Comfort issues in geriatric oncology

[Loss of spontaneous action: the discomfort of men with acute myocardial infarction]

Considering that comfort and discomfort must be understood in the light of patients' interactions during illness and treatment -thus linked to institutions' objective factors, grounding rationale, and practices-, this study inquired on comfort and discomfort such as experienced by men who had suffered acute myocardial infarction (AMI). By resorting to the Symbolic Interactionism and to Grounded Theory methodology, data were collected by means of interviews with 13 men who had suffered AMI, at two health units in the city of São Paulo. The analysis led to building a theoretical model of such experience, made up by three phenomena and essentially prevaded by the discomfort of "undergoing loss of spontaneous action." This articles sums up the basic psychosocial process that emerges from that experience, and discusses its implications to question the clinical model of treatment, pointing to prevention as a further scope of action for nurses, besides raising issues to enhance nurse education.

[The importance of the word "comfort" from the viewpoint of patients with acute myocardial infarct]

This investigation included 25 male adult patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction admitted in a Coronary Disease Unit located in the Municipality of São Paulo, Brazil. It aimed at identifying the meaning those patients give to the word comfort. Data collection was carried using a specific form and manually processed; answers to open questions were treated using the BARDIN's content analysis method and the results were basically analysed in absolute numbers and percentages and organized in tables and figures. Comfort was expressed by several ways, from material and financial conditions, enjoyment of personal interactions, sense of physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being to normal functioning which means recovery expectations, disease-freedom and capacity to perform usual activities. Material and financial conditions (29,4%) and personal interactions (21,6%) were emphasized. In addition to the conclusions directly related to the objective, the results showed that: (a) viewing the multidimensional aspects related to comfort, it should not be exclusively considered as dependent of nursing care; (b) various indicators identified suggested that the same meaning for comfort was expressed or described in most varied ways.

Conforto: revisão de literatura

A autora apresenta uma revisão de literatura sobre o tema conforto. Retrata analiticamente a concepção, as definições encontradas e os estudos que focaram o conforto sob a perspectiva dos sujeitos. Destaca algumas lacunas existentes nesta área do conhecimento e sugere aspectos importantes a serem considerados no desenvolvimento de pesquisas.

Promoting health by promoting comfort

While comfort is a concept frequently addressed in the nursing literature, few have adequately addressed this concept as a central patient objective. At present, our literature focuses more on comfort as a nursing action than on comfort as an individualized patient goal. Comfort may be more likely to be the driving force for patients obtaining healthcare services than health itself. This patient need, coupled with nursing interventions to assist them in identifying and implementing constructive ways of promoting their own comfort needs, will help to achieve an optimal state of health.

The tragedy of dementia: clinically assessing pain in the confused nonverbal elderly

1. Although the number of diagnosed cases of dementia is rapidly increasing in the US, there is little known about pain in this population. 2. Pain assessment is often poorly done and documented, and there is evidence of stereotyping and underestimation of pain by health-care professionals. 3. Demented patients on an Alzheimer's unit displayed markedly atypical pain behaviors that were best assessed by the most experienced nurses. 4. Pain assessment in demented patients is an area requiring further study to determine the best method of assessment and treatment of pain.