 83 participating clinicians, 20 (24%) worked in rehabilitation units that provided an SLP weekend service. Assessments and reviews were the main clinical activities provided to stroke inpatients by this service. Workforce and evidence were commonly cited as facilitators and barriers to both the implementation of a new service and the continuation of an existing service. The “ideal” SLP weekend subacute service to stroke inpatients was typically described as a combination of assessment, therapy, education and training. Conclusion Findings from this study’s sample indicate that an SLP weekend inpatient rehabilitation service to stroke inpatients was not standard practice. Different perspectives regarding the purpose and need of an SLP weekend service were reported.

Evaluation of the predictive validity of the Hessisch Oldendorf Risk of Falling Scale (HOSS)

Objective: This study aims to further validate the Hessisch Oldendorf Risk of Falling Scale (HOSS) for neurological rehabilitation patients. Design: The overall scale performance and fall rate was calculated in a retrospective data analysis. Setting: The study was performed in a subacute care facility during inpatient neurological rehabilitation. Subjects: The study population (n = 512) included neurological and neurosurgical patients with heterogeneous levels of disability. Main measures: The HOSS total score and the suspected risk of falling were compared with the number of falls. Characteristics of fallers and non-fallers were compared using non-parametric group comparisons. Overall scale performance was assessed by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the HOSS as well as by calculating the sensitivity and specificity. Results: A total of 82 (16%) patients experienced at least one fall. Fallers were characterized by an older age, a longer length of stay, a more severe impairment in the activities of daily living upon admission, a hemiparesis, an orientation disorder, a need of a walking aid device and an urinary incontinence. The number of falls was associated with the HOSS total score. Sixty-four fallers and two hundred seventy-four non-fallers were correctly categorized leading to a sensitivity of 78.0% and a specificity of 63.7%. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the HOSS was 0.778 ± 0.25 (CI = 0.729–0.828, P < 0.001). Conclusion: The scale performance of the HOSS showed a good sensitivity and an adequate specificity to identify neurological patients who are at high risk of falling during inpatient rehabilitation.

Frailty predicts failure to discharge patients home from a subacute-care unit: a 3-year Italian experience

BackgroundThe primary purpose of Subacute Care Units (SCU) is to decongest acute hospital wards and facilitate the return of older patients to home.AimsWe analyzed the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted to an Italian SCU, and we explored factors associated with discharge to locations other than home (outcome).MethodsThis retrospective observational cohort study was conducted at a medium-sized suburban hospital, enrolling all patients consecutively admitted to one SCU from October 2017 to February 2020. We collected demographics, cause of admission, comorbidities, cognition, Barthel Index (BI), nutritional status, Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), length of stay, and discharge destination. Delirium was screened with the 4AT score. We adopted a multivariable conditional logistic regression model to identify the factors associated with the outcome.ResultsFrail subjects accounted for 58.6% of 406 patients (mean age 78.2 years, SD 11.6), while 61% were classified as functionally dependent. More than half of patients had relevant comorbidity, approximately 80% had a poor nutritional status, and 25% had pre-existing dementia. The overall prevalence of delirium was 14.5%. Most patients came from a hospital setting; recurrent reasons for admission were infections (70.5%) and heart failure (12.7%). Having a urinary bladder catheter at discharge, being overtly frail (CFS > 8), and low BI score were factors independently associated with not being discharged home.Discussion and conclusionThe routine assessment of frailty, as expressed by the CFS, may help redirecting the patients eligible for SCU admission.

Deployable designs to temporarily convert subacute hospital rooms into palliative care rooms.

