Resuming Normal Life as a Family Caregiver During Drip-Like Recovery of Older Persons With Cognitive Impairment Recovering From Hip Surgery: A Grounded Theory.

Purpose: This study was undertaken to develop a theoretical framework explaining family caregiving processes for older persons with cognitive impairment recovering from hip fracture surgery.

Design And Methods: In this grounded theory study, data were collected in audio-recorded face-to-face interviews with 21 family caregivers. Among these caregivers, 14 cared for hip-fractured persons with cognitive impairment, and seven cared for those without cognitive impairment.

Development and validation of a caregiving needs inventory for family members before their older relative's knee joint-replacement surgery.

Purpose: This study had two purposes: to develop an instrument for assessing family members' caregiving needs before their older relative's knee joint-replacement surgery and to determine instrument psychometrics.

Methods: In phase 1 of this validation study, we generated 34 items based on previous interviews with 138 family caregivers of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), an intensive literature review, and the authors' clinical experiences. In phase 2, we examined the content and face validities of the 34-item Family Members' Caring Needs Inventory (inventory) to develop a 32-item inventory.

Courses of Change in Good Emotional Preparedness for Death and Accurate Prognostic Awareness and Their Associations With Psychological Distress and Quality of Life in Terminally Ill Cancer Patients' Last Year of Life.

Context: Emotional preparedness for death is a distinct but related concept to prognostic awareness (PA). Both allow patients to prepare psychologically and interpersonally for death, but they have primarily been examined in cross-sectional studies.

Objectives: To 1) explore the courses of change in good emotional preparedness for death and accurate PA and 2) evaluate their associations with severe anxiety symptoms, severe depressive symptoms, and quality of life in cancer patients' last year.

Low-Dose Steroid Therapy Is Associated with Decreased IL-12 Production in PBMCs of Severe Septic Patients.

Background. Sepsis-induced immunosuppression may result in higher mortality rates in patients. Methods.

Predictive value of plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin for acute renal failure in patients with severe sepsis.

Background: Predicting acute renal failure in patients with severe sepsis is important, because patients may need renal replacement therapy (RRT). Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) has been evaluated for its ability to detect and predict acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill patients. This study aimed to assess the predictive value of plasma NGAL for acute renal failure in adult severely septic patients.

Effect of interleukin-17 on in vitro cytokine production in healthy controls and patients with severe sepsis.

Background/purpose: Interleukin (IL)-17 family members (IL-17A to IL-17F) are appearing to play key roles in host defense and inflammatory disease. Recently, several cytokines, such as IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, were shown to have vital roles in severe sepsis. However, the influence of IL-17 on these cytokine responses from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) is unclear.

The effect of oral training on vital signs of premature infants.

Aims And Objectives: This study aimed to develop an applicable oral training protocol and test its effects on vital sign stabilisation in premature infants.

Background: Oral training improves the feeding behaviour of premature infants. However, the inconsistencies of oral training procedures in previous studies obscure the interventional effect of oral training on vital sign stabilisation in premature infants.

Serial increase of IL-12 response and human leukocyte antigen-DR expression in severe sepsis survivors.

Introduction: Sepsis-induced immunosuppression may result in death. The mechanisms of immune suppression include loss of macrophage and monocyte expression of the major histocompatibility complex, increased anti-inflammatory cytokine expression and decreased expression of proinflammatory cytokines. In this study, we sought to determine the mechanisms of immune suppression in severe sepsis by repeated detection.

Self-care management and risk factors for depressive symptoms among elderly outpatients in Taiwan.

Background: Early detection and appropriate treatment interventions for depressive symptoms in the elderly are important issues for healthcare systems. However, few studies to date have focused on understanding self-care strategies to manage depressive symptoms among elderly people worldwide. The purpose of this study was to explore self-care management strategies and risk factors for depressive symptoms among elderly outpatients in Taiwan.

Effects of a home-based aerobic exercise programme in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Aims: To explore the effects of exercise programme on glycosylated haemoglobin and peak oxygen uptake in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Regular exercise has been shown to be effective in blood glucose control, which includes improving glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, decreasing glycosylated haemoglobin levels and improving cardiorespiratory fitness.

Design: Quasi-experimental design with a twelve-week home-based aerobic exercise programme.

Pain prevalence, experiences, and self-care management strategies among the community-dwelling elderly in Taiwan.

The purpose of this study was to explore pain prevalence, experiences, and self-care management strategies among community-dwelling elderly in Taiwan. A convenience sample of elderly persons (n=1054) was recruited from outpatient clinics of two hospitals in northern Taiwan. Participants' pain prevalence was 50.

Food intake changes across the menstrual cycle in Taiwanese women.

Background: Studies in Western countries have suggested that there are relationships among sex hormones, the neuropeptide leptin, women's food intake, and body weight changes across the menstrual cycle. However, data on this question are needed from other cultural groups.

Objectives: To compare total food and macronutrient intake and serum estrogen, progesterone, and leptin levels in Taiwanese women of varying body size during three menstrual cycle phases.

Acute metaldehyde poisoning in Taiwan.

Metaldehyde, a cyclic tetramer of acetaldehyde, is a widely used molluscicide. Although cases with acute metaldehyde poisoning have been reported, the occurrence of severe poisoning is uncommon. To provide more information on human metaldehyde poisoning, we reviewed 15 cases of metaldehyde exposure reported to the Taiwan National Poison Control Center at the Taipei Veterans General Hospital between 1991 and 2002.