Biomedical subjects

Maggi Banning

Publications and source records attributed to Maggi Banning.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: clinical signs and infections.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a pathological condition that involves excessive production of mucus, chronic cough and inflammatory changes leading to airway limitation. The most common cause of COPD is cigarette smoking. COPD can be categorized into either chronic bronchitis or emphysema; both conditions can be differentiated by age and the production of copious, tenacious sputum. Patients with COPD are susceptible to pulmonary infections of bacterial or viral origin. Nurses should be aware of the subtle differences in conditions and the usefulness of antibiotics in the treatment of acute bacterial exacerbations of chronic bronchitis.

Bronchitis, Chronic↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Bacteria and the gastrointestinal tract: beneficial and harmful effects.

Bacteria are unique microorganisms that have a variety of physiological functions which are beneficial to human beings. However, bacteria can also be harmful and cause infections if translocated from the gastrointestinal tract to the epithelial tissue following surgery. The process of translocation can lead to surgical wounds becoming contaminated with gastrointestinal microbes such as Escherichia coli, Proteus or Klebsiella species. Bacteria can also cause severe gastrointestinal infections as a consequence of the ingestion of contaminated food. Food-borne bacterial infections can lead to serious consequences for the patient. Nurses managing the care of surgical patients and older people need to be aware of the physiological role that bacteria play but also the detrimental effects of bacterial translocation or ingestion particularly in older people, infants and people who are immunosuppressed.

Bacteria↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Nursing research: perspectives on critical thinking.

Critical thinking is an important component of professional practice. It is the hallmark of the competent nursing practitioner and yet there is no consensus on its definition, teaching or learning strategies of critical thinking skills in nursing students. Although critical thinking appears to be desirable at all levels of nursing practice, evidence to support its educational development in nurses appears to be limited. If educators are to prepare nurses to become leaders in their profession, the educational development of these essential skills in nurses needs to be addressed.

Assertiveness↗