Community Nurses and Health Promotion: Ethical and Political Perspectives

1996 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Thomas ◽  
Paul Wainwright

This paper brings together ideas from two perspectives on ethics and health promotion. A discussion of the ethical dimension of the health promotion practice of community nurses is set in the wider context of health policy, with particular reference to health gain and individual responsibility. It is widely held that nurses have a key role to play in health promotion and that this is particularly the case for nurses working in primary health care. This assumption is reinforced by policy documents from the World Health Organization, the Department of Health and statutory bodies such as the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting. The approach of many nurses to health promotion has tended on the one hand to be somewhat naive and on the other to be authoritarian and didactic; there has been little discussion in the nursing literature of the ethical aspects of health promotion. However, recent developments in nurse education, such as Project 2000 and the consequent changes to preregistration programmes, have resulted in increased attention to both ethics and health promotion within the curriculum.

Author(s):  
Brian G Joyce ◽  
Ann H Othick ◽  
Graham F Read ◽  
Diana Riad-Fahmy

A homologous enzymeimmunoassay (EIA) for plasma progesterone, using a horseradish peroxidase conjugate as enzyme label and an antiserum raised against a progesterone-11α-hemisuccinyl/BSA conjugate, is described. The antiserum was covalently linked to microcrystalline cellulose to facilitate separation of bound and free steroid; this solid-phase antiserum was stable for at least nine months when stored at 4°C. The freeze-dried enzyme label is also stable, having retained both enzymic and immunological activity for about four years. The EIA developed was specific and had the sensitivity (4·8 pg/tube) required for determining progesterone concentrations in plasma samples collected at any time during the menstrual cycle. EIA of plasma samples provided results which were in good agreement with a well validated radioimmunoassay (RIA). The specificity and inter- and intra-assay coefficients of variation in the EIA were strictly comparable with those of the RIA. The method described has been in use for two years and has been assessed in external quality assurance programmes established by the World Health Organization and the United Kingdom Department of Health and Social Security.


2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 3-6
Author(s):  
Robert J. Barth

Abstract “Posttraumatic” headaches claims are controversial because they are subjective reports often provided in the complex of litigation, and the underlying pathogenesis is not defined. This article reviews principles and scientific considerations in the AMAGuides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (AMA Guides) that should be noted by evaluators who examine such cases. Some examples in the AMA Guides, Sixth Edition, may seem to imply that mild head trauma can cause permanent impairment due to headache. The author examines scientific findings that present obstacles to claiming that concussion or mild traumatic brain injury is a cause of permanent headache. The World Health Organization, for example, found a favorable prognosis for posttraumatic headache, and complete recovery over a short period of time was the norm. Other studies have highlighted the lack of a dose-response correlation between trauma and prolonged headache complaints, both in terms of the frequency and the severity of trauma. On the one hand, scientific studies have failed to support the hypothesis of a causative relationship between trauma and permanent or prolonged headaches; on the other hand, non–trauma-related factors are strongly associated with complaints of prolonged headache.


1983 ◽  
Vol 50 (03) ◽  
pp. 697-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
T W Barrowcliffe ◽  
A D Curtis ◽  
D P Thomas

SummaryAn international collaborative study was carried out to establish a replacement for the current (2nd) international standard for Factor VIII: C, concentrate. Twenty-six laboratories took part, of which 17 performed one-stage assays, three performed two-stage assays and six used both methods. The proposed new standard, an intermediate purity concentrate, was assayed against the current standard, against a high-purity concentrate and against an International Reference Plasma, coded 80/511, previously calibrated against fresh normal plasma.Assays of the proposed new standard against the current standard gave a mean potency of 3.89 iu/ampoule, with good agreement between laboratories and between one-stage and two- stage assays. There was also no difference between assay methods in the comparison of high-purity and intermediate purity concentrates. In the comparison of the proposed standard with the plasma reference preparation, the overall mean potency was 4.03 iu/ampoule, but there were substantial differences between laboratories, and the two-stage method gave significantly higher results than the one stage method. Of the technical variables in the one-stage method, only the activation time with one reagent appeared to have any influence on the results of this comparison of concentrate against plasma.Accelerated degradation studies showed that the proposed standard is very stable. With the agreement of the participants, the material, in ampoules coded 80/556, has been established by the World Health Organization as the 3rd International Standard for Factor VIII :C, Concentrate, with an assigned potency of 3.9 iu/ampoule.


Coronaviruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 01 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikram Rao ◽  
Subrat Kumar Bhattamisra

Background: COVID-19, a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) was first diagnosed in the patients from Wuhan, China in December 2019. Within couple of months of infection, it was declared as pandemic by World health organization. COVID-19 has become the most contagious infection with a serious threat to global health. In this review, we aimed to discuss the pathogenesis, diagnostics, current treatments and potential vaccines for COVID-19. Methods: An extensive literature search was conducted using keywords “COVID-19”; “Coronavirus”; “SARS-Cov-2”; “SARS” in public domains of Google, Google scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect. Selected articles were used to construct this review. Results: SARS-Cov-2 uses the Spike (S) protein on its surface to recognize the receptor on angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and bind with 10-folds greater affinity than SARS-Cov-1. Molecular assays and immunoassays are the most frequently used tests whereas computed tomography (CT) scans, Artificial intelligence enabled diagnostic tools were also used in patients. In therapeutic treatment, few drugs were repurposed and there are 23 therapeutic molecules including the repurposed drugs are in different stages of clinical trial. Similarly, development of vaccines is also in the pipeline. Few countries have managed well to contain the spread by rapid testing and identifying the clusters. Conclusion: Till now, the acute complications and mortality of COVID-19 has been linked to the pre-existing comorbid conditions or age. Besides the development of therapeutic strategies that includes drugs and vaccine, the long term implication of COVID-19 infection in terms of the disorder/disability in the cured/discharged patients is a new area to investigate.


1989 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-F. Dreyfus ◽  
D. Cremniter ◽  
J.D. Guelfi

SummaryWe are still confronted by numerous different nosographic models and problems concerning the objective evaluation of patients progress during treatment. It is interesting to consider the consequences of this situation in psychiatry which still involves a relative diversity of practical methods used in clinical trials. The recommendations of the USA Food and Drug Administration, on the one hand, constitute a highly structured and precise reference. The World Health Organization, on the other hand, promulgates general recommendations resulting from a compromise designed to satisfy the greatest number of clinicians.Despite the apparently diverse principles and the different practical methods they propose, both those sets of recommendations have been useful in inspiring clinicians to reflect upon these different methodological approaches. The qualities of the inclusion criteria used in the study of patients and the sensitivity of the different measuring instruments have allowed psychotropic drug users as well as producers to recognize the need for a certain rigour in clinical trials.The FDA and WHO guidelines have certainly improved the quality of clinical trials in psychopharmacology. However, they also represent a source of resistance to innovation.A series of consensus meetings to first reconcile US and European points of view and later to include new techniques in the recognized sets of methods would therefore be helpful.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 38030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deivendran Kalirathinam ◽  
Raj Guruchandran ◽  
Prabhakar Subramani

The 2019 novel coronavirus officially named as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic by the World Health Organization, has spread to more than 180 countries. The ongoing global pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, spread to the United Kingdom (UK) in January 2020. Transmission within the UK was confirmed in February, leading to an epidemic with a rapid increase in cases in March. As on April 25- 2020, there have been 148,377 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the UK and 20,319 people with confirmed infection have died. Survival of critically ill patients is frequently associated with significant functional impairment and reduced health-related quality of life. Early physiotherapy and community rehabilitation of COVID-19 patients has recently been identified as an essential therapeutic tool and has become a crucial evidence-based component in the management of these patients. This comprehensive narrative review aims to describe recent progress in the application of physiotherapy management in COVID 19 patients. Assessment and evidence- based treatment of these patients should include prevention, reduction of adverse consequences in immobilization, and long-term impairment sequelae. A variety of techniques and modalities of early physiotherapy in intensive care unit are suggested by clinical research. They should be applied according to the stage of the disease, comorbidities, and patient’s level of cooperation.


2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (10) ◽  
pp. 2036-2060 ◽  
Author(s):  
JULIA MENICHETTI ◽  
PIETRO CIPRESSO ◽  
DARIO BUSSOLIN ◽  
GUENDALINA GRAFFIGNA

ABSTRACTIn 2002, the World Health Organization emphasised the concept of active ageing to manage and increase the last third of life. Although many efforts have been made to optimise treatment management, less attention has been paid to health promotion initiatives. To date, few shared guidelines exist that promote an active life in healthy older targets. To fill this gap, we conducted a systematic review to map health promotion interventions that targeted an active and healthy ageing among older citizens. Articles containing the key term active ageing and seven synonyms were searched for in the electronic databases. Because we were interested in actions aimed to promote healthier lifestyles, we connected the string with the term health. A total of 3,918 titles were retrieved and 20 articles were extracted. Twelve of the 20 studies used group interventions, five interventions targeted the individual level and three interventions targeted the community level. Interventions differed for the health focus of the programmes, which ranged from physical activity interventions to social participation or cognitive functioning. Most of the studies aimed to act on psychological components. The review suggests that different interventions promoted for active ageing are effective in improving specific healthy and active lifestyles; however, no studies were concerned directly with a holistic process of citizen health engagement to improve long-term outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayleigh Beaveridge

