Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Academy Presidents And Institutional Members, Academy Editors

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents, Academy Editors

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Seasonal Testicular Histology And Acystic Lobular Spermatogenesis In The Western Lesser Siren, Siren Intermedia Nettingi (Caudata: Sirenidae), Stanley E. Trauth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

I investigated the seasonal testicular histology and acystic lobular spermatogenesis in the Western Lesser Siren, Siren intermedia nettingi, from periodic sampling of this salamander over a span of 21 yr (1994-2015) in northeastern Arkansas. My results include the following general findings: 1) the largest testicular lobules occurred primarily in January-February during spermiogenesis and spermatozoa maturation; 2) lobular regression and spermatogenic cell recrudescence were underway by late March; 3) proliferation of secondary spermatogonia in lobules was prominent in May; 4) transformation of secondary spermatogonia into primary spermatocytes occurred by mid-July, and these cells became larger in diameter through increased nuclear …

Occupation And Time-Use: The Narratives Of One Individual With Tetraplegia, Amanda Balser

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Successful health-management habits of individuals with tetraplegia have correlated with better quality of life and occupational engagement. Objectives: Little is known about the experience of time-use during these practices and the influence these routines have on participation in other meaningful occupations. This study aimed to explore the stories an individual with tetraplegia has about time-use in health management practices, influences on time-use, and feelings about quality of life and life satisfaction. Methodology: Narrative inquiry was used to explore the stories of time-use of one individual living with tetraplegia. Findings: Eleven interpretive stories were thematically represented illustrating the complexity of …

Interprofessional Collaboration Practice Between Nurses And Occupational Therapists, Kimberly Lamke

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: There is limited research on the interprofessional relationship between occupational therapists and nurses in pediatric outpatient settings, as well as the understanding nurses have of occupational therapy. Interprofessional collaboration is a key component in pediatric client care, regardless of the setting. Interprofessional collaboration is imperative to ensure that health care teams are efficient and able to provide clients with the highest quality of care (Loy et al., 2015).

Purpose: The purpose of this Capstone is to determine how nursing students perceive occupational therapy in a pediatric setting and to examine their perceptions of the interprofessional relationship. Further, it will …

Occupational Therapists’ Clinical Reasoning In Aat With Dogs In Pediatric Therapy, Catherine C. Goodman

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to understand the clinical reasoning used by occupational therapists to select animal assisted therapy with a dog to be included in a treatment plan for their pediatric occupational therapy clients

Theoretical Framework. The Ecology of Human Performance model supports the study purpose and emphasizes the effect of a person’s context and environment on their ability to function and perform tasks.

Methods. The descriptive qualitative study used interviews of seven occupational therapy practitioners who have included dogs in therapy sessions with children. Interactive coding and theme development was employed with member checking applied to …

Understanding The Experiences Of Occupational Therapists Assessing And Treating Functional Cognition Following Stroke, Emma R. Gregg

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background. Stroke is one of the leading causes of long-term disability in the United States, with many stroke survivors experiencing cognitive impairment. Despite the prevalence and impact of cognitive impairment amongst the post stroke population, the evidence for functional cognition assessment and intervention in occupational therapy practice is not well described, and there is currently no evidence available exploring the perceptions of occupational therapists regarding functional cognition for stroke survivors.

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of occupational therapists assessing and treating functional cognition in individuals following stroke.

Methods. This qualitative descriptive study included occupational …

Effectiveness Of Electrical Stimulation In Treating Upper Extremity Pain For Older Adult Clients Residing In A Skilled Nursing Facility, Cody L. West

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: It is estimated that 55% of older adults who reside in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) have chronic pain that affects their daily function. However, limited research has been conducted on the effectiveness of electrical stimulation (e-stim) in treating upper extremity (UE) pain for the older adult population specifically.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine whether electrical stimulation can decrease UE pain in clients age 65+ residing in a SNF. A sub-question in the study was whether e-stim can improve UE functional performance in older adult clients.

Theoretical Framework: There are two guiding theoretical …

Maintaining Occupations For Long-Term Care Residents, Lara Albano

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

This Capstone project focused on client-chosen occupations and the use of client-centered evaluations and interventions for long-term care residents. Client-chosen occupations keep our clients actively engaged in therapy, gives them a sense of control, and maintains their identity. The purpose was to prepare occupational therapists to address long-term care residents’ unique occupational needs and promote participation in their chosen and meaningful occupations. It aimed to examine how occupational therapists interpret and include client-chosen occupations and occupation-based assessments in evaluations and interventions for long-term care residents in skilled nursing facilities.

