Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Apr 2021
Review Comparative StudyEvidence for Prophylactic Transfusion during Pregnancy for Women with Sickle Cell Disease.
The objective of this study was to examine prior studies on maternal and neonatal outcomes with prophylactic compared with emergent blood transfusion in pregnant women with sickle cell disease. A review of the literature was performed. Twenty-one articles were identified and included in the analysis. ⋯ Pregnancy outcomes assessed were preeclampsia, pneumonia, pyelonephritis, pain crises, intrauterine growth restriction, neonatal death, perinatal death, and maternal mortality. Women who underwent emergent transfusion were more likely than women who underwent prophylactic transfusion to have the following adverse perinatal outcomes: preterm delivery (adjusted odds ratio [aOR 2.04], 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14-3.63), pneumonia (aOR 2.98, 95% CI 1.44-6.15), pain crises (aOR 1.67, 95% CI 1.18-2.38), and perinatal death (aOR 1.84, 95% CI 1.06-3.07). Prophylactic transfusion should be reexamined as a potentially beneficial approach to the management of sickle cell disease in pregnancy.
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Southern medical journal · Apr 2021
Enhancing Patient-Provider Breastfeeding Conversations: Breastfeeding Intention and Prenatal Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy among a Sample of Pregnant Women.
The purpose of this study was to investigate and identify which sociodemographic factors may be associated with breastfeeding intention and breastfeeding self-efficacy among pregnant women. ⋯ Identifying pregnant women with low breastfeeding self-efficacy and intention and recognizing the effects of social and cultural influences on breastfeeding are vital. Healthcare providers can engage in meaningful dialog to address ways to increase social support, communication, goal-setting skills, and overcoming mental and emotional barriers.
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Southern medical journal · Apr 2021
How Do Healthcare Executives Understand and Make Decisions about Spiritual Care Provision?
This pilot study explores how healthcare leaders understand spiritual care and how that understanding informs staffing and resource decisions. ⋯ Chaplains' interactions with staff alongside patient outcomes are a contributing factor in how resources decisions are made about spiritual care.
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This study evaluated both randomized and nonrandomized trials of battlefield acupuncture for the treatment of both acute and chronic pain. Studies published between May 2016 and November 2019 were found through PubMed, the Cochrane Library, or Scopus, concerned with the treatment of pain using auricular acupuncture in accordance with battlefield acupuncture protocol. Search terms were battlefield acupuncture AND pain or auricular acupuncture AND pain. ⋯ No severe adverse events were reported. Clinicians may consider battlefield acupuncture as a safe treatment for pain while the evidence base grows; however, we conclude that widespread adoption of battlefield acupuncture will require further high-quality studies drawing from diverse settings and patient populations. In addition, future studies should attempt to achieve blinding.