ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Nurses are usually first witnesses to in-hospital sudden cardiac arrests. Training of nurses has an impact on the efficiency and outcome of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and thus, assessment of CPR knowledge among undergraduate nurses is very important to improve training program. METHODS: The questionnaire comprised of three parts about CPR knowledge: the first dealing with general questions to understand the importance of CPR in clinical practice; the second comprising the main goal and accuracy of CPR intervention; and the last consisting of questions targeting the indications, methods, and effectiveness of CPR. Descriptive statistics and multiple response analyses were done by IBM SPSS version 20. RESULTS: The students had good knowledge about the importance of CPR in clinical practice and stood average in knowing its indications and effectiveness. The mean score was 64.62±17.84 out of 100 points. While only 11% of them were completely aware about the universal compression ventilation ratio, 16.2% were aware of the current compression depth. In addition, 21.8% of participants have only indicated the order of CPR being compression, airway, and breathing. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of CPR is good among the nursing students. However, skills of CPR have to be improved by current training programs at regular intervals. Their knowledge and practical approach have to be updated with the current guidelines in CPR.
Subject(s)
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation , Clinical Competence , Death, Sudden, Cardiac/prevention & control , Students, Nursing , Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate , Humans , Surveys and Questionnaires , TurkeySubject(s)
Shock, Cardiogenic/diagnosis , Ventricular Dysfunction, Left/diagnosis , Aged , Chest Pain/etiology , Diagnosis, Differential , Electrocardiography , Heart-Assist Devices , Humans , Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumping , Male , Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/methods , Shock, Cardiogenic/complications , Shock, Cardiogenic/therapy , Ventricular Dysfunction, Left/complications , Ventricular Dysfunction, Left/therapy , Young AdultABSTRACT
Differentiation between cardiac and neurological origin of syncope may be challenging. Prolonged cerebral hypoxia secondary to cardiac arrhythmias may lead to epileptic seizures. Moreover, partial epileptic seizures by themselves can trigger cardiac arrhythmias. Herein, we present a case of partial epileptic seizure occurring just after complete atrioventricular block has occurred. The diagnosis was established with simultaneous electroencephalographic and electrocardiographic recordings.
Subject(s)
Atrioventricular Block/diagnosis , Epilepsy/diagnosis , Aged, 80 and over , Atrioventricular Block/complications , Diagnosis, Differential , Electrocardiography , Electroencephalography , Epilepsy/complications , Humans , Male , Seizures/etiologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level has shown to be a prognostic factor in myocardial infarction and peripheral vascular disease by its promoting effect on vascular calcification. A few recent studies also showed that elevated ALP levels were associated with mortality and unfavorable prognosis in coronary artery disease (CAD). Herein, we aimed to investigate the correlation between serum ALP levels and the severity of CAD by assessing the Gensini score. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 470 patients with stable angina pectoris were evaluated retrospectively.Upon admission, their ALP levels were measured with an automated analyzer by the enzymatic method, and the severity of CAD was documented for each patient according to their Gensini score. Patients with a Gensini score greater than 40 were defined to have an advanced CAD. Serum ALP levels higher than 129 mg/dl in men and higher than 104 mg/dl in women were defined as the elevated ALP groups. RESULTS: The mean ALP level was 97.3±56.4, ranging from 15 to 485 U/l with 66.0/82.5/106.0 U/l percentile values, and elevated ALP levels were obtained in 79 cases (16.8%). In 70% of the patients (n=329), advanced CAD was diagnosed. The mean Gensini score was 85.6±29.4 in the advanced CAD group and 12.8±15.8 in the remainder of the patients. The advanced CAD group included more men, patients with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, and patients with lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and higher levels of creatinine, red cell distribution width, and mean platelet volume. ALP levels (105.4±60.7 vs. 78.4±38.7 U/l, P<0.001) and the frequency of patients with elevated ALP levels (22 vs. 5.0%, P<0.001) were significantly higher in the advanced CAD group. Regression analysis showed a significant correlation between increased levels of serum ALP and advanced CAD in univariate (odds ratio 1.015, 95% confidence interval 1.008-1.1291, P<0.001) and multivariate analyses (odds ratio 1.013, 95% confidence interval 1.003-1.023, P=0.01). CONCLUSION: Elevated ALP levels are associated with higher Gensini scores and a more severe form of CAD.
