AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To reveal the existence of alarms in COVID-19 intensive care units, where med... more AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To reveal the existence of alarms in COVID-19 intensive care units, where medical devices with alarm function are frequently used, the effects of alarms on nurses, especially their on-the-job performances and social lives, and their coping methods. METHODOLOGY/METHODS This was a mixed design, including descriptive and qualitative research methods with two stages, and was carried out between March and April 2021. The study adhered to the STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies and the COREQ guidelines for qualitative studies. SETTING Nurses in the COVID-19 intensive care unit of a university hospital constituted the sample. 58 nurses participated in the quantitative data phase, and 18 nurses in the qualitative interviews. RESULTS More than half of the nurses worked in the COVID-19 intensive care unit for more than 5 months and overtime, and 87.9 had day and night shifts. The monthly income level of 65.5% was between the hunger and poverty lines, and 12.1 % received psychiatric support in the last 6 months. A positive and significant relationship was found between the mean score obtained from the alarm fatigue questionnaire and the level of discomfort felt due to the alarms (1-10 points) (p = 0.001). Five themes and thirty sub-themes were emerged in the focus group interviews. CONCLUSION The number of alarms of the medical devices in the COVID-19 intensive care units was more than the other intensive care units, resulting in fatigue in nurses. Since alarm fatigue is directly related to patient safety, the effective management of medical device alarms can reduce alarm fatigue and prevent potentially dangerous outcomes. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Nurses care for patients with severe clinical conditions in COVID-19 intensive care units. This situation caused them to be exposed to more alarms. Nurses should make efforts to reduce their alarm intensity.
Introduction: Frailty syndrome, which affects the quality of life negatively in patients of 65 ye... more Introduction: Frailty syndrome, which affects the quality of life negatively in patients of 65 years old and over, can be observed from physical inactivity to immobility, and can affect cognitive disorders. General symptoms of frailty are; slowing walking speed, involuntary weight loss, decreased appetite, decreased body mass index (BMI), decreased muscle strength, feeling insufficient while doing physical activity, weakness, fatigue, impaired cognitive functions, and memory loss. Fragility is reversible, but if it is not noticed earlier it can progress to immobility or death. Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) is important in detecting a frail elderly. The aim of the study is to determine the knowledge level of family physicians in Erzincan. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. It is aimed to reach at least 80% of family physicians (FPs) employed actively in 73 primary care units in Erzincan. The researchers applied questionnaire face-to-face to the participants. Erzinca...
HbA1c is the marker which is used to monitor long term glycemic control and risk of complications... more HbA1c is the marker which is used to monitor long term glycemic control and risk of complications in diabetic patients. HbA1c measurement depends on life span of red blood cells. Variants of hemoglobin may cause errors in HbA1c measurement because they may shorten life span of red blood cells. As they shorten life span, low measurement levels are expected but depending on the method of measurement high levels can be obtained. This condition, can cause nondiabetic patients to be diagnosed as diabetes or can cause drug changes and hypoglycemic comas in diabetic patients. In order not to diagnose and treat such cases in a wrong way, laboratory technique should be a technique like IFCC RM or fructosamine measurement that isn't affected by asymptomatic high or low levels of hemoglobin.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To reveal the existence of alarms in COVID-19 intensive care units, where med... more AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To reveal the existence of alarms in COVID-19 intensive care units, where medical devices with alarm function are frequently used, the effects of alarms on nurses, especially their on-the-job performances and social lives, and their coping methods. METHODOLOGY/METHODS This was a mixed design, including descriptive and qualitative research methods with two stages, and was carried out between March and April 2021. The study adhered to the STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies and the COREQ guidelines for qualitative studies. SETTING Nurses in the COVID-19 intensive care unit of a university hospital constituted the sample. 58 nurses participated in the quantitative data phase, and 18 nurses in the qualitative interviews. RESULTS More than half of the nurses worked in the COVID-19 intensive care unit for more than 5 months and overtime, and 87.9 had day and night shifts. The monthly income level of 65.5% was between the hunger and poverty lines, and 12.1 % received psychiatric support in the last 6 months. A positive and significant relationship was found between the mean score obtained from the alarm fatigue questionnaire and the level of discomfort felt due to the alarms (1-10 points) (p = 0.001). Five themes and thirty sub-themes were emerged in the focus group interviews. CONCLUSION The number of alarms of the medical devices in the COVID-19 intensive care units was more than the other intensive care units, resulting in fatigue in nurses. Since alarm fatigue is directly related to patient safety, the effective management of medical device alarms can reduce alarm fatigue and prevent potentially dangerous outcomes. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Nurses care for patients with severe clinical conditions in COVID-19 intensive care units. This situation caused them to be exposed to more alarms. Nurses should make efforts to reduce their alarm intensity.
Introduction: Frailty syndrome, which affects the quality of life negatively in patients of 65 ye... more Introduction: Frailty syndrome, which affects the quality of life negatively in patients of 65 years old and over, can be observed from physical inactivity to immobility, and can affect cognitive disorders. General symptoms of frailty are; slowing walking speed, involuntary weight loss, decreased appetite, decreased body mass index (BMI), decreased muscle strength, feeling insufficient while doing physical activity, weakness, fatigue, impaired cognitive functions, and memory loss. Fragility is reversible, but if it is not noticed earlier it can progress to immobility or death. Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) is important in detecting a frail elderly. The aim of the study is to determine the knowledge level of family physicians in Erzincan. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. It is aimed to reach at least 80% of family physicians (FPs) employed actively in 73 primary care units in Erzincan. The researchers applied questionnaire face-to-face to the participants. Erzinca...
HbA1c is the marker which is used to monitor long term glycemic control and risk of complications... more HbA1c is the marker which is used to monitor long term glycemic control and risk of complications in diabetic patients. HbA1c measurement depends on life span of red blood cells. Variants of hemoglobin may cause errors in HbA1c measurement because they may shorten life span of red blood cells. As they shorten life span, low measurement levels are expected but depending on the method of measurement high levels can be obtained. This condition, can cause nondiabetic patients to be diagnosed as diabetes or can cause drug changes and hypoglycemic comas in diabetic patients. In order not to diagnose and treat such cases in a wrong way, laboratory technique should be a technique like IFCC RM or fructosamine measurement that isn't affected by asymptomatic high or low levels of hemoglobin.
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