Practices and Processes Used in the Return to Work of Injured New South Wales nurses: Are These Consistent With RTW Best Practice Principles?

Purpose Workplace injury and illness rates are high within the nursing profession, and in conjunction with current nursing shortages, low retention rates, and the high cost of workplace injury, the need for effective return to work (RTW) for injured nurses is highlighted. This study aimed to identify current practices and processes used in the RTW of injured nurses, and determine if these are consistent with the seven principles for successful RTW as described by the Canadian Institute for Work & Health. Method As part of a larger cross-sectional study, survey data were collected from New South Wales nurses who had sustained a major workplace injury or illness. Survey questions were coded and matched to the seven principles for successful RTW. Results Of the 484 surveys eligible for analysis, most were from Registered Nurses (52%) in the Public Hospital Sector (48%). Responses indicated four main areas of concern: a commitment to health and safety by the workplace; early and considerate employer contact; provision of modified work; and individual knowledge of and involvement in the RTW process. Positive participant responses to co-worker and supervisor involvement were identified as areas consistent with best practice principles. Conclusions These findings suggest the practices and processes involved in the RTW of injured nurses are inconsistent with best practice principles for RTW, highlighting the need for interventions such as targeted employer education and training for improved industry RTW outcomes.     

A conversation including 39 questions with Anirban Basu

At the 2018 International Conference on Health Policy Statistics (ICHPS) held in Charleston, South Carolina, Anirban Basu was awarded the Mid-Career Excellence Award from the American Statistical Association Section on Health Policy Statistics (HPSS). Anirban was exceptionally and uniquely qualified for this award. Highlights include his providing outstanding service to the HPSS, advancing statistical methodology, advancing methodology in other domains of health policy, and performing extensive and highly impactful applied work in medicine and health care. In this interview, we trace Anirban’s upbringing, schooling, early career, and mid-career phases to gain insights into his success. We also sought his opinions on salient topics or issues.     

Commentary: IARC Monographs Program and public health under siege by corporate interests

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) evaluates causes of cancer with help from independent international experts in an open and transparent manner. Countries, research and regulatory agencies, and other organizations adopt IARC evaluations for communication of human cancer hazards, and for strategies to prevent cancer. Scientists worldwide endorse IARC cancer evaluations and process. Those with economic interests, however, challenge IARC's cancer evaluations, most recently for glyphosate and red and processed meats, and are conducting a campaign including intervention from US Congressional Representatives to discredit IARC's review process and to undermine financial support—a campaign intimidating to IARC and Working Group members. Challenges to scientific interpretations serve to advance science and should be resolved by scientific experts who do not have conflicts of interest. Such interference does not bode well for the free flow of scientific information that informs and protects the public from risks of cancer.     

Histological and Genotoxic Biomarkers in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Prochilodus lacustris</Emphasis> (Pisces,Prochilodontidae) for Environmental Assessment in a Protected Area in the Northeast of Brazil

The quality of aquatic environments all around the world is being altered by different human activities that represent direct threat to the ecological system and the aquatic biota. This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of histological and genotoxic alterations in Prochilodus lacustris as indicators of anthropic impacts in a lacustrine environment in northeast Brazil. The histological alterations were evaluated using the histological alteration index, and the genotoxic alterations were detected using the micronuclei test, at three sampling stations (S1, S2 and S3). The gills presented lesions with three stages of severity, with mild lesions more frequent in the specimens collected at station S1. Mild hepatic tissue lesions were the most frequent type in both areas. Micronucleus analysis showed that station S3 was the most affected. The biological responses observed indicated that the fish are under influence of environmental changes. It is important to highlight that the organisms collected at station S3 had a more compromised health status.     

Preoperative dental anxiety and mood changes during nitrous oxide inhalation.

BACKGROUND: An estimated 35 million Americans experience significant apprehension about dental procedures, while an additional 10 to 12 million are considered to be "dental phobic" and avoid needed dental care altogether. Nitrous oxide is a general anesthetic used at subanesthetic concentrations to reduce anxiety during dental procedures. The purpose of this study was to characterize mood changes during nitrous oxide inhalation in patients with different levels of preoperative dental anxiety. METHODS: Forty-six patients who were to receive nitrous oxide during a dental procedure completed two anxiety scales. These patients were categorized into three groups: low anxiety, or LA, moderate anxiety, or MA, and high anxiety, or HA. They completed a visual analog scale of subjective effects before, during and after the dental procedure. RESULTS: A number of visual analog ratings, the majority of which could be considered pleasant, increased during nitrous oxide administration. It is significant that this increase in pleasant mood occurred in the HA and MA groups to the same degree as it did in the LA group. Patients in the HA and MA groups had elevated preoperative visual analog ratings of "anxious" that were reduced during nitrous oxide administration to a level equivalent to that reported by patients who had low preoperative anxiety. Patients in the HA group also had elevated preoperative visual analog ratings of "having unpleasant thoughts" and "feel bad" compared with the LA group. These ratings were reduced in the HA group to a level equivalent to that reported by patients in the LA group. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Regardless of their preoperative anxiety level, patients experienced a number of mood-altering effects during nitrous oxide inhalation, the majority of which could be considered pleasant. Ratings of an unpleasant nature decreased markedly in patients with high anxiety. These findings suggest that nitrous oxide may be an effective therapy in reducing patient anxiety during dental procedures.     

Tooth agenesis and craniofacial morphology in an orthodontic population.

Previous reports have produced conflicting conclusions regarding the relationship among tooth agenesis, the congenital absence of teeth, and variations in craniofacial morphology. Traditional cephalometric assessment and computer-assisted morphometric analysis of jaw size were used to reexamine this relationship in a white orthodontic population. A positive diagnosis of tooth agenesis (including third molar determination) was made in 89 subjects of mixed age and sex who previously had orthodontic treatment but who were not determined to have a recognized syndrome or a craniofacial anomaly. Cephalograms for these subjects were compared with control data from subjects reported in Bolton Standards of Dentofacial Developmental Growth. Missing teeth and their locations were correlated with changes in selected linear and angular measurements of the Bolton cephalometric analysis. Area measurements of the jaw size of the subjects grouped by age were compared with Bolton cephalometric templates. Relatively little correlation was found between missing teeth and changes in cephalometric measurements. Where identified, a decreased maxillary jaw size and maxillary tooth agenesis were generally associated. Two-dimensional area measurements showed that most age groups had significant decreases in maxillary jaw size associated with tooth agenesis. Relatively few groups had significant changes in mandibular size associated with tooth agenesis.