BackgroundPain is a common phenomenon among emergency patients which may lead to chronic pain conditions and alteration of physiological function. However, it is widely reported that proper pain assessment and management, which is often accomplished by adequately trained nurses reduce the suffering of patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the emergency nurses´ knowledge, attitude and perceived barriers regarding pain management.MethodsA cross-sectional quantitative study design was applied to determine the nurses´ knowledge level, attitude and the perceived barriers related to pain management. Hundred twenty-six nurses from the emergency departments of seven referral hospitals of Eritrea participated in the study. Data were collected in August and September 2017. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to summarize and elaborate on the results.ResultIn general, the knowledge level and attitude of the emergency nurses was poor. The participants’ correct mean score was 49.5%. Nurses with Bachelor’s Degree had significantly higher knowledge and attitude level compared to the nurses at the Diploma and Certificate level of professional preparation (95% CI = 7.1–16.7 and 9.4–19.1; p <  0.001) respectively. Similarly, nurses who had previous training regarding pain scored significantly higher knowledge level compared to those without training (95% CI =1.82–8.99; p = 0.003). The highest perceived barriers to adequate pain management in emergency departments were measured to be overcrowding of the emergency department (2.57 ± 1.25), lack of protocols for pain assessment (2.45 ± 1.52), nursing workload (2.44 ± 1.29) and lack of pain assessment tools (2.43 ± 1.43). There was no significant difference in perceived barriers among nurses with different demographic characteristics.ConclusionThe emergency nurses’ knowledge and attitude regarding pain management were poor. Nurses with higher educational level and nurses with previous training scored significantly higher knowledge level. This indicates the need for nursing schools and the ministry of health to work together to educate nurses to a higher level of preparation for pain assessment and management.

Background:The primary objective of this study was to assess whether transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is effective as part of multimodal pain management following Caesarean section in an area with limited resources. The study also looked at the advantage of this block in reducing the consumption of morphine and diclofenac postoperatively. Methods: After approval by the institutional ethics committee and informed consent of participants, 108 ASA I and II patients for Caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia were randomly allocated to either the TAP block group or the control. The TAP block group received a landmark-orientated, bilateral TAP block in the triangle of Petit. Postoperative pain treatment followed the same protocol for both groups. Visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores were measured at 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 18 and 24 h postoperatively. At the same time, consumption of diclofenac and morphine was measured and compared. Results: No adverse effects of the TAP block were detected. VAS pain scores were significantly lower in the TAP block group at rest, deep breathing, intentional coughing, and mobilisation in all cases (p < 0. 05). Morphine and diclofenac consumption was significantly higher in the control group (p < 0. 001). Conclusion: TAP block reduced the VAS pain scores significantly both at rest and during stressors. As a result, morphine and diclofenac consumption was significantly reduced in the TAP block group. Therefore, it is feasible to implement TAP block as part of a multimodal analgesia regimen after Caesarean section in a tertiary health care centre in a developing nation.

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Aim Individual studies that investigated the effect of standalone audio-visual feedback (AVF) devices during laypersons’ cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training have yielded conflicting results. This review aimed to evaluate the effect of standalone AVF devices on the quality of chest compressions during laypersons’ CPR training. Method and Result Randomized controlled trials of simulation studies recruiting participants without actual patient CPR experience were included. The intervention evaluated was the quality of chest compressions with standalone AVF devices vs without AVF devices. Databases, such as PubMed, Cochrane Central, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and PsycINFO, were searched from January 2010 to January 2022. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. A meta-analysis alongside a narrative synthesis was used for examining the effect of standalone AVF devices. Sixteen studies were selected for this systematic review. A meta-analysis revealed an increased compression depth of 2.22 mm [95% CI, 0.88-3.55), p = 0.001] when participants performed CPR using the feedback devices. Besides, AVF devices enabled laypersons to deliver compression rates closer to the recommended range of 100–120 per min. No improvement was noted in chest recoil and hand positioning when participants used standalone AVF devices. Conclusion The quality of the included studies was variable, and different standalone AVF devices were used. Standalone AVF devices were instrumental in guiding laypersons to deliver deeper compressions without compromising the quality of compression rates. However, the devices did not improve the quality of chest recoil and placement of the hands. PROSPERO registration number CRD42020205754

The primary goal of introducing digital information systems in healthcare organisations is to improve care processes and outcomes, however, studies that investigate the impact of digital information systems on the day-to-day operations management from the perspective of workflow and consumer satisfaction in emergency departments are scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the impact of a digital clinical logistics system on the duration of patient care, consumer satisfaction and shift leaders' experience of workload in emergency departments. A longitudinal prospective design was used. Three units participated in the study; an intervention unit, a control unit A (no implemented system) and a control unit B (system already in use). We collected data on care duration, consumer satisfaction and shift leaders' experience of workload for four weeks at five time points both before system implementation (summer 2015, spring 2016) and after system implementation (summer 2016, autumn 2016, winter 2016). The average care duration time increased in the postimplementation period in the intervention and control B units (p < 0.001). Duration of care was higher in the intervention unit than control unit B in summer 2016 (p < 0.001) and winter 2016 (p = 0.009). Similarly, duration of care in control unit A was higher than control unit B in spring 2016 (p < 0.001). Consumer satisfaction decreased in the intervention unit, in winter 2016 (p < 0.001) and the experience of workload increased in the intervention unit, in summer 2016 and autumn 2016 (p < 0.05). However, the patients-to-nurses ratio was doubled in the intervention unit in the last time point postimplementation when compared to the first timepoint, while it remained similar in the control units throughout the study period. This work demonstrated that a digital care logistics system may support in increasing the number of patients treated with the same nursing resources. However, this seems to connect to other outcome variables such as increased care duration, increased experience of workload and decreased consumer satisfaction in some postimplementation time points.