To explore the design of deployable articles that can turn subacute hospital rooms into palliative care rooms to provide better patient-centred care and to meet the shortage of dedicated palliative care spaces in Australia. Clinicians and a design researcher collaborated to review the literature, obtain clinical/practitioner feedback on needs and use design research methods to produce design concepts and prototypes for use in the subacute care hospital setting. A design solution that included: (a) A guest-bed module for improved family togetherness and room personalisation; and (b) A digital connectivity module designed to provide family togetherness virtually. Informed design solutions for palliative care spaces were derived from clinical feedback and literature evidence. Clinicians expressed great interest and support for further development and implementation in Victorian hospitals. This exploratory concept also provides insights for future research and innovation in the design of palliative care environments.

The Dilemma of Falls in Older Persons: Never Forget to Investigate the Syncope.

Background and objectives: Falls represent a major cause of morbidity, hospitalizations, and mortality in older persons. The identification of risk conditions for falling is crucial. This study investigated the presence of syncope as a possible cause of falls in older persons admitted to a Sub-Acute Care Unit (SACU) with a diagnosis of accidental fall after initial management in an emergency department and acute hospitalization. Materials and methods: A retrospective monocentric study of patients aged ≥65 years, consecutively admitted to a SACU with a diagnosis of fall-related trauma. All patients underwent a complete assessment of the index event and clinical status. Patients were categorized into three groups according to the identified cause of falls: (1) transient loss of consciousness (T-LOC), (2) unexplained fall (UF), and (3) definite accidental fall (AF). Results: A total of 100 patients were evaluated. T-LOC was present in 36 patients, UF in 37, and AF in 27. Of the 36 patients with T-LOC, a probable origin was identified in most cases (n = 33, 91%), 19 subjects (53%) had orthostatic hypotension, 9 (25%) a cardiac relevant disturbance, 2 (6%) a reproduced vaso-vagal syncope, 2 (6%) severe anemia, and 1 (3%) severe hypothyroidism. The T-LOC group was older and more clinically complex than the other groups. Conclusion: In older patients who recently experienced a fall event, the prevalence of syncope is relevant. In frail and clinically complex patients with falls, the identification of the underlying cause is pivotal and can be achieved through prolonged monitoring and a comprehensive assessment of the person.

The Clock Drawing Test as a predictor of cognitive decline in non-demented stroke patients

BackgroundThe early detection of patients at risk of post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) may help planning subacute and long-term care. We aimed to determine the predictivity of two screening cognitive tests on the occurrence of mild cognitive impairment or dementia in acute stroke patients.MethodsA cognitive assessment within a few days of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke was performed in patients consecutively admitted to a stroke unit over 14 months by means of the Clock Drawing Test (CDT) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Basic (MoCA-B).ResultsOut of 191 stroke survivors who were non-demented at baseline, 168 attended at least one follow-up visit. At follow-up (mean duration ± SD 12.8 ± 8.7 months), 28 (18.9%) incident cases of MCI and 27 (18%) cases of dementia were recorded. In comparison with patients who remained cognitively stable at follow-up, these patients were older, less educated, had more comorbidities, a higher score on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at admission, more severe cerebral atrophy, and lower MoCA-B and CDT scores at baseline. In multi-adjusted (for age, education, comorbidities score, NIHSS at admission and atrophy score) model, a pathological score on baseline CDT (< 6.55) was associated with a higher risk of PSCI at follow-up (HR 2.022; 95% CI 1.025–3.989, p < 0.05) with respect to non-pathological scores. A pathological baseline score on MoCA-B (< 24) did not predict increased risk of cognitive decline at follow-up nor increased predictivity of stand-alone CDT.ConclusionA bedside cognitive screening with the CDT helps identifying patients at higher risk of PSCI.

