Erebouni Arakelian

Pulmonary influences on early post-operative recovery in patients after cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy treatment: a retrospective study

BackgroundThe combination of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a curative treatment option for peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC). There have been few studies on the pulmonary adverse events (AEs) affecting patient recovery after this treatment, thus this study investigated these factors.MethodsBetween January 2005 and December 2006, clinical data on all pulmonary AEs and the recovery progress were reviewed for 76 patients with after CRS and HIPEC. Patients with pulmonary interventions (thoracocenthesis and chest tubes) were compared with the non-intervention patients. Two senior radiologists, blinded to the post-operative clinical course, separately graded the occurrence of pulmonary AEs.ResultsOf the 76 patients, 6 had needed thoracocentesis and another 6 needed chest tubes. There were no differences in post-operative recovery between the intervention and non-intervention groups. The total number of days on mechanical ventilation, the length of stay in the intensive care unit, total length of hospital stay, tumor burden, and an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade of greater than 2 were correlated with the occurrence of atelectasis and pleural effusion. Extensive atelectasis (grade 3 or higher) was seen in six patients, major pleural effusion (grade 3) in seven patients, and signs of heart failure (grade 1–2) in nine patients.ConclusionsClinical and radiological post-operative pulmonary AEs are common after CRS and HIPEC. However, most of the pulmonary AEs did not affect post-operative recovery.

Between two roles – Experiences of newly trained nurse practitioners in surgical care in Sweden: A qualitative study using repeated interviews

The position of Nurse Practitioner is a new role in Nordic countries. The transition from a registered nurse to the Nurse Practitioner role has been reported to be a personal challenge. This study, guided by the Nordic theoretical model for use in the education of advanced practice nurses, represents a unique opportunity to describe this transition for newly graduated Nurse Practitioners in an interprofessional surgical care team in Sweden. The aim was to explore how the first Nurse Practitioners in surgical care experienced the transition into a new role and what competences they used in the team. Eight new Nurse Practitioners with parallel work in clinical practice were interviewed twice around the time of their graduation. The qualitative analyses show that the participants integrated several central competences, but the focus in this early stage in their new role was on direct clinical praxis, consultation, cooperation, case management, and coaching. Transition from the role of clinical nurse specialist to nurse practitioner was a challenging process in which the positive response from patients was a driving force for the new Nurse Practitioners. The participants felt prepared for and determined to solve the challenging situations they approached working in the interprofessional team.

A supportive climate and low strain promote well-being and sustainable working life in the operation theatre

Abstract Background: Shortage of health-care workers e.g. in operating theatres is a global problem. A shortage of staff negatively affects patient outcomes, making it important to keep the employees from quitting. The aim of this survey was to study if well-being, zest for work, and thoughts about leaving work in an operating theatre can be related to the psychosocial work environment, as described by the job demand-control-support (JDCS) model. Methods: A questionnaire was provided to personnel in operating theatres of seven Swedish hospitals (n = 1405, with a response rate of 68%) that included the JDCS model, personal factors, work ability, well-being, zest for work, and thoughts about leaving their position. Ordinal scale regression was used for analyses. Results: A majority reported moderate to high zest for work (76%). A minority (30%) had sometimes thought during at least one month in the last year of leaving their position. Lower social support scores and high demands together with low control (high-strain) scores were related to lower well-being, lower zest for work, and more thoughts about leaving the position. Anaesthetists scored in the low-strain field, nurse anaesthetists and assistant nurses in the passive field, and operating nurses in the active field, in comparison to all personnel. Conclusion: According to the JDCS model, both lower social support and high strain were related to lower well-being and negative thoughts about the position. Social support scores were about the same for different occupational groups in the operating theatre, and no occupation scored on average in the high-strain field.

Perioperative dialogue on postoperative recovery measured by the use of pain medication, psychopharmaceutical agents and length of hospital stay:

The effects of perioperative dialogue have been studied using qualitative methods, describing patient satisfaction with their care. However, they have not been studied in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis who undergo major surgery, nor with quantitative variables. The aim was to study the use of pain medication and length of hospital stay following cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in patients who received, versus those who did not receive, perioperative dialogue. The study had a quantitative, retrospective and comparative design including 89 audits. Of these, 37 patients received perioperative dialogues, and 52 patients did not (the control group). The result showed that by postoperative day six, patients who received a perioperative dialogue experienced pain less frequently than patients in the control group. However, no differences between the groups were noted with regard to pain medication consumption and length of hospital stay. To ease their worries, all patients in both groups used benzodiazepines. The perioperative dialogue may be studied quantitatively, but it must involve the patient, who is an equal partner in the dialogue. Structured validated self-reporting measures may be used systematically before and after surgery in order to evaluate the perioperative dialogue using quantitative measures.