Addressing risk management difficulties in children with food allergies

Risk is a concept inherent in every medical procedure. It can be defined as the probability of an adverse event in a defined population over a specified period of time. In the frame of food allergy management, it might be related to a diagnostic procedure, a treatment, or the consumption of foods. The risk of an adverse event can also be augmented by individual factors. This rostrum article discusses various aspects faced by children with food allergies in the light of risk, and their practical implications. Identifying personal risks for severe reaction, such as unstable asthma, and correcting them whenever possible also contribute to a reduction of the risk inherent to food allergy. Among the facets discussed, oral food challenges (OFC) are the most common diagnostic procedures implying an inherent risk. The risk of OFCs can be minimized by correct indication and timing of the test, a safe setting, as well as by ensuring that the patient is otherwise well without potential stressor potentially increasing the risk of a more severe reaction. Oral immunotherapy (OIT) has been studied as a potential treatment for increasing the threshold dose for reaction, and thus reducing the risk of accidental reaction. Nevertheless, the procedure is not devoid of risk as the patients may and do often react during the course of the procedure. Ingestion of trace amounts in processed foods, mainly in community settings such as restaurants, schools, or day care, represents a potential risk of reactions, although for a minority of patients. Precautionary allergen labeling (PAL) is a widespread strategy to reduce the potential risk of reactions due to traces. However, PAL is currently inefficient due to inconsistent labeling, also not indicating a clear maximum amount possibly present in the manufactured food. Finally, cost-effectiveness needs to be considered in risk management, as many risk reduction procedures are clearly not cost-effective.     

Health technology assessment with risk aversion in health

Standard cost-effectiveness models compare incremental cost increases to incremental average gains in health, commonly expressed in Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs). Our research generalizes earlier models in several ways. We introduce risk aversion in Quality of Life (QoL), which leads to “willingness-to-pay” thresholds that rise with illness severity, potentially by an order of magnitude. Unlike traditional CEA analyses, which discriminate against persons with disabilities, our analysis implies that the marginal value of improving QoL rises for disabled individuals. Our model can also value the uncertain benefits of medical interventions by employing well-established analytic methods from finance. Finally, we show that traditional QALYs no longer serve as a single index of health, when consumers are risk-averse. To address this problem, we derive a generalized single-index of health outcomes—the Generalized Risk-Adjusted QALY (GRA-QALY). Earlier models of CEA that abstract from risk-aversion nest as special cases of our more general model.     

Convergent Reliability and Validity of the Questions About Behavioral Function and the Motivation Assessment Scale: A Replication Study

This study compared key psychometric properties of the Motivation Assessment Scale (MAS) and the Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF) and explored their convergent validity. Twenty adults with mental retardation and problem behaviors (aggression, self-injury, or property destruction) and 31 respondents participated. Test–retest reliability of the subscales in both scales was good to excellent (Cicchetti, D. V., 1994, Psychol. Assess. 6: 284–290), and—except for 1 QABF subscale—internal consistency was good considering the small number of items and the purpose of the scale. Consistent with some earlier studies, interrater reliability was less satisfactory with both scales falling only into the fair to good range.Correlations between functionally equivalent subscales were statistically significant and were generally higher than correlations between nonequivalent subscales. The QABF and the MAS were found to be comparable in terms of the assessed reliabilities, and both instruments appear to be measuring very similar constructs.     

Computer Assisted Clinical Assessment

The number and range of computer-based assessment procedures for children and young people have increased greatly over the past few years. Over this time as well, other technological advances have occurred with a potential for application in services for young people. This paper provides an overview of the range of applications of relevance to practitioners, with a focus on assessment. Some of the benefits and disadvantages of computerised procedures for test administration and report writing are considered. The paper concludes with an examination of the issue of access to tests and some of the implications of the introduction of other new technologies.     

Framing the child at risk

Risk Assessment Reports are one form of accounting practice which delineate the space of risk considered in a child abuse neglect investigation. The paper analyses two Risk Assessment Reports, contrasting what is reported, what is directly observed and what is hypothesized and implied by child protection practitioners during the assessment of risk. From an analysis of these two reports (each 4 – 5 pages long), the paper identifies the rhetorical strategies and their realizations used by two practitioners in framing the child at risk. The paper problematizes the tension between the institutional need to constrain the exercise of professional judgement through Risk Assessment Models, and the extent to which practitioners actually localize the framing of risk to specific areas of investigation.     

凯时治疗慢性重型肝炎患者疗效观察

目的探讨凯时即前列地尔脂微球载体制剂（Lipo-PGE1）治疗慢性重型肝炎的疗效。方法将84例慢性重型肝炎患者随机分成两组，对照组予综合治疗及对症治疗，治疗组在该基础上加用凯时10μg溶于5％葡萄糖注射液250ml中静脉缓慢滴注，1次/d，疗程为4周。结果治疗组对慢性重型肝炎的疗效优于对照组（P〈0．01），肝功能改善优于对照组（P〈0．01）。结论Lipo-PCEI是一种治疗慢性重型肝炎安全、有效的药物。     

邹城市预防艾滋病健康教育效果评价

目的评价预防艾滋病健康教育与行为干预效果。方法采用问卷方式对社区居民进行预防艾滋病信息的可及性及知信行的调查。结果社区居民艾滋病知晓率为97.41%,熟悉艾滋病传播途径的87.78%,62.78%的认为艾滋病病人或感染者和正常人享有一样的入学/就业权,38.70%的人愿意与感染艾滋病的同事继续共事,60.19%的人愿意与感染艾滋病的家人继续共同生活,最近3次性行为100%使用安全套者为26.48%,82.04%的人有医疗用血安全意识,64.81%的人有医疗器械安全意识。最想获取艾滋病预防措施、传播途径、病理知识、症状表现、治疗方法、检测途径及检测方法、疫情信息,新闻、电视公益广告、专题报道、反映艾滋病病人生活的电影或电视剧、科普材料、大型公益演出人们最喜欢。结论政府重视,多部门合作,组织机构健全,宣传教育广泛,干预措施到位,成效显著。