Time to delivery: Transfers for threatened preterm labour and prelabour rupture of membranes in Western Australia

Objective

To describe the outcomes of patients transferred to King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH) with signs of labour at preterm gestations.

Design

A retrospective observational study of the 69 cases transferred to KEMH during 2015.

Setting

Patient transfers from all locations across Western Australia (WA) to the sole tertiary perinatal centre in Perth.

Participants

Pregnant women within WA with threatened or actual preterm labour (PTL) or preterm prelabour rupture of membranes (PPROM) between 23 and 32 weeks gestation.

Main outcome measures

The occurrence of delivery during the admission and time‐to‐delivery as well as length of admission and association between clinical factors and time‐to‐delivery.

Results

The percentage of the study population delivered during the admission following transfer was 72.5%. Eighty‐six per cent of those who delivered did so within 72 hours of transfer. The median time from transfer to delivery was 1 day. Sixty‐three per cent of those who did not deliver during the admission progressed to 36 weeks gestation. Patients transferred with PPROM were less likely to deliver during the admission compared to those with uterine activity (50% versus 19.6%, P = 0.007) and nulliparas were more likely to deliver (93.5% versus 55.3%, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The majority of women transferred with signs of PTL progress to delivery during the same admission with the highest risk of delivery being the first 72 hours following transfer. If the pregnancy is ongoing at 72 hours, there is a reasonable chance of progression to late preterm gestation supporting the return of woman to their place of origin for antenatal care following discharge.     

Metabolic profile and assessment of occupational arsenic exposure in copper- and steel-smelting workers in China

Purpose  

Analyze the urine arsenic (As) metabolite profiles of workers in copper-and special steel-smelting plants and explore the potential occupationally As exposure as well as the individual arsenicosis risk.     

Physical and psychological symptoms and learning difficulties in children of women exposed and non-exposed to violence: a population-based study

Objectives  

To analyse the association between violence against mothers and the health of their children as reported by the mothers.     

Patient and public perspectives of community pharmacies in the United Kingdom: A systematic review

Background

The United Kingdom has been at the forefront of enhancing pharmacist roles and community pharmacy services, particularly over the past decade. However, patient and public awareness of community pharmacy services has been limited.

Objective

To identify and synthesize the research literature pertaining to patient and public perspectives on: existing community pharmacy services, extended pharmacist roles and strategies to raise awareness of community pharmacy services.

Search strategy

Systematic search of 8 electronic databases; hand searching of relevant journals, reference lists and conference proceedings.

Inclusion criteria

UK studies investigating patient or public views on community pharmacy services or pharmacist roles from 2005 to 2016.

Data extraction and synthesis

Data were extracted into a grid and subjected to narrative synthesis following thematic analysis.

Main results

From the 3260 unique papers identified, 30 studies were included. Manual searching identified 4 additional studies. Designs using questionnaires (n = 14, 41%), semi‐structured interviews (n = 8, 24%) and focus groups (n = 6, 18%) made up the greatest proportion of studies. Most of the studies (n = 28, 82%) were published from 2010 onwards and covered perceptions of specific community pharmacy services (n = 31). Using a critical appraisal checklist, the overall quality of studies was deemed acceptable. Findings were grouped into 2 main themes “public cognizance” and “attitudes towards services” each with 4 subthemes.

Discussion and conclusions

Patients and the public appeared to view services as beneficial. Successful integration of extended pharmacy services requires pharmacists’ clinical skills to be recognized by patients and physicians. Future research should explore different approaches to increase awareness.     

Communicating about the experience of pain and fatigue in disability

Purpose  

To examine the experiences of people with chronic disabling conditions as they communicate with health care providers about pain and fatigue.     

Biological pathways and genetic variables involved in pain

Purpose  

This paper summarizes current knowledge of pain-related and analgesic-related pathways as well as genetic variations involved in pain perception and management.     

Somatization is associated with physical health-related quality of life independent of anxiety and depression in cancer, glaucoma and rheumatological disorders

Purpose  

To test the relative importance of anxiety, depression and somatization as correlates of physical health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in several chronic physical disorders.     

