Disclosure and health-seeking behaviour following intimate partner violence before and during pregnancy in Flanders, Belgium: a survey surveillance study

OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to estimate the prevalence of physical and sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) among a regional sample of the general obstetric population as the lifetime prevalence, as the 1-year period prevalence before pregnancy, and as the prevalence during the index pregnancy; to assess the rates of disclosure and help-seeking behaviour with IPV; and to determine the acceptability of screening for IPV. STUDY DESIGN: A multi-centred survey surveillance study was carried out among pregnant women attending five large hospitals in the province of East Flanders, Belgium as a regional probability sample of the general obstetric population. Data were collected through an anonymous, written questionnaire that included the Abuse Assessment Screen and additional questions on the circumstances of the most recent episode of physical or sexual violence, on disclosure and help-seeking behaviour, on reporting assault to the police, and on the acceptability of routine screening for IPV. RESULTS: The sampling frame consisted of 1362 women who received the questionnaire at the antenatal service during a 2-month study period, of which 537 (mean age 29.4 years, S.D. 4.09) returned the envelope (response rate 39.4%). The lifetime prevalence of IPV was estimated to be 10.1% (95% CI 7.7-13.0%) and the period prevalence of IPV during pregnancy and/or in the year preceding pregnancy 3.4% (95% CI 2.1-5.4%). There was a significant difference in the reported lifetime prevalence of IPV between women attending with a partner and those who came to the prenatal visit unattended by their partner in particular (6.8% versus 13.9%, p=0.010). Overall, only 19.2% (23 out of 120) and as few as 6.6% (4 out of 61) of the victims of physical and sexual abuse respectively sought medical care by consulting a general practitioner, gynaecologist, or an emergency department. Routine screening for IPV by a general practitioner or gynaecologist was found to be largely acceptable. CONCLUSIONS: In our highly medicalised society, women experiencing partner violence rarely disclose abuse to the widely available health care services, unless they are directly asked about it, which appears an acceptable practice. Hence, there is a definite need to improve women's awareness regarding abuse and their help-seeking behaviour at a public health level.     

Recommendations for reducing risks of infection associated with suction collection procedures.

It is recognized that risks are incurred when health care workers contact various body fluids. The handling of suction collection equipment poses a risk because it is one way workers may come in contact with these fluids. Minimizing the risks associated with suction procedures can be accomplished if appropriate policies and procedures can be developed in health care facilities.     

Magnesium metabolism in blood and the whole body in man using 28magnesium.

Studies of magnesium kinetics in plasma, red cells, and the whole-body with ²⁸Mg are described. The observations in plasma were analyzed with a three-compartment model and those in red cells with a two-compartment model. An integral approach, using the occupancy principle, was used in the analysis of the whole-body observations. At 120 hr after intravenous administration of ²⁸Mg, exchangeable magnesium calculated by the dilution principle was only 23% of total body magnesium. There was good agreement between the estimates of exchangeable magnesium based on plasma and “spot” urine ²⁸Mg activity. Exchangeable magnesium, as estimated by compartmental analysis and the occupancy principle, was only 12.5%–15% of total body magnesium. These results suggest the existence of magnesium compartments in the body with turnover half-periods of at least 63–181 days that cannot be investigated adequately with the short-lived tracer, ²⁸Mg. A possible mechanism for the observed pattern of red cell uptake of ²⁸Mg in vivo is suggested in which magnesium enters these cells only during erythropoiesis and is then lost progressively from circulating red cells during the aging process. Present results suggest that the concentration of magnesium in reticulocytes may be 3.9 times greater than the mean red cell concentration. Magnesium may leave red cells exponentially with age; a half-period of 22.4 days is suggested.     

Nosocomial pseudoepidemics and pseudoinfections: an increasing problem.

The infection control practitioner often relies on microbiologic data in order to conduct nosocomial infection surveillance and control activities. On the basis of a review of the medical literature, false positive culture and stained smear results representing pseudoinfection are being reported with greater frequency. Documented cases and clusters of pseudoinfectons are reviewed, and the epidemiologic characteristics and methods for detection and prevention of this increasingly recognized problem are discussed.     

