Cardiovascular Diseases Commons^™

The Effects Of Interleukin-1Β On Cardiac Reserve And Exercise Capacity In The Mouse, Habeebah Z. Vohra

Theses and Dissertations

Heart failure (HF) is characterized by dyspnea, fatigue, and exercise intolerance. Clinical evidence points to increased interleukin-1β (IL-1β) activity in patients with HF, with an IL-1 blockade improving the exercise capacity in HF patients. In healthy mice, recombinant-mouse IL-1β (rmIL-1β) induces acute systolic dysfunction, peaking 4 hours after administration. However, the direct effects of rmIL-1β on exercise capacity are unknown. We hypothesized that rmIL-1β diminishes the exercise capacity in the mouse. Adult mice were trained to run on a treadmill and exercise capacity was assessed before, 4 hours, and 96 hours after intraperitoneal administration of rmIL-1β (3 μg/kg) or vehicle …

Incidence And Predictor Variables Of Pressure Injuries In Patients Undergoing Ventricular Assist Device And Total Artificial Heart Surgeries: An Eight-Year Retrospective Review, Christopher T. Brindle

Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND

Cardiac surgery patients have some of the highest reported incidence and prevalence of pressure injuries (PI). A growing subset of cardiac surgery include patients with end-stage heart failure who undergo ventricular assist device (VAD) or total artificial heart (TAH) surgery. The risk of PI and their natural history of development in this population are unknown and the specific risk factors for PI development remain unexplored.

OBJECTIVES

To perform a systematic review of the literature to identify the incidence and risk factors of PI development in patients undergoing VAD-TAH surgery and thereby inform study design and variables in an eight-year …

A Structured Telephonic Transition Program For Heart Failure Patients, Julia E. Robinson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

HF is a fatal condition affecting more than 5 million Americans leading to frequent hospitalizations, poor quality of life and death. The annual cost to the healthcare system is approximately $38 billion, ranking HF as one of the costliest conditions to manage. Significant evidence exists that HF self-care management programs improve patient self-care and decrease HF-related readmissions. Current guidelines recommend health professionals provide comprehensive HF education focused on knowledge, skills of management, and self-care behaviors.

The Iowa Model of Evidence Based Practice provided the foundation for the practice change. Structured telephonic support (STS) was based on Bandura’s Self- Efficacy behavior …