Publications by authors named "Michelle Zuniga"
Virtual reality (VR) as a distraction tool decreases anxiety and fear in children undergoing procedures, but its use has not been studied during transthoracic echocardiograms (TTEs). We hypothesized that VR in children undergoing pre-intervention TTEs decreases anxiety and fear and increases TTE study comprehensiveness and diagnostic accuracy when compared with standard distractors (television, mobile devices). Patients (6-18 years old) scheduled for pre-intervention TTEs at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in 2021 and 2022 were prospectively enrolled and randomized to VR and non-VR groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- - Pediatric patients often experience anxiety during mask induction for general anesthesia, and augmented reality (AR) headsets are being explored as a potential way to help reduce this anxiety.
- - In a study involving 50 children using AR for mask induction compared to 150 controls receiving standard care, those using AR showed significantly lower mask rejection rates (4% vs. 19.3%) and high levels of cooperation (98% vs. 91.3%).
- - The study concluded that AR improves mask acceptance without affecting cooperation or the incidence of emergent delirium, suggesting it could be a helpful non-pharmacological option in clinical settings.
Article Synopsis
- HRAD± is a tool designed to quickly see how kids feel and act before surgery, using simple feelings like happy or anxious and a yes/no for cooperation.
- The study checked how useful HRAD± was for kids getting anesthesia with a mask and looked into how reliable the scores were when different people used it.
- Researchers worked with 197 kids at a children's hospital and found HRAD± scores matched well with other anxiety and behavior scales, helping predict how kids would feel after waking up from surgery.
The developing fetus is particularly vulnerable to adverse effects from pharmaceutical and exogenous chemical exposure. Deciduous teeth primarily form over specific periods from the second trimester in utero through the months after birth. We hypothesized that organic chemicals or their metabolites circulating in the bloodstream may sorb into forming dental tissues and remain stored in the tooth thereafter.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInterest in the health effects of potential endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) that are high production volume chemicals used in consumer products has made exposure assessment and source identification a priority. We collected paired indoor and outdoor air samples in 40 nonsmoking homes in urban, industrial Richmond, CA, and 10 in rural Bolinas, CA. Samples were analyzed by GC-MS for 104 analytes, including phthalates (11), alkylphenols (3), parabens (3), polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants (3), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (3), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (24), pesticides (38), and phenolic compounds (19).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhthalates are used as plasticizers in many industrial and consumer products. Urinary biomonitoring has shown widespread human exposure to phthalates, with workers having especially high exposures. Phthalates can be present in workplace air as either aerosols or vapors depending on source materials, vapor pressure, and processing temperatures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF