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Biomedical subjects

L Pierce

Publications and source records attributed to L Pierce.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1977

Anatomy and physiology of the liver in relation to clinical assessment.

As nurses assume expanded roles in patient care, skills in history-taking and in performing a physical examination are expected. Of the various diagnostic procedures the history and physical examination are the most direct and expeditious methods of obtaining facts about patients' problems. As represented in this article, detailed knowledge of the liver's anatomy and physiology as well as that of other body systems is prerequisite to these skills. To understand and document the complexity of life disturbances occuring in patients with hepatic problems, integration of social-behavioral and mental health concepts is needed.

Bile Acids and Salts↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Frequently selected nursing diagnoses for the rehabilitation client with stroke.

From 2 million to 3 million people in the United States live with the aftereffects of stroke. Nursing diagnoses provide a taxonomy that enables nurses to identify similarities and differences for given groups of clients. The purposes of this study were to identify the most frequently chosen nursing diagnoses for rehabilitation stroke clients and to determine the corresponding objective clinical characteristics (related factors) of these diagnoses. A retrospective descriptive design was used to study charts from randomly selected stroke clients (N = 100) at a large rehabilitation center. At admission and at discharge, impaired physical mobility (99%) and self-care deficit (91%) were the most frequently occurring diagnoses. Impaired physical mobility was usually related to neuromuscular impairment, and self-care deficit was usually related to neuromuscular dysfunction. These objective clinical characteristics help to determine how diagnoses are unique to rehabilitation nursing practice.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The lived experience of aloneness for older women currently being treated for depression.

A phenomenological study was conducted to answer the following question: What is the lived experience of aloneness for older women currently being treated for depression? Eight women from Northern Ohio composed the purposively selected sample. Transcriptions of each 1-hr interview were reviewed by use of Colaizzi's (1978) method of data analysis. The analysis identified two major experiences of self for all participants: aloneness in depression and aloneness in recovery. Five paired, and somewhat dichotomous, themes defined the essence of aloneness: (a) vulnerability versus self-reliance, (b) fear versus hope, (c) helplessness versus resourcefulness, (d) loss of self-control versus self-determination, and (e) identity confusion versus self-reflection. All the participants expressed profound feelings of moving between the five paired themes as they gained clarity of insight into their experiences of depression and recovery. Results of this study make a valuable contribution by providing important insights into the lived experience of aloneness among older women currently being treated for depression, offer direction in the assessment and treatment of these women, and serve as an impetus for further research.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Perceived stress and coping strategies among families of cardiac transplant candidates during the organ waiting period.

OBJECTIVE: To explore and describe perceived stress and coping strategies among families of candidates for cardiac transplant during the organ waiting period. DESIGN: This descriptive, multiinstitutional study was guided by the T-Double ABCX Model of Family Adjustment and Adaptation (McCubbin & Thompson, 1987). SETTING: Five tertiary care centers with transplant programs in three Southeastern cities. SUBJECTS: Thirty-eight family members of patients on the active list for cardiac transplantation, including 35 women and three men with a mean age of 44 years (SD = 13.17). Subjects had a family member on the waiting list for a mean of 6.5 months. INSTRUMENTS: Family members completed the following three instruments: (1) Family Inventory of Life Events and Changes (FILE), (2) Family Crisis Oriented Personal Scale (FCOPES), and (3) Family Perception of the Transplant Experience Scale (FPTES). RESULTS: Stress: 53% and 47% of respondents indicated that they were experiencing moderate and low degrees of stress, respectively. Coping: Family members used more coping mechanisms than normative subjects in the literature. Coping strategies used in order of decreasing frequency: (1) knowing our family has the strength to solve our problems, (2) facing problems head-on, and (3) seeking support from friends. Appraisal: Mean score of 32.13 reflects subjects' positive perception of the pretransplant experience. The three statements with which the subjects most strongly agreed: (1) heart illness has changed roles of family members, (2) family member will survive the transplant operation; and (3) this is an experience that could bring out the family's strengths. CONCLUSIONS: An increase in the number of coping strategies used with low to moderate stress levels suggests the effectiveness of coping strategies in mediating stress. The preference for active rather than passive coping strategies may be reflective of the selection criteria for transplant candidates or nursing interventions during this period to minimize stress and promote family coping.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of dentinal pretreatment on bond strength between glass-ionomer cement and dentin.

Removal of the dentinal smear layer prior to placement of glass-ionomer cement is thought to maximize the strength of glass-ionomer cement/dentin bonding. This study evaluated the effect of three polyacrylic acid pretreatments on bond shear strength between glass-ionomer cement and dentin. Extracted human molars were divided into four groups of 30 specimens each. One group (the control) received no pretreatment. Specimens in the remaining groups were pretreated with one of three commercially available polyacrylic acid conditioners, used according to the manufacturers' recommendations. The results indicated significant differences in shear strength among pretreatment conditions. Since the manufacturers' recommendations varied, it is not clear if these results were due to differences in polyacrylic acid concentration or to other factors, such as application time or placement procedure.

Dental Bonding↗