Preoperative Stress: An Operating Room Nurse Intervention Assessment.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research study was to determine the effect of preoperative visits by the operating room (OR) nurse on patient stress levels before undergoing surgery. DESIGN: This research was a quasi-experimental study. METHODS: The research sample included patients (N = 179) who were hospitalized for surgery during 6 months in the general surgery department of a public hospital in the Eastern Black Sea Region. The OR nurse, part of the medical staff for surgery, visited patients in the experimental group 1 day before surgery. The OR nurse collected information that was consistent with the requirements of the patients. Patients in the control group were provided with preoperative care that was consistent with hospital procedure. Research data were collected using question forms, patient satisfaction scores, and Burford Distress Thermometer scale. Statistical evaluations included t tests and receiver operating characteristic analysis for independent groups. FINDING: Most patients stated that they felt stressed because of the impending surgery. Patients made the following most common statements of the factors that caused stress; fear of unknown, anesthesia phobia, and fear of OR environment and complications that may occur during surgery. Patients in both groups experienced a significant decrease in postoperative stress levels. The perceived distress in the experimental group was significantly lower than the control group during the postoperative period. Patients in the experimental group reported that the OR nurse's visit effectively minimized their stress levels. CONCLUSIONS: OR nurse visits to patients before surgery contributed to decreased preoperative stress levels.

A 48-month randomized controlled trial of caries prevention effect of a one-time application of glass ionomer sealant versus resin sealant.

The aim of this study was to compare the caries prevention effectiveness, retention rates and the level of fluoride of saliva of a glassionomer sealant (GIS) with that of a resin-based sealant (RS). Eighty GIS and 80RS were placed on the first permanent molars in 40 children aged 7-10 years. Children were re-examined at 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 months after the procedure. Saliva samples were collected before the sealant was applied and again at each appointment, and fluoride levels were measured. After 48 months, occlusal caries were seen in 4 and 12 teeth in GIS and RS groups respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in the fluoride levels of saliva between baseline and up to 12th month in GIS group. GISs presented effective prevention of caries development, even though the failure rate is higher when compared to the RSs. An increased salivary fluoride level due to GISs might be an additive effect on the prevention of dental caries.

Dental Fluorosis and Catalase Immunoreactivity of the Brain Tissues in Rats Exposed to High Fluoride Pre- and Postnatally.

This study evaluated dental fluorosis of the incisors and immunoreactivity in the brain tissues of rats given chronic fluoride doses pre- and postnatally. Female rats were given drinking water with 0, 30 or 100 ppm fluoride ad libitum throughout gestation and the nursing period. In addition, 63 male offspring were treated with the same water regimens as the mothers after weaning and were followed for 1, 3 or 5 months. The upper and lower incisors were collected, and all teeth were examined under a stereomicroscope and scored by two blinded examiners using a modified rodent enamel fluorosis index. Cortical, hippocampal and cerebellar brain samples were evaluated morphologically and immunohistochemically. All fluoride-treated pups were born with low body weight (p = 0.001). All animals from the fluoride groups had enamel fluorosis with defects of various degrees. The increase in the dental fluorosis scores in the fluoride treatment groups was significant (p < 0.01). The catalase immunoreactivity in the 30- and 100-ppm fluoride groups was significantly higher than that in the controls after 1, 3 and 5 months (p < 0.001). In conclusion, this study showed that rats with dental fluorosis had catalase immunoreactivity in the brain tissues, which may reflect the neurobehavioral toxicity of fluoride.