Quantification of oral intake within the hospital setting is required to guide nutrition care. Multiple dietary assessment methods are available, yet details regarding their application in the acute care setting are scarce. This scoping review, conducted in accordance with JBI methodology, describes dietary assessment methods used to measure oral intake in acute and critical care hospital patients. The search was run across four databases to identify primary research conducted in adult acute or critical care settings from 1st of January 2000-15th March 2023 which quantified oral diet with any dietary assessment method. In total, 155 articles were included, predominantly from the acute care setting (n = 153, 99%). Studies were mainly single-centre (n = 138, 88%) and of observational design (n = 135, 87%). Estimated plate waste (n = 59, 38%) and food records (n = 43, 28%) were the most frequent assessment methods with energy and protein the main nutrients quantified (n = 81, 52%). Validation was completed in 23 (15%) studies, with the majority of these using a reference method reliant on estimation (n = 17, 74%). A quarter of studies (n = 39) quantified completion (either as complete versus incomplete or degree of completeness) and four studies (2.5%) explored factors influencing completion. Findings indicate a lack of high-quality evidence to guide selection and application of existing dietary assessment methods to quantify oral intake with a particular absence of evidence in the critical care setting. Further validation of existing tools and identification of factors influencing completion is needed to guide the optimal approach to quantification of oral intake in both research and clinical contexts.

People with psychosis often have prolonged in-patient1 admissions at high personal and economic costs. This is due in part to cognitive, affective and behavioural processes that delay recovery and discharge. For many, these processes are affected by enduring insecure attachment styles. People with insecure attachment struggle to manage strong feelings when unwell, and ward staff may struggle to know how best to offer support. Here, we outline the model of interpersonal process in cognitive therapy, and how this may be adapted to capture beliefs and behaviours associated with insecure attachment. Psychological interventions in acute care often fail due to implementation issues. For this reason, and in line with current guidance on developing complex interventions, we report on a series of Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) consultations with people with lived experience of psychosis, family members and ward staff on the potential utility of these attachment-based CBT models. The PPI meetings highlighted three themes: (1) the need to improve staff–patient interactions on wards; (2) continuity in staff–patient relationships is key to recovery; and (3) advantages and barriers to an attachment-based CBT approach. We conclude by describing how the models can be implemented in routine clinical practice, and generalised across services where interpersonal cognitive and behavioural processes may contribute to delays in people’s recovery.

Malnutrition is common in the acute care setting. Despite the existence of a plethora of screening tools, many malnourished patients remain undiagnosed and untreated, in part due to competing responsibilities for screening staff, under- or over-referral to dietetics services, and inadequate dietetics resources. Better identification of patients at risk of malnutrition would enable optimised care provision and streamlined care pathways. This narrative review of reviews aimed to collate and synthesise literature documenting nutritional risk factors in adult hospital inpatients, to generate a comprehensive list of nutritional risk indicators from high methodological quality review articles. Six electronic databases were searched (Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Joanna Briggs Institute Database, Embase and Scopus) using a systematic search strategy. Three researchers screened the resulting 5889 citations, identifying 59 reviews summarising original studies that investigated associations between indicators and measures of malnutrition, undernutrition or nutritional risk. After quality appraisal by two researchers, using the American Dietetic Association Quality Criteria Checklist for Review Articles, seven reviews were classified as high quality, identifying fifty-seven unique indicators of nutritional risk (disease status/condition – twenty-three; eating/appetite/digestion – twelve; type of diet – five; cognition/psychology/social factors – five; medication-related – two; miscellaneous – ten). This is the first comprehensive list of nutritional risk factors in adult hospital inpatients, derived from only the highest methodological quality reviews. This list contributes to the development of practice and evidence-informed systems-level approaches to the identification of nutritional risk in the acute care setting.

Triage wards were introduced as a new model of psychiatric in-patient care in 2004. However, there is limited evidence comparing them with the traditional in-patient models of care. This article reviews the history of triage wards, their principles, the evidence for this model (e.g. length of in-patient stay, readmission rates, staff and patient satisfaction) and the development of assessment wards based on the triage model of care. The evidence shows that the triage model has higher rates of rapid discharge, with a greater proportion of ‘acute care’ performed in the community with the support of home treatment teams. This leads to lower bed occupancy in the triage wards without increased rates of readmission or a worse patient experience of in-patient care. However, overall staff experience was better in the traditional model, given that staff satisfaction rates were lower on locality wards in settings with triage systems in place. Future research should explore the potential impact on home treatment teams, and the rates of serious incidents due to the high number of acutely unwell patients on triage wards.

