•Pneumococcal infections are associated with high morbidity, hospitalisation and mortality.•Invasive pneumococcal infections remain a public health problem with significant cost.•The Health Insurance ...and patient’s cost perspectives were considered.•Estimation of the hospitalization cost per age- and risk- groups were considered.•Pneumococcal infections justify more attention for vaccination.
pneumococcal infections are associated with high morbidity, hospitalisation and mortality. The objective of this study was to investigate the health and economic burden of all-cause pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease in Belgian hospital settings, by patient’s age and risk profile.
This descriptive retrospective study was conducted in 17 Belgian hospitals. Univariate and multivariate logistic linear regression models were performed. The Health Insurance and patient’s cost perspectives were considered because a few studies report these costs.
The analysis has included 4,712 hospital admissions over the year 2018. Median hospitalization costs were higher for invasive pneumococcal infection diagnosis than for all-cause pneumonia (p < 0,001), respectively 4,051€ and 3,362€. Other factors associated with higher hospitalization cost were patient’s high-risk profile, admission to emergency unit, transfer from nursing home, admission to intensive care unit and length of stay.
Streptococcus pneumoniae infections remain a public health problem with significant cost for the Health Insurance and poor prognosis. Invasive pneumococcal infections are associated with longer hospital stays and required more intensive care than all other causes of pneumonia, in addition to be more costly, which justifies more attention for vaccination. This study also suggests an increase of economic and health burden with age and presence of underlying conditions.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on nursing practice in intensive care unit and consequently, on workload.
To assess the nurse-patient ratio required by COVID-19 patients and to ...identify the factors that influence nursing in this context.
This study was a retrospective observational study that evaluated the ratio using the Nursing Activities Score (NAS).
Three Belgian French-speaking hospitals, including five ICUs. Patients included COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients.
The study included 95 COVID-19 patients and 1604 non-COVID-19 patients (control group) resulting in 905 and 5453 NAS measures, respectively. The NAS was significantly higher among the COVID-19 patients than in the control group (p = <0.0001). In the COVID-19 group, these higher scores were also observed per shift and uniformly across the three hospitals. COVID-19 patients required more time in the activities of monitoring and titration (χ2 = 457.60, p = <0.0001), mobilisation (χ2 = 161.21, p = <0.0001), and hygiene (χ2 = 557.77, p = <0.0001). Factors influencing nursing time measured by NAS in the COVID-19 patients were age <65 years old (p = 0.23), the use of continuous venovenous hemofiltration (p = 0.002), a high APACHE II score (p = 0.006) and patient death (p = 0.002). A COVID-19 diagnosis was independently associated with an increase in nursing time (OR = 4.8, 95% CI:3.6–6.4).
Patients hospitalised in the ICU due to COVID-19 require significantly more nursing time and need an average ratio of almost 1:1.
Abstract
Background
Given the variability of intensive care unit (ICU) costs in different countries and the importance of this information for guiding clinicians to effective treatment and to the ...organisation of ICUs at the national level, it is of value to gather data on this topic for analysis at the national level in Belgium. The objectives of the study were to assess the total cost of ICUs and the factors that influence the cost of ICUs in hospitals in Belgium.
Methods
This was a retrospective cohort study using data collected from the ICUs of 17 Belgian hospitals from January 01 to December 31, 2018. A total of 18,235 adult ICU stays were included in the study. The data set was a compilation of inpatient information from analytical cost accounting of hospitals, medical discharge summaries, and length of stay data. The costs were evaluated as the expenses related to the management of hospital stays from the hospital’s point of view. The cost from the hospital perspective was calculated using a cost accounting analytical methodology in full costing. We used multivariate linear regression to evaluate factors associated with total ICU cost per stay. The ICU cost was log-transformed before regression and geometric mean ratios (GMRs) were estimated for each factor.
