Self-reported cancer-related cognitive impairment is associated with perturbed neurotransmission pathways.

Background: Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is reported by 45% of patients with cancer. Significant gaps in knowledge remain regarding the mechanisms that underlie CRCI.

Objectives: Using a data-driven approach, the study purpose was to evaluate for perturbed pathways associated with membership in the High versus the Low CRCI profiles.

Centralized Scheduling of Nursing Staff: A Rapid Review of the Literature.

Background: Centralized scheduling of nursing professionals is regarded as an effective strategy for optimizing workforce allocation and mitigating critical staffing shortages. The aim of this review is to (1) determine the effect of centralized scheduling on unit productivity (ie, overtime, contract labor, and floating), time savings for managers, and staff perceptions and retention and (2) discuss current approaches in the implementation of centralized scheduling in inpatient hospital settings.

Methods: This rapid review of the evidence follows methodological guidance from the Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group.

Associations Between Preoperative Shortness of Breath and Potassium Channels Gene Variations in Women With Breast Cancer.

Objectives: Shortness of breath is a common symptom in patients with cancer. However, the mechanisms that underlie this troublesome symptom are poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of and associated risk factors for shortness of breath in women prior to breast cancer surgery and identify associations between shortness of breath and polymorphisms for potassium channel genes.

Supporting Time-Critical Decision Making: The Creation of a Nurse-Led Rapid Literature Review Service.

Due to shifting priorities and unforeseen challenges, nurse leaders often lack sufficient time and resources to systematically review and appraise the available literature in search of the best evidence to guide decisions. A nurse-led rapid review service can produce accelerated knowledge synthesis and contextualized translation of evidence in a resource-efficient manner. This article describes a nurse-led rapid review service implemented at a large academic medical center and provides a reproducible process to guide other healthcare organizations in developing similar programs.

Self-Reported Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Breast Cancer Is Associated With Potassium Channel Gene Polymorphisms.

Objectives: To evaluate for associations of polymorphisms for potassium channel genes in patients with breast cancer who were classified as having high or low-moderate levels of cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI).

Sample & Setting: 397 women who were scheduled to undergo surgery for breast cancer on one breast were recruited from breast care centers located in a comprehensive cancer center, two public hospitals, and four community practices.

Methods & Variables: CRCI was assessed using the Attentional Function Index prior to and for six months after surgery.

Stress and Coping in Patients With Cancer With Depression and Sleep Disturbance.

Objectives: To evaluate for differences in global, cancer-specific, and cumulative life stress, as well as resilience and use of various coping strategies among five groups (no depression or sleep disturbance, no depression and moderate sleep disturbance, subsyndromal depression and very high sleep disturbance, moderate depression and moderate sleep disturbance [Both Moderate]; and high depression and very high sleep disturbance [Both High]).

Sample & Setting: Patients (N = 1,331) receiving chemotherapy were recruited from outpatient oncology clinics.

Methods & Variables: Measures of global, cancer-specific, and cumulative life stress, resilience, and coping were obtained.

Stability and consistency of symptom clusters in younger versus older patients receiving chemotherapy.

Background: By 2035, the number of newly diagnosed cancer cases will double and over 50% will be in older adults. Given this rapidly growing demographic, a need exists to understand how age influences oncology patients' symptom burden. The study purposes were to evaluate for differences in the occurrence, severity, and distress of 38 symptoms in younger (< 60 years) versus older (≥ 60 years) oncology patients undergoing chemotherapy and to evaluate for differences in the stability and consistency of symptom clusters across the two age groups.

Anxiety in oncology outpatients is associated with perturbations in pathways identified in anxiety focused network pharmacology research.

Purpose: Evaluate for perturbed signaling pathways associated with subgroups of patients with low versus high levels of state anxiety. These pathways were compared to the pathways identified across eight network pharmacology studies of the anxiolytic effect(s) of a variety of compounds.

Methods: Adult outpatients had a diagnosis of breast, gastrointestinal, gynecological, or lung cancer; had received chemotherapy within the preceding four weeks; and were scheduled to receive at least two additional cycles of chemotherapy.

Health equity: A concept analysis.

Background: Although health equity is critically important for healthcare delivery, there are inconsistencies in its definitions or lack of definitions.

Purpose: Develop a comprehensive understanding of health equity to guide nursing practice and healthcare policy.

Method: Walker and Avant's concept analysis method was used to establish defining attributes, antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents of health equity.

Neurotransmitter Gene Polymorphisms Are Associated with Symptom Clusters in Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy.

Objectives: Purpose was to evaluate for associations between the severity of three distinct symptom clusters (ie, sickness-behavior, mood-cognitive, treatment-related) and polymorphisms for 16 genes involved in catecholaminergic, GABAergic, and serotonergic neurotransmission.

Data Sources: Patients with breast and prostate cancer (n = 157) completed study questionnaires at the completion of radiation therapy. Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale was used to assess the severity of 32 common symptoms.

Higher Stress in Oncology Patients is Associated With Cognitive and Evening Physical Fatigue Severity.

Context: Cognitive and physical fatigue are common symptoms experienced by oncology patients. Exposure to stressful life events (SLE), cancer-related stressors, coping styles, and levels of resilience may influence the severity of both dimensions of fatigue.

Objectives: Evaluate for differences in global, cancer-specific, and cumulative life stress, as well as resilience and coping in oncology patients (n=1332) with distinct cognitive fatigue AND evening physical fatigue profiles.

Subgroups of patients undergoing chemotherapy with distinct cognitive fatigue and evening physical fatigue profiles.

Purpose: The purpose was to model cognitive fatigue and evening physical fatigue together to determine subgroups of patients with distinct cognitive fatigue AND evening physical fatigue profiles. Once these profiles were identified, differences among the subgroups in demographic and clinical characteristics, co-occurring symptoms, and quality of life outcomes were evaluated.

Methods: Oncology patients (n = 1332) completed self-report measures of cognitive fatigue and evening physical fatigue, six times over two cycles of chemotherapy.

Galli-Galli disease: A case report with review of the literature.

Galli-Galli disease is a rare variant of the genodermatosis Dowling-Degos disease with the histologic finding of acantholysis. We present the case of a patient who presented with reticulated pigmentary changes in the flexures as well as a pruritic papular eruption and histologic features consistent with Galli-Galli disease. A literature search revealed 3 previous case reports of Galli-Galli disease.

Treatment of squamous cell carcinoma with intralesional 5-Fluorouracil.

Background: 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) has been used topically and intralesionally to treat lesions related to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) such as actinic keratosis, Bowen's disease, and keratoacanthoma.

Objective: We sought to determine whether intralesional 5-FU might be effective in treating a patient with SCC.

Methods: A patient with SCC at the junction of the right alar crease and right nasolabial fold was treated with eight weekly injections of 5-FU, with doses ranging from 0.

Use of a continuous local anesthetic infusion for pain management after median sternotomy.

Background: The use of large doses of opioid analgesics to treat pain after cardiac surgery can prolong the time to tracheal extubation and interfere with recovery of bowel and bladder function in the postoperative period. Therefore, the authors investigated the efficacy of a continuous infusion of bupivacaine 0.25% or 0.