Effects of recliner-chair versus traditional hospital bed on postsurgical diagnostic laparoscopic recovery time

Autonomic responses to pressure sensitivity of head, face and neck: Heart rate and skin conductance

Subjective scales are frequently used in the design process of head-related products to assess pressure discomfort. Nevertheless, some users lack fundamental cognitive and motor abilities (e.g., paralyzed patients). Therefore, it is vital to find non-verbal measurements of pressure discomfort and pressure pain. This study gathered the autonomic response data (heart rate and skin conductance) of 30 landmarks in head, neck and face from 31 participants experiencing pressure discomfort and pressure pain. The results indicate that pressure stimulation can change heart rate (HR) and skin conductance (SC). SC can be more useful in assessing pressure discomfort than HR for specific landmarks, and SC also possesses a faster arousal rate than HR. Moreover, HR decreased in response to pressure stimulation, while SC decreased followed by an increase. In comparisons between genders, the subjective pressure discomfort threshold (PDT) and pressure pain threshold (PPT) of women were lower than those of men, but men's autonomic responses (HR and SC) were more intense. Furthermore, there was no linear correlation between subjective pressure thresholds (PDT and PPT) and autonomic response intensity. This study has significant implications for resolving ergonomic issues (pressure discomfort and pain) associated with head-related products.

Turkish Version of Kolcaba's Immobilization Comfort Questionnaire: A Validity and Reliability Study

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Immobilization Comfort Questionnaire (ICQ).

METHODS

The sample used in this methodological study consisted of 121 patients undergoing lower extremity arthroscopy in a training and research hospital. The validity study of the questionnaire assessed language validity, structural validity and criterion validity. Structural validity was evaluated via exploratory factor analysis. Criterion validity was evaluated by assessing the correlation between the visual analog scale (VAS) scores (i.e., the comfort and pain VAS scores) and the ICQ scores using Spearman's correlation test. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin coefficient and Bartlett's test of sphericity were used to determine the suitability of the data for factor analysis. Internal consistency was evaluated to determine reliability. The data were analyzed with SPSS version 15.00 for Windows. Descriptive statistics were presented as frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations. A p value ≤ .05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

A moderate positive correlation was found between the ICQ scores and the VAS comfort scores; a moderate negative correlation was found between the ICQ and the VAS pain measures in the criterion validity analysis. Cronbach α values of .75 and .82 were found for the first and second measurements, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study reveal that the ICQ is a valid and reliable tool for assessing the comfort of patients in Turkey who are immobilized because of lower extremity orthopedic problems.

Comfort and its measurement--a literature review

PURPOSE

This review aims to identify measures suitable for evaluation of physical comfort in a range of clinical settings or specialised areas.

METHOD

A review of literature included articles that evaluated an intervention, position, equipment or surface for comfort or discomfort. Electronic databases, hand searches and internet sources were used.

RESULTS

In addition to several theoretical papers on comfort, 29 studies were identified that used 'comfort' or 'discomfort' as outcomes. There was a lack of consistency in measurement of comfort and researchers used a wide range of different scales and tools. Objective and subjective measures are described. The impact of symptoms, environmental variables and emotional factors was generally not considered. Two instruments evaluating subjective comfort or discomfort were identified that have been carefully developed and psychometrically tested. Both have potential for use in clinical practice and research - one developed for wheelchair seating and one for wearable computers. Suggestions for clinical evaluation of comfort based on the research and theoretical papers regarding measurement scales are made.

CONCLUSION

Further work on development and validation of comfort assessment tools for other applications is needed.

Research in the perianesthesia setting: The basics of getting started

Research can be defined as a process that systematically investigates a situation with the objective of expanding the existing knowledge of a profession. Research asks the question "Does what we do as nurses help or hinder?" The purpose of this article is to provide a brief history of nursing research and to review basic research methods. In addition, examples of potential research projects focused in the perianesthesia practice arena will be explored. Practical steps will be outlined to guide novice nurse researchers in their early endeavors.