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- Ehrenberg, Anna, 1956-, et al.
(författare)
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Older patients with chronic heart failure within Swedish community health care : a record review of nursing assessments and interventions
- 2004
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Nursing. - Oxon, United Kingdom : Blackwell Publishing. - 0962-1067 .- 1365-2702. ; 13:1, s. 90-6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Older patients with chronic heart failure constitute a large group within community home care that is at high risk for re-hospitalization. However, hospital readmission can be prevented if early signs of deterioration are recognized and proper interventions applied.Aims and objectives: The aim of the study was to audit nursing care for older chronic heart failure patients within the Swedish community health care system.Design: The study adopted a retrospective descriptive design.Methods: In a Swedish urban municipality nursing documentation from 161 records on patients diagnosed with chronic heart failure was collected retrospectively from community nursing home care units. Patient records were reviewed for characteristics of nursing care and assessed for comprehensiveness in recording.Results: The main results showed that medical care of patients with chronic heart failure was poorly recorded, making it possible only to follow fragments of the care process. The nursing notes showed poor adherence to current clinical guidelines. Only 12% of the records contained notes on patients' body weight and only 4% noted patients' knowledge about chronic heart failure. When interventions did occur, they largely consisted of drug administration.Conclusions: The findings revealed flaws in the recording of specific assessment and interventions as well as poor adherence to current international clinical guidelines.Relevance to clinical practice: Supportive guidelines available at the point of care are needed to enhance proper community-based home health care for older patients with chronic heart failure.
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| 4. |
- Ekman, Inger, 1952, et al.
(författare)
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Can treatment with ACE-inhibitors in elderly patients with moderate to severe heart failure be improved by a nurse-monitored structured care program?
- 2003
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Ingår i: Heart & Lung. - 0147-9563. ; 32:1, s. 3-9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Can treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in elderly patients with moderate to severe chronic heart failure be improved by a nurse-monitored structured care program? A randomized controlled trial. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine whether a nurse-monitored structured care program resulted in a more effective use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in elderly patients compared with standard care in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). METHODS: Hospitalized patients were screened to identify individuals with CHF, age more than 65 years, New York Heart Association classification III to IV, and no contraindications to ACE inhibitor treatment. One hundred forty-five patients were randomized to a nurse-monitored structured care program that included uptitration of enalapril to a target dose of 10 mg twice a day or to standard care. Six-month follow-up data were collected. RESULTS: The mean age of the randomized patients was 81 years. Although the proportion of patients treated with an ACE inhibitor did not differ between structured care (70%) and standard care (64%), the number of patients with the target ACE inhibitor dose was significantly higher in the structured care group (26% versus 11% in the standard care group; P <.018). Treatment had to be discontinued in 26% of the patients because of adverse effects. CONCLUSION: The patients in this study were older than in previous intervention studies and had considerable comorbidity and reduced tolerance for ACE inhibitors. ACE inhibitor treatment was underused but improved with the structured care program, although achieved treatment levels were below those in the large intervention trials in patients with CHF.
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| 6. |
- Ekman, Inger, 1952, et al.
(författare)
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Fatigue in chronic heart failure, does gender make a difference?
- 2002
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Ingår i: The European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. - 1474-5151. ; :1, s. 77-82
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The primary aim of this study was to describe and compare the experience of fatigue in a group of elderly women and men with severe chronic heart failure. A sample of 158 patients (66 women and 92 men, with a mean age of 83 and 78 years, respectively) was invited to participate in a study on admission to a hospital outpatient heart failure clinic. A registered nurse interviewed patients using a modified version of the Fatigue Interview Schedule (FIS). Descriptions of the experiences of fatigue generally showed good agreement between men and women; however, some gender differences were found. Women expressed a clear role to fulfil because they were engaged in maintenance activities of their household. Although we still have only limited knowledge about the impact of gender on the experiences and coping strategies in disease and aging, it is important for care providers to consider gender differences when planning caring interventions.
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| 7. |
- Ekman, Inger, 1952, et al.
(författare)
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Fatigued elderly patients with chronic heart failure: Do patient reports and nursing documentation correspond?
- 2002
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Ingår i: International Journal of Nursing Terminologies and Classifications. - 1541-5147. ; 13:4, s. 127-36
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: To compare descriptions of fatigue from interviews with elderly people with chronic congestive heart failure (CHF) and data recorded by nurses at an outpatient heart failure clinic. METHODS: Patients (N = 158) were screened for moderate to severe CHF and interviewed using a revised form of the Fatigue Interview Schedule (FIS). Seventy-nine of these patients were offered visits at a nurse-monitored heart failure clinic. Nursing documentation of fatigue in patient records (n = 56) at the heart failure clinic was compared to the patient interviews. FINDINGS: Results indicated poor concordance between patients' descriptions and record content concerning fatigue. Decreased libido was linked to fatigue according to the patients but not to the nurses' notes. Cognitive characteristics of fatigue were rarely recorded, but were more frequent in patient interviews. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses must recognize characteristics and factors related to fatigue in patients and develop strategies to help patients cope with their restricted ability in daily life. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Using the words and expressions of the patients and the diagnostic characteristics of fatigue in record-keeping can support the nurses understanding of patients living with CHF.
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| 9. |
- Ekman, Inger, 1952, et al.
(författare)
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Health-related quality of life and sense of coherence among elderly patients with severe chronic heart failure in comparison with healthy controls
- 2002
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Ingår i: Heart & Lung. - 0147-9563. ; 31:2, s. 94-101
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To describe health-related quality of life (QoL) and sense of coherence (SOC) in a group of elderly people with moderate to severe chronic heart failure and to make comparisons with a healthy sex- and age-matched control group. METHODS: Patients (n = 94), with a mean age of 81 years, hospitalized for chronic heart failure with New York Heart Association functional classification III to IV were age- and sex-matched to a healthy control group. The instruments used were the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and SOC. RESULTS: The patients had lower levels of health-related QoL scores (SF-36) but high and similar scores of SOC compared with the controls. There were, however, significant positive correlations between the SOC scores and the emotional dimensions in the SF-36 instrument. CONCLUSION: The findings from this study indicate that old age and severe chronic heart failure were associated with limited functional abilities and impaired health-related QoL but also with internal resources such as SOC.
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