One area in which we hear a lot about the importance of the macronutrients is weight management.  There is a lot of information out there about what type of diet is best for weight loss and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.  Much of the debate is over the merits of a low-carbohydrate diet (like the Atkins diet or other ketogenic diets) compared to a more “traditional” low-fat diet.

There may be many reasons why an individual chooses one diet over the other, but what does the science say?

In this week’s assignment, I’m going to ask you to review and summarize a paper that attempts to address this debate through a meta-analysis of peer-reviewed research.  In a meta-analysis, researchers do not generate their own original data.  Instead, they summarize the collective findings of original, peer-reviewed papers that have been previously published.  They look at all rigorous studies that address the issue at hand and determine, as a whole, what the peer-reviewed research concludes.

Meta-analyses have their place in scientific progress.  A scientific finding must be replicated several times by different researchers in order to be accepted as fact.  Meta-analyses look at different replications, that may have different results, and try to determine what overall conclusions can be drawn.

The paper I want you to read is:  ” Effects of Low-Carbohydrate Diets Versus Low-Fat Diets on Metabolic Risk Factors: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials ” by Tian Hu, et al.  This meta-analysis was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in 2012.  If you have a very limited science background you may find it quite challenging to read this paper.  Here are a few tips for reading a scientific paper that might keep you from getting lost in the details:

1. Begin by reading the Abstract and Introduction sections carefully .

2. Skim the Materials and Methods section very lightly.

3. Skim the Results section.  Look for key differences between groups.

Don’t get bogged down in the statistical jargon.  At this point, it’s okay if you don’t fully understand everything .

4. Read the Discussion section carefully .

When you’ve gone through the paper, answer the following questions in your own words .  Answers copied directly from the paper will not receive any credit.

 

1.  Briefly state the question the researchers are trying to answer.  

 

2 . Summarize the researchers’ results. 

This should be no more than a few sentences.  I want the overall picture, not the numerical details.

 

3.  If you had a close friend or family member who wanted to lose weight, which type of diet would you recommend to them (low-fat or low-carbohydrate)?  Use the results of this study  to explain your choice. 

 

4.  What future research would you like to see on this topic?  

I NEED A POSITIVE COMMENT BASED IN THIS ARGUMENT..BETWEEN 100 -120 WORDS

Knowledge of nurses about the intervention for the prevention of pneumonia associated with mechanical ventilation: This article seeks to investigate the knowledge of pneumonia prevention interventions. There seems to be a disconnect between the evidence research has made available and clinical practice. One strength is that the method used allows for honest results. However, the weakness is that the study was conducted at one hospital, in one unit so the generalizability is unknown.

Wagner, B. V., Alves, E. F., Brey, C., Waldrigues, M. C., & Caveião, C. (2015). KNOWLEDGE OF NURSES ABOUT THE INTERVENTION FOR THE PREVENTION OF PNEUMONIA ASSOCIATED WITH MECHANICAL VENTILATION. Journal Of Nursing UFPE / Revista De Enfermagem UFPE, 9(5), 7902-7909. doi:10.5205/reuol.6121-57155-1-ED.0905201521

Evaluation of a bundle to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia in an intensive care: This article is aimed at evaluating compliance with a bundle to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia in an Intensive Care Unit. Bundles are only effective if used appropriately and consistently. Nurses must understand and comply in order to reduce VAP in the ICU setting. One strength is that samples were taken from many settings and consisted of nearly 1,500 participants. One weakness is that VAP bundles are not universal and vary between facilities.

Guterres da S, Raquel Kuerten de S, Eliane Regina Pereira do N, Kátia Cilene Godinho B, Cibele D’Avila Kramer C. (2014). Evaluation of a bundle to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia in an intensive care. (3):744

Ventilator-associated pneumonia bundled strategies: an evidence-based practice: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is an ongoing challenge for critical care nurses as they use current evidence-based strategies to decrease its incidence and prevalence. This article aims to provide a review of the literature on VAP bundle (VAPB) practices, describe the etiology and risk factors and define bundled practices, discuss an explanatory framework that promotes knowledge translation of VAPBs into clinical settings, and to identify areas for further research and implications for practice to decrease the incidence of VAP. One strength is multiple resources were used to provide reliable results. One weakness is that though bundles were proven effective overall, it does not specify or account for the different interventions that are in each bundle.

