Epidemiology of the Cnidarian Physalia physalis stings attended at a health care center in beaches of Adicora, Venezuela

Stings caused by jellyfish and jellyfish-like colonies are common all around the world, with serious manifestations and occasional deaths reported in some countries. Between December 2006 and 2007, epidemiological, clinical and treatment aspects of stings caused by the Portuguese man-of-war (Physalia physalis) in 59 patients consulting the ambulatory emergency in Adicora, Falcon State, Venezuela, were studied. Most of the stings occurred in males (59%) preschool and school-aged children (49%), visitors from other areas of the country (92%) during holidays when bathing or diving at the beach (97%). Injuries presented linear erythematous plaques at the point of contact with the animal, located in several anatomical sites. Most clinical manifestations observed were: intense burning pain, urticaria, erythema and inflammation (100%), as well dyspnea with laryngeal edema and fever (19%). Patients were treated with topical drugs, including antihistamine and antipyretic drugs, but also with systemic hydrocortisone. P. physalis stings in Adicora appeared to have a seasonal pattern, with systemic complications potentially life-threatening. Thus, epidemiological surveillance program is recommended, particularly in travelers. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diversity and Adaptation of Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Genotypes Circulating in Two Distinct Communities: Public Hospital and Day Care Center

HRSV is one of the most important pathogens causing acute respiratory tract diseases as bronchiolitis and pneumonia among infants. HRSV was isolated from two distinct communities, a public day care center and a public hospital in Sao Jose do Rio Preto - SP, Brazil. We obtained partial sequences from G gene that were used on phylogenetic and selection pressure analysis. HRSV accounted for 29% of respiratory infections in hospitalized children and 7.7% in day care center children. On phylogenetic analysis of 60 HRSV strains, 48 (80%) clustered within or adjacent to the GA1 genotype; GA5, NA1, NA2, BA-IV and SAB1 were also observed. SJRP GA1 strains presented variations among deduced amino acids composition and lost the potential O-glycosilation site at amino acid position 295, nevertheless this resulted in an insertion of two potential O-glycosilation sites at positions 296 and 297. Furthermore, a potential O-glycosilation site insertion, at position 293, was only observed for hospital strains. Using SLAC and MEME methods, only amino acid 274 was identified to be under positive selection. This is the first report on HRSV circulation and genotypes classification derived from a day care center community in Brazil.

Nursing care practices at an outpatient care center from an integrative perspective

Aim: to analyze nursing care practices at a Specialized Outpatient Care Center from the perspective of an integrative health care activity. Method: Interviews with 24 nursing professionals were undertaken. For data analysis, Thematic Content Analysis as proposed by Bardin was applied, resulting in the following themes: the team size and its commitment to health care; professional practices and activity of the nursing team. Results: The size of the nursing team was considered insufficient, which compromises the quality of care and results in work overload and dissatisfaction of the nursing professionals. On the other hand, they were satisfied with the tasks performed day-to-day and related integrality to individual care, considered it essential and usually practiced it daily. Conclusion: It is considered that the nursing team has the potential and commitment to develop their care practice combined with the integrative perspective, and therefore providing quality health care to the population.

Prevalence and risk factors of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in critically-ill hospitalized patients in a tertiary care center in Houston, Texas: An active surveillance pilot project

