Biomedical subjects

S J Barton

Publications and source records attributed to S J Barton.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Promoting family-centered care with foster families.

There has been a tremendous increase in the need for foster families since the 1980s largely because of the effects of drug abuse on the child and the biological family. As many as 500,000 children are currently living with foster families. Many children living with foster families were exposed to drugs before birth. Even those not exposed before birth demonstrate the effects of having lived with drug-abusing family members. Family life for these children is very often chaotic and unpredictable. There are increased health care needs for foster children due to drug-exposure and neglect. Yet, research suggests that the health care needs of foster children are often neglected. Foster families report that their concerns and needs are, frequently, neither recognized nor addressed by health professionals. Pediatric nurses can improve health care by increasing their awareness of the special needs of foster families and foster children.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prenatal cocaine exposure: implications for practice, policy development, and needs for future research.

Terms such as coke babies and crack babies are appearing with increased frequency in the popular literature. Although the number of babies exposed to cocaine in utero has increased, synthesis of the literature to help determine the manifestations of cocaine exposure or to direct research on the problems experienced by cocaine-exposed infants and their care givers has yet to occur. In this analysis a synthesis of the literature related to the effects of perinatal cocaine exposure is provided. The manifestations, effects, and sequelae of cocaine exposure are explicated and a model is proposed to explain the mechanisms underlying physiologic and psychosocial expressions of exposure. Both time of exposure during gestation and dose relationships were identified as major predictor variables. Recommendations include the need for (1) an individualized intervention protocol and (2) prevention programs directed at pregnant women and women of childbearing age.

Cocaine↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A comparison of reagent strips and the refractometer for measurement of urine specific gravity in hospitalized children.

Pediatric nurses in acute care settings routinely test urine for specific gravity, pH, glucose, protein, and other substances. In one tertiary care facility, nurses used the refractometer to test urine specific gravity and the reagent strip to test for other substances. This study was designed to provide data to determine if the reagent strip and the refractometer were interchangeable for measuring urine specific gravity in pediatric clients. Nurses obtained urine for specific gravity testing in 157 pediatric patients ranging in age from 1 day to 16 years. Each urine specimen was tested twice, once using the refractometer and once with the reagent strip. A Bland-Altman plot was used to determine the extent of agreement between the two measurement methods. The plot showed strong agreement between the two methods across a wide range of values for urine specific gravity. As a result of this study, staff nurses decided to use the reagent strip for urine specific gravity when other urine tests are needed and to use the refractometer when only a specific gravity is needed. This decision has resulted in a time savings for nurses who now do not have to repeat a reagent strip measurement. The decision also resulted in a savings of approximately $1200 in purchase of new refractometers for a newly constructed unit.

Adolescent↗