O’Keefe-McCarthy, S., Santiago, C., & Lau, G. (2014). Ventilator-associated pneumonia bundled strategies: an evidence-based practice. Worldviews On Evidence-Based Nursing, 5(4), 193-204

Critical care nurses’ knowledge of, adherence to and barriers towards evidence-based guidelines for the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia: There is an ongoing need for improvements in education and effective implementation strategies. Barriers in prevention of VAP include education or lack thereof and appropriate and consistent implementation. Strength is that it includes all barriers and provides a clear picture of the issues. A weakness is it relies on nurses to be honest about lack of compliance with existing bundles.

Jansson, M., Ala-Kokko, T., Ylipalosaari, P., Syrjälä, H., & Kyngäs, H. (2013). Critical care nurses’ knowledge of, adherence to and barriers towards evidence-based guidelines for the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia – A survey study. Intensive & Critical Care Nursing, 29216-227

Practical Nursing Assistants and Pneumonia Prevention Associated with Mechanical Ventilation in ICU: Assesses the knowledge of nurses in pneumonia prevention practices associated with mechanical ventilation in patients hospitalized in  intensive care unit. It identified the importance of the nurses´ role to care practices in the care of critically ill patients and the importance of recognizing the clinical findings to establish a diagnosis. The results provide subsidies for a reflection on the role of nurses in intensive care healthcare practices in the prevention of pneumonia in patients who are undergoing mechanical ventilation. One strength is that it includes the roles of support staff and their contributions to compliance. A weakness is that the roles of support staff are given through the opinions of ICU nurses.

Oliveira Gonçalves, É., Santos de Lima, M., de Lima Melo, J., Rodrigues Pontes, M. S., Barros Sousa, A. O., & Pinheiro Albernaz, M. (2015). Practical Nursing Assistants and Pneumonia Prevention Associated with Mechanical Ventilation in ICU. Journal Of Nursing UFPE / Revista De Enfermagem UFPE, 9(12), 1069-1077

Bundle to Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia: A Collective Constructive: This article reports on a qualitative convergent care research, which was aimed at the collective construction of a bundle to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia by nursing and physiotherapy professionals at the intensive care unit. The construction of the VAP bundle was guided by the evidence-based practice criteria and consists of four preventive care acts: oral hygiene with 0.12% chlorhexidine; headboard elevated (30-45º); endotracheal cuff pressure between 20-30 cmH2O; and care with the aspiration of tracheal secretions. The implementation of these recommendations can support healthcare practice, contributing to reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia rates. A strength is it provides evidence of what an effective bundle is and how it can reduce incidence of VAP. A weakness is it does not provide evidence for each individual intervention or others that are included in bundles at other facilities.

Da Silva, S., do Nascimento, E., & de Salles, R. (2013). Bundle to Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia: A Collective Constructive. 21(4), 837-844

List and describe the different forms of cocaine and amphetamines. Follow this up with a brief discussion of some of the treatment options for individuals with cocaine and amphetamine addictions. Back up your information with scholarly resources. 

 

Addresses assigned topic. Reflects a full understanding of all key concepts and questions. Reflects thorough familiarity with the assigned readings. Connections to the course material are evident and fully developed. Specific and appropriate examples are used. Cited correctly where appropriate.

 

These response papers should be two pages in length, unless otherwise specified, and must be submitted to the Dropbox by the end of each week. These responses should indicate how you used the course material (textbook, journal articles, newspaper articles, videos, etc.) to arrive at your answers and opinions. APA formatting is not required for these response papers, but please include a references page where needed (it may only be the textbook in some cases).

 

Hello,

I am looking for a research paper that is free of plagiarism on the following topic:

Improving patient care by addressing the access of care, cost of care, and quality of care.