Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
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J Am Acad Nurse Pract · Feb 2009
ReviewInterventions for promoting mobility in community-dwelling older adults.
The purposes of this review were to provide an updated report of intervention studies designed to enhance mobility in older adults and discuss the strengths and limitations of existing intervention studies and their implications for practice. ⋯ Prescribing regular physical activity including aerobic exercise and resistance training in a primary care setting can be a beneficial approach to minimize progression of impaired mobility in older adults. The typical dose of the physical activity prescription is 20-60 min of aerobic activity three times weekly. Adherence to mobility enhancement recommendations by older patients can be followed up by in-person interview or use of mobility monitoring tools such as exercise diary or log.
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J Am Acad Nurse Pract · Jan 2009
ReviewAssessment, management, and prevention of early childhood caries.
To discuss the role of primary care health providers in identifying infants and young children at risk for dental caries during well-child visits, in providing anticipatory guidance to parents and primary care givers of at-risk children, and in providing appropriate referrals for the timely establishment of a dental home. ⋯ Clinicians need to understand the dental caries process, including the process of enamel demineralization and remineralization, and the factors contributing to caries balance. The importance of early identification and intervention for infants and toddlers at high risk for dental caries and primary care health provider-delivered anticipatory guidance during well-child care visits cannot be overestimated.
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J Am Acad Nurse Pract · Jan 2009
ReviewPreventing coronary heart disease and stroke with aggressive statin therapy in older adults using a team management model.
The purposes of this review were to highlight recent clinical trial results on the safety and efficacy of statin therapy in adults aged 65 years and older and to examine how nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) working together with physicians as a team can better serve the needs of this fastest growing subset of the U.S. population who are at high risk for cardiovascular events including stroke. ⋯ The implementation of a multidisciplinary team approach to identify at-risk individuals and provide them with education, counseling, and effective statin treatment will aid efforts to reduce the increased risk for morbidity and mortality associated with CVD in older adults.
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J Am Acad Nurse Pract · Jan 2009
ReviewManagement of asthma: new approaches to establishing control.
The high burden of asthma indicates suboptimal control of this chronic condition. This review describes approaches for establishing asthma control based on an understanding of potential issues in the achievement and maintenance of asthma control, recent changes in asthma management guidelines that facilitate attainment of treatment goals, and the importance of the healthcare provider-patient partnership to emphasize treatment based on asthma control. ⋯ Information presented in this article will guide nurse practitioners in helping patients with asthma achieve and maintain long-term disease control.
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To provide an overview of the pathophysiology, steps in making a diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and treatment methods for vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) in young athletes. ⋯ The ability to correctly differentiate VCD from other causes of respiratory distress can lead to accurate interventions, save precious time in an acute situation, and promote long-term control of this condition.