Shower Baths Research Articles

Effects of sodium bicarbonate bath on the quality of sleep: An assessor-blinded, randomized, controlled, pilot clinical trial

BackgroundSleep is fundamental to a healthy life, and sleep disorders are an important health issue in healthcare. Whole-body warm water bathing is a non-pharmacological, safe (non-invasive), and widely used method for comforting. Here, we explored the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of sodium bicarbonate bath (SBB) on sleep quality. MethodsHealthy adults without sleep disturbances were randomly assigned to shower baths (SHB), tap-water baths (TWB, placebo tablets), or SBB. All participants took a bath (shower, tap-water, or SBB) once a day for 10 min, after dinner, for 7 days. Sleepscan-derived sleep parameters, including total sleep time (TST), symptom questionnaires, and salivary α-amylase concentration were evaluated as outcome measures. ResultsForty participants were enrolled (14, 13, and 13 in SHB, TWB, and SBB groups, respectively) and 38 participants completed the trial (13, 12, and 13, respectively). The recruitment, adherence, and completion rates were 90.9% (40/44), 95.0% (38/40), and 95.0% (38/40), respectively. The SBB group showed a significant increase (12.35 [mean]±10.07 [standard deviation] min) in the mean TST at 1-week post-intervention (p = 0.0041) than the SHB (−1.81 ± 14.58 min; p = 0.0231) and TWB (4.54 ± 10.97 min; p = 0.0377) groups. The TST scores at 1-week post-intervention, sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset, and sleep efficiency were significantly different between the groups. Sleep satisfaction by questionnaire was significantly improved with intervention in the SBB group than that in the SHB and TWB groups. Salivary α-amylase levels significantly improved in the SBB and TWB groups than in the SHB group, with the change being greater in the SBB group. ConclusionsSBB for 7 days had positive effects that improved sleep quality of adults. Further studies are needed to examine the efficacy and safety of SBB for prolonged usage in people diagnosed with insomnia, using objective sleep measurements, and to investigate potential sleep-enhancing mechanisms of action.

Effects of differences in thermal habits such as shower baths and bathtub baths on the prognosis of chronic kidney disease

Effects of differences in thermal habits such as shower baths and bathtub baths on the prognosis of chronic kidney disease

Architektura galicyjskich dworców kolejowych (na wybranych przykładach drugorzędnych linii kolejowych)

The article discusses the transformations in the architecture of branch railway lines in the territory of the contemporary Podkarpacie, including Rozwadów, Tarnobrzeg, Mielec, Zbydniów, Nadbrzezie, Nisko, Strzyżów, Czudec and Boguchwała. The research covers the stations in the following lines: Dębica – Nadbrzezie with the branch to Rozwadów, but also Jasło – Rzeszów. On the basis of the analysis of plans, the present study characterises e.g. the spatial structure of waiting rooms, bars and restaurants for the travellers, ticket offices, employees’ accommodation. The author attempts to outline the transformation of the interiors of railway stations from the perspective of their utilitarian role. As illustrated by the station in Rozwadów, the article presents e.g. plans of the creation of shower baths for the retreating soldiers from the front in 1916. The text also attempts to show the economic significance of the so-called economic lines, for the development of the contemporary Podkarpacie and to present the conditions of travelling by rail in branch lines.

Control of Multidrug Resistant Pseudomonas Aeruginosa through Hospital Construction Design and Extensive Environmental and Clinical Surveillance in an Allogeneic Transplantat Unit

