This study found that nurses on cardiovascular care units were able to administer depression screening tools and document referral activities for positive screens. It is not known whether depression screening improved depression outcomes. Evidence of benefits in excess of harms, established by well-conducted randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of depression screening interventions, is needed before depression screening is implemented in cardiovascular care settings.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) may be present in up to 20% of heart disease patients and has been associated with poorer cardiac prognosis, reduced quality of life, less favourable self-care behaviours and higher healthcare costs.
Although early switch therapy and hospital discharge are well-recognised processes, current practices show that these practices are not well established worldwide. Pathways are useful tools to remind treating physicians about criteria for early switch and discharge. A behavioural change may be necessary in order to decrease the gap between national recommendations and current management of hospitalised patients with community-acquired pneumonia.
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains within the 10 leading causes of death.