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Biomedical subjects

M Schaffner

Publications and source records attributed to M Schaffner.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

A comparison of the erosive potential of different beverages in primary and permanent teeth using an in vitro model.

The aim of this study was to compare the erosive potential of different beverages and foodstuffs in primary and permanent teeth. Sixty primary and 60 permanent human teeth were immersed for 3 min in the solution under study (5 teeth per treatment group). Surface microhardness was measured before and after exposure. Initial (baseline) surface microhardness was lower for primary teeth than for permanent teeth. In both primary and permanent teeth, Sprite showed the highest decrease in surface microhardness, whereas yogurt showed an increase in surface microhardness in the primary teeth. Overall decrease was 27.2 +/- 17.5 KHN (mean +/- SD) for primary and 25.9 +/- 15.6 KHN for permanent teeth. The comparison of the erosive susceptibility in this in vitro model showed that primary teeth were not more susceptible to erosion compared to permanent teeth.

Beverages↗
PubMed1995

Effect of prophylactic fluconazole on the frequency of fungal infections, amphotericin B use, and health care costs in patients undergoing intensive chemotherapy for hematologic neoplasias.

Fungal infections are a major problem in patients with hematologic malignancy. Attempts to reduce their frequency with antifungal agents have not been successful. A double-blind, controlled, single-center trial was conducted with 96 consecutive patients undergoing 154 episodes of chemotherapy. Patients received 400 mg of fluconazole or placebo until bone marrow recovery or initiation of intravenous amphotericin B infusions. End points were amphotericin B use, fungal infection, stable neutrophil count > 0.5 x 10(9)/L, toxicity precluding further fluconazole use, and death. By Kaplan-Meier estimation, the time to initiation of amphotericin B therapy was shorter in 76 patients treated with placebo than in 75 treated with fluconazole (P = .003). Also, fluconazole reduced the number of febrile days by 20% (P = .002) and prevented oropharyngeal candidiasis (1/75 vs. 9/76, P = .018). The frequency of deep mycoses (8/76 vs. 8/75) and outcome were unaffected. Fluconazole did not have a favorable effect on infection-related health care costs and was associated with prolonged severe neutropenia (P = .01).

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Developing an abstract and plan for presenting at education programs.

Presenters at the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates education programs are now being asked to submit abstracts on the proposed topic for presentation. In this article the author discusses the steps in planning and developing a presentation as well as submitting an abstract for consideration.

Abstracting and Indexing↗
PubMed1994

Healthcare reform: impact on gastrointestinal endoscopy units.

Healthcare costs, which now comprise 13.4% of the United States gross national product, continue to increase. President Clinton has placed healthcare reform on the national agenda, sparking nationwide debate. The President's plan will have an impact on all healthcare providers. As a result of this proposal, changes in the health care delivery system are occurring. The endoscopy setting will not be immune to these changes. In this article, the authors explore the possible impact of healthcare reform on nurses in general and, in particular, nurses in the endoscopy setting.

Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal↗
PubMed1993

Infection control aspects for office endoscopy.

While preventing cross-infection has always been important, the current epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus has brought about a greater awareness that infection control standards should be the same regardless of the practice setting. This article discusses infection control practices in office endoscopy including cleaning of endoscopes and the issues surrounding disposable and nondisposable accessories. Staff safety and government agency regulations are also reviewed.

Disinfection↗
PubMed1993

Recruitment and retention of GI nurses: hiring, firing, and surviving.

Nursing turnover is costly for GI units, both financially and emotionally. The emphasis at Duke University Medical Center is changing from recruitment of GI nurses to searching for methods of retaining staff and building team morale. Recruitment and retention survey results are discussed in this article and retention strategies presented.

Career Mobility↗
PubMed1993

Epidemiology and risk factors of wedge-shaped defects in a Swiss population.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of wedge-shaped abrasion defects in the teeth of an adult Swiss population. 980 letters explaining the study were sent to randomly selected subjects. 391 persons (40%) belonging to two age groups (26-30 and 46-50 years) were checked for frequency and severity of wedge-shaped lesions on all buccal tooth surfaces. Furthermore patients were asked about dietary and prophylactic habits as well as other factors possibly relevant to this study. The frequency of severe wedge-shaped defects was 19.1% in the younger, and 47.2% in the older age group, with a mean of 3 affected teeth per person (pooled age group). On average, 34.8% of all patients suffered from tooth hypersensitivity. 84.6% of the examinees with wedge-shaped defects complained of hypersensitivity at these sites. It is concluded that wedge-shaped defects cause considerable problems to more than one third of the population, and that such lesions are often combined with hypersensitivity of affected teeth.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Expandable metal mesh stents: a solution for the clogging problem?

Endoscopic stent placement is a well established treatment for biliary obstruction. The known disadvantage of plastic stents is their tendency to clog. This article describes another approach to treating biliary obstruction secondary to malignant neoplasms using the expandable metallic Wallstent endoprosthesis.

Cholestasis↗
PubMed1991

Helpful hints for endoscopic biliary stenting.

At Duke University Medical Center approximately 1,000 endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography procedures are completed per year. Hints for biliary stenting have been developed. This article is meant to provide the GI nurse/associate with a quick reference when assisting with stent placement.

Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde↗
PubMed1991

Dental erosion in a population of Swiss adults.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of dental erosion in an adult population in Switzerland. 391 randomly selected persons from two age groups (26-30 and 46-50 yr) were examined for frequency and severity of erosion on all tooth surfaces. Information was gathered by interview about lifestyle, dietary and oral health habits. For facial surfaces 7.7% of the younger age group and 13.2% of the older age group showed at least one tooth affected with erosion with involvement of dentin (grade 2). 3.5 teeth per person in the younger and 2.8 teeth per person in the older age group were affected. Occlusally, at least one severe erosion was observed in 29.9% of the younger and 42.6% of the older sample with 3.2 and 3.9 erosion-affected teeth per person, respectively. 3.6% of the younger age group and 6.1% of the older age group showed slight lingual erosion on the maxillary anterior teeth. Severe lingual erosions were scarce. Data from interviews and multiple regression analyses revealed that acids from beverages are significantly associated with presence of erosion.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Interviewing, orientation and evaluation.

Interviewing, orientation and evaluation of staff are probably three of the most important and challenging tasks of any manager. This paper will discuss these processes and how they can be of value in the GI Unit.

Endoscopy↗
PubMed1990

Infection control issues in the gastrointestinal endoscopy unit.

The gastroenterology nurse is an integral member of the patient care team with a wide range of responsibilities combining the role of patient care manager with technical responsibilities for the use of complex equipment. With the increase in diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy has come a keener awareness of what constitutes proper cleaning and disinfecting of endoscopes and endoscopic accessories as well as general aspects of infection control.

Cross Infection↗