Development of a Scoring System to Predict Prolonged Post-Stroke Dysphagia Remaining at Discharge from a Subacute Care Hospital to the Home

BackgroundProlonged dysphagia is an important stroke-related complication that imposes a substantial burden on patients and families. However, simple scoring tool to predict prolonged dysphagia is not existing. Materials and methodsThis retrospective cohort study used data from April 2010 to March 2016. Adult patients with first-ever stroke were included. The outcome was swallowing function at discharge from the subacute care hospital to the patient's home. We collected the following factors obtained at discharge from the University of Fukui Hospital: age, sex, type of stroke, comorbidities, smoking status, alcohol use, denture use, functional dependency in daily living before admission, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (NIHSS) at admission, and Functional Independence Measure(FIM). Data were divided into a training set (70%) and test set (30%). Lasso and logistic regression were used for feature selection, a scoring system was then developed, and its prediction performance evaluated. ResultsThis study enrolled 462 patients with acute stroke. Using lasso and logistic regression, three variables (functional dependency before admission, Functional Independence Measure [FIM]-cognitive and FIM-motor scores at transfer) remained statistically significant predictors of prolonged dysphagia. Risk scores were categorized as low risk (0–2), moderate risk (3–4), and high risk (5–7), with dysphagia rates of 0%–1%, 13%–29%, and 50%–100%, respectively. A newly developed score ≥3 was the optimal cutoff for identifying patients with the potential risk of prolonged dysphagia (C-statistics, 0.92 in the test set). ConclusionThe developed scoring system is simple and has a high performance in predicting prolonged dysphagia after acute stroke.

Harnessing Digital Health Technologies to Remotely Manage Diabetic Foot Syndrome: A Narrative Review

About 422 million people worldwide have diabetes and approximately one-third of them have a major risk factor for diabetic foot ulcers, including poor sensation in their feet from peripheral neuropathy and/or poor perfusion to their feet from peripheral artery disease. The current healthcare ecosystem, which is centered on the treatment of established foot disease, often fails to adequately control key reversible risk factors to prevent diabetic foot ulcers leading to unacceptable high foot disease amputation rate, 40% recurrence of ulcers rate in the first year, and high hospital admissions. Thus, the latest diabetic foot ulcer guidelines emphasize that a paradigm shift in research priority from siloed hospital treatments to innovative integrated community prevention is now critical to address the high diabetic foot ulcer burden. The widespread uptake and acceptance of wearable and digital health technologies provide a means to timely monitor major risk factors associated with diabetic foot ulcer, empower patients in self-care, and effectively deliver the remote monitoring and multi-disciplinary prevention needed for those at-risk people and address the health care access disadvantage that people living in remote areas. This narrative review paper summarizes some of the latest innovations in three specific areas, including technologies supporting triaging high-risk patients, technologies supporting care in place, and technologies empowering self-care. While many of these technologies are still in infancy, we anticipate that in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic and current unmet needs to decentralize care for people with foot disease, we will see a new wave of innovations in the area of digital health, smart wearables, telehealth technologies, and “hospital-at-home” care delivery model. These technologies will be quickly adopted at scale to improve remote management of diabetic foot ulcers, smartly triaging those who need to be seen in outpatient or inpatient clinics, and supporting acute or subacute care at home.

Nurses’ perspectives on responding to elder abuse in a hospital setting

BackgroundNurses caring for hospitalised older people are well situated to identify and respond to elder abuse. However, little is known about how nurses working in acute and subacute care recognise and respond to suspected abuse. AimThe project team aimed to explore how nurses detect, assess and respond to elder abuse as part of a quality improvement activity to develop a model of care to address elder abuse. MethodFocus group interviews were conducted with ward nurses and nurse educators (n = 19) working in both acute and subacute care settings in a tertiary teaching hospital. Transcribed interviews were coded and analysed thematically. FindingsPrimary themes identified included: perceived flags for elder abuse; the importance of relationship building to elicit disclosures; the challenges involved in substantiating abuse; and dealing with uncertain outcomes. DiscussionDifficulties encountered in substantiating abuse were often compounded by organisational factors and time constraints. Having the time to build a relationship with the older person enabled a more comprehensive assessment of risk factors, but for those working in fast-paced wards this was not always possible. ConclusionEffective responses to elder abuse require an organisational culture that recognises the importance of a relationship-based model of care.

