Page 544 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

TIME SERIES ANALYSIS n 511

warming and cooling in patients of all ages. to thermal balance are studies using ani-
particularly vulnerable are the preterm infant, mal models to demonstrate the effects of
the elderly, and patients recovering from exercise on thermoregulatory responses T
surgery, cardiopulmonary bypass, or trau- (Rowsey, Metzger, & gordon, 2001) and fever
matic injury. Research-active members of the (Richmond, 2001; Rowsey et al., 2009), and
American Society of periAnesthesia. Nurses circadian influences on thermoregulation in
improved nursing standards and policy rec- obesity (Jarosz, Lennie, Rowsey, & Metzger,
ommendations through their research efforts 2001) As more nurses enter the fields of genet-
to promote normothermia in the periopera- ics, immunology, and molecular biology,
tive area (Hooper, 2009; Hooper et al., 2009; they will play important roles in seeking
pikus & Hooper, 2010). Anderson et al. (2003) origins and mechanism of thermoregulatory
pioneered “kangaroo care” as a method of responses. New avenues for nursing research
maintaining thermal balance in preterm and in thermal balance emerge as new situations
term infants. Drawn from perinatal practices of vulnerability develop and measurement
in Western Europe, this method uses skin- techniques are advanced. At particular risk
to-skin care for infants held against the skin is the rapidly growing population of the frail
under the mother or father’s clothing. Self- elderly who are at risk of heat-related ill-
demand breast-feeding and lactation were nesses in extremely hot weather and hypo-
promoted by close constant maternal con- thermia associated with cool climates and
tact (Hake-Brooks & Anderson, 2008). The exposure. Declining metabolic rate, lower
method was found feasible and beneficial, vasomotor sensitivity and diminishing insu-
even in infants that were mechanically ven- lation from body fat contribute to vulnerabil-
tilated (Swinth, Anderson, & Hadeed, 2003). ity to extremes in heat or cold. The existence
Relationships between the infant’s body tem- and treatment of thermoregulatory failure in
perature and environment, circadian rhythm, home-bound patients is an area that nursing
and parental co-sleeping have been investi- has not yet systematically studied. Improved
gated (Thomas & Burr, 2002). Several studies survival of individuals with neurological,
have compared the effectiveness of cooling vasomotor, and endocrine impairments and
interventions in febrile adults with similar with extensive burns creates new situations
findings (Caruso et al., 1992; Henker et al., in which thermal balance is altered. Only
2001). Most concluded that antipyretic drugs recently have nurses begun to investigate
are as effective as cooling without inducing the relationships between the circadianicity
distressful shivering. In a controlled trial of body temperature and the effectiveness of
with febrile patients with HIV disease, insu- other therapies. Study and intervention are
lating skin against heat loss actually kept needed in addressing thermal balance, ther-
peak febrile temperatures lower (Holtzclaw, mal perception, and thermal comfort during
1998). Although numerous small studies in a variety of life events and health alterations.
nursing have tested various products that
cool febrile patients or restore heat loss in Barbara J. Holtzclaw
perioperative patients, they are often empir-
ical in nature. By contrast, the investigations
mentioned above are theoretically based on
the principles of thermodynamics and phys- Time series analysis
iological responses. They seek to explain
mechanisms, predict consequences, and alle-
viate the hazards of altered thermal balance. Time series analysis and statistical time series
Some of the newer areas of investiga- models are basic to describing and studying
tion conducted by nurse scientists related change in human responses and behavior.