New nurse-led protocols for stroke patients, based on ACU research, led by the Nursing Research Institute, have resulted in changes to policy, guidelines and clinical practice in Europe and Australia. The protocols were developed through the Quality in Acute Stroke Care (QASC) Trial (published in the Lancet, 2011) to manage fever, hyperglycaemia and swallowing (FeSS) post-stroke.
Professor Sandy Middleton FACN, FAAN is a Professor of Nursing and Director of the Nursing Research Institute at St Vincent’s Health Network Sydney, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne and Australian Catholic University. She focusses on stroke and the way research can improve care, particularly analysing the way nurses can initiate care to improve patient recovery.
Professor Middleton was the lead investigator on the landmark NHMRC-funded QASC cluster trial that demonstrated decreased death and dependency following implementation of nurse-initiated protocols to manage fever, hyperglycaemia and swallowing post-stroke, winning multiple national and international awards including ACU’s Vice-Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Award, Excellence in Research and Research Partnerships in 2019. These protocols have been translated into 64 hospitals in 17 European countries and in adopted in 36 NSW hospitals. She has published in high impact journals including The Lancet and The New England Journal of Medicine.
Australian Health Journal spoke with Professor Sandy Middleton on these significant achievements in nurse-led acute stroke care.
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Smart technology in wound care
Throughout her journey around wound care, Santosh Kaur was frustrated to see the simple gaps in wound care resulting in negative patient outcomes. Santosh is the founder of SmartHeal which launched in 2020.
SmartHeal replaces the nurses taking cumbersome manual measurements and manual sharing of important wound data with a no touch technique. It aims for healthcare professionals to have live remote access to wound data, make wound assessments and assist with speech to text notes thus saving time, cost and people. SmartHeal also aims to assist healthcare professionals in providing optimum wound care by analysing the wound tissue for infection, moisture and providing suggestions for suitable dressing.
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Thyroid health into pregnancy
‘Without an adequate amount of thyroid hormone mothers can be exposed to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including gestational hypertension and preeclampsia or eclampsia, which affect around 10% of pregnant women and are the leading causes of maternal and neonatal mortality worldwide. Mothers who suffer from hypertensive disorders during pregnancy are at increased risk of long-term cardiovascular consequences and hypertensive disorders in subsequent pregnancies. Evidence also indicates a risk of reduced cognitive ability to their offspring.
‘Knowing if you are genetically predisposed to Hashimoto’s or Graves’ Diseases, which are both thyroid autoimmune disorders is important to be aware of, to ensure all appropriate tests are ordered. Autoimmune disorders may predispose mothers to a thyroid problem during pregnancy’, says Professor Creswell Eastman, who also serves as the ATF’s Principal Medical Advisor.
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Landmark Australian-led study revises thresholds to diagnose and treat anaemia
In 2014, WEHI researchers began a study at the request of the World Health Organization (WHO), to formally review its global anaemia guidelines that were last updated in 1968.
Study lead and Acting WEHI Deputy Director, Professor Sant-Rayn Pasricha, speaking to Australian Health Journal said while anaemia can be diagnosed by measuring the amount of haemoglobin in the blood, there is currently no consensus on the thresholds that should be used to define the condition.