Objective. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of MRSA colonization in adult patients admitted to intensive care units at an urban tertiary care hospital in Houston, Texas and to evaluate the risk factors associated with colonization during a three month active-screening pilot project. Design. This study used secondary data from a small cross-sectional pilot project. Methods. All patients admitted to the seven specialty ICUs were screened for MRSA by nasal culture. Results were obtained utilizing the BD GeneOhm™ IDI-MRSA assay in vitro diagnostic test, for rapid MRSA detection. Statistical analysis was performed using the STATA 10, Epi Info, and JavaStat. Results . 1283/1531 (83.4%) adult ICU admissions were screened for nasal MRSA colonization. Of those screened, demographic and risk factor data was available for 1260/1283 (98.2%). Unresolved results were obtained for 73 patients. Therefore, a total of 1187/1531 (77.5%) of all ICU admissions during the three month study period are described in this analysis. Risk factors associated with colonization included the following: hospitalization within the last six months (odds ratio 2.48 [95% CI, 1.70-3.63], p=0.000), hospitalization within the last 12 months, (odds ratio 2.27 [95% CI, 1.57-3.80], p=0.000), and having diabetes mellitus (odds ratio 1.63 [95% CI, 1.14-2.32], p=0.007). Conclusion. Based on the literature, the prevalence of MRSA for this population is typical of other prevalence studies conducted in the United States and coincides with the continual increasing trend of MRSA colonization. Significant risk factors were similar to those found in previous studies. Overall, the active surveillance screening pilot project has provided valuable information on a population not widely addressed. These findings can aid in future interventions for the education, control, prevention, and treatment of MRSA. ^

An outbreak of Multi-Drug Resistant Acinetobacter in the burn intensive care unit of a large tertiary care center

Risk factors for Multi-Drug Resistant Acinetobacter (MDRA) acquisition were studied in patients in a burn intensive care unit (ICU) where there was an outbreak of MDRA. Forty cases were matched with eighty controls based on length of stay in the Burn ICU and statistical analysis was performed on data for several different variables. Matched analysis showed that mechanical ventilation, transport ventilation, number of intubations, number of bronchoscopy procedures, total body surface area burn, and prior Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization were all significant risk factors for MDRA acquisition. ^ MDRA remains a significant threat to the burn population. Treatment for burn patients with MDRA is challenging as resistance to antibiotics continues to increase. This study underlined the need to closely monitor the most critically ill ventilated patients during an outbreak of MDRA as they are the most at risk for MDRA acquisition.^

Relatório de estágio de atividade física e desporto realizado no Atalaia Living Care Center e no Centro Cultural e Desportivo de São José

O projeto “Sénior-Ativo” resultou através da prática de um estágio académico como parte integrante do Mestrado em Actividade Física e Desporto, sendo dirigido para todos os adultos e idosos institucionalizados, primeiramente no Atalaia Living Care Center e em seguida no Centro Cultural e Desportivo de São José. Este projeto é considerado como relevante para a animação sociocultural desta população, visto constituir um meio social e educativo que trouxe soluções para alguns problemas, tais como o envelhecimento da população, o aumento da longevidade e o constante crescimento do tempo livre. A investigação realizada permitiu demonstrar que a criação e a implementação de sessões educativas nesta faixa etária é essencial para o fortalecimento e desenvolvimento das suas capacidades mentais, físicas e sociais. O projeto “Sénior-Ativo” teve como objetivos fundamentais o prolongamento do envelhecimento ativo, providenciar atividades físicas, cognitivas e de socialização e também momentos de lazer, convívio e boa disposição para todos os utentes, a partir da criação e implementação de atividades físicas, cognitivas, de expressão plástica e de expressão e comunicação, promotoras do desenvolvimento pessoal e social, lúdicas e comunitárias. Todas as sessões tiveram em consideração a educação não formal, para permitir às pessoas envolvidas nestas sessões uma aprendizagem mais acolhedora e significativa, tendo sido planeadas de acordo com os interesses, gostos, objetivos, motivações, histórias e experiencias de vida destes indivíduos. Durante este projeto, os adultos e os idosos participaram, através dos seus conhecimentos, competências e habilidades, em diversas tarefas, como por exemplo na conceção de objetos comemorativos de algum dia especial, em diálogos, debates, na discussão de receitas, nas reflexões, entre outras atividades.

Alzheimer's disease family care center outline guide /

Cover title: Long term care research and demonstration projects final reports, 1986.

Slips, trips and falls : residential care facilities /

Provides information on preventing slipping, tripping and falling injuries in residential care facilities.

Section 232 mortgage insurance for residential care facilities (nursing homes, intermediate care facilities, and board and care homes.

"Replaces HUD handbook 4600.1 dated July, 1973."