Older persons experiencing a longer length of stay (LOS) or delayed discharge (DD) may see a decline in their health and well-being, generating significant costs. This review aimed to identify evidence on the impact of cognitive impairment (CI) on acute care hospital LOS/DD. A scoping review of studies examining the association between CI and LOS/DD was performed. We searched six databases; two reviewers independently screened references until November 2019. A narrative synthesis was used to answer the research question; 58 studies were included of which 33 found a positive association between CI and LOS or DD, 8 studies had mixed results, 3 found an inverse relationship, and 14 showed an indirect link between CI-related syndromes and LOS/DD. Thus, cognitive impairment seemed to be frequently associated with increased LOS/DD. Future research should consider CI together with other risks for LOS/DD and also focus on explaining the association between the two.

Innovation Concept: Nurses working in corrections facilities are routinely faced with acute care scenarios requiring skilled management. There are also increasing numbers of inmates with chronic health conditions and acute exacerbations. Correctional Service Canada (CSC) has partnered with the Clinical Simulation Lab at Queen's University to develop a simulation-based training program aimed at improving acute care skills of Corrections nurses and staff. This novel quality improvement program encompasses a range of presentations that commonly occur in correctional environments. Methods: The program consisted of two laboratory sessions focused on acute care and trauma followed by an in-situ simulation session. The sessions were organized around the 4-component instructional design that enhances complex learning. Both lab sessions began with scaffolded part-task training (IV insertion, ECG interpretation, airway, circulatory support, etc) and then progressed to six team-based high-fidelity simulations that covered cardiac arrhythmias, hypoglycemia, agitated delirium, drug overdoses, and immediate trauma management. Participants rated the effectiveness of each session. Lastly, an in-situ session was conducted at the Millhaven maximum security facility for nursing and correctional staff. It comprised of five scenarios that incorporated actors, a high-fidelity manikin, and simulated security issues. Participants completed a validated self-assessment before and after the session grading themselves on aspects of acute care. Curriculum, Tool, or Material: Our multi-modal simulation curriculum enhanced self-assessed knowledge of CSC learners. Of 71 attendees in the acute care skills session, 70 agreed or strongly agreed that the exercise enhanced their knowledge, satisfied their expectations, and conveyed information applicable to their practice. All 13 participants in the trauma session agreed or strongly agreed to these sentiments. We used Wilcox signed rank test item by item on the in-situ questionnaire. There was significant improvement in majority of skills sampled: airway management, O2 delivery, team organization and assessment/treatment of cardiac arrest. Conclusion: This initiative is the first time high-fidelity simulation training has been used with Corrections nurses and the first in-situ simulation in a maximum security institution in Canada. The sessions were well-liked by participants and were assessed as very effective, validating the demand for further implementation of clinical simulation in correctional facilities.

Hospitalizations of long-term care (LTC) residents can result in adverse outcomes such as functional decline. The objective of our study was to investigate the association between demographic and health information and hospitalization rate for newly admitted LTC residents. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all LTC homes in six provinces and one territory in Canada, using data from the Resident Assessment Instrument–Minimum Data Set (RAI-MDS) 2.0 and the Discharge Abstract Database. We included newly admitted residents with an assessment between January 1 and December 31, 2013 (n = 37,998). Residents who were male, had higher health instability, and had moderate or severe functional impairment had higher rates of hospitalization, whereas residents who had moderate or severe cognitive impairment had decreased rates. The results of our study can be used to identify newly admitted residents who may be at risk for hospitalization, and appropriately target preventative interventions, including rehabilitation, advance care planning, palliative care, and geriatric specialty services.

Often older people, while maintaining a level of independence, rely on family members to provide care and assistance. Caregivers who are also registered nurses (RNs) may provide a different perspective around the experience when their older relative is admitted to acute care. The aim of our research was to investigate and develop theory regarding nursing care provision as described by RNs, who were family caregivers to older adults, when that older adult was admitted to acute care. Over a six-month period in 2011, RNs meeting this criterion (n = 12) were interviewed individually. We identified two central categories: “Culture of Neglect” and “Vigil by the Bedside”. The core category “Normalization of Neglect” was identified as the theory, grounded in the data the participants provided which described a culture of neglect that had normalized poor nursing care. These findings highlight the issue of neglect and abuse, and further investigation is warranted.

