The Implamentation and Evaluation of a Framework Supporting Effective First Contact Care across the Southern Health & Social Services Board (PDF 278 KB)

Interim report on the Southern Health and Social Services Board's Community Nursing Strategy Pilot Project

A dendritic cell vaccine pulsed with autologous hypochlorous Acid-oxidized ovarian cancer lysate primes effective broad antitumor immunity: from bench to bedside.

PURPOSE: Whole tumor lysates are promising antigen sources for dendritic cell (DC) therapy as they contain many relevant immunogenic epitopes to help prevent tumor escape. Two common methods of tumor lysate preparations are freeze-thaw processing and UVB irradiation to induce necrosis and apoptosis, respectively. Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) oxidation is a new method for inducing primary necrosis and enhancing the immunogenicity of tumor cells. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We compared the ability of DCs to engulf three different tumor lysate preparations, produce T-helper 1 (TH1)-priming cytokines and chemokines, stimulate mixed leukocyte reactions (MLR), and finally elicit T-cell responses capable of controlling tumor growth in vivo. RESULTS: We showed that DCs engulfed HOCl-oxidized lysate most efficiently stimulated robust MLRs, and elicited strong tumor-specific IFN-γ secretions in autologous T cells. These DCs produced the highest levels of TH1-priming cytokines and chemokines, including interleukin (IL)-12. Mice vaccinated with HOCl-oxidized ID8-ova lysate-pulsed DCs developed T-cell responses that effectively controlled tumor growth. Safety, immunogenicity of autologous DCs pulsed with HOCl-oxidized autologous tumor lysate (OCDC vaccine), clinical efficacy, and progression-free survival (PFS) were evaluated in a pilot study of five subjects with recurrent ovarian cancer. OCDC vaccination produced few grade 1 toxicities and elicited potent T-cell responses against known ovarian tumor antigens. Circulating regulatory T cells and serum IL-10 were also reduced. Two subjects experienced durable PFS of 24 months or more after OCDC. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study showing the potential efficacy of a DC vaccine pulsed with HOCl-oxidized tumor lysate, a novel approach in preparing DC vaccine that is potentially applicable to many cancers. Clin Cancer Res; 19(17); 4801-15. ©2013 AACR.

Effective Utilisation of Professional Skills of Nurses and Midwives

The Working Group recommends that the grade of Health Care Assistant/Maternity Health Care Assistant be introduced as a member of the healthcare team to assist and support the nursing and midwifery function. Chapter two of the report explores the complementary roles of health care assistants and nurses and midwives. Chapter three examines issues related to delegation and integration of the health care assistant to the care team. Chapter four makes recommendations related to the education and training of health care assistants. The Working Groupâ?Ts recommendations are underpinned by a comprehensive literature review Download the Report here

Field trials of an improved cost-effective device for detecting peridomestic populations of Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in rural Argentina

An improved device for detecting peridomestic Triatoma infestans consisting of one-liter recycled Tetra Brik milk boxes with a central structure was tested using a matched-pair study design in two rural areas in Argentina. In Olta (La Rioja), the boxes were installed beneath the thatched roofs and on the vertical wooden posts of each peridomestic structure. After a 5-month exposure, at least one of the recovered boxes detected 88% of the 24 T. infestans-positive sites, and 86% of the 7 negative sites by timed manual collections at baseline. In Amamá (Santiago del Estero), the boxes were paired with the best performing prototype tested before (shelter unit). After 3 months, some evidence of infestation was detected in 89% (boxes) and 79% (shelters) of 18-19 sites positive by timed collections, whereas 19% and 16% of 32 negative sites were positive, respectively. Neither device differed significantly in the qualitative or quantitative collection of every sign of infestation. The installation site did not modify significantly the boxes' sampling efficiency in both study areas. As the total cost of each box was half as expensive as each shelter unit, the boxes are thus the most cost-effective and easy-to-use tool for detecting peridomestic T. infestans currently available.

Department of Health and Children Consolidated Salary Scales effective from 1st December, 2005

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Department of Health and Children Consolidated Salary Scales effective from 1st December 2006

Department of Health and Children Consolidated Salary Scales effective from 1st December, 2006 Read the document (PDF, 166kb)

Department of Health and Children Consolidated Salary Scales effective from June 2007

Department of Health and Children Consolidated Salary Scales effective from June 2007 For the 1st worksheet, the pay-scales for grades read across. The current rate (1/06/07), 2% (2.5% if earning less than â,¬20,859 per annum) Towards 2016 and one historical rate are shown for the 1st worksheet. The grades within each section are displayed in the same order as in previous Pay Scales. Click here to download PDF 173kb

Department of Health and Children Consolidated Salary Scales effective from March 2008

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Department of Health and Children Consolidated Salary Scales effective from 1st September 2008

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Department of Health and Children Consolidated Salary Scales effective from 1st Jan 2010

Department of Health and Children Consolidated Salary Scales effective from 1st Jan 2010 Click here to download PDF 224KB

Revised Consolidated Salary Scales for New Entrants effective from 1 January 2011

Revised Consolidated Salary Scales for New Entrants effective from 1 January 2011 Click here to download PDF 5.65MB

Department of Health and Children Consolidated Salary Scales effective from 1st July 2013

Consolidated Salary Scales effective from 1st July 2013 Click here to download PDF 4.47MB

Analyse de la statistique des traitements à la méthadone dans le canton de Vaud: période 2001-2008

[Table des matières] 1. Introduction. 2. Analyse des files actives 2001 et 2007. 2.1 Comparaison des 3 groupes d'usagesrs dans les deux files actives. 3. Trajectoire des patients présents en 2001. 3.1 Continuité et arrêts de traitements. 4. Analyse de survie: durées de traitement de substitution et des interruptions. 5. Annexe.

Hypertension artérielle réfractaire au traitement due au syndrome d'apnées du sommeil et à la prise de médicaments [Obstructive sleep apnea and drugs as causes of treatment-resistant hypertension].

Treatment-resistant hypertension is still common despite the availability of several types of antihypertensive agents acting by different mechanisms. The existence of refractory hypertension should lead to rule out "white-coat hypertension", poor adherence to prescribed drugs as well as classical causes of secondary hypertension such as renal artery stenosis, primary aldosteronism, pheochromocytoma and renal disease. It is also important to consider the possible existence of obstructive sleep apnea or the regular intake of vasopressive drugs or substances.