Sense of coherence and attrition during four-year follow-up in cohorts of permanent and non-permanent Finnish employees

Background  

We studied whether health resources, measured as sense of coherence (SOC), are associated with participation in a follow-up survey among permanent and non-permanent employees who responded at baseline.     

The economic costs and health-related quality of life of people with HIV/AIDS in the Canary Islands, Spain

Background  

The objective was to determine the economic burden, as well as the impact on HRQOL for people with HIV/AIDS in Spain in 2003.     

The mediating and moderating role of personal strain and coping resource in the relationship between work stressor and quality of life among Chinese nurses

Objective  

To determine whether personal strain and coping resources act as either mediator or moderator or both in the relationship between work stressor and quality of life among Chinese nurses.     

Biological effect markers in exhaled breath condensate and biomonitoring in welders: impact of smoking and protection equipment

Purpose  

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of welding as well as the impact of smoking and protection measures on biological effect markers in exhaled breath condensate. Additionally, biomonitoring of chromium, aluminium and nickel in urine was performed to quantify internal exposure.     

Risk of malnutrition and health-related quality of life in community-living elderly men and women: The Tromsø study

Purpose  

To explore the association between risk of malnutrition as well as current body mass index (BMI) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in elderly men and women from the general population.     

Frailty and cognitive impairment as predictors of mortality in older Mexican Americans

Objective  

Examine the association between frailty and cognitive impairment as predictors of mortality over a 10-year period in a selected sample of older Mexican Americans.     

Effects of anethum graveolens and garlic on lipid profile in hyperlipidemic patients

Background  

hyperlipidemia as a major risk factor of atherosclerosis is treated with different drugs. Concerning length of therapy and vast majority of side effects, herbal medication may be suitable substitute for these drugs.     

Geographic region of residence and blood lead levels in US children: results of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Purpose  

This study investigated the association between geographic region and blood lead levels (BLLs) in US children, as well as trends in this relationship, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).     

An exploration of job stress and health in the Norwegian police service: a cross sectional study

Background  

Police work is regarded as a high-stress occupation, but so far, no nationwide study has explored the associations between work stress and health.     

Dietary intake and plasma concentrations of PUFA and LC-PUFA in breastfed and formula fed infants under real-life conditions

Background  

The breastfed infant is usually used as standard for formula feeding, also regarding long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA). Here, plasma fatty acid concentrations in formula fed infants and the effects of LC-PUFA supplementation were investigated under real-life conditions.     

The use of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Fanconi anaemia patients: a survey of decision making among families in the US and Canada

Background

Fanconi anaemia (FA) is a rare genetic disorder associated with bone marrow failure (BMF), congenital anomalies and cancer susceptibility. Stem cell transplantation (SCT) offers a potential cure for BMF or leukaemia, but incurs substantial risks. Little is known about factors influencing SCT decision making.

Objective

The study objective was to explore factors influencing patients' with FA and family members' decision making about SCT.

Design

Using a mixed‐methods exploratory design, we surveyed US and Canadian patients with FA and family members who were offered SCT.

Main variables studied

Closed‐ended survey items measured respondents' beliefs about the necessity, risks and concerns regarding SCT; multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between these factors and the decision to undergo SCT. Open‐ended survey items measured respondents' perceptions of factors important to the SCT decision; qualitative analysis was used to identify emergent themes.

Results

The decision to undergo SCT was significantly associated with greater perceived necessity (OR = 2.81, P = 0.004) and lower concern about harms of SCT (OR = 0.31, P = 0.03). Qualitative analysis revealed a perceived lack of choice among respondents regarding the use of SCT, which was related to physician influence and respondent concerns about patients' quality of life.

Conclusions

Overall, study results emphasize the importance of the delicate interplay between provider recommendation of a medical procedure and patient/parental perceptions and decision making. Findings can help providers understand the need to acknowledge family members' perceptions of SCT decision making and offer a comprehensive discussion of the necessity, risks, benefits and potential outcomes.     

Sickness presenteeism in Spanish-born and immigrant workers in Spain

Background   

Previous studies have shown that immigrant workers face relatively worse working and employment conditions, as well as lower rates of sickness absence than native-born workers. This study aims to assess rates of sickness presenteeism in a sample of Spanish-born and foreign-born workers according to different characteristics.