▪Introduction: Immunocompromised patients are increasingly threatened by multidrug resistant bacterial strains. Following allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT), patients are especially at risk for multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MRPA) which as a pathogen can be the cause of life-threatening septicemias. A possible reservoir and source of nosocomial infections are biofilms in shower drains, sinks, and toilets. For this reason, substantial targeted renovation was performed in the bathrooms of our SCT unit. We subsequently performed extensive surveillance of patients status as carriers and took numerous environmental samples.Methods: Renovation/ conversion works of our transplant unit (2 wards with 20 HEPA filtered patients rooms, all equipped with separate shower baths) began in 2011 and included the installation of Pall-Aquasafe water filters (Pall Cooperation, Port Washington, NY) on all faucet and shower heads. Washbasins were equipped with Biorec Disinfection siphons (MoveoMed, Radebeul, Germany), which use UV and temperature together with frequent vibration and a bactericidal coating for disinfection. In addition, the toilets were replaced with rimless toilet basins and a system was developed to supply the flushing water with disinfectant at appropriate concentrations. The shower outlet drains were modified and covered by a heavy metal lid that cannot be easily removed and prevents aerosol formation. All renovation work was completed in April 2014. Cleaning and disinfection takes place once a day and the removable metal devices of the showers are sterilized once a week as well as every time a patient is discharged. In addition, extensive training of all personal in infection prevention was performed and the work of the cleaning personal was supervised closely. Environmental sampling was performed monthly in every room. Patients were screened upon admission and weekly during their treatment on the SCT unit by either anal swabs or stool cultures. Standard antibiotic prophylaxis consisted of ciprofloxacin and metronidazole for patients undergoing allogeneic SCT. Metronidazole prophylaxis was omitted in August 2013.Results: Peri-renovation environmental sampling detected MRPA in 22,6% of swabs from the toilets and 11,8% of swabs from the shower outlets in 2012. The rate decreased to 15,1% from the toilets and 4,4% from the shower outlets in 2013 and reached 10,1% from the toilets and 0,6% from the shower outlets in the first six months of 2014. In 2012, 15 out of 197 patients (7.6%), receiving an allogeneic SCT or treatment for severe post-transplant complications (mainly GvHD) were affected by MRPA. This number decreased to 13 out of 206 (6.3%) in 2013 and 2 out of 95 (2.1%) in the first half in 2014. Overall 18 patients (3.6%) were colonized only and 12 patients (2.4%) developed bacteremia from MRPA.Discussion: Environmental sources must be taken into consideration for the prevention of nosocomial infections. The implemented measures in our transplant unit can serve as an example for the reduction of biofilm, which can act as a reservoir for MRPA. Because of inconsistent local conformity of environmental and clinical isolates it still remains unclear whether the reason for colonisation and infection lays in environmental contamination and / or antibiotic selection in already precolonized patients. Further investigations will employ MRPA genotyping to determine genetic relationships between isolates from patients and environmental isolates. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Bed and shower baths: comparing the perceptions of patients with acute myocardial infarction

To compare the perceptions of patients with acute myocardial infarction concerning bed and shower baths and evaluate how antecedent variables influence their perceptions. Professionals are often oblivious to the fact that, when performing a bed bath, they are manipulating someone else's body and invading someone's privacy and intimacy. This lack of awareness may trigger various responses in patients, such as dissatisfaction and anxiety. Several studies assessing the perceptions of patients when receiving a bed bath, and most are qualitative. Thus, there is a need to quantify these perceptions. The research was a crossover study. The sample consisted of 71 patients with acute myocardial infarction, admitted to coronary units. Patients were evaluated on two occasions: after their second bed bath and after their second shower bath. A Semantic Differential Scale was constructed and validated prior to data collection. The perception of patients receiving shower baths was significantly more positive than those of patients receiving bed baths (<0·0001). The only variable that interfered with the general perception of patients was prior hospitalisation (p = 0·0468). Patients who previously experienced a hospitalisation had a less positive perception, concerning both the bed and shower baths, than those who were hospitalised for the first time. The perceptions of patients receiving bed baths were less positive than those of patients receiving shower baths. The perceptions of patients receiving baths are very important to guiding nursing care and developing strategies to minimise patient dissatisfaction.

Comparing Levels of Anxiety During Bed and Shower Baths in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

This study compared the levels of anxiety presented by patients with acute myocardial infarction in bed and shower baths and the influence of antecedent variables: age, gender, medications, previous hospitalization and/or bed bath, patients' preference regarding the professional's gender, risk factors and anxiety-traits. This crossover study was conducted between February and August 2007 in coronary units. The sample was composed of 71 patients with acute myocardial infarction. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was applied before the baths (bed and shower baths), immediately after the baths and twenty minutes after the second evaluation. Results revealed that patients were more anxious in the bed bath than in the shower in the three assessments (p <0.0001) and the only variable that interfered with state-anxiety was high blood pressure.

