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Descriptive Study (descriptive + study)
Kinds of Descriptive Study Selected AbstractsAuditor Independence: A Comparative Descriptive Study of the UK, France and ItalyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AUDITING, Issue 2 2002Joanna E. Stevenson The independence of the external auditor has long been a subject of great debate, particularly by UK and US interested parties. With the growth and globalisation of the large multi-disciplinary firms, it has again been pushed to the fore: new ethical guidance issued by international bodies such as La Fédération des Experts- Comptables Européens (FEE) and The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and the activities of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Independence Standards Board in the US have encouraged a wider consideration of the issue. In Europe, the European Commission has issued a Consultative Paper containing fundamental principles for adoption into Member States' own regulation on statutory auditor independence. Increasing pressure for the removal of obstacles to a single European audit market have resulted in safeguards of auditor independence in some countries being described as undesirable barriers. This paper considers the issue of statutory auditor independence across three EU Member States: the UK, France and Italy, by comparing the ethical guides and the legal and professional regulations in place, highlighting and discussing areas of divergence, and contrasting them with the EC's Consultative Paper. It takes into account factors such as culture and the historical development of auditing in order to explore the differences found. The paper demonstrates that positions taken in France and Italy on the issue of auditor independence differ markedly from that taken by the UK profession. Of the three countries reviewed, the UK viewpoint has most obviously influenced the drafting of the EC Paper. The implications of these variances for EU harmonisation are discussed, and the paper concludes that there is a clear need for empirical study of this important issue in Europe to better understand the reasons for differing perceptions and attitudes, and the repercussions of these differences on the process of European audit harmonisation. [source] Repair Sequences in Spanish L2 Dyadic Discourse: A Descriptive StudyMODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 3 2001Peggy Buckwalter This article reports on a qualitative study of dyadic discourse between university students of Spanish as a foreign language (FL). In light of the common acceptance of pair work as an effective pedagogical practice in the FL classroom, the study was designed to explore the social and cognitive behavior of learners as they participated in second language speaking activities. The construct of repair as it is formulated in the ethnomethodological approach to conversation analysis provided the lens through which data were examined. Trouble sources were identified and repair sequences were classified in terms of which learner brought attention to the trouble source and which learner resolved it. A clear preference for self-repair and for self-initiated repair was found. Collaborative repair, as well as unsolicited other-repair, operated almost exclusively on the lexicon, whereas self-initiated self-repair included morphosyntax. The study supports the Vygotskian notion that talk is used for cognitive as well as for social purposes. [source] Anatomical and Descriptive Study of the Radial Extensor Muscle (M. Extensor Carpi Radialis)ANATOMIA, HISTOLOGIA, EMBRYOLOGIA, Issue 6 2000F. Cossu Summary The M. extensores carpi radiales have been studied in detail in humans. The aim of this study was to carry out a comparative anatomical study of these muscles using four species , rabbit, cat, dog and sheep , and to propose a ,systematization' in a few standard models according to the morphological variations seen. In these species, there is marked morphological evolution, with two muscles in humans, one in sheep and a more or less distinct division of the muscle in the rabbit, cat and dog. Examination of the vascularization and nerve supply enables us to determine degrees of division in species with similar muscle morphology. Thus we were able to distinguish three morphological types which allow us to infer the morphological evolution of the M. extensores carpi radiales and to estimate the point at which one muscle became two. However, there is a strong chance that some process of convergence may have occurred, and in pentadactyl species many elements represent the plesiomorphis and are therefore of little use in constructing a classification on the basis of evolution. [source] Social Representations of Retirement in France: A Descriptive StudyAPPLIED PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Christine Roland-Lévy The social representations of three social groups (students, people in the workforce, and retirees) are investigated. Comparison of the three samples allows one to describe how social representations of retirement differ according to age and employment status. It can be noted that both students and adults who are still working share some core elements in their representation of retirement, which is mainly perceived as a well-deserved time to rest. However, the central nucleus of those people who have recently retired excludes this idea of needing some time to rest and centers more around having less stress, and more freedom; the end of work might mean undesired inactivity. Les représentations sociales de la retraite de trois groupes sociaux (étudiants, individus issus de la population active et retraités) sont étudiées. La comparaison entre les trois échantillons permet de décrire comment les représentations sociales de la retraite diffèrent selon l'âge et le statut du sujet. On a pu noter que les étudiants et les adultes en activité partagent quelques éléments centraux de leur représentation sociale de la retraite, qui est essentiellement perçue comme un temps de repos bien mérité. Cependant, le noyau central des personnes récemment retraitées ne contient pas cette idée d'un besoin d'un temps de repos et se centre plus sur le fait d'être moins stressé et d'avoir plus de liberté; la fin du travail pourrait alors signifier une inactivité non désirée. [source] The Prescribing Pattern of a New Antipsychotic: A Descriptive Study of