Results
The proportion of ICU beds to ward beds was a median p25-p75 of 4.7% 4.4–5.9. The proportion of indirect costs to total costs in the ICU was 12.1% 11.4–13.3. The cost of nurses represented 57.2% 55.4–62.2 of direct costs and this was 15.9% 12.0-18.2 of the cost of nurses in the whole hospital. The median cost per stay was €4,267 2,050–9,658 and was €2,160 1,545–3,221 per ICU day. The main factors associated with higher cost per stay in ICU were Charlson score, mechanical ventilation, ECMO, continuous hemofiltration, length of stay, readmission, ICU mortality, hospitalisation in an academic hospital, and diagnosis of coma/convulsions or intoxication.
Conclusions
This study demonstrated that, despite the small proportion of ICU beds in relation to all services, the ICU represented a significant cost to the hospital. In addition, this study confirms that nursing staff represent a significant proportion of the direct costs of the ICU. Finally, the total cost per stay was also important but highly variable depending on the medical factors identified in our results.
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a manifestation of atherosclerosis that affects the lower extremities and afflicts more than 200 million people worldwide. Because of limited resources, the need ...to provide quality care associated with cost control is essential for health policies. Our study concerns an interhospital comparison among seventeen Belgian hospitals that integrates the weighting of quality indicators and the costs of care, from the hospital perspective, for a patient with this pathology in 2018.
The disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were calculated by adding the number of years of life lost due to premature death and the number of years of life lost due to disability for each in-hospital stay. The DALY impact was interpreted according to patient safety indicators. We compared the hospitals using the adjusted values of costs and DALYs for their case mix index, obtained by relating the observed value to the predicted value obtained by linear regression.
We studied 2,437 patients and recorded a total of 560.1 DALYs in hospitals. The in-hospital cost average standard deviation (SD) was €8,673 (€10,893). Our model identified the hospitals whose observed values were higher than predicted; six needed to reduce the costs and impacts of DALYs, six needed to improve one of the two factors, and four seemed to have good results. The average cost (SD) for the worst performing hospitals amounted to €27,803 (€28,358).
Studying the costs of treatment according to patient safety indicators permits us to evaluate the entire chain of care using a comparable unit of measurement.
BackgroundIn view of the expected increase in expenditure on hip replacement treatment in Belgium, the complication rate and potential waste reduction, as estimated by the Organisation for Economic ...Cooperation and Development, we are not yet in a position to assess the efficiency of hip replacement treatment in Belgian hospitals. This objective study uses a cost–disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) ratio to propose a comparison of hip replacement surgery among 12 Belgian hospitals.MethodsOur study seeks to innovate by proposing an interhospital comparison that simultaneously integrates the weighting of quality indicators and the costs of managing a patient. To this end, we associated a DALY impact with each patient safety indicator, readmission and mortality outcome. We then compared hospitals using both costs and DALYs adjusted to their case mix index. The adjusted values (costs and DALYs) were obtained by relating the observed value to the predicted value obtained from the linear regression model.ResultsWe registered a total of 246.5 DALYs for the 12 hospital institutions, the average cost (SD) of a stay being €8013 (€4304). Our model allowed us to identify hospitals with observed values higher than those predicted. Out of the 12 hospitals evaluated, 4 need to reduce costs and DALYs impacts, 6 have to improve one of the two factors and 2 appear to have good results. The costs for the worst performing hospitals can rise to over €150 000.ConclusionEvaluating the rates of patient safety indicators, associated with cost, is a prerequisite for quality and cost improvement efforts on the part of managers and practitioners. However, it appears essential to evaluate the entire care chain using a comparable unit of measurement. The hospital’s case mix index must also be considered in benchmarking to avoid drawing the wrong conclusions. In addition, other indicators, such as the patient’s perception of the actual results, should be added to our study.
Cellular microbiology, which is the interaction between harmful microbes and infected cells, is important in the determination of the bacterial infection processes and in the progression of data of ...different cellular mechanisms. The therapeutic role of bacteria has gained attention since the known methods such as radiation, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy have got drawbacks. Bacteria have demonstrated a favorable impact in treating cancer through eradication of tumors. Bacteria, in cancer treatment, have proven to be promising and have been shown in some of the previous work that it can successfully suppress the growth of tumors. In this paper, we analyzed the difficulties and settlement for using bacteria in cancer therapy as well the mechanisms in which bacteria works in order to achieve tumor eradication. Future works may focus on the use of bacteria along with other treatments in order to achieve effective tumor therapy.
