A scale for estimating the health status of opioid users

The health status of injecting drug users has both clinical and research relevance. In order to evaluate the impact of treatments for opiate dependence on drug users' health status we need valid and reliable instruments which are short and easily administered by non-medical personnel. This paper describes the construction of a brief interviewer administered scale for assessing the current health status of injecting drug users. Data evaluating its reliability and validity are presented which indicate that the scale has excellent psychometric properties.     

Responses of women and their doctors to the occurrence of a breast symptom: a community study

Public and professional education programmes have emphasizedthe need for prompt diagnosis and treatment of breast symptomsin improving mortality and morbidity related to breast cancer.The present study of a randomly selected community sample exploredthe responses of women and their doctors to the occurrence ofa breast symptom. One thousand and forty-one women were askedto participate in the study and 745 consented (72%). Sixteenper cent of the women had experienced breast symptoms whichwere potentially cancer-related, and 21% had experienced period-relatedbreast lumps at some time in their lives. Responses of womenand their doctors were examined for those women who had firstexperienced a potentially cancer-related symptom (n = 63) orperiod-related lump (n = 68) within the past five years. Ofwomen with potentially cancer-related symptoms, 29% had nevervisited their doctor about the symptom and a further 21 % delayedattending for more than two weeks after detecting the symptom.Similarly of those women with period-related breast lumps, 21% had never visited their doctors and 26% had delayed for twoweeks or more after finding the lump. Only 54% of women whoreported potentially cancer-related symptoms were referred toa specialist. Women may be more likely to attend or visit theirdoctor if health education messages are viewed as non-threatening.The results are discussed in terms of the need for professionaland public education programmes.     

The Closed-Eye Swelling Response of the Cornea to Polycon and Menicon 02 Gas-permeable Hard Lenses

ABSTRACT The corneal swelling response to Polycon and Menicon O, lenses was monitored over six hours of eye closure. For five subjects, the average corneal swelling with the Polycon and Menicon O, lenses was 15.9 ± 4.8% and 15.2 ± 4.3% respectively. Two of the subjects experienced more than 19% edema with both lenses. In view of the high levels of edema, neither lens is considered capable of supporting extended wear and patients should be advised accordingly. Patients should also be cautioned regarding napping with these lenses, as they can induce approximately 6% edema in 1 hour and 9% edema in 2 hours. It is suggested that in order for a gas-permeable lens to be considered for extended wear it should have an oxygen transmissibility of at least 25 × 10-9 (cm × ml 02)/(sec × ml × mm Hg).