Atopic dermatitis and breast feeding of Somali children living in Somalia and in Italy

The aim of this study was to investigate the feeding habits in the first year of life and prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) in a group of Somali children born and living in Italy and in a group of Somali children born and living in Somalia. The first group comprised 59 children (median age 15 months; range: 12–24 months) and the second group 95 children (median age 16 months; range: 12–24 months). The mothers were asked to fill in a questionnaire on the duration of breast feeding and weaning age of their children. In the Somali children born and living in Rome we observed earlier introduction of cow's milk (p < 0.001), and earlier weaning (p < 0.001). The prevalence of AD was higher in the Somali children born and living in Italy (p < 0.001).     

Design and Performance of Blanket Heat Shields for Neonates

ABSTRACT. Background: Several designs of plastic blanket heat shields are in use. This study was done to compare different designs for their efficiency in reducing heat loss. Methods: Four heat shield designs were tested by sequentially covering each of 14 infants (wt. 640–2030 g) cared for under radiant warmers. The power consumption of the radiant warmers was measured as a surrogate for. heat loss. All designs were tested for a total of 20 min on all infants. Results were calculated as percent change in power consumption from shield to shield. The most efficient design was further modified and evaluated in another group of 14 infants (wt. 700–1180 g). Results: The relative reductions in power consumption were: no shield (control) –0%, a plastic foil over the side rails: –17%, a single layer close to the infant but excluding the head: –34%, the same as double layer –37% and the most efficient one, a single layer covering the whole infant –42%. A modification of this design, tested in the second group of infants, reduced power consumption by 13% (95% CI –5.9/–19.7), ( p < 0.004) when compared to the single layer covering the whole infant. It was tucked under the connecting tubes to the ventilator. It also reduced the risk for displacement and allowed for the endotracheal tube to be suctioned without removing the blanket. Conclusion: Modifications of the design of heat shield blankets for infants resulted in significant increases in efficiency.     

Accidental bronchial intubation An analysis of AIMS incident reports from 1988 to 1994 inclusive

Accidental bronchial intubation was examined in the first 3947 cases reported to the Australian Incident Monitoring Study and was found to have accounted for 154 (3.7%) of the total incidents reported. Most incidents were detected in the operating theatre (93.5%) and during maintenance of anaesthesia (77.9%), by unexplained oxygen desaturation alone (63.6%). Capnography remained normal or unremarkable during 88.5% of the episodes. One-third of cases were associated with head or neck surgery and possible flexion of the patient's head. A RAE tube was used in 20% of incidents, a greater frequency than occurred in the study overall. A third party was implicated in 36 (23.4%) of cases. Ninety per cent of cases were considered preventable. Major morbidity occurred in three cases and unplanned intensive care admission was required in a further five. Almost two-thirds (61.1%) of the incidents might have been avoided by the proposed markings on the tracheal tube. We conclude that when arterial desaturation occurs at any stage during anaesthesia the possibility of bronchial intubation must be considered. Asymmetrical ventilation may be difficult to detect clinically and in most cases there is no change in capnography.     

Ethical Reasoning Among Registered Nurses Experienced in Dementia Care

Abstract. Registered nurses regarded as “experienced and good” in dementia care were interviewed about the feeding of a severely demented patient who showed refusal-like feeding behaviour. Not one of the twenty nurses could see herself using force against her patients. Most interviewees justified their decisions to feed a severely demented patient and answered questions about whether they would change their minds if there were certain circumstances in terms of words that could be interpreted as referring to the ethical principle of beneficence. The nurses stressed the difficulty to understand the meaning of severely demented patients' feeding behaviour and decide when force-feeding occurs. When asked to rank ethical principles of importance for the decision, however, the most common answer was that they would give priority to the ethical principle of autonomy. The nurses did not see the ethical principles as separate entities, that could be applied one by one, but tried to integrate them into a whole. The findings of this study were interpreted as indicating that principled ethics is not an adequate model to describe experienced nurses' ethical reasoning.     

