Current research suggests that hourly rounds on hospitalized patients may be associated with improvements in care delivery and in the patients' perception of care, as well as a reduction in patient safety events. Implementing an hourly rounding protocol involves a major change in nursing staff workflow and a substantial training and education program to ensure the success of the program. This quasi-experimental study aimed to determine if a standardized hourly rounding process (SHaRP), implemented through a formal education program, would result in improved efficiency, quality, safety, and patient satisfaction metrics when compared to a less standardized process introduced through the traditional train-the-trainer method. Data were collected over a 6-month period and results were trended for an additional 6 months later to determine if significant gains were sustained over time. Significant reductions in call light use during the study period (p = .001) and the number of steps taken by the day-shift staff (p = .02) were seen on the intervention unit. Differences in the number of patient falls, 30-day readmission rates, and patients' perception of care were not statistically significant.

The number of adolescents with Crohn's disease (CD) is rising, with one third of cases diagnosed before turning 21 years old. Evidence shows that long-term medical intervention, school absence and the physical toll of CD on the growing adolescent also have a psychological effect on patients. In addition, poorly defined transition pathways are extending these problems into adulthood. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines are important in shaping service delivery and distribution. However, analysis of the full 2012 NICE CD management guidelines indicates they fall short of providing adequate recommendations for holistic management of the disease in young populations. An update in 2016 added a new clinical recommendation to the guidelines, but no further exploration of the psychosocial aspects of the impact of the disease. The authors of this article used a critical review of literature and concluded that service provision for adolescents with CD could be made better by improving CD support networks, involving young people in the development of policy centred on their care, as well as incorporating other (non-NICE) well-researched CD guidelines in national policy. These changes would improve quality of life for this vulnerable population.

The management of severe bacterial sepsis is an integral part of intensive care medicine. Early and appropriate treatment with antimicrobials positively affects mortality and significantly reduces the time spent in both intensive care and the hospital. Drug choice is usually made on a "best guess" basis and instituted prior to receipt of appropriate blood, sputum, urine or drainage culture results. Bactericidal drugs should be given in combination, delivered by intravenous bolus and directed towards broad cover of all likely pathogens. Aminoglycoside/ureidopenicillin combinations are synergistic and widely used--often combined with metronidazole. Aminoglycoside toxicity can be reduced by giving the drug once daily (OD) rather than by traditional multiple daily dosing (MDD) and by measuring peak and trough serum levels. Efficacy is increased by attention to the peak serum level/MIC ratio which determines the response to treatment. Several newer agents have been more recently introduced. These drugs include ceftazidime, imipenem/cilastatin, the quinolones and clavulanic acid/semisynthetic penicillin combinations. Other newer drugs currently under evaluation include aztreonam, teicoplanin, the penems and carbapenems.

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