Introduction / Innovation Concept: Acute care skills are difficult to teach but can be improved using high-fidelity simulation training. We developed a comprehensive acute care “Nightmares-FM” simulation course (NM) for our Family Medicine residents and compared it to our standard simulation teaching- episodic Acute Care Rounds (ACR). Methods: NM course consisted of an initial 2 day session followed by 3 follow-on sessions interspersed throughout the PGY-1 year. ACR participants got access to 3 sessions interspersed throughout the PGY-1 year, each focusing on a different aspect of acute care. Both groups got access to the NM manual which covered the relevant topics: shock, arrhythmias, shortness of breath, altered level of consciousness and myocardial infarction. The manual is physiology-based and written specifically at the level that an average Family Medicine resident would be expected to perform at during on-call crises or emergency medicine rotations. 12 residents participating in the NM and 12 residents in time-matched ACR filled out questionnaires asking them to rate their level of knowledge of various aspects of acute care. Self-reported changes before and after each session, and at the end of the year, were analyzed using Wilcoxon matched pairs test. End of the year mean scores were compared using a two sided t-test. Finally, we developed a high-complexity acute care Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE): COPD exacerbation with septic shock requiring use of positive pressure ventilation, fluids and vasopressors. The groups participated in the OSCE in February of their PGY-2 year and were graded using a validated scoring sheet marked by two independent expert video reviewers. Curriculum, Tool, or Material: NM initial 2-day session significantly improved the resident’s self-assessment scores on all 20 items of the questionnaire (p<0.05). Time matched ACR improved 11 out of 20 items (p<0.05) level. Follow-up NM sessions improved 5-8 out of 20 items, (p<0.05). Follow-up ACR sessions improved 1-5 out of 20 items, (p<0.05). End of the year means were higher for 13/20 items in the NM group (p>0.05) The NM group scored significantly higher on both the mean scores of OSCE individual categories: Initial assessment, Diagnostic workup, Therapeutic interventions and Communication and teamwork (p<0.05) and the Global Assessment Score (p<0.026). Conclusion: “Nightmares-FM” course is more effective than our standard curriculum at teaching acute care skills to Family Medicine residents.

Objective: To determine if health outcomes and demographics differ according to helmet status between persons with cycling-related traumatic brain injuries (TBI).Methods: This is a retrospective study of 128 patients admitted to the Montreal General Hospital following a TBI that occurred while cycling from 2007-2011. Information was collected from the Quebec trauma registry and the coroner’s office in cases of death from cycling accidents. The independent variables collected were socio-demographic, helmet status, clinical and neurological patient information. The dependent variables evaluated were length of stay (LOS), extended Glasgow outcome scale (GOS-E), injury severity scale (ISS), discharge destination and death.Results: 25% of cyclists wore a helmet. The helmet group was older, more likely to be university educated, married and retired. Unemployment, longer intensive care unit (ICU) stay, severe intracranial bleeding and neurosurgical interventions were more common in the no helmet group. There was no significant association between the severity of the TBI, ISS scores, GOS-E or death and helmet wearing. The median age of the subjects who died was higher than those who survived. Conclusion: Cyclists without helmets were younger, less educated, single and unemployed. They had more severe TBIs on imaging, longer LOS in ICU and more neurosurgical interventions. Elderly cyclists admitted to the hospital appear to be at higher risk of dying in the event of a TBI.

Frail older patients suffer from multiple, complex needs that often go unmet in an acute care setting. Failure to recognize the geriatric giants in frail older adults is resulting in the misclassification of this population. This study investigated “sub-acute” frail, older-adult in-patients in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Although identified as being no longer acutely ill, all participants (n = 62) required active medical and/or nursing care. Frail older patients, often acutely ill, were being misclassified as sub-acute when the acuity of their illness went unrecognized which resulted in equally unrecognized disease presentations. The majority of participants wished to be cared for at or closer to home. The lack of post-acute-care service within our health care system and risk aversion on the part of hospital staff resulted in lengthy hospital stays and/or in patients being funneled into existing services (nursing homes) against their desire to go home.

The Australian health care system is frequently portrayed as being in crisis, with reference to either large financial burdens in the form of hospital deficits, or declining service levels. Older people, characterised as a homogeneous category, are repeatedly identified as a major contributor to the crisis, by unnecessarily occupying acute beds while they await a vacancy in a residential facility. Several enquiries and hospital taskforce management groups have been set up to tackle the problem. This article reviews their findings and strategic recommendations, particularly as they relate to older people. Short-term policy responses are being developed which specifically target older people for early discharge and alternative levels of care, and which, while claiming positive intentions, may introduce new forms of age discrimination into the health system. Few of the currently favoured proposals promote age-inclusivity and older people's rights to equal access to acute care.