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P Laitinen

Publications and source records attributed to P Laitinen.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Reasons for uses of physical restraint and alternatives to them in geriatric nursing: a questionnaire study among nursing staff.

This study is part of a major research project that is concerned with disruptive behaviour among elderly patients and the use of physical restraint in geriatric nursing. The purpose of this study was to describe the use of physical restraint and alternatives as reported by professional nurses. The data were collected by a structured questionnaire. Nursing staff (n = 287) from a geriatric unit of a health centre, a nursing home, and the medical and psychiatric clinics of a university hospital in one city in central Finland, volunteered for the study. The clear majority (85%) of the nurses stated that physical restraint had been used on the ward during the week preceding the questionnaire. Reasons cited most often for restraint use were reduced physical and cognitive capacity of demented patients. The most common alternative was to try to understand the reasons for the elderly patient's disruptive behaviour. A major challenge for future research and for field experiments is to provide new alternatives to the use of physical restraint in geriatric nursing.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Participation of caregivers in elderly-patient hospital care: informal caregiver approach.

This preliminary study is part of an ongoing action research project in three different kinds of hospitals. Two wards in each hospital volunteered for the study. The purpose was to discover in which activities of daily living informal caregivers currently participate and to what extent. Participation of informal caregivers consisted of 17 activities. Elderly patients (n = 45) eligible for the study and informal caregivers (n = 147) completed a questionnaire. They were asked in which daily activities informal caregivers participate and how often, options ranging from daily to never. Responses of informal caregivers are reported in this paper. Results indicated that relatives and other significant others visited elderly hospital patients often; however, their participation in activities of daily living in hospitals was limited. Mostly they gave emotional support and helped the patient to drink, stand up/get into bed and sit. Implications for nursing are discussed.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1993

[Fat consumption of first-grade students in elementary school. Quality and quantity of fats used at home and at school].

The aim of the study was to study the fat consumption of first grade pupils in elementary school, especially the quality and quantity of the fats used both at home and at school. The data were collected in the year 1990 by questionnaires sent to the parents and by interviewing the children. The study population consisted of all the first grade pupils (N = 54) in an elementary school in the town of Varkaus. According to our findings there is a need for individual nutrition education. The families ought to pay attention to decreasing saturated fats and to increasing oils and vegetables, fruits and berries in their diet.

Child↗
PubMed1992

Participation of informal caregivers in the hospital care of elderly patients and their evaluations of the care given: pilot study in three different hospitals.

This action research is an ongoing study which will last from 1991 to 1993. The main purpose of the study is to increase the participation of informal caregivers in the hospital care of elderly patients without decreasing the quality of care. The data reported here are from a pilot study. This study had three aims: (a) to test reliability and validity of the measure used, (b) to investigate the current participation of informal caregivers in the hospital care of elderly patients (aged over 75), and (c) to evaluate and compare the quality of care from both the patients' and the informal caregivers' point of view in three different hospitals. The measure of quality of care was developed on the basis of need theories, mainly those of Maslow and Alderfer. Patients and caregivers were also asked to rate the participation of the caregivers in the hospital care of elderly patients. Participation consisted of 18 activities of daily living. The pilot test with 18 elderly hospital patients and seven family members or significant others showed differences between the two groups in perception of care received. Statistically significant differences (P < 0.001) were found in the following categories: mainly social needs, psychic and spiritual needs and totals. The results supported earlier findings that elderly patients are satisfied with and do not criticize their care. The younger generation (i.e. their children) is more demanding and has precise perceptions about the care given. Relatives could be used more in planning, evaluation and even implementation of care; however, their current participation in patient hospital care is minimal.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1981

Comparison of different analytical and precipitation methods for direct estimation of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

In this study two commercial enzymatic methods for the determination of serum cholesterol have been adapted for a continuous-flow analyser and a discrete multichannel analyser. The selective precipitation methods for lipoproteins using either dextran sulphate/MgCl2, heparin/MnCl2, phosphotungstate/MgCl2 or polyethylene glycol (mol. wt 6000) were compared with each other and with ultracentrifugal analysis as well as with agarose gel electrophoresis for lipoproteins. The results indicated that the dextran sulphate/MgCl2 precipitation procedure was the method of choice for the determination of HDL-cholesterol from clear and hyperlipemic sera. HDL-cholesterol values for 391 apparently health women (X +/- SD) were 1.58 +/- 0.34 mmol/l and for 432 men 1.27 +/- 0.29 mmol/L. The corresponding HDL-cholesterol/cholesterol ratios for women were 0.292 +/- 0.068 and for men 0.229 +/- 0.069. The HDL-cholesterol in serum was slightly age dependent in women, while the HDL-cholesterol/cholesterol ratio showed highly significant negative correlation with the age in both women and men.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

A discrete multichannel procedure for the determination of acid phosphatase activities in serum.

The purpose of this study was to increase the capacity of the laboratory to perform analyses for the acid phosphatase activities by adapting the previous manual method to a discrete multichannel, computer controlled photometer. The modified system was far superior to the manual method, showing an improvement in the accuracy and precision of the method as well as a three times higher efficiency of the method for analyses. The reference values for serum acid phosphatase and its tartrate stable fraction were determined from apparently healthy women and men. The clinical significance of the method was discussed on the basis of the year's experience.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Time-resolved fluorometry (TRF)-based immunoassay concept for rapid and quantitative determination of biochemical myocardial infarction markers from whole blood, serum and plasma.

We report the development of a time-resolved fluorometry-based immunoassay concept for the rapid measurement of three cardiac markers from whole blood, serum or plasma. Using a universal all-in-one (AIO) dry reagent concept, all the analyte specific reagents are built into a single microtire well, to which an identical assay protocol is applied. Addition of 5-20 microL sample (whole blood, serum or plasma) together with a universal buffer initiates the reaction, which is brought close to equilibrium in 15 min. After the wash step the Eu chelate-derived signal is measured directly from the dried surface. Application of this concept to the three cardiac markers illustrates its ability to provide rapid, highly sensitive and fully quantitative results over a large dynamic range with good reproducibility. Such a performance, especially when using whole blood specimens, is largely a consequence of the inherently fluorescent and stable Eu-chelate employed in the system. Correlation to commercial assays was excellent for all three analytes, as was between-sample matrix correlation using the AIO assays. The presented assay concept enabling a simple automation is particularly suited for point-of-care applications, where the performance characteristics are fully comparable to state-of-the-art central laboratory immunoassays.

Biomarkers↗