Factors Associated With Aggressive Behavior Among Nursing Home Residents With Dementia

In an attempt to more thoroughly describe aggressive behavior in nursing home residents with dementia, we examined background and proximal factors as guided by the Need-Driven Dementia-Compromised Behavior model. We used a multivariate cross-sectional survey with repeated measures; participants resided in nine randomly selected nursing homes within four midwestern counties. The Minimum Data Set (with verification by caregivers) identified participants. We used a disproportionate probability sample of 107 participants (51% with a history of aggressive behavior) to ensure variability. Videotaped care events included four of direct care (shower baths, meals, dressing, and undressing) and two of nondirect care (two randomly selected 20-minute time periods in the afternoon and evening). The majority of participants (75%) received three shower baths, for a total of 282 videotaped baths. Because the shower bath was the only care event significantly related to aggressive behavior (F = 6.9, p < .001), only those data are presented. Multilevel statistical modeling identified background factors (gender, mental status score, and lifelong history of less agreeableness) and a proximal factor (amount of nighttime sleep) as significant predictors (p < .05) of aggressive behavior during the shower bath. We found significant correlations between aggressive behavior and negative subject affect (r = .27) during the bath, and aggressive behavior and lifetime agreeableness level (r = -.192). We also found significant correlations between mental status and the amount of education (r = .212), and between negative caregiver affect and negative participant affect (r = .321). We identified three background and one proximal factor as significant risk factors for aggressive behavior in dementia. Data identify not only those persons most at risk for aggressive behavior during care, but also the care event most associated with aggressive behavior. Together these data inform both caregiving for persons with dementia as well as the design of intervention studies for aggressive behavior in dementia.

Dr William Saunders Hallaran and psychiatric practice in nineteenth-century Ireland

Dr William Saunders Hallaran wrote the first Irish textbook of psychiatry in 1810. To explore the relevance of Dr Hallaran's textbook: An Enquiry into the Causes producing the Extraordinary Addition to the Number of Insane together with Extended Observations on the Cure of Insanity with Hints as to the Better Management of Public Asylums for Insane Persons. This paper uses Dr Hallaran's textbook to explore dominant themes in nineteenth-century psychiatry. Dr Hallaran's approach was characterized by (a) recognition of organic factors in aetiology; (b) concern about apparent increases in mental illness; (c) systematic engagement with causes, courses, outcomes; (d) reconsideration of traditional treatments (venesection, emetics, purgatives); (e) exploration of novel approaches (Dr Cox's Circulating Swing); and (f) re-evaluation of traditional remedies (digitalis, opium, camphor, mercury) and physical treatments (shower baths, diet, exercise). Many aspects of Dr Hallaran's progressive approach to psychiatric care remain relevant today.

Moisture Generation through Chinese Household Activities

High indoor humidity not only causes degradation of building materials but also thermal discomfort, increased energy use for air-conditioning and it promotes mould growth. Mitigation of indoor moisture problems requires the ability to predict the humidity levels that may prevail in indoor spaces, which in turn requires knowledge about the moisture generation rates of indoor sources. There was, however, a lack of such data for various moisture generating activities in Chinese households. This paper presents the results of surveys and experiments conducted recently to obtain data on the intensities of moisture generation for various household activities, including cooking, bathing, washing clothes and drying, dishwashing and drying, floor mopping and indoor planting. On the basis of the survey and measurement results, moisture generation profiles for typical kitchens, bathrooms, living and dining rooms, and bedrooms have been established for use in inter-zone moisture movement and indoor humidity level predictions for typical residential units in Hong Kong. The models derived for predicting moisture release rates from drying clothes and bathroom air moisture content during shower baths are presented.

An overview of the Neatdek 2 shower grille from Neaco

An ever wider range of shower cubicles and baths for disabled users is becoming available, offering a multitude of design features. The Neatdek 2 shower grille is the only bathroom application currently available that can provide true level access and a gradient-free bathing area. But does it provide an effective alternative to more restrictive bathroom facilities?

Legionella pneumophila in aerosols from shower baths.

