Telemedicine practices in adult patients with atrial fibrillation.

Background: Atrial fibrillation is a cardiac rhythm disorder associated with embolic stroke risk, decreased functional capacity, and worsening quality of life. Increasing patient access to atrial fibrillation specialists via telemedicine has the potential to improve patient outcomes.

Objectives: The purpose of this systematic review was to describe atrial fibrillation telehealth education treatment programs unrelated to postablation or early detection of atrial fibrillation.

Acute blood loss anemia after COVID-19 nasopharyngeal sampling.

Long-term care residents with novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) experience high mortality rates and require frequent screening. Most resident testing occurs via nasopharyngeal swab that potentially causes epistaxis with rates of 5% to 8% in healthy populations. It is estimated that 48% of long-term care residents receive oral anticoagulation that increases risk of bleeding.

Factors Predicting Sodium Intake of Korean Americans with Type 2 Diabetes.

The increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its complications including cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease threaten Korean Americans (KAs). High dietary sodium intake contributes to both conditions. The purpose of the study was to assess dietary sodium consumption and to examine the predictors of sodium intake among KA with T2DM.

Family Presence During Trauma Resuscitation: Family Members' Attitudes, Behaviors, and Experiences.

Background: The paradigm is shifting from separating family members from their children during resuscitation to one of patient- and family-centered care. However, widespread acceptance is still lacking.

Objective: To measure attitudes, behaviors, and experiences of family members of pediatric patients during the resuscitation phase of trauma care, including family members who were present and those who were not.

Health Status and Self-care Outcomes After an Education-Support Intervention for People With Chronic Heart Failure.

Background: The rising cost of hospitalizations for heart failure (HF) care mandates intervention models to address education for self-care success. The effectiveness of memory enhancement strategies to improve self-care and learning needs further examination.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the effects of an education-support intervention delivered in the home setting, using strategies to improve health status and self-care in adults/older adults with class I to III HF.

Excessive daytime sleepiness in Taiwanese people with heart failure.

Background: Excessive daytime sleepiness can increase heart failure (HF) mortality, cause poor medication adherence, and worsen quality of life in people with HF. Recognition of excessive daytime sleepiness can help improve HF management outcomes.

Purpose: This study was designed to identify the determinants of daytime sleepiness in patients with HF in Taiwan.

Early enteral nutrition in critically ill patients.

Malnutrition in the critically ill patient is associated with adverse outcomes such as increased morbidity, infectious processes, and length of stay. Alterations to the gastrointestinal system during critical illness can be devastating. Current evidence suggests that, in the presence of a functioning gut, initiating early enteral nutrition therapy (within 24-48 hours of intensive care unit admission) results in enhanced tissue repair, preservation of immune competence, and conservation of the integrity of gut flora.

Explanatory models of heart failure etiology.

Chronic health failure is a leading cause of hospital readmissions and is reaching epidemic proportions in the United States. Explanatory models of illness can provide insight about how people with heart failure perceive their etiology of heart failure. Six themes were found in this descriptive, qualitative study to explore the perceived origin of heart failure in 50 participants.

Self-reported health-related quality of life and sleep disturbances in Taiwanese people with heart failure.

Background And Research Objective: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has been viewed as the most important clinical outcome of heart failure (HF) management. However, information about the predictors of HRQOL in Taiwanese people with HF is limited, especially for the effects of sleep disturbances on HF.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of HRQOL in Taiwanese people with HF, especially focusing on the extent to which sleep variables are related to HRQOL.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation training for family members.

Out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest survival rate is significantly higher when the patient receives cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before the arrival of emergency providers although published data suggest a significantly lower prevalence of CPR training among cardiac patients' family members and bystanders in the United States. This article presents information including attitudes of patients, family members, and the general population toward CPR; the barriers for CPR training among the public; and the most effective method of CPR training for bystanders, so that CPR training for family members can be promoted to improve out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest survival rate.

National validation of the NACNS clinical nurse specialist core competencies.

Purpose: To validate the 75 core National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists' (NACNS) clinical nurse specialist (CNS) competencies among practicing CNSs. Specific aims were to (a) determine the extent to which 75 core CNS competencies were used in current CNS practice, (b) determine the importance of those competencies to practicing CNSs, and (c) identify gaps between CNS core competencies and role expectations in current practice.

Design: A survey design was used with both paper-and-pencil and online instruments.

Self-reported sleep disturbance of patients with heart failure in Taiwan.

Background: Western research studies have found that sleep disturbances reduced quality of life and daily functioning of patients with heart failure; however, information about sleep disturbance is lacking in Taiwanese people with heart failure.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate predictors of self-reported sleep disturbances in Taiwanese people with heart failure. The hypothesis was that health-related quality of life (HRQOL) could have significant effect on sleep disturbances, after controlling for demographics, heart failure characteristics, and health-related characteristics.