Aripiprazole for Psychiatric In-Patients,BASIC AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY, Issue 1 2008Stig Ejdrup Andersen The objective of this descriptive study is to examine the day-to-day prescriptions of aripiprazole to an unselected population of psychiatric in-patients. From 1 February to 1 May 2006, present and former in-patients treated with aripiprazole were identified. Prescriptions of aripiprazole and psychoactive comedication were collected retrospectively from the patient records. Seventy-one patients, mainly schizophrenic, received aripiprazole 2.5 to 55 mg/day for median 350 days. The median average exposure was 18.9 mg/day (range 2.5,45 mg/day) and exceeded 15 and 30 mg/day in 63% and 4.2% of the patients, respectively. Generally, aripiprazole was either added to the existing antipsychotic treatment or replaced other antipsychotics; only 17% of the patients were treatment-naïve. In 25% aripiprazole, monotherapy was commenced whereas aripiprazole-antipsychotic combinations were initially prescribed in 75%. Overall, 85% of the patients received periods of antipsychotic polypharmacy and aripiprazole was combined with 17 different antipsychotics. Each patient received median three (range 0,8) psychoactive drugs parallel with aripiprazole. This study demonstrates reality in psychopharmacology and quote aripiprazole as example. In day-to-day practice, aripiprazole is used as part of highly individualized regimens comprising polypharmacy and excessive dosing. Although theoretically appropriate for some patients, this approach also implies conducting unblinded and uncontrolled mini-experiments. Sparse evidence supports this practice and effectiveness studies of aripiprazole that takes into account the true complexity of clinical prescribing are urgently needed. [source] At-risk mental state (ARMS) detection in a community service center for early attention to psychosis in BarcelonaEARLY INTERVENTION IN PSYCHIATRY, Issue 3 2010Yanet Quijada Abstract Aim: To describe the strategy and some results in at-risk mental state (ARMS) patient detection as well as some of the ARMS clinical and socio-demographical characteristics. The subjects were selected among the patients visited by an Early Care Equipment for patients at high risk of psychoses, in Barcelona (Spain) during its first year in operation. Methods: Descriptive study of the community,team relations, selection criteria and intervention procedure. Description of patient's socio-demographic and symptomatic characteristics according to the different instruments used in detection and diagnoses, taking account of four principal origins of referrals: mental health services, primary care services, education services and social services. Results: Twenty of 55 referred people fulfilled the at-risk mental state criteria, showing an incidence of 2.4 cases per 10 000 inhabitants. They were mainly adolescent males referred from health, education and social services. Overall, negative symptoms were predominant symptoms and the more frequent specific symptoms were decrease of motivation and poor work and school performance, decreased ability to maintain or initiate social relationships, depressed mood and withdrawal. Conclusions: It is possible to detect and to provide early treatment to patients with prodromal symptoms if the whole matrix of the community , including the social services , contributes to the process. The utilization of a screening instrument and a two-phase strategy , the second carried out by the specialized team , seems to be an appropriate approach for early psychosis and ARMS detection. [source] Good Deaths, Bad Deaths, and Preferences for the End of Life: A Qualitative Study of Geriatric OutpatientsJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 9 2002Elizabeth K. Vig MD OBJECTIVES: Patient involvement in decision-making has been advocated to improve the quality of life at the end of life. Although the size of the oldest segment of the population is growing, with greater numbers of older adults facing the end of life, little is known about their preferences for the end of life. This study aimed to explore the attitudes of older adults with medical illness about the end of life, and to investigate whether current values could be extended to end-of-life preferences. DESIGN: Descriptive study with interviews using open- and closed-ended questions. SETTING: Patients attending two university-affiliated geriatric clinics were interviewed in a private conference room near the clinic they attended or in their homes. PARTICIPANTS: Sixteen older men and women identified by their physicians as having nonterminal heart disease or cancer. MEASUREMENTS: The interview contained open-ended questions such as: "What are the most important things in your life right now?" and "What would you consider a good/bad death?" The interview also contained closed-ended questions about symptoms, quality of life, and health status. Additional questions elicited preferences for the end of life, such as location of death and the presence of others. The open-ended questions were tape-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using qualitative methods. The closed-ended questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Patients with heart disease and cancer provided similar responses. Participants' views about good deaths, bad deaths, and end-of-life scenarios were heterogeneous. Each participant voiced a unique combination of themes in describing good and bad deaths. Because each participant described a multifaceted view of a good death, for instance, no theme was mentioned by even half of the participants. Participants provided differing explanations for why given themes contributed to good deaths. Currently valued aspects of life were not easily translated into end-of-life preferences. For example, although the majority of participants identified their family as being important, many gave reasons why they did not want their family members present when they died. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the heterogeneity of views and the difficulty in inferring end-of-life preferences from current values, older adults should be asked not only questions about general values, but also specific questions about their end-of-life choices and the reasons for these choices. A thorough understanding of an individual's end-of-life preferences may help health professionals working with older adults develop patient-centered care plans for the end of life. [source] Patients' recovery after critical illness at early follow-upJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 5-6 2010Michelle A Kelly Aim., To determine the quality of life, particularly physical function, of intensive care survivors during the early recovery process. Background., Survivors of critical illness face ongoing challenges after discharge from the intensive care unit and on returning home. Knowledge about health issues during early phases of recovery after hospital discharge is emerging, yet still limited. Design., Descriptive study where the former critically ill patients completed instruments on general health and quality of life (SF-36) in the first six months of recovery. Methods., Participants responded to the SF-36 questionnaire and questions about problems, one to six months after intensive care, either face-to-face or by telephone. Results., Thirty-nine participants had a mean age of 60 years; of them, 59% were men and had been in intensive care for 1,69 days (median = 5). Most participants (69%) rated their health as good or fair, but 54% rated general health as worse than a year ago. Mean quality of life scores for all scales ranged from 25,65·5%, with particularly low scores for Role-Physical (25) and Pain (45·1). Half the participants reported difficulty with mobility, sleep and concentration, and 72% that their responsibilities at home had changed. No relationships were found between SF-36 scores and admission diagnosis, gender, age or length of intensive care stay. Conclusions., These survivors of critical illness and hospitalisation in an intensive care unit perceive their general health to be good despite experiencing significant physical limitations and disturbed sleep during recovery. Relevance to clinical practice., Knowledge of issues in these early phases of recovery and discussion and resolution of patient problems could normalise the experience for the patient and help to facilitate better quality of life. [source] Developing A Database to Describe the Practice Patterns of Adult Nurse Practitioner StudentsJOURNAL OF NURSING SCHOLARSHIP, Issue 1 2000Nancy A. O'Connor Purpose: To describe the practice patterns of adult nurse practitioner students using a database composed of core health data elements and standardized nursing language. Design: Descriptive study of 3,733 patient visits documented by 19 adult nurse practitioner students in the academic year 1996,1997. Methods: A database was designed for documenting the full scope of practice of adult nurse practitioner students by use of core health data elements and the standardized nursing languages of NANDA and NIC. Nurse practitioner students used the database to document every linical encounter during their final clinical year of study. Most visits occurred in ambulatory care settings in a midwestern American city. Findingsx: Based on the American Medical Association's Evaluation/Management coding system, data indicated that 50% of visits were classified as problem focused, while 31.9% were expanded, 10% were detailed, and 8.1% were comprehensive. The most frequently occurring NANDA diagnoses were pain, health-seeking behavior, altered health maintenance, and knowledge deficit. The most frequently reported Nursing intervention classifications (NIC) were patient education, drug management, information management, and risk management. Conclusions: Using standardized nursing language to describe clinical encounters made visible the complex clinical decision-making patterns of adult nurse practitioner students. Systematic use of a database designed for documenting the full scope of practice of nurse practitioner students showed the applicability of standardized nursing language to advanced practice nursing contexts. [source] Ranula: another HIV/AIDS associated oral lesion in Zimbabwe?ORAL DISEASES, Issue 4 2004MM Chidzonga Aim:, To show that sublingual ranula is associated with HIV/AIDS and as such should be considered an HIV/AIDS associated oral lesion in Zimbabwe. Objectives:, To retrospectively study the prevalence, age and gender distribution, the HIV serostatus of ranula patients and the trend in prevalence of ranula and Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) in patients at the two largest referral Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery specialist centres in Harare, Zimbabwe. To use this information to infer an association between ranula and HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe. Design:, Descriptive study with a retrospective and prospective component. Setting:, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical clinics at specialist referral hospitals, Harare Central Hospital and Parirenyatwa Government Hospital, Harare, Zimbabwe. Subjects:, Eighty-three cases of ranula were studied: 45 cases retrospectively and 38 consecutively. A total of 231 cases of KS were studied retrospectively. Methods:, Histopathologic records of patients who presented with ranula and KS during the period January 1981 to September 2003 were studied. Gender and age were recorded for each case. Thirty-eight ranula patients studied consecutively during the period June 1999 to September 2003 were consented for HIV testing. Results:, There were 83 cases of ranula; 43.4% male and 56.6% female. There were 231 cases of KS, 61.2% male and 38.8% female. Male to female ratio was 1:1.3 for ranula and for KS was 1:0.6. Ranula was predominant in the 0,10 year age group (73.5%) while KS was most common in the 21,40 year age group (76.4%). Ranula and KS both had a marked rise in prevalence from 1992 to 2003. A total of 88.5% of the ranula cases tested HIV positive with 95% in the 0,10 year age group. Conclusion:, There was a rising prevalence of ranula which mirrors that of KS (an HIV/AIDS associated oral lesion) and that 88.5% of ranula patients were HIV positive with 95% of them in the 0,10 year age group. Sublingual ranula should thus be considered another HIV/AIDS associated lesion in Zimbabwe, especially in children. [source] Verbal and Physical Abuse and Neglect as Manifestations of HIV/AIDS Stigma in Five African CountriesPUBLIC HEALTH NURSING, Issue 5 2007Priscilla S. Dlamini ABSTRACT Objective: To explore the experience of HIV/AIDS-related stigma for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWA) in Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland, and