Pediatrics Archives - Page 5 of 7

April Issue: Delirium in Hospitalized Children, Lyme Disease Basics, Ostomy Care, More

The April issue of AJN is now live. Here are some of the articles we’re pleased to have a chance to publish this month.

CE: Original Research: Recognizing Delirium in Hospitalized Children: A Systemic Review of the Evidence on Risk Factors and Characteristics

Among the key findings of this review was that delirium is multifactorial,
related to treatment (such as mechanical ventilation) and to a hospital
environment (such as the pediatric ICU) that deprives patients of normal
sleep–wake cycles and familiar routines.

CE: Lyme Disease: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

The authors describe the clinical features of Lyme disease, the appropriate use of diagnostic tests, the recommended treatment, and evidence-based strategies for preventing tick-borne diseases nurses can share with patients.

Environments and Health: The Great London Smog of 1952

Over five days in December 1952, smog engulfed London, killing up to 12,000 people. This article discusses the disaster’s impact on human health and subsequent pollution legislation—including the U.S. Clean Air Act—and its implications for nurses today, as dangerous air quality events continue and environmental regulations are increasingly under threat.

Supporting Family Caregivers: No Longer Home Alone: Ostomy Care at Home

The authors offer practical guidance, including an informational tear sheet and an instructional

Diane Szulecki, editor2018-04-02T09:22:34-04:00April 2nd, 2018|Nursing|0 Comments

New Warnings About Protecting Children from Dangerous Substances in the Home

Photo © Istock.

As we report in a June news article, findings from several recent studies have underscored the importance of educating parents on how to keep younger children as well as older adolescents safe from exposure to dangerous substances they might accidentally ingest or deliberately seek out. Nurses can talk to parents about safe storage, ask questions about the presence of potentially hazardous substances in the home, and provide information about risks and precautions.

MARIJUANA

A study of the National Poison Data System found an increase in the rate of marijuana exposure (including edible products) among children younger than six. The rates were higher in states that had legalized the use of marijuana—an implication to be aware of as more states do the same.

HAND SANITIZERS

Another study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, identified health risks in young children who had ingested alcohol-based hand sanitizers. The researchers drew attention to dangers associated with inadequate safety precautions when these products are used with young children, as well as the possibility that older children might abuse them. […]

Diane Szulecki, editor2017-06-12T09:32:38-04:00June 12th, 2017|Nursing, pediatrics|0 Comments

The Nurse Who Saw Me: Easing the Strain of a Mother’s Vigil

“The Nurse Who Saw Me,” the Reflections essay in the May issue of AJN, is by JR Fenn, a writer and lecturer in upstate New York. The author, who is not a nurse, describes a night of uncertainty she spent in an isolation room on a pediatric unit with her sick daughter.

This is the kind of writing that helps a reader understand the perspective of a scared parent in a disorienting and uncomfortable environment. The care is efficient, and the clinicians she encounters all seem to be doing the right things for her baby. But reassurance is not immediately forthcoming, as we see in this passage from near the beginning:

The attending looks at us over her white mask when I ask if my daughter is going to be OK. ‘There isn’t the research for babies this young,’ she says, her eyes so huge I can see my terrified face reflected in them. I can’t ask any more questions because my throat has swelled closed as I fight tears.

[…]

Jacob Molyneux, senior editor/blog editor2017-05-10T11:09:22-04:00May 10th, 2017|Nursing, patient experience|0 Comments

Home for Christmas: Flight Nursing and the Symbols of Hope

The Helm of Awe /courtesy of the author

As nurses, we all have patients who stick with us. I’ve thought of Henry many times since we transferred him six months ago from Dublin to an American hospital to undergo groundbreaking treatment or acute lymphocytic leukemia.

His prognosis was poor—a fact he was well aware of. He’d told his father he wanted to “be done.” He’d had enough of hospitals and the medicine that didn’t cure him and only made him feel worse. He was ambulatory and stable from a medical standpoint, but had the drawn and haggard look of the chronically ill. Most disturbing was his reticence. There was none of the enthusiasm I’d expect from a 12-year-old riding across the Atlantic in a Learjet—he couldn’t even be coaxed to lean into the cockpit.

The only time he perked up was when we landed for fuel in Keflavik, Iceland. He sat up and gazed out the window on our approach, looking interested in his surroundings for the first time. I found out from his dad that he’d missed a school trip to the island due to his cancer, and I started telling him all I knew of Iceland, which wasn’t much. At that time, I had never […]

Marcy Phipps, BSN, RN, CCRN, CFRN2017-07-27T11:49:54-04:00December 20th, 2016|Nursing, nursing stories|0 Comments

AJN November Issue News: Maternal Mortality, Nurses’ Salaries, Double Mastectomy, More

AJN’s monthly news section covers timely and important research and policy stories that are relevant to the nursing world. Here are some of the stories you’ll find in our current issue (news articles in AJN are free access):

Photo by Dennis MacDonald / Alamy Stock Photo.

Maternal Mortality in U.S. on the Rise

In 48 states and the District of Columbia, the maternal mortality rate increased by 26.6% between 2000 and 2014. (Texas was analyzed separately; its rate doubled between 2010 and 2012.) California–which saw a decline in maternal deaths–was the exception. While there’s no clear cause for the increase, researchers have several ideas about factors that may have prompted it.