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International Recommendations (international + recommendation)
Selected AbstractsEstablishing an oral anticoagulant monitoring service in a multiethnic developing countryINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LABORATORY HEMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2008T. CASIMIRE Summary We describe the establishment of an International Normalized Ratio (INR)-based system for monitoring oral anticoagulant therapy in a multiethnic developing country. There was significant variation in geometric mean normal prothrombin time among ethnic groups: 12.7 s for Indians, 13.4 s for Africans and 13.7 s for subjects of mixed ancestry. About 4129 INR measurements were performed in the first 2 years. The majority (55.2%) of achieved INRs were subtherapeutic. We found 31 (0.8%) instances of severe overanticoagulation (INR > 8.0). There were no bleeding manifestations in 24 (77%) of them. Only two experienced life-threatening haemorrhage. The management of bleeding and excessive anticoagulation was not always in accordance with international recommendations. The high incidence of underanticoagulation in Trinidad and Tobago may be due to genetically determined warfarin resistance or underdosing. Oral anticoagulant monitoring in Trinidad and Tobago could benefit from the centralization of such services to designated clinics with specialized staff and computer-assisted dosing which adopt internationally accepted guidelines for practice. [source] Behaviour of haematological parameters in athletes performing marathons and ultramarathons in altitude (,skyrunners')INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LABORATORY HEMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2004G. BANFI Summary We observed athletes performing marathons and ultramarathons in altitude over several years to study the behaviour of haematological parameters in order to screen eventual paraphysiological or pathological conditions (sports anaemia). We collected samples from 124 athletes participating in seven races; 23 athletes were recruited in different races: 16 for four times, four for three times, and three for two times. The pre- and post-race values of erythrocytes, haemoglobin and packed cell volume did not show statistically significant differences in the studied athletes. The erythrocytes' indices (MCV, MCH, MCHC) and red cell distribution width (RDW) also were not significantly modified by the strenuous effort. The leukocytes were significantly increased because of immunological involvement during the endurance performance. Platelets and relative indices were not significantly modified. The stability of packed cell volume and haemoglobin in athletes performing training and races in altitude is strong evidence for the use of these parameters as an index of general health status and for illustrating possible abnormal increase because of exogenous stimulation of bone marrow. The preanalytical and analytical accuracy is crucial to assure clinical validity of the collected data: we strictly observed international recommendations in this field. [source] Maternal height and length of gestation: Does this impact on preterm labour in Asian women?AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 4 2009Ben Chong-Pun CHAN Background: Both maternal height and ethnicity may influence the gestation length, but their independent effect is unclear. Aim: This study was performed to examine the relationship between maternal height and gestational length in women with singleton pregnancies in a Chinese and southeast Asian population. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed on women carrying singleton pregnancies with spontaneous labour in a 48-month period managed under our department to determine the relationship between maternal height, expressed in quartiles, with the mean gestational age and incidence of preterm labour. Results: Of the 16 384 women who delivered within this period, the 25th, 50th and 75th percentile values of maternal height were 153 cm, 156 cm and 160 cm respectively. Excluded from analysis were 6597 women because of multifetal pregnancy, teenage pregnancy (maternal age , 19 years old), induction of labour or elective caesarean section, or incomplete data due to no antenatal booking in our hospital. Significant differences were found in the maternal weight and body mass index, incidences of multiparity and smokers, gestational age and birthweight among the four quartiles. There was significantly increased incidence of preterm birth between 32 and 37 weeks gestation in women with shorter stature. Conclusions: In our population, maternal height has an influence on gestational length, and the lower three quartiles was associated with increased odds of labour at > 32 to < 37 weeks. This effect should be taken into consideration in the adoption of international recommendations in obstetric management and intervention. [source] A change of heart: the new infective endocarditis prophylaxis guidelinesAUSTRALIAN DENTAL JOURNAL, Issue 3 2008CG Daly Abstract New Australian guidelines for the prevention of infective endocarditis were published in July 2008. The guidelines were revised by a multidisciplinary group to reflect recent changes in international recommendations regarding antibiotic prophylaxis for infective endocarditis. The reasons for the changes are explored in this review and the implications for dental practice are discussed. [source] Biochemistry of the envenomation response,A generator theme for interdisciplinary integrationBIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY EDUCATION, Issue 2 2010Erik Montagna Abstract The understanding of complex physiological processes requires information from many different areas of knowledge. To meet this interdisciplinary scenario, the ability of integrating and articulating information is demanded. The difficulty of such approach arises because, more often than not, information is fragmented through under graduation education in Health Sciences. Shifting from a fragmentary and deep view of many topics to joining them horizontally in a global view is not a trivial task for teachers to implement. To attain that objective we proposed a course herein described,Biochemistry of the envenomation response,aimed at integrating previous contents of Health Sciences courses, following international recommendations of interdisciplinary model. The contents were organized by modules with increasing topic complexity. The full understanding of the envenoming pathophysiology of each module would be attained by the integration of knowledge from different disciplines. Active-learning strategy was employed focusing concept map drawing. Evaluation was obtained by a 30-item Likert-type survey answered by ninety students; 84% of the students considered that the number of relations that they were able to establish as seen by concept maps increased throughout the course. Similarly, 98% considered that both the theme and the strategy adopted in the course contributed to develop an interdisciplinary view. [source] The evolving management of the third stage of labourBJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 2009AM Gülmezoglu The immediate postpartum period is a risky period because life-threatening