Intensive care research coordinators: who are they and what do they do? Results of a binational survey.

Research coordinators in intensive care are a growing specialty about which little is known. This cross-sectional study surveyed the Australia and New Zealand Intensive Care Research Coordinators' Group (n = 49) regarding demographics, education, employment history, job structure, and role content. Most research coordinators were highly qualified and experienced nurses who undertake pharmaceutical trials, multicenter projects, departmental medical and nursing research, audits and data registries, and their own projects.     

Missed opportunities for participation in prevention of mother to child transmission programmes: Simplicity of nevirapine does not necessarily lead to optimal uptake, a qualitative study

Background  

The objective of this study was to examine missed opportunities for participation in a prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programme in three sites in South Africa. A rapid anthropological assessment was used to collect in-depth data from 58 HIV-positive women who were enrolled in a larger cohort study to assess mother-to-child HIV transmission. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the women in order to gain an understanding of their experiences of antenatal care and to identify missed opportunities for participation in PMTCT.     

Periocular anaesthesia: technique, effectiveness and complications with special reference to postoperative ptosis

The effectiveness of periocular anaesthesia and its complications were examined in 100 successive cataract operations. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to the duration of ocular compression with an Autopressor device after administration of periocular anaesthesia. In the control group, no compression was used (C-O, n = 36 patients). In the other two groups, compression was used for 10 (C-10, n = 32) and for 20 (C-20, n = 32) min. No differences in globe or orbicular akinesia were found between the groups. At 10 min, immobilisation of the globe in different directions was attained in 60.1-84.5% of the patients. Compression for an additional 10 min did not significantly improve the akinesia. In contrast, the hitherto undescribed loss of light perception increased with time: 15 patients at 10 min and 22 at 20 min were unable to see light. Chemosis and haematomas in the upper eyelid occurred more often in C-0 than in the other 2 groups. One day postoperatively the average palpebral aperture was smaller in C-0 than in the other two groups. The frequent postoperative ptosis (74.3% on the 1st day) decreased rapidly, but on postoperative day 7, 9 patients still had ptosis. In only one patient was ptosis still recognizable at 6 weeks postoperatively. No serious complications occurred. This study demonstrates that periocular anaesthesia with ocular compression is a suitable method for cataract surgery.     

Trees as indicators of subterranean water flow from a retired radioactive waste disposal site

Tree sampling helped locate a subterranean flow of tritiated water from a low-level radioactive waste disposal site that had not been detected by well water monitoring alone. Deciduous trees growing in a natural forest on the hillsides downslope from the site were sampled for the presence of tritiated water in sap of maple trees and in leaf water extracted from oak and hickory trees. Elevated concentrations of 3H were detected in the leaf water extracted from several trees located 50 m downslope from the western boundary of the fenced exclusion zone. A 3-m-deep well drilled near these trees indicated that the source of tritiated water was a narrow zone of subterranean flow.     

Comparison of the smoking behaviour and attitudes of smokers who attribute respiratory symptoms to smoking with those who do not.

General practitioners' (GPs') advice against smoking helps smokers to stop; unfortunately, GPs cannot predict which patients will quit following advice. This postal questionnaire survey suggests that where smokers attribute their respiratory symptoms to smoking, they are eight times (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.0-23.3) more likely to believe that their health will improve if they stop smoking and six times (95% CI = 1.4-23.3) more likely to intend to stop smoking.     

Increased Sensitivity of a New Coagglutination Test for Rapid Identification of Haemophilus influenzae Type b

A newly developed rapid coagglutination test for identifying Haemophilus influenzae type b organisms isolated from clinical specimens correlated 100% with the slide agglutination test but was 100- to 200-fold more sensitive.