Tanzania. Design and sample: Descriptive study using 43 focus groups (n=251 participants), which included male and female PLWA from both rural and urban areas and nurses working with PLWA. Methods: Participants were asked to relate incidents of HIV/AIDS-related stigma that they had experienced or observed. Focus group discussions were taped, and data were content analyzed to identify examples of abuse (verbal and physical abuse and neglect) related to HIV/AIDS stigma. Data analysis also explored targets of abuse, abusers, and consequences of abuse. Results: Participant reports documented extensive verbal and physical abuse and neglect or negating (disallowing of access to services and opportunities) experienced by PLWA and observed by nurses caring for them, and identified negative consequences experienced by PLWA whose HIV-positive status was disclosed to family, friends, or community members. Conclusions: Health care workers who encourage PLWA to disclose their HIV status must carefully consider the implications of encouraging disclosure in an environment with high levels of stigma, and must recognize the real possibility that PLWA may experience serious verbal and physical abuse as a consequence of disclosure. [source] Prevalence, prevention, and treatment of pressure ulcers: Descriptive study in 89 institutions in The NetherlandsRESEARCH IN NURSING & HEALTH, Issue 2 2002Gerrie J.J.W. Bours Abstract The purpose of the present study was to assess the prevalence of pressure ulcers and the use of Dutch guidelines for the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers. A survey of 16,344 patients in 89 health care institutions on 1 day showed a mean prevalence of pressure ulcers of 23.1%. It was found that Dutch guidelines on some aspects of prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers were not being followed. Only 53% of the patients who should have been positioned on a support surface were positioned on such a device. Fewer than one-third of the patients who should have been repositioned, should have received nutritional support, or should have been educated received these interventions, and only 33.6% of all pressure ulcers were dressed as recommended. More attention to the dissemination and implementation of the guidelines is needed to reduce this high prevalence of pressure ulcers. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 25:99,110, 2002 [source] Evaluation of 280 000 cases in Dutch midwifery practices: a descriptive studyBJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 5 2008MP Amelink-Verburg Objective, To assess the nature and outcome of intrapartum referrals from primary to secondary care within the Dutch obstetric system. Design, Descriptive study. Setting, Dutch midwifery database (LVR1), covering 95% of all midwifery care and 80% of all Dutch pregnancies (2001,03). Population, Low-risk women (280 097) under exclusive care of a primary level midwife at the start of labour either with intention to deliver at home or with a personal preference to deliver in hospital under care of a primary level midwife. Methods, Women were classified into three categories (no referral, urgent referral and referral without urgency) and were related to maternal characteristics and to neonatal outcomes. Main outcome measures, Distribution of referral categories, main reasons for urgent referral, Apgar score at 5 minutes, perinatal death within 24 hours and referral to a paediatrician within 24 hours. Results, In our study, 68.1% of the women completed childbirth under exclusive care of a midwife, 3.6% were referred on an urgency basis and 28.3% were referred without urgency. Of all referrals, 11.2% were on an urgency basis. The main reasons for urgent referrals were fetal distress and postpartum haemorrhage. The nonurgent referrals predominantly took place during the first stage of labour (73.6% of all referrals). Women who had planned a home delivery were referred less frequently than women who had planned a hospital delivery: 29.3 and 37.2%, respectively (P < 0.001). On average, the mean Apgar score at 5 minutes was high (9.72%) and the peripartum neonatal mortality was low (0.05%) in the total study group. No maternal deaths occurred. Adverse neonatal outcomes occurred most frequently in the urgent referral group, followed by the group of referrals without urgency and the nonreferred group. Conclusions, Risk selection is a crucial element of the Dutch obstetric system and continues into the postpartum period. The system results in a relatively small percentage of intrapartum urgent referrals and in overall satisfactory neonatal outcomes in deliveries led by primary level midwives. [source] Use of the Broselow Tape May Result in the Underresuscitation of ChildrenACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 10 2006ACNP, Carolyn T. Nieman MSN Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine the concordance of the Broselow tape with the measured heights and weights of a community-based population of children, especially in light of the increase in obesity in today's children. Methods The authors examined more than 7,500 children in a cross-sectional, descriptive study in two different cohorts of children to compare their actual weight with their predicted weight by a color-coded tape measure. Results In all patients, the percent agreement and , values of the Broselow color predicted by height versus the actual color by weight for the 2002A tape were 66.2% and 0.61, respectively. The concordance was best in infants, followed by school-age children, toddlers, and preschoolers (,= 0.66, 0.44, 0.39, and 0.39, respectively; percent agreement, 81.3%, 58.2%, 60.7%, and 64.0%, respectively). The tapes accurately predicted (within 10%) medication dosages for resuscitation in 55.3%,60.0% of the children. The number of children who were underdosed (by ,10%) exceeded those who were overdosed (by ,10%) by 2.5 to 4.4 times (p < 0.05). The tapes accurately predicted uncuffed endotracheal tube sizes when compared with age-based guidelines in 71% of the children, with undersizing (,0.5 mm) exceeding oversizing by threefold to fourfold (p < 0.05). Conclusions The Broselow tape color-coded system inaccurately predicted actual weight in one third of children. Caregivers need to take into consideration the accuracy of this device when estimating children's weight during the resuscitation of a child. [source] The feeding behavior of Trichogramma