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Biomedical subjects

D Epley

Publications and source records attributed to D Epley.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Carotid artery dissection.

Carotid artery dissection (CAD) is one of the more common causes of stroke in persons younger than 50 years. In this age group and in older persons, CAD is most often associated with trauma. Significant morbidity can be a consequence of CAD, particularly a stroke or other permanent neurologic deficit. Because stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, attention has focused in the past decade on understanding the phenomenon of dissection of the carotid artery. This article presents a review of the risk factors associated with CAD, the role of the nurse as a provider of care for these persons, and the approaches to prevent or limit disability related to CAD, the ultimate goal of patient care. Nurses play a crucial role in the detection of CAD and in the prevention of strokes or other neurologic disabilities through recognition of persons at risk, assessment for early signs and symptoms, and implementation of prophylactic measures. Because more than half of persons with CAD have cerebral ischemia, thrombolytic, anticoagulant, and antiplatelet regimens have evolved to limit the development of a thromboembolic event associated with dissection. The administration of these agents, the monitoring for their effectiveness, and the education of patients receiving them are fundamental aspects of care.

Brain Ischemia↗
PubMed2000

Pulmonary emboli risk reduction.

Pulmonary embolism is a major cause of death in hospitalized patients in the United States. Significant morbidity is a characteristic of this phenomenon and its common antecedent, deep venous thrombosis. Research has shown that pulmonary embolism is rarely a consequence of superficial venous thrombosis. Because the signs and symptoms of these disorders are often nonspecific and not readily apparent, prevention is the goal of patient care. Nurses play a critical role in the prevention process. The recognition of persons at risk, the assessment of these patients for early signs and symptoms, and the institution of prophylactic measures to minimize the effect of any existing factors or to deter their development are essential components of nursing care. The administration of anticoagulation therapy, with the concomitant monitoring of its effectiveness, and the education of persons regarding precautions associated with the indicated medications and relevant lifestyle modifications are also fundamental aspects of care. This article provides a review of risk factors associated with pulmonary embolism and deep venous thrombosis, particularly prolonged immobility and surgery involving the abdomen or lower extremities, as well as a review of the respective etiologies, most notably those encompassing Vichow's triad. In addition, current modalities to diagnose, treat, and prevent these allied disorders are discussed, as well as the associated nursing management.

Education, Nursing, Continuing↗
PubMed1999

Assessment of infections in home care patients.

Infections can occur in any individual fairly rapidly. If the patient is hospitalized, frequent assessment by the nurse usually leads to early detection and treatment. In the home, patients are assessed less frequently, and therefore infections may go undetected for longer periods. Thus it is important for home care providers to assess patients who may be at risk for infection during each visit. Knowing who is at risk for developing a specific infection is an essential element in the assessment process. Such knowledge helps determine both the frequency and depth of patient assessment and the time necessary for the home health care provider to perform this activity. Additionally, family caregivers need to be taught information about infections (i.e., what to assess, how to prevent) whenever possible.

Bacterial Infections↗
PubMed1999

Nutritional assessment in home care patients.

Nutrition, a critical requirement of all living organisms, involves several processes that must be maintained to sustain life. Nutrition consists of ingestion of food and fluid, digestion, absorption, distribution (transportation), utilization (metabolism), and excretion of the end products. Problems arise when the amount of various nutrients ingested is either deficient or excessive or when any of these processes are significantly altered.

Female↗
PubMed1995

Long-term non-invasive measurement of intraocular pressure in the rat eye.

To study the optic neuropathy associated with glaucoma, a system for accurate, reliable, and non-invasive monitoring of intraocular pressure (IOP) is required. Of particular interest is the effect of sampling frequency on IOP. To address this issue, ten adult male brown Norway rats (group 1) were acclimatized to a 12-h/12-h light/dark cycle. On 20 days over a 30-day period, rats were anesthetized with short-acting isoflurane (Forane) inhalant anesthesia and IOP for each eye was determined by averaging 15 valid individual readings obtained with a TonoPen 2 tonometer. The last 12 measurement sessions were performed on a daily basis. To determine the minimum tolerable interval between IOP measurement sessions, a second group of 10 animals (group 2) was acclimatized in the same manner as group 1, and IOP was measured every 4 days over a period of 80 days. Next, IOP was measured every 4 days over a period of 28 days, and finally, every 2 days over a period of 19 days. For all group 1 measurements, there was no statistically significant difference between the right and left eye IOP, 14.75 +/- 1.08 (SEM) and 14.90 +/- 1.09 mm Hg, respectively. However, daily measurements produced a steady decrease in IOP and gradual weight loss. For group 2, overall mean right and left eye IOPs were 15.24 +/- 1.28 (SEM) and 15.12 +/- 1.26, respectively and were not significantly different.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Anesthetics, Inhalation↗