Applied nursing research : ANR
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Although early identification of pregnant women who are at risk for severe preeclampsia may help reduce maternal-perinatal sequelae, an adequate screening test for this disorder has not been described. The purpose of this study was to determine if a group of women (n = 57) who developed severe preeclampsia had a higher midtrimester mean arterial pressure (MAP-2) than a matched group of women (n = 57) who remained normotensive throughout pregnancy and the puerperium. It was found that women who developed severe preeclampsia had a significantly higher MAP-2 than normotensive women and significantly more preeclamptic subjects had an MAP-2 > or = 85 mmHg than did control subjects. Thus, an elevated MAP-2 may help identify women who are at risk for the development of severe preeclampsia.
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Knowledge of the nature, meaning, and impact of suffering from the perspective of people with rheumatoid arthritis is needed to determine what nursing interventions are most helpful in reducing suffering. Grounded theory was used to identify the nature of suffering in 14 people with rheumatoid arthritis. Suffering was found to be a process directed toward regaining normalcy and consisted of three phases: disintegration of self; the shattered self; and reconstruction of self. ⋯ Finding meaning through positive life changes was an outcome of suffering. The informants' differentiation between pain and suffering also was examined. The provision of comfort measures along with a caring and empathetic attitude were identified as helpful nursing interventions in reducing suffering.