Barriers and enablers to implementinghospital-acquired urinary tract infection prevention strategies: a qualitative study using the Theoretical Domains Framework

Consistent implementation of evidence-based hospital-acquired urinary tract infection (UTI) prevention strategies remains a challenge in acute and subacute care settings. Addressing the evidence-practice gap requires an understanding of factors affecting implementation of hospital-acquired UTI prevention strategies in this high-risk setting. To identify the perceived barriers and enablers of clinicians to implementing hospital-acquired UTI prevention strategies in an Australian subacute hospital. Qualitative semi-structured virtual interviews, underpinned by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), were conducted with purposively selected nurses (N= 8) and doctors (N= 2) at one subacute metropolitan hospital. Interview data were content-analysed using the TDF as the coding framework. Eight TDF domains were identified as important in understanding barriers and enablers to implementing hospital-acquired UTI prevention strategies: Knowledge, Skills, Beliefs about capabilities, Emotion, Professional role and identity, Environmental context and resources, Goals, and Behavioural regulation. Barriers were poor awareness of clinical practice guidelines for hospital-acquired UTI prevention; lack of training; staff shortages; competing workloads; lack of procedural equipment for urinary catheterization; difficulty with implementing prevention strategies in cognitively impaired patients; language barriers; and lack of feedback and use of incident reporting data to influence clinical practice. Presence of a proactive staff culture and positive team approach to work emerged as enablers. Audit and feedback, clinical champions, education, and patient information resources in languages other than English were identified as potential enablers. The findings will inform development of theoretically informed behaviour change interventions to promote successful implementation of hospital-acquired UTI prevention strategies in the subacute setting.

Acute Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Assessment and Management in the Austere Setting-A Review.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) continues to be a major source of military-related morbidity and mortality. The insidious short- and long-term sequelae of mild TBIs (mTBIs) have come to light, with ongoing research influencing advances in patient care from point of injury onward. Although the DoDI 6490.11 outlines mTBI care in the deployed setting, there is currently no standardized training requirement on mTBI care in the far-forward deployed setting. As the Joint Trauma System (JTS) is considered to be one of the leaders in standard of care trauma medicine in the deployed environment and is often the go-to resource for forward-deployed medical providers, it is our goal that this review be utilized by the JTS with prominent mTBI resources to disseminate a clinical practice guideline (CPG) appropriate for the far-forward operational environment. The resources used for this review reflect the most current data, knowledge, and recommendations associated with research and findings from reputable sources as the Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence (TBI CoE; formerly the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center), the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as prominent journals such as Academic Emergency Medicine, British Journal of Sports Medicine, and JAMA. We searched for articles under keyword searches, limiting results to less than 5 years old, and had military relevance. About 1,740 articles were found using keywords; filters on our search yielded 707 articles, 100 of which offered free full text. The topic of far-forward deployed management of mTBI does not have a robust academic background at this time, and recommendations are derived from a combination of academic evidence in more traditional clinical settings, as well as author's direct experience in managing mTBI casualties in the austere environment. At the time of this writing, there is no JTS CPG for management of mTBI and there is no pre-deployment training requirement for medical providers for treating mTBI casualties in the far-forward deployed setting. The TBI CoE does, however, have a multitude of resources available to medical providers to assist with post-mTBI care. In this article, we review these clinical tools, pre-planning considerations including discussions and logistical planning with medical command, appropriate evaluation and treatment for mTBI casualties based on TBI CoE recommendations, the need for uniform and consistent documentation and diagnosis in the acute period, tactical and operational considerations, and other considerations as a medical provider in an austere setting with limited resources for treating casualties with mTBIs. Given the significant morbidity and mortality associated with mTBIs, as well as operational and tactical considerations in the austere deployed setting, improved acute and subacute care, as well as standardization of care for these casualties within their area of operations is necessary. The far-forward deployed medical provider should be trained in management of mTBI, incorporate mTBI-associated injuries into medical planning with their command, and discuss the importance of mTBI management with servicemembers and their units. Proper planning, training, standardization of mTBI management in the deployed setting, and inter-unit cooperation and coordination for mTBI care will help maintain servicemember readiness and unit capability on the battlefield. Standardization in care and documentation in this austere military environment may also assist future research into mTBI management. As there is currently no JTS CPG covering this type of care, the authors recommend sharing the TBI CoE management guideline with medical providers who will be reasonably expected to evaluate and manage mTBI in the austere deployed setting.

