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Biomedical subjects

N Rankin

Publications and source records attributed to N Rankin.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Consumer participation in the development of psychosocial clinical practice guidelines: opinions of women with breast cancer.

Clinical practice guidelines are playing an increasingly important role in defining quality care and consumers have a considerable interest in participating in the development of guidelines. The objective of this study was to explore consumer's perceptions of guideline items relating to psychosocial care of women with breast cancer, developed by Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council National Breast Cancer Centre. Women diagnosed with breast cancer in the previous 2 years (n = 313) received a letter about the study via their radiation oncologist. Consenting women were contacted by the researchers to complete a telephone survey. The survey asked women to rate the importance of draft guidelines items, including discussing prognosis, providing information and choice, doctor-patient communication, preparation for surgery, providing emotional support, providing social support, dealing with practical and cultural issues and continuity of care. One hundred and forty women (45%) completed the survey. The results indicated that at least 50% of respondents rated 28 of the 52 items as 'essential' components, with respondents identifying providing information and choice, and doctor-patient communication as the most important aspects of psychosocial care. The findings suggest the guidelines adequately reflect consumer opinions and identify priority areas for clinicians to address in providing psychosocial support to women with breast cancer.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1998

The in-hospital Utstein style: use in reporting outcome from cardiac arrest in Middlemore Hospital 1995-1996.

The in-hospital Utstein Style was published in April 1997. This new format is used to present the outcome of in-hospital cardiac arrest in Middlemore Hospital, Auckland, NZ, between June 1995 and June 1996. The in-hospital Utstein Style was generally easy to follow, but there were several areas where adjustments may be of benefit. The study shows that there were 140 true arrest calls during this period, with 133 attempted resuscitations. Forty-seven patients had ROSC greater than 24 h, 35 were discharged alive and 30 were alive at 1 year. Of these 30 survivors, 27 had a Cerebral Performance Category of 1.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation↗
PubMed1998

What is optimum humidity?

The relevant aspects of the normal physiology of the airway mucosa and the customary ways of describing humidity are briefly reviewed. The need for surrogate markers of optimum humidity is identified, and two such markers are proposed. The relationship between the humidity of the inspired gas and mucosal function is examined using a model that is then validated. Optimum humidity is achieved when the inspired gas is at body core temperature and 100% relative humidity.

Body Water↗
PubMed1996

Relationship between the humidity and temperature of inspired gas and the function of the airway mucosa.

OBJECTIVE: To review the available literature on the relationship between the humidity and temperature of inspired gas and airway mucosal function. DATA SOURCES: International computerized databases and published indices, experts in the field, conference proceedings, bibliographies. STUDY SELECTION/DATA EXTRACTION: Two hundred articles/texts on respiratory tract physiology and humidification were reviewed. Seventeen articles were selected from 40 articles for inclusion in the published data verification of the model. Selection was by independent reviewers. Extraction was by consensus, and was based on finding sufficient data. DATA SYNTHESIS: A relationship exists between inspired gas humidity and temperature, exposure time to a given humidity level, and mucosal function. This relationship can be modeled and represented as an inspired humidity magnitude vs. exposure time map. The model is predictive of mucosal function and can be partially verified by the available literature. It predicts that if inspired humidity deviates from an optimal level, a progressive mucosal dysfunction begins. The greater the humidity deviation, the faster the mucosal dysfunction progresses. CONCLUSIONS: A model for the relationship between airway mucosal dysfunction and the combination of the humidity of inspired gas and the duration over which the airway mucosa is exposed to that humidity is proposed. This model suggests that there is an optimal temperature and humidity above which, and below which, there is impaired mucosal function. This optimal level of temperature and humidity is core temperature and 100% relative humidity. However, existing data are only sufficient to test this model for gas conditions below core temperature and 100% relative humidity. These data concur with the model in that region. No studies have yet looked at this relationship beyond 24 hrs. Longer exposure times to any given level of inspired humidity and inspired gas temperatures and humidities above core temperature and 100% relative humidity need to be studied to fully verify the proposed model.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Diagnostic peritoneal lavage: integration with clinical information to improve diagnostic performance.

Management of abdominal trauma requires both the detection of injuries sustained and an ability to distinguish patients who require operative repair from those who do not. In this prospective study of 200 patients receiving diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL) following blunt trauma, relationships among DPL result, clinical features (information from initial patient assessment), and laparotomy outcome were investigated. The DPL result alone predicted requirement for laparotomy with an accuracy of 93%, a specificity of 96%, a sensitivity of 85%, a positive predictive value (PV-Positive) of 87%, and a negative predictive value (PV-Negative) of 95%. Combining clinical features with the DPL result reduced the number of unnecessary laparotomies (increased PV-Positive and specificity), but increased the number of missed necessary laparotomies (decreased PV-Negative and sensitivity). The best diagnostic performance was found by combining the DPL result with circulatory status, which, in this series of patients, predicted necessary laparotomy with an accuracy of 95%, a specificity of 99%, a sensitivity of 81%, a PV-Positive of 98%, and a PV-Negative of 94%.

Abbreviated Injury Scale↗