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Biomedical subjects

M A Faucher

Publications and source records attributed to M A Faucher.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Pharmaceutical preparations. A review of drugs commonly used during the neonatal period.

Certified nurse-midwives, whose responsibility includes care of the newborn in the first days of life, should be well versed in the commonly used pharmaceutical preparations in the neonatal period. This article reviews therapeutic uses and the pharmacodynamics of vitamin K, as well as the neonatal eye preparations for prophylaxis of infections (silver nitrate, tetracycline, and erythromycin ophthalmic ointments). Preparations used in caring for the umbilical cord, as well as the commonly prescribed antibiotics ampicillin and gentamicin, are discussed. The narcotic antagonist naloxone is also reviewed, along with commonly used medications for colic and thrush. The etiology and clinical conditions that require the application of these medications are considered.

Candidiasis, Oral↗

Prescriptive authority for advanced nurse practitioners: a blue-print for action.

The pursuit of prescriptive authority is a priority on the legislative agenda of nurse practitioners nationwide. This article describes the legal avenues that have been used by nurse practitioners in 35 states to obtain prescriptive authority. Because prescriptive authority is state regulated, the legislative process for obtaining prescriptive authority differs from state to state. A step by step outline is provided to guide the nurse practitioner through the legislative process from the initial planning stages to the time when a bill is introduced to the state legislature and the follow through until it becomes law.

Drug Prescriptions↗

Pharmacologic management of common gastrointestinal health problems in women.

A wide variety of drugs are available for the treatment of common gastrointestinal health problems in women, including minor or serious as well as acute or chronic conditions. The midwife needs to be current in the pharmacology of over-the-counter as well as prescriptive agents for both pregnant and nonpregnant women. The drug classifications reviewed in this article include antacids, H2 receptor antagonists, antimicrobials, proton pumps, antiemetics, emetics, cholinergics, laxatives, prokinetics, and antidiarrheals. In addition, the physiologic principles are reviewed to enhance the understanding of how these drugs work.

Drug Therapy, Combination↗

Intrapartum pain: pharmacologic management.

Even with the tremendous therapeutic benefit of nonpharmaceutical pain relief measures for laboring women, pharmaceutical therapies often are needed. Nurses and other health care providers need to be familiar with the differing pharmaceutical properties of commonly prescribed pain-relieving drugs. The pharmaceutical properties of sedatives and hypnotics, opioids, and local anesthetic agents used to relieve pain during labor and delivery are reviewed. Individualization of drug therapy and maximal therapeutic effects result when the health care provider is informed about the pharmaceutical properties of analgesic and anesthetic agents so that a wise choice can be made.

Analgesia, Obstetrical↗

Why girls smoke: a proposed community-based prevention program.

OBJECTIVES: To review the literature on reasons teenage girls start smoking and to identify the role and opportunities for nurses to have an impact on this public health problem. In addition, a proposed smoking prevention program targeted to teenage girls is presented. DATA SOURCES: Information was gathered from professional journals and texts and from MEDLINE and PROQUEST. Keywords used in the searches were smoking prevention, tobacco use, smoking and adolescents, teenage girls and smoking, health education and smoking, and smoking prevention programs. DATA SYNTHESIS AND CONCLUSIONS: Smoking initiation in teenage girls is a problem with ramifications for individual health as well as for public health. Although the literature demonstrates the rising incidence of smoking in teenage girls and evidence suggests the reasons girls start smoking differ from those of their male counterparts, a dearth of information on smoking prevention programs exists for this population. It is reasonable to assume that the best practices for adolescent smoking prevention can be applied to programs specifically for girls, along with efforts to address social influences, self-image, and self-esteem, which may be particularly important to teenage girls. The theory of reasoned action provides a framework for prevention strategies that target the behavioral beliefs and attitudes that influence teenage girls to smoke. Nurses can educate themselves about contributing factors that lead teenage girls to start smoking. Implementing this knowledge into nursing practice in a variety of settings could help meet the Healthy People 2010 goals of reducing teenage smoking to 16%.

Adolescent↗