Can facility-based transitional care improve patient flow? Lessons from four Canadian regions.

Units providing transitional, subacute, or restorative care represent a common intervention to facilitate patient flow and improve outcomes for lower acuity (often older) inpatients; however, little is known about Canadian health systems’ experiences with such “transition units.” This comparative case study of diverse units in four health regions (48 interviews) identified important success factors and pitfalls. A fundamental requirement for success is to clearly define the unit’s intended population and design the model around its needs. Planners must also ensure that the unit be resourced and staffed to deliver truly restorative care. Finally, streamlined processes must be developed to help patients access and move through the unit. Units that were perceived as more effective appeared to have satisfactorily addressed these population, capacity, and process issues, whereas those perceived as less effective continued to struggle with them. Findings suggest principles to support optimal design and implementation of transition units.

Case Management on the Front Lines of COVID-19: The Importance of the Individualized Care Plan Across Care Settings.

Since the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and the disease known as COVID-19, case management has emerged as a critical intervention in the treatment of cases, particularly for patients with severe symptoms and medical complications. In addition, case managers have been on the front lines of the response across the health care spectrum to reduce risks of contagion, including among health care workers. The purpose of this article is to discuss the case management response, highlighting the importance of individual care plans to provide access to the right care and treatment at the right time to address both the consequences of the disease and patient comorbidities. The COVID-19 response spans the full continuum of health and human services, including acute care, subacute care, workers' compensation (especially catastrophic case management), home health, primary care, and community-based care. From the earliest days of the pandemic, case managers have assumed an important role on the front lines of the medical response to COVID-19, ensuring that procedures are in place for managing a range of patients: those who were symptomatic but able to self-isolate and care for themselves at home; those who had serious symptoms and needed to be hospitalized; and those who were asymptomatic and needed to be educated about the importance of self-isolating. Across the care spectrum, individualized responses to the clinical and psychosocial needs of patients with COVID-19 in acute care, subacute care, home health, and other outpatient settings have been guided by the well-established case management process of screening, assessing, planning, implementing, following up, transitioning, and evaluating. In addition, professional case managers are guided by values such as advocacy, ensuring access to the right care and treatment at the right time; autonomy, respecting the right to self-determination; and justice, promoting fairness and equity in access to resources and treatment. The value of justice also addresses the sobering reality that people from racial and ethnic minority groups are at an increased risk of getting sick and dying from COVID-19. Going forward, case management will continue to play a major role in supporting patients with COVID-19, in both inpatient and outpatient settings, with telephonic follow-up and greater use of telehealth.

Patients recovering from COVID-19 pneumonia in sub-acute care exhibit severe frailty: Role of the nurse assessment.

