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To synthesise evidence from systematic reviews on difficult intravenous access (DIVA) in adults, focusing on definitions, diagnostic criteria, risk factors and clinical interventions to guide clinical practice and health policy.
Umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
Any clinical setting involving adult patients requiring peripheral venous access (including hospital, emergency and outpatient care).
A systematic search was performed in PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, Scopus and Web of Science in July 2025.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses published from 2014 to 2025 that addressed DIVA in the adult population were included. Primary studies and protocols were excluded.
Methodological quality was assessed using the Risk Of Bias In Systematic Reviews tool. Data extraction followed the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for overviews and the Preferred Reporting Items for Overviews of Reviews reporting guideline.
Seven reviews (six systematic reviews and one meta-analysis) were included. Three analytical dimensions emerged: (1) the conceptual and operational definition of DIVA, identifying common elements such as ≥2 failed attempts, lack of visible or palpable veins and a documented history of difficult access; (2) risk factors and clinical assessment, highlighting obesity, chronic diseases, prior chemotherapy, venous invisibility or non-palpability and the limited validation of diagnostic tools and (3) interventions, including organisational strategies (escalation protocols, specialised teams), technological resources (ultrasound guidance) and clinical measures (pain management and technique optimisation).
DIVA is a multifactorial challenge that requires a standardised definition to improve clinical identification. Effective management relies on a combination of specialised training, the use of ultrasound technology and the implementation of escalation protocols to ensure patient safety and efficiency.
CRD420251084947.
Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative syndrome associated with Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal degeneration. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) is a promising treatment, especially associated with language therapy, but comparative efficacy and long-term effects between the different techniques (transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)) remain unknown. The present study aims to investigate the effects of non-invasive brain stimulation, alone or associated (tDCS/TMS/tDCS plus TMS) combined with language therapy delivered during a period of 6 months, in the progression of language impairment in PPA, compared with sham stimulation combined with language therapy.
The study is a randomised, double-blinded, parallel, sham-controlled clinical trial. Patients with PPA in early stages (global Clinical Dementia Rating equal to or less than 1) are eligible. They are to be randomised to one of the four treatment arms of the study (active tDCS-active TMS, active tDCS-sham TMS, sham tDCS-active TMS, sham tDCS-sham TMS). All patients will receive language therapy immediately after each session of NIBS, for 6 months. The primary outcome is the Mini-Linguistic State Examination. The secondary outcomes are naming of trained items, Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination, Interview for Deterioration in Daily Living Activities, Clinical Dementia Rating including behaviour and language domains, Neuropsychiatric Inventory and regional brain metabolism. Exploratory substudies will be conducted including blood biomarkers, quantitative electroencephalography and spontaneous speech assessment.
The study is registered (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT07158216) and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Hospital Clinico San Carlos (code 25/309-IC_P_CE). Patients will be enrolled after signing an informed consent form. Study outcomes will be disseminated through presentations at scientific conferences, publications in peer-reviewed journals and other academic forums.
To identify and compare the digital competence profiles of nurse educators, the background variables associated with profiles, and the self-assessed level of digital competence in four European countries.
A descriptive comparative cross-sectional study.
Data were collected from nurse educators (n = 263) in 36 nursing education organisations in Finland, Malta, Slovakia and Spain. Partitioning around medoids (PAM) clustering was used to identify competence groups, and descriptive and inferential statistics were used to examine the association of nurse educators' background variables.
The clustering analysis resulted in two nurse educator digital competence profile groups: high and moderate. The profiles differed based on completed pedagogical studies and teaching experience, with an emphasis on the high competence profile. Educators in the high competence profile group showed greater interest in using educational technology and self assessed their digital competence at a higher level compared to educators in the moderate competence profile group. Nurse educators' lowest digital competence was in the safe and responsible use of technology, such as knowing copyright laws.
Despite the heterogeneous background of nurse educators, international continuing professional development needs in digital competence are identified. Nurse educators' continuing education should support the utilisation of technology through pedagogical approaches, and educators' competence in the safe and responsible use of technology (e.g., how to protect digital materials) must be enhanced in nursing education organisations.
This study highlights the need to further develop nurse educators' digital competence. Continuing professional development should target preparation in safe and responsible technology use and include pedagogical studies and mentoring from experienced peers.
The STROBE checklist was adhered to in reporting the results.