Medication Use Evaluation Of Vancomycin And Clindamycin For Group B Streptococcus Prophylaxis In Labor And Delivery Patients, Michelle Gronski Pharmd, Katelin Kimler Pharmd, Bcpps

Department of Pharmacy

No abstract provided.

Medication Use Evaluation Of Antipsychotic Use In Use In Trauma Intensive Care Patients, Kimberly Sharpe Pharmd, Jason Laskosky Pharmd, Bcps

Department of Pharmacy

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of The Extrapulmonary Benefits After Initiation Of Elexacaftor/Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor In Pediatric Patients, Sara Frey Pharmd, Shae Duka Mph, Lauren Greenawald Do, Katelin Kimler Pharmd, Bcpps

Department of Pharmacy

No abstract provided.

Failure: A Heuristic Inquiry Of The Experience Of Failure Through A Nature Based Art Therapy Process, Lisa Manthe

Art Therapy | Doctoral Dissertations

The aim of this arts based study was to investigate the experience of failure during the dissertation process. Through a heuristic lens, its objective was to gain an understanding of the tacit experience of failure and the influence of a nature art based process on the understanding of failure. Failure is integral to the scientific method (Wang et al. 2019), enhancing understanding and teaching us valuable skills. Intentional engagement with our response to failure allows us to address and incorporate possibilities that are often unseen (Nelson et al., 2017). The art process illuminates tacit knowledge, unearthing creative solutions and untapped …

Improving Cognitive Decline For Persons Living With Dementia: Art Therapy Assessment And Interventions Based On The Expressive Therapies Continuum (Etc) Framework, Jinnie Jeon

Art Therapy | Doctoral Dissertations

This randomized controlled trial explored the impact of Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC)- based art therapy interventions for older adults with dementia living in a complex care home. The trial examined the efficacy of 10 art therapy intervention sessions over 4 months, comparing results with an active control group that participated in 10 art sessions. Pre- and post-assessments, including the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clock Drawing Test (CDT), and the Older People’s Quality of Life (OPQOL-Brief) questionnaires, were conducted. Results demonstrated that participants displayed similar visual expression elements, shared preferences for specific media types, and equivalent ETC-based intervention entry levels. In …

Reading By Ear: Music Teachers' Roles In And Attitudes About Identifying Students With Dyslexia In Kentucky's Public School System, Alison Ward Brown

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Identifying students with literacy disabilities, such as dyslexia, efficiently in public schools is crucial for early intervention. Literacy and musical skills share common neurological pathways, so music educators possess a skill set that could be advantageous in screening students. This study utilized a descriptive research design to identify music educators’ roles in the identification of students with dyslexia/reading disabilities in Kentucky’s public schools, and their attitudes about those roles. Data was collected through a survey completed by Kentucky public school music teachers. Results indicated that 92% of respondents had not participated in the screening process for children with literacy disorders/dyslexia …

Independence, Weight And Priority Of Evidence For Sentience, Elizabeth Irvine

Animal Sentience

This commentary maps out relationships of dependency between the criteria proposed in the target article (Crump et al. 2022), identifying the criteria that carry most of the weight of the evidence, and suggesting which criteria should have priority in research on sentience.

Addressing Procedure Cancellation In Elective Surgeries, Vicky Marie Deuboue

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

When conducting elective surgeries, one of the challenges that healthcare providers experience is procedure cancellation. Across various healthcare settings, practitioners are employing relevant strategies to reduce the prevalence of procedure cancellations. The gap addressed in this project was the impact of calling patients to remind them to stay away from NSAIDs and blood thinners a few days prior to elective surgeries to avoid procedure cancellation. The administration of NSAIDs and blood thinners within that period may result in excessive bleeding in patients, which requires attention to improve elective surgery procedure outcomes. Erroneous administration of blood thinners too close to surgical …

