Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative, progressive disorder known for motor and non-motor symptoms. The vestibular system, via the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), is crucial for maintaining dynamic gaze stability, and its role in PD is raising interest among researchers. Indeed, vestibular dysfunction in PD may exacerbate postural instability and gait disturbances; however, the prevalence of vestibular dysfunctions remains unclear. This study aims to objectively investigate the VOR function in people with PD using the video head impulse test.
This is a cross-sectional study conducted in a neurorehabilitation hospital. People with PD were included if they had no cognitive impairment and the ability to walk without physical assistance. The video head impulse test was used to assess the VOR function across all six semicircular canals, using both the Head Impulse Paradigm (HIMP) and the Suppression Head Impulse Paradigm (SHIMP) paradigms.
35 people with PD (mean age: 69.9±8.4; 11 females) with moderate motor symptoms (MDS-UPDRS-part III: 27.7±6.8) were included. Using normative cut-offs, 69% of the participants had at least one dysfunctional canal (60% hypo-gain, 9% hyper-gain). The prevalence reached 83% when both the HIMP and SHIMP paradigms were considered.
There is a high prevalence of vestibular dysfunction in people with PD. The instrumental assessment of VOR gains could reveal undiagnosed vestibular dysfunctions and, in the future, lead to more specific rehabilitation management of people with PD.
To translate, culturally adapt and validate the Italian version of Fundamentals of Care Framework and the Fundamentals of Care Practice Process.
Qualitative tool validation study.
The study followed internationally recommended procedures, including forward–backward translation, expert committee review, content validation through cognitive interviews and face validity testing with nurses and nursing students. Data were collected between January and October 2023.
Key terms were culturally and linguistically adapted to enhance clarity and contextual relevance, with changes informed by expert feedback. Content validation confirmed conceptual equivalence, and face validity testing demonstrated that Italian versions were perceived as clear, appropriate and applicable across clinical and educational settings.
Cultural adaptation of theoretical frameworks is essential for ensuring their relevance and usability in local contexts. The Italian versions of the Fundamentals of Care Framework and the Fundamentals of Care Practice Process will provide a robust, evidence-based foundation for person-centred care across education, research and clinical practice.
By making these tools accessible in Italian, this study supports the integration of fundamentals of care into national nursing education and practice, promoting international consistency in person-centred care. It lays the groundwork for curriculum reform, clinical implementation and global collaboration in nursing.
Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist.
This study did not involve any patient or public contribution.
ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05177627
Our objectives were (1) to characterise the age-sex-standardised prevalence of comorbidities among people living with HIV (PLWH) and people not living with HIV (PnLWH) between 2001 and 2019 and (2) to examine the effect of comorbidities on direct healthcare costs among PLWH and PnLWH.
This was a retrospective, matched cohort study conducted with the Comparative Outcomes and Service Utilisation Trends (COAST) cohort, which contained all known PLWH in British Columbia (BC), Canada and a general population sample.
BC, Canada.
A total of 9554 PLWH and 47 770 PnLWH from the COAST cohort were followed between 2001 and 2019. Participants were at least 19 years old and 82% male in both groups.
The primary outcomes were the age-sex-standardised prevalence of 16 comorbidities, calculated annually, among PLWH and PnLWH. Secondary outcomes included direct healthcare costs associated with each comorbidity among PLWH and PnLWH. Outcomes were ascertained from administrative health databases.
PLWH exhibited a higher age-sex-standardised prevalence of most comorbidities compared with PnLWH over the study period. Relative disparities in liver and kidney diseases markedly decreased since 2008. Disparities in the prevalence of mental health disorders and substance use disorder (SUD) were consistently large throughout the study period. Comorbidities were associated with high healthcare costs, especially among PLWH.
This study underscores the persistent and evolving burden of non-AIDS-defining comorbidities among PLWH, even in the context of improved HIV management. The high prevalence of mental health disorders and SUD, coupled with the substantial healthcare costs associated with these conditions, emphasises the need for holistic and integrated care models that address the full spectrum of health challenges faced by PLWH.