brassicae: new evidence for selective ingestion of solid foodENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA, Issue 1 2000Z.X. Wu Abstract A descriptive study of the feeding behavior and structures of Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) was conducted. Based on direct observational and biochemical evidence, larvae feed predominantly on particulate materials, starting ca. 25 h post-oviposition. Feeding lasted for ca. 9 h, at 25±1 °C. During this feeding period the shape of the larvae changed from vermiform to pyriform and then to sacciform, resulting in a ca. 40-fold increase in body size. Larvae used elaborate feeding behaviors as they pulled solid food particles to their oral opening, broke small particles from larger ones, and took the particles into the stomodaeum, which is a powerful pump. In the stomodaeum, peristaltic movement further macerated the particles, which eventually passed through the cardiac valve into the midgut. As indicated by changes in fluorescently labeled casein, digestive enzymes aid in the extra-oral chemical digestion of food. The contents of the gut, during and shortly after feeding, were almost entirely closely packed solid particles. The behavioral activity of feeding larvae centered almost exclusively on processing and ingesting solid food particles. The rapid larval growth is much more plausibly explained by their feeding on the highly concentrated nutrients found in solid foods, rather than the extensive concentration required if dilute liquids were the principal source of nutrients. The implications of these findings for the development of practical artificial diets are discussed. [source] Diagnosis Clusters for Emergency MedicineACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 12 2003Debbie A. Travers RN Objectives: Aggregated emergency department (ED) data are useful for research, ED operations, and public health surveillance. Diagnosis data are widely available as The International Classification of Diseases, version, 9, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes; however, there are over 24,000 ICD-9-CM code-descriptor pairs. Standardized groupings (clusters) of ICD-9-CM codes have been developed by other disciplines, including family medicine (FM), internal medicine (IM), inpatient care (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ]), and vital statistics (NCHS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the coverage of four existing ICD-9-CM cluster systems for emergency medicine. Methods: In this descriptive study, four cluster systems were used to group ICD-9-CM final diagnosis data from a southeastern university tertiary referral center. Included were diagnoses for all ED visits in July 2000 and January 2001. In the comparative analysis, the authors determined the coverage in the four cluster systems, defined as the proportion of final diagnosis codes that were placed into clusters and the frequencies of diagnosis codes in each cluster. Results: The final sample included 7,543 visits with 19,530 diagnoses. Coverage of the ICD-9-CM codes in the ED sample was: AHRQ, 99%; NCHS, 88%; FM, 71%; IM, 68%. Seventy-six percent of the AHRQ clusters were small, defined as grouping <1% of the diagnosis codes in the sample. Conclusions: The AHRQ system provided the best coverage of ED ICD-9-CM codes. However, most of the clusters were small and not significantly different from the raw data. [source] Parents and Practitioners Are Poor Judges of Young Children's Pain SeverityACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 6 2002Adam J. Singer MD Objective: Visual analog pain scales are reliable measures in older children and adults; however, pain studies that include young children often rely on parental or practitioner assessments for measuring pain severity. The authors correlated patient, parental, and practitioner pain assessments for young children with acute pain. Methods: This was a prospective, descriptive study of a convenience sample of 63 emergency department patients aged 4-7 years, with acute pain resulting from acute illness or painful invasive procedures. A trained research assistant administered a structured pain survey containing demographic and historical features to all parents/guardians. Children assessed their pain severity using a validated ordinal scale that uses five different faces with varying degrees of frowning (severe pain) or smiling (no pain). Each face was converted to a numeric value from 0 (no pain) to 4 (severe pain). Parents and practitioners independently assessed their child's pain using a validated 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS) marked "most pain" at the high end. Pairwise correlations between child, parent, and practitioner pain assessments were performed using Spearman's or Pearson's test as appropriate. The association between categorical data was assessed using ,2 tests. Results: Sixty-three children ranging in age from 4 to 7 were included. Mean age (±SD) was 5.7 (±1.1); 42% were female. Fifty-seven successfully completed the face scale. The distribution of the children's scores was 0-17%, 1-9%, 2-30%, 3-14%, and 4-30%. Mean parental and practitioner scores (±SD) on the VAS were 61 (±26) mm and 37 (±26) mm, respectively (maximal = 100 mm). Correlation between child and parent scores was 0.47 (p < 0.001). Correlation between child and practitioner scores was 0.08 (p = 0.54). Correlation between parent and practitioner scores was 0.04 (p = 0.001). Conclusions: There is poor agreement between pain ratings by children, parents, and practitioners. It is unclear which assessment best approximates the true degree of pain the child is experiencing. [source] Carrier testing in haemophilia A and B: adult carriers' and their partners' experiences and their views on the testing of young femalesHAEMOPHILIA, Issue 3 2008N. F. DUNN Summary., This is a descriptive study, which aims to report adult carriers' and their husbands/partners' experiences of carrier diagnosis and their views as to how these issues should be handled for the next generation. Following an initial pilot, 105 carriers and husbands/partners responded to a postal questionnaire. Most of the adult carriers had been tested because either they or their parents wanted to know their carrier status or they had a son diagnosed with haemophilia. The respondents agreed that the main reasons for testing young potential carriers should be either a family