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Biomedical subjects

J S Harrell

Publications and source records attributed to J S Harrell.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Cardiovascular risk factors in textile workers: prevalence and intervention.

This study included 1,390 textile workers from a southern state who received a screening for risk factors for heart disease. Occupational health nurses then provided an education/counseling intervention and one or more American Heart Association pamphlets using the results of the screening. Over half of the workers had at least one modifiable risk factor for heart disease. The most common modifiable risk factor was smoking. Most of the participants (60.8%) had a cholesterol level less than 200 mg/dL, but 27.4% were in the borderline high range of 200-239 mg/dL, and 11.8% had a cholesterol of 240 mg/dL or higher. Almost 26% of the participants had a blood pressure of 140/90 or higher. Findings on a subset of 544 workers re-screened at 6 months were: workers with hypertension were able to lower their blood pressure significantly; cholesterol levels increased slightly in all participants except white males; and although some smokers stopped smoking, others began smoking, so the total number of smokers at the second test was actually slightly higher than at the first screening.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Predictors of smokeless tobacco use by adolescents.

Sixth and seventh graders (N = 2,020) were surveyed to determine the prevalence of smokeless tobacco (SLT) use and peer and parental influences on SLT use. Nearly 34% of boys and 12% of girls had used SLT at some time, and 8% of boys and 1% of girls were current users. While most associations were significant, the strongest relationships were between subjects' and peers' use of SLT. Logistic regression showed that the odds ratios for predicting adolescent's current use of SLT were 13.6 for peer use, 6.0 for male gender, 2.8 for white race, 2.8 for fathers' and 8.0 for mothers' ever use of SLT, and 2.6 if the mother was not a high school graduate. Results support the need for a multidisciplinary approach to research, education, treatment, and prevention to combat this growing health risk.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Cardiovascular responses to weighing in healthy subjects.

This study examined the cardiovascular responses of 22 healthy subjects (mean age 48 years) to two methods of weighing--over bed and standing scale. Variables were measured at one-minute intervals during the weighing treatments and a rest period after each treatment and included: cardiac output, stroke volume, heart rate, the ratio of pre-ejection period to left ventricular ejection time (a measure of contractility), blood pressure, mean arterial pressure and total peripheral resistance. Mean changes during the weighing treatments demonstrated activation of reflex responses to gravitational shifts in blood volume, which were opposite in direction between the two methods and attributed to posturally-induced shifts in venous return. During the five-minute rest period after weighing, all values rapidly returned to baseline. Compared to baseline measures, responses during the weighing treatments differed significantly between treatments (p less than 0.01), but none differed significantly between rest periods.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Effects of occupied and unoccupied bed making on myocardial work in healthy subjects.

Strict bed rest prescribed after acute myocardial infarction provides rest for the heart in an effort to lessen myocardial work. However, bed rest has been implicated as a threat to physical and psychosocial well-being. Nurses must question whether activities associated with bed rest, such as bed making by hospital personnel while the patient is occupying the bed, actually require less myocardial work than out-of-bed activities. In this study we examined cardiovascular function of 22 healthy individuals, 10 (45.5%) men and 12 (54.5%) women ranging in age from 34 to 69 years (mean 48 years), during occupied (side to side method) and unoccupied (patient up to chair) bed making. Cardiac output, heart rate, stroke volume, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, total peripheral resistance, and the ratio of preejection period to left ventricular ejection time were measured by using an impedance cardiograph and vital signs monitor. Although differences between these measurements during the two bed making procedures were statistically significant (p less than 0.001), they were not deemed clinically significant for healthy subjects because they represent transient reflexive responses to posturally induced changes in venous return rather than substantial increases in myocardial work. When the goal is minimal myocardial energy expenditure, making the bed when it is unoccupied may offer a sound alternative to making an occupied bed.

