Effects on caregiver burden of education related to home care in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Caring for a patient undergoing hemodialysis is highly stressful and can negatively affect a caregiver's physical and psychological well-being. This study was conducted to examine the effect of educational support concerning caregiver burden and given to the caregivers of hemodialysis patients. This experimental study was performed with 122 caregivers. Patients' data were collected by means of Personal Information Form and Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale (ZCBS). Characteristics of caregivers of hemodialysis patients were analyzed descriptively in terms of frequencies and percentages for categorical data, means, and standard deviations. Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskall-Wallis test, and percentages were used in the data analysis. The mean ZCBS score was 52.1 ± 8.6 (range, 0-88). Among the caregivers, the mean score of the ZCBS was significantly higher in women, single, young, family relatives as "daughter/sister/brother/daughter-in-law and town/district, high educational level (P < 0.05). Moreover, the mean score of the ZCBS was significantly higher in caregivers who have health problems/diseases. In addition, this study explored the educational needs of home-based such as nutrition (35.2%), dialysis (27.8%), fistula care (20.4%), catheter care (18.8%), the information about chronic kidney disease (18.0%), blood pressure (17.2%), weight control (17.2%), hygiene (3.1%), and travel/exercise (6.5%). The post-educational mean scores (55.0 ± 7.6) of caregiver burden were observed to be lower than the pre-educational scores (43.9 ± 5.2), and the difference was found to be statistically significant. The home-based educational program demonstrated a decrease in the burden of hemodialysis caregivers.

Effect on anxiety of education programme about care of arteriovenous fistula in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the impact of education, provided to individuals, in whom AV fistula was preferred as a vascular access, regarding information and anxiety. METHODS: This experimental study was performed on 32 patients undergoing hemodialysis between November 2009 and February 2010 in the Nephrology Clinic of Sivas Cumhuriyet University Hospital. Patients' data was collected by means of Personal Information Form (PIF), AV Fistula Information Form (AV-FIF), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI); education brochures were used in order to inform the individuals. Collected data were assessed with SPSS . Statistical analyses were used in order to assess the data: percentage account, paired samples t test. RESULTS: When comparing information and anxiety score of individuals prior to and following education about AV fistula care, it was seen that information and anxiety scores were low and high respectively, prior to the education. Following education, patients' information and anxiety scores became higher and lower respectively. All these results were statistically significant (P< 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Education about fistula increased the information level about fistula care and decreased anxiety in patients undergoing hemodialysis. It is important to perform patient education regularly, because it increases the level of orientation towards illness and interventions in patients.

The effect of breast self-examination (Bse) education given to midwifery students on their knowledge and attitudes.

This study was conducted in a descriptive and half-experimental format in order to determine the effect of breast self-examination (BSE) education given to 103 midwifery students from Halic University Sciences of Health School Midwifery Department on their knowledge and attitudes. After legal permission was obtained from the institution and verbal participation consent from the students, data were obtained using demographic and knowledge surveys, applied twice before and after education by the researcher between May-June 2010 and evaluated with proportional calculations, Kruskal Wallis test, t-test and t-test for dependent groups. Mean age of the students is 20.2±1.52; 58.3% had no information about BSE and 73.8% were not doing BSE; 7.7% them stated that they had a family member with breast cancer. The knowledge level score was 43.2±10.6 before and 68.4±10.5 after the BSE education (p<0.05). A statistically significant difference persisted between the pre- and post-education scores taking knowledge, making BSE, and frequency of using BSE average scores of the students (p<0.05).

Renal replacement therapies in the aftermath of the catastrophic Marmara earthquake.

BACKGROUND: Renal replacement therapy is of vital importance in the treatment of crush syndrome victims, who are frequently encountered after catastrophic earthquakes. The Marmara earthquake, which struck Northwestern Turkey in August 1999, was characterized by 477 victims who needed dialysis. METHOD: Within the first week of the disaster, questionnaires containing 63 clinical and laboratory variables were sent to 35 reference hospitals that treated the victims. Information considering the features of dialyses obtained through these questionnaires was submitted to analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 639 casualties with renal complications were registered, 477 of whom (mean age 32.3 +/- 13.7 years, 269 male) needed dialysis. Among these, 452 were treated by a single dialysis modality (437 intermittent hemodialysis, 11 continuous renal replacement therapy and 4 peritoneal dialysis), while 25 victims needed more than one type of dialysis. In total, 5137 hemodialysis sessions were performed (mean 11.1 +/- 8.0 sessions per patient) and mean duration of hemodialysis support was 13.4 +/- 9.0 days; this duration was shorter in the non-survivors (7.0 +/- 8.7 vs. 10.0 +/- 9.8 days, P = 0.005). Thirty-four victims who underwent continuous renal replacement therapy had higher mortality rates (41.2 vs. 13.7%, P < 0.0001). Only eight victims were treated by peritoneal dialysis, four of whom also required hemodialysis or continuous renal replacement therapy. The mortality rate in the dialyzed victims was 17.2%, a significantly higher figure compared to the mortality rate of the non-dialyzed patients with renal problems (9.3%; P = 0.015). CONCLUSION: Substantial amounts of dialysis support may be necessary for treating the victims of mass disasters complicated with crush syndrome. Dialyzed patients are characterized by higher rates of morbidity and mortality.