Attitudes And Perceptions Of Nursing Graduates Regarding Interest In Gerontological Nursing Practice, Sonia Millicent Donaldson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAn ongoing increase in the number of older adults means an increased need for specialized health care, creating, in turn, a need for an increase in nurses in the United States to meet the demand. However, there is a problem in that nursing graduates, from the time they are students, do not choose geriatric-gerontological nursing (GN) as is practiced in long-term care and some specialty areas or units. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore nursing graduates’ perceptions of GN as a field for professional practice and to determine how interest in GN may be encouraged. The …

Weight Management Among Postpartum African-Born Immigrant Women In Texas, Ethel Emehel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The growing population of postpartum African-born immigrant women has contributed significantly to the high burden of obesity and poor maternal health outcomes in the state of Texas; however, there is little research on this population. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of weight management among postpartum African-born immigrant women in Texas based on the concepts of the health belief model. Semistructured interviews sparked the life experience of postpartum weight management of African-born immigrant women ages 18–45 who had a baby within the last year and suffered postpartum overweight or obesity. Interviews were audio-recorded …

Focused Surrogate Decision-Maker Identification In The Traumatically Injured Adult, Kelly Ann Evans

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPatients in the trauma care setting are often dependent on their families and physicians to decide medical treatments when they cannot participate in the process.But in up to one-third of cases, the surrogate decision-maker (SDM)selected by the patient is not the emergency contact listed in the electronic medical record (EMR).SDM identification and documentation will ensure that the patient is best represented by someone who knows their values and goals if they become incapacitated.Nurses can facilitate identifying a patient’s SDM and document this choice in the EMR.The purpose of this study was a staff education program to improve intensive care unit …

Development Of Staff Education On Improved Compliance Adherence In Sleep Apnea, Mayla F. Garcia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increasing prevalence of sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects approximately 25% of adults in the United States and an estimated 34% of men and 17% of women in the primary care population. In the clinical project site, the practice problem involved the increasing clinicians’ knowledge about OSA and being able to implement screening tools for further treatment and evaluation. The purpose of this project was to develop an educational training and intervention for staff to increase their knowledge of OSA conditions and have it validated by a panel of experts before dispersing it to the intended …

Differential Impact Of Static Lung Compliance On Need For Reintubation In Mechanically Ventilated Covid-19 Positive And Negative Patients, L A. Abplanalp, F Ionescu, O Gomez Rojas, E Castillo, G B. Nair

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Rationale: The decision to liberate from mechanical ventilation (MV) remains the result of multi-disciplinary discussion based on imperfect clinical tools such as the rapid shallow breathing index and spontaneous breathing trials. We have previously shown that static lung compliance (Cp) can help identify patients at high risk of reintubation despite meeting traditional criteria. In this study, we hypothesized that low Cp may not explain the reintubation risk in the distinct pathophysiologic scenario of COVID-19. Methods: This was a retrospective, multi-center analysis of COVID-19-negative (Dec. 2017-Dec. 2019) and -positive patients (Mar.-Oct. 2020) who required MV and were liberated during the same …

Hex Of The Dex: Dexmedetomidine Induced Malignant Hyperthermia In Myotonic Dystrophy, K Almerico, T Salimnia, S Dogra

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Dexmedetomidine is an alpha2 agonist that has been shown to have anxiolytic, analgesic, and sedative properties making it a popular medication in the intensive care unit. Over the years, its use has become more widespread. Thus, there have been more adverse events, most notably hypotension and bradycardia. Over the past few years the side effect of hyperthermia has grown to recognition with various case reports being documented. We report a case of dexmedetomidine induced malignant hyperthermia (MH) up to 42.2 degrees Celsius in a patient with underlying myotonic dystrophy that resolved within 24 hours of discontinuing the medication. The patient …

Pulmonary Cement Emboli: An Underreported Phenomenon Or Rare Kyphoplasty Complication, A Cimino, A Alchakaki

Conference Presentation Abstracts

Kyphoplasty is an intervention to treat and stabilize painful vertebral compression fractures by injecting Polymethymethacrylate (PMMA) cement in the vertebral cavity. It has become increasingly important procedure in pathologic compression fracture treatment. Pulmonary cement embolism (PCE) happens by leakage of cement through the venous plexus or retrograde migration in the arterial vessels to aorta. It was reported as a rare complication of this procedure (3.5%) but others have suggested that because of paucity in symptoms, PCE is often overlooked and can happen in up to 28.6% of kyphoplasty patients. PCE cause a wide spectrum of symptoms ranging from asymptomatic to …

