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Biomedical subjects

B J McArthur

Publications and source records attributed to B J McArthur.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Health care crisis in the black community: an epidemiological view.

Health care professionals must recognize Black populations' health care needs and target efforts to meet those needs whenever possible. In the future we hope mandated by federal regulations--congressman Louis Stokes of Ohio forwarded me a copy of the Disadvantaged Minority Health Improvement Act of 1990 (H.R. 5702) which was passed by the House of Representatives in October (1990). This amends the Public Health Service Act and provides for a Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health who is charged with, among a myriad of functions, promoting minority health through the support of "research, demonstrations and evaluations to test new and innovative models, to increase knowledge and understanding of health risk factors, and to develop mechanisms that support better information dissemination, education, prevention and service delivery to individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, including racial and ethnic minorities" (Dingell, 1990, p.3). Scholarships will be available to increase the number of minority health care workers. Hopefully, all health care workers will recognize the needs of Blacks and attempt to meet those needs. Nurse educators can facilitate this through their practices, research and teaching to increase access to health care for the Black community. Epidemiology in the curriculum will help accomplish this goal.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

A national task analysis of infection control practitioners, 1982. Part One: methodology and demography.

A task analysis survey was conducted in 1982 by the Certification Board of Infection Control ( CBIC ) to determine the tasks performed by ICPs and the knowledge and abilities needed to perform these tasks. Data were obtained from 473 (78.8%) respondents to a nationwide mail survey of 600 ICPs . The respondents represent a randomized, stratified sample of ICPs in various types of U.S. acute care hospitals ranging in size from fewer than 50 beds to more than 500 beds. The results of the survey were used, in part, to develop the Infection Control Certification Examination, offered for the first time on November 19, 1983. According to the survey results, the modal or typical ICP is a white woman between the ages of 31 and 50 years using the title of infection control nurse. She has been employed full time for 2 to 10 years in infection control practice in a Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAH)--accredited community acute care hospital having 301 to 500 beds. She is working at the supervisory level, is on the nursing department payroll, votes as a member of the hospital's infection control committee, and received her last degree or diploma more than 15 years ago.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

A national task analysis of infection control practitioners, 1982. Part Two: Tasks, knowledge, and abilities for practice.

Respondents (N = 473) from a randomized stratified sample (N = 600) of U.S. hospital ICPs in a national survey sponsored by the Certification Board of Infection Control were asked to rate specific task, knowledge, and ability statements related to infection control for frequency and importance. The questions included 175 items, of which 99 were for specific tasks and 76 were for knowledge and abilities for practice. Areas covered included patient care practices, infectious diseases, epidemiology and statistics, microbiologic practices, sterilization and disinfection, education, employee health services, and management and communications. A "profile respondent" group (N = 317) was defined as persons most likely to be practicing the full scope of infection control practice and was used to identify key tasks, knowledge, and abilities for practice. Results showed that patient care practices (i.e., suctioning, dressing changes, and catheterization) were rarely performed. The development of infection control policies and procedures were key tasks. Knowledge of microbiology and infectious diseases in order to interpret laboratory reports and other patient data was rated as essential; however, few respondents actually performed laboratory procedures. Epidemiologic principles were frequently used for surveillance and problem investigation. Although presentation of epidemiologic data was rated as important, analytic statistics were rarely used. Assessment of educational needs and teaching were large components of ICPs' activities.

Certification↗
PubMed1984

A national task analysis of infection control practitioners, 1982. Part Three: The relationship between hospital size and tasks performed.

One aspect of the Certification Board of Infection Control's (CBIC) task analysis survey was to determine those tasks done most frequently and considered most important by ICPs. A randomized stratified sample of ICPs was taken from U.S. hospitals of various bed-size categories. There were 473 responses (78.8%) from a targeted sample of 600 ICPs. Statistical analyses were done to find if a relationship existed between hospital size and the tasks performed. The frequency of performance and importance of the majority of infection control tasks studied were found to vary in relation to hospital size. Some tasks were found to be both important and frequently performed by the majority of ICPs in all hospital bed-size categories. These included performing and reporting epidemiologic surveillance, educating personnel, developing infection control policies and procedures, and consulting with hospital personnel. Other tasks were found to be relatively less important and infrequently performed by the majority of ICPs in all hospital bed-size categories. These included performing bedside patient care procedures, recommending specific antimicrobial therapy, and using statistical methods. The greatest differences in the performance of tasks were found in the subsample of the ICPs from hospitals with less than or equal to 100 beds.

Communicable Disease Control↗
PubMed1984

Efficacy of a latex teat sealer.

In the first of two experiments, efficacy of a latex teat sealer product was tested under field conditions on 32 cows that had one side of the udder dipped with the test product and the other left as the control. Number of new coliform, staphylococcal, or streptococcal infections in treated quarters was not reduced from controls. In a second experiment, effectiveness of this product as a protective sealer was investigated on six cows dip challenged with a broth containing 1 million Escherichia coli/ml. On sealed teats the challenge was applied on top of the dried film. The challenge organism was recovered from 33% of treated quarters and 42% of control quarters 6 h after exposure. Organisms were recovered from none of the quarters by 31 h postchallenge.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1980

Microbiology. A concern for nursing.

As nurses become aware, once again, of the devastating effects of nosocomial infection on the patient in terms of morbidity, permanent disability, mortality, excess hospital costs, and law suits, attention is being directed toward its prevention and control. Florence Nightingale intimated that a person should not become sicker in the hospital after admission than before entry as the result of infection. We still need to heed her admonitions. The other articles in this issue will deal with microorganisms in regard to specific patients, anatomic sites, treatment regimens, and infectious diseases. Hopefully, the reader will be provided with enough information to reduce the nosocomial infection rate on her or his nursing unit to nearly zero.

Bacterial Infections↗