Medical students' experience of vaginal examinations of anaesthetised women

Medical students usually initially learn vaginal examination (VE) by examining consenting anaesthetised women. To assess their experience of this practice, a questionnaire was distributed to all 66 fifth-year students at the Wellington School of Medicine in 2005—53 students responded. Although 184 women were available to approach for consent, only 141 were approached—students claimed insufficient time as their major difficulty. All male students discussed consent with women only in the 2 hours preoperatively, whereas nine (28%) of the female students sought consent earlier on the day or the day before. Of the 114 women asked, 97 gave written consent, but the VE was conducted in only 76 women mostly because the supervising gynaecologist claimed time constraints or was uninterested. Four other women were examined when consent was uncertain and two without consent. All but one of the students considered the experience educationally valuable. Eleven responding students did not perform a VE, and if the 13 nonresponders also did not, more than one-third of students lack this educational opportunity prior to their final year. In conclusion, some students require more commitment to seeking consent, and some gynaecologists may need to better facilitate this learning opportunity so that the consent agreed with the woman and student is more often respected.     

Identification and characterization of novel uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase gene mutations in a large series of porphyria cutanea tarda patients and relatives

Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) arises from decreased hepatic activity of uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase (UROD). Both genetic and environmental factors interplay in the precipitation of clinically overt PCT, but these factors may vary between different geographic areas. Decreased activity of UROD in erythrocytes was used to identify patients with UROD mutations among a group of 130 Spanish PCT patients. Nineteen patients (14.6%) were found to harbor a mutation in the UROD gene. Eight mutations were novel: M1I, 5del10, A22V, D79N, F84I, Q116X, T141I and Y182C. Five others were previously described: F46L, V134Q, R142Q, P150L and E218G. The new missense mutations and P150L were expressed in Escherichia coli. D79N and P150L resulted in proteins that were localized to inclusion bodies. The other mutations produced recombinant proteins that were purified and showed reduced activity (range: 2.3–73.2% of wild type). These single amino acid changes were predicted to produce complex structural alterations and/or reduced stability of the enzyme. Screening of relatives of the probands showed that 37.5% of mutation carriers demonstrated increased urinary porphyrins. This study emphasizes the role of UROD mutations as a strong risk factor for PCT even in areas where environmental factors (hepatitis C virus) have been shown to be highly associated with the disease.     

Residual bacterial contamination after surgical preparation of the foot or ankle with or without alcohol

To investigate the usefulness of a standard surgical preparation in prevention of surgical site contamination, 49 consecutive patients undergoing foot or ankle surgery were randomly assigned to standard preparation with chlorhexidine gluconate home scrubs and preoperative povidone-iodine or to standard preparation plus preoperative preparation with 70% alcohol. Results were available for all 49 patients. Cultures were positive for normal aerobic bacteria from the toes of nine of 26 patients (35%) receiving standard surgical preparation and from the toes of 13 of 23 patients (57%) receiving standard preparation plus alcohol (P = 0.12). No patient had a positive culture for anaerobic organisms or clinical evidence of infection or wound problems. Standard surgical preparation did not provide a completely sterile field, and the inclusion of alcohol added no benefit.     

Spirituality, Coping, and HIV Risk and Prevention in a Sample of Severely Mentally Ill Puerto Rican Women

Hispanics have been disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS. Although HIV risk is significantly elevated among severely mentally ill persons (SMI), the risk of infection appears to be even greater among those SMI who are Hispanic, reflecting the increased risk of HIV among Hispanics. We report on findings from the first 41 participants in a qualitative study examining the context of HIV risk and risk reduction strategies among severely mentally ill Puerto Rican women residents in northeastern Ohio. Individuals participated in a baseline interview, two follow-up interviews, and up to 100 hours of shadowing. Interviews and shadowing activities were recorded and analyzed using a grounded theory. The majority of individuals reported using identification with a religious faith. A large proportion of the participants reported that their religious or spiritual beliefs were critical to their coping, had influenced them to reduce risk, and/or provided them with needed social support. Several participants also reported having experienced rejection from their faith communities. The emphasis on spirituality among Puerto Rican SMI is consistent with previous research demonstrating the importance of spirituality in the Hispanic culture and reliance on spiritual beliefs as a mean of coping among SMI. Our results support the incorporation of spiritual beliefs into secular HIV prevention efforts. Loue is with the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Center for Minority Public Health, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Sajatovic is with the Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.     

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Rural Primary Care: Improving Care for Mental Health Following Bioterrorism

CONTEXT: Recent bioterrorism attacks have highlighted the critical need for health care organizations to prepare for future threats. Yet, relatively little attention has been paid to the mental health needs of rural communities in the wake of such events. A critical aspect of bioterrorism is emphasis on generating fear and uncertainty, thereby contributing to increased needs for mental health care, particularly for posttraumatic stress disorder, which has been estimated to occur in 28% of terrorism survivors. PURPOSE: Prior experience with natural disasters suggests that first responders typically focus on immediate medical trauma or injury, leaving rural communities to struggle with the burden of unmet mental health needs both in the immediate aftermath and over the longer term. The purpose of the present article is to draw attention to the greater need to educate rural primary care providers who will be the frontline providers of mental health services following bioterrorism, given the limited availability of tertiary mental health care in rural communities. METHODS: We reviewed the literature related to bioterrorism events and mental health with an emphasis on rural communities. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: Public health agencies should work with rural primary care providers and mental health professionals to develop educational interventions focused on posttraumatic stress disorder and other mental disorders, as well as algorithms for assessment, referral, and treatment of post-event psychological disorders and somatic complaints to ensure the availability, continuity, and delivery of quality mental health care for rural residents following bioterrorism and other public health emergencies.