The Impact of Quality of Sleep on Academic Performance in University Students

Current literature suggested that the most effective method for improving quality of sleep for students includes regulating a consistent sleep schedule throughout the week. But the relationship between quality of sleep and the academic performance of university students is not sufficiently addressed in literature. The aim of this research study was to assess the relationship between various aspects involving overall quality of sleep and academic performance of university students. The data were collected between 10 February and 10 March 2015 at a midsize, rural, public university in the South. The study included a systematic random sample of students from all student classification levels (undergraduate freshman, sophomore, junior, senior; and graduate) currently enrolled in university courses. Participants (n=158) answered a self-administered questionnaire which assessed demographics; a sleep quality profile including sleep duration, contributing factors to sleep deprivation, daytime sleepiness, and the use of sleep remedies; and an academic profile including number of enrolled courses, and current cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA). Quality of sleep and GPA were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and χ² test for independence. This study found that most university students (n=93, 60.4%) feel they do not get a sufficient amount of sleep. As a result, most of the students suffer from daytime sleepiness, which interferes with their ability to concentrate, and results in impaired ability to learn or retain information as demonstrated by their GPA

Quality Improvement Through Clinical Alarm Management

Clinical alarm monitoring technology is used widely throughout healthcare institutions. They are intended to alert health care providers of potential clinically significant events that require intervention with the patient. Clinical alarm systems are designed for high sensitivity, which can lead to frequent false and nonactionable alarms. The intermittent noise and resulting mechanical hum in the hospital auditory environment leads to staff desensitization, or “alarm fatigue,” and causes the staff to miss, ignore, and even disable the alarm signals. If clinical alarms are not properly managed, they can compromise patient safety. It is important for health care institutions to develop a systematic and coordinated approach to clinical alarm system management. Effective implementation of a clinical alarm safety policy within the institution can shorten the length in hospital stay, improve the health outcomes of patients, and lead to measurable quality improvement in patient care

Choroidal Thickness Profiles in Myopic Eyes of Young Adults in the Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial Cohort

PurposeTo examine the relationship of choroidal thickness with axial length (AL) and myopia in young adult eyes in the ethnically diverse Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial (COMET) cohort.DesignCross-sectional, multicenter study.MethodsIn addition to measures of myopia by cycloplegic autorefraction and AL by A-scan ultrasonography, participants underwent optical coherence tomography imaging of the choroid in both eyes at their last visit (14 years after baseline). Using digital calipers, 2 independent readers measured choroidal thickness in the right eye (left eye if poor quality; n = 37) at 7 locations: fovea and 750, 1500, and 2250 μm nasal (N) and temporal (T) to the fovea.ResultsChoroidal thickness measurements were available from 294 of 346 (85%) imaged participants (mean age: 24.3 ± 1.4 years; 44.9% male) with mean myopia of -5.3 ± 2.0 diopters and mean AL of 25.5 ± 1.0 mm. Overall, choroidal thickness varied by location (P < .0001) and was thickest at the fovea (273.8 ± 70.9 μm) and thinnest nasally (N2250, 191.5 ± 69.3 μm). Multivariable analyses showed significantly thinner choroids in eyes with more myopia and longer AL at all locations except T2250 (P ≤ .001) and presence of peripapillary crescent at all locations except T1500 and T2250 (P ≤ .0001). Choroidal thickness varied by ethnicity at N2250 (P < .0001), with Asians having the thinnest and African Americans the thickest choroids.ConclusionChoroids are thinner in longer, more myopic young adult eyes. The thinning was most prominent nasally and in eyes with a crescent. In the furthest nasal location, ethnicity was associated with choroidal thickness. The findings suggest that choroidal thickness should be evaluated, especially in the nasal regions where myopic degenerations are most commonly seen clinically