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Proof Of Concept: The Use Of Renal Biomarkers In Critically Ill Pediatric Patients For Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, Christopher Lee Shaffer

Theses & Dissertations

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious and common complication in critically ill pediatric patients. The incidence of pediatric AKI continues to increase, especially in patients who undergo surgical correction of congenital heart defects. Serum creatinine and urine output are the most commonly used tools to assess renal function, with international guidelines standardizing AKI-definitions based upon these parameters. However, changes in serum creatinine can occur 24 hours or later after a renal insult event, delaying the diagnosis and potential interventions to reverse injury. It is critical to identify endogenous renal biomarkers within the pediatric population that are both timely and …

Treatment Anxiety Education For Pediatric Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Patients, An Evidence Based Project, Mary Nagel

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Abstract

Background

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect and affects almost 1% of all live births. Treatment anxiety is common among children with CHD who undergo multiple procedures early in their lifetime. Dramatically increased life spans for this cardiac population has led to a shift from focusing on survival to their long-term health outcomes.

Methods:

Administration of the Peds QL Cardiac Module 3.0 assesses health related quality of life (HRQOL) during annual visits to a Cardiac Neurodevelopmental (ND) Clinic by evaluating the level of Treatment Anxiety a patient experiences during healthcare appointments. The questionnaire scores are …

Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, And Maintenance Of Mobile Electronic Clinical Decision Support Tools Deployed As Part Of National Quality Improvement Projects, Ellen K. Kerns

Theses & Dissertations

Electronic clinical decision support (ECDS) tools are often developed within quality improvement (QI) projects to increase adherence with the latest clinical practice guidelines. However, the potential reach and maintenance of ECDS use beyond the time and location of their associated project are very limited. Deploying ECDS using a mobile app (mECDS) has shown the potential to be a viable method of overcoming these limitations. However, it is unclear what pattern the reach and adoption of such a tool might follow and what effect this use has on clinical practice. Our team developed an app which contained two different mECDS tools …

A Novel Approach For Increasing Blood Pressure Screening In 3-Year-Old Patients, Geoff Pollitt Rn, Dnp-C, Jean Pelski Ph.D., Aprn, Nnp-Bc

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Project Publications

Background: 16% of children ages 3-18 have high blood pressure (BP) which, if untreated, may lead to hypertension and organ damage. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screening all children for high BP, starting at age 3.

Local problem: A Vermont pediatric primary care clinic screened age 3 patients for high BP only 66.7% of the time. This quality improvement project aimed to raise rates of BP screenings by increasing the clinic staff understanding of the rationale for and confidence in performing age 3 BPs.

Methods: Surveys of clinic staff and interviews with content experts led to the creation of …