The relationship between maternal needs and priorities in a neonatal intensive care environment

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the nature and organization of maternal needs and priorities in a neonatal unit. BACKGROUND: The relationship between maternal needs and priorities appears to be an under studied area in neonatal nursing. METHODS: A quantitative survey was carried out based on 209 mothers with premature infants. Two self-assessment schedules were used: critical care maternal needs inventory (J. Leske, Heart and Lung 15, 27-42) and a ranking scale. The data were analysed with multivariate analysis. FINDINGS: Data analysis revealed clear priorities in maternal needs. In particular the need for accurate infant related information was a priority for 93% of the mothers. Good communication practices with professionals were also valued. The mothers displayed altruistic behaviour, and self-related needs took second place. It is proposed that maternal needs demonstrate a hierarchical organization. CONCLUSION: It is important for nurses to consider the individual needs of the mothers, simply because the satisfaction of these needs is essential for maternal well-being.     

产后出血159例临床分析及护理

目的　探讨产后出血的原因与影响因素。方法　回顾分析收治的产后出血 15 9例 ,数据处理采用χ2 检验。结果　产后出血发生率 3.5 % ,产后 2小时内出血者 88.6 7% ,出血原因宫缩乏力为 6 6 .6 7% ,影响因素有手术产、流产史、分娩史、妊娠合并症及产程延长等 ,统计学处理P <0 .0 1。结论　重视产后出血的影响因素 ,正确评估出血量及产妇产后 2小时留置产房观察是产后出血早期诊断的关键 ,其预防重点在于早期发现并针对不同原因及时正确处理     

益肾化浊注射液对慢性肾功能衰竭大鼠残余肾中细胞因子含量的影响

通过观察益肾化浊注射液对5／6肾切除大鼠残余肾中细胞因子含量的影响，益肾化浊注射液延缓慢性肾功能衰竭（CRF）模型大鼠肾功能减退的作用机理。结果显示：益肾化浊注射液可以降低5／6肾切在鼠血清肌,尿素氮（P＜0．01），下调肾组织中白细胞介素－1（IL－1）（P＜0．05），白细胞介素－8（IL－8）（P＜0．05）及肿瘤坏死因子（TNF）（P＜0．05）的总体水平，说明益肾化浊注射液可以通过下调5／6肾切除大鼠残余肾中相关细胞因子含量，抑制促炎细胞因子对肾脏的损害，从而延缓CRF的进展。     

Heparin effect on ionised calcium concentration

The effect of heparin on plasma ionised calcium was studied by adding it in increasing amounts to whole blood from 10 normal subjects. There was no significant change in ionised calcium from the addition of 1 U/ml but a significant fall of 0.02 mmol/1 when 2 U/ml were added and a progressive further fall with increasing concentrations. Heparin from three different manufacturers produced similar results. The effect of heparinisation in vivo was studied during regular haemodialysis on 10 patients with chronic renal failure. Following intravenous injection of 10000 U of heparin there was a consistent and significant fall averaging 0.03 mmol/l.     

Effect of CNTF on low-affinity NGF receptor expression by cultured neurons from different rat brain regions.

Our previous work indicated that in E14 embryonic rat spinal cord cultures ciliary neuronotrophic factor (CNTF) exerted (1) a survival-promoting effect on motor neurons and on a large population of unidentified neurons, and (2) a regulatory role on the expression of ChAT and low affinity NGF receptor (LNGFR) in a population of small/medium-sized neurons. In the present study, we examined the effect of CNTF on the expression of LNGFR in cultures of different regions from the E18 embryonic rat brain, namely cortex, septum, striatum, mesencephalon, hippocampus, brainstem, and cerebellum. The number of LNGFR-positive neurons (stained with the 192-IgG monoclonal antibody) was determined in untreated cultures and in cultures treated for 6 days (0-6) with human recombinant CNTF. To distinguish between effects on survival and on LNGFR expression, experiments were performed in which CNTF was administered only for the last 48 h of the culture (from days 4-6). LNGFR positive neurons were found in the cultures of all the regions examined. In each one of them, CNTF increased the number of LNGFR-positive neurons by three- to fourfold after 6 days of treatment. In the striatum, septum, mesencephalon, and cerebellum, the effect of CNTF was shown to be on the regulation of LNGFR expression and not on survival. In cultures from the cortex, hippocampus and brainstem, a survival-promoting role of CNTF could be demonstrated. The effect of CNTF was dose dependent, with half-maximal effects (ED50) achieved at 2-4.5 TU/ml for all the brain regions. Maximal effects were reached at 100-250 TU/ml. From these results, we conclude that (1) there exists a wide spectrum of CNTF-responsive neurons in the central nervous system, and (2) CNTF plays an important and widespread role in regulating the expression of the LNGFR in neurons.     

