Leslie A. Hoffman, RN, PhD, FAAN
Professor and Chair
Department of Acute/Tertiary Care

School of Nursing
336 Victoria Building
3500 Victoria Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261

Email:   lhof@pitt.edu
Phone: 412-624-6859
FAX:      412-383-7227

Research Abstracts

RESEARCH:
The primary focus of my research involves testing ways to minimize pulmonary dysfunction in chronically and critically ill adults. My current research involves patients who are chronically, critically ill and, consequently, experience difficulty weaning from prolonged mechanical ventilation. In addition, I am co-investigator on a randomized clinical trial (NINR) designed to test an exercise intervention in patients with cystic fibrosis and a randomized clinical trial (NHLBI) designed to determine the efficacy of long-term oxygen for improving survival in patients with COPD who have less-than-severe hypoxemia. With Dr. Judy Erlen, I am Co-Project Director for a T32 Grant that supports pre and postdoctoral training focused on technology-supported interventions to improve bio-behavioral outcomes in critical care or chronic care (T32 NR008857).  

TEACHING:
At the University of Pittsburgh, I chair the Department of Acute/Tertiary Care. I teach a doctoral course in Research Development and the Research Emphasis in Critical Care. I mentor doctoral students with research interests in critical care, pulmonary nursing and nursing administration. My current doctoral students are testing strategies to improve quality of life in patients with interstitial lung disease, promote weaning from mechanical ventilation, improve critical thinking of new graduate nurses, and improve patient safety. My students have been awarded funding from the NIH, NINR, American Lung Association, International Society of Heart & Lung Transplantation, and Sigma Theta Tau International, Eta Chapter.

SERVICE:
I serve as an Ad Hoc Member of the NINR Study Section reviewing training grants. I am an Associate Editor for Critical Care Alert and member of the Research Grant Review Committee for the American Lung Association.  I also serve as a member of the Editorial Board of Chest, the Journal of the American Association of Chest Physicians

FUNDED GRANTS:

2004, May – 2009, January. Role of 20-HETE on vasospasm-induced ischemia after SAH. R01 NR004339-05 NIH, NINR, Principal Investigator.

2005, July – June, 2010. Technology: Research in chronic and critical illness. T32 NR008857-05, NIH, NINR, Co-Project Director.

2004, July - 2008, June. Advanced Nurse Training: Trauma Emergency Prepardness. D09 HP03322-01, HRSA, Division of Nursing, Project Director.

2006, September – 2012, September. Long-term Oxygen Treatment Trail (LOTT) Regional Clinical Center. NHLBI HR06-07. Co-Investigator.

2007, January – 2009, December) Self-Regulated Exercise in CF: A Randomized Trial. NIH, NINR NR009285. Co-Investigator.

SELECTED RECENT PUBLICATIONS:

• Hravnak, M., Hoffman, L.A., Saul, M.I., et al.,  Atrial fibrillation: prevalence after minimally invasive direct and standard coronary artery bypass grafting.  Ann Thorac Surg 2001, 71, 1491-95
• George, E.L., Hoffman, L.A., Zullo, T.G., Boujoukos, A. The effect of positioning on oxygenation in single lung transplant patients. Amer Jl Crit Care 2002, 11, 66-75.
• Hravnak, M., Hoffman, L.A., Saul, M.I., Zullo, T.G., Whitman, G.R., Griffith, B.P. Predictors and impact of atrial fibrillation following coronary artery bypass grafting. Crit Care Med 2002, 30, 330-337.
• Hravnak, M., Hoffman, L.A., Saul, M.I., Zullo, T.G., Whitman, G.R. Resource utilization related to atrial fibrillation following coronary artery bypass grafting. Amer Jl Crit Care 2002, 11, 228-238.
• Bauldoff, G.S., Hoffman, L.A., Zullo, T.G., Sciurba, F.C. Exercise maintenance for pulmonary rehabilitation: effect of distractive stimuli. Chest 2002, 122, 948-954.
• Dabbs, A.D., Hoffman, L.A., Dauber, J.H, Zullo, T.G., Iacono, A. Evaluating the reliability and validity of the Questionnaire for Lung Transplant Patients. Prog Transpl 2002, 12, 191-200.
• Jones, M.A., Hoffman, L.A., Makaroun M.S., Zullo, T.G., Chelluri, L. Early discharge following abdominal aortic aneurysm repair: Impact on patients and caregivers. Res Nurs Health, 2002, 25, 1-12.
• Hoffman, L.A., Tasota, F.J., Delgado, E., Zullo, T.G., Pinsky, M.R. Effect of tracheal gas insufflation during weaning from mechanical ventilation: a preliminary study. Am Jl Crit Care 2003, 12, 31-40.
• Hoffman, L.A., Tasota, F., Scharfenberg, C., et al. ICU patient management: comparison of ACNP & physicians-in-training using work sampling analysis. Am Jl Crit Care 2003, 12, 436-443.
• Dabbs, A.D, Hoffman, L.A., Iacono, A., Wells, C., Grgurich, W., Zullo, T., McCurry, K., Dauber, J. Patterns and predictors of early allograft rejection after lung transplantation. Am Jl Crit Care 2003, 12, 497-507.
• Carno, M.A., Hoffman, L.A., Henker, R., Carcillo, J., Sanders, M. Sleep monitoring in children during therapeutic paralysis: a report of two cases. Ped Crit Care Med 2004, 5, 224-229.
• De Vito Dabbs, A., Hoffman, L.A., Swigart, V., Happ, M.B., Dauber, J.H., Iacono, A Using conceptual triangulation to develop an integrated model of the symptom experience of acute rejection after lung transplantation. Adv Nurs Science 2004, 27, 138-149.
• De Vito Dabbs, A., Hoffman, L.A., Swigart, V., Happ, M.B., Dauber, J.H. McCurry K.R., Iacono, A. (2004). Striving for normalcy: Symptoms and threat of rejection after lung transplantation. Social Science & Medicine, 59(7), 1473-1484.
• Hravnak, M., Hoffman, L.A., Saul, M.I., Zullo, T.G., Cuneo, J.F., Pellegrini, R.V. Short-term complications and resource utilization in matched subjects after on-pump or off-pump primary isolated CABG. Am Jl Crit Care 2004, 13, 499-508.
• Hoffman, L.A., Happ, M.B., Scharfenberg, C., et al. Perceptions of physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists about the role of acute care nurse practitioners. Am Jl Crit Care 2004, 13, 480-488.
• Hoffman, L.A., Tasota, F.J., Zullo, T.G., Scharfenberg, C., Donahoe, M.P. Outcomes of care managed by an acute care nurse practitioner/attending physician team in a subacute medical intensive care unit. Am Jl Crit Care 2005, 14, 121-132.
• Guentner, K., Hoffman, L.A., Happ, M.B., Kim, Y., Dabbs, A.D., Mendelsohn, A.B., Chelluri, L. (2006). Preferences for mechanical ventilation in survivors of prolonged mechanical ventilation and tracheostomy. American Journal of Critical Care, 15, Am Jl Crit Care, 15, 65-77.
• Choi, J., Hoffman, L.A., Rodway, G.W., Seith, J. (2006). Markers of lung disease in exhaled breath: nitric oxide. Biological Res Nsg, 7(4), 241-255.
• Larson, J.L., Ahijevych K., Gift, A., Hoffman, L.A., Janson, S., Lanuza D.M., Leidy, N.K, Meek, P., Roberts, J., Weaver, T., Yoos, HL. (2006). American Thoracic Society statement on research priorities in respiratory nursing. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 174, 471-478.
• Hoffman, L.A., Miller, T.H., Zullo, T.G., Donahoe, M.P. (2006). Comparison of two models for managing tracheotomized patients in a subacute medical intensive care unit. Respir Care, 51, 1230-1236.
• Kim, Y.Y, Hoffman, L.A., Choi, Y., Miller, T.H., Kobayashi, K., Donahoe, M.P. (2006). Characteristics associated with discharge to home following long-term mechanical ventilation: A signal detection analysis. Res Nurs Health, 29, 510-520.
• Rodway, G.W., Sethi, J.M., Hoffman, L.A., Conley, Y.P., Ryter, S., Choi, AMK., Zullo, T.G., Sanders, M.H. (2007). Hemodynamic and molecular response to intermittent vs. continuous hypoxia in normal humans. Translational Res, 149, 76-84.
• Happ, M.B., Swigart, VA, Tate, J.A., Arnold, R.A.,Hoffman, L.A.,(2007). Family presence and surveillance during weaning from prolonged mechanical ventilation. Heart & Lung, 36: 47-57.
• Schmid, A., Hoffman, L.A., Happ, M.B., Wolf, G.A., DeVita, M.A. (2007). Failure-to-rescue: A literature review. J Nurs Admin, 37(4): 188-198.
• Happ, M. B, Swigart, V.A, Tate, J.A, ,Hoffman, L.A., Arnold, R.A. (2007) Patient involvement in health-related decisions during prolonged critical illness. Res Nurs Health, 30, 361-372.
• Schmid, A., Hoffman, L.A., DeVita, M., Wolf, G., Happ, M.B. (In press). The use of medical emergency teams in medical and surgical patients: Impact of patient, nurse and organizational characteristics. Quality & Safety in Health Care.