Chronic wounds may develop when there is a delay or disturbance in one of the stages of the healing process, presenting challenging financial, clinical, and quality-of-life costs. Therefore, continuous efforts have been made to develop dressings that optimise wound healing. In recent years, nanotechnology has revolutionised wound care, enabling the development of innovative materials with high efficiency that positively impact the healing process. Nanoparticles have been extensively used in wound dressings because of their specific properties, such as a high surface area-to-volume ratio, increased surface reactivity, and improved biocompatibility, representing a unique tissue repair tool. This review article addresses advances in the use of organic nanoparticles in the field of skin regeneration, considering papers published in the last 5 years, and highlighting the effects of this class of materials on the wound healing process. The analysis of the literature shows that the materials being considered are carbon-based and organic materials, including polymeric, cellulosic, lipid, and liposome nanoparticles, which are covered in this review (inorganic nanoparticles are not considered). Furthermore, important aspects to prevent the development of chronic wounds are presented, as well as general characteristics of wounds, the healing process, and their particularities.
Commentary on: Yeji Hwang, Miranda V. McPhillips, Liming Huang, G. Adriana Perez and Nancy A. Hodgson, Better caregiver mastery is associated with less anxiety in individuals with cognitive impairment, BMC Nursing. 2023; 22:307.
Implications for practice and research Anxiety is one of the common neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPs) in individuals with cognitive impairment. Considering the fluctuating and variable course of NPs in dementia, studies with longer follow-up periods are required to understand the relationship between caregiver mastery and anxiety in patients with dementia. Dementia, an umbrella condition, encompasses various neurogenerative diseases that can cause behavioural problems, movement problems, autonomic dysfunction, gait and balance problems, as well as cognitive impairment. Hence, it is important to develop caregiver skills with different strategies for each type of dementia.
As the population ages, the prevalence of dementia has increased.
To evaluate the impact of using ‘Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation’ method (‘SBAR’) in a palliative care setting.
Effective handover communication is crucial for patient safety. Standardised communication tools, such as the SBAR method, are recommended to reduce errors and improve care coordination, but their use in palliative care is not investigated.
Mixed method study design, adhering to the GRAMMS guideline.
From January to October 2021, a SBAR guide tailored for palliative care was developed using the Delphi method and implemented in a Hospice setting. Data on 150 nurse handovers were collected before and after implementation to assess changes in nursing outcomes, including medication errors, adverse events and the identification of psychological and spiritual needs. Nurses' perceptions on the handover process were gathered through a qualitative survey.
The SBAR guide significantly improved the handovers quality, reducing medication errors and eliminating adverse events postimplementation. The identification of psychological and spiritual needs increased during postimplementation period. Nurses also reported improved clarity, accuracy and completeness of information during handover.
This is the first study to evaluate the impact of SBAR for handover in palliative nursing care. Findings show the added value of using communication tools.
Systematic reviews are considered the highest level of evidence that can help guide evidence-informed decisions in nursing practice, education, and even health policy. Systematic review publications have increased from a sporadic few in 1980s to more than 10,000 systematic reviews published every year and around 30,000 registered in prospective registries.
A cross-sectional design and a variety of data sources were triangulated to identify the journals from which systematic reviews would be evaluated for adherence to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 reporting guidelines and scope. Specifically, this study used the PRISMA 2020 reporting guidelines to assess the reporting of the introduction, methods, information sources and search strategy, study selection process, quality/bias assessments, and results and discussion aspects of the included systematic reviews.
Upon review of the 215 systematic reviews published in 10 top-tier journals in the field of nursing in 2019 and 2020, this study identified several opportunities to improve the reporting of systematic reviews in the context of the 2020 PRISMA statement. Areas of priority for reporting include the following key areas: (1) information sources, (2) search strategies, (3) study selection process, (4) bias reporting, (5) explicit discussion of the implications to policy, and lastly, the need for (6) prospective protocol registration.
The use of the PRISMA 2020 guidelines by authors, peer reviewers, and editors can help to ensure the transparent and detailed reporting of systematic reviews published in the nursing literature.
Systematic reviews are considered strong research evidence that can guide evidence-based practice and even clinical decision-making. This paper addresses some common methodological and process issues among systematic reviews that can guide clinicians and practitioners to be more critical in appraising research evidence that can shape nursing practice.