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Current Health (current + health)
Terms modified by Current Health Selected AbstractsMeasured concentrations of combustion gases from the use of unvented gas fireplacesINDOOR AIR, Issue 5 2010P. W. Francisco Abstract, Measurements of combustion product concentrations were taken in 30 homes where unvented gas fireplaces were used. Measurements of CO, CO2, NOx, NO2, O2 (depletion), and water vapor were taken at 1-min interval. The analyzers were calibrated with certified calibration gases for each placement and were in operation for 3,4 days at each home. Measured concentrations were compared to published health-based standards and guidelines. The two combustion gases that exceeded published values were NO2 and CO. For NO2, the Health Canada guideline of 250 ppb (1-h average) was exceeded in about 43% of the sample and the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline of 110 ppb (1-h average) was exceeded in 80% of the sample. Carbon monoxide levels exceeded the U.S. EPA 8-h average standard of 9 ppm in 20% of the sample. Moisture problems were not evident in the test homes. An analysis of the distribution of CO showed that the CO is dispersed throughout the home almost immediately upon operation of the fireplace and that the concentrations throughout the home away from the immediate vicinity of the fireplace are 70,80% of the level near the fireplace. Decay analysis of the combustion gases showed that NO was similarly stable to CO and CO2 in the indoor environment but that both NO2 and water vapor were removed from the air at much greater rates. Practical Implications Previous studies on unvented gas fireplaces have made assumptions of how they are operated by users. This article presents the results of field monitoring of 30 unvented gas fireplaces under normal operation, regardless of whether users follow industry recommendations regarding installation, usage patterns, and maintenance. The monitoring found that health-based standards and guidelines were exceeded for CO in 20% of homes and for NO2 in most homes. There were no identified moisture problems in these homes. Nearly, half of the fireplaces were used at least once for longer than 2 h, counter to manufacturers' intended usage as supplemental heating. This demonstrates that given actual usage patterns and compared to current health-based thresholds, these appliances can produce indoor air concentrations considered to be unhealthy to at least sensitive or at-risk individuals. [source] A decision theory perspective on why women do or do not decide to have cancer screening: systematic reviewJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 6 2009Kelly Ackerson Abstract Title.,A decision theory perspective on why women do or do not decide to have cancer screening: systematic review. Aim., This paper is a report of a review in which decision theory from economics and psychology was applied to understand why some women with access to care do not seek cancer screening. Background., Mammography and cervical smear testing are effective modes of cancer screening, yet many women choose not to be screened. Nurses need to understand the reasons behind women's choices to improve adherence. Data sources., Research papers published between January 1994 and November 2008 were identified using the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE and PsycINFO data bases. The search was performed using the following terms: cervical cancer screening, breast cancer screening, decision, choice, adherence and framing. Forty-seven papers were identified and reviewed for relevance to the search criteria. Methods., Nineteen papers met the search criteria. For each paper, reasons for obtaining or not obtaining cancer screening were recorded, and organized into four relevant decision theory principles: emotions, Prospect Theory, optimism bias and framing. Findings., All women have fears and uncertainty, but the sources of their fears differ, producing two main decision scenarios. Non-adherence results when women fear medical examinations, providers, tests and procedures, do not have/seek knowledge about risk and frame their current health as the status quo. Adherence is achieved when women fear cancer, but trust care providers, seek knowledge, understand risk and frame routine care as the status quo. Conclusion., Nurses need to address proactively women's perceptions and knowledge about screening by openly and uniformly discussing the importance and benefits. [source] Inappropriate prescribing in the elderlyJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 2 2007P. Gallagher MB MRCPI Summary Background and objective:, Drug therapy is necessary to treat acute illness, maintain current health and prevent further decline. However, optimizing drug therapy for older patients is challenging and sometimes, drug therapy can do more harm than good. Drug utilization review tools can highlight instances of potentially inappropriate prescribing to those involved in elderly pharmacotherapy, i.e. doctors, nurses and pharmacists. We aim to provide a review of the literature on potentially inappropriate prescribing in the elderly and also to review the explicit criteria that have been designed to detect potentially inappropriate prescribing in the elderly. Methods:, We performed an electronic search of the PUBMED database for articles published between 1991 and 2006 and a manual search through major journals for articles referenced in those located through PUBMED. Search terms were elderly, inappropriate prescribing, prescriptions, prevalence, Beers criteria, health outcomes and Europe. Results and discussion:, Prescription of potentially inappropriate medications to older people is highly prevalent in the United States and Europe, ranging from 12% in community-dwelling elderly to 40% in nursing home residents. Inappropriate prescribing is associated with adverse drug events. Limited data exists on health outcomes from use of inappropriate medications. There are no prospective randomized controlled studies that test the tangible clinical benefit to patients of using drug utilization review tools. Existing drug utilization review tools have been designed on the basis of North American and Canadian drug formularies and may not be appropriate for use in European countries because of the differences in national drug formularies and prescribing attitudes. Conclusion:, Given the high prevalence of inappropriate prescribing despite the widespread use of drug-utilization review tools, prospective randomized controlled trials are necessary to identify useful interventions. Drug utilization