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Biomedical subjects

L Baas

Publications and source records attributed to L Baas.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

The energy costs of a modified form of T'ai Chi exercise.

BACKGROUND: Alternative strategies for exercises that provide both training and relaxation benefits are optimal for persons with very low functional capacities who also are at high risk for complications. T'ai Chi C'hih, a modified form of traditional T'ai Chi, is a series of slow balanced movements and breathing promoted to increase energy levels and induce relaxation. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the energy costs and cardiovascular effects of T'ai Chi C'hih. Measured energy costs of specific activities can assist with safe exercise prescription for individuals with very low energy reserves. METHODS: A convenience sample (n = 26) of healthy adults participated in this study, which involved completion of surveys to estimate functional capacity and exercise participation, training in a select series of nine T'ai Chi C'hih movements, and oxygen consumption testing while movements are performed. Movements involving front to back and lateral moves of the lower extremity, full shoulder range of motion of upper extremity, and deep forced inhalation and stepped exhalations were performed at slow to fast cadences in sitting and standing positions. The Human Activity Profile was used to estimate lifestyle energy consumption. Exercise participation was quantified as Kcal/Kg(1) expended per week. RESULTS: Metabolic equivalents (METs) for sitting T'ai Chi C'hih movements were estimated to be 1.5 +/- 0.17 and 2.3 +/- 0.34 for slow standing, and 2.6 +/- 0.47 for fast standing. Mean maximum heart rates ranged from 43% to 49% of predicted maximum heart rates. Mean increases in both systolic and diastolic blood pressures over resting were 8%. Mean METs of breathing exercises ranged from 3 to 3.6. There were no differences in responses to the movements by gender or experience with T'ai Chi exercise. CONCLUSION: The movements used to perform T'ai Chi C'hih require energy expenditure comparable with that for activities of daily living and for low level exercises currently recommended for persons with low exercise tolerance. Therefore, T'ai Chi C'hih may be an alternative approach to health promotion in many populations with chronic disease.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Medical devices and attachment: holistic healing in the age of invasive technology.

The environment is filled with wonderful examples of medical technology that provide emergency life support, improve well-being, and offer the possibility of a longer and more productive life. But these devices are no longer only a part of the external environment. As technology advances, more devices are becoming a part of the internal environment (i.e., our bodies) as well. For some people an implanted mechanical device, such as a cardiac pacemaker or a cardioverter defibrillator, is readily accepted; for others it may be seen as an encroachment. It may be a symbol of loss and debilitation or of independence and resilience. What makes the difference? How can nurses facilitate a healthy adjustment and healing in an era permeated with technology? A discussion of the symbolism, related theory, and nursing implications is provided.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Bringing nursing informatics into the undergraduate classroom.

Nursing informatics is not formally addressed in most undergraduate nursing education programs. Nurses usually rely on their employer and/or device vendors to provide this education. Few nurses are able to capitalize on the potential of computer technology because they have not been sufficiently exposed to nursing informatics during their nursing education. Biomedical computer technology/informatics needs to be brought into the classroom, away from the pressures of the work environment. Informatics training needs to be incorporated into undergraduate nursing education through an integrated systems approach, combining elements of nursing, systems analysis, and engineering. In this article, a university-based state-of-the-art classroom and education plan using an integrated approach to educate nurses in nursing informatics is described.

Curriculum↗