Introduction: The anti-vaccination movement has led to decreased vaccination rates and increased vulnerability to vaccine-preventable diseases in the general population. In order to better understand the anti-vaccination movement of today, the anti-vaccination movement that emerged in the 19th century is examined and measured against the one observed in the 20th century. Discussion: Though the population of the 19th and 20th centuries differ in many regards and our knowledge of vaccine and immune mechanisms are far greater; the anti-vaccination movement seen today stands on the same pillars as that of the 1800s with the sentiment of fear at its core. Though the façade of these pillars has been altered to suit the world today, both movements exploited the influence of prominent public figures, maintained false associations with dire vaccine consequences and emphasized these through the use of visual media, repetition and personal narratives. The persistence of the anti-vaccination movement lies largely in the use of personal stories which are more impactful and memorable then the statistical characteristics of scientific study. Conclusion: The pro-vaccination movement must respond to the tactics used by the anti-vaccination movement and create accessible, understandable and equally impactful communication strategies in order to prevent the spread of misinformation and counter the efforts of the current anti-vaccination movement. Relevance: Vaccine hesitancy was listed amongst the top 10 global health threats in 2019 by the World Health Organization. In order to shift the negative rhetoric surrounding vaccines, the anti-vaccination movement of today and its historic roots need to be understood.


Author(s):  
Pi-Fang Hsu ◽  
Wen-Chun Tsai ◽  
Chia-Wen Tsai

Recently, much of the world, including the World Health Organization, the European Union and many North American countries, have emphasized patient safety. Around the same time, Taiwan’s Department of Health (DOH) devoted a significant amount of resources to better the quality of medical treatment for their patients. This study explores perceptions of and attitudes towards patient safety among medical staff and patients in emergency departments. Analysis results indicate that medical staff and patients significantly differ in perceptions and attitudes. Results of this study provide a valuable reference for governmental authorities and hospital managers in formulating policies aimed at clarifying perceptions and attitudes regarding patient safety among medical staff and patients in emergency departments.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kauara Brito Campos ◽  
Ademir Jesus Martins ◽  
Cynara de Melo Rodovalho ◽  
Diogo Fernandes Bellinato ◽  
Luciana dos Santos Dias ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Chemical mosquito control using malathion has been applied in Brazil since 1985. To obtain chemical control effectiveness, vector susceptibility insecticide monitoring is required. This study aimed to describe bioassay standardizations and determine the susceptibility profile of Ae. aegypti populations to malathion and pyriproxyfen, used on a national scale in Brazil between 2017 and 2018, and discuss the observed impacts in arbovirus control. Methods The diagnostic-doses (DD) of pyriproxyfen and malathion were determined as the double of adult emergence inhibition (EI) and lethal doses for 99% of the Rockefeller reference strain, respectively. To monitor natural populations, sampling was performed in 132 Brazilian cities, using egg traps. Colonies were raised in the laboratory for one or two generations (F1 or F2) and submitted to susceptibility tests, where larvae were exposed to the pyriproxyfen DD (0.03 µg/l) and adults, to the malathion DD determined in the present study (20 µg), in addition to the one established by the World Health Organization (WHO) DD (50 µg) in a bottle assay. Dose-response (DR) bioassays with pyriproxyfen were performed on populations that did not achieve 98% EI in the DD assays. Results Susceptibility alterations to pyriproxyfen were recorded in six (4.5%) Ae. aegypti populations from the states of Bahia and Ceará, with Resistance Ratios (RR95) ranging from 1.51 to 3.58. Concerning malathion, 73 (55.3%) populations distributed throughout the country were resistant when exposed to the local DD 20 µg/bottle. On the other hand, no population was resistant, and only 10 (7.6%) populations in eight states were considered as exhibiting decreased susceptibility (mortality ratios between 90 and 98%) when exposed to the WHO DD (50 µg/bottle). Conclusions The feasibility of conducting an insecticide resistance monitoring action on a nation-wide scale was confirmed herein, employing standardized and strongly coordinated sampling methods and laboratory bioassays. Brazilian Ae. aegypti populations exhibiting decreased susceptibility to pyriproxyfen were identified. The local DD for malathion was more sensitive than the WHO DD for early decreased susceptibility detection.


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