Investigation of the factorial structure and psychometrics of the German version of the Florida Shock Anxiety Scale.

Cardiovascular diseases are among the leading causes of death, worldwide.To protect those vulnerable to cardiac arrest, defibrillators performing reanimation by automatic discharge are implanted. Due to the high pain intensity of such a procedure, many patients develop anxiety disorders.

Pre-hospital discharge testing of defibrillator without anesthesia: effects on psychological symptoms during clinical follow-up.

Objective: After the implantation of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), patients often fear therapeutic shock. The extent to which the experience of pre-hospital discharge (PHD) testing without anesthesia after ICD implantation, under observation by a physician, affects shock-related anxiety symptoms on follow-up has not been investigated as yet.

Methods: In a prospective, randomized controlled trial, 44 patients with a primary prevention indication for an ICD were randomly assigned to experience PHD testing without anesthesia (n = 23) or with anesthesia (n = 21).

["We need a new philosophy in the care of elderly people!" Findings about the implementation of the "Charter of Rights for People Needing Care and Nursing" in senior and nursing homes].

The "Charter of Rights for People Needing Care and Nursing" was developed within the "Roundtable: Nursing", established by the German Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) and the German Federal Ministry of Health and Social Security (BMGS), and was published in September 2005. The aim of the charter is to heighten the public consciousness for human rights in care and nursing, and to improve the situation of those in need. In this context a research project was developed to provide an evaluation of the charter by professionals in leading positions and to test its implementation.