Knowledge and understanding of choice diversity of residential care staff working with individuals with intellectual disabilities

The present study aimed to trial the effectiveness of 10 newly developed brief vignettes portraying typical interactions between staff and people with intellectual disabilities in residential care settings to assess the knowledge and understanding of staff about choice diversity, pre- and post-attendance at a staff training workshop. A total of 29 residential staff completed the Vignette Rating Scale and a knowledge questionnaire pre- and post-training. A t- test conducted on the vignettes revealed that respondents identified fewer choices in the post-test vignettes compared to the pre-test vignettes. Results showed no significant difference between the pre- and post-test data on the knowledge questionnaire. The questionnaire revealed a high level of knowledge about choice prior to and following training. The vignettes, however, proved effective in measuring changes in awareness of choice diversity among residential staff following participation in a staff training workshop.

Relatório de estágio de atividade física e desporto realizado no Atalaia Living Care Center e no Centro Cultural e Desportivo de São José

O projeto “Sénior-Ativo” resultou através da prática de um estágio académico como parte integrante do Mestrado em Actividade Física e Desporto, sendo dirigido para todos os adultos e idosos institucionalizados, primeiramente no Atalaia Living Care Center e em seguida no Centro Cultural e Desportivo de São José. Este projeto é considerado como relevante para a animação sociocultural desta população, visto constituir um meio social e educativo que trouxe soluções para alguns problemas, tais como o envelhecimento da população, o aumento da longevidade e o constante crescimento do tempo livre. A investigação realizada permitiu demonstrar que a criação e a implementação de sessões educativas nesta faixa etária é essencial para o fortalecimento e desenvolvimento das suas capacidades mentais, físicas e sociais. O projeto “Sénior-Ativo” teve como objetivos fundamentais o prolongamento do envelhecimento ativo, providenciar atividades físicas, cognitivas e de socialização e também momentos de lazer, convívio e boa disposição para todos os utentes, a partir da criação e implementação de atividades físicas, cognitivas, de expressão plástica e de expressão e comunicação, promotoras do desenvolvimento pessoal e social, lúdicas e comunitárias. Todas as sessões tiveram em consideração a educação não formal, para permitir às pessoas envolvidas nestas sessões uma aprendizagem mais acolhedora e significativa, tendo sido planeadas de acordo com os interesses, gostos, objetivos, motivações, histórias e experiencias de vida destes indivíduos. Durante este projeto, os adultos e os idosos participaram, através dos seus conhecimentos, competências e habilidades, em diversas tarefas, como por exemplo na conceção de objetos comemorativos de algum dia especial, em diálogos, debates, na discussão de receitas, nas reflexões, entre outras atividades.

Controlled study into the effectiveness of individual client-centred counselling for young offenders in residential care

This study is toe first documented account in the British Isles of an evaluation of the effectiveness of client-centred counselling with young offenders in secure residential care. It is a test of Rogers' (1957) position on the 'necessary and sufficient' conditions of therapeutic personality change within a counselling relationship. Forty teenage male offenders, the subjects of Training School Orders, were randomly allocated in equal numbers to either an experimental or control group. Boys in the experimental group received weekly individual sessions of client-centred counselling over a seven month period. Boys in the control group received no formal counselling but were shown to have similar intellectual, personality, socio-economic and criminal backgrounds to those in the experimental group. It was hypothesised that counselled subjects would show more positive outcomes than control subjects over a range of measures relating to criminal behaviour and self-conception. The results indicated that the counselled subjects had a significantly lower rate of offending and a srnaller range of offences over a mean follow-up period of 2.5 years. They were also licensed from the institution significantly earlier and spent less time in custody during a one year follow-up after counselling was completed. Self-conception measures gave less clear-cut results. The direction of change towards better adjustment favoured the counselled subjects but the magnitude was often small. Those counselled subjects with most positive behaviour change tended to have significantly improved self-evaluation, less self/ideal self discrepancy and more variation on 'actual' self concept compared to pre-counselling. The results are discussed in the context of client-centred theory, methodological adequacy of the experimental design, and their application to the future treatment of young offenders in secure residential care.