Evidence-Based Practice Project a Literature Review Conducted

¶ … Evidence-Based Practice Project

A literature review conducted by Rabie and Curtis (2006) aimed at establishing the effects of washing hands in reducing respiratory infections. The literature was obtained by searching CAB Abstracts, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science library. The inclusion strategy for the review were any studies that reported having an impact of hand washing to reduce respiratory infections. All articles included in the review were published before June 2004. This was a quantitative systematic review, which made it an effective method of analyzing and evaluating the selected studies. After searching for the relevant articles, the researchers found 395 articles, but only 61 articles were selected after the researchers reviewed their abstracts (Rabie & Curtis, 2006). The review and selection process continued and the final review included only eight articles, which the researchers established were more relevant to their study. Having eliminated the articles that focused on children with disabilities, microbiology, and hospital settings the researchers ensured that their review would demonstrate the effects in normal conditions.

The studies reviewed were all conducted in developed countries, which was a limitation since the researchers could not establish if the same was applicable in undeveloped countries. All the same, it was found that there is a possibility of reducing respiratory infection risks by 16% merely by washing hands. The evidence found is only applicable for developing countries, and there is need for replication to developing countries. The researchers have acknowledged that their review is only indicative due to its limitations (Rabie & Curtis, 2006). The studies reviewed were few, they had poor quality, and geographical limitations. The exclusion of major studies because they had methodological flaws was noted. These makes it had to determine if the results could be correct. The exclusion of eligible studies demonstrates that the review could have had different results, but since the studies had methodological issues, their inclusion could result in biases.

This was a multiple-center cohort study conducted for three years. It aimed at establishing the respiratory tract infections in nursing home residents. The researchers aimed at determining if the infections had any impact on the functional status and clinical course for the patients (Loeb, McGeer, McArthur, Walter, & Simor, 1999). The study had 475 residents based in five nursing homes. The resident homes were located in metropolitan Toronto, Ontario and the study was conducted from July 1993 to June 1996. The study comprised of 192 women, and the mean age of the participants was 85 years (Loeb et al., 1999). The results of the study demonstrate that there was no significant difference with other reports. The researchers found that surrogate markers were associated with development of pneumonia. The researchers determined if a patient is suffering from pneumonia if they had any difficulty in breathing. Respiratory tract infections are common amongst elderly patients and determining the cause and effects is vital to formulate treatment. Participants who had received an influenza vaccination were least likely to develop pneumonia or other respiratory infections. This demonstrates the effectiveness of influenza vaccination for elderly people.

The evidence presented by the researchers is strong and clear indication is offered on how to prevent the development of pneumonia there is need to offer yearly vaccinations. The study results might not be applicable to Veterans Affairs facilities (Loeb et al., 1999). The study found that the development of pneumonia does not result in decline in functional status as had earlier been shown. This is a good study that would offer positive grounds for advancement of this research. The researchers noted that viral respiratory infections were common, and this mostly lead to development of pneumonia in the elderly. The unavailability of previous research focusing on this phenomenon makes it hard to establish if this finding is correct. Future research could assist in determination of the same.

This is a position paper that addresses all levels long-term care facilities. This article offers recommendations for providing infection control to long-term care facilities. The authors have focused on a variety of infections, and their main intention is to minimize health care associated infections. These infections have been identified as preventable, and health care administrators should ensure their facilities reduce such infections. As with the other articles, the author has focused on pneumonia and respiratory tract infections that occur in hospital settings. These infections are mostly associated with procedures that patients undergo. The measures proposed are not proven by any research study, but they are based on basic infection control logic (Smith et al., 2008). The authors focused on elderly persons aged above 65 years. It was found that there are 1.8 to 13.5 endemic infections occurring for every 1000 residents in care facilities (Smith et al., 2008).