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Medical Assistance (medical + assistance)
Selected AbstractsCommercial aviation in-flight emergencies and the physicianEMERGENCY MEDICINE AUSTRALASIA, Issue 1 2007Robert Cocks Abstract Commercial aviation in-flight emergencies are relatively common, so it is likely that a doctor travelling frequently by air will receive a call for help at some stage in their career. These events are stressful, even for experienced physicians. The present paper reviews what is known about the incidence and types of in-flight emergencies that are likely to be encountered, the international regulations governing medical kits and drugs, and the liability, fitness and indemnity issues facing ,Good Samaritan' medical volunteers. The medical and aviation literature was searched, and information was collated from airlines and other sources regarding medical equipment available on board commercial aircraft. Figures for the incidence of significant in-flight emergencies are approximately 1 per 10,40 000 passengers, with one death occurring per 3,5 million passengers. Medically related diversion of an aircraft following an in-flight emergency may occur in up to 7,13% of cases, but passenger prescreening, online medical advice and on-board medical assistance from volunteers reduce this rate. Medical volunteers may find assisting with an in-flight emergency stressful, but should acknowledge that they play a vital role in successful outcomes. The medico-legal liability risk is extremely small, and various laws and industry indemnity practices offer additional protection to the volunteer. In addition, cabin crew receive training in a number of emergency skills, including automated defibrillation, and are one of several sources of help available to the medical volunteer, who is not expected to work alone. [source] Use of Public Transfer Programs and Privat Aid by Farm WorkersINDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 1 2000Enrico Moretti Legal status affects the use of public welfare and insurance and private assistance programs by families of farm workers. Families of unauthorized immigrants are more likely to use public medical assistance and less likely to use other public transfer programs than authorized immigrants and citizens. Unauthorized immigrants with young children in the United States are slightly more likely to use welfare, and welfare recipients are slightly more likely to have young children here. [source] Cutaneous disorders in the "bairro Inhamudima" of Beira, MozambiqueINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 2007Kajal Chhaganlal Background, There are no reliable data on the prevalence of skin diseases in Mozambique. Aim, To address this issue and to apply the findings to the dermatology teaching program at the Universidade Católica de Moçambique. Methods, Medical students attempted to identify the most common skin disorders in the "bairro Inhamudima" of Beira, Mozambique by conducting a population survey. During a 3-month period, the students visited families in a slum area. Information on gender, age, human immunodeficiency virus status, cutaneous abnormalities, diagnosis, treatment, and clinical course was recorded. Results, Eleven per cent of the study population suffered from cutaneous disease. More than half the patients (57%) sought medical assistance, but 39% could not be diagnosed by the medical students. The most common disorder was scabies. Other problems included fungal infections, viral infections, allergies, and dermatitis with or without secondary bacterial infection. Conclusions, There is a major dermatologic need in the slum areas of Beira, Mozambique. The dermatology teaching program should pay particular attention to training in the diagnosis and management of infections and infestations. [source] Prognostic factors and outcome after drowning in an adult populationACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 7 2009M. Á. BALLESTEROS Background: Drowning remains an actual problem. Although medical assistance has improved, it still has high rates of morbidity and mortality. We set out to explore the clinical characteristics and outcome of drowning patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of tertiary-care university hospital. Methods: We designed a retrospective observational study to analyse all drowning patients admitted to our ICU after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The study was conducted during 1 January 1992,31 December 2005. There was no exclusion. We used a univariate analysis to evaluate the effect on patient and management characteristics on survival. Results: There were 43 patients (five children and 38 adults), with male predominance. Fifteen patients, all adults (34.9%), died. Submersion time, age, Glasgow Coma Score (GCS), pupillary reactivity and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE II) at ICU admission were related to mortality. Non-survivors presented a higher glycaemia level at ICU admission than survivors (P=0.005). Conclusions: The outcome is closely related to the patient's clinical status on arrival to the hospital. We have found that submersion time, age, GCS, pupillary reactivity and APACHE II at ICU admission were related to mortality. Further research in prospective studies is needed. [source] Heritabilities of somatotype components in a population from rural MozambiqueAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2008Sílvio Pedro José Saranga There have been few genetic studies of normal variation in body size and composition conducted in Africa. In particular, the genetic determinants of somatotype remain to be established for an African population. (1) To estimate the heritabilities of aspects of somatotype and (2) to compare the quantitative genetic effects in an African population to those that have been assessed in European and American populations. The sample composed of 329 subjects (173 males and 156 females) aged 7,17 years, belonging to 132 families. The sibships in the sample ranged in size from two to seven individuals. All sampled individuals were residents of the Calanga region, an area located to the north of Maputo in Mozambique. Somatotype was assessed using the Heath-Carter technique. Herit abilities were estimated using SAGE software. Moderate heritabilities were determined for each trait. Between 30 and 40% of the variation in each somatotype measure was attributable to genetic factors. The heritability of ectomorphy was 31%. Mesomorphy was similarly moderately heritable, with ,30% of the variationattributable to genetic factors. The heritability of endomorph was higher in the Calanga population (h2 = 0.40). Quantitative genetic analyses of somatotype variation among siblings indicate that genetic factors significantly influence endomorphy, mesomorhpy, and ectomorphy. However, environmental factors also have significant effects on the variation in physique present in the population of Calanga. Lack of proper nutrition, housing, medical assistance, and primary health care, together with very demanding and sex-specific daily chores may contribute to the environmental effects on these traits. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] State-Funded Abortions Versus Deliveries: A Comparison of Outpatient Mental Health Claims Over 4 YearsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 1 2002Priscilla K. Coleman PhD In this record-based study, rates of 1st-time outpatient mental health treatment for 4 years following an abortion or a birth among women receiving medical assistance through the state of California were compared. After controlling for preexisting psychological difficulties, age, months of eligibility, and the number of pregnancies, the rate of care was 17% higher for the abortion group (n = 14,297) in comparison with the birth group (n = 40,122). Within 90 days after the pregnancy, the abortion group had 63% more claims than the birth group, with the percentages equaling 42%, 30%, and 16% for 180 days, 1 year, and 2 years, respectively. Additional comparisons between the abortion and birth groups were conducted on the basis of claims for specific types of disorders and age. [source] ORIGINAL RESEARCH,INTERSEX AND GENDER IDENTITY DISORDERS: A Passion for Castration: Characterizing Men Who Are Fascinated with Castration, but Have Not Been CastratedTHE JOURNAL OF SEXUAL MEDICINE, Issue 7 2008Lesley F. Roberts ABSTRACT Introduction., A number of men have extreme castration ideations. Many only fantasize about castration; others actualize their fantasies. Aims., We wish to identify factors that distinguish those who merely fantasize about being castrated from those who are at the greatest risk of genital mutilation. Methods., Seven hundred thirty-one individuals, who were not castrated, responded to a survey posted on http://www.eunuch.org. We compared the responses of these "wannabes" to those of 92 men who were voluntarily castrated and responded to a companion survey. Main Outcome Measures., Respondents answered the questionnaire items relating to demographics, origin of interest in castration, and ambition toward eunuchdom. Results., Two categories of wannabes emerged. A large proportion (,40%) of wannabes' interest in castration was singularly of a fetishistic nature, and these men appeared to be at a relatively low risk of irreversible genital mutilation. Approximately 20% of the men, however, appeared to be at great risk of genital mutilation. They showed a greater desire to reduce libido, change their genital appearance, transition out of male, and prevent sexually offensive behavior. Nineteen percent of all wannabes have attempted self-castration, yet only 10% have sought medical assistance. Conclusions., We identify several motivating factors for extreme castration ideations and provide a classification for reasons why some males desire orchiectomies. Castration ideations fall under several categories of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Ed. (DSM-IV), most notably a Gender Identity Disorder other than male-to-female (MtF) transsexual (i.e., male-to-eunuch) and a Body Identity Integrity Disorder. Physicians need to be aware of males who have strong desires for emasculation without a traditional MtF transsexual identity. Roberts LF, Brett MA, Johnson TW, and Wassersug RJ. A passion for castration: Characterizing men who are fascinated with castration, but have not been castrated. J Sex Med 2008;5:1669,1680. [source] Post-polio syndrome: epidemiologic and prognostic aspects in BrazilACTA NEUROLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 3 2009M. T. R. P. Conde Objectives,,, To describe the clinical and epidemiological aspects of post-polio syndrome (PPS) and identify predictors of its severity. Materials and methods,,, 132 patients with PPS were selected at the Neuromuscular Disease Outpatient Clinic of the Federal University of São Paulo. Descriptive analysis was carried out and predictors of PPS severe forms were investigated using an unconditional logistic regression. Results,,, The average age at onset was 39.4 years. The most common symptoms were fatigue (87.1%), muscle pain (82.4%) and joint pain (72.0%); 50.4% of the cases were severe. The following were associated with PPS severity: a ,4-year period of neurological recovery (OR 2.8), permanent damage in two limbs (OR 3.6) and residence at the time of acute polio in a city with more advanced medical assistance (OR 2.5). Conclusions,,, Health professionals should carefully evaluate polio survivors for PPS and be aware of the implications of muscle overuse in the neurological recovery period. [source] | ||||||||||