Having faith: experiencing coronary artery bypass grafting.

Even though coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a commonly performed procedure, it is perceived by the client as a life-threatening event. When one is faced with a crisis, spiritual issues become extremely important. The purposes of this qualitative study were to discover what the spiritual needs are for CABG clients and how these needs are met during hospitalization. Grounded theory methodology was used to accomplish these goals. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 17 adults, ages 34 to 83, who were 4 to 7 days post-CABG. Initially, the interview questions centered around how they felt when told of the need for surgery and how spiritual issues entered into that decision. From these questions a pattern emerged that led to the development of specific research questions. The major findings were that spiritual needs centered around having faith in their decision making, in the hospital staff (especially the nurses), and an overwhelming faith in God. CABG is a time of great stress, a time of feeling "pulled apart" and fragmented. Clients need to feel a sense of wholeness, not only physically and psychologically, but also spiritually. Because nurses are with clients on a consistent basis, they are able to assess and identify spiritual needs and provide needed spiritual resources. If nurses are educated to meet these needs it may help clients become more aware that nurses care about them as human beings who have a variety of needs with which the nurse is willing to assist.

Acute dimethyl sulphoxide therapy in experimental brain oedema, effect of dose and concentration on brain water and electrolyte content.

Albino rabbits with experimental brain oedema produced by a combined left hemisphere cryogenic injury and a metabolic insult by a 6-aminonicotinamide (6-ANA) were administered intravenous dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) in varying concentrations and doses in the following manner: Subgroup A (concentration response) received 1.0 g/kg bolus of a 10, 20, 30, or 40% solution. Subgroup B (dose response) received as a 20% solution a 1.0 g/kg bolus, 1.5 g/kg bolus, or 2.0 g/kg infusion. One hour following administration of the agent, the animals were killed, their brains rapidly removed by craniectomy and brain water, sodium and potassium measured. Significant decreases in brain sodium and water content in the right hemisphere were noted in both subgroups A (p less than 0.05) and B (p less than 0.005) and in the left hemisphere in subgroup B only (p less than 0.005). There is an apparent effect on brain oedema by a DMSO mediated sodium dependent water mobilization.

Acute dimethyl sulfoxide therapy in experimental brain edema: Part I. Effects on intracranial pressure, blood pressure, central venous pressure, and brain water and electrolyte content.

Albino rabbits with experimental brain edema produced by a cryogenic lesion or by a cryogenic lesion combined with a metabolic blocker, 6-aminonicotinamide, were given 1 g of a 10% solution of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) per kg by intravenous bolus. Simultaneous recording of intracranial pressure (ICP), systemic arterial pressure (SAP), and central venous pressure and electroencephalography were performed while the animals were mechanically ventilated at a constant PaCO2 (PaCO2, 38 to 42 torr). One hour after the administration of DMSO, the rabbits were killed by air embolus, and the brain was removed promptly for the determination of wet and dry weights and electrolyte content. The ICP at 15, 30, and 60 minutes after DMSO was lower in both groups; ICP was significantly lower at 30 minutes (p less than 0.5) in the cold lesion group and at 15 minutes in the combined group (p less than 0.05). These was no significant change in SAP after DMSO in either group. There was s significant reduction of brain water content after DMSO in the combined lesion group (p less than 0.005 for the left hemisphere and p less than 0.025 for the right); there was no significant reduction of water content in the group with a cold lesion only.