Pain assessment and management for people with dementia in the community.

People with dementia commonly experience pain, but it is often unrecognised, unrelieved and remains an underlying issue as the condition progresses. As a result, pain management for people with dementia is inadequate. Community nurses have a fundamental role in the assessment and management of pain and in supporting family carers.

General dental practice and improved oral health: is there a win-win for both the professional establishment and government?

General dental practice in the United Kingdom has been in a state of unrest for over two decades, with practitioners having been confronted by two contract changes. The latest contract change of 2006 resulted in much disquiet, and services continue to be piloted in order to develop a contract that satisfies the needs of both government and the profession. Within this context, this paper explores the issues surrounding the present situation.

Long term impact of powered toothbrush on oral health.

Data sources The Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP).Data extraction and synthesis Data were taken from SHIP1 to SHIP3 over an 11 year period. Mixed-effects linear regression models were constructed between the exposure (manual versus powered toothbrush) and outcome variables (probing depths [PD], clinical attachment loss [CAL], caries status DMFS and DFS, tooth loss) adjusting for potential baseline covariates.

Role of the nurse in the assessment and management of post-operative pain.

While post-operative pain is a common and unavoidable consequence of surgery, evidence suggests that the levels of pain experienced by patients are unnecessarily high. In the past two decades, evidence has also indicated that nurses' knowledge of the assessment and effective management of pain is suboptimal. This article considers the elements required for an effective post-operative pain assessment, as well as examining the barriers that result in many patients' post-operative pain not being assessed.

A Delphi study to identify healthcare users' priorities for cancer care in Greece.

User involvement is widely promoted within the European healthcare sector as an effective means of developing patient-centred health services. In addition, user involvement is recommended as an important aspect of developing effective cancer services. Despite the acknowledged benefits of user involvement, this concept has not been fully endorsed in Greece.

Healthcare providers' priorities for cancer care: A Delphi study in Greece.

Cancer is a major problem globally and effective cancer care services are needed to lessen its burden on the community. In Greece, oncology health services provision is not located efficiently, resulting in few patients receiving high-quality care. Furthermore, shortages of health professionals and underdeveloped services such as primary care, home care and palliative care have aggravated the problem.

Profiles of pain after day surgery: patients' experiences of three different operation types.

Aim: The aim of this paper is to examine the pain profile of three types of day surgery operation and undertake a comparative analysis of the intensity and duration of pain over a consecutive 4-day period.

Background: Although studies on pain after day surgery have figured prominently, evidence is limited as to what intensity and duration of pain should be regarded as unacceptable, and how it varies for different operation types.

Methods: A prospective postal survey (n = 785) was undertaken during a 12-month period in 1998/1999 involving three day surgery units in three different areas in England and Wales and based on three commonly performed operation types: hernia repair, varicose vein surgery and laparoscopic sterilization.

Impact of tele-advice on community nurses' knowledge of venous leg ulcer care.

Aim: This paper reports a study assessing the impact of the provision of expert tele-advice to community nurses in enhancing their knowledge of leg ulcer care.

Background: Community nurses have traditionally been responsible for the care of patients with leg ulcers. However, access to expert medical and nursing advice has been restricted to the local hospital environment.

Postoperative pain assessment tools in day surgery: literature review.

Background: Postoperative pain is an expected phenomenon. However, its passage beyond acceptable limits is a common and costly experience. This is particularly the case in day surgery, partly because of the increasing demand to reduce waiting lists for elective surgery, and partly because of lack of knowledge about patients' experiences of postoperative pain and relevant published research.

Reported pain after day surgery: a critical literature review.

Background: Despite technological advancements in anaesthesia and analgesia, reported pain levels after day surgery remains high. Whilst it is unrealistic to expect no pain, the level that constitutes 'acceptable' pain remains unclear because of inconsistencies in reporting. These inconsistencies have resulted from different interpretations of what pain is and the use of different measurement tools.