Routine examination of the water system in an establishment where showers were used by staff after work or leisure activities revealed the presence of Legionella pneumophila. Descaling and steaming cleared the system but six months later recolonization was found to have occurred. L. pneumophila was isolated from air samples collected in the shower room whilst the shower was in operation. No clinical cases have occurred. Serological examination of those using the showers throughout the six month period together with a control group showed no evidence of infection.

INCREASED DISPERSAL OF SKIN BACTERIA INTO THE AIR AFTER SHOWER BATHS: THE EFFECT OF HEXACHLOROPHENE

INCREASED DISPERSAL OF SKIN BACTERIA INTO THE AIR AFTER SHOWER BATHS: THE EFFECT OF HEXACHLOROPHENE

The Government of Interstate Metropolitan Areas

SOMEONE ONCE sought to ridicule the expanded scope of the clause in the federal Constitution with the comment that under present court interpretation one cannot take a shower bath without being in the of interstate commerce and thus becoming subject to federal regulation. A far more plausible comment, but no less shocking to states' righters, would be that a metropolitan area cannot grow across a state line without being in the flow of interstate and thus becoming subject to federal regulation. Thus far, neither private shower baths nor interstate metropolitan areas have come under the jurisdiction of the federal government, per se, but in the case of the latter, recent urban developments have removed such a possibility from the category of the ridiculous and unthinkable. The 1950 census report has made some startling revelations about the increasing spill-over of metropolitan areas across state boundary lines, out of reach of the central city's planning and regulatory powers, its service agencies, and its tax collectors. In 1950 there were twenty-three standard metropolitan areas1 extending across one or more state boundary lines, and an additional twenty-eight metropolitan areas bordering but not crossing a state line (see Tables I and II). The population of those areas which already cross a state line amounts to nearly 33,000,000, over one-fifth of whom reside in a different state from the one in which the central city is located. The six largest of these interstate metropolitan areas2 account for more than 26,000,000 persons, or over one-sixth of the total population of the United States. The twenty-eight metropolitan areas bordering state lines account for a little less than 10,000,000 additional persons, making the combined population for the two groups nearly 43,000,000. More than one out of every four persons in the United States now lives in a metropolitan area which crosses or borders a state line. With the bulk of our population increase presently taking place in the suburban fringes of metropolitan areas, there may well be more people living in interstate metropolitan areas than in intrastate cities of all sizes within the next generation or two. Already fifty-one metropolitan areas crossing or adjacent to state boundary lines account for 55.1 per cent of the total population of the one hundred sixty-eight standard metropolitan areas in the United States.

The Effects of Hot and Cold Shower Baths upon Adolescents Participating in Physical Education Classes

(1942). The Effects of Hot and Cold Shower Baths upon Adolescents Participating in Physical Education Classes. Research Quarterly. American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 373-380.

THE PROPHYLAXIS OF RINGWORM OF THE FEET

At present, no one doubts the increase in the incidence of ringworm of the feet since the war. It is also agreed that this increasing incidence is due to the popularity of all forms of sports demanding common dressing rooms, runways and shower baths. The estimated frequency ranges from 90 per cent in male college students indulging in athletics to 50 per cent in the general adult population. In children of high school age the incidence has been estimated at about 25 to 50 per cent. The prevention of this disease has therefore assumed major importance. It is now generally recognized that ringworm of the feet is, in many instances, one of the most intractable diseases. Recurrences are extremely common under conditions of increased heat and moisture. Dissemination of the organisms to other parts of the body has frequently brought about long periods of illness and suffering. We report a

