Background Poor sleep, including insomnia, is common among patients with heart failure (HF). However, little is known about the efficacy of interventions for insomnia in this population. Prior to developing interventions, there is a need for better understanding of patient perceptions about insomnia and its treatment. Objectives To evaluate HF patients’ perceptions about 1) insomnia and its consequences; 2) predisposing, precipitating, and perpetuating factors for insomnia; 3) self-management strategies and treatments for insomnia; and 4) preferences for insomnia treatment. Methods The study, guided by the “3 P” model of insomnia, employed a parallel convergent mixed methods design in which we obtained qualitative data through focus groups and quantitative data through questionnaires (sleep quality, insomnia severity, dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep; sleep-related daytime symptoms and functional performance). Content analysis was used to evaluate themes arising from the focus group data, and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data. The results of both forms of data collection were compared and synthesized. Results HF patients perceived insomnia as having a negative impact on daytime function and comorbid health problems, pain, nocturia, and psychological factors as perpetuating factors. They viewed use of hypnotic medications as often necessary but disliked negative daytime side effects. They used a variety of strategies to manage their insomnia, but generally did not mention their sleep concerns to physicians whom they perceived as not interested in sleep. Conclusions HF patients believe insomnia is important and multi-factorial. Behavioral treatments, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, for insomnia may be efficacious in modifying perpetuating factors and likely to be acceptable to patients.

Purpose-To examine the appropriate use of arrhythmia, ischemia, and QTc interval monitoring in the acute care setting.Methods-We analyzed baseline data of the PULSE Trial, a multi-site randomized clinical trial evaluating the effect of implementing ECG monitoring practice standards. Research nurses reviewed medical records for indications for monitoring and observed if arrhythmia, ischemia, and QT interval monitoring were being done on 1,816 patients in 17 hospitals.Results-Almost all (99%) patients with an indication for arrhythmia monitoring were being monitored, but 85% of patients with no indication were monitored. Of patients with an indication for ischemia monitoring, 35% were being monitored, but 26% with no indication were being monitored Corresponding Author: Marjorie Funk, PhD, RN, Professor, Yale University School of Nursing, 100 Church Street South, PO Box 9740, New Haven, CT 06536-0740, Telephone: 203-737-2346, marjorie.funk@yale.edu. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. NIH Public Access MethodsThe PULSE Trial is a 5-year (2008-2013) multi-site randomized clinical trial to evaluate the implementation of the AHA Practice Standards for ECG Monitoring 6 on nurses' knowledge, quality of care including the appropriateness of monitoring, and patient outcomes. The intervention consists of an online ECG monitoring education program and strategies to implement and sustain change in practice, led by nurse champions on each unit. The study takes place in 17 hospitals: 15 in the United States, 1 in Ottawa, Canada, and 1 in Hong Kong, China (Table 1). All hospitals received institutional review board approval. Sites include both academic medical centers and community hospitals. Hospital units involved in the study are primarily for the treatment of cardiac surgical and medical patients. They include both intensive care units (ICUs) with "hard-wire" bedside cardiac monitoring and step-down units with "wireless" telemetry monitoring.For the baseline quality of care data, our sample consisted of 2,744 observations on 1,816 patients on these adult cardiac units. One of three research nurses, who were experienced ICU nurses with expertise in ECG monitoring, visited each site for 5 days. If time permitted, they observed patients more than once during their 5-day visit. They collected data on the use and appropriateness of monitoring by reviewing the current medical records to determine if the patient had a Class I or II indication for arrhythmia, ischemia, or QT interval monitoring. The AHA Practice Standards 6 used the following rating system for indicati...

The aim of this study was to test how practitioners’ pain communication affects the pain information provided by older adults. A posttest only double blind experiment was used to test how the phrasing of practitioners’ pain questions, open-ended and without social desirability bias; closed-ended and without social desirability bias; or open-ended and with social desirability bias, affected the pain information provided by 312 community living older adults with osteoarthritis pain. Older adults were randomly assigned to one of the three pain phrasing conditions to watch and orally respond to a computer displayed videotape of a practitioner asking about their pain. All responded to a second videotape of the practitioner asking if there was anything further they wanted to communicate. Lastly all responded to a third videotape asking if there was anything further they want to communicate about their pain. Transcripts of the audio taped responses were content analyzed using 16 a priori criteria from national guidelines to identify important pain information for osteoarthritis pain management. Older adults described significantly more pain information in response to the open-ended question without social desirability. The two follow up questions elicited significant additional information for all three groups, but did not compensate for the initial reduced pain information from the closed-ended and social desirability biased groups. Initial use of an open-ended pain question without social desirability bias and use of follow-up questions significantly increases the amount of important pain information provided by older adults with osteoarthritis pain.

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In addiction patient with Pad were more likely to have chronic total occlusion (Cto) (36% vs 24%, p = .002) and not-protected left main (18% vs 8%, p < .001). Clinical outcome at the time of follow-up (61±9.9 months) was as follows: Revascularization (43% vs 29%, p = .001), Cardiac death (20% vs 7%, p < .001), Mace (63% vs 40%, p < .001). Conclusion: This long-term registry shows that PAD remains an important clinical condition that influences the long-term outcome of patients undergoing PCI with stent implantation. Future research should investigate whether aggressive lifestyle changes, new drugs, and short-term clinical follow-up can reduce the substantial cardiovascular risk of subjects with Pad.