Indirect measures of cigarette use: expired-air carbon monoxide versus plasma thiocyanate

Indirect, biochemical measures of cigarette use are valuable in confirming smoking status in both cross-sectional and cessation studies. This study compares two such biochemical markers, expired-air carbon monoxide (CO) and plasma thiocyanate (SCN), in a representative population sample of 2,237 adults (ages 18–74) from the baseline survey of the Stanford Five City Project. CO and SCN are both significantly higher in self-reported smokers than in nonsmokers and correlate well with number of cigarettes smoked per day. CO appears to be more sensitive and specific than SCN in comparison to self-report, and CO misclassifies a significantly smaller number of nonsmokers, regular smokers, and light smokers (<9 cigarettes per day) than does SCN. Together, CO and SCN better classify smokers and nonsmokers than do either alone. Neither biochemical is a reliable indicator in irregular smokers (no cigarettes in past 48 hr). Despite its much shorter metabolic halflife, CO is a better indicator of cigarette use than is SCN in this cross-sectional study. CO is generally simpler and less expensive to measure than is SCN, and CO may be a preferable indirect measure of smoking status in some studies of smoking cessation.     

Increasing patient compliance through the applied analysis of behavior.

Applied Analysis of Behavior (ABA) provides a systematic and easily acquired technique for increasing adherence to medication. This is a problem-solving process which can be readily employed on behavioral problems in drug adherence. A number of observation, cueing and reward techniques are suggested to increase adherence. Various dimensions of adherence behavior can be systematically observed and modified to increase compliance. ABA, due to its simplicity, has been successfully employed by nurses, patients, physicians and parents on many health or health maintenance problems. The main point of this paper is that both the patient and physician can profit from often employed clinical scientific techniques: naturalistic observation of behaviors and events functionally related to the event under analysis—in this case the act of taking medication.     

A型主动脉夹层行主动脉弓杂交修复术后远端夹层形成的原因分析及治疗

目的：分析A型主动脉夹层行主动脉弓杂交修复术后远端夹层形成的原因及再治疗术式选择。方法：回顾性分析2011年3月-2012年9月本科收治的3例A型夹层行主动脉弓杂交修复术后患者,术后常规复查发现支架远端出现新发破口,均再次行主动脉夹层腔内修复术。结果：随访至2013年9月,3例患者未再出现新发破口,真腔均完全打开,假腔未见显影。结论：主动脉弓杂交修复术治疗A型主动脉夹层作为一种新兴术式较传统主动脉弓替换＋支架＂象鼻＂术相比能明显简化手术,降低围手术期死亡率,但随着手术例数逐渐增多,其远端夹层形成作为严重并发症不容忽视,提示该术式尚需进一步完善及更多临床验证,而腔内治疗仍可作为再次修复的首选。     

胸主动脉腔内修复术治疗58例Stanford B型主动脉夹层

目的 总结胸主动脉腔内修复术(TEVAR)治疗Stanford B型主动脉夹层的临床疗效,探讨急、慢性主动脉夹层的治疗策略及并发症的防治.方法 58例急、慢性Stanford B型主动脉夹层患者行TEVAR,术后定期随访.结果手术成功率为100.0％(58/58),4例直接封堵、20例部分封堵左锁骨下动脉开口,使用烟囱支架2例,住院期间死亡3例(5.2％,3/58),术后出现Ⅰ型内漏11例(19.0％,11/58).出院55例患者中假腔内血栓形成48例,2例内漏消失,7例夹层仍可见部分血流.随访48例(87.3％,48/55)患者,随访时间3～ 68个月.随访期间死亡2例;7例原内漏患者复查螺旋CT血管造影示2例内漏消失,假腔内完全血栓化,其余5例内漏情况减轻,假腔内部分血栓形成;1例在术后2年支架远端出现新发内膜破口,再次放置覆膜支架后消失.结论 TEVAR是治疗Stanford B型主动脉夹层首选方法,手术成功率高,选择合适患者后应尽早介入治疗.     

