Suicide and deliberate self-harm in Oxford University students over a 30-year period

Purpose  

To determine whether rates of suicide and self-harm in university students differ from those in other young people.     

The use of vibration in public hospitals in Australia

Vibration is the fine oscillatory movement combined with rib compression during the expiratory movement of the chest wall. Vibration is used by physiotherapists for treatment of patients with respiratory disorders. The aim of this study was to determine the extent of and the rationale for the use of vibration by physiotherapists in public hospitals in Australia. Questionnaires were distributed to physiotherapists who treated respiratory patients in 95 randomly selected hospitals throughout Australia from March to October, 2001. The response rate to the questionnaire was 81%. Most (96%) of the respondents used vibration, and 54% of the respondents used vibration within the week prior to filling in the questionnaire. Most of the respondents used vibration to assist with the clearance of secretion in patients who had excessive secretions, difficulty clearing secretions, or were intubated and ventilated. The respondents proposed that vibration clears secretions by mechanical loosening of secretions and increasing expiratory flow rates. A large proportion of the respondents combined the use of vibration with postural drainage and percussion. Even though the effectiveness of vibration is not known, vibration is used extensively and frequently by physiotherapists in public hospitals throughout Australia.     

Matroniya: The Lived Experiences of Rural Auxiliary Midwives in Koutiala,Mali

Our team explored the lived experiences of rural auxiliary midwives, or matrones, in Mali. Since matrones attend more births than all other health workers combined, they are critical to efforts to reduce maternal mortality. Currently, their experiences are not well understