Cancer support groups – are they effective?

Cancer causes significatlt emotional distress to a considerable majority of patients. Many of these patients typically receive little formal psychological intervention. Support groups, however, have provided one forum from which patients can attempt to gain help and can use to overcome some psychological trauma that accompanies the cancer hagnosis, subsequent treatment and relapse. This article reviews past studies of professionally run cancer support groups as opposed to psychological intervention groups. These studies are considered in light of the proposed benefits and the methodological limitations frequently inherent in such studies.     

性服务工作者性病和艾滋病的干预研究

目的 了解性工作者的性病/艾滋病知识、态度、信念、行为等现状,积极探索对该人群进行预防性病、艾滋病及行为干预的有效办法,为今后在更大范围的高危人群中进行干预提供科学依据.方法 成立专职高危干预队伍,设计借鉴其他地区经验,深入目标人群进行系列外展服务,利用干预前后封闭式调查问卷评价干预效果.结果 发放干预前后问卷各522份,收回前后有效问卷387份.通过外展服务,娱乐场所从业人员对性病史滋病预防知识知晓率明显提高,对安全套及安全性行为预防性病艾滋病的传播的信念和态度有明显转变.结论 对娱乐场所从业人群开展系列专业外展服务可以提高该人群的防病意识,提升对性病史滋痛的知晓率,是高危人群干预的有效方法.     

儿童输液中心患儿家属心理需求调查分析

目的 探讨儿童输液中心患儿家属的心理需求，方法 采用问卷调查的方法。结果 家属对患儿所患疾病知识的了解需求十分强烈，占100%，技术服务需求占93%，65%的家属担心输液时出现不良反应，75%的要求发放保健知识手册，根据上述需求，采取相应的护理措施，家属的满意度达到了99%。结论 通过对家属心理需求调查分析及采取相应措施，能提高服务质量。     

The 5-Step family intervention in primary care: II. The views of primary healthcare professionals

Background: This is the second of two papers using qualitative methods from a study of an intervention for family members affected by close relatives' substance misuse problems.

Participants: 168 primary healthcare professionals (PHCPs: GPs, practice nurses and health visitors) working in general practices in two areas of England, and who took part in the study.

Data sources: Recruitment and post-session forms completed by PHCPs; telephone interviews with each PHCP 12 weeks after recruitment of a family member; interviews with PHCPs at the end of the study.

Results: At the end of the project PHCPs were overwhelmingly positive about the family member intervention and about primary care as the appropriate site. Difficulties were encountered, however, in identifying and engaging affected family members, who were often excluded on grounds of the complexity of their problems or the level of their distress. Shortage of PHCP time and other practice-related factors added to the difficulty. Active work by a PHCP was often necessary in order to make the link between presenting symptoms of physical or mental ill-health and the existence of a family substance misuse problem. When family members were identified and recruited, PHCPs were usually positive about what was achieved. Nearly all were in favour of an approach that combined giving a self-help manual with some follow-up contact with a family member as needed.

Conclusions: Taken in conjunction with statistical outcome findings of significant reductions in symptoms and changes in ways of coping, plus qualitative analysis of the views of family members, the present results encourage the view that a flexible form of this intervention should be developed for use in primary healthcare, and that further work should build on existing strengths and attempt to overcome weaknesses identified.     

Skin test results and self-reported symptom severity in allergic rhinitis: the role of psychological factors

BACKGROUND: In allergic conditions, the degree of skin test reactivity does not always correlate with the severity of clinical symptoms. Additional factors may contribute to the reported symptom severity. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between the magnitude of the skin prick test (SPT) response and the reported symptom severity in patients with allergic rhinitis and the possible modifying role of psychological factors. METHODS: One hundred four patients with allergic rhinitis and 23 with non-allergic rhinitis, classified according to their SPT response to 19 aeroallergens, were asked to rate the severity of five symptoms and to indicate whether their symptoms intensified on exposure to five common aeroallergens. They also completed a psychological questionnaire. Results Reported symptom severity of allergic rhinitis did not correlate with weal size for any of the aeroallergens tested or with the number of positive responses on SPT. It was not related to patient age, sex, or education. The reported symptoms severity correlated positively (0.29, P < 0.01) with reported symptom intensification on exposure to allergens. Moreover, both outcomes were positively associated with the psychological factors of hypochondriasis (0.20, P < 0.05 and 0.18, P < 0.05, respectively), and somatic awareness (0.24, P < 0.05 and 0.33, P < 0.01, respectively), but not with neuroticism. CONCLUSIONS: The severity of symptoms experienced by patients with allergic rhinitis is apparently not related to the magnitude of SPT response, but rather to psychological factors of hypochondriasis and somatic awareness. Physicians should be aware of the contribution of psychological factors to patient perceptions of the intensity of symptoms and of the intensification of symptoms on their exposure to allergens.     