Bed Rest↗
PubMed1990

A comparison of two fitness programs to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease in public safety officers.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effectiveness of a fitness program designed as an alternative to the standard weight-training and running program and using limited resources and facilities. Forty-three men from the North Carolina Justice Academy, randomly assigned into two groups, completed 12 weeks of physical training. The WT group used a standard weight training and running, whereas the REC group ran and completed a resistive exercise circuit. The REC circuit consisted of nine exercises designed to improve muscular strength and endurance separated by 30 seconds of aerobic exercise. The exercises used chairs, tables, sawhorses, and body weight to provide the resistance. The results indicated that the REC program improved muscular strength and aerobic capacity as well as the WT program. Furthermore, the REC group lost more weight, reduced body fat, and improved their lipid profiles significantly more than the WT group. Thus, the REC program is a viable alternative for the training of public safety officers when only limited resources are available.

Cholesterol↗
PubMed1990

Heart sound simulation: how useful for critical care nurses?

Forty critical care nurses participated in a 2-hour teaching program using a heart sound simulator to increase skill in recognition of heart sounds. Mean test scores increased 10 points from the pretest to the first posttest (t = 11.9, p = 0.0001), and this increase was maintained on the second posttest 3 weeks later. Medical intensive care unit and coronary care nurses scored higher than the other critical care nurses. There was a low correlation between recognition of sounds and years of critical care experience. The correlation between the subjects' self-rating of knowledge of heart sounds and their actual skills was also low. These findings suggest that a similar teaching program might be useful for critical care nurses.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Do nursing diagnoses affect functional status?

1. Nurses in this study often made diagnoses pertaining to physiological or physical problems rather than psychosocial problems. One diagnostic category, "impaired home maintenance management," was consistently used incorrectly, suggesting a need for careful clinical training of nursing staff in diagnostic reasoning. 2. Patients who had a greater number of nursing diagnoses had greater improvements in function during the hospital stay. One explanation is that more nursing diagnoses may lead to more independent nursing actions, resulting in improvements in functional abilities. 3. Functional status on admission measured by the Katz ADL was the most powerful predictor of functional status at discharge. The scale can readily be used by nurses to document basic functioning and to quickly identify patients needing or coordinated discharge planning. 4. Institutionalized had a higher mean number of nursing diagnoses than those who were discharged to their own homes. The most powerful predictor of institutionalization was the Katz ADL score.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Use of a heart sound simulator in teaching cardiac auscultation.

The use of a heart sound simulator in teaching recognition of heart sounds was tested in 37 graduate students. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups; one group received both auditory and tactile cues and the other group received only auditory cues. Students were tested at three times: (1) before use of the simulator, (2) after a short teaching session using the simulator, and (3) 2 weeks later. Recognition of heart sounds increased significantly after the teaching session with the simulator, and this knowledge was retained. There was no difference in sound recognition between the two groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

The role of the clinical nurse specialist: problems and solutions.

The clinical nurse specialist (CNS) is a generally untapped resource for the nurse executive. Although seen as an asset, the CNS may be considered an expensive and nonessential part of the department of nursing. The role is threatened with extinction not only because it is seen as dispensable in a time of cost restraint, but also because of problems in role implementation. We believe the CNS role is vital to the advancement of nursing practice and that the impact of the CNS on nursing practice has not reached its full potential. This paper summarizes the major problems inhibiting role development in the hospital setting and suggests solutions to the nurse executive for maximizing the role potential of the CNS.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Teaching cardiovascular assessment.

This article describes a learning module for teaching heart sound recognition and summarizes results of two studies testing the learning module. The module, built around a heart sound simulator, was effective with both graduate nursing students (n = 37) and experienced critical care nurses (n = 40). In each study, recognition of heart sounds improved significantly, and the knowledge gained was retained for at least 2 weeks.

Education, Nursing, Continuing↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clostridium perfringens infection in turkey poults.

Necropsy of dead and sick 5-day-old poults from a flock of 12,500 Broad-Breasted White turkeys having high early mortality (685 the first week) revealed rather large inflamed retained yolk sacs with semiliquid contents, ascites, and swollen greenish-colored livers. Cultures of livers and yolk sacs were negative by standard aerobic procedures for salmonella and any other bacterial pathogens. At the beginning of the 4th week, more poults were necropsied and found to have swollen livers with necrotic foci grossly visible, and a necrotic inflammation of the midintestinal tract extending anteriorly from attachment of the yolk stalk. Clostridium perfringens was isolated from livers and yolk remnants by anaerobic culture.

Animals↗