This University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing study on the early discharge of very low birthweight infants led to a care model that saves over $18,000 per infant. The benefits to the institution as a whole, however, have been far greater. They include enhanced faculty and student recruitment as well as $700,000 in indirect cost recovery.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗

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Pharmacological responses to dopamine in isolated guinea-pig cardiovascular tissues: mechanisms of action.

The mechanisms responsible for the positive inotropic, positive chronotropic and vasoconstrictor responses to dopamine in isolated guinea-pig cardiovascular tissues have been investigated in the present study. Since dopamine is the immediate precursor of noradrenaline, the role of noradrenaline in the pharmacological responses after addition of dopamine has been assessed. In isolated, contracting right ventricular papillary muscles, dopamine-induced positive inotropy (-log EC50, 4.77 +/- 0.06) was unaltered by incubation with dopamine antagonists (SCH 23390, domperidone), alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists (prazosin, yohimbine), or an inhibitor of uptake1 (cocaine). Practolol (selective beta 1-adrenoceptor antagonist) and ICI 118,551 (selective beta 2-adrenoceptor antagonist) were noncompetitive antagonists to dopamine. Block of vesicular uptake by reserpine antagonized the positive inotropic responses to dopamine (-log EC50, 4.03 +/- 0.05) but not to noradrenaline; these responses were antagonized by both practolol and ICI 118,551. Chemical sympathectomy by 6-hydroxydopamine antagonized the responses to dopamine (-log EC50, 3.76 +/- 0.11) but potentiated the responses to noradrenaline (-log EC50, 7.35 +/- 0.07). Inhibition of monoamine oxidase with pargyline potentiated the responses to dopamine (-log EC50, 6.05 +/- 0.04) and noradrenaline; the potentiation of dopamine responses was unaffected by chemical sympathectomy. Inhibition of dopamine beta-hydroxylase with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate antagonized the inotropic responses to dopamine (-log EC50, 4.36 +/- 0.05) but not to noradrenaline. Similar results were obtained in guinea-pig left atria (positive inotropy) and right atria (positive chronotropy), except that chemical sympathectomy failed to affect the chronotropic responses. In thoracic aortic rings, dopamine contracted vascular smooth muscle by direct partial agonism of alpha 1-adrenoceptors, without involvement of dopamine beta-hydroxylase. Thus, there is antagonism of the cardiac, but not the vascular responses to dopamine by inhibition of dopamine beta-hydroxylase. This shows that the conversion of dopamine to noradrenaline is important in the inotropic and chronotropic responses, but not the vascular responses to dopamine.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

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Transplant program expands: sic regional ambulatory clinics planned.

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Aftercare↗

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Laughter: the best medicine.

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Adaptation, Psychological↗

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Smoking program focuses on smoking awareness.

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British Columbia↗

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Working for a health environment.

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British Columbia↗

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Transcutaneous bilirubinometer: an instrument for clinical research.

The transcutaneous bilirubinometer can be an effective instrument for clinical research. With neonatal jaundice occurring in approximately 50-75% of newborns, nurse researchers investigating many important issues surrounding this commonly occurring condition will find the bilirubinometer useful in screening for jaundice, testing effectiveness of various therapeutic modalities, and evaluating clinical progress. This article presents a review of the literature reporting reliability and validity of meter findings and makes recommendations for meter use.

Bilirubin↗

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Programs aim at keeping nurses happy in the workplace.

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British Columbia↗

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B.C.'s organ transplant programs come of age.

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British Columbia↗

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Sex education and AIDS education in the schools: what states and large school districts are doing.

Four-fifths of the states either require or encourage the teaching of sex education in the public schools, and nearly nine in 10 large school districts across the United States support such instruction. All but four states and virtually every large school district support the provision of AIDS education, and backing for instruction about sexually transmitted diseases and about abstinence is nearly as widespread. Fewer states and districts (two-thirds and four-fifths, respectively) require or encourage the schools to teach about pregnancy prevention. Examination of state and district curricula indicates that large school districts tend to be bolder than the states in the range of sex-related topics covered, especially in the area of pregnancy prevention. Districts also offer local educators more support (through curricula, training and other activities) than do the states. Finally, AIDS education appears to be receiving more attention and funding from both the states and the local school districts than is sex education.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

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