Stanford A型主动脉夹层术后VAP危险因素

 目的 探讨Stanford A型主动脉夹层患者术后发生呼吸机相关肺炎（VAP）的危险因素。方法 回顾性收集某院2019年1—12月Stanford A型主动脉夹层手术患者的资料。其中发生VAP的患者为VAP组,非VAP组以1∶3进行匹配,分析VAP的危险因素。结果 2019年1—12月共收治161例Stanford A型主动脉夹层患者,112例纳入本研究,其中发生VAP 28例次,例次感染率17.39%。呼吸机使用总日数734 d,VAP日感染率38.14‰。单因素分析结果显示,VAP组患者深低温停循环时间、术后呼吸机使用时间、奥美拉唑使用日数、血肌酐值均高于非VAP组,差异有统计学意义（均P<0.05）;VAP组患者术后重度低氧血症、术后肾衰竭比率均高于非VAP组,差异均有统计学意义（均P<0.05）。logistic多因素回归分析结果显示,术后呼吸机使用时间、术后重度低氧血症、血肌酐水平、使用连续性肾替代治疗（CRRT）是VAP的独立危险因素。血中性粒细胞、白细胞计数、降钙素原以及体温ROC曲线下的面积分别为0.60、0.73、0.77、0.70,血白细胞、降钙素原和体温升高可辅助诊断VAP发生。VAP主要病原菌为肺炎克雷伯菌（23株）,其中22株为耐碳青霉烯类肺炎克雷伯菌。结论 缩短呼吸机使用时间、减少术后重度低氧血症、减少术后肾衰竭可降低Stanford A型主动脉夹层患者术后VAP的发生率。血白细胞计数、降钙素原以及体温可早期辅助诊断VAP。     

Advancing measurement of patient safety culture

Objective. To examine the psychometric and unit of analysis/strength of culture issues in patient safety culture (PSC) measurement.
Data Source. Two cross-sectional surveys of health care staff in 10 Canadian health care organizations totaling 11,586 respondents.
Study Design. A cross-validation study of a measure of PSC using survey data gathered using the Modified Stanford PSC survey (MSI-2005 and MSI-2006); a within-group agreement analysis of MSI-2006 data.
Extraction Methods. Exploratory factor analyses (EFA) of the MSI-05 survey data and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the MSI-06 survey data; Rwg coefficients of homogeneity were calculated for 37 units and six organizations in the MSI-06 data set to examine within-group agreement.
Principal Findings. The CFA did not yield acceptable levels of fit. EFA and reliability analysis of MSI-06 data suggest two reliable dimensions of PSC: Organization leadership for safety ( α =0.88) and Unit leadership for safety ( α =0.81). Within-group agreement analysis shows stronger within-unit agreement than within-organization agreement on assessed PSC dimensions.
Conclusions. The field of PSC measurement has not been able to meet strict requirements for sound measurement using conventional approaches of CFA. Additional work is needed to identify and soundly measure key dimensions of PSC. The field would also benefit from further attention to strength of culture/unit of analysis issues.     

Stanford A型主动脉夹层手术后多重耐药菌感染病原学特征及危险因素

目的 探讨Stanford A型主动脉夹层(TAAD)手术后多重耐药菌(MDRO)感染的病原学特征及危险因素.方法 回顾性分析2019年1月—2020年12月某胸科医院TAAD手术患者的病例资料,选取手术后MDRO感染患者为病例组,并按照1:3进行病例-对照匹配,采用单因素和多因素logistic回归分析MDRO感染的...     

Physician Gender Is Associated with Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Scores in Outpatient Gynecology

Background

Patient satisfaction is gaining increasing attention as a quality measure in health care, but the methods used to assess it may negatively impact women physicians.

The occurrence of antimicrobial substances in toilet,sink and shower drainpipes of clinical units: A neglected source of antibiotic residues

Antibiotics represent one of the most important drug groups used in the management of bacterial infections in humans and animals. Due to the increasing problem of antibiotic resistance, assurance of the antibacterial effectiveness of these substances has moved into the focus of public health. The reduction in antibiotic residues in wastewater and the environment may play a decisive role in the development of increasing rates of antibiotic resistance. The present study examines the wastewater of 31 patient rooms of various German clinics for possible residues of antibiotics, as well as the wastewater of five private households as a reference.To the best of our knowledge, this study shows for the first time that in hospitals with high antibiotic consumption rates, residues of these drugs can be regularly detected in toilets, sink siphons and shower drains at concentrations ranging from 0.02?μg·L^?1 to a maximum of 79?mg·L^?1. After complete flushing of the wastewater siphons, antibiotics are no longer detectable, but after temporal stagnation, the concentration of the active substances in the water phases of respective siphons increases again, suggesting that antibiotics persist through the washing process in biofilms. This study demonstrates that clinical wastewater systems offer further possibilities for the optimization of antibiotic resistance surveillance.     

