Radiation Therapy, External
Radiation Therapy, External About 60% of all cancer patients are treated with some form of external radiation therapy. Also called radiotherapy, this treatment delivers radiation—X-rays or gamma rays—directly to the…
Radiation Implant Therapy
Radiation Implant Therapy For this treatment, also called brachytherapy, the doctor uses implants of radioactive isotopes (encapsulated in seeds, needles, or sutures) to deliver ionizing radiation within a body cavity…
Pulse Oximetry
Pulse Oximetry Performed intermittently or continuously, pulse oximetry is a relatively simple procedure used to monitor arterial oxygen saturation noninvasively. Pulse oximeters usually denote arterial oxygen saturation values with the…
Pulse Assessment
Pulse Assessment Blood pumped into an already-full aorta during ventricular contraction creates a fluid wave that travels from the heart to the peripheral arteries. This recurring wave—called a pulse—can be…
Pulmonary Artery Pressure and Pulmonary Artery Wedge Pressure Monitoring
Pulmonary Artery Pressure and Pulmonary Artery Wedge Pressure Monitoring Continuous pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and intermittent pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) measurements provide important information about left ventricular function and…
Pulse Amplitude Monitoring
Pulse Amplitude Monitoring Determining the presence and strength of peripheral pulses, an essential part of cardiovascular assessment, helps you to evaluate the adequacy of peripheral perfusion. A pulse amplitude monitor…
Protective Environment Guidelines
Protective Environment Guidelines The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that patients undergoing allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (in which bone marrow is taken from a person other than…
Prone Positioning
Prone Positioning Prone positioning is a therapeutic maneuver to improve oxygenation and pulmonary mechanics in patients with acute lung injury or mechanically ventilated patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)…
Progressive Ambulation
Progressive Ambulation After surgery or a period of bed rest, patients must begin the gradual return to full ambulation. When it’s begun promptly and properly, progressive ambulation thwarts many of…
Pressure Ulcer Care
Pressure Ulcer Care As the name implies, pressure ulcers result when pressure—applied with great force for a short period or with less force over a long period—impairs circulation, depriving tissues…
