J Psychosoc Nurs Men
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Despite the sophisticated pharmaceutical agents and technologies available today, many people, including older adults, continue to experience chronic pain. Inadequately treated chronic pain can seriously affect one's quality of life. Health care providers are only beginning to understand the structural and functional changes that occur in older adults with chronic pain, but recent research suggests that nurses and other health professionals need to become aware of the unique needs of older adults who live with chronic pain. When health professionals lack specific knowledge of pain management in older adults, patients may suffer needlessly.
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J Psychosoc Nurs Men · Dec 2011
A critical evaluation of the cardiac toxicity of citalopram: part 2.
In August 2011, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration issued a drug safety communication that the antidepressant drug citalopram (Celexa®) should not be used at dosages greater than 40 mg per day (or greater than 20 mg per day for patients 60 and older) because higher doses have been associated with abnormal heart rhythms. ⋯ High DDCT concentrations have been associated with QT interval prolongation in beagle dogs. Therapeutic drug monitoring study data suggest that routine or even high oral doses of citalopram are unlikely to result in cardiotoxic concentrations of the DDCT metabolite. Based on evidence taken from a wide variety of studies, the citalopram dose limitations described in the safety announcement do not have strong clinical justification.
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Energy drinks are attractive and readily available in every grocery store and gas station. While most youth verbalize an understanding that too much caffeine is bad for one's health, at an age of multiple demands, an over-the-counter offer of increased energy and alertness is hard to ignore. What makes energy drinks different from regular coffee? Although the heavily caffeinated drinks promise increased energy and stamina and are loaded with healthy natural ingredients, excessive consumption is of concern on many levels. This article will discuss some of the effects of excessive caffeine, as well as risks associated with energy drinks mixed with alcohol.
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The recent and steady rise in the U. S. obesity index has resulted in a consumer-driven market for more effective treatment interventions for the morbidly obese population. ⋯ To provide optimal treatment and consumer education, psychiatric nurses need to be well informed about the psychological and physiological aspects of these surgical procedures. This article clarifies six common misconceptions related to weight loss surgery.
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J Psychosoc Nurs Men · Nov 2011
The crisis intervention team: a revolutionary tool for law enforcement: the psychiatric-mental health nursing perspective.
Effective management of people who are in mental health crisis in the community has gained national concern from the standpoint of law enforcement. This article addresses a revolutionary concept known as the Crisis Intervention Team, which teaches law enforcement personnel how to safely approach and de-escalate people who are experiencing a mental health crisis and get them safely to treatment.