Each participating educational organisation assigned a contact person to distribute the survey to the nurse educators.
Integrated digital diagnostics can support complex surgeries in many anatomic sites, and brain tumour surgery represents one of the most complex cases. Neurosurgeons face several challenges during brain tumour surgeries, such as differentiating critical tissue from brain tumour margins. To overcome these challenges, the STRATUM project will develop a 3D decision support tool for brain surgery guidance and diagnostics based on multimodal data processing, including hyperspectral imaging, integrated as a point-of-care computing tool in neurosurgical workflows. This paper reports the protocol for the development and technical validation of the STRATUM tool.
This international multicentre, prospective, open, observational cohort study, STRATUM-OS (study: 28 months, pre-recruitment: 2 months, recruitment: 20 months, follow-up: 6 months), with no control group, will collect data from 320 patients undergoing standard neurosurgical procedures to: (1) develop and technically validate the STRATUM tool and (2) collect the outcome measures for comparing the standard procedure versus the standard procedure plus the use of the STRATUM tool during surgery in a subsequent historically controlled non-randomised clinical trial.
The protocol was approved by the participant ethics committees. Results will be disseminated in scientific conferences and peer-reviewed journals.
To analyse the impact of a participatory process of awareness and reflection on compassion, in the face of end-of-life processes, in students aged 12–23 years in six Spanish regions, and to understand how the participatory process can transform their compassion.
Mixed sequential transformative methodology with different phases. In the first phase, a prospective quasi-experimental design with evaluation pre-post in a single group will be adopted. The second phase is the intervention under study, which will consist of a Participatory Action Research with concurrent evaluations.
In the quantitative phase, 1390 students aged 12–23 from a Public University and a Public Secondary Education Institute across six different Spanish regions will be included. A single questionnaire will be administered before and after the Participatory Action Research to contribute to the process evaluation, incorporating four scales (compassion for others' lives, Death Anxiety Scale, basic empathy modified for adolescents and self-compassion). Responses will be recorded in the Research Electronic Data Capture system. For data analysis, comparison groups, change evolution and associations between variables will be examined, along with multivariate logistic regression models. In the qualitative phase of participatory action research, a promoter group will be established in each university and secondary school in every region. Qualitative data will be analysed following the authenticity, transferability, auditability and neutrality criteria. Discourse analysis triangulation will be conducted to achieve data saturation.
Implementing participative action research in the educational environment to improve students' compassion makes them capable of founding compassion communities to help those who have a terminal illness.
This study will adhere to the relevant EQUATOR guidelines, such as the Good Reporting of a Mixed Methods Study guideline, to efficiently report its results through the different steps of this mixed-methods study.
Participatory action research is a method that enables participants to act as researchers of the phenomenon under study, facilitating the immediate application of results within the context. Although students did not participate in the writing of the proposal grant or the research design.
This study registered on Clinical Trials (NCT06310434), was initiated in January 2024, and it will continue up to December 2026.
This multicentre study will contribute to the nursing community with an overview of compassion for those at the end of their lives among young people and provide the knowledge needed to cultivate compassion at universities and schools.
Implementing compassion programmes and death education in the educational environment will empower students to create a compassionate community. The double evaluation of the process will contribute to the qualitative databases.
A synthesis and appraisal of the recommendations for biomarkers in practice guidelines concerning sepsis is required to consolidate evidence-based practice. We generated an evidence gap map (EGM) on the use of biomarkers for managing adults with sepsis.
Scoping review.
MEDLINE, Guidelines International Network, Pan American Health Organization, Trip Database and UpToDate were searched from 2016 to March 2025.
Guidance documents (GD) that searched at least one literature source and provided clinical recommendations for the use of biomarkers for the management (diagnosis and prognosis, including treatment response) of adults with sepsis.
Two reviewers independently applied the eligibility criteria and extracted data. We used the AGREE-II (Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation) tool to assess the GD quality. GDs that scored ≥50% on the AGREE-II 'Rigour of development' domain were considered robust. We also applied the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) system to evaluate if the recommendations were strong or conditional.
We found 10 GDs, with only half (4/8) having a robust methodology. There were 31 recommendations concerning biomarkers. Among these, 24 (77.4%) recommendations were about single biomarkers, with lactate (23; 74.2%) and procalcitonin (8; 25.8%) most frequently recommended. Biomarker testing focused on prognosis in 28 (90.3%) recommendations. Overall, 16 (51.6%) recommendations were graded strong and 13 (42.0%) were conditional, which we displayed in an EGM.