Prostate cancer is a global fatal type of cancer. It is a type of cancer that affect men. Signs and symptoms of the disease include blood in the urine, pain when one micturates, and difficulties in ...penis erection. Cisplatin chemotherapy is a principal treatment normally given to the prostate cancer patients. Nonetheless, on its own, cisplatin loses efficacy once administered due to liver pass effects and other biochemical attacks. In this paper, we looked at preparation of PCL nanoparticles loaded with cisplatin and their potential for the treatment of prostate cancer. PCL nanoparticles protect cisplatin from biochemical attack, thus increasing drug efficacy. Incorporation of P-glycoprotein inhibitors in PCL nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with cisplatin could improve prostate cancer treatment even more.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) and asthma are fatal. The respiratory tract may be blocked, robbed of the adequate amounts of oxygen; hence, death ensues if a quick medical attention is ...not provided. The treatment available for the duo are inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). The ICS can work synergically with LABAS (long-acting β2-antagonists) and so many other medicines like bronchodilators. The drugs used for the treatment of asthma and COPD are metabolised once in the body system and at the same time exerting the therapeutic effect provided the concentration of the drug is within the therapeutic window. The CYP3A isoforms metabolise the ICS, in this case, salmeterol and fluticasone propionate (FP). Methods of administration are not limited to inhalation. Specific doses are prescribed accurately paying attention to factors like age, gender, race, and genetic makeup since these affect drug metabolisms. Generally, the ICS work by translocating glucocorticoid receptors to the nucleus from the cytosol. The mechanism is potentiated by the β-antagonists and this brings about an anti-inflammatory effect which is greater than either of the two drugs alone. Once this happens, it is not necessary to increase ICS dose. The ICS, in addition, cause more production of β-receptors by activating the β-receptor genes. This mode of action begets the LABAs’ bronchodilator-effects. The challenge is that ICS are not limited only to “double” therapy. Analysing such therapies is daunting since coadministration interferes with pharmacology and pharmacokinetics of drugs. This work focuses on salmeterol/fluticasone propionate combination and aspects which has to do with administration, monitoring, metabolism, toxicity, and adverse effects.
Burnout is a global work-related phenomenon. Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses are at risk of burnout and the COVID-19 pandemic may increase this risk. The objectives of this study were to assess the ...prevalence of burnout risk and identify risk factors among ICU nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Web-based survey performed during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in French speaking Belgium.
Risk of burnout was assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory scale.
A total of 1135 ICU nurses responded to the questionnaire. The overall prevalence of burnout risk was 68%. A total of 29% of ICU nurses were at risk of depersonalisation (DP), 31% of reduced personal accomplishment (PA), and 38% of emotional exhaustion (EE). A 1:3 nurse-to-patient ratio increased the risk of EE (OR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.07–2.95) and DP (OR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.09–2.40). Those who reported having a higher perceived workload during the COVID-19 pandemic were at higher risk for all dimensions of burnout. Shortage of personal protective equipment increased the risk of EE (OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.35–3.34) and nurses who reported having symptoms of COVID-19 without being tested were at higher risk of EE (OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.68–1.87).
Two-thirds of ICU nurses were at risk of burnout and this risk was associated with their working conditions during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. We recommend monitoring the risk of burnout and implementing interventions to prevent and manage it, taking into account the factors identified in this study.
Aim
The aim of the study was to describe and compare feeling of competence regarding humanistic caring in Registered Nurses (RN) and nursing students (NS).
Design
A quantitative comparative ...cross‐sectional research design was used.
Methods
A convenience sample of 196 RN and 47 NS in a teaching hospital in Belgium completed a self‐administered questionnaire composed of a sociodemographic survey and the Caring Nurse‐Patient Interactions Scale (CNPI‐23) developed by Cossette et al.
Results
The four dimensions of the CNPI‐23 were compared using the Skillings–Mack test. Both groups scored higher on “humanistic” and “comforting” than on “clinical” and “relational” care and both scored lowest on this last dimension. Linear regressions showed that none of the variables had a statistically significant influence on the CNPI‐23 scores, except for NS “state of health,” which influenced their feeling of competence regarding “relational care.”
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