全反式维甲酸对防治经皮冠脉介入治疗后再狭窄的临床疗效观察

目的观察不同剂量全反式维甲酸（ATRA）对防治经皮冠脉介入治疗（PCI）后再狭窄（Rs）的疗效。方法2004年7月至2005年9月连续入院行PCI的冠心病300例。随机分为全反式维甲酸正常剂量组（10mgt．i．d p．o，甲组）、强化剂量组（20mgt．i．d p．o，乙组）、对照组（丙组）。6个月后分别比较甲乙丙三组的再狭窄率、心脏事件发生率和心功能。结果300例患者中男性228例、女性72例。住院期间甲乙丙三组比较：心绞痛9％VS8％VS9％；再次急性心肌梗死（AMI）O％VS2％VS1％；再次缺血性血运重建（TVR）3％VS2％VS3％；心源性死亡4％VS6％VS4％，P〉0．05，无显著统计学差异。随访期间三组比较：心绞痛12％VS9％VS20％；再次AMII％VSO％VS1％；心源性死亡2％VS4％VS4％，P〉0．05，无显著统计学差异；再狭窄率3／33（9．1％）VS2／30（6．7％）VS12／32（37．5％）；TVR3％VS2％VS11％，P〈0．05，有显著统计学差异。结论常规剂量ATRA防治再狭窄安全有效。     

脑出血后的抑制细胞凋亡干预

脑出血后血肿周围组织可发生继发性损伤。研究表明，细胞凋亡在脑出血后继发性损伤中起着重要作用。抑制细胞凋亡可显著改善脑出血后的神经功能缺损。     

Percutaneous coronary intervention in two occluded arms of a saphenous 'Y'-graft: the importance of protecting both of your arms.

Percutaneous intervention in saphenous vein grafts (SVG) carries a higher risk of distal embolization than intervention in a native vessel, and use of a distal protection device has been shown to improve the outcomes in SVG interventions. We describe an intervention done in an unexpected 'Y' SVG which required dual distal protection with Filterwires placed in both limbs of the diseased graft and which was performed via a 6 Fr guide catheter.     

Current concept and future research directions of mild cognitive impairment

Alzheimer's disease (AD) generally begins with mild memory problems which occur in an insidious manner and progresses to the development of multiple cognitive impairments. There is a ‘gray’ area between what is classified as ‘normal’ and what is classified as ‘dementia’, currently called mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In this article, a case of MCI is described, and the diagnosis, assessment, subclassification (pre‐Alzheimer type and white matter lesion type) and future therapeutic plans for MCI are reviewed.     

Analysis of the circumstances at the end of life in children with cancer: Symptoms, suffering and acceptance

BACKGROUND: In an effort to improve the quality of life of children with cancer, this study analyzes the signs and symptoms at the end of life in such children. It is hoped that these data will contribute to the development of appropriate programs to address the challenges faced by these children. PROCEDURE: Between 1994 and 2000, 28 children died after treatment for cancer at Hamamatsu University Hospital, Japan. The circumstances, signs and symptoms at the end of life of these children were analyzed through their medical records. RESULTS: Of the 28 children, the underlying diseases were leukemia/lymphoma (LL group; n=11), brain tumors (BT group; n=7), and other solid tumors (OST group; n=10). Records showed poor appetite (100%), dyspnea (82.1%), pain (75.0%), fatigue (71.4%), nausea/vomiting (57.1%), constipation (46.4%) and diarrhea (21.4%) among these children. Anxiety was reported in 53.6% of the entire group of 28 children; however, no child in the BT group manifested anxiety. However, disturbance of consciousness was reported in all children in the BT group, which was significantly greater than in the other groups. Awareness, fear or acceptance of the imminence of his/her own death as indicated by verbal expression was reported in nine children (32.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Using the data obtained in the present study, we describe situations faced in the terminal care of children. It is important to address the problems revealed by this analysis in order to achieve improvements in both the physical and psychological care of children with terminal cancer.