Evaluation of an Australian intervention to encourage breast feeding in primiparous women

Breast feeding has nutritional, immunologic and antiallergicadvantages for the infant. Although it has been widely recommendedthat infants be exclusively breast fed until 4–6 monthsof age, only about half of all Australian babies currently receiveextended breast feeding. The present study evaluated an intensiveprogramme designed to increase the proportion ofprimi-parousmothers who breast fed for 4 months or longer. Women who registeredwith the hospital at least 20 weeks before delivery and whointended to breastfeed were eligible for the study. Two hundredand thirty-five women were allocated to receive either usualcare or an intensive breast feeding programme when they registeredwith the hospital. The intensive programme consisted of writtenmaterials, and group and individual sessions with a lactationcounsellor. It also included a visit from a breastfeeding consultantwhile in hospital after the birth and contact on return home.Women were followed up 6 weeks and 4 months after delivery.There were no significant differences in breastfeeding ratesbetween the control and intervention groups at either follow-uppoint. Breast feeding until 4 months was more likely among womenwhose baby did not receive a bottle feed while still in hospitaland who did not smoke, use the combined oral contraceptive pillor introduce solid food before 4 months. Those mothers who enjoyedand felt satisfied with breastfeeding were more likely to continueto 4 months. It seems likely that programmes designed to increasebreastfeeding will need to address underlying factors such ashospital policy rather than simply providing more health education.     

PTCD在诊治阻塞性黄疸中的应用及体会

对阻塞性黄疸病人,术前进行经皮肝穿刺胆道引流术(PTCD)能达到胆道减压,减轻全身黄疸的目的,为该类病人术前准备提供一项行之有效的方法。本文报告12例,其定位诊断符合率为100％,定性诊断符合率为75％,结合实践提出了进行PTCD的适应证选择和预防并发症的切实措施。     

The Significance of Anatomical Variations of Hepatic Artery and Multiple Arterial Supplies in Embolization of Liver Tumors

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Control of feeding and sexual behaviors by neuropeptide Y: physiological implications

Recent evidence suggests that a variety of hypothalamic neuropeptides may mediate interneuronal communication to coordinate diverse neuroendocrine and behavioral functions. In this work, we describe the effects of neuropeptide Y (NPY) on feeding and sexual behaviors. We observed that central administration of bolus NPY stimulated a robust, dose-related feeding response in satiated male and female rats. Continuous NPY receptor activation also evoked dose-related, intermittent feeding in a manner normally observed during nocturnal feeding. It appears that the paraventricular nucleus in the hypothalamus may be the primary site of NPY action because the anticipated reciprocal changes in NPY concentrations, in response to food deprivation followed by ad libitum food intake, occurred only in this site. Additional findings revealed that NPY-induced feeding may follow either substantial reduction or complete restraint of an inhibitory influence on feeding mediated by alpha 2-adrenoreceptor systems in satiated rats. Further, NPY was found to suppress male and female sexual behaviors. The suppressive effects on sexual behavior were apparent prior to or at the time of the onset of feeding after NPY administration. These observations may provide a neurochemical basis for clinical and animal studies on disorders of feeding associated with diminished reproductive functions.     

食管贲门癌术后早期肠内营养支持的应用研究

目的研究食管贵门癌切除术中放置鼻肠营养管进行早期肠内营养，在维持机体营养、促进恢复履在防治术后并发症的作用。方法将90例管责门癌病人随机分为A、B两组，A组术后常规静脉输液，B组术中放置鼻肠营养管，术后第1天给予肠内营养。两组病人监测术前、术后第10天的体重、肠功能恢复排气时间、疲劳评分，吻合口瘘反感染并发症的发生率。结果两组病人在体重、肠功能恢复方面存在明显差异（P〈0．05），在术后并发症方面差异明显（P〈0．01）。结论鼻肠营养管进行早期肠内营养具有易于维持机体营养，促进机体康复，尽快恢复正氮平衡，减少术后并发症的优点。     

小儿营养性贫血原因调查

对326名2岁以下婴幼儿进行了调查分析,认为小儿营养性贫血以6～24个月为高发年龄,母乳喂养儿的患病率明显低于人工喂养儿,提示母乳喂养可降低贫血的患病率,有利于婴儿的生长发育,但12个月以后母乳喂养的贫血患病率有明显上升的趋势,因此认为要在大力提倡母乳喂养的同时应强调无论母乳喂养或人工喂养都应及早添加辅食,防止小儿营养性贫血的发生。