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Biomedical subjects

Patricia Kunz Howard

Publications and source records attributed to Patricia Kunz Howard.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Documentation of resuscitation events.

Resuscitation documentation assists health care professionals in trending patient status, determining what treatments may be most effective, and determining where opportunities for improvement may exist. An overview of what is known about resuscitation documentation is provided in this article, as are implications for future research related to documentation of resuscitation events. Use of the Utstein guidelines in determining essential elements of resuscitation documentation is also presented.

Documentation↗
PubMed2005

Evaluation of age-appropriate firearm safety interventions.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine if firearm safety training increased the knowledge of school-age children about gun safety. It was predicted that children's knowledge, attitudes, and feelings about firearm safety would be impacted by the method used to teach the key firearm safety constructs. The specific aim was to test the effects of 3 levels of firearm safety training on school-age children's knowledge about gun safety. The hypothesis was that children who attended a firearm injury prevention program that used a scripted discussion, psychomotor exercise, and a role-playing exercise about firearm safety would have greater knowledge about firearm safety. METHODS: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest randomized complete block design was used. There were 57 participants, 58% were male and the mean age was 5.89 years. A pictorial tool was used to assess kindergarten and first-grade students' baseline and postintervention knowledge of firearm safety. RESULTS: Knowledge increased in all of the intervention groups [F(3,53) = 6.69, P = 0.001]. The greatest increase in knowledge occurred in the scripted discussion/psychomotor exercise group which exhibited an 81% increase in knowledge from the pretest to the posttest. There was no change in the control group's knowledge from pretest to posttest (P = 0.3). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that children do retain firearm safety training. The long-term objective of this research is to reduce the incidence of firearm injuries during childhood by teaching children how to be safe around guns.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2005

Observation medicine: the expanded role of the nurse practitioner in a pediatric emergency department extended care unit.

BACKGROUND: The use of observational units (OUs) in pediatric emergency departments (EDs) has become an important adjunct to emergency care. An extended observation period (4 to 23 hours) in the ED has decreased both the number of admissions and prolonged use of acute ED beds. This serves to increase patient satisfaction as well as optimizing care. The use of OUs allows for the most appropriate allocation of resources. These units are typically located within the ED or immediately adjacent to it. The ED physicians are the gatekeepers of the unit and serve as the medical supervision for these patients. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia developed an OU known in the hospital as the Emergency Department Extended Care Unit (EDECU) approximately 5 years ago. In order for the EDECU to function at its fullest potential, the ED at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has opted to use the ED nurse practitioners (NPs) to enhance the care for these patients. OBJECTIVE: The NP has been an integral member of the ED for the past 10 years with primary roles in urgent care and in the follow-up program. As the ED expanded to include the EDECU, the role of the NP also developed to meet the needs of these patients. A review of the role development of the ED NP in observation medicine and the impact on patient and staff satisfaction as well as contributing to fiscally responsible care will be addressed. METHODS: A retrospective review of the NP's role development in the evolution of the EDEDU. RESULTS: Incorporation of the NP in the treatment team has provided efficient use of professional staff, comprehensive patient care, and increased patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the EDECU has become an important part of the services offered in the ED at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The integration of the NP in a pivotal role allows for optimal use of human resources, and provides efficient, cost-effective patient care in the ED.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effects of infant feeding decisions on infant growth.

ISSUES AND PURPOSE: To determine the effects of feeding decisions on infant growth in the first 6 months of life. DESIGN AND METHODS: Growth measurements were collected twice during the first 6 months of infancy as part of a larger investigation of infant feeding practices (N = 52). RESULTS: Infants who received solid foods before the age of 4 to 6 months weighed less than those who received solid foods after 4 to 6 months. There were no differences in growth measurements between formula-fed and breast-fed infants, although breast-fed infants weighed more at birth. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Emphasize the importance of feeding breast milk (preferably) or formula only for the first 6 months. Advise parents to withhold fruit juices until the infant is at least 6 months old.

Breast Feeding↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Parents' beliefs about children and gun safety.

This study sought to determine parents' beliefs about children and gun safety. A survey was sent to 230 parents of elementary age children addressing their beliefs about firearm storage, firearm safety training for children, and whether or not their child would handle a gun. Findings are based on the 82 returned surveys. Parents believed safe firearm storage was important to protect children. Only 22% of parents reported having a firearm in their home. However, of those reporting a firearm in the home, 85% did not practice safe gun storage despite reporting they believed it was important. These findings are supported by other studies that have found that parents have unrealistic perceptions about how their child will respond when a firearm is encountered. The only predictor of parents' incorrect perceptions about firearm safety training was the item "children will be safe if taught." This parental misperception provides further evidence that parents have unrealistic attitudes about children and guns.

Accident Prevention↗