history of severe haemophilia or that the young person or her parents wanted to know her status. Forty per cent (35/87) believed the earliest age for carrier testing should be 0,9 years, 44% (38/87) 10,15 years and 16% (14/87) ,16 years. Respondents aged 18,39 years were more likely to be in favour of testing <2 years. If parents and teenagers disagreed, the majority of parents thought that a test should not be forced, consent refused or results withheld. Genetic counselling provides an important opportunity for parents, who want a very early genetic test, to explore their motivations and balance their desire to prepare and protect their daughter with her right to decide as a teenager. [source] Smoking cessation in HIV patients: rate of success and associated factorsHIV MEDICINE, Issue 10 2009M Fuster Background Smoking is the modifiable cardiovascular (CV) risk factor that contributes most to causing premature CV disease. Prevalence of smoking in patients with HIV infection is double that of the general population. Objectives To determine the rate of patients succeeding in quitting smoking after 12 months, factors associated with this success, and the characteristics of tobacco consumption and nicotine dependence. Methods Longitudinal descriptive study. Three hundred and sixty-eight HIV-infected patients were interviewed. Smokers in Prochaska's stage of action began a programme to quit smoking. We registered the variables related to tobacco consumption and the level of success of cessation. Results 63.9% of the patients were active smokers and 14% of them began the cessation programme. Average motivation for cessation was 7.8 ± 1.4 (Richmond) and nicotine dependence rate 5.5 ± 3.0 (Fagerström). After 1 year, 25% had quit smoking. Those patients who stopped smoking presented a higher motivation level (8.8 ± 1.3 vs. 7.5 ± 1.5, P=0.048). Cessation significantly reduced their CV risk at 12 months {2.5 [interquartile range (IQR) 2.0,5.2] vs. 1.7 [IQR 1.0,3.5], P=0.026}. Conclusions The prevalence of smokers in our population of HIV-infected patients was 63.9%. Only 14% began a smoking cessation programme. Twelve months after a programme to quit smoking, cessation rate was 25%; this was influenced mostly by the level of motivation of the patient. [source] System design in normative and actual practice: A comparative study of cognitive task allocation in advanced manufacturing systemsHUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS IN MANUFACTURING & SERVICE INDUSTRIES, Issue 2 2004Sotiris Papantonopoulos The Human Factors Engineering approach to human-machine system design is based largely on normative design methods. This article suggests that the scope of Human Factors Engineering shall be extended to the descriptive study of system design in actual practice by the application of theoretical frameworks that emphasize the role of the system-design practitioner and organization in the design process. A comparative study of system design in normative and actual practice was conducted in the design of cognitive task allocation in a Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) cell. The study showed that the designers' allocation decisions were influenced strongly by factors related to their own design practices, yet exogenous to the tasks to be allocated. Theoretical frameworks from Design Research were applied to illustrate differences between normative and actual practice of system design. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 14: 181,196, 2004. [source] Sex differences in L2 vocabulary learning strategiesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS, Issue 1 2003Rosa María Jiménez Catalán This article reports the results of a descriptive study on sex differences in the use of a second language. A questionnaire was administered to 581 Spanish-speaking students learning Basque and English as L2 (279 males and 302 females) in order to answer these questions: Do male and female second language learners differ in (1) the number and (2) the range of vocabulary strategies they use? The results show that they differ significantly in the number of strategies used. Regarding the range of vocabulary strategies, 8 out of the 10 most frequent strategies are shared by males and females. However, a close analysis of the data also reveals differences, such as females' greater use of formal rule strategies, input elicitation strategies, rehearsal strategies and planning strategies, and males' greater use of image vocabulary learning strategies. In addition, the females' total strategy usage percentages are higher than the males', which points to either different perceptions of vocabulary learning behaviors or different patterns of vocabulary strategy usage for males and females. [source] Oral hygiene practices, periodontal conditions, dentition status and self-reported bad mouth breath among young mothers, TanzaniaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DENTAL HYGIENE, Issue 4 2006EGS Mumghamba Abstract:,Objectives:,To determine the oral hygiene practices, periodontal conditions, dentition status and self-reported bad mouth breath (S-BMB) among young mothers. Study participants and methods:,This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted at Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A total of 302 postpartum mothers, aged 14,44 years, were interviewed on oral hygiene practices and S-BMB using structured questionnaire. Oral hygiene, dentition and periodontal status were assessed using the Community Periodontal Index probe and gingival recessions (GR) using Williams Periodontal probe. Results:,Tooth brushing practice was 99%; tongue brushing (95%), plastic toothbrush users (96%), chewing stick (1%), wooden toothpicks (76%), dental floss (<1%); and toothpaste (93%). The prevalence of plaque and gingival bleeding on probing was 100%, gum bleeding during tooth brushing (33%), calculus (99%), probing periodontal pocket depth (PPD) 4,5 mm (27%), PPD 6+ mm (3%), GR 1+ mm (27%) and tooth decay (55%). The prevalence of S-BMB was 14%; the S-BMB had higher mean number of sites with plaque compared to the no S-BMB group (P = 0.04). Factors associated with S-BMB were gum bleeding on tooth brushing (OR = 2.4) and PPD 6+ mm (OR = 5.4). Conclusion:,Self-reported bad mouth breath is a cause of concern among young mothers, and associated significant factors were gum bleeding on tooth brushing and deep periodontal pockets of 6+ mm. Further research involving clinical diagnosis of bad mouth breath and intervention through oral health promotion and periodontal therapy are recommended. Clinical relevance:,This study provides baseline information on oral health status and the complaint on bad mouth breath which necessitates in the future need for objective assessment, diagnosis and management of bad mouth breath for enhanced social and professional interaction without embarrassments. [source] Cutaneous acanthamebiasis infection in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patientsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 12 2009Carlos Galarza MD Background, Cutaneous acanthamebiasis is a rare infection and few patients have been reported worldwide. Methods, Observational and descriptive study carried out from March 1996 to February 2006 in patients with diagnosis of cutaneous free-living amebic infection caused by Acanthamoeba spp. The patients were diagnosed at the Dos de Mayo National Hospital (Lima-Peru) where skin biopsies, histopathologic studies and cultures were performed. The clinical and epidemiologic characteristics, diagnosis, treatment and evolution were recorded in a survey. Results, Five patients with cutaneous free-living amebic infection caused by Acanthamoeba spp. were identified. Skin lesions were ulceronecrotic (four patients), an infiltrative bluish plaque (one patient), and a periorbital tumor (one patient). Three patients were positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), had only cutaneous involvement, and died of opportunistic infections. The two immunocompetent patients developed Acanthamoeba granulomatous encephalitis and meningoencephalitis that progressed to intracranial hypertension and death. Conclusion, The clinical manifestations of cutaneous free-living amebic infection caused by Acanthamoeba spp. appear to vary according to the underlying immunologic status. [source] Eating disorders in older women: Does late onset anorexia nervosa exist?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS, Issue 5 2010Samantha Scholtz MRCPsych Abstract Objective: The objective of this study is to determine whether eating disorders can present for the first time in older people. Method: This is a descriptive study of patients above the age of 50 years who have presented to a national eating disorder center within the last 10 years. Results: Thirty-two patients were identified; data were available for 26 of these patients and 11 agreed for further interview and questionnaire completion. There were no cases where the eating disorder had its onset late in life. Of the 11 interviewed, six participants retained a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, four had Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified and only one was recovered. Comorbid depression was universal in those still suffering with an eating disorder diagnosis, and their level of social functioning was impaired. Discussion: Anorexia nervosa is a chronic and enduring mental illness that, although rare, can be found in older people. In our sample, we found no evidence of late-onset disorders; all described cases were lifelong. © 2009 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2010 [source] Older criminals: a descriptive study of psychiatrically examined offenders in SwedenINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 10 2002Seena Fazel Abstract Objective We retrospectively examined psychiatric diagnoses of older offenders referred by court for psychiatric assessment in Sweden, and compared them with younger offenders. Method In Sweden, structured court-ordered forensic psychiatric evaluations are undertaken by a forensic psychiatric team. Data on age, sex, citizenship, psychiatric diagnoses, offences, and legal insanity declarations were obtained for the years 1988,2000 (n=7297). Results There were 210 forensic psychiatric evaluations in those aged 60 and over. 7% had a diagnosis of dementia, 32% psychotic illness, 8% depressive or anxiety disorder, 15% substance abuse or dependence, and 20% personality disorder. Older offenders were significantly less likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia or a personality disorder, and more likely to have dementia or an affective psychosis compared to younger ones. Logistic regression analyses suggested that of the studied factors, the ones most typical of older offenders were a diagnosis of dementia and being charged with a sexual offence. Conclusion There appear to be important differences in psychiatric morbidity between older offenders and younger ones who come into contact with forensic psychiatric services. This research may assist in the planning of forensic and therapeutic services for the increasing number of older adults passing through the criminal justice system. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Characteristics of adolescent depressionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 1 2006Marie Crowe ABSTRACT:, Depression is a common psychiatric disorder that is acknowledged to be increasing in disease burden. The rates of adolescent depression is particularly concerning as they continue to increase. The seriousness and pervasive effects of depression on young people's lives supports the view that research that extends the knowledge in this area is vital. This is a descriptive study of the characteristics of depression in a sample of 121 adolescents attending an outpatient specialist adolescent mental health service in New Zealand. The adolescents were required to complete two self-report measures to assess presence of depressive symptoms, severity of depression, and particular characteristics of the depression. The findings revealed that irritability was the most common characteristic along with other interpersonal and thought processing symptoms. It is important that mental health nurses are able to identify the specific characteristics of adolescent depression that may differ from adult depression in order to manage this patient population effectively. [source] Exploring the relationship between nursing protocols and nursing practice in an Irish intensive care unitINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING PRACTICE, Issue 4 2005Angela V Flynn RGN BSc(Hons) PGDip(Ed) MSc Nursing practice no longer relies on tradition or ritual; instead, it is based on research and empirical evidence. The emphasis on evidence-based nursing, as well as standardization of nursing practice, has resulted in the production of policies, protocols and guidelines aimed at directing numerous aspects of nursing care. