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Biomedical subjects

Wendy M Fallis

Publications and source records attributed to Wendy M Fallis.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Effectiveness of femoral nerve blockade for pain control after total knee arthroplasty.

Control of postoperative pain is a major concern for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this study was to investigate pain control and opioid use, as well as length of stay, ambulation time, antiemetic use, and degree of mobilization for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty, comparing those receiving femoral nerve block (FNB) to those receiving no femoral nerve block. Using retrospective patient record data, 133 subjects from an acute care community hospital in western Canada were split into three groups: no FNB (control group, n = 49), single-shot FNB (n = 33), and continuous FNB (n = 51). There was a statistically significant improvement in pain control on day of surgery for the FNB group compared with the no-FNB group, and reduction in opioid usage on days 0, 1, and 2 in the continuous FNB group compared with the no-FNB and single-shot group. Also noted was a statistically significant reduction in antiemetic use in the FNB compared with the no-FNB group on the day after surgery. This study is in accordance with earlier studies that support continuous FNB as an effective method for achieving postoperative pain control and reducing opioid use for patients undergoing TKA.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

On "modeling parties".

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Education, Nursing, Graduate↗
PubMed2002

Monitoring bladder temperatures in the OR.

Temperature monitoring via the urinary bladder has become common in the OR, often replacing monitoring at the rectal site. A systematic, integrated review and synthesis of the literature was undertaken to assess the validity of using the urinary bladder as a site for temperature measurement in the OR. During steady thermal states, bladder temperature performed well, providing temperatures similar to those of core sites. In contrast, poor performance was demonstrated during rapid thermal changes, such as during the rapid cooling and rewarming phases of cardiopulmonary bypass. At such times, a significant lag in response rate at the bladder site was noted by multiple investigators. This delayed responsiveness during thermally dynamic states, however, may provide information regarding the adequacy of rewarming during bypass at sites intermediate between the core and periphery. Limited research indicates that urinary bladder temperature may be influenced by urine flow rate, and additional research is required in this area. The cost effectiveness of this method of temperature measurement requires investigation as well.

Body Temperature↗
PubMed2002

Monitoring urinary bladder temperature in the intensive care unit: state of the science.

Body temperature of patients in critical care units can be monitored with a variety of devices and at a variety of body sites. In recent years, monitoring of urinary bladder temperature has become more common. Temperature-sensing indwelling urinary catheters allow continuous drainage of urine and continuous measurement of body temperature. This article provides a comprehensive and critical review of research undertaken in intensive care units to compare body temperatures measured in the urinary bladder with temperatures measured at a core site, the pulmonary artery. The studies support the use of urinary bladder temperature as a reliable index of core temperature during times of thermal stability. For critically ill patients who are already under considerable stress and whose condition necessitates the use of an indwelling urinary catheter, bladder temperature monitoring is an easy and convenient method that eliminates the need to use alternative sites. Further studies on the effects of shivering and urinary flow rate on temperatures measured in the bladder in critical care patients are needed. The economics of monitoring urinary bladder temperature also should be studied.

Body Temperature↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of urine flow rate on urinary bladder temperature in critically ill adults.

OBJECTIVE: This study determined the effect of urine flow rate on bladder temperature in critically ill adults. DESIGN: The design was pretest-posttest quasi-experimental. SETTING: The study took place at a tertiary care center in western Washington. PATIENTS: Convenience sampling resulted in an intervention group of 35 and a control group of 25 patients who had undergone cardiac surgery. INTERVENTION: A diuretic, administered intravenously as part of usual postoperative care, provided variation in the urine flow rate. METHODS: Urinary bladder temperature (UBT), pulmonary artery temperature (PAT), and urine flow rate data were collected at 2-minute intervals for 60 minutes preintervention and 60 minutes postintervention. RESULTS: Unlike the control group, who experienced no significant change in mean urine flow rate or gradient (0.00 degrees C) from prephase to postphase, the intervention group experienced both a significant and close to 10-fold increase in urine flow rate ( P < .001) and a significant decrease (0.09 degrees C) in mean UBT-PAT gradient ( P < .001). The change in gradient experienced by the intervention group compared with the control group was the result of a net heat loss of 0.05 degrees C in UBT and a net heat gain of 0.04 degrees C in PAT. CONCLUSIONS: Although statistically significant, the mean change in UBT-PAT gradient between the intervention and control groups was not clinically important, indicating that bladder temperature remains reliable even with significant changes in urine flow rate.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Maternal and newborn outcomes related to maternal warming during cesarean delivery.

OBJECTIVE: To compare two methods of maternal warming during cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia on maternal and newborn outcomes. DESIGN: Randomized control trial. SETTING: Two acute care hospitals in central Canada. PATIENTS: 62 women (32 intervention, 30 control). INTERVENTIONS: Women received either a forced-air warming blanket (intervention) or usual care warmed cotton blankets (control). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: For mothers: oral temperature, degree of shivering, thermal comfort, and pain scores. For newborns: rectal temperature at birth, 1- and 5-minute Apgar scores, and frequency of interventions for hypoglycemia within 3 hours of birth. RESULTS: With the exception of perceived thermal comfort, women in the two groups were not significantly different in terms of oral temperature, incidence of shivering, and pain scores. Similarly, newborns in both groups were not significantly different in terms of any of the measured variables. Although newborn rectal temperature was within the normal range, mothers in both groups showed a significant decline in body temperature to the mild hypothermic range (control 36.7 +/- 0.4 degrees C to 35.9 +/- 0.5 degrees C, p < .001; intervention 36.8 +/- 0.4 degrees C to 36.1 +/- 0.4 degrees C, p < .001). CONCLUSION: The usual treatment of supplying warmed cotton blankets remains the treatment of choice for this population.

Adult↗