Digital Commons Network^™

Epidemiology, Outcomes And Tolerability Of Protracted Treatment Of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infections At A Community Teaching Hospital In The Southeastern United States, Yuwei Vivian Tsai, Carolina Derrick, Ismaeel Yunusa Ph.D., Sharon Weissman, Majdi N. Al-Hasan, Julie Ann Justo Pharm.D., P. Brandon Bookstaver Pharm.D.

Faculty Publications

Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections present a treatment challenge for clinicians and patients. There are limited data about current susceptibility patterns and treatment outcomes in U.S. adults. This was a 10-year, single-center, retrospective, observational cohort study of adults with a positive NTM culture and clinical suspicion of infection between 1 January 2010 and 30 June 2020. The primary objective was to identify predictors for favorable treatment outcomes. Key secondary objectives were characterization of NTM epidemiology, susceptibility profiles, and safety and tolerability of treatment, including the proportion of subjects with an antimicrobial change and the reasons for the change. Of 250 subjects …

Nicu Nurses' Suggestions For Improving End-Of-Life Care Obstacles, Renea L. Beckstrand, Rebecca F. Isaacson, Janelle L. B. Macintosh, Karlen E. Luthy, Lacey Eden

Faculty Publications

Background: Neonatal deaths (infants less than 28 days old) account for two thirds (66.7%) of all infant deaths with most occurring in an ICU setting. NICU nurses are frequently involved in end-of-life (EOL) care and face unique obstacles.

Objective: The objective of this study was to obtain NICU nurses’ suggestions for improving obstacles in EOL care in NICUs.

Methods: Suggestions were obtained through mailed survey research in qualitative study design. Returned surveys yielded 121 nurse respondents who gave a total of 138 suggestions.

Results: A total of 10 cohesive themes were identified: (1) environmental design issues, (2) improved communication between …

The Compassion Fatigue And Resilience Connection: A Survey Of Resilience, Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, And Compassion Satisfaction Among Trauma Responders, Harvey J. Burnett Jr, Kathleen Wahl

Faculty Publications

Research has shown that compassion fatigue is associated with burnout and compassion satisfaction. Practically no studies have examined how resilience may impact these variables. This study examined how resilience is related to compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction among a convenience sample of disaster behavioral health and emergency preparedness responders (N =139) attending a training conference in Michigan. Measures included the 30-item Professional Quality of Life Scale, the 14-item Resilience Scale, and a demographic questionnaire. Seventy-two percent of the participants were at risk for compassion fatigue, while 19% were at risk for burnout. Only 22% of participants had scores indicative …

Strain Experienced By Caregivers Of Dementia Patients Receiving Palliative Care: Findings From The Palliative Excellence In Alzheimer’S Care Efforts (Peace) Program, Sadhna Diwan, Gavin W. Hougham, Greg A. Sachs

Faculty Publications

Programs that provide palliative care to individuals with dementia, which is a progressive terminal illness, are likely to encounter different issues (e.g., management of problem behaviors, caregiver strain extending over years) from those typically addressed by hospice programs. Little research is available on palliative care for individuals with dementia who live in the community.This study examines predictors of types of strain experienced by caregivers of community-dwelling patients with dementia enrolled in a unique demonstration program titled Palliative Excellence in Alzheimer Care Efforts (PEACE), which moved palliative care"upstream," integrating palliative care into the primary care of patients with dementia.Data were collected …

Escape From New York: Analyzing The State's Relative Interests In Proscribing The Withdrawal Of Life Support And Physician-Assisted Suicide, Colin Miller

Faculty Publications

This Note argues that states cannot consistently prohibit physician assisted suicide for terminally ill patients while they continue to allow the withdrawal of life support for even non-terminal patients. All of the state interests identified by the Supreme Court in rejecting a right to assisted suicide are implicated to a higher degree by withdrawal of life support. The primary reason for this difference is that withdrawal of life support often involves incompetent patients and surrogate decision making while assisted suicide by definition requires a competent patient choosing to hasten her death.