Critically ill patients are at risk of skin wounds, which reduce their quality of life, complicate their pharmacological regimens, and prolong their hospital stays in intensive care units (ICUs), while also increasing overall mortality and morbidity rates. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has been proposed as a viable option for many biological and medical applications, given its capacity to reduce wound bacterial contamination and promote wound healing. The aim of this narrative review is to describe how CAP works and its operating mechanisms, as well as reporting its possible applications in critical care settings. The success of CAP in the treatment of wounds, in particular, bedsores or pressure sores, presents an innovative path in the prevention of nosocomial infections and an opportunity of reducing the negative implications of these diseases for the NHS. This narrative review of the literature was conducted following the ‘Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles’ (SANRA) methodology. Previous literature highlights three biological effects of plasma: inactivation of a wide range of microorganisms, including those that are multi-drug-resistant; increased cell proliferation and angiogenesis with a shorter period of plasma treatment; and apoptosis stimulation with a longer and more intensive treatment. CAP is effective in many areas of the medical field, with no significant adverse effects on healthy cells. However, its use can produce potentially serious side effects and should, therefore, be used under expert supervision and in appropriate doses.

The aim of this study is to explore the lived experience of women who gave birth during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Experiencing pregnancy during the Covid‐19 pandemic exacerbates the risk of the onset of psychological problems. This is a descriptive, single‐centre, qualitative study. The enrolment for data collection included childbearing mothers aged 18 years and over between November 2021 and April 2022. The researchers invited them to write about their personal experiences during the isolation period of the first pandemic wave. The descriptive phenomenological analysis of the data was carried out using the method described by Mortari. A total of 50 mothers were recruited, of whom 28 were primiparous (56.0%) and 22 multiparous (44.0%). From the analysis of the interviews, five main themes emerged that enclose the experience of both primiparous and multiparous mothers: ‘The negative feeling: between loneliness, sadness and fear’; ‘The comfort of being cared for: between humanity and competence’; ‘Family proximity: between comfort and stress’; ‘Symbiotic intimacy: bonding; Managing physical pain and consciousness of being resilient women’. The study showed that the discomfort associated with the absence of family support in the phase of labour and childbirth was compensated by the professionalism of the health staff and allowed new mothers to experience moments of great intimacy with the child. Such data could help create recommendations based on the assisted person's experiences to ensure that care is increasingly attentive and tailored to the needs of mothers and, thus, of children.

Background: Depression is common in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). The 9-item patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) is an instrument for screening depression. However, evidence on the psychometric properties of the PHQ-9 in Italian populations with CHD is still lacking. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the PHQ-9 in a large CHD sample. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of 3-month follow-up data collected from a multicenter longitudinal study. Patients completed a battery of self-reported instruments that included the PHQ-9 and the generalized anxiety disorder scale-7 (GAD-7). Factorial validity was assessed with confirmatory factor analysis. Convergent validity was tested by inspecting the correlations between the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores, and other sociodemographic factors. Internal consistency was investigated with the model-based internal consistency reliability index. Measurement invariance was tested across sex and age (≥65 vs <65 years) with confirmatory multigroup factor analysis. Results: We enrolled 427 patients (mean age, 64.41 years; 78.9% male; 66.7% married). The confirmatory factor analysis supported a bi-dimensional factor structure with the factors measuring somatic and cognitive symptoms. Convergent validity testing showed significant positive correlations of the PHQ-9 scores with the GAD-7 scores, gender, and perceived financial status. The model-based internal consistency reliability index was adequate at 0.80. Measurement invariance across age was confirmed at the scalar level, whereas invariance across sex was achieved at the metric level. Conclusion: The PHQ-9 shows adequate psychometric and invariance properties across age groups in patients with CHD. Hence, this instrument can be used in clinical practice and research to assess the severity of depression in patients with CHD and to compare depression scores between younger and older individuals.

Aim The study aims to explore the experiences of nurses who have worked in Covid-19 wards providing care for Covid-19 patients. Background During the Covid-19 pandemic, personal protective equipment (PPE) was considered an effective and guaranteed protective measure. Methods This is a descriptive qualitative study with thematically analysed interviews. Twelve nurses working (specify context) were interviewed. Result Three themes emerged from interviews: (1) confidence with PPE used during the Covid-19 crisis, (2) training in the use of PPE and (3) technical requirements for PPE. Conclusions This study clarified the importance of PPE quality and choice in establishing comfort for nurses and providing better patient care. These results could suggest useful elements to improve the PPE products by making them more comfortable for health care workers. Implications for nursing management Our results are important to promote and suggest prevention measures that are as comfortable and suitable as possible for health workers involved in the Covid-19 emergency, and also for potential future similar crises.