Journal of post anesthesia nursing
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
A comparison of tympanic and pulmonary artery measures of core temperatures.
The most accurate method of obtaining body temperature is the core temperature. Traditionally, esophageal measurements have been used in anesthetic settings. A method to assure similar accuracy for conscious patients was needed. ⋯ Mean temperature measured was 37.2 degrees C in the control group (pulmonary artery temperatures) and 37.3 degrees C in the experimental group (tympanic membrane temperatures). Using the descriptive statistic and analysis of variance, the F statistic indicated that there was no significant difference between the two groups. The null hypothesis that there is no significant difference between temperatures measured with a tympanic membrane thermometer and pulmonary artery catheter was accepted.
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New methods of postoperative pain control offer alternatives to traditional intramuscular injections of narcotic. One such method is patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), in which patients self-administer predetermined, controlled doses of intravenous narcotic "on demand." The PACU is a desirable unit in which to initiate PCA since pain is often acute in the immediate postanesthesia period. ⋯ PCA is often initiated and controlled by the anesthesia department in large institutions. However, at The Medical Center of Central Massachusetts-Memorial, the program was successfully implemented under the direction of the Nursing Department.