Multi-walled carbon nanotubes induce T lymphocyte apoptosis

Carbon nanotubes are a man-made form of carbon that did not exist in our environment until very recently. Due to their unique chemical, physical, optical, and magnetic properties, carbon nanotubes have found many uses in industrial products and in the field of nanotechnology, including in nanomedicine. However, very little is yet known about the toxicity of carbon nanotubes. Here, we compare the toxicity of pristine and oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes on human T cells and find that the latter are more toxic and induce massive loss of cell viability through programmed cell death at doses of 400 microg/ml, which corresponds to approximately 10 million carbon nanotubes per cell. Pristine, hydrophobic, carbon nanotubes were less toxic and a 10-fold lower concentration of either carbon nanotube type were not nearly as toxic. Our results suggest that carbon nanotubes indeed can be very toxic at sufficiently high concentrations and that careful toxicity studies need to be undertaken particularly in conjunction with nanomedical applications of carbon nanotubes.     

Nosocomial infections--study about the implementation level of preventive measures in the dental office

Nosocomial infection occurs in the hospital and other medical offices and expresses any disease, that affects the patient due to hospital admission or the received care, the activity of the medical personnel, no matter that symptoms appear or not in the hospital or outside. In the performed study we proposed to investigate the implementation level of the measures of nosocomial infections prophylaxis in dental office. The study consisted in a transversal epidemiologic inquiry through a specific questionnaire applying in a sample of 50 patients treated for dental diseases in the dental office. The items refer to the implementation level of the prophylaxis measures in the dental office. The obtained results revealed a proper patients' addressing at dental office and some deficiencies of the personnel medical activity in dental office, such as : does not wear the surgery gloves and mask, does not use the salvo vacuum for patients protection. Also, we find out a deficient medical education referring to hygiene conditions in dental office. In conclusion, there are deficiencies of the prophylaxis measures in dental office.     

Understanding help-seeking decisions in people with heart failure: A qualitative systematic review

ObjectiveTo understand the process of help-seeking among heart failure patients from the perspectives of patients, caregivers and health professionals.DesignSystematic review using qualitative meta-synthesis.MethodsA systematic search (20th May 2011) was conducted to identify studies published in English as full papers ≥1995 reporting primary qualitative data with extractable heart failure-specific data or themes related to help-seeking in patients, caregivers or health professionals. Databases searched were: CINAHL, Medline, PsycInfo, Social Science Citation Index, Embase, Social policy/Practice, SocIndex, Ageline, Health Source Nursing, Scopus; additionally, we consulted with experts and manually searched references.Results58 studies (990 patients; 274 female, 527 male, 189 sex not described; 229 caregivers, 79 health professionals) were included. Heart failure help-seeking was embedded in daily experiences of heart failure but ongoing symptoms were confusing, ambiguous and disruptive; little support was available from professionals to interpret the presence and significance of fluctuations in symptoms for help-seeking. Other significant barriers to help-seeking were: avoidance-based coping, fear of hospitals and misplaced reluctance to be burdensome. Help-seeking was facilitated by good involvement and frank communication between patients, caregivers and health professionals and the presence of a sense of elevated personal risk.ConclusionHealth services should harness primary care providers and support patients and caregivers to prioritize development of objective symptom monitoring skills, recognize and personally assimilate the elevated risks of heart failure and help-seeking delays and discourage avoidance-based coping and unwarranted concerns that downplay the significance of heart failure and urgency to address symptoms.     

ED point-of-care ultrasound in the diagnosis of ankle fractures in children

In pediatric ankle injury, radiography is the current standard used to differentiate fracture from ligamentous injury; however, the associated cost, increased time, and radiation exposure pose a significant downside to this imaging modality. Point-of-care ultrasound may be an attractive alternative in this setting, as illustrated by this patient case. A 14-year-old boy presented to the emergency department with a left ankle inversion injury sustained while playing soccer. An emergency physician performed ultrasound examination that revealed findings consistent with a nondisplaced Salter-Harris I fracture of the distal fibula. The results of a formal radiograph confirmed this diagnosis. This case report presents the successful use of point-of-care ultrasound for detection of a Salter-Harris I ankle fracture, describes a stepwise approach for this new diagnostic technique in detail, and discusses its value in the setting of pediatric ankle injury.     

The microbial content of unexpired pasteurized milk from selected supermarkets in a developing country

Objective

To determine the presence and levels of microbes in unexpired pasteurized milk from randomly selected supermarkets in Kingston, Jamaica.

Methods

The quantitative study used a stratified random sampling technique in the selection of the 20 representative milk samples from six (6) supermarkets. Microbiological tests such as methylene blue reduction, standard plate count (SPC), coliform plate count (CPC), purity plate culture, gram staining and biochemical tests were performed to examine the microbes in purchased unexpired pasteurized milk.

Results

One sample (BCr016) had a pH of 4.0, a rancid odour and curdled appearance. It decolourized within one hour during the methylene blue reduction test and was classified as class 4 milk. Seven of the samples were sterile with no microbe growth on the plate count agar and violet red bile salt agar (VRBA). The milk samples that appeared to be safe for consumption were all 10, 11, 12 and 13 days before expiration. The VRBA sample BCr016, had a colony count of 13 400 CFU/ mL. There was the presence of Escherichia coli in sample LCr021 which had a standard plate count of 1 580 SPC/mL and a coliform count of 500 CFU/mL. Enterobacter sp. was present in colonies from BCr016 and all the other milk samples.

Conclusions

Unacceptable levels of Enterobacter spp. and Escherichia coli were found in most of the samples. Effective measures to ensure safe milk for human consumption such as the phosphatase test and methylene blue reduction test should be routinely performed on each batch of milk processed by dairy plants.