Evaluation Of Vancomycin Based On Risk Factors In Emergent And Critically Ill Patients, Morgan Ragsdale, Lisa Hal Zimmerman, Elizabeth Messana, Derek Volgyi

Conference Presentation Abstracts

INTRODUCTION: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are associated with prolonged hospital length of stay and mortality rates up to 20%. Risk factors for MRSA and presumed type of infection often guide vancomycin prescribing. This study evaluated the presence of MRSA risk factors in emergent and critically ill patients who received vancomycin therapy. METHODS: This retrospective study evaluated emergent and critically ill patients who received vancomycin for at least 24 hours for a presumed infection from 1/2020—3/2020. Patients were excluded if vancomycin was administered for surgical prophylaxis. Patients were divided into groups: MRSA Risk (MRSA-R) vs MRSA No Risk (MRSA-NR). MRSA …

Tpn-Induced Excipient Lung Disease, Tanza Salimnia, Raashi Chawla, Rameen Ghandchi, Dhiviyan Valentine, Ping Zhang, Christopher Dado, Paul Bozyk

Conference Presentation Abstracts

INTRODUCTION: Patient is a 73 year old female with past medical history of colon cancer status post colectomy/ ileostomy with ileal conduit on chronic total parenteral nutrition (TPN) who presented to the hospital for fatigue and hypotension. She reported that the night prior, she had an 8 hour lapse in her memory and a sensation of dyspnea. In the ED, she was hypotensive and hypoxic. CTA of the chest was notable for a small and nonocclusive right lower lobe embolism, massive right heart strain with RV/LV 1.5 as well as innumerable bilateral centrilobular micronodules. The above findings were not present …

Risk Factors Contributing To Urinary Tract Infections (Uti) In Neonates, Jennifer V. Harshman

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Urinary tract infections (UTI) in neonates are caused by many types of risk factors such as increased length of maternal labor, physiologic maternal conditions, prematurity, and decreased birth weight. Identification of potential risk factors for UTI in neonates can lead to rapid assessment and early interventions to treat urinary infection in the neonate before it transitions to a severe or life-threatening condition, such as a kidney infection or septicemia.

The primary purpose of this literature review was to examine risk factors predisposing neonates to UTI. The secondary purpose was to identify if length of time to drug therapy used to …

The Effects Of Delayed Initial Bathing In Newborns, Danielle Nitzachon

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Delayed bathing of the newborn infant for twenty-four hours after birth can decrease potential newborn complications such as hypoglycemia, hypothermia, and improve the infants skin integrity and breastfeeding rates. The primary purpose of this literature review was to examine the health benefits of delaying initial bathing in newborns for twenty-four hours. A comprehensive review of the literature was performed using peer-reviewed, research articles from multiple databases focusing on delayed infant bathing after birth and health benefits. 15 articles met the inclusion criteria and answered the research questions. Two studies showed the effects of vernix caseosa on improved skin integrity and …

Evaluating Non-Pharmaceutical Sleep Hygiene Interventions For The Prevention Of Delirium And Improvement In Sleep Quality In Critical Care, Sonja L. Colby

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Patients admitted to an adult intensive care unit (ICU) are at risk of developing an acute condition known as ICU delirium, which can impact patients’ length of hospital stay and increase short term and 6-month mortality. The cause of ICU delirium is multifactorial, and lack of quality sleep is a known risk factor. Patients’ sleep in the ICU is frequently interrupted by clinicians involved in their care and equipment alarms. Sleep hygiene interventions to minimize these interruptions for the patient are one strategy to reduce the risk of ICU delirium. Examples of sleep hygiene interventions include eye masks, earplugs, and …

Obstetrical Nursing Care And Cesarean Section Delivery Rates In Laboring Women: An Integrative Review Of Literature, Ayana Cornelius

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: There is a documented overuse of C-sections (CS) in the United States. The majority of research surrounding CS overuse focuses on the physician’s role, location (state, city, hospital), hospital policies, and the reason why the CS is being performed. Little research focuses on the nurse’s influence on CS outcomes, although nurses spend the longest amount of time with the patient. Methods: Data for this literature review examined 13 research articles between 1992 to present, exploring factors relating to the overuse of CS, specifically, data relating to the correlation between CS and the nurse’s role. Results: Recent research has shown …