The methodology of GDs concerning adult sepsis was poor. Our review calls for more prudent use of biomarkers in specific prognostic scenarios and in combination with standard clinical assessments. Enhancing the methodological quality of future GDs is essential to generate more valid and robust recommendations for optimising patient care.
Objetivo principal: Actualizar el conocimiento actual existente sobre contaminantes en alimentos y productos elaborados específicamente para la población infantil. Metodología: Se realizó una revisión bibliográfica de los artículos disponibles publicados hasta marzo de 2019, en las siguientes bases de datos bibliográficas: PubMed, Scopus y Web of Science. Resultados principales: Son múltiples los contaminantes en los alimentos de consumo infantil, destacando entre ellos los metales pesados, micotoxinas, ftalatos, bisfenol A (BPA), contaminantes orgánicos persistentes (PCBs), contaminantes microbiológicos y metilmercurio, entre otros. Conclusión principal: Se necesitan datos adicionales que analicen la exposición y efec-tos del consumo de dichos contaminantes para la evaluación de riesgos y la distribución de las principales fuentes de contaminación.
Objetivo principal: Identificar la evidencia científica disponible sobre los diversos estigmas que provoca la infertilidad a diversos niveles en quien la padece. Metodología: Se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica de los últimos diez años en las bases de datos PubMed, Web of Science y Cinahl. Resultados principales: Aunque a priori pudiera parecer que existen grandes diferencias culturales en la percepción de la infertilidad como fenó-meno a nivel íntimo, existen una serie de parámetros coincidentes en la gestión de este tipo de problemáticas por parte de los afectados, tales como la vergüenza, el sentimiento de culpa o incluso el miedo al abandono por parte de la pareja. Conclusión principal: El fenómeno de la infertili-dad continúa siendo un grave problema para miles de parejas que desean tener un hijo. Aunque esta estigmatización suele tener diferentes conse-cuencias dependiendo de diversos factores culturales, existen una serie de aspectos coincidentes sin importar el país del que se provenga.
El comentario crítico se estructuró siguiendo la propuesta de López Alonso et al.1 Se realizó una lectura crítica usando la lista de comprobación STROBE para estudios observacionales.2 Dado que la investigación observacional utiliza muchos diseños diferentes, nos centramos en los criterios específicos del diseño transversal [Fragmento de texto].
Justificación: La mucositis oral es una complicación del tratamiento oncológico que tiene alto impacto en la calidad de vida de los pacientes que la padecen; es esencial que los cuidados de enfermería entregados estén dirigidos a prevenir y/o disminuir la gravedad de la mucositis oral y sean avalados con evidencia de su efectividad. Objetivo: Identificar los cuidados de enfermería dirigidos a prevenir la mucositis oral en pacientes oncológicos. Metodología: Revisión integrativa en 6 bases de datos de artículos publicados desde el año 2000 al 2015. Resultados principales: Los cuidados de enfermería encontrados son la intervención educativa en relación a técnicas de cepillado dental, higiene bucal, autoevaluación de la integridad de la mucosa a través de escalas y el uso de crioterapia durante la administración de citostáticos. Conclusión: Los cuidados de enfermería mencionados probaron su efectividad en la prevención de la aparición y severidad de la mucositis oral, además de ser costo-efectivas tanto en pacientes oncológicos pediátricos y adultos.
Objetivo principal: Comprobar la existencia de evidencia científica que avale o rechace el uso de sedantes/hipnoticos en pacientes que sufren apnea del sueño y usan una máquina de presión positiva continua en la vía aérea (CPAP) domiciliaria. Metodología: Revisión bibliográfica. Resultados principales: No existen estudios actuales con un buen nivel de evidencia que demuestren que el uso de hipnoticos/sedantes perjudique a los pacientes que usan CPAP. Conclusión principal: Sería beneficioso recomendar a los pacientes usuarios de CPAP que presenten problemas de insomnio el uso de hipnoticos/sedantes, siempre bajo prescripción médica y tras valoración del resto de patologías.
Rev Enferm;39(6): 50-4, 2016 Jun. . [Artículo]
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