Aims and ObjectivesTo document the level of frailty in sub‐acute COVID‐19 patients recovering from acute respiratory failure and investigate the associations between frailty, assessed by the nurse using the Blaylock Risk Assessment Screening Score (BRASS), and clinical and functional patient characteristics during hospitalisation.BackgroundFrailty is a major problem in patients discharged from acute care, but no data are available on the frailty risk in survivors of COVID‐19 infection.DesignA descriptive cross‐sectional study (STROBE checklist).MethodsAt admission to sub‐acute care in 2020, 236 COVID‐19 patients (median age 77 years – interquartile range 68–83) were administered BRASS and classified into 3 levels of frailty risk. The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) was also administered to measure physical function and disability. Differences between BRASS levels and associations between BRASS index and clinical parameters were analysed.ResultsThe median BRASS index was 14.0 (interquartile range 9.0–20.0) denoting intermediate frailty (32.2%, 41.1%, 26.7% of patients exhibited low, intermediate and high frailty, respectively). Significant differences emerged between the BRASS frailty classes regards to sex, comorbidities, history of cognitive deficits, previous mechanical ventilation support and SPPB score. Patients with no comorbidities (14%) exhibited low frailty (BRASS: median 5.5, interquartile range 3.0–12.0). Age ≥65 years, presence of comorbidities, cognitive deficit and SPPB % predicted <50% were significant predictors of high frailty.ConclusionsMost COVID‐19 survivors exhibit substantial frailty and require continuing care after discharge from acute care.Relevance to clinical practiceThe BRASS index is a valuable tool for nurses to identify those patients most at risk of frailty, who require a programme of rehabilitation and community reintegration.

Adopting the Fall Tailoring Interventions for Patient Safety (TIPS) Program to Engage Older Adults in Fall Prevention in a Nursing Home.

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations and deaths among older adults globally. About 24% of Canadian nursing home residents fall annually. This quality improvement project evaluated the impact of the Fall Tailoring Interventions for Patient Safety (TIPS) program on preventing falls and fall-related injuries among older adult nursing home residents in a subacute care unit in Canada. We used the Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE) 2.0 guidelines for reporting. The intervention site is a 15-bed subacute care unit within a government-funded nursing home. The Fall TIPS program was adapted to a nursing home setting to prevent falls. It provides fall prevention clinical decision support at the bedside. The rates of falls and injuries decreased after implementing the Fall TIPS intervention. Engaging nursing home older adult residents in fall prevention is crucial in translating evidence-based fall prevention care into clinical practice.

Severe heat stroke complicated by multiple cerebral infarctions: a case report

BackgroundHeat-related illnesses include symptoms such as heat syncope/cramps, heat exhaustion, and life-threatening heat stroke. Usually, a heat stroke causes cerebellar ataxia, cognitive impairment, dysphagia, and aphasia. We report a very rare case of a patient who developed severe heat stroke complicated by multiple cerebral infarctions.Case presentationAn 80-year-old Asian woman was found lying unconscious at her house, with no air conditioner and closed windows; the highest outside temperature was 36.1 °C. She was brought to our hospital unconscious with a high bladder temperature (42.5 °C) and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC score 4). She was diagnosed with severe heat stroke and managed with rapid cooling, intravenous fluids therapy, antibiotic therapy, and anti-coagulation therapy for DIC. Anti-coagulation therapy consisted of treatment with recombinant thrombomodulin for 4 days (days 1–4) and recombinant antithrombin for 1 day (day 1). A head computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination were performed on day 3, because she was still unconscious. Diffuse-weighted imaging showed high-signal intensities, indicating multiple lesions. An intracranial magnetic resonance angiography showed normal results. Imaging indicated new multiple cerebellar infarctions complicated with DIC. A tracheotomy was performed on day 9 because her conscious condition had not improved. She was transferred to another hospital for subacute care on day 23.ConclusionsEarly management of heat stroke using anti-DIC, anti-bacterial, and fluid resuscitation therapy can help prevent complications such as intracranial hemorrhaging.

Meals beyond the bedside: An ethnographic exploration of staffs' perspectives and experiences of communal dining in subacute care.

