Les scarifications : le regard de la métamorphose

Scarifications are frequently seen in the passage from adolescence to adulthood. Their nosographic context has expanded to include defensive behavior in reaction to the difficulties of assuming autonomy, or those associated with separation, to an attempt to express acute anxiety in borderline states or in certain cases of psychosis.The transition to adulthood is a particularly exacting period for girls. In a society that places value upon visual appearance, the bodily changes that take place during puberty and the occurrence of the first menstruations are often a traumatic experience, and may temporarily inhibit the acceptance of womanhood. Self-mutilations constitute a corporal limit that may facilitate the adolescent's acceptance of the bodily change towards full femininity.As in the myth of Narcissus, scarifications or superficial cutaneous incisions are a means of providing the possibility of withdrawal into oneself; in an attempt to control underlying tension and anxiety the adolescent voluntarily causes blood to appear and disappear through self-mutilation, so that it is no longer perceived as a menace. Scarifications therefore allow girls an appropriation of the female body, and thus may be a means of their coming to terms with the metamorphosis that is taking place. This hypothesis has been illustrated through a specific case history.     

Caudate nucleus volume and cognitive performance: Are they related in childhood psychopathology?

BACKGROUND: Impaired neuropsychological test performance, especially on tests of executive function and attention, is often seen in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Structures involved in fronto-striatal circuitry, such as the caudate nucleus, may support these cognitive abilities. However, few studies have examined caudate volumes specifically in children with ASD, or correlated caudate volumes to cognitive ability. METHODS: Neuropsychological test scores and caudate volumes of children with ASD were compared to those of children with bipolar disorder (BD) and of typically developing (TD) children. The relationship between test performance and caudate volumes was analyzed. RESULTS: The ASD group displayed larger right and left caudate volumes, and modest executive deficits, compared to TD controls. While caudate volume inversely predicted performance on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in all participants, it differentially predicted performance on measures of attention across the ASD, BD and TD groups. CONCLUSIONS: Larger caudate volumes were related to impaired problem solving. On a test of attention, larger left caudate volumes predicted increased impulsivity and more omission errors in the ASD group as compared to the TD group, however smaller volume predicted poorer discriminant responding as compared to the BD group.     

Tuberculosis trends in Madrid, 1994-2003: impact of immigration and HIV infection.

SETTING: Tuberculosis (TB) cases reported from nine districts of Madrid, where the percentage of immigrant population varied from 1.9% in 1996 to 12.2% in 2003. OBJECTIVE: To describe the trends in TB incidence from 1994 to 2003. DESIGN: Observational study. RESULTS: Between 1994-1995 and 2002-2003, the TB rate decreased from 48.5 (95% CI 45.8-51.1) to 23.3 per 100000 population (95% CI 21.5-25.1) (P < 0.001). The percentage of TB cases co-infected with HIV decreased from 55.9% in 1994 to 14.3% in 2003 (P < 0.001), whereas TB cases in foreigners increased from 2.6% in 1994 to 33.7% in 2003 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Although the TB rates showed a marked decrease in the study period, the increasing impact of immigration contributed to slowing down the trend.     

Improving the safety of neuromuscular blocking agents: a statement from the USP Safe Medication Use Expert Committee.

PURPOSE: Recommendations of the interdisciplinary Safe Medication Use Expert Committee of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) to assist health care professionals, manufacturers, and organizations in handling neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) safely and effectively are discussed. SUMMARY: Review and analysis of the USP Medication Errors Reporting Program and MEDMARX program databases showed a continuing risk of patient harm or death due to errors with NMBAs. Medication errors involving wrong concentrations, wrong doses, wrong drugs, look-alike packaging, and sound-alike names, combined with lack of monitoring and communication, have been associated with the use of NMBAs in health care institutions. Serious adverse events occur when NMBAs are used without adequate safeguards. Recommendations for improving safety were developed through review and discussion of root causes and areas of concern with these medications. CONCLUSION: Medical errors with NMBAs continue to result in patient morbidity and mortality. Increased awareness and action on the part of all parties involved are needed to improve the safety of this class of medications.