Nursing times
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Changes to the new home oxygen service have raised awareness among health professionals of the potential hazards and benefits of oxygen therapy. Annette Duck reviews the use of long-term oxygen therapy and highlights the importance of assessment in selecting both patients and suitable delivery systems.
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Heart failure is a growing problem and is commonly associated with an older population. A proportion of young people also have heart failure. These patients are quite rarely seen but are increasing in number, and heart failure nurses need to ensure that when these patients present in clinic they have an understanding of their differing needs in comparison with older cardiac patients.
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New resuscitation guidelines contain significant changes intended to improve resuscitation practice and survival from cardiac arrest. The guidelines also include helpful new sections with guidance on in-hospital resuscitation. This article provides an overview of the key changes and discusses their practice implications for nurses.
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The witnessing of resuscitation by a close family member is becoming increasingly common (Booth et al, 2004), yet the area remains under-researched. Findings from a limited number of studies show mixed feelings among health care staff about the benefits to the relative. However, family members who were present during the resuscitation attempt believed they had contributed in some way to the treatment. Health care providers should be aware of the benefits and pitfalls of family witnessed resuscitation (FWR) so they can make evidence-based decisions.
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There have been a considerable number of studies looking at the evidence on how older people experience pain. Some clinicians believe that older people feel less pain than younger people and older people themselves can assume that ageing is associated with both a loss of ability to perceive pain and an increase in non-specific pain-related suffering. This can lead to inadequate pain management for older people. This literature review examines the hypothesis that older people feel less pain than younger people and refutes it.