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between these documents and actual nursing practice. To this end, this descriptive study employed a case study approach to examine the experiences of nurses in an Irish intensive care unit with a protocol on endotracheal tube suctioning. Focus group interviews of 17 nurses in six focus groups provided a significant insight into the experiences of these nurses in relation to policies, protocols and guidelines. Analysis of the data afforded some highly relevant findings, including the fact that nurses adapt clinical protocols as they see fit, thus demonstrating the importance that they place on their own professional judgement and autonomy. [source] Nurses' knowledge of error in blood pressure measurement techniqueINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING PRACTICE, Issue 3 2002BHScArticle first published online: 27 MAY 200, DipAppSci(NsgEdn), Robin S Armstrong RN Errors in measuring blood pressure may have significant impact on the investigation and treatment of patients. Errors arise from faults in measurement technique or the equipment used. In Australia, blood pressure measurement technique is taught to nurses during their undergraduate education and may not be reviewed again. This observational, descriptive study surveyed clinical nurses at a metropolitan teaching hospital at shift hand-over time. Participation was voluntary and anonymous by 78 nurses who answered a questionnaire to determine the need and focus for updating blood pressure measurement technique. Sixty-one per cent of participants conformed to currently accepted practice in identifying systolic blood pressure, and 71% diastolic blood pressure; 54% correctly interpreted a description of blood pressure sounds containing an auscultatory gap. Correct answers for assessment of faulty equipment were given by 58%, assessing cuff size by 57%, arm position for seated measurement by 14%, determination of inflation pressure by 29% and deflation rate 62%. Incidence of terminal digit preference was 32%. These findings indicate that knowledge of participants was inadequate to perform blood pressure measurement in a standardized manner, and prevent introduced error. [source] Nursing Diagnoses Identified During Parent Group Meetings in a Neonatal Intensive Care UnitINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING TERMINOLOGIES AND CLASSIFICATION, Issue 3-4 2005Ianê Nogueira Do Vale RN PURPOSE.,To identify nursing diagnoses in the reports of parents obtained during parent support group meetings in a neonatal intensive care unit. METHODS.,An explorative descriptive study using records obtained during 29 meetings over a period of 11 months with parents and family members. FINDINGS.,Six NANDA-approved nursing diagnoses were identified from parent group data: fear, risk for impaired parent/infant attachment, parental role conflict, risk for ineffective breastfeeding, impaired home maintenance, and risk for caregiver role strain. Diagnoses were not validated with parents. DISCUSSION.,Support groups helped the parents express their thoughts and feelings and provided nurses with opportunities to identify nursing diagnoses and interventions. The identification of nursing diagnoses showed that nursing interventions that are focused on improved parent outcomes should be implemented for parents and other family members. IMPLICATIONS.,Nursing care in neonatal units should focus on interventions for parents and other family members in addition to providing the necessary care of newborns. [source] Evaluation of Interventions Proposed for Altered Tissue Perfusion: Cardiopulmonary in Patients Hospitalized With Acute Myocardial InfarctionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING TERMINOLOGIES AND CLASSIFICATION, Issue 2003Ivanise Maria Gomes PURPOSE To evaluate the effectiveness and efficacy of the interventions proposed for patients with altered tissue perfusion: cardiopulmonary, according to NIC and NOC taxonomies. METHODS Prospective and descriptive study carried out in the cardiology unit of a school hospital with patients under clinical treatment followed from admission until discharge. Patient data were collected using the unit's assessment tool and nursing diagnoses were established. Daily activities were proposed for these patients based on NIC interventions "cardiac care: acute,""cardiac care," and "cardiac care: rehabilitative." Results were evaluated according to indicators selected from NOC's Tissue Perfusion: Cardiac. FINDINGS The sample comprised 25 patients (12 males, 13 females), age range 39 to 83 years. Days hospitalized averaged 3.5 in the coronary unit and 3.5 in the cardiology infirmary, for a total of 7 hospital days. The nursing diagnosis was made based on defining characteristics: enzymatic and ECG changes were found in 100% of the patients, chest pain (96%), diaphoresis (80%), and nausea (72%). The related factor in evidence for 100% of the sample was coronary arterial flow interruption. Patients were evaluated according to NOC outcomes both before starting activities and daily, with the following results: chest pain , 64% of patients initially presented pain with score 1, most (72%) presented scores 4 and 5 on day 2; on days 3, 5, 6, and 7 of hospitalization, all patients reported absence of pain (score 5). On day 4 only, 4% of patients reported pain with intensity 7 (score 2). Profuse diaphoresis was found in 80% of the sample on day 1 of hospitalization, and that disappeared in the course of the remaining days. Nausea was found in 44% of the population with score 1 on day 1 of hospitalization, and disappeared subsequently. Most the patients (84%) did not present with vomiting. Also, no evidence was found of vital sign changes in most of the sample. ECG presented score 1 in 72% of the sample on day 1, greatly decreasing from day 2. Cardiac enzymes appeared in 100% of the sample, decreasing in subsequent days. Heart ejection fraction, pulmonary artery pressure, heart rate, and myocardial scanning indicators were not measured. CONCLUSIONS Indicators evaluated achieved score 5 (no compromise) on hospital discharge in 100% of patients, which evidences effectiveness of the interventions performed. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||