Indian Journal of Surgical Nursing

A man waits and wonders if a new heart will arrive.  A woman walks without pain with a bone transplant. A child grows up with a new liver. A mother in the midst of tragedies in her own life helps give life to others through organ donation. These are the stories we have heard about the lives transformed by the miracle of organ & tissue donation and the stories of men & women, who give and receive the gift of a lifetime. Please do remember they are not the statistics of medical literature. These are ordinary human beings who have made a difference in the life of another person and at any moment it could be each of us.
 

Aims and objectives: This paper presents a critical review of published literature detailing the significance of transitional care in ICU. Background: Critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) often experience multiple transitions as they move through different levels of care. The transition process from Intensive Care Units, ICU, to the general ward involves the patient, their relatives, and the staff. The transfer of patients from the ICU is an everyday procedure. It is an accepted part of the ICU nurse’s routine work, but also an important element of providing quality care. Design: This literature review study addresses the aims and objectives. Methods: Following a literature search of electronic databases, 30 articles were retrieved that met the selection riteria with papers discussed in relation to transition and significance of transitional care in ICU patients. Results: The physical and psychological effects of the ICU experience continue to affect many patients after discharge from the ICU. So there was need for ICU nurses, ward nurses and affiliated healthcare professionals to provide emotional support throughout ICU transfer. Strategies to provide this support must be developed, implemented and evaluated. Conclusions: There is a paucity of literature that specifically physical effect of transition among ICU patient and significance of transitional care in ICU. Relevance to clinical practice: Nurses’ understanding of critically ill patients’ transition may significantly impact the patients’ care in the Intensive Care Unit. Thus, research is needed that focuses more on evaluating nurses’ understanding of patients’ transition and its consequences.

Title: A Study to Assess the Incidence and Risk factors of Surgical Site Infection following Caesarean Section in a Selected Hospital of Odisha. Background :  Surgical site infection (SSI) is a common postoperative complication, constituting a major public health problem in terms of mortality; morbidity, prolonged hospital stays, and increased antimicrobial resistance due to the inappropriate use of broad spectrum antibiotics. Factors which affect post-caesarean section SSI rate include the maternal pre- perative medical and obstetric conditions, the type of surgical procedure, and the absence of antibiotic prophylaxis. Objective: The aim of this study was to find out the incidence and associated risk factors of surgical site infection among caesarean section cases. Method : A prospective, descriptive study was undertaken in a tertiary teaching hospital (SUM hospital), Odisha, India. Total 546 Women were included in the study, who underwent surgical procedure for delivery during study period. Wound was evaluated for the development of SSI on third day, and fifth post-operative day, and on the day of discharge. Results :The mean age of the women was 26±3.08. Among the studied cases 87.17% were literate and 12.82% were illiterate. Maximum (77.10%) women were housewife and primpara (59.70). Antenatal clinic was attended by 78.02%. The most common indications for caesarean delivery observed were cephalopelvic disproportion (25.82%), malpresentation (18.86%) and fetal distress (16.84%). The incidence rate of surgical site infection (SSI) was 62 (11.35%). SSI was found to be common in women who underwent emergency surgery, rupture of membrane before surgery, who had frequent vaginal examination and prolonged labour, statistically significant (p<0.05). Also women who had vertical skin incision and interrupted skin suturing (p<0.01) during surgery had develop more SSI. Conclusion: SSI is found to be multi-factorial and various modifiable risk factors were observed in this study. Formation of hospital protocol and its strict implementation by all the health care professionals could be effective to minimize and prevent the infection rate after caesarean section.  

Key Words: Caesarean section, SSI, modifiable risk factors, maternal infection,