Journal of perianesthesia nursing : official journal of the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses
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J. Perianesth. Nurs. · Apr 2012
Reduction of preoperative anxiety in pediatric surgery patients using age-appropriate teaching interventions.
More than 5 million children in the United States undergo surgery annually. Of those 5 million children, 50% to 75% experience considerable fear and anxiety preoperatively. ⋯ Children are most susceptible to the stress of surgery owing to their limited cognitive capabilities, greater dependence on others, lack of self-control, limited life experience, and poor understanding of the health care system. This article will review the literature on preoperative interventional teaching strategies to reduce preoperative anxiety in children and discuss the methods available for evidence-based preparation of children undergoing surgery.
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J. Perianesth. Nurs. · Apr 2012
Stethoscopes as a source of hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
Stethoscopes are potential vectors of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The purpose of this project was to determine the presence of MRSA on the diaphragms of personal and unit stethoscopes within a hospital setting before and after cleaning with alcohol prep pads. The sample consisted of 141 personal and unit stethoscopes in adult medical-surgical and intensive care units of a large university hospital in the Southeast. ⋯ Bacterial growth was noted in the precleaning group, but no MRSA colonies were detected. The postcleaning group had no bacterial growth. There was not enough data to statistically support that isopropyl alcohol is effective in decreasing bacterial counts; however, these findings suggest that current disinfection guidelines are effective in preventing MRSA colonization on stethoscopes in this setting.