The Treatment of Warts

THE treatment of warts is a subject of widespread interest and demands a great deal of our time and consideration. It is common knowledge among dermatologists and other physicians examining large numbers of college students, both male and female, that the last ten years have seen a steady increase in the number of warts, particularly on the feet. This opinion is substantiated by the authors' statistics. We have examined and treated 765 patients with all types of warts within the past three years, equivalent to approximately from 5 to 6 per cent of the total number of cases seen in private practice. Prior to 1925, this figure did not exceed 3 per cent. Most of this increase in the incidence of warts has occurred in the class of plantar warts. The reasons for this are obvious. The wide popularity of all forms of sports requiring the common use of dressing rooms, shower baths, runways, etc., has increased the probability of infection. From our experience we are convinced of the infectious nature of ordinary verruca vulgaris, and verrucæ plantaris, which we feel are one and the same entity occurring upon different parts of the body. We feel that the work of Jadassohn (1), in 1896, and of Wile and Kingery (2), in 1919, has settled the infectious nature of warts with fair definiteness. Table I shows the incidence of location in our 765 patients. It will be noted that our total number of patients with plantar warts outnumbers considerably the patients with warts on the hands. This, no doubt, is due to the fact that plantar warts produce symptoms whereas warts on the hands usually do not, and not to any actual increase in the number of plantar warts over the other type. Thirty-three patients presented warts on both the hands and feet, and 37 patients had warts both on the hands and face. As to age incidence, we have patients presenting warts of one form or another from the age of 8 months up to 81 years. By far the vast majority of patients were between the ages of 10 and 40, with the number about even in the second and third decades of life, and somewhat less in the fourth decade. Approximately 40 per cent were females, 60 per cent males. The Treatment of Plantar Warts The treatment of plantar warts comprises one of the most important and difficult fields presented to the dermatologist and radiologist. The importance of plantar warts from an economic standpoint cannot be overemphasized. It is true that many plantar warts occasion no symptoms, but the vast majority of them cause symptoms ranging from pain and discomfort on walking, to actual confinement in bed. The diagnosis of plantar warts usually does not occasion much difficulty; however, there is much to learn by careful clinical observation and study of each individual wart. It is easy enough to recognize a wart on the sole when it has reached the diameter of a sixteenth of an inch, but frequently the small, pinhead-size satellite lesions are entirely overlooked.

APPROVED FORM OF NOTICE

In order to maintain proper standards and protect the health of patrons, it is necessary to insist on observation of the following rules, which are approved and their strict enforcement required by the—State Board of Health: Warning: Persons with colds, head infections, "running nose or ears," catarrh, are warned that swimming, diving, etc., tend to force the infection into the sinuses or ears, and result in serious if not fatal complications. 1. All bathers shall use shower baths, including soap, if necessary, before entering the plunge. (The plunge is not intended as a bath tub.) 2. Bathers who have been outside the bath house or plunge enclosure shall not reenter without passing through a foot bath and using a shower. 3. Bathers shall be forbidden to wear private bathing suits that are not properly laundered; light colored or undyed wool is suggested. 4. Women shall wear caps while in plunge.

The Health School of Jacksonville, Illinois

The Josephine Milligan School began as an enterprise of the Anti-Tuberculosis League. The work has gradually been taken over by the public schools until now it is entirely under the control of the board of education. The only connection which the AntiTuberculosis League has with the school is through paying for the noonday lunches of the indigent pupils. The accommodations consist of an old residence which has been worked over and equipped as a clinic and a one-story rectangular open-air building about 25 X 60 feet in size. On the first floor of the clinic building are the principal's office, dining-room, toilet rooms, and shower baths. On the second floor are a waiting room and three special clinic rooms, one for the general physical examinations, one for the dental examinations, and one for the eye, ear, nose, and throat examinations.

THE LAKE FOREST HOSPITAL FOR CONTAGIOUS DISEASES

The treatment of contagious diseases in private homes is very unsatisfactory. Every community should provide a hospital for such cases. What are the requirements of an ideal isolation hospital? The location ought to be secluded, and the grounds spacious, allowing convalescents out-door exercise. The building should be planned for the purpose, and not remodeled. It should have, preferably, an east frontage, securing sunshine morning and afternoon. The building should be one story in height and fire-proof. It should be adapted for isolating not only the two sexes, but also for separating several different disease simultaneously, and keeping them so. The physicians should have rooms for exchanging clothes prior to visits, and facilities for bathing afterward. Rooms must be provided for office, Caboratory, dispensary and supplies. Groups of wards, or private rooms, in units, viz., a ward with six beds, a diet kitchen, with gas range and sink, a bathroom, preferably with shower baths and movable iron tubs,