review tools should be designed on the basis of a country's national drug formulary and should be evidence based. [source] Parental attitudes to the identification of their infants as carriers of cystic fibrosis by newborn screeningJOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 9 2006Sharon Lewis Aim: To investigate parental attitudes to cystic fibrosis (CF) carrier detection of their infant by newborn screening (NBS). Methods: Data were collected from a postal questionnaire sent to parents of infants identified as CF carriers by NBS in 1996,1997 (inclusive) and 2001 in Victoria, Australia (n = 66). Results: Almost all parents remembered their child being identified as a CF carrier (97%: 1996/1997; 100%: 2001); yet the majority were unaware at the time that NBS could detect carriers (70%: 1996/1997; 49%: 2001). More parents in the later cohort reported having carrier testing compared with the earlier cohort (85% and 53% respectively) but recall was more uncertain in the earlier cohort when validated against health records. Cascade testing was not utilised frequently by other family members in either cohort. Residual risk of being a carrier if testing was negative was not well understood by parents. Some parents (28%: 1996/1997; 18%: 2001) had residual anxiety about the current health of their charrier child and their future reproductive decision making. Most parents were satisfied with the information provided to them at the time of the sweat test. Few differences were seen between the cohorts. Conclusion: Although the NBS process for CF in Victoria is working efficiently for the majority of families whose infant is identified as a carrier there are areas that can be improved. We recommend that greater attention should be given to informing parents that a consequence of NBS is CF carrier detection and strategies to improve utilisation of cascade testing should be developed. [source] Quality of Care After Early Childhood Trauma and Well-Being in Later Life: Child Holocaust Survivors Reaching Old AgeAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 4 2007Elisheva van der Hal-van Raalte PhD The link between deprivation and trauma during earliest childhood and psychosocial functioning and health in later life was investigated in a group of child Holocaust survivors. In a nonconvenience sample 203 survivors, born between 1935 and 1944, completed questionnaires on Holocaust survival experience and several inventories on current health, depression, posttraumatic stress, loneliness, and attachment style. Quality of postwar care arrangements and current physical health independently predicted lack of well-being in old age. Loss of parents during the persecution, year of birth of the survivors (being born before or during the war), and memories of the Holocaust did not significantly affect present well-being. Lack of adequate care after the end of World War II is associated with lower well-being of the youngest Holocaust child survivors, even after an intervening period of 60 years. Our study validates Keilson's (1992) concept of "sequential traumatization," and points to the importance of aftertrauma care in decreasing the impact of early childhood trauma. [source] A history of sexual abuse and health: a Nordic multicentre studyBJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 10 2004Malene Hilden Objectives To determine if a history of sexual abuse is associated with objective and subjective indicators of health and if certain abusive incidents had a stronger impact on health than others. Design A cross-sectional, multicentre study. Setting Five gynaecological departments in the five Nordic countries. Sample Three thousand five hundred and thirty-nine gynaecology patients. Methods The NorVold Abuse Questionnaire (NorAQ) on abuse history and current health was mailed to all patients who consented to participate. Main outcome measures Reason for index visit at the gynaeocological clinic as well as several questions on health were recorded. General health status was measured as self-estimated health, psychosomatic symptoms (headache, abdominal pain, muscle, weakness, dizziness), number of health care visits and number of periods on sick leave. Result A history of sexual abuse was reported by 20.7% of respondents. A history of sexual abuse was significantly associated with chronic pelvic pain as reason for index visit (P < 0.01), laparoscopic surgery (P < 0.01), psychosomatic symptoms (P < 0.01), self-estimated poor health (P < 0.01), many health care visits (P < 0.01) and high incidence of sick leave (P < 0.01). Several subgroups within the group of sexually abused women were more likely to report poor health: women abused as both children and adults, women who experienced additional emotional and/or physical abuse and women abused by a person they knew. Conclusion Sexual abuse has a profound impact on women's health. Taking a history of sexual abuse seems particularly warranted when the patient presents with chronic pelvic pain or symptoms of a vague and diffuse nature. [source] Parents' views of their child's health and family function in paediatric inflammatory bowel diseaseACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 4 2010H Lindfred Abstract Aim:, The aim of this study was to explore parents' views and agreement of their child's current and future health, as well as the family's functioning in daily life with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods:, In this study, 119 parents (65 mothers and 54 fathers) of 66 adolescents (11,16 years) with IBD completed a questionnaire regarding their views of their child's IBD and health-related behaviour. Results:, The majority of the parents held a positive view of their child's current health status. However, the parents voiced a range of worries about their children's future health and life situation such as fear about the side effects of medication, concerns for future schooling, social life and employment options. Within the families, the parental pairs had more similar views about their child's current health status than about their future health. Factors that affected the parents' views consisted of cohabitation status, i.e. parents not living together, and severe disease course, both correlated with a more negative view of the child's current health and family functioning. Conclusion:, The majority of the parents in this study had a largely positive view of their child's current health status, but they expressed concerns about their child's future health. Knowledge about parents' thoughts may be of importance for healthcare teams supporting families with IBD. [source] | ||||||||||