2270 research outputs found
Sort by
Stethoscope Hygiene and its Relationship to Healthcare Acquired Infections: A Research Proposal
Full text linkProblem: Healthcare Acquired Infections (HAIs) are an increasingly prevalent issue in healthcare. While hand hygiene is the most effective method to prevent HAIs, stethoscope hygiene may be an underutilized practice that can further prevent HAIs.
Purpose: The purpose of the research proposal is to determine if patients are more at risk of acquiring a HAI from improperly sanitized stethoscopes in comparison to stethoscopes that are cleaned in accordance with best practice methods while being treated in a hospital.
Methods: This proposal is a mixed-methods study. A 30-minute educational seminar on the importance of stethoscope hygiene and evidence-based hygiene practices will be provided to RNs on 3 separate inpatient hospital units. Participants’ Self-Evaluation of Stethoscope Hygiene survey results and incidence of HAIs will be compared pre-education and three-months post education.
Conclusion: Stethoscope hygiene is an underutilized practice to prevent the spread of HAIs. The outcome of this study is expected to be that the patients of nurses who commit to better stethoscope hygiene will have a decreased rate of HAIs. This is important due to the financial cost of HAIs on the healthcare system and the risk to the patient population
The Impact of Screen Time on Perceived Stress Score, Heart Rate, and Blood Pressure of College Students at Ohio Northern University
No full textCollege students are spending more time in front of their screens than ever. Prior research has linked high screen time to increased stress, higher blood pressure, and even depressive symptoms. This study investigated the effect of screen time on physiological stress indicators (heart rate [HR, bpm], blood pressure [mm Hg] and behavioral stress indicators (PSS-10) among 34 students, males and females, age 18-22. Student participants were grouped based on the length of daily screen time usage, namely: \u3c 6 hrs, 6-8 hrs,(control) and \u3e 8 hrs. ANOVA, followed by post-hoc t-tests showed that neither HR, mean arterial pressure (MAP) nor PSS-10 scores were significantly different between the three groups, by gender.
Despite a lack of significant data, subtle trends in MAP, HR, and PSS graphs suggest that screen time may still play a role in stress. Future research should focus on finding more participants and the impact of screen time before sleep to better understand its effects and manage their mental health more effectively
Comparison of Student Self-Efficacy and Preparedness for General Chemistry 1 in a Summer Bridge Course and a Full Semester Chemistry Prep Course
No full textThe knowledge gap between high school and higher education is a common problem in the field of discipline-based education research. This problem is particularly prevalent in general chemistry students, as students enter college with different levels of chemistry and math knowledge. Different types of bridge courses have been studied and implemented as potentially solutions to this problem. The difference in two particular interventions was investigated to determine if one is more effective in improving student performance and self efficacy: a five day, in-person summer refresher course and a semester-long preparatory course. Student preparation methods as a whole and their perceived efficacy was also explored. The two interventions were evaluated using a mixed methods approach, and included both current data and data from the past five years. Qualitative data collected included open-ended survey responses (n=33) and student interviews (n=4). For quantitative analysis, Likert scale questions from the College Chemistry Self-Efficacy survey were collected (n=33) as well as final grade data, Toledo exam scores, and high school GPA (n=33). Data from General Chemistry 1 students from the past five years was collected and analyzed, including completion of Foundations of General Chemistry or the summer chemistry refresher course at Ohio Northern University, Toledo exam scores, and final grade data. Results from this study show that students prepare for college level in multiple ways including AP courses, independent review of content, and different styles of preparatory courses. Students showed different levels of self-efficacy prior to the start of general chemistry, often based on the depth and breadth of their previous education
Can College-Age Women Identify Contraceptive Misinformation Found on TikTok?
No full textBackground/Objective(s): This research aims to investigate the ability of college-age women to identify contraceptive misinformation found on the popular social media platform TikTok. TikTok is known for its ability to rapidly spread information as increasing numbers of young women use it as a source for health-related content and advice; however, previous studies have found that videos posted to TikTok about contraception health were low quality, and contained unreliable information, mainly created by non-healthcare professionals and focusing on side effects. Viewers may lack the ability to differentiate between factual information and misinformation about contraception, leading to unintended pregnancies and increasing the possibility of sexual health-related complications. Pharmacists and student pharmacists have important roles in providing accurate information and teaching patients media literacy to combat medical misinformation.
Methods: Women involved in Greek Life on the campus of a private, Midwestern university are invited to attend an educational session regarding family planning for college-age women developed and delivered by a student pharmacist and pharmacy faculty member. Before the program, participants complete an anonymous paper survey. The survey contains both factual statements and misinformation found by the student pharmacist on TikTok to assess whether college-age women can differentiate between accurate and misleading information regarding their sexual health. It also asks participants to rate how well they think they identify false information on social media. Basic demographic information is also collected. After surveys are collected, a 45-minute educational program is delivered, covering factual information about contraception and attributes that should be analyzed to determine the quality of information found online using the SIFT framework. After the session, a brief post-test is administered to assess again how well they think they identify false information on social media, collect recall information regarding the SIFT framework, and obtain participant feedback on the program. Data collected from the surveys will be analyzed via descriptive statistics to characterize the frequency of responses and chi-square tests to examine associations between selected demographic variables and responses. Alpha is set a priori at 0.05, and missing data will be excluded from the analysis. This project is deemed exempt by the Ohio Northern University Institutional Review Board.
