Trends in socio-economic differences in self-reported depression during the years 1979–2002 in Finland

Background  

Socio-economic differences in depressive symptoms are well reported, but there are only few studies concerning changes in these differences over time. The aim of this study was to assess trends in socio-economic differences in self-reported depression over the time period 1979–2002 in Finland.     

Knowledge expectations of patients on dialysis treatment

In order to be empowered in different situations related to dialysis care, patients need knowledge. This study describes the knowledge expectations of patients on dialysis treatment (n = 47) and selected background variables. The results indicated that patients expressed moderate knowledge expectations. Most important were the biophysiological, functional, and ethical dimensions of knowledge. The least important were the social and experiential dimensions of knowledge. Patients' age, employment status, dialysis modality, and length of dialysis were positively correlated with knowledge expectations.     

Substituting inpatient for outpatient care: what is the impact on hospital costs and efficiency?

Substitution of inpatient for outpatient care is seen as a means to increase patient throughput and control costs. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of increased outpatient care on hospital costs and efficiency using Finnish specialty-level data from years 2003–2006 to which we applied stochastic frontier analysis. The results reveal that outpatient services have a smaller impact on total costs than inpatient services. At the same time, increased outpatient activity appears to have an adverse effect on estimated cost efficiency. This counterintuitive finding is probably due to the low weight given to outpatient activities by the Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) system. A common weighting for inpatient and outpatient services is required in order to assess accurately the impact of outpatient care on efficiency.     

Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: To study characteristics of Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome (MRS) patients with facial palsy (FP) and differences in patients treated at the Departments of Otorhinolaryngology and Dermatology. METHODS: Clinical picture of MRS was studied from patient charts at two departments. Patients with FP received a questionnaire and were examined. Tissue biopsies were searched for non-necrotizing granulomatous infiltrations typical of MRS and blood DNA for UNC-93B1 gene mutations predisposing to herpesvirus infection. RESULTS: At the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, all 18 MRS patients had FP, 9 the triad form. Two patients revealed non-necrotizing granulomatous infiltrations during acute edema episodes; another two had association with uveitis. Edema was rarely persistent and did not dominate the clinical picture. No UNC-93B1 mutations were found. At the Department of Dermatology, 2 patients had triad MRS and 15 had monosymptomatic granulomatous cheilitis with persistent edema and typical MRS histology. CONCLUSION: The clinical picture of MRS with FP differed from the current knowledge of edema-dominated MRS. More studies focusing on MRS with FP would broaden our understanding of the syndrome.     

Compound nerve conduction velocity – A reflection of proprioceptive afferents?

OBJECTIVE: To gather the required sample size to compare compound nerve conduction velocities (CV) to cutaneous sensory CVs and motor CVs to find out if there are statistically significant differences between these nerve fibre populations. METHODS: We report age, height, and temperature standardized CVs for cutaneous sensory, motor, and compound nerve fibres measured by electroneuromyography (ENMG) for 109 median nerves in 74 people from different age groups with no known neuropathy (age 50.4, median 49, range 21-87). RESULTS: In the region of the forearm, mean CVs were 63.6m/s (CI=62.6-64.7) for compound nerve fibres, 61.3m/s (CI=60.1-62.5) for cutaneous sensory fibres, and 56.3m/s (CI=55.1-57.6) for motor fibres (for all p<0.001). Age explained most of the variation of CVs (Pearson's coefficients -0.394, -0,538, and -0.443, respectively, for all p相似文献   

Lower quality of life in young men after pediatric kidney transplantation when compared to healthy controls and survivors of childhood leukemia—a cross‐sectional study

Data about health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) in adult recipients after pediatric kidney transplantation (KTx) are scarce. In this nationwide questionnaire‐based study, HRQOL and social status in young adult men having undergone KTx during childhood (n = 29) were studied and compared to age‐ and gender‐matched healthy controls (n = 56) and survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n = 52) comprising controls with another chronic disease of childhood. Altogether 41% of the KTx recipients, 50% of the leukemia survivors and 80% of the healthy controls lived in a permanent relationship. When compared with leukemia survivors, the KTx recipients reported significantly more bodily pain and worse general health (RAND‐36). Older age at time of study, longer duration of dialysis, multiple transplantations and diminished graft function correlated with lower scores. The KTx recipients had a significantly higher mean Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score than the leukemia survivors (P = 0.000) or the healthy controls (P = 0.006). BDI scores were highest in patients who lived without a partner or children had lower educational level or were unemployed. KTx recipients had significantly lower HRQOL scores than their healthy and controls with childhood chronic disease. Early detection of psychosocial problems and poor physical functioning among these patients is warranted.     

Nursing students in clinical practice--developing a model for clinical supervision

The aim of this study was to develop a model for clinical supervision to promote the clinical practice of nursing students. The study was implemented in Finland and it was carried out in three phases. Firstly, data were collected by means of a literature review and focus group interviews. Secondly, the data were analysed and described in expert groups, and finally the model itself was evaluated by 23 nursing experts. The data of literature review and focus group interviews consisted of 27 studies and four groups from three organisations: nurses (n = 7), managers (n = 6), teachers (n = 8) and students (n = 6). The data were analysed by qualitative content analysis. The model devolved from the study includes the concepts describing prerequisites, content and influence of clinical supervision. The prerequisites are nursing skills, a holistic view of the nursing curriculum, pedagogical, organisational, development, cooperation and interaction competence and decision-making skills. The content of clinical supervision includes support of professional development, pedagogical competence, research and development activities and collaborative working. Clinical supervision has influence on students’ professional and personal development and conception of the future of nursing profession, students’ preparedness for career planning and the teacher’s and preceptor’s professional development. The model could unify the notions of all parties concerned of the prerequisites, content and influence of clinical supervision. Furthermore, the entire supervision process and its control could be clarified. The model may be utilised in selecting and educating preceptors and evaluating the quality of clinical supervision.     

A 3-D model-based registration approach for the PET,MR and MCG cardiac data fusion

In this paper, a new approach is presented for the assessment of a 3-D anatomical and functional model of the heart including structural information from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and functional information from positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetocardiography (MCG). The method uses model-based co-registration of MR and PET images and marker-based registration for MRI and MCG. Model-based segmentation of MR anatomical images results in an individualized 3-D biventricular model of the heart including functional parameters from PET and MCG in an easily interpretable 3-D form.     

Enzymic degradation of a beta-lactam antibiotic,ampicillin, in the gut: a novel treatment modality

Antibiotics can cause severe alterations in the gut microflora and promote diarrhoea and overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria. The present study investigated the potency of targeted recombinant beta-lactamase (TRBL) to degrade a beta-lactam antibiotic in the jejunum of fistula-operated beagles. We used different peroral doses of purified beta-lactamase (PenP) of Bacillus licheniformis in enteric-coated pellets together with intravenous ampicillin. Serum and jejunal samples were collected for ampicillin and beta-lactamase analysis. A dose-response effect of TRBL on ampicillin concentrations in the jejunal samples could be observed. The highest doses applied decreased the jejunal ampicillin concentrations to undetectable levels. In the serum samples, the ampicillin concentrations were not affected by the beta-lactamase dose used. Our results indicate that it may be possible to evolve a targeted treatment to degrade beta-lactam antibiotics intestinally and, thus, decrease antibiotic-induced adverse effects on the gut microflora.