紫外衍生-高效液相色谱法测定保健食品和饮料中的三氯蔗糖

目的 建立保健食品和饮料中三氯蔗糖的柱前紫外衍生-高效液相色谱测定方法。方法 样品经水浸提、离心后,取样液与苯甲酰氯在碱性介质中反应生成具有紫外吸收的衍生产物,然后用高效液相色谱法分析。色谱条件:分离柱为C18柱（250 mm×4.6 mm,4 μm),流动相为甲醇-水( 95∶5,V/V),检测波长为232 nm。以保留时间定性,标准曲线法定量。 结果 三氯蔗糖在0.05～1.00 μg范围内,与色谱峰面积有良好的线性关系（r=0.999 8）,方法检出限为0.001 25 μg。方法加标回收率为97.4%～102.0%,相对标准差均小于5.0%,方法的日内精密度和日间精密度分别为1.52%和4.04%。结论 该方法简便快速、分离效果好,准确度高,不需要特殊检测器,适用于保健食品和饮料中三氯蔗糖的快速测定。     

多形式健康教育干预对老年COPD患者健康行为的影响*

目的：探讨多形式健康教育对老年COPD患者健康行为的影响。方法：将76例老年COPD患者分为试验组40例,对照组36例,试验组患者在讲座教育、个体化教育与出院随访中运用多媒体、健康教育手册、口头宣教、技能示范、网络学习、经验介绍等多形式健康教育进行干预,对照组按常规方式进行健康教育。在干预前与干预6个月后,对两组患者进行焦虑情绪、家庭支持、控烟情况及呼吸功能锻炼依从性评价。结果：干预6个月后试验组患者焦虑情绪、家庭支持、控烟情况及呼吸功能锻炼依从性比对照组患者有所缓解,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。结论：多形式健康教育可缓解老年COPD患者的焦虑情绪,提高家庭支持率,降低吸烟率,提高呼吸功能锻炼依从性。运用健康信念模式教育可明显提高老年COPD患者的自我护理能力,提高患者的生存质量。     

国际卫生保健体制中筹资方式的比较与思考

本文通过对美国、英国、新加坡、澳大利亚几种典型筹资方式的分析，结合中国历史、现状及存在问题，描述中国城市的公费、劳保医疗及农村的合作医疗的筹资方式及变迁。分析存在问题和挑战，提出设置卫生税、采用具有储蓄制的合作医疗制度，建立医疗救助基金。为探讨今后的筹资办法作一些有益的思考。     

腹腔镜手术室CO2浓度对医护人员健康的影响

目的探讨腹腔镜手术室内CO2浓度对医护人员健康的影响.方法本研究将60名手术室护士随机分为开腹手术组和腔镜手术组,分别于术前及术后对2组人员测量生命体征、检测动脉血气、评价疲倦程度,并采用便携式红外线CO2分析仪检测手术室内不同时刻CO2浓度.结果腔镜手术室内CO2浓度于手术30 min时升高,术中维持较高水平,于手术结束时达最高值;与本组术前和开腹手术组相比,腔镜手术组人员手术后心率和呼吸频率明显增快,p H降低,PCO2升高,且疲倦严重度评分显著增加(P<0.05).结论腔镜手术造成手术室内CO2污染,危害医护人员身心健康,应予以重视.     

应用健康教育路径对腰椎间盘突出患者进行健康教育

目的提高健康教育质量，保证患者得到及时有效的健康教育。方法将175例住院患者随机分成2组。实验组进行健康评估，设计健康教育路径表，应用路径表对患者实施健康教育计划：对照组采用常规健康教育方法。结果实验组接受健康教育后的效果和对护理工作的满意度均显著提高p〈0．01（x^2=7．574），健康教育达标率95．74％（90／94）优于对照组74．07％（60／81，x^2=16．690，p〈0．01）。结论腰椎间盘突出患者按健康教育路径实施健康教育，可减轻患者痛苦，缩短住院日，减轻患者经济负担，促进康复，是一种行之有效的工作方式。