The emergency physician and patient confidentiality: A review

Confidentiality is a promise rooted in tradition, law andmedical ethics. Emergency physicians treat a variety of patients to whom confidentiality is of vital importance: employees, celebrities, victims of violence or disaster, minors, students, criminals, drug abusers, and patients with STDs. EDs should develop methods of ensuring confidentiality for all patients.³⁴Although confidentiality is an important principle thatshould be respected and guarded, it is not absolute. Various laws mandate disclosure of certain patient information; in addition, an overriding moral duty may occasionally require, a breach of confidentiality. As Beauchamp and Childress noted, “the therapeutic role may sometimes have to yield to ones role as citizen and as protector of the interests of others”.¹⁹ In general, however, circumstances requiring a breach of confidentiality are rare.     

Maxillary and mandibular occlusal photographs

Taking occlusal photographs can be challenging; they are by far the most difficult images to obtain. Achieving an ideal photograph of every arch may not always be possible. In patients with limited range of motion of the mandible, an oversized or hyperactive tongue, an excessive gag reflex, or reduced flexibility of lips and checks, the goal of an ideal occlusal photograph may not be achieved. Nevertheless, patience, practice, and attention to detail can often provide a satisfactory result.     

Severe adolescent head injury: Implications for transition into adult life

This report describes the outcomes of 28 children who had severe head injuries between 13–18 years of age. All were unconscious at least 24 hours and have been followed at least 2 years after injury. At present, their ages range from 18 to 27 years. Their educational achievements, social activities, marital status, functional independence, and employment at follow-up are described.     

Nursing: Caring or Codependent?

Can nurses practice caring within a healthcare system that promotes codependency? Caring promotes mutual empowerment of all participants while codependent caring disempowers. Nurses are expected to practice caring with clients, The authors contend, however, that nursing, as historically and currently practiced within bureaucratic/patriarchal organizations, is founded on a vlue system that fosters codependency. Until nursing is practiced within the context of caring organizations and a caring healthcare system, nurses will continue to be powerless to shape their own practice as carers and burnout will continue to be a problem.     

A leg ulcer as manifestation of metastatic squamous cell vaginal carcinoma

Cutaneous metastasis of vaginal carcinoma is extremely rare. So far, the total number of reported skin metastasis of vaginal carcinoma is only one. We present another case with an unusual manifestation of vagina carcinoma metastasis: skin metastasis presenting as a leg ulcer on the lower leg.     

Lipid analysis of normal dermis and hypertrophic scars

Hypertrophic scars (HS) are a consequence of abnormal wound healing. We examined fatty acids that are contained within, and participate in, every reaction through the membrane; then, we analyzed the percentage composition of the fatty acids in deepithelialized normal dermis (ND) and HS. In vivo HS samples were obtained from six patients undergoing surgical excision, and ND samples from five patients undergoing skin grafting surgery for excess. In vitro, cultured fibroblasts from HS and ND were also analyzed. The percentage composition of fatty acids extracted from all the samples was analyzed. In vivo, arachidonic acid (20:4) was significantly more abundant in HS than in ND, in the phospholipids from both whole tissue and cell membranes. In vitro, there were no significant differences among ND, HS, and 10% fetal calf serum. The results suggest that HS formation does not necessarily involve simple excess of 20:4; however, there are considerable differences in the percentage composition of 20:4 between ND and HS. Arachidonic acid probably participates in the formation and maintenance of HS, whereas in vitro cultured fibroblasts are affected largely by fetal calf serum.     

TOOTH WHITENING IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

The popularity of vital tooth whitening has increased significantly over the past two decades. Professionally supervised "in-office" and "at-home" tooth whitening methods have been documented in the literature with evidence of safety and effectiveness. Although the literature includes considerable information about vital tooth whitening in adults, minimal information is available concerning vital tooth whitening in children and adolescents.
The need to provide vital tooth whitening for children might be infrequent owing to the natural whiteness of children's teeth. However, there are circumstances when tooth whitening can be desirable for children, such as fluorosis discoloration, generalized tooth darkening, post-traumatic injury discoloration, and postorthodontic tooth discoloration.
Few well-controlled clinical trials evaluating the safety and effectiveness of vital tooth whitening in children are available in the literature, Furthermore, these published clinical trials were carried out by the same principal investigator. This review examines these trials and offers recommendations accordingly.     

Prostaglandin E2 inhibition of keloid fibroblast migration, contraction, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1–induced collagen synthesis

Keloid formation has been linked to aberrant fibroblast activity, exacerbated by growth factors and inflammatory mediators. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), synthesized from arachidonic acid by cyclooxygenases (COX) and synthases (PGES), acts as both an inflammatory mediator and fibroblast modulator. Although PGE2 has known antifibrotic effects in the lower airway, its role in dermal fibrosis in general, and keloid formation in particular, remains unclear. This study focused on: (1) the effects of PGE2 on keloid fibroblast migration, contraction, and collagen synthesis and (2) endogenous PGE2 synthesis in response interleukin-1beta. PGE2 decreased keloid fibroblast migration and contraction via an EP2/EP4-cAMP mechanism that disrupted actin cytoskeletal dynamics and reversed transforming growth factor-beta1-induced collagen I and III synthesis. Impaired fibroblast PGE2 production has been linked to lower airway fibrosis and recently to keloid formation. Here, we showed that interleukin-1beta stimulation leads to nuclear factor-kappaB translocation to the nucleus, resulting in up-regulation of COX-2 and microsomal PGE2 synthase 1. Up-regulation of COX-2 in, and secretion of PGE2 by keloid fibroblasts are diminished compared with their normal fibroblast counterparts. We suggest that the antifibrotic effects of PGE2 during keloid formation are potentially diminished due to aberrant paracrine fibroblast signaling. Exogenous PGE2 may supplement decreased endogenous levels and inhibit keloid formation or progression.