Critical Care Nursing Commons^™

Breathlessness Descriptors In Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Versus Congestive Heart Failure, Adelaide De Souza Caroci

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This cross-sectional descriptive study investigated breathlessness (dyspnea) in stable patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). The purpose of this study was (a) to characterize the most common terms COPD and CHF patients use to describe their breathing, (b) to identify the frequency of dyspnea in patients with COPD and CHF, and (c) to determine the intensity of dyspnea in these populations.

A purposive sample of 60 patients, 30 with moderate to severe COPD and 30 patients with moderate to severe CHF, met the inclusion criteria and were enrolled in this study. The participants provided …

Presentation And Symptom Predictors Of Coronary Heart Disease In Patients With And Without Diabetes, Marjorie Funk, Janice B. Naum, Kerry A. Milner, Deborah Chyun

Nursing Faculty Publications

The aims of this prospective, observational study were to compare: (1) symptom presentation of coronary heart disease (CHD) between patients with and without diabetes and (2) symptom predictors of CHD in patients with and without diabetes. We directly observed 528 patients with symptoms suggestive of CHD as they presented to the ED of a 900-bed cardiac referral center in the northeastern United States. There were no significant differences in symptom presentation of CHD between patients with and without diabetes, although patients with diabetes were slightly more likely to present with shortness of breath (P =.056). Patients with diabetes reported …

Sepsis Bundle Completion, Jenna Churnock

Dissertations

Background: Sepsis is a serious condition resulting in end organ damage and ultimately, death. Communication techniques for nurses and physicians on septic patients admitted to the hospital from the emergency department was evaluated. Paper communication was used in 2020 to facilitate serum diagnostic acquisition and antibiotic administration (i.e., sepsis bundle), but an electronic communication form was utilized in 2021.

Method: An observational, descriptive design utilizing a medical record review was completed to compare the same time-period in 2020 and 2021. Communication methods for sepsis bundle completion were compared.

Results: A total of 100 medical records were reviewed (N …