Although there has been some discussion in the literature of the psychological responses of spouses during acute and chronic illness, the needs of the spouse and how these may affect psychosocial intervention at the time of acute thermal injury have not been assessed. The behavioral responses of spouses of 25 consecutive burn patients, analyzed retrospectively, were categorized in terms of the manner in which they related to the clinical nurse specialist and other members of the burn team. Three main types are described: Poor Relators, Good Relators, and Over-Relators; the last group comprised two subgroups, the Clingers and the Pseudo-Relators. These interactional styles required specific assessment and management approaches, which are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Constant observation in the general hospital.

Constant observation (CO) is a technique in which continuous one-to-one monitoring is used to assure the safety and well-being of an individual patient or others. This study reviewed 115 patient charts in a tertiary-care hospital to determine the correlates and predictors of the financial cost of CO. The mean duration for CO was 13.9 days with a median of 7.5 days. The cost average was $3,415 per incident with a range of $144-$68,500. The median cost was $1,872. The most common diagnosis was organic mental syndrome. Significant predictors of CO were disorientation, psychiatric medication used, and absence of alcohol use.

Adolescent↗