Communal dining offers multiple benefits for hospital patients, yet dining rooms may be underutilized in practice. This study aimed to understand and explore staffs' perspectives and experiences of communal dining in subacute care, and the impacts on staff mealtime practice. Using qualitative, ethnographic methodology, 94 hours of fieldwork were conducted across two subacute care wards. Participants were staff involved in nutrition care or present on the ward at mealtimes. Ninety-one semistructured and ethnographic interviews were conducted with 59 staff, and 54 episodes of observation captured more than 190 staff. Interviews and field notes were thematically analyzed using an inductive approach. Three themes were identified: (i) benefits to patients; (ii) logistical and practical challenges; and (iii) supportive cultural factors. While staff recognized how communal dining benefited patients, logistical and practical challenges impacted their ability to facilitate it in practice. Healthcare organizations seeking to embed communal dining into the mealtime routine should recognize that clear delineation of staff roles and responsibilities, and cultural change involving normalization, setting expectations, and collective advocacy may be needed to optimize benefits for patients.

The Challenging of Rehabilitation Medicine in Covid-19

The WHO declared a pandemic due to the serious health risk posed by Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The number of infected cases is on the rise globally with escalating human, economic and societal costs. COVID-19 survivors may suffer a range of clinical, functional and psychological impairments, resulting in disabilities. It was confirmed to have spread to Indonesia on 2 March 2020. Many are amenable to rehabilitation intervention because the current focus of COVID-19 management is on public health measures and acute management. As patients transfer to sub-acute care or discharged to the community, rehabilitation services need to have a number of organizational and operational models in place to provide safe effective care for patients and health professionals. The post-acute management and rehabilitation of the current COVID-19 survivors will be the focus in the coming months, given the range of functional, psychological and clinical impairments reported in many patients. Early rehabilitation intervention in the critical care environments after comprehensive assessment by an interdisciplinary team is safe and essential. Therefore, it is necessary to knowledge and prepare a health service standard to optimize quality of life in disaster victims through holistic and comprehensive approach. New scientific information is emerging and clinical care is driven by rapidly accumulating knowledge.

Prognostication in Home-Dwelling Patients with Advanced Dementia: The Palliative Support DEMentia Model (PalS-DEM)

ObjectiveDifficulties with prognostication prevent more patients with advanced dementia from receiving timely palliative support. The aim of this study is to develop and validate a prognostic model for 6-month and 1-year mortality in home-dwelling patients with advanced dementia. DesignProspective cohort study. Setting and ParticipantsThe data set of 555 home-dwelling patients with dementia at Functional Assessment Staging Test stage 7 was split into derivation (n = 275) and validation (n = 280) cohorts. MethodsCox proportional hazards regression modeled survival in the derivation cohort using prognostic variables identified in univariate analysis. The model was validated internally and using 10-fold cross-validation. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve measured the accuracy of the final model. ResultsFour hundred nineteen (75.5%) patients died with a median follow-up of 47 days [interquartile range (IQR) 161]. Prognostic variables in the multivariate model included serum albumin level, dementia etiology, number of homecare admission criteria fulfilled, presence of moderate to severe chronic kidney disease, peripheral vascular disease, quality of life in late-stage dementia scores, housing type, and the Australian National Sub-Acute and Non-Acute Patient palliative care phase.The model was refined into a parsimonious 6-variable model [Palliative Support DEMentia Model (PalS-DEM)] consisting of age, dementia etiology, Functional Assessment Staging Test stage, Charlson Comorbidity Index scores, Australian National Sub-Acute and Non-Acute Patient palliative care phase, and 30-day readmission frequency for the prediction of 1-year mortality. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.65 (95% confidence interval 0.59–0.70). Risk scores categorized patients into 3 prognostic groups, with a median survival of 175 days (IQR 365), 104 days (IQR 246), and 19 days (IQR 88) for the low-risk (0‒1 points), moderate-risk (2‒4), and high-risk (≥5) groups, respectively. Conclusions and ImplicationsThe PalS-DEM identifies patients at high risk of death in the next 1 year. The model produced consistent survival results across the derivation, validation, and cross-validation cohorts and will help healthcare providers identify patients with advanced dementia earlier for palliative care.