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Biomedical subjects

M Topf

Publications and source records attributed to M Topf.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Interactive relationships between hospital patients' noise-induced stress and other stress with sleep.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that hospital noise-induced subjective stress would interact with other subjective environmental and personal stress in a relationship with poorer patient sleep. METHODS: A secondary data analysis was done using correlations and hierarchical multiple regression. Ninety-seven cardiac patients participated after transfer from critical care to a general unit. The independent variables were assessed with Topf's 24-item Disturbance Due to Hospital Noise Scale and 5-point items for other environmental stress (ie, bed, lights) and personal stress (ie, pain, anxiety). Sleep was evaluated with the Verran and Snyder-Halpern Sleep Scale. RESULTS: Hierarchical multiple regression led to a multiple R of 0.435 (P <.01). An interaction term, subjective noise stress x subjective bed stress x subjective pain x subjective anxiety accounted for a significant amount of sleep variance (12%, F = 13.63, P =.000). Subjective bed stress x subjective pain accounted for an additional 5% (F = 6.4, P =.013). CONCLUSIONS: Studies using research designs that assess relationships between multiple patient stress variable interactions and sleep or other stress-related outcomes may produce more accurate results than studies on the independent effects of different types of stress.

Adult↗

Interrater reliability decline under covert assessment.

This article highlighted representative studies on a methodological problem that may generalize to other observational methods and circumstances. A number of strategies have been suggested to combat this problem. Despite the need for additional research on this methodological problem and the remedial tactics discussed here, studies that deal with interrater reliability decline will surely be evaluated as more credible than those that overlook the problem.

Humans↗

Critical care unit noise and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if Critical Care Unit (CCU) sound levels suppress rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. DESIGN: Posttest-only control group experimental design. SETTING: Sleep laboratory located in a university neurologic institute. SUBJECTS: Seventy paid ($40) women who had no hearing or sleep problems. PROCEDURES: Subjects were randomly assigned to a noise or quiet (control) group while attempting to sleep overnight in the laboratory. Noise-condition subjects heard an audiotape recording of CCU nighttime sounds. The audiotape recording was withheld from the control group. RESULTS: Subjects in the noise condition showed poorer REM sleep on seven of 10 measures. These included REM activity and shorter REM durations throughout the night and during the first and second halves of the night as well as a longer interval between the first and second REM cycles. The majority of the t test results were significant at the 0.001 level or better. CONCLUSIONS: Although generalization of the results to CCU patients is limited (because of the use of laboratory subjects), the results provided convincing support for a causal relationship between CCU sound levels and suppression of REM sleep.

Adult↗