Preliminary Results: Data collection is ongoing as of October 2024 and will be fully collected and analyzed before the conference. Results from this project will reveal respondents’ knowledge of contraception, their ability to differentiate between correct and incorrect information found on TikTok, and will provide insight on the usefulness of such an educational program to relay skills necessary to identify medical misinformation on social media.
Implications/conclusions: As medical misinformation is often readily available on social media, it is vital for college-age women to understand the impact of social media on their knowledge and future decision-making. It is hoped that this project serves to empower college-age women to question medical information found on social media while fostering the ability to find reputable information online. Pharmacists and student pharmacists can help dispel misconceptions regarding contraception and teach women how to critically evaluate information found on social media to improve contraceptive health literacy and lifelong sexual health
Comparing Probability of Target Attainment (PTA) of bolus, extended and continuous infusions of Ceftriaxone in simulated critically ill patients with varying degrees of renal function and serum albumin concentrations
No full textBackground: Ceftriaxone (Rocephin®) is a third-generation cephalosporin with broad-spectrum activity against gram-positive and gram-negative organisms. Ceftriaxone is highly polar and extensively bound to serum albumin, thus pharmacokinetics may vary in critically ill patients due to impaired or augmented renal clearance, hypoalbuminemia, and abnormal protein binding. Our study evaluates the Probability of Target Attainment (PTA) across different renal functions and albumin levels using bolus, extended, and continuous infusions. Current guidelines recommend a 1–2 g dose over 30 minutes, but evidence for alternative infusion strategies remains insufficient.
Methods: Ceftriaxone pharmacokinetics were modeled using a two-compartment approach which incorporates saturable albumin binding and central compartment elimination. Population pharmacokinetics were derived from a multicenter study by Heffernan AJ et al. Monte Carlo simulations were conducted using Simulx2023R1 (Lixsoft SAS). Infusion methods included 30-minute, 2-hour, 3-hour, 4-hour, and continuous infusions (±500 mg loading dose). Both 1 g and 2 g doses were simulated at q24hr and q12hr intervals. Renal clearance (CrCl) values of 0, 45, 90, 130, 160, and 180 mL/min were assessed in patients with normal albumin (3.5 g/dL) and hypoalbuminemia (2.5 g/dL). Primary outcomes included %fCmin \u3e MIC at 168 hours, %fT\u3eMIC, and %fT\u3eMBC. MIC and MBC were set at 0.5 mg/L and 2.0 mg/L, respectively
Probabilistic analysis of shared bits in the context of the BB84 protocol
No full textAn essential step in the quantum key distribution protocol named BB84 (inventedby Bennett and Brassard in 1984) is the analysis of the error rate of the quantumchannel. It is customary that the sender and the receiver of the key reveal andcompare a number of exchanged bits in order to estimate the error rate. Thestatistics that applies is the hypergeometric distribution and we argue that onecan optimize the number of shared bits in order to assess the error rate with thedesired precision
PCA Pumps vs. Nurse Administered Analgesia
No full textAbstract
Problem: Post operative pain is hard to manage for most patients. The problem lies within determining the right balance between patient control and professional oversight in pain management and determining if PCA or nurse administered analgesia is most effective for ensuring optimal patient care and satisfaction.
Aim: The purpose of this study is to determine whether using PCA or nurse administered analgesia is most effective for maintaining comfortable pain levels for post-operative patients.
Methods: The method used for this study will be a prospective observational study to allow for me to gather real time data on how PCA pumps and nurse administered analgesia are utilized and the resulting patient outcomes including pain and satisfaction in a clinical setting.
Concussion: Both methods are effective for managing pain, but they offer distinct advantages and limitations that should be considered when choosing the best approach for a patient. Further studies are needed to explore the long term effects of these methods on patient recovery and health outcomes. Continued studies and advancement made in pain management technology and protocols may help influence the optimal choice for pain relief
Timing of Oxytocin Administration and Its Effect on Postpartum Hemorrhage
No full textResearch has shown that delaying uterotonics after birth can lead to an increase in postpartum hemorrhage occurrences. Postpartum hemorrhage consists of excessive blood loss after giving birth. Adherence to an oxytocin protocol may decrease the number of postpartum hemorrhage occurrences. This study is being conducted to determine if oxytocin administration immediately after delivery compared to no immediate oxytocin administration affects postpartum hemorrhage. Participants will be women giving birth at St. Rita’s Lima Hospital. The protocol consists of a continuous oxytocin infusion of 2 IU/h, which is administered within 10 minutes following delivery and will be discontinued after 24 hours. Medical charts will be reviewed by data collectors 3 months prior to the implementation of the protocol, and 3 months after the implementation to determine if the amount of postpartum hemorrhage occurrences decreases. Some of the factors being examined will be hemoglobin levels, hematocrit levels, and obvious uterine hemorrhage. This study will be beneficial for patients by possibly decreasing postpartum hemorrhage rates and maternal mortality