Guidance of dopaminergic neuritic growth by immature astrocytes in organotypic cultures of rat fetal ventral mesencephalon.

Astrocytes, with their many functions in producing and controlling the environment in the brain, are of great interest when it comes to studying regeneration after injury and neurodegenerative diseases such as in grafting in Parkinson's disease. This study was performed to investigate astrocytic guidance of growth derived from dopaminergic neurons using organotypic cultures of rat fetal ventral mesencephalon. Primary cultures were studied at different time points starting from 3 days up to 28 days. Cultures were treated with either interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), which has stimulating effects on astrocytic proliferation, or the astrocytic inhibitor cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C). Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunohistochemistry was used to visualize dopaminergic neurons, and antibodies against glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and S100 beta were used to label astrocytes. The results revealed that a robust TH-positive nerve fiber production was seen already at 3 days in vitro. These neurites had disappeared by 5 days. This early nerve fiber outgrowth was not guided by direct interactions with glial cells. Later, at 7 days in vitro, a second wave of TH-positive neuritic outgrowth was clearly observed. GFAP-positive astrocytic processes guided these neurites. TH-positive neurites arborized overlying S100 beta-positive astrocytes in an area distal to the GFAP-positive astrocytic processes. Treatment with IL-1 beta resulted in an increased area of TH-positive nerve fiber network. In cultures treated with Ara-C, neither astrocytes nor outgrowth of dopaminergic neurites were observed. In conclusion, this study shows that astrocytes play a major role in long-term dopaminergic outgrowth, both in axonal elongation and branching of neurites. The long-term nerve fiber growth is preceded by an early transient outgrowth of dopamine neurites.     

Immobilization Related to Early Linear Growth

ABSTRACT. This study shows that children with late-diagnosed congenital dislocation of the hip (CDH) have close to normal height development during the initial 6.0 years of life. The treatment consisted of immobilization for 0.5 to 1.3 years starting between 0.2 and 0.7 years of age. The present work addresses one specific issue that is related to the age at onset of the childhood component of the ICP growth model. The onset normally appears between 0.5 and 1.0 year of age, and is recognized as an increase in length/height velocity. The onset is thus found during a period of increasing motor activity. The normal successive change from sitting to walking position may have some influence on the onset of this tempo change in early linear growth. The present documentation implies that there is no such influence. In all 14 children with CDH, the onset manifested during the period of immobilization, and the average age at onset was found to be Virtually equivalent with that of the controls. Our conclusion is that immobilization has no significant influence on the age at onset of the childhood phase of growth. The onset is accomplished independent of body position, be it lying down or normal for the age.     

Hypothesis: association of the critical region of trisomy 18 and 18q2—syndrome with dermatoglyphic findings and a growth suppressor (deleted in colon cancer) locus

Evidence from the literature is reviewed to suggest that when fingertip dermal ridge patterns in chromosomal deletion syndromes are characteristic of the opposite spectrum of the developmental scale from patterns found in cases trisomic for the same chromosomal region, the association may be a consequence of loci with growth regulatory functions. Evidence is presented that DNA markers at 18q21 should be the first candidate sequences to be used to test this hypothesis in families with fingertip arches segregating in an apparent autosomal dominant fashion.