Sleep Quality and Associated Factors Among Survivors of Breast Cancer: From Diagnosis to One Year Postdiagnosis.

OBJECTIVES: To examine sleep quality and self-reported causes of sleep disturbance among patients with breast cancer at diagnosis and one year later. SAMPLE & SETTING: 486 of 606 patients with histologically confirmed breast cancer completed a Pittsburgh Quality Sleep Index (PSQI) survey at the time of diagnosis and again one year later. METHODS & VARIABLES: In this secondary data analysis, descriptive statistics were computed for seven PSQI components and its global score. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and McNemar's tests were used. Self-reported reasons for sleep disturbances were summarized. RESULTS: PSQI scores significantly increased from baseline (mean = 6.75) to one-year follow-up (mean= 7.12), indicating worsened sleep. Sleep disturbance and onset latency scores increased, whereas sleep efficiency decreased. The two most frequently reported reasons for sleep disturbance were waking up late in the night or early in the morning (more than 50%) and needing to use the bathroom (49%). Feeling too hot and experiencing pain three or more times per week were reported by participants at baseline and one year later. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Results can aid in monitoring patient response to treatment methods and formulating benchmarks to manage sleep problems.

The relationship between sleep and physical function in community-dwelling adults: a pilot study.

More than 50% of community-dwelling adults have sleep complaints. Because aging is associated with decline in physical function, coexistent sleep difficulties may exacerbate functional decline. This pilot study explored the relationships between sleep, age, chronic disease burden, and physical function among 50 community-dwelling older adults. Findings revealed significant relationships between total sleep time and preclinical disability (r = -0.33, P ≤ .05) and mobility difficulty (r = -0.36, P ≤ .05). A regression analysis showed that total sleep time was significantly associated with mobility difficulty and preclinical disability, even after controlling for chronic disease burden. These findings suggest that total sleep time may be a catalyst for functional decline.

Coping with preclinical disability: older women's experiences of everyday activities.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to describe coping practices used by older women during preclinical disability. DESIGN: This paper was derived from qualitative data gathered during a larger multimethod longitudinal study. Twelve women (60 to 80 years of age) participated in baseline functional performance measures and then repeated in-depth interviews and participant observations over 18 months. METHODS: A hermeneutic approach was used to interpret the in-depth interviews, participant observations, and field notes using three interrelated processes of thematic, exemplar, and identification of paradigm cases to identify coping practices. FINDINGS: Women coped with functional decline, such as difficulty getting up from the floor, in many different ways. Coping practices were grouped into five themes: resist, adapt, substitute, endure, and eliminate. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These findings suggest that nurses need to realize outward appearances may mask the level of effort required for older women to complete daily activities.

Indicators of preclinical disability: women's experiences of an aging body.

This paper is derived from a larger multimethod longitudinal study of women's bodily experiences and coping practices before the onset of disability. Twelve women participated in repeated performance measures, in-depth interviews of daily life and physically challenging events, and observations of daily activities conducted over 18 months. Interpretive phenomenological analysis of textual data showed that women's bodies provided multiple indicators or symptoms of preclinical disability. These indicators informed the women that their body was out of synch with their environment; conspicuous during social activities; and vulnerable to becoming dependent on others, technology, or assistive devices to accomplish daily activities. Greater attention to bodily indicators or symptoms may offer a practical method for clinicians to identify preclinical disability.

Perioperative blood glucose control during adult coronary artery bypass surgery.

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures are among the most frequently performed surgical procedures in the United States. People with cardiovascular disease who also have diabetes have a greater risk of poor outcomes after CABG procedures than patients who do not have diabetes. This literature review examines current information regarding perioperative blood glucose (BG) control. It emphasizes BG control in adults during the hypothermic period of cardiopulmonary bypass. Hyperglycemia, not the diagnosis of diabetes, significantly increases the risk of adverse clinical outcomes, longer hospitalizations, and increased health care costs.