Creating a career ladder for nursing assistants in long-term care

This article describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a career ladder for certified nursing assistants in long-term care. A career ladder is an effective way to maximize the use of unlicensed workers without changing the skill mix (eg, no loss of licensed nursing positions) and allow the licensed nurse more time to perform higher-level clinical tasks, such as assessments, patient education, and documentation. Implementation of an unlicensed worker career ladder also can improve nursing assistant retention.     

Effect of shunt surgery on spleen size, portal pressure and oesophageal varices in patients with non-cirrhotic portal hypertension

Shunt surgery is considered to be the treatment of choice in patients with non-cirrhotic portal hypertension. There is little data on the effect of side-to-side lieno-renal (SSLR) shunt on oesophageal variceal size, splenic size and splenic pulp pressure (SPP) in patients with non-cirrhotic portal hypertension. We evaluated pre- and postoperatively endoscopic grading of varices, splenic size and SPP for predicting shunt patency in 86 patients with non-cirrhotic portal hypertension: 56 with extrahepatic portal venous obstruction (EHPVO) and 30 with non-cirrhotic portal fibrosis (NCPF). The EHPVO patients with patent shunts (n= 47) showed significant reduction in SPP (pre-operative 43.56±7.9 vs postoperative 29.96±7.7 cm of saline), splenic size (6.5±2.8 vs 4.00±2.6 cm below costal margin) and varices grades (2.96±0.5 vs 0.92±0.8). Patients with blocked shunt (n= 9) did not show significant reduction in SPP and varices grades. However, there was reduction in spleen size (8.6±3.0 vs 6.3±4.3). In the NCPF group, 28 had patent shunts and showed significant reduction in SPP (46.3±13.5 vs 33.8±7.6 cm of saline), splenic size (9.1±3.3 vs 6.8±4.6 cm below costal margin) and varices grades (2.8±0.7 vs 1.05±0.96). As only two patients with NCPF had blocked shunts, no statistical comparison between patients with patent and patients with blocked shunts could be done. In conclusion, following SSLR, there is a significant reduction in SPP and varices grades in patients with patent shunts. Endoscopic grading of varices can be used to predict shunt patency. However, spleen size is not a good criteria for predicting shunt patency.     

Impact of the learning curve on term delivery rates following laparoscopic salpingostomy for infertility associated with distal tubal occlusive disease

The objective of this study was to determine the impact of the learning curve of one surgeon on the term delivery rate following laparoscopic salpingostomy for tubal infertility. This was a retrospective audit of ongoing clinical practice, undertaken in two tertiary level infertility programmes. Subjects in this study were women undergoing surgery for total occlusion of the distal Fallopian tube. The main outcome measure was cumulative term delivery rates. On stepwise life-table analysis the length of infertility, primary and secondary infertility, tubal diameter and whether surgery was performed in the first or second half of the series were significantly associated with outcome. These data suggest that there is a learning curve in obtaining skills to perform laparoscopic salpingostomy, that patient selection may improve with experience, and that selection criteria should be emphasized during didactic teaching and the preceptorship process.      

Violent Lives of Women: Critical Points for Intervention—Phase I Focus Groups

PROBLEM. To identify critical developmental periods, experiences, and events in women's lives associated with violence to guide a larger study.
METHODS. Two focus groups of 10 women each (N = 20) were conducted to determine the critical times when girls and women might be exposed to violence.
FINDINGS. Broad themes in the data were developmental periods, abusers, staying in the relationship, leaving the relationship, parenting, and living with violence. The women in these focus groups clearly identified times of increased risk for violence in their lives: establishing intimate relationships, pregnancy, childrearing years, and times when substance abuse is occurring.
CONCLUSIONS. While clinicians should be vigilant for the presence of domestic violence with all clients, it is important to know when a woman experiences increased risk for violence. The findings indicate a need for education for communities, those who provide care for women and children, and people in whom victims may confide.     

血管黏附分子中选择素结构、功能及其表达的特点

目的:归纳总结选择素的组成、分布、结构、表达及其选择素与配体相互作用的主要功能。资料来源:应用计算机检索Medline数据库1990-01/2007-01有关选择素功能的相关文章,检索词“Selectin,function”,限定文章语言种类为英文。同时计算机检索中国期刊全文数据库、万方数据库1994-01/2007-01期间的选择素的相关文章,检索词“选择素、功能”,限定文章语言种类为中文。资料选择:对资料进行初审,选取与选择素研究进展相关文献,然后筛除明显无关文献或相关性不强的文献,对剩余文献开始查找全文,进一步明确其相关性。纳入标准:随机对照研究;实验或临床研究包含平行对照组。排除标准:重复或类似的同一研究、综述文献(或个案报道等)。资料提炼:共收集到79篇有关选择素研究方面的文章,33个实验或临床研究符合纳入标准。排除的46篇文献中,32篇为未随机研究或重复性研究,14篇为综述类文章。资料综合:33个实验包括403例患者和342只实验动物,分别阐述了以下3点:①选择素家族的组成、分布:目前发现的选择素家族包括3个成员:L-选择素、P-选择素、E-选择素,P-选择素和E-选择素表达于内皮细胞,L-选择素只表达于白细胞。②选择素的结构及其表达:选择素分子是一类Ⅰ型跨膜糖蛋白,它分为胞外区、跨膜区和胞内区,3种选择素的胞外区的不同部位在同一物种或不同物种间有一定的同源性。而跨膜区和胞内区则没有同源性,胞内区是细胞内部分。③选择素的配体:选择素执行其功能离不开和其配体的相互作用,配体包括糖类配体和蛋白类配体两部分。糖类配体主要是一些寡糖基团。蛋白类配体多是一些分子量在数万到数十万单位的蛋白分子。④选择素的主要功能为:介导炎症过程中白细胞的起始黏附,参与肿瘤转移过程,参与缺血-再灌注损伤,参与血栓形成及促进创伤的修复和愈合,参与细胞内外的信号传递,参与器官移植免疫排斥反应等。结论:①目前发现的选择素家族的3个成员,P-选择素和E-选择素表达于内皮细胞,L-选择素只表达于白细胞。②选择素的主要作用是在炎症发生时介导白细胞与血管内皮细胞的起始黏附,以及介导白细胞之间、白细胞与血小板之间的黏附。此外,在淋巴细胞归巢、炎症反应、血栓形成、自身免疫性疾病及肿瘤转移等过程中,选择素还发挥着重要作用。