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Biomedical subjects

Lisa Schulmeister

Publications and source records attributed to Lisa Schulmeister.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Preventing vincristine administration errors: Does evidence support minibag infusions?

Although vincristine sulfate is indicated for IV use only, it has been inadvertently administered intrathecally. Accidental vincristine administration via the spinal route (intrathecally via a lumbar puncture or intraventricularly via an Ommaya reservoir) causes rapid sensory and motor dysfunction, usually followed by encephalopathy, coma, and death (Schulmeister, 2004). Autopsy findings include grossly edematous and congested brain and spinal cord tissue, with axonal degeneration and myelin loss of the spinal nerves (Kwack et al., 1999; Williams et al., 1983).

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Look-alike, sound-alike oncology medications.

Confusing medication names and packaging may cause or contribute to potentially harmful medication errors. The names of several chemotherapy and supportive agents can look or sound like the names of other chemotherapy agents or unrelated medications and can be inadvertently interchanged, or mixed up. Poor handwriting, abbreviations of medication names, unclear verbal medication orders, memory lapses, and the large volume of medications currently in use are risk factors for look-alike, sound-alike medication errors. Risk reduction strategies include being aware of medications that look or sound like other medications, installing pop-up alerts in computer systems, prescribing medications by their generic and trade names, placing eye-catching labels and warning stickers on storage bins, storing medications in nonadjacent areas, and advising patients to be alert for potential mix-ups with look-alike, sound-alike medications.

Abbreviations as Topic↗
PubMed2006

Failure mode and effect analysis: a technique to prevent chemotherapy errors.

Complex, multidrug chemotherapy protocols commonly are administered to patients with cancer. At every step of the chemotherapy administration process, from the point that chemotherapy is ordered to the point that it is infused and beyond, potential for error exists. FMEA, a proactive process that promotes systematic thinking about the safety of patient care, is a risk analysis technique that can be used to evaluate the process of chemotherapy administration. Error prevention is an ongoing quality improvement process that requires institutional commitment and support, and nurses play a vital role in the process.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed2006

Preventing chemotherapy errors.

A large amount of information on chemotherapy error prevention is available to the practicing oncologist. However, few oncologists have the time and resources to obtain the information and evaluate the evidence. Further, much of the information is generic and does not provide specific direction on how the information can be applied in clinical practice. This manuscript reviews principles of safe chemotherapy administration, identifies key actions to prevent chemotherapy errors, and provides suggestions on how the information can be incorporated into daily practice.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed2005

Quality of life, quality of care, and patient satisfaction: perceptions of patients undergoing outpatient autologous stem cell transplantation.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To further expand the limited body of knowledge of the perceptions of quality of life (QOL), quality of care, and patient satisfaction among patients who receive high-dose chemotherapy with an autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) on an outpatient basis. DESIGN: Descriptive longitudinal. SETTING: Nine clinical sites associated with a national oncology practice management network in locations across the United States. SAMPLE: 36 patients scheduled to receive high-dose chemotherapy with ASCT selected by nonprobability consecutive sampling. METHODS: Subjects completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Bone Marrow Transplant (FACT-BMT) before high-dose chemotherapy, four to six weeks postchemotherapy, and six months postchemotherapy. An independent nurse researcher conducted telephone interviews about the treatment experience, perceptions of quality of care, and satisfaction with care. FACT-BMT data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of variance, and qualitative data about perceptions of care were analyzed using Giorgis methodologic reduction. Bivariate associations were made between overall degree of satisfaction with care and QOL as measured by the FACT-BMT. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Clinical outcome, QOL, patient satisfaction, and patient perceptions of care quality. FINDINGS: Mean FACT-BMT scores were lower one month post-treatment than at baseline and highest six months post-treatment. Subjects with progressive disease reported lower QOL at one and six months post-treatment, noted more complaints, and ranked their satisfaction with care lower than subjects with no evidence of disease. Subjects offered ASCT program improvement recommendations in the areas of communication, information, nursing care, ancillary needs assistance, ancillary agencies, and survivor support. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the QOL of patients undergoing outpatient high-dose chemotherapy with ASCT decreased post-treatment but increased to levels higher than those found at pretreatment by six months. A good clinical outcome following high-dose chemotherapy and ASCT was associated with higher QOL and greater satisfaction with care. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Knowledge of the outpatient ASCT experience and its effect on QOL can be used to further refine the content and timing of educational and supportive interventions for patients undergoing ASCT. Information about patients satisfaction with treatment and perceptions of quality of care provides insight about their expectations and perceived needs and can be used to redesign outpatient ASCT programs.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed2005

Ten simple strategies to prevent chemotherapy errors.

Safety experts currently recommend using technology to prevent medication errors. Computerized prescriber order entry, automated medication-dispensing machines, and bar coding are a few of the technologies being advocated to promote safety. Simple, easily implemented safety strategies to prevent chemotherapy errors should not be overlooked and include consistent use of a reliable method to verify patient identity, metric measurement, and workplace illumination and organization. Other strategies are elimination of abbreviations and acronyms, provision of up-to-date information at the point of care, and partnering with patients for safety. These strategies can be customized for use in a variety of practice settings. Oncology nurses are at the forefront of chemotherapy error-prevention initiatives and play a key role in implementing safety measures.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed2004

Preventing vincristine sulfate medication errors.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To review the clinical pharmacology of vincristine sulfate, describe three types of medication errors associated with its use, and suggest strategies for vincristine sulfate medication error prevention. DATA SOURCES: Published books and journal articles, online newsletters and documents, pharmaceutical manufacturers package inserts, and personal experience. DATA SYNTHESIS: Medication errors involving vincristine sulfate include overdosage (wrong dose), name confusion (wrong drug), and incorrect administration (wrong route). CONCLUSIONS: Vincristine medication errors are preventable errors that usually result in serious patient harm and often are lethal. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Nurses need to be aware of the types of medication errors that can occur with chemotherapy agents and be familiar with clinical signs and symptoms associated with these errors. Nurses also need to promote patient safety by implementing specific strategies to prevent vincristine medication errors.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Medication misadventure in cancer care.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the nature and scope of the problem of medication errors in health care, with specific implications for error reduction and prevention. DATA SOURCES: Articles and research studies. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the complexity of chemotherapeutic regimens, requirements for supportive care drugs, and the physiologic vulnerability of patients due to their malignancies and intensive therapies, patients with cancer should be the focus of interdisciplinary medication error prevention programs. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Nurses play a critical role in patient safety and the implementation of preventive and risk-reducing interventions to improve the drug delivery process.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed2002

Searching for information for presentations and publications.

Numerous information sources are available to the clinical nurse specialist preparing a presentation or writing a manuscript for publication. However, searching through this information to identify reputable sources and reliable data can be time consuming. Using a search plan that incorporates a timeline increases efficiency and helps visualize progress. A targeted search of biomedical databases, such as MEDLINE and PubMed, retrieves pertinent journal articles and avoids the "hit-and-miss" approach often used by novice speakers and authors. Information should be reviewed and organized soon after it is obtained so that more time can be spent writing and less time spent locating a specific reference or piece of information. The information can then be arranged in the order of the presentation or manuscript to facilitate the preparation process.

Databases, Bibliographic↗