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Biomedical subjects

K S Powers

Publications and source records attributed to K S Powers.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Family presence during invasive procedures in the pediatric intensive care unit: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if allowing 1 or both parents to be present during invasive procedures reduces the anxiety that parents experience while their child is in the pediatric intensive care unit; to evaluate if the parent's presence was helpful to the child and parent; and to determine whether this presence was harmful to the nurses or physicians. DESIGN: A prospective study using surveys (5-point Likert scale) of parents of children requiring intubation, placement of central lines, or chest tubes. Additional surveys were completed by bedside nurses to evaluate the effects of parental presence. SETTING: A 12-bed pediatric intensive care unit in upstate New York. PARTICIPANTS: The study population consisted of the parents of 16 children undergoing 1 or more procedures; 7 had undergone intubation, 11 had central lines placed, and 2 had chest tubes placed. The control population consisted of the parents of 7 children undergoing 1 or more procedures; 7 had undergone intubation, 5 had central lines placed, and 3 had chest tubes placed. RESULTS: Parental presence significantly reduced the parental anxiety related to the procedure (P = .005; Mann-Whitney test), but did not change condition-related anxiety (P = 0.9; Mann-Whitney test). Thirteen of 16 parents found their presence helpful to themselves (10 very, 3 somewhat) and the medical staff (11 very); 14 of 16 found their presence helpful to their child (11 very). Fifteen (94%) of 16 parents would repeat their choice to watch. Fifteen (94%) of 16 nurses found parents' presence helpful to the child (9 very) and to the parents (10 very). One nurse found a parent's presence somewhat harmful to nurses and very harmful to the parent. Thirteen (72%) of 18 nurses indicated that allowing parents to observe procedures was an appropriate policy. There were no significant differences noted in response of nurses based on years of experience. CONCLUSIONS: Allowing parental presence during procedures decreases procedure-related anxiety. The implications of such a policy change on physicians and other aspects of pediatric intensive care, including medical education, need further evaluation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

A multi-disciplinary approach to families of brain dead children.

OBJECTIVE: To relate our multi-disciplinary approach to families of brain dead children. DATA SOURCES: The professional experiences of critical care health care providers and the review of the medical and legal literature. SETTING: Paediatric Intensive Care Unit. PARTICIPANTS: Paediatric critical care physicians, primary paediatricians, paediatric critical care nurses, social worker, hospital chaplain and organ procurement coordinator. RESULTS: We describe our multi-disciplinary approach towards education of families of children who have suffered severe brain injury likely to result in brain death. We feel this approach has resulted in better understanding and acceptance of brain death. We also discuss methods of addressing special circumstances around child abuse, religious exemption and organ procurement. CONCLUSION: Our multi-disciplinary approach may assist clinicians and other health care providers in successfully dealing with families of brain dead children.

Brain Death↗
PubMed1984

Oxygen consumption in mosquito larvae parasitized by Romanomermis culicivorax (Nematoda).

The effect of parasitism by Romanomermis culicivorax on the oxygen consumption of three species of mosquito larvae was studied by manometric methods. The Q02 of Culex pipiens, both parasitized and unparasitized, decreased as the host larvae developed from the second to fourth instar. In the early stages there was no significant difference in Q02 in parasitized and unparasitized hosts but the Q02 increased significantly in parasitized fourth instar larvae. The Q02 of parasitized and unparasitized fourth instars of Aedes taeniorhynchus, Anopheles quadrimaculatus and C. pipiens were compared. The Q02 of all parasitized hosts was significantly increased and the Q02 of the two culicine species displayed a dramatic increase in oxygen consumption. The oxygen consumption of the parasitic mermithid larvae was estimated from that obtained earlier for the post-parasitic larvae but did not account for more than 9-36% of the increased Q02 of the parasitized hosts. On this basis it seems probable that the increased metabolic rate as reflected by oxygen consumption of the parasitized mosquito larve was principally a manifestation of the physiological and nutritional stress induced by the mermithid nematodes.

Animals↗