The human drama of genetics: 'hard' and 'soft' media representations of inherited breast cancer

This paper examines media coverage of 'breast cancer genetics', and explores its implications for public understanding. We present a content analysis of coverage in British newspapers and look at a variety of popular forms, including women's magazines, television soap opera and radio drama. Genetic/inherited risk receives a great deal of coverage across a wide range of media formats and outlets. Much of this attention has focused on individuals from 'high risk families' and dilemmas around prophylactic mastectomies. Through examining media coverage, combined with interviews with media personnel and their sources, we show why this story proved so attractive to the media and highlight the different production values which influence coverage. Finally, we introduce preliminary findings from focus group discussions to demonstrate how such 'human interest' framing has engaged audience attention and influenced public understandings. The paper concludes by highlighting the implications for analysing, predicting, and engaging with, media representations of science.     

Self-reported health problems among Swedish miners one year after unemployment

Unemployment is considered to be a public health concern sincedeterioration in the health of the unemployed is often anticipated.However, for some groups, such as miners, unemployment mightimprove health due to a cessation of potentially harmful occupationalexposures. This study evaluates the health of 79 miners in oneSwedish iron-ore mine, and 226 age-matched controls from thegeneral population, during one year after the closure of themine. The participants received a questionnaire regarding medicalhistory and subjective symptoms at the beginning of the studyperiod, and after one year. Statistically significant negativeeffects on self-reported health attributable to unemploymentwere not found, although neuropsychiatric symptoms were morecommon among the unemployed miners. The miners reported a statisticallysignificant improvement in grip force (p=0.031). They had asignificantly higher prevalence of symptoms associated withmining related exposures when compared with the population controls;pain in the upper extremities [relative risk (RR)=2.27, 95%confidence interval (Cl)=1.44–3.59), back pain (RR=1.84;Cl=1.237–2.75), vasospastic disease of the fingers (RR=2.05;Cl=1.18–3.57) and obstructive respiratory symptoms (attacksof dyspnea and wheezing: RR=3.67; Cl=1.167–11.6).     

Excès de cas humains et animaux de tularémie en France au cours de l’hiver 2007–2008 : émergence ou phénomène isolé ?

Context

Tularemia is a zoonosis affecting humans and hares in France. We describe the results of surveillance in both species, in 2007 and 2008.

Methods

Human tularemia cases are mandatorily notifiable in France since 2003. In hares, surveillance relies on volunteer hunter associations in all districts of the country. Data from mandatory reports and volunteer surveillance in 2007/2008 were analyzed and compared with previous results.

Results

In 2007/2008, 144 cases were reported in humans and 117 cases in hares. This was a 100% increase compared to previous years. Human cases differed from those of previous years only by the frequency of contact with breeding animals. Human cases without any documented risk exposure were also more frequent.

Conclusion

An increase of tularemia cases occurred in 2007/2008 in both species. Complementary studies are needed to identify the species reservoir in France to understand the causes of this peak of cases.     

