Pressure sores: an operant conditioning approach to prevention.

A training system for the prevention of pressure sores has been designed to teach the paralytic person to relieve pressure intermittently from his ischium while sitting in a wheelchair. The system automates the training of wheelchair pushups, and conditions the person into exercising, based upon modified avoidance learning procedures. Results indicate that the paralytic person can be trained to pushup intermittently and efficiently using this system, thus reducing the incidence of pressure sore formation.

Potassium load from blood transfusion in dialysis patients.

When a transfusion of packed red blood cells is given, the net potassium load results from lysis of some cells and absorption of potassium by surviving cells. Potassium load was calculated which results from administration of 1 unit (200 cc.) of packed RBC and also that resulting from administration of sufficient packed cells to yield 200 cc.