Use of Esophageal Hemoximetry to Assess the Effect of Packed Red Blood Cell Transfusion on Gastrointestinal Oxygenation in Newborn Infants.

 There are no widely accepted methods of continuously monitoring gut oxygenation in the newborn during packed red blood cell transfusion. We investigated the use of an orally inserted light spectroscopy probe to measure lower esophageal oxyhemoglobin saturations (eStO) before, during, and after transfusion and made comparisons with abdominal near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) flow.  Thirteen neonates with corrected gestational ages ranging from 22 weeks, 0 day to 37 weeks, 5 days were enrolled.

Caring for persons with bariatric health care issues: a primer for the WOC nurse.

The prevalence of obesity has nearly doubled in the last 3 decades. Nurses practicing in all care settings are looking for creative strategies to achieve safe, effective care for this patient population. Understanding skin injury events and the resulting complications is essential in the development of protocols for care, educational approaches, and interventions providing the best outcomes of care.

A prospective, randomized, multisite clinical evaluation of a transparent absorbent acrylic dressing and a hydrocolloid dressing in the management of Stage II and shallow Stage III pressure ulcers.

Objective: To compare clinical performance of a transparent absorbent acrylic dressing (3M Tegaderm Absorbent Clear Acrylic Dressing ]TAAD[; 3M Company, St Paul, MN) and a hydrocolloid dressing (HD ]DuoDERM CGF, ConvaTec, ER Squibb & Sons, Princeton, NJ[) in the management of Stage II and shallow Stage III pressure ulcers.

Design: Prospective, open-label, randomized, comparative, multisite clinical evaluation. Patients were followed up for a maximum of 56 days or until their ulcer healed.

Obesity: changing the face of geriatric care.

Statistics suggest that more and more older Americans are carrying extra weight-an estimated 40% of individuals between the ages of 60 and 69 have a body mass index >30 and 30% of persons between ages of 70 and 79 years are obese. Obesity, coupled with the challenges of aging, leads to an unfortunate burden of chronic disease, functional decline, poor quality of life, and an increased risk of being homebound. Physical assessment of the elderly obese patient should include measurement of height, weight (to determine body mass index) and waist circumference (to address central obesity) and consideration of vascular, skin, and mobility issues.

Achieving Magnet status.

Magnet has become the gold standard for nursing excellence. It is the symbol of effective and safe patient care. It evaluates components that inspire safe care, including employee satisfaction and retention, professional education, and effective interdisciplinary collaboration.

Challenges of ostomy care and obesity.

In the United States, 13 to 16 million people are morbidly obese to the extent that medical intervention, simply based on obesity-related comorbidities, is needed. The challenge of ostomy care and the very obese patient lies in the skill and planning required for successful physical, emotional, and spiritual recovery. It is commonly believed that from the onset, the obese patient having surgery is at a significant disadvantage.

Obesity, panniculitis, panniculectomy, and wound care: understanding the challenges.

Sixty-one percent of Americans are overweight, and 20% are considered obese. The number of obese adults has doubled since 1960, and the number of overweight teenagers has tripled. In many overweight people, skin and wound conditions develop over the abdominal area, largely because of the consequences related to a large abdominal apron or panniculus.