Fatigue and health in a seafaring population

Background Occupational fatigue is relatively common withinthe general population and has been linked to reduced performance,injury and longer term ill-health. Despite growing acknowledgementof this problem in the maritime sector, little research hasbeen conducted into the risk factors, prevalence and consequencesof seafarers' fatigue. Aims To examine the prevalence of fatigue among seafarers, identifypotential risk factors and assess possible links with poor performanceand ill-health. Methods Cross-sectional questionnaire survey of seafarers workingin the offshore oil support, short-sea and deep-sea shippingindustries. A number of tools were used including the fatiguesubscale of the profile of fatigue-related symptoms, the CognitiveFailures Questionnaire, the General Health Questionnaire andthe SF36 General Health scale. Results In all, 1855 questionnaires were completed giving anoverall response rate of 20%. Fatigue symptoms were associatedwith a range of occupational and environmental factors, manyunique to seafaring. Reporting a greater number of risk factorswas associated with greater fatigue [e.g. OR = 2.53 (1.90–3.35)for those with three or four risk factors and OR = 9.54 (6.95–13.09)for those with five or more risk factors]. There was also astrong link between fatigue and poorer cognitive and healthoutcomes, with fatigue the most important of a number of riskfactors, accounting for 10–14% of the variance. Conclusions Seafarers' fatigue could impact on safety withinthe industry and may be linked to longer term individual ill-health.It can only be addressed by considering how multiple factorscombine to contribute to fatigue.     

Occupational health hazards in mining: an overview

This review article outlines the physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic and psychosocial occupational health hazards of mining and associated metallurgical processes. Mining remains an important industrial sector in many parts of the world and although substantial progress has been made in the control of occupational health hazards, there remains room for further risk reduction. This applies particularly to traumatic injury hazards, ergonomic hazards and noise. Vigilance is also required to ensure exposures to coal dust and crystalline silica remain effectively controlled.     

Manufacture and use of nanomaterials: current status in the UK and global trends

This paper provides an overview of the production and use of nanomaterials (NMs), particularly in the UK. Currently, relatively few companies in the UK are identifiable as NM manufacturers, the main emphasis being the bulk markets in metals and metal oxides, and some niche markets such as carbon nanotubes and quantum dots. NM manufacturing in the UK does not reflect the global emphasis on fullerenes, nanotubes and fibres. Some assumptions have been made about the types of NM that are likely to be imported into the UK, which currently include fullerenes, modified fullerenes and other carbon-based NMs including nanotubes. Many university departments, spin-offs and private companies have developed processes for the manufacture of NMs but may only be producing small quantities for research and development (R&D) purposes. However, some have the potential to scale up to produce large quantities. The nanotechnology industry in the UK has strong R&D backup from universities and related institutions. This review has covered R&D trends at such institutions, and appropriate information has been added to a searchable database. While several companies are including NMs in their products, only a few (e.g. manufacturers of paints, coatings, cosmetics, catalysts, polymer composites) are using nanoparticles (NPs) in any significant quantities. However, this situation is likely to change rapidly. There is a need to collect more information about exposure to NPs in both manufacturing and user scenarios. As the market grows, and as manufacturers switch from the micro- to the nanoscale, the potential for exposure will increase. More research is required to quantify any risks to workers and consumers.     

Hydrazine inhalation hepatotoxicity

Abstract Hydrazine is a hazardous chemical commonly used as a reactant in rocket and jet fuel cells. Animal studies have demonstrated hepatic changes after hydrazine inhalation. Human case reports of hydrazine inhalation hepatotoxicity are rare. We report a case of mild hepatotoxicity following brief hydrazine vapour inhalation in a healthy young man, which resolved completely on expectant management.     

Fitness standards in airline staff

Employers have a legal duty to manage safety and to meet this duty it is necessary to control risks arising from pre-existing medical conditions. Such conditions can be identified at the time of job placement, but there is little published information about the approach to fitness standards by most airlines. This review is therefore limited to the practice of one major airline. It is illustrated by reference to various occupations within the airline, with the associated rationale.     

The management of influenza in people of working age

Influenza is common, causing considerable morbidity and sickness absence from work in most winters. Influenza vaccines have been available for >40 years, but are not extensively used in the workforce (in the UK). Amantadine has been available for 25 years as a treatment and prophylactic against influenza A infection, but has scarcely been used. In the last 3 years, two neuraminidase inhibitor antivirals, zanamivir and oseltamivir, have been introduced to the market for the treatment and prophylaxis of influenza A and B infections. This review focuses on aspects of prevention and treatment of influenza appropriate to people of working age. Decisions based on the cost-effectiveness of prevention and treatment options differ when viewed from the perspective of the healthcare provider, the employer or the employee. Options currently available need to be directed to a wider range of people than those conventionally regarded as the target risk group.