Constructing robust selves after brain injury: positive identity work among members of a female self-help group

Despite common experiences of identity damage, decline, and deterioration, many brain injury survivors succeed in reconstructing robust identities in the wake of injury. Yet, while this accomplishment greatly benefits survivors’ quality of life, little is known about how positive identity work might be facilitated or enhanced in therapeutic institutions. Drawing on data from a women’s self-help group, we argue that an egalitarian, reflective, strength-focused, and gender-segregated environment can provide female ABI (acquired brain injury) survivors with a fertile scene for identity enhancement and offer unique opportunities for collective identity development. Sociolinguistic interactional analysis revealed four types of positive identity work undertaken within the group: constructing competent selves; tempering the threat of loss and impairment; resisting infantilisation and delegitimisation; and asserting a collective gender identity. This identity work was facilitated by specific programme attributes and activities and contributed to the global project of decentring disability and destigmatising impairments and losses. We call for increased attention to identity issues in brain injury rehabilitation and argue that gender-segregated programming can provide a unique space for female survivors to construct empowering individual and collective identities after injury.     

Niven and Scott (2003): Sixteen years of hindsight

This paper revisits a 2003 publication in Nursing Philosophy: The need for accurate perception and informed judgement in determining the appropriate use of the nursing resource: hearing the patient's voice. The author suggests that the basic ideas and focus of this 16‐year‐old paper are still topical and relevant in considerations of nursing care. However, it is also suggested that greater attention to the importance of the nurse–patient relationship in considerations of resource allocation, and potential rationing of nursing care, would have strengthened the original paper.     

常规器械经脐单孔腹腔镜手术在妇科良性疾病中的临床应用

目的:探讨经脐单孔腹腔镜手术(LESS)在妇科良性疾病中的临床价值。方法:选择2018年1月-2019年4月在我院妇科行经脐单孔腹腔镜手术的68例患者为研究组,同期同病种行传统多孔腹腔镜手术的70例患者为对照组,比较2组的术中出血量、术后最高体温、术后肛门排气时间、术后下床活动时间、术后住院时间、术后24 h疼痛视觉模拟评分(VAS)、体象量表BIS评分和切口美观满意度CS评分、手术时间及围手术期并发症的指标。结果:2组患者手术均顺利完成,术中不需要辅助操作,未中转开腹。术中、术后均未出现严重的手术并发症。2组患者在术中出血量、术后最高体温、术后排气时间、术后下床活动时间、术后住院时间差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);手术时间、术后24 h VAS评分、体象量表BIS评分和切口美观满意度CS评分比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:常规器械经脐单孔腹腔镜不需要特殊的器械和设备,符合卫生经济学特点;具有良好的美容效果,以及标本取出方便的优势,LESS应用于妇科良性疾病是安全可行的。     

Patient Perspectives on Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Surgery: A Focus on Sexual Health

BackgroundIn the last decade, many novel minimally invasive surgical techniques within benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) surgery were developed to reduce postoperative complications that often discourage patients from pursuing BPH surgery.AimTo assess perspective of future and past international BPH surgery patients regarding their postoperative complications, namely erectile and ejaculatory function.MethodsA survey was distributed randomly to 2 groups of BPH patients: one with 149 patients having undergone surgery in the last 2 years (group A), and the other cohort of 151 men seriously considering BPH surgery in the next year (group B). This survey consisted of 20 questions that assessed patients' motivating factors for undergoing elective BPH surgery and their perspectives regarding the potential postoperative complications attributed to BPH surgery.OutcomesThe perspective of future and past international BPH surgical patients towards the preservation of their erectile and ejaculatory functions was assessed with the help of a survey.ResultsResults indicated that in general BPH surgery patients considered the maintenance of erectile (95%, n = 284) and ejaculatory function (92%, n = 276) to be important preoperative considerations, regardless of their age. Patients aged 50–59 years were most concerned with the permanent impact on sexual function and patients aged >60 years were most concerned with urinary incontinence. In patients aged >70 years, 66% (n = 43) and 62% (n = 40) of the respondents indicated that maintaining erectile and ejaculatory function was important, respectively.Clinical ImplicationsPatient-centered care needs to be implemented in order to address the importance that past and future BPH surgery patients hold toward the maintenance of their postoperative sexual function.Strengths & LimitationsIn the group of patients having previously undergone BPH surgery, the possibility of recall bias should be taken into account when interpreting the study's findings. However, maintaining sexual function was also important for the group of patients seriously considering surgery in the next year suggesting that these considerations are not solely due to recall bias. Additionally, the results were limited by the small sample size of participants in groups A (n = 149) and B (n = 151).ConclusionIt was found that past and future BPH surgery patients attribute a significant importance toward the maintenance of their sexual function. Although novel approaches with better sexual outcomes such as Rezum and UroLift for prostates <80 mL, and Aquablation for any size prostate are available, more research is needed to investigate their long-term effects on sexual function before they can be recommended to patients.Bouhadana D, Nguyen D-D, Zorn KC, et al. Patient Perspectives on Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Surgery: A Focus on Sexual Health. J Sex Med 2020;17:2108–2112.     

2004年和2005年鲁东大学女教职工妇科查体结果分析

目的通过2004年和2005年本校女教职工妇科查体结果的分析，发现女教职工中未被识别的疾病与致病因子，从而达到防病、治病的目的。通过两年查体结果的分析比较，进一步说明高校女教职工定期进行妇科查体的必要性。方法收集、整理2004年和2005年两年的妇科查体结果，并对不同年龄组的患病率进行分析、比较，查找原因。结果两年的查体结果表明，2005年各年龄段妇科疾病的发病率明显较2004年低，经卡方比较，差异有显著性。结论对女教职工实施定期的妇科查体，对及旱发现妇科疾病、及时进行适当的治疗、保障女教职工的身体健康起了重要作用。     

Gender ratio of migraine without aura: observations over time

Abstract Migraine without aura is typically considered a female condition. The purpose of this study was to determine if there have been any changes in the female-to-male ratio of the disease over time. We included in the study all patients with migraine without aura (n=3457) referred to the Parma University Headache Centre between 1976 and 1995. They were divided into subgroups with respect to gender and year-range of onset of migraine (before 1960, in the 1960s, in the 1970s, in the 1980s, and between 1990 and 1995). Gender ratio ranged from 3.6:1 (in patients with onset before 1960) to 2.8:1 (in patients with onset in the 1980s), with no statistically significant changes during the observation period.