AORN journal
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Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a medical emergency that all perioperative nurses should be prepared to handle. Patients with the inherited MH trait have a rare skeletal muscle disease that causes them to develop life-threatening hyperthermia (ie, body temperatures of 43.3 degrees C [110.0 degrees F] or higher) at the time MH-triggering agents are administered to induce general anesthesia or shortly thereafter. ⋯ The MH syndrome also is characterized by continuous skeletal muscle rigidity, hypermetabolism, hypercapnia, tachypnea, and tachycardia that result in cardiac arrest and death if left untreated. Perioperative staff members' knowledge of MH, the care of MH-susceptible patients, and adequate preparation for MH crises are the cornerstones of successful patient outcomes to this life-threatening syndrome.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
The use of music during the immediate postoperative recovery period.
The most effective approach to managing patients' pain in the immediate postoperative period may include a combination of pharmacologic agents and noninvasive, nonpharmacologic interventions. In this study, nurse researchers evaluated the effect of music on pain and anxiety levels and selected physiologic parameters of two groups of patients who were emerging and recovering from anesthesia. ⋯ Patients in the control group had identical surgical procedures, received the same preoperative medications, and were managed with the same anesthesia protocol but did not listen to music in the OR or PACU. No differences existed between the two patient groups in the variables measured; however, patients in the treatment group stated that music helped them relax and functioned as a distracter.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Comparison of three rewarming methods in a postanesthesia care unit.
Postoperative hypothermia is problematic because patients in postanesthesia care units (PACUs) often feel very cold, and unrecognized or prolonged postoperative hypothermia can aggravate patients' underlying cardiovascular disorders. The researchers compared three methods of rewarming PACU patients who had undergone laparotomy procedures. Patients were assigned randomly to three groups. ⋯ Each patient in group three received the standard PACU rewarming intervention plus a reflective blanket and a reflective head covering. Nurses measured patients' vital signs on admission to the PACU and every 15 minutes thereafter until patients' sublingual temperatures reached 36 degrees C (96.8 degrees F). No significant temperature differences occurred among patients in the three groups, but an inverse relationship existed between patients' PACU admission temperatures and the time they required to reach normothermia.
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Review Case Reports
Treatment of depression with outpatient electroconvulsive therapy.
Depression is a common condition that often responds to a variety of treatment modalities. Concerns about antidepressant medications' safety and efficacy and individuals' lack of response or their problems complying with medication regimens have prompted a resurgence in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for specific mental health conditions. ⋯ Perioperative nursing care for individuals who undergo outpatient ECT is similar to the care provided to patients scheduled for ambulatory surgery. Successful performance of outpatient ECT requires collaboration by skilled perioperative nurses, psychiatrists, anesthesia care providers, affected individuals, and family members.
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Staff members at Blodgett Memorial Medical Center, Grand Rapids, Mich, developed and implemented a prototype for a new patient-centered preadmission testing (PAT) program. Using continuous improvement principles, an implementation team improved the existing PAT program by increasing patient satisfaction, reducing duplication of care and services, and avoiding delayed or canceled surgical procedures in the OR. The implementation team then designed a preprocedure learning process in which nurses performed patient assessments, coordinated information between departments, and made appropriate referrals.