BACKGROUND: Hot flashes are the most commonly reported vasomotor symptom during the peri-and early post-menopausal period. OBJECTIVES: To systematically review, appraise and summarize the evidence of the impact of different SSRIs on peri-menopausal hot flashes in healthy women in randomized, controlled trials. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted of MEDLINE™, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science and Scopus through March 2013. Two independent reviewers selected studies and extracted data. Random effects meta-analysis was used to pool outcomes across studies, and Bayesian mixed treatment methods were used to rank SSRIs in terms of effectiveness. RESULTS: We included a total of 11 randomized controlled trials with good methodological quality enrolling 2,069 menopausal and post-menopausal women (follow-up 1-9 months, mean age 36-76 years, mean time since menopause 2.3-6.6 years). Compared with placebo, SSRIs were associated with a statistically significant decrease in hot flash frequency (difference in means −0.93; 95 % CI −1.46 to −0.37; I 2 = 21 %) and severity assessed by various scales (standardized difference in means −0.34; 95 % CI −0.59 to −0.10; I 2 = 47 %). Adverse events did not differ from placebo. Mixed treatment comparison analysis demonstrated the superiority of escitalopram compared to other SSRIs in terms of efficacy. CONCLUSION: SSRI use is associated with modest improvement in the severity and frequency of hot flashes but can also be associated with the typical profile of SSRI adverse effects.

An alternate light source (ALS) is a practitioner-driven technology that can potentially improve the documentation of injuries among victims of interpersonal violence. However, evidence-based guidelines are needed to incorporate and document an ALS skin assessment into a forensic medical examination that accurately reflects the science, context of forensic nursing practice, trauma-informed responses, and potential impact on criminal justice stakeholders. This article introduces the forensic nursing community to a current translation-intopractice project focused on developing and evaluating an ALS implementation program to improve the assessment and documentation of bruises among adult patients with a history of interpersonal violence. Our researcher-practitioner collaboration uses theory-based approaches that consider both the developed program's practice context and stakeholder impact. The goal is to provide evidentiary support for adult victims of violence and a more equitable forensic nursing practice that benefits diverse patient populations.

No abstract

This study attempts to examine the effects of stroke, heart disease, Alzheimer/dementia, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), age, gender, and Medicaid status on falls for adults in residential care facilities.Methods: Univariate analysis was conducted to examine the distribution of resident demographic characteristics, health conditions, and Medicaid status for the entire sample. Bivariate analyses (Chi-square test of independence) were also conducted to determine if there were any statistically significant associations between independent and dependent variables. Finally, multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the effects of stroke, heart disease, Alzheimer/dementia, and COPD, age, gender, and Medicaid status on the likelihood of any falls in the past year among adult residents in residential care facilities.Results: Overall, our model is statistically significant compared to an empty model. The multivariable logistic regression model was statistically significant (χ2 (8) = 116.57, p < 0.001). Of the seven-predictor variables, only five variables were statistically significant: age, gender, heart disease, Alzheimer's /Dementia, and Medicaid status. COPD and stroke were a not-statistically significant predictor of falls. Conclusion:Falls have been associated with several different risk factors. Age or gender are risk factors that cannot be altered. However, many other fall risk factors can be controlled (e.g., muscle strength, number of medications, balance). Appropriate assessments can help to identify those residents who have an increased risk of falls. Assessment should include the underlying causes and plans to reduce the negative impact of falls in older adults.