Journal of Neuroscience Nursing articles from December 2003

Journal of Neuroscience Nursing archives from December 2003

Changing the culture of blame.(Editorial)(Editorial)
December 1, 2003... Consider this scenario. While looking through a patient's chart, a nurse finds a dose of vasopressin that is 10 times the required dose recorded as being given a few hours earlier. Was the dose actually given, or was it a recording error? An...

Letter to the editor.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2003... Dear Editor: In the article, "Periventricular Leukomalacia: Pathophysiologic Concerns Due to Immature Development of the Brain" (Roscigno, C.I. [2002]. Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, 34[6], 296-302), ischemia is discussed as a potential...

A deadly prion disease: fatal familial insomnia.
December 1, 2003... Abstract: Fatal familial insomnia (FFI) is an inherited disease caused by a mutation in the protein prion gene. Symptoms of FFI closely resemble those of familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, making genetic testing and histological examination of...

The psychosocial impact of late-stage Parkinson's disease.
December 1, 2003... Abstract: The late stage of Parkinson's disease (PD) can be protracted with inexorable changes in physical and mental health, loss of autonomy and self-esteem, altered relationships, and social isolation. Severely affected patients (Hoehn &...

Cognitive symptoms and correlates of physical disability in individuals with multiple sclerosis.
December 1, 2003... Abstract: Them are inconsistencies in the literature regarding the prevalence of cognitive impairment among individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). The purpose of this study was to examine perceived cognitive impairment in secondary...

Pharmacologic management of cancer pain.
December 1, 2003... Abstract: Chronic malignant pain is experienced by as many as 80% of patients with cancer. While these patients may experience either nociceptive or neuropathic pain, oftentimes a mixed presentation is encountered. Nociceptive pain may respond...

The fundamentals of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
December 1, 2003... Abstract: Since the discovery of a variant form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), the human form of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, researchers have been persistent in their search for the way in which this disease manifests itself in...

The pharmacologic treatment of vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage: a case study.(Pharmacology update)
December 1, 2003... L.R., a 28-year-old female, was watching television with her husband when she experienced a generalized tonic/clonic seizure. She had no significant past medical history and no history of seizures. She was brought to the emergency department...

Bispectral index monitoring in the neurointensive care unit.(Clinical Corner)
December 1, 2003... Monitoring adequate sedation levels in the patient who is chemically paralyzed or in a barbiturate (pentobarbital) induced coma is a complicated process. Although laboratory values can help clarify the picture, they are good only for the time...

NSAIDs and Alzheimer's disease.(Horizons)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Several recent studies have suggested that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) provide protection against the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). A meta-analysis of these studies supports this idea. While aspirin use was...

Memantine for moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease.(Horizons)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Although therapy for early Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been available for years, a new therapy has been investigated for late-stage disease. Overstimulation of the N-methyl-Dasparatate (NMDA) receptors has been implicated in AD; an NMDA...

Candesartran for acute ischemic stroke.(Horizons)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... It has been suggested that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin type 1 receptor blockers (ARBs) have benefit beyond control of blood pressure. Studies have shown improved outcome following myocardial infarction with...

When a patient refuses food and fluid.(Horizons)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Refusal of food and fluids for terminal patients is an acceptable alternative to assisted suicide for terminally ill patients, yet few reports about the experiences with this approach are available. In Oregon, physician-assisted suicide is...

New Topiramate warnings.(Horizons)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The manufacturer of Topiramate (Topamax), Ortho-McNeil, has updated its prescribing information on this drug, according to a notice from the FDA and the MedWatch safety and adverse event reporting system. As with many new drugs, further adverse...

Low-intensity warfarin therapy.(Horizons)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Standard prevention for recurrent deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is 3-12 months of warfarin therapy with a target INR of 2.0-3.0. However, long-term management carries the potential for serious consequences. Thus, a study was undertaken to...