events can occur unexpectedly, and lead to death if they are not managed promptly. Appropriate management of the third stage of labour can reduce severe postpartum haemorrhage and death. This commentary summarizes how various management techniques of third stage of labour evolved to date and the evidence base for current international recommendations. [source] The practice of travel medicine in EuropeCLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION, Issue 3 2010P. Schlagenhauf Clin Microbiol Infect 2010; 16: 203,208 Abstract Europe, because of its geographical location, strategic position on trade routes, and colonial past, has a long history of caring for travellers' health. Within Europe, there is great diversity in the practice of travel medicine. Some countries have travel medicine societies and provisions for a periodic distribution of recommendations, but many countries have no national pre-travel guidelines and follow international recommendations such as those provided by the WHO. Providers of travel medicine include tropical medicine specialists, general practice nurses and physicians, specialist ,travel clinics', occupational physicians, and pharmacists. One of the core functions of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control-funded network of travel and tropical medicine professionals, EuroTravNet, is to document the status quo of travel medicine in Europe. A three-pronged approach is used, with a real-time online questionnaire, a structured interview with experts in each country, and web searching. [source] Feeding practices of infants through the first year of life in ItalyACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 4 2004M Giovannini Aim: To investigate infant feeding practices through the first year of life in Italy, and to identify factors associated with the duration of breastfeeding and early introduction of solid foods. Methods: Structured phone interviews on feeding practices were conducted with 2450 Italian-speaking mothers randomly selected among women who delivered a healthy-term singleton infant in November 1999 in Italy. Interviews were performed 30 d after delivery and when the infants were aged 3, 6, 9 and 12 mo. Type of breastfeeding was classified according to the WHO criteria. Results: Breastfeeding started in 91.1% of infants. At the age of 6 and 12mo, respectively, 46.8% and 11.8% of the infants was still breastfed, 68.4% and 27.7% received formula, and 18.3% and 65.2% were given cow's milk. Solids were introduced at the mean age of 4.3 mo (range 1.6,6.5 mo). Introduction of solids occurred before age 3 and 4 mo in 5.6% and 34.2% of infants, respectively. The first solids introduced were fruit (73.1%) and cereals (63.9%). The main factors (negatively) associated with the duration of breastfeeding were pacifier use (p > 0.0001), early introduction of formula (p > 0.0001), lower mother's age (p > 0.01) and early introduction of solids (p= 0.05). Factors (negatively) associated with the introduction of solids foods before the age of 3 mo were mother not having breastfed (p > 0.01), early introduction of formula (p > 0.01), lower infant bodyweight at the age of 1 mo (p= 0.05) and mother smoking (p= 0.05). Conclusion: The duration of breastfeeding in Italy is still inadequate, as well as compliance with international recommendations for timing of introduction of complementary foods. National guidelines, public messages and educational campaigns should be promoted in Italy. [source] Development of chromatic adaptation transforms and concept for their classificationCOLOR RESEARCH & APPLICATION, Issue 3 2006Yoshinobu NayataniArticle first published online: 7 APR 200 Abstract Three types of international recommendations are necessary on CATs (chromatic adaptation transforms). CAT-Type I and CAT-Type II are for general use on chromatic adaptation studies. The former is related to chromatic adaptation theory and the latter to performance on field trial data. In addition, CAT-Type III is necessary for a specific and practical purposes. The need for classifying to CAT-Type I and CAT-Type II is found from a careful inspection of the development process from Nayatani et al. transform to BFD transform, referring to the Ph. D. thesis by Lam (University of Bradford, 1985). The process clearly shows two types of flows on the development of various CATs. One is the flow for deepening the theory of chromatic adaptation (CAT-Type I), and the other is for giving good performance to existing field trial data and also ease of use (CAT-Type II). Additional CAT-Type III is, for example, CAT recommended in CIE TC 8-04 technical report. The CAT is only applicable to compare hardcopy and softcopy images for the specified observing conditions in the report. Still, a difficult problem, determination of corresponding colors, remains in the method of subjective estimation, which is useful and widely used for estimating chromatic adaptation effects experimentally. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 31, 205,217, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/col.20210 [source] Do life- or school-satisfaction and self-esteem indicators explain the oral hygiene habits of schoolchildren?COMMUNITY DENTISTRY AND ORAL EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue 5 2007S. Honkala Abstract,,, Objectives:, The aim of this study was to ascertain how frequently toothbrushing and flossing are practiced among schoolchildren in Kuwait and whether life- and school-satisfaction and self-esteem indicators are associated with oral hygiene habits. Methods:, A sample of 2312 schoolchildren between 11 and 13 years old filled out a structured questionnaire anonymously in school classrooms during 2002 and 2003. For this study, nationally representative samples of children were drawn from all six governorates of Kuwait. Only government schools were included. The questionnaire of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Study was used in this study after it was modified to suit Kuwait. A chi-squared test and logistic regression model were used for analyzing the data. Results:, Over half of the pupils reported brushing their teeth more than once a day; girls reported brushing more frequently than boys did. One-fifth of the pupils did not brush their teeth even on a daily basis. The life- and school-satisfaction and self-esteem indicators were associated with more-than-once-a-day toothbrushing frequency. The strongest predictors for recommended brushing were: feeling very happy (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.38,2.77), feeling that other pupils always accept him/her (1.5; 1.16,2.02), never/sometimes feeling lonely and feeling that it is very easy to make friends (1.4; 1.06,1.94). The summary variables of life-satisfaction, school-satisfaction and self-esteem seemed to be strongly associated with brushing. Dental floss was never used by 45% of the children, weekly by 18% and daily by 17%; 20% did not even know what dental floss was. Conclusions:, Among intermediate schoolchildren in Kuwait, oral hygiene practices were far behind the international recommendations. Special emphasis should be placed on children who have personal problems with their life, school and self-esteem. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||