Stress management during noxious medical procedures: An evaluative review of outcome studies.

Presents an evaluative review of outcome studies that have employed information, relaxation, cognitive-behavioral, and modeling interventions for stress management in patients during noxious medical procedures. There was some evidence to support the use of each of these interventions, with cognitive-behavioral and modeling approaches yielding stronger effects over a wider range of measures. Methodological deficiencies were common across all of the approaches reviewed. More research aimed at revealing possible key components common to many of these interventions should be undertaken. Some examples include enhancement of patients' sense of predictability and control over an aversive situation, provision of cognitive-behavioral coping strategies, and nonspecific aspects of intervention such as emotional supportiveness. Pertinent research is presented from the domain of experimental personality and social psychology, bearing on elucidation of situational and individual difference factors mediating successful preparation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preparation for undergoing an invasive medical procedure: interacting effects of information and coping style

Four reagent formulations (three provided by a manufacturer; one prepared in-house by mixing equal volumes of two commercial reagents) are used for the assay of phencyclidine (PCP) in urine samples. Performance characteristics evaluated included assay precision and sensitivity at and near the assay cutoff concentration. Data resulting from the reagent prepared in-house are better than those using then commercially available formulations, and are comparable with those obtained using the recently available new commercial formulation.