Biomedical subjects

Evelyn M Crowley

Publications and source records attributed to Evelyn M Crowley.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Association of parental smoking behaviors and absences in school-age children: implications for the nurse practitioner.

PURPOSE: To examine the association between reported absences and parental smoking in school-age children, aged 6-17, and to specifically explore the impact of maternal smoking on the health and attendance of school-age children. DATA SOURCES: The sample of 7488 parent-child dyads was randomly selected from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey, a multipurpose cross-sectional household interview survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The parent sample included 2673 men and 4375 women. Children's ages ranged from 6 to 17 with a mean of 11.7 years. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal, but not paternal, present and past smoking behavior significantly impacts the child's wellness and school attendance. The reasons for this disparity are unclear but may relate to synergistic effects of pre- and postnatal nicotine exposure, the traditional role of mother as caregiver, or specific smoking habits that increase environmental tobacco exposure. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Assessment and educational strategies for families regarding the hazards of childhood exposure to environmental tobacco smoke are indicated. Specific implications for the role of the nurse practitioner across diverse specialties are addressed with emphasis on the need for development of gender, age, and culturally sensitive smoking cessation programs and support networks.

Absenteeism↗

PubMed2005

Predictors of alcohol and crack cocaine use outcomes over a 3-year follow-up in treatment seekers.

This study identified predictors of long-term alcohol and crack cocaine use outcomes in individuals participating in the Persistent Effects of Treatment Study. The domains that were assessed included motivation, self-efficacy, social support, psychiatric severity, employment, housing status, and self-help group attendance at baseline and 6, 12, 24, and 30 month follow-ups. In alcohol users, higher perceived seriousness of substance use problems, self-efficacy, and self-help group attendance, as well as lower social support for substance use, consistently predicted better alcohol use outcomes in the subsequent assessment period. In crack cocaine users, only self-efficacy consistently predicted cocaine use outcomes. Higher self-efficacy during follow-up was predicted by lower perceived seriousness of substance use and lower alcohol use frequency in the prior assessment period, whereas greater self-help group attendance was predicted by greater perceived seriousness of substance use, and lower substance use frequency.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Prostate cryoablation: a scientific rationale for future modifications.

This investigation was designed to identify potential directions for future modification of the percutaneous prostate cryoablation procedure. An analysis of prostate cancer location and volume in radical prostatectomy specimens was performed to evaluate the potential clinical consequences of these proposed modifications. A list of recommendations for improvements in the prostate cryoablation procedure was compiled from informal discussions held with participants in 9 training courses and conferences on prostate cryoablation over 18 months. Subsequently, a population of 112 consecutive, sagittally sectioned whole-mount radical prostatectomy samples was evaluated for prostate cancer volume, number of individual foci, and location to examine the disease-specific outcomes of these proposed modifications. The most common areas for potential alterations in the current cryoablation technique include modifications that would further simplify the procedure, continue to reduce real and perceived toxicity, and augment efficacy. Importantly, modifications designed to reduce treatment side effects could conflict with efforts designed to improve eradication of prostate cancer. Pathologic analysis revealed multifocal cancer in 79.5% of the samples, with 66% of cases exhibiting cancer within 5 mm of the urethra. The median volume of the index cancer was 1.6 cm3, whereas the median volume of the smaller ancillary lesions was 0.3 cm3. Prostate parenchymal-sparing alterations, proposed to reduce incontinence and erectile dysfunction by targeting the index cancer, would likely eradicate clinically significant cancer in 79% of men. The recent enthusiasm for prostate cryoablation as a reasonable minimally invasive treatment option for men with clinically localized cancer is likely to result in modifications of the established surgical technique. Knowledge of the anatomic location and cancer volume within the prostate gland is an important adjunct to planning such alterations. It is possible that parenchymal-sparing modifications to total gland prostate cryoablation can eradicate clinically significant cancer in most men, with a reduction in toxicity and cost.

Adenocarcinoma↗