Current problems in psychiatric health care in Poland (2004)

The paper is a presentation of the most important and actual psychiatric health care problems in Poland: the financial situation of hospitals, the risk faced by the out-patient psychiatric care and the ethical problems related to investigations of psychotropic drugs.     

Specific risk factors for Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea: a prospective, multicenter, case control evaluation

BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile is a toxin-producing bacterium that is responsible for toxicity to the colonic mucosa, causing inflammation, necrosis, and, in some extreme cases, intestinal dilation and perforation. C difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) occurs when patients have a reduction in their natural gastrointestinal flora that allows for the proliferation of and toxin production by C difficile. METHODS: Using a multicenter, prospective observational case control study, we assessed and quantified risk factors associated with the development of diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile, with particular attention to antibiotic use. All hospitalized patients with diarrhea requiring a C difficile toxin test as part of their routine clinical workup were considered for study inclusion. Patients with a negative specimen (controls) were considered for enrollment if matched (by age, sex, length of stay, and institution) to a case. Variables associated with CDAD were identified using univariate analysis. Significant factors were then entered into multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify independent factors. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in antibiotic use between cases and controls. Patient severity, classified by Horn's Index, was significantly different between cases and controls (P = .0022). No other significant variables were identified. CONCLUSION: The severity of illness of the cases was classified as more severe than the controls, but no significant differences in antibiotic use were identified between the groups. The negative C difficile toxin studies on the well-matched control patients indicate a different etiology of diarrhea (such as antibiotic-associated diarrhea), which may have developed in the presence of similar antibiotic use as the cases.     

Ocular toxocarosis--as an example of diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties

Diagnostic and therapeutic problems of ocular toxocarosis in patients with late pathological changes was observed. Multispecialistic methods (ophtalmological, radiological, immunoserological) in evaluation of patients were used. In the course of prolonged observation of patients treated many times with albendazole (Zentel, Smith Kline and Beecham GB) no improvement of vision and no regression of late and irreversible ocular pathology were noted.     

Bringing end-of-life care out of the shadows

Understand what resources are available to help you incorporate palliative and end-of-life care into your nursing practice.     

The use of nitric oxide in neonatal care

Knowledge of NO and its role in the human body currently is limited. Further scientific research involving this unique molecule will expand its clinical usefulness. It is an exciting era in research,involving numerous body processes and systems.The initial work on pulmonary vascular response in newborns who have PPHN has opened the door to seemingly endless possibilities involving many aspects of health.     

Nursing undergraduate students and their relationship with smoking

This study was designed to investigate: the prevalence of smokers among the UNIFESP nursing undergraduate students; some initial usage features; the smokers' dependence degree on nicotine. In order to compare the ratio of some variables, Pearson's Square Chi test was applied. The number of smokers among the nursing undergraduate students in the sample was 23 (8.2%) and 167 (59.9%) said they had never smoked a cigarette. Smokers' average age was 19.5 years old, and there is a significant difference between genders and only 2 (9.1%) smoking students may show a more severe discomfort while attempting to stop smoking, as showed the Fagerstr?m's Test.