A Qualitative Assessment of Factors That Children, Parents, and Clinicians Prioritize in the Setting of Elective Anesthesia and Surgery.

Background: Assessing the postoperative recovery of pediatric patients is challenging as there is no validated comprehensive patient-centered recovery assessment tool for this population. A qualitative investigative approach with in-depth stakeholder interviews can provide insight into the recovery process and inform the development of a comprehensive patient-centered postoperative assessment tool for children.

Methods: We conducted open-ended, semistructured interviews with children 6-12 years old undergoing elective surgery (n = 35), their parents (n = 37), and clinicians (n = 23) who commonly care for this population (nurses, anesthesiologists, and surgeons).

Reiki's effect on patients with total knee arthroplasty: A pilot study.

Background: In the immediate postoperative period, managing postsurgical pain with pain medication can contribute to complications. A more effective approach might include a combination of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic measures, such as Reiki therapy.

Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the impact of Reiki therapy on the pain perception of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) following Reiki sessions, satisfaction with Reiki therapy, satisfaction with the hospital experience overall, and pain medication use following surgery.

Multiple factors influencing the incidence of congenital hypothyroidism detected by neonatal screening.

Background/aims: Over the years a rise in the incidence of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) has been described worldwide. The aim of our study was to investigate trends in the incidence of CH in Italy over the period 1987-2008, and to investigate which factors may have influenced the CH incidence in our country.

Methods: Data were derived from the Italian National Registry of Infants with Congenital Hypothyroidism.

Congenital hypothyroidism due to defects of thyroid development and mild increase of TSH at screening: data from the Italian National Registry of infants with congenital hypothyroidism.

Context: Over the years lower TSH cutoffs have been adopted in some screening programs for congenital hypothyroidism (CH) worldwide. This has resulted in a progressive increase in detecting additional mild forms of the disease, essentially with normally located and shaped thyroid. However, the question of whether such additional mild CH cases can benefit from detection by newborn screening and early thyroid hormone treatment is still open.

Identifying the key personnel in a nurse-initiated hospital waste reduction program.

Hospitals in the United States generate more than 6600 tons of trash a day and approximately 85% of the waste is nonhazardous solid waste such as food, cardboard, and plastic. Treatment and management of hospital waste can lead to environmental problems for the communities that receive the waste. One health system's shared governance model provided the foundation to develop a nurse-led hospital waste reduction program that focused on point-of-care waste management.