Incidence of Corneal Inflammation of Varying Severity among Contact Lens Wearers

The human cornea is an avascular, transparent tissue that permits or allows light rays to enter or reach the retina. The cornea is made up of several layers, each of which plays an important role in preserving the transparency and power of cornea. The epithelium, Bowmans layer, Descemet’s membrane and endothelium are the layers of the cornea. This study aimed to discover the incidences of severe and non-severe corneal inflammation amongst wearers of modern technology touch lenses. Studies on touch lens users providing with a corneal ulcer/infiltrates were reported. On the basis of severity, a medical severity matrix was utilized among cases of severe and non-severe corneal inflammation. There was a large distinction in severe corneal infection among ew-hydrogel and ew-silicone hydrogel. When it comes to evaluating touch lens-related corneal inflammation, a medical severity matrix is available in hand. Wearers of contact lenses who sleep with them have a appreciably low risk of severe corneal inflammation than those who simplest put on lenses for the duration of the day. Those cases who everyday sleep with lenses have a 5-fold lower risk of severe corneal inflammation as compared day-to-day hydrogel lenses for prolonged utilization.

Disaster Metrics: Evaluation of de Boer's Disaster Severity Scale (DSS) Applied to Earthquakes

IntroductionQuantitative measurement of the medical severity following multiple-casualty events (MCEs) is an important goal in disaster medicine. In 1990, de Boer proposed a 13-point, 7-parameter scale called the Disaster Severity Scale (DSS). Parameters include cause, duration, radius, number of casualties, nature of injuries, rescue time, and effect on surrounding community.HypothesisThis study aimed to examine the reliability and dimensionality (number of salient themes) of de Boer's DSS scale through its application to 144 discrete earthquake events.MethodsA search for earthquake events was conducted via National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and US Geological Survey (USGS) databases. Two experts in the field of disaster medicine independently reviewed and assigned scores for parameters that had no data readily available (nature of injuries, rescue time, and effect on surrounding community), and differences were reconciled via consensus. Principle Component Analysis was performed using SPSS Statistics for Windows Version 22.0 (IBM Corp; Armonk, New York USA) to evaluate the reliability and dimensionality of the DSS.ResultsA total of 144 individual earthquakes from 2003 through 2013 were identified and scored. Of 13 points possible, the mean score was 6.04, the mode = 5, minimum = 4, maximum = 11, and standard deviation = 2.23. Three parameters in the DSS had zero variance (ie, the parameter received the same score in all 144 earthquakes). Because of the zero contribution to variance, these three parameters (cause, duration, and radius) were removed to run the statistical analysis. Cronbach's alpha score, a coefficient of internal consistency, for the remaining four parameters was found to be robust at 0.89. Principle Component Analysis showed uni-dimensional characteristics with only one component having an eigenvalue greater than one at 3.17. The 4-parameter DSS, however, suffered from restriction of scoring range on both parameter and scale levels.ConclusionJan de Boer's DSS in its 7-parameter format fails to hold statistically in a dataset of 144 earthquakes subjected to analysis. A modified 4-parameter scale was found to quantitatively assess medical severity more directly, but remains flawed due to range restriction on both individual parameter and scale levels. Further research is needed in the field of disaster metrics to develop a scale that is reliable in its complete set of parameters, capable of better fine discrimination, and uni-dimensional in measurement of the medical severity of MCEs.BayramJD, ZuabiS, McCordCM, SherakRAG, HsuEB, KelenGD. Disaster metrics: evaluation of de Boer's Disaster Severity Scale (DSS) applied to earthquakes. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2015;30(1):1-6.

Time Trends in Medically Serious Suicide-Related Behaviours in Boys and Girls

Objective: To determine whether emergency department (ED) presentations for suicide-related behaviours (SRBs) in boys and girls were identified as more clinically acute in the ED in the period after the regulatory warnings against prescribing antidepressants and during the global economic recession, and to characterize the medical severity of SRBs among boys and girls to aid surveillance activities. Method: Among Ontario boys and girls (aged 12 to 17 years) presenting to the ED with an incident (index) ED SRB event between fiscal years (FYs) 2002 to 2010, we compared the number of high (compared with lower) acuity events in FYs 2005 to 2010 to those in FYs 2002 to 2004. We described the SRB method by its acuity and tested the linearity of varying trends in the SRB method in boys and girls. Results: In both boys and girls, high acuity events were 50% greater after FY 2004 than before, regardless of subsequent admission, and most common among boys and girls who self-poisoned. In girls, opposing linear trends before and after FY 2004 were observed in the proportion of self-poisonings and cut (or) pierce SRB methods. Throughout the study period, there was a linear decline in the proportion of boys presenting to the ED with other methods. Conclusions: The previously reported increase in hospital admissions after the warnings and during the recession is unlikely artifactual. An equivalent increase in high acuity events was also evident among those not subsequently admitted. The reasons for varying responses in boys and girls by SRB method warrant further study.

Consciousness in System Psychology Limits

The consciousness is described as a functional component in the psyche system. The quality of ideal is distinguished as its specific. The dependence of conscious complexity from the level of psyche development is emphasized. The problem of conscious clearness levels and unconsciousness category, as well as conscious disorders according to their medical severity, is affected. The conclusion is drawn that at such approach it’s quite adequately to describe subject’s behavior (activity, actions) as organized and supervised by the system of psyche’s functional components.