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Biomedical subjects

J M Saunders

Publications and source records attributed to J M Saunders.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Understanding oncology nurses' difficulties caring for suicidal people.

Clinical challenges occur when patients consider suicide. Despite improved treatment, people with cancer have an increased risk of suicide. While previous research examined patients' perspectives, this study describes the nurse's perspective of difficulty of caring for suicidal patients. Suicidal ideas constitute common psychiatric complications of cancer, however we know little of the nurse's difficulties in care giving. As part of a larger study of oncology nurses' knowledge, we randomly surveyed 1,200 clinical oncology nurses and 434 returned completed questionnaires (37%). This paper describes content analysis of oncology nurses' narratives about their difficulties responding to suicidal patients. Six categories emerged: religious/other values, uncomfortable feelings, inadequate knowledge, personal experiences, and weight of professional responsibility which made it difficult for most nurses to care for suicidal patients. Some nurses reported they had no difficulties. Care giving is also difficult because the patient's right to choose suicide may conflict with the nurse's professional obligation to prevent suicide.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1999

Health problems of lesbian women.

Lesbians are visible to society, health care providers, and researchers as women, not as an identified sub-group of women. Lesbian invisibility contributes to their collective increased vulnerability, as evidenced by decreased societal and environmental resource availability, threats to social connectedness, and barriers in accessing health care. The factors that have led to increased vulnerability have shown up in risks of violence, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and chemical dependency among lesbians.

Female↗
PubMed1997

2',5'-linked oligo-3'-deoxyribonucleoside phosphorothioate chimeras: thermal stability and antisense inhibition of gene expression.

2',5'-Linked oligo-3'-deoxyribonucleotides bind selectively to complementary RNA but not to DNA. These oligonucleotides (ODNs) do not recognize double-stranded DNA by Hoogsteen triplex formation and the complexes formed by these ODNs with RNA are not substrates for Escherichia coli RNase H. Substitution of the 2',5'-phosphodiester backbone by phosphorothioate linkages gives 2',5'-linked oligo-3'-deoxynucleoside phosphorothioate ODNs that exhibit significantly less non-specific binding to cellular proteins or thrombin. Incorporation of a stretch of seven contiguous 3',5'-linked oligo-2'-deoxynucleoside phosphorothioate linkages in the center of 2',5'-linked ODNs (as a putative RNase H recognition site) afford chimeric antisense ODNs that retain the ability to inhibit steroid 5alpha-reductase (5alphaR) expression in cell culture.

Base Composition↗
PubMed1997

Diagnosis and treatment of major depression among people with cancer.

Although depressive disorders are common among 20-25% of people with cancer, they are frequently unrecognized. Untreated depression in the presence of comorbid conditions may result in more frequent clinic visits, increased costs, extended hospitalization, and reduced compliance and quality-of-life. Oncology clinicians need not have psychiatric expertise to play a major role in the detection and treatment of depression and in the prevention of suicide. Using early detection and screening tools, the nurse can identify depressed patients and can collaborate in their treatment. Approximately 80-90% of depressed patients are effectively treated with psychotherapy, and/or pharmacologic, or somatic, interventions. Failure to diagnose or reluctance to treat depression among patients with cancer is a common error and can increase morbidity and mortality.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Using qualitative research in advanced practice.

Although using research in nursing has become increasingly valued, some incorrectly believe that only the findings of quantitative research can be applied. While there are distinct differences between qualitative and quantitative research, both paradigms have an important role to play in nursing. This article explores the topic of research utilization and discusses qualitative research and its evaluation and use. The discussion, and examples from qualitative research, emphasize how useful qualitative research can be to advanced practice nurses.

Humans↗
PubMed1995

IL-1 beta converting enzyme (ICE) is not required for apoptosis induced by lymphokine deprivation in an IL-2-dependent T cell line.

Clonal T cells undergo programmed cell death (PCD) or apoptosis when cultured without the appropriate cytokines. The cysteine protease, IL-1 beta converting enzyme (ICE), is implicated in apoptosis based on its structural similarity to the PCD gene, ced-3, in Caenorhabditis elegans and the induction of PCD in fibroblasts transfected with recombinant ICE. We show that the murine IL-2-dependent CTLL T cell line expresses ICE but not IL-1 beta. Interestingly, ICE mRNA and protein levels increase during apoptosis. Yet inhibition of ICE enzymatic activity (> 90%) with either of two cell-permeable ICE inhibitors does not abrogate or delay apoptosis following IL-2 deprivation, as measured by DNA fragmentation and viability. Our results suggest that ICE is not required for apoptosis in lymphokine-deprived T cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Self-caring in a family unit of an HIV-positive individual: a hermeneutical inquiry.

The purpose of this longitudinal, qualitative study is to understand self-caring in the context of the spectrum of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) disease. This article presents the personal perspective of one family affected by HIV disease. The findings are presented through discussing a pattern of self-caring, being outside in the health care system, where stigma was an influential factor. The methodology used to understand self-caring was the hermenuetic phenomenology of Heidegger. Interpretations of transcribed interviews make evident the mechanisms, interactions, and themes that limit patients and their families participating as full members of the health care team.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Nurses' grief.

Bereavement, a well-established threat to health and work performance, is one of the most universal human responses that nurses experience. Because patient death is frequent, oncology nurses commonly experience bereavement; they may identify with the family, feel sad at the death, or feel awkward in responding to a death. After patients die, nurses manage bereavement tasks such as making sense of the death, managing mild to intense emotions, and realigning relationships. These tasks become more difficult when multiple deaths are encountered or when a conflict about the death occurs. Understanding theories, models, tasks, and factors influencing their bereavement may help nurses to facilitate their own grief and to reduce bereavement overload. The purpose of this article is to review knowledge and factors that influence nurses' bereavement and offer guidelines for managing grief. Information for this article was derived from several sources: (a) a review of existing literature; (b) clinical experience; and (c) analysis of personal inventories from over 300 nurses attending the authors' bereavement workshops.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1993

Adenovirus mediated expression of therapeutic plasma levels of human factor IX in mice.

Gene therapy strategies designed to combat haemophilia B, caused by defects in clotting factor IX, have so far concentrated on ex vivo approaches. We have now evaluated adenoviral vector-mediated expression of human factor IX in vivo. Injection of the vector Av1H9B, which encodes human factor IX cDNA, into the tail veins of mice resulted in efficient liver transduction and plasma levels of human factor IX that would be therapeutic for haemophilia B patients. However, levels slowly declined to baseline by nine weeks and were not re-established by a second vector injection. These results address both the advantages and obstacles to the use of adenoviral vectors for treatment of haemophilia B.

Adenoviruses, Human↗
PubMed1993

Adolescent grief after suicide.

After suicide of a loved one, adolescents may develop emotional problems and depression, and are at increased risk of suicide. They thus constitute a major population in need of counseling. Age, social support, development tasks, and death concepts determine how adolescents react to the experience of grief. Suicide changes the bereaved adolescent's role, identity, expectations, and daily activities, and may heighten anxiety about whether life is worthwhile.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1989

Psychosocial and cultural issues in HIV infection.

HIV infection is distributed so that stigmatized groups (gay and bisexual men, IVDU, blacks, and Hispanics) form the majority of cases. Consequences of AIDS-related stigma have resulted in unnecessary discrimination: loss of job, loss of home, denial of insurance, and estrangement from family and friends. Because AIDS is an infectious disease with a high mortality rate, HIV-infected individuals live with the threat of impending death. An awareness of the cultural values, life-styles, and psychosocial problems of these patients will promote effective nursing care.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1987

Opsonophagocytic killing antibody to Pseudomonas aeruginosa mucoid exopolysaccharide in older noncolonized patients with cystic fibrosis.

The principal cause of morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis is persistent respiratory colonization with mucoid strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. To investigate possible mechanisms of resistance to this organism, we studied serum from 16 older (greater than or equal to 12 years) patients not colonized with mucoid P. aeruginosa, 11 older (greater than or equal to 14 years) colonized patients, 10 younger (less than or equal to 11 years) noncolonized patients, and 20 healthy adults. The samples from the older patients not colonized with mucoid P. aeruginosa contained antibody specific to the mucoid-exopolysaccharide antigen, which could mediate bacterial killing in conjunction with complement and white cells (titers of 4 to 80). These opsonophagocytic killing antibodies were not detected in samples from the 20 normal controls (P less than 0.0001 vs. noncolonized older patients) or 9 of 10 younger (less than or equal to 11 years) noncolonized patients (P = 0.0072 vs. noncolonized older patients). Although the patients with chronic colonization had higher titers of serum opsonophagocytic killing antibody than did the older noncolonized patients (P = 0.0005), these antibodies were not specific to the mucoid-exopolysaccharide antigen. We conclude that there is an association between mucoid-exopolysaccharide-specific opsonophagocytic killing antibody and a lack of detectable P. aeruginosa colonization in a subset of older, relatively healthy patients with cystic fibrosis.

Adolescent↗