NICU-Specific Stress Following Traumatic Childbirth and Its Relationship With Posttraumatic Stress.

This mixed-methods pilot study investigated maternal perceived stress specific to infant neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization as a moderator of the relationship between traumatic childbirth appraisal and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). NICU mothers (N = 77) were recruited via social media 1 to 4 months postpartum for a cross-sectional survey about perinatal experiences. Measures included traumatic childbirth, PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, and Parental Stressor Scale (PSS): NICU.

Collaborative care for the wearable cardioverter defibrillator patient: Getting the patient and medical team "vested and active".

Patients with a reduced ejection fraction of 35% or less and a history of myocardial infarction (MI) are at increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). These patients have a class I indication for an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator after allowing time for medical therapy optimization and potential cardiac recovery. The rates of SCD are highest in this "gap" period early after a cardiac event, and the wearable cardioverter-defibrillator (WCD) is an intervention that can be used to protect against SCD during this time period.

Patient reported outcomes and quality of life in Chinese patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators.

Objectives: Patient reported outcomes in Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) patients can describe the experience of living with heart disease and with an ICD. However, very little is known about patient outcomes among Chinese patients which may limit effective patient discussions and interventions for these patients. The purposes of this study were to examine device related experiences (e.

Validating the Adolescent Sleep Wake Scale for use with young adults.

Objective: There is a need for examination of sleep across the entire adolescence to young adulthood developmental period (AYA; ages 12-25 years). The Adolescent Sleep Wake Scale (ASWS) is a 28-item measure of overall subjective sleep quality, including five sleep behavior domains (difficulty going to bed, falling asleep, maintaining sleep, reinitiating sleep, and returning to wakefulness), and has been validated to assess overall sleep quality and insomnia symptoms in adolescents (12-18 years). The current study aimed to examine whether the ASWS could be used to assess sleep across the AYA period by investigating the validity of the measure in a national sample of young adults (ages 19-25) using validated adult sleep measures.

Mobile-ECG screening in rural pharmacies: rates of atrial fibrillation and associated risk factors.

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a growing health concern, affecting more than 40 million patients worldwide and increasing stroke risk by five times. Community screening initiatives in rural healthcare establishments are becoming more feasible with the development of innovative, mobile-ECG (mECG) technology. The purpose of this research was to characterize increased rates of stroke risk factors and to determine AFib incidence in rural, pharmacy settings.

Measuring ICD shock anxiety: Status update on the Florida Shock Anxiety Scale after over a decade of use.

Introduction: Approximately 44% of patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) experience some form of shock anxiety, associated with cardiac fear, physical inactivity, and increased morbidity and mortality. The Florida Shock Anxiety Scale (FSAS) was created to measure ICD-specific fears for a more precise target of patient psychologic distress and potential need for intervention. The current paper describes results from a focused literature review of studies using FSAS over the past 15 years, with the aim of summarizing its current reliability and validity, associated outcomes, and potential future directions for its clinical and research implementation.

Sleep Problem Risk for Adolescents With Sickle Cell Disease: Sociodemographic, Physical, and Disease-related Correlates.

The aims of the current study were to investigate whether SCD incurs an additional risk for poor sleep over and above the influence of sociodemographic factors (ie, race and sex) during adolescence, and to explore the relationships between sociodemographic, physical (ie, age and pubertal status), and disease-related factors (ie, SCD genotype and hydroxyurea use) on sleep problem risk during adolescence. Black adolescents (age, 12 to 17 y) with SCD (n=53) were recruited from regional pediatric SCD clinics in the southeast and a sample of healthy black adolescents (n=160) were recruited from middle and high schools. Regression analyses indicated that SCD was uniquely related to sleeping more, and worse sleep quality over and above the influence of sociodemographic factors.