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Biomedical subjects

L M Painter

Publications and source records attributed to L M Painter.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Transplant "twins": the experience of sharing transplanted thoracic organs from the same donor.

BACKGROUND: Many thoracic transplant recipients who receive organs from the same donor share facilities for 3 months, and are aware that they have received organs from the same donor. METHODS: A confidential questionnaire including open and closed questions assessed relationships between "twins" and the experience of having a twin. The Significant Others Scale assessed social support. Of 141 heart and 58 lung transplants, 25 pairs of transplant twins were identified. Questionnaires were sent to the 32 surviving twins. RESULTS: Twenty-six twins responded; 17 had received a heart and nine a lung. The 17 men and 9 women had a mean age of 51 years. Eighteen respondent's "twins" remained alive at the time of participation and eight had died. Sixty-six percent of the both- twin alive group and 43% of one-twin alive group felt they had a special bond with their twin, different from the other relationships that they have experienced. Fifty-six percent of the both-twin alive group and 43% of one-twin alive group felt having a twin enriched their transplant experience. Transplant twins rated social support last behind: the transplant support personnel; close family members; other transplant recipients; and good friends and general practitioners, both in levels of ideal and actual support. Transplant twins showed the largest discrepancy between levels of ideal and actual support than any other individual ranked. CONCLUSIONS: Being a transplant twin is a special experience that generally enriches the overall transplant experience but having a transplant twin, does not appear to enhance the amount of social support.

Cadaver↗
PubMed1995

Donor families experience of organ donation: a New Zealand study.

AIM: To investigate the experiences of New Zealand families who had given approval for organ donation. METHOD: A postal questionnaire was sent to all families in New Zealand over a 5 year period who had agreed to donate organs on the death of their family member. RESULTS: Of the 102 questionnaires sent, 49 were returned completed. No respondents said it was the wrong decision in agreeing to donate organs. 31/49 respondents said that being asked caused no additional stress. 31/49 had previously discussed organ donation within their family. 16/49 knew the information on the donor's driving license. 38/49 said that they understood brain death at the time. 31/49 said the care, understanding and support given by the staff in the intensive care unit helped them most at the time. 23/49 would have liked further support from the transplant coordinators. 32/49 would have liked written information at some stage. Even though they were not asked 25/49 volunteered that they would have liked information about recipient outcome. CONCLUSION: Our results reinforce and support the findings of previous research from New Zealand and other countries. These have been used to confirm and revise procedures in the planning of care for future donor families.

Decision Making↗
PubMed1995

Abdominal aortic aneurysm pathway: outcome analysis.

The current and future health care environment demands that health care providers place increased emphasis on the achievement of acceptable patient outcomes within an effective timeline and with more efficient use of resources. Clinical pathways provide a tool that defines the processes and activities that must occur to meet these goals. The purpose of this study is to describe a process for analysis of clinical and fiscal outcomes of a clinical pathway initiated at an academic medical center for elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Patients were monitored throughout their preoperative and postoperative course to identify and trend variances, assess opportunities for improved resource use, and determine patient/family satisfaction. Data were collected by use of multiple electronic databases available within the university information systems network and analyzed to determine impact on patient charges, treatment course, and length of stay. Outliers were profiled as a means to identify prognostic indicators or establish a high preoperative risk. Results of a sample of 42 patients revealed a reduction in gross charges by 33% per case in comparison to the baseline data obtained before pathway implementation. This study will describe the rationale and process for instituting changes in resource use, such as diagnostic testing and blood use. Clinical outcomes and related nursing implications will also be discussed, including preoperative management, a streamlined same-day admission process, and factors associated with prolonged stay in the intensive care unit. Finally, strategies designed to enlist the support and participation of nurses, physicians, and other health team members will be discussed.

Adult↗