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Debra Siela

Publications and source records attributed to Debra Siela.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Subjective perceptions and physiological variables during weaning from mechanical ventilation.

BACKGROUND: As costs related to mechanical ventilation increase, clear indicators of patients' readiness to be weaned are needed. Research has not yet yielded a consensus on physiological variables that are consistent correlates of weaning outcomes. Subjective perceptions rarely have been examined for their contribution to successful weaning. OBJECTIVE: To explore the subjective perceptions of dyspnea, fatigue, and self-efficacy and selected physiological variables in patients being weaned from mechanical ventilation. METHODS: Data were collected prospectively on 68 patients being weaned from mechanical ventilation. Subjective perceptions were measured by using 3 visual analog scales; physiological variables were measured by using the Burns Weaning Assessment Program and a patient profile. Weaning outcomes were recorded 24 hours after data collection. RESULTS: Participants were primarily white women and required mechanical ventilation for a mean of less than 4 days. Participants reported mild dyspnea, moderate fatigue, and high weaning self-efficacy. High PaO2, low PaCO2, stable hemodynamic status, adequate cough and swallow reflexes, no metabolic changes, and no abdominal problems were associated with complete weaning (P = .05). Subjective perceptions were associated with physiological variables but not with weaning outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Multidimensional assessment of both primary and secondary indicators of readiness to be weaned is necessary for timely, efficient weaning from mechanical ventilation. Primary assessments include physiological variables related to gas exchange, hemodynamic status, diaphragmatic expansion, and airway clearance. Secondary assessments include perceptions related to key physiological variables. Additional research is needed to determine the predictive value of physiological variables and perceptions of dyspnea, fatigue, and self-efficacy.

Adult↗

Use of self-efficacy and dyspnea perceptions to predict functional performance in people with COPD.

This correlational and comparative study explored whether self-reports of self-efficacy and dyspnea perceptions predict the perceived level of functional performance in adults who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The convenience sample included 97 Caucasian men (52) and women (45). Participants had to have a forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) of less than 70% predicted, and a FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) of less than 70%. Participants were recruited from pulmonary function laboratories and from better breather support groups in a Midwestern state. Three standardized, self-report instruments, COPD Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES), the Pulmonary Functional Status and Dyspnea Questionnaire (PFSDQ), and Functional Performance Inventory (FPI) were used to measure the participants' self-report of their perceptions of self-efficacy, dyspnea, and functional performance. Dyspnea predicted 38.1% of the variance in functional performance, with self-efficacy contributing an additional 6.5% to the variance in the total sample. Self-efficacy predicted 36.5% of the variance in functional performance in men, with dyspnea contributing an additional 7.2% to the variance. However, in women, only dyspnea was a significant predictor of functional performance, at 48.5% when both dyspnea and self-efficacy were entered as independent variables. To improve patients' perceptions of functional performance, nurses can use methods such as breathing techniques and upper- and lower-body exercises that increase optimal management of dyspnea. Nurses may increase the self-efficacy of managing dyspnea by helping patients master breathing techniques and exercise through coaching and providing vicarious experiences through patient support groups or pulmonary rehabilitation programs.

Dyspnea↗