Effectiveness of Self-administered Acupressure for Family Caregivers of Advanced Cancer Patients With Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Sleep disturbances are common among family caregivers (FCs) of patients with advanced cancer. Self-administered acupressure can combat insomnia, but no study has been conducted to evaluate its efficacy in caregivers of patients with advanced cancer.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate whether self-administered acupressure improves sleep quality for FCs of patients with advanced cancer.

Effects of Far-Infrared Therapy on Foot Circulation Among Hemodialysis Patients With Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: Far-infrared radiation (FIR) therapy improves vessel dilation, circulation, vessel endothelial function, and angiogenesis and reduces atherosclerosis. However, evidence of FIR therapy's effects on foot circulation among diabetic patients undergoing hemodialysis is scarce.

Aim: To determine whether FIR therapy improves foot circulation in diabetic patients undergoing hemodialysis.

The Relationship Between Nursing Workload, Quality of Care, and Nursing Payment in Intensive Care Units.

Background: Nursing workload is highly associated with patient safety. It has been argued that the imbalance between nursing payment and nursing workload in Taiwan National Health Insurance (NHI)-covered intensive care units (ICUs) has resulted in the inadequate allocation of nursing manpower. However, limited empirical data are currently available to support this argument.

Situated teaching improves empathy learning of the students in a BSN program: A quasi-experimental study.

Background: Empathy is an important clinical skill for nursing students, but it is a characteristic difficult to teach and assess.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of situated teaching on empathy learning among undergraduate nursing students.

Design: A cohort study with pre-post-test quasi-experimental design.

Lipid Emulsion Enriched in Omega-3 PUFA Accelerates Wound Healing: A Placebo-Controlled Animal Study.

Background: The Omega-3 (ω-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) generate bioactive lipid mediators that reduce inflammation. The present study evaluated the effect of SMOFlipid containing ω-3 PUFAs on wound healing.

Methods: Rats were divided into a SMOFlipid (SMOF) group and a 0.

[The Effect of Family Member Reminders on Reducing Anxiety and Unplanned Extubation in ICU Patients].

Background: Patients with endotracheal intubation often experience anxiety because they are unable to express their needs freely. However, the family members of these patients are able to provide encouragement, comfort, and substantive support.

Purpose: The aims of the present study were: (1) to compare the anxiety scores, vital signs, and incidence of unplanned extubation (UE) between the two comparison groups; (2) to compare the differences in vital signs before and after the intervention in the experimental group; and (3) to explore the satisfaction of patients in the experimental group with the intervention.

Prophylactic acetylsalicylic acid attenuates the inflammatory response but fails to protect exercise-induced liver damage in exercised rats.

This study evaluated the effects of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) on exercise-induced inflammatory response, muscle damage, and liver injury in rats. Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were divided into six groups: control (C), exercise (E), C+20mg ASA, E+20mg ASA, C+100mg/kg ASA, and E+100mg ASA groups. ASA or a vehicle was orally administered through gavage 1h before a treadmill test.

A nurse-family partnership intervention to increase the self-efficacy of family caregivers and reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infection in catheterized patients.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a nurse-family partnership model on the self-efficacy of family caregivers (FCs) and the incidence of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) among patients. A randomized controlled study was conducted. We recruited 61 patients and their FCs, who were randomly divided into an experimental group (n = 30) and a control group (n = 31).

Effects of a family involvement program in patients with central-line insertion.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of family-involved care on caregivers' self-efficacy, the degree of satisfaction with central-line care, and the occurrence of central-line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). We adopted a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design, recruiting 62 participants from 2009 to 2010. Family caregivers in the experimental group received instructional guidance before collaboratively participating in patient care, whereas the control group received routine care.

Development and preliminary validation of a questionnaire on regular exercise beliefs among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Aims And Objectives: To develop a Regular Exercise Belief Questionnaire and test its psychometric properties for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Regular exercise has been shown to significantly improve physical capacity and the quality of life of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, their adherence to long-term exercise is low.

An exploration of beliefs regarding exercise among Taiwanese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objectives: To explore the beliefs regarding regular exercise among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Background: Low adherence to exercise has been observed in patients with COPD. It is important to identify factors regarding exercise from the patients' viewpoint.

"Inflammatory response to colloids compared to crystalloid priming in cardiac surgery patients with cardiopulmonary bypass".

"Cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) induces a systemic inflammatory response syndrome that may contribute to postoperative morbidity and mortality. We investigated the in-flammatory responses to colloids compared to crystalloid priming in cardiac surgery patients with cardiopulmonary bypass. Thirty patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) preparing for CPB were randomized into Ringer's solution (RS), 10% hydroxyethyl starch (HES) or 25% human albumin (HA) group.

Hypothermia caused by slow and limited-volume fluid resuscitation decreases organ damage by hemorrhagic shock.

Background: Hypothermia frequently occurs during fluid resuscitation of trauma victims, especially in patients with a major blood loss. Recent studies have suggested that mild hypothermia may ameliorate hemorrhagic shock (HS) induced splanchnic damage.

Objective: The aim of the present study is to compare the status of body temperature and splanchnic injury under different resuscitation speeds for HS in conscious rats.

Effects of using a high-density foam pad versus a viscoelastic polymer pad on the incidence of pressure ulcer development during spinal surgery.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of high-density foam (HDF) pads versus viscoelastic polymer (VP) pads in the prevention of pressure ulcer formation during spinal surgery and their cost-effectiveness. Subjects were 30 patients who underwent spinal surgery for more than 3 hr in a prone position. One side of the chest and iliac crest was padded with HDF pads and the other side was padded with VP pads.

Sleep-related predictors of quality of life in the elderly versus younger heart failure patients: a questionnaire survey.

Background: Research has indicated that sleep disorders reduce the quality of life of heart failure patients.

Objectives: To investigate quality of sleep, and the impact of poor sleep on quality of life among elderly versus younger heart failure patients.

Design: A two-group, cross-sectional study.

The effectiveness of intradialytic leg ergometry exercise for improving sedentary life style and fatigue among patients with chronic kidney disease: a randomized clinical trial.

Background: Over the past three decades, research has been carried out on the effects of exercise on chronic kidney disease patients for improving their physical potential.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of intradialytic leg ergometry exercise for improving fatigue and daily physical activity levels among chronic kidney disease patients.

Design: A quasi-experimental clinical trial.

[Physiological monitoring and clinical assessment of patients in shock].

Shock is a life-threatening situation for which circulatory failure represents a major potential complication. While there are numerous disposing factors, the detrimental impacts on the human body are similar. Drop in blood pressure is a common clinical presentation.

Stability of blood biochemistry levels in animal model research: effects of storage condition and time.

The purpose of this study was to compare whole blood and plasma in terms of the subsequent accuracy of blood lactate, glucose, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine phosphokinase (CPK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) measurement. Blood samples were drawn from 8 male Wistar-Kyoto rats. The rats were homologous, weighed 300- 380 g, were housed in the same environment, and were provided with food and water under the same conditions.

Effects of different fluid resuscitation speeds on blood glucose and interleukin-1 beta in hemorrhagic shock.

Background: Fluid resuscitation is an important treatment for hemorrhagic shock. However, evidence of guidelines for fluid resuscitation is limited. The expressions of blood glucose and proinflammatory cytokines under different resuscitation rates are still unknown.

Physiological, psychological and autonomic responses to pre-operative instructions for patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Several studies have reported that the experience may induce emotional reactions before and after surgery. Various Studies have demonstrated that effective pre-operative information reduces stress and anxiety levels. However, little is known about the effect of pre-operative instruction on autonomic responses as measured by heart rate variability (HRV) before cardiac surgery.

Removal of oral secretion prior to position change can reduce the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia for adult ICU patients: a clinical controlled trial study.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of oral secretion on aspiration and reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia is a serious hospital-acquired infection with reported incidence rate of 12.2% and mortality rate of 29.

Self-reported sleep disturbance of patients with heart failure in Taiwan.

Background: Western research studies have found that sleep disturbances reduced quality of life and daily functioning of patients with heart failure; however, information about sleep disturbance is lacking in Taiwanese people with heart failure.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate predictors of self-reported sleep disturbances in Taiwanese people with heart failure. The hypothesis was that health-related quality of life (HRQOL) could have significant effect on sleep disturbances, after controlling for demographics, heart failure characteristics, and health-related characteristics.

[Stereotactic radiosurgery nursing care].

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a minimally invasive and safe surgical approach. An increasing number of individuals conform to SRS indications and select SRS as a substitute for traditional intracranial surgery. However, SRS still has deficiencies and side effects.

[Current trends in emergency triage in Taiwan: the five-level triage system].

An ideal triage system should accurately and quickly sort patients according to seriousness of diseases, and ensure that patients in emergency departments (EDs) get adequate management in an appropriate medical environment. Recently, EDs throughout the world have been confronting overcrowding, and are developing a five-level triage system to solve the problems that this presents. Taiwan EDs have used the Taiwan triage system (TTS) since 1999 until recently.

The relationships between disability level, health-promoting lifestyle, and quality of life in outpatients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between disability, health-promoting lifestyle and quality of life in SLE outpatients. Cross-sectional research design and purposive sampling were used in this study. One hundred and twenty-nine SLE outpatients from a medical center were sampled.