An investigation into nurses' understanding of health education and health promotion within a neuro-rehabilitation setting*

This qualitative study was undertaken at two neuro-rehabihtation centres in England, with the aim of exploring the nurses' understanding of health education and health promotion and their role within it, and their perception of illness and wellness related to disability The principle of methodical triangulation was employed using questionnaires, group interviews and content analysis of client care plans Although the nurses had difficulty distinguishing between health promotion and health education, differences did emerge which were supported by the literature The nurses generally identified their role as being one of health promotion However, they tended to equate wellness with physical independence As a result of the study a health promotion model based on the principles of self-empowerment is suggested, which could be used as a framework for rehabilitation nurses and other professionals to enable them to focus on health and wellness rather than illness and disability     

Symptoms and time to presentation and treatment in ocular melanoma: the Western Canada Melanoma Study

Reports on all ocular melanomas newly diagnosed between Apr. 1, 1979, and Mar. 31, 1981, were obtained from the cancer registries of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Of the 90 cases, 87 were in patients aged 20 to 79 years, 64 of whom were interviewed about their initial symptoms. Three symptoms--loss of part of the visual field (in 33% of patients), photopsia (in 20%) and blurred vision (in 20%)--emerged as the main indicators of disease. In 17% of cases the tumour was discovered as an incidental finding on ocular examination. The length of delay before consulting a physician was generally short in symptomatic patients, with 85% reporting that they saw a physician within 3 months of onset of the first symptom. Of the 30 patients who received definitive treatment 4 months or more after initial presentation, 13 were seen by general practitioners who delayed before referring the patient to an ophthalmologist. Continuing medical education is needed to ensure earlier referral to ophthalmologists by general practitioners of patients with ocular melanoma.     

Cardiac function predicts mortality following thoracoabdominal and descending thoracic aortic aneurysm repair.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have identified age, renal failure and aneurysm extent as predictors of mortality following thoracoabdominal and descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) repair. We studied the impact of coronary artery disease (CAD) and cardiac function on 30-day mortality following TAA repair. METHODS: Between February 1991 and May 2001, we performed 854 TAA repairs. Two hundred ninety-one patients (34%) had a history of coronary artery disease. One hundred forty-one/291 (49%) had undergone coronary artery bypass surgery (CAB) prior to TAA repair. We conducted multivariable analyses of known risk factors along with the left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) and prior CAB to determine the adjusted effect of CAD on outcome. RESULTS: Mortality in patients with CAD was 54/291 (18%) compared to 75/563 (13%) without CAD (P<0.05). In patients who had prior CAB, mortality was 31/141 (22%) compared to 98/713 (14%) patients without prior CAB, (P<0.02). In multivariable analysis, the effects of CAD and CAB on mortality were eliminated by consideration of a low EF (defined as less than 50%). CONCLUSION: Impaired left ventricular function appears to be the strongest cardiac predictor of mortality for TAA repair, independent of the presence of coronary artery disease or coronary artery bypass revascularization.     

Spinal cord stimulation for multiple sclerosis: quantifiable benefits.

From 1984 to 1991, a quantitative study of 5 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients has been determining benefits from epidural (C7-T1 level) spinal cord stimulation (SCS). The 5 patients (4 male, 1 female; 4 tetraparetics, 1 hemiparetic) were 36-45 years of age having had symptoms for 12-22 years. Five quantitative tests were given prior to and during SCS on 4-8 occasions; 'off' periods were planned and also did occur when the electrode(s) broke (3 patients). With SCS, hand dynamometry showed a 2- to 4-fold increase in the 3 patients with weak hand function. Jebson Hand Time Testing showed a rapidity improvement to 1/2-1/7 of time in the same 3 patients. Minnesota Manipulation Testing with SCS was improved to 1/3-1/2 of time in 2 of these 3 patients tested. Manual muscle strength increased in all patients by 20-50% in 'normal range'. Ambulation in the parallel bars increased with SCS in 2 of the 4 wheelchair patients, while the hemiparetic patient could walk without his cane. All patients showed varying quantifiable improvements with SCS, but over the duration of testing the patients slowly deteriorated. SCS is a rehabilitation option for the weakened MS patient, to be used earlier rather than later in the deterioration of MS patients.     

The Surgeon General's warnings in outdoor cigarette advertising. Are they readable?

Outdoor advertising media represent a major vehicle by which cigarette companies promote their products. We investigated the readability of the Surgeon General's warning in cigarette advertisements (ads) in two outdoor media: billboards and taxicab ads. In an experiment in metropolitan Atlanta under typical driving conditions, observers were able to read the entire health warning on 18 (46%) of 39 street billboards but on only two (5%) of 39 highway billboards. In contrast, the content of the ads (ie, brand name, other wording, and notable imagery) could be recognized under the same conditions on more than 95% of the billboards. In a similar study of 100 taxicab cigarette ads in New York City, observers were unable to read the health warning in any of the ads but were able to identify the brand name in all ads and notable imagery in 95% of the ads. Significant differences between the readability of the warning and identification of the advertising content persisted even when partially read warnings were considered to have been read. We conclude that the Surgeon General's warning is not readable in its current form in the vast majority of billboard and taxicab ads. Factors contributing to unreadability include the small size of the letters, the excessive length of the warnings, the distance between the viewers and the ads, and movement between the viewers and the ads.     

Recovery and probable persistence of cytomegalovirus in human inner ear fluid without cochlear damage

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) was recovered from a 5-month-old infant with probable congenital infection. In life, no hearing impairment had been observed. Auditory brain stem evoked responses were bilaterally intact. At necropsy, both temporal bones were morphologically normal, as demonstrated by light and electron microscopy. Sensory hair cells of the organ of Corti appeared intact. Cytomegalovirus was recovered from a mixture of perilymph and endolymph, but not the brain, CSF, or vitreous humor. This appears to be the first report of an individual with an inner ear CMV infection in which neither structural nor functional alterations of the inner ear were apparent. This case also suggests that CMV can persist within the inner ear for prolonged periods following congenital infection.