Content provided in partnership with

Health Care Industry

Vitamin supplements; music; blood loss in hip surgery; Whipple's disease transmission - Evidence For Practice

AORN Journal, August, 2003 by George Allen

Supplements' effects on patient infections and well-being

Annals of Internal Medicine

March 4, 2003

Dietary supplements are used extensively throughout the United States. This randomized double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in two primary care clinics to determine the effect of a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement on infection and well-being. (1) One hundred thirty adults were stratified by age (ie, 45 to 64 years, [greater than or equal to] 65 years) and diabetes status (ie, type 2 diabetes mellitus). Participants were assigned randomly to one of two groups. The treatment group, which consisted of 63 participants, received one oral tablet containing vitamins and minerals daily for one year. The other 67 study participants received a placebo. Nutritional status was assessed from food diaries maintained by the participants, infection was determined from a daily symptom checklist diary, and well-being was determined using the Medical Outcomes Study 12-Item Short Form scale. Descriptive statistics, including univariate and multivariate analysis techniques were used to evaluate the differences between the treatment and placebo groups.

Most Popular Articles in Health: Fuel your workout: exercisers who eat before they work out have more energy ...; Soothe a dry, itchy scalp: 5 easy expert solutions; Cocktails and calories: Beer, wine and liquor calories can really add up. ...; The sour truth about apple cider vinegar - evaluation of therapeutic use; The, six best supplements you've never heard of: these secret weapons can ...; More »

Findings. Participants in the placebo group were significantly more likely to report having an infection (73% versus 43%, P < 0.001) than participants who received a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement. Significantly more participants with diabetes in the placebo group reported infections than those in the treatment group (93% versus 17%, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that the use of a multivitamin and mineral supplement had no effect on well-being as measured by the Medical Outcomes Study 12-Item Short Form scores (difference 1.02, confidence interval [CI] -2.22 to 4.2 for the treatment group and difference 0.98, CI -1.97 to 3.94 for the placebo group).

Clinical implications. Although no difference was found in well-being between the group that took a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement and the group that did not, patients with diabetes who took the daily supplements were significantly less likely to report an infection. These results strongly suggest that the use of a daily supplement can reduce the risk of infection in patients with diabetes. Perioperative nurses should consider incorporating this finding in their educational encounters with patients identified as having type 2 diabetes.

Music and patient anxiety

AORN Journal

February 2003

The use of music as a healing medium to restore, maintain, and improve emotional, physical, physiological and spiritual health and well-being dates back to ancient times. Listening to music during surgery may help the time pass more quickly, mask background noises, and divert patients' attention from the surgical procedure. The objective of this quantitative study was to assess the effectiveness of music as a relaxation technique. (2) Eighty patients scheduled for minor surgical procedures under local anesthesia in an acute care hospital in Hong Kong were assigned on alternate weeks to either a control or an experimental group. In addition to receiving routine preoperative instructions, patients in the experimental group were given a choice of taped music to listen to through headphones. Patients in the control group received only the routine preoperative instructions. The effectiveness of music as a relaxation technique was assessed by measurement of patient's vital signs. The Chinese State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was used to assess procedure-related anxiety level. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze differences between the two groups.

Findings. Patients in the group that listened to music had significantly lower anxiety scores, lower heart rates, and lower blood pressure. Paired samples to compare pretest and posttest variables for both groups revealed that patients in the experimental group demonstrated a significant decrease from pretest to posttest in the four variables: anxiety level (pretest mean [M] 53.58, standard deviation [SD] 8.88; posttest M 31.83, SD 4.97, t value 14.91, P < 0.001), heart rate (pretest M 82.50, SD 10.05; posttest M 78.13, SD 10.69; t value 3.29 P < 0.001), systolic blood pressure (t value 3.67, P < 0.001), and diastolic blood pressure (t value 2.96, P = 0.002).

Clinical implications. This study suggests that listening to slow or moderate music, a relatively inexpensive intervention, can reduce patients' anxiety. Perioperative nurses must understand, however, that the love of music is not universal. Consequently, if this intervention is chosen, an assessment of a patient's likes and dislikes in music must be undertaken first.

Blood loss predictors in hip fracture surgery

Journal of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

June 2002

Hip fractures are a common injury, especially in older adults. Such injuries generally require hospitalization and surgery. The objective of this prospective study was to identify predictors of excessive blood loss during surgical treatment for hip fractures (3) Data from 242 consecutive patients undergoing a surgical procedure for hip fractures in England were reviewed. Blood loss was assessed by noting the blood volume in the suction canisters and weighing sponges. Excessive blood loss was defined as blood loss of more than 480 mL. Variables assessed included patient demographics, preoperative hemoglobin, type of procedure, blood loss, pre-existing medical conditions, the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) score, and patients' risk of cerebral or cardiac ischemia from volume depletion as defined by the American College of Physicians (ACP). Multiple logistic regression techniques were used to analyze the variables.

Health Care Industry

Vitamin supplements; music; blood loss in hip surgery; Whipple's disease transmission - Evidence For Practice

AORN Journal, August, 2003 by George Allen

Find Research Guides for:

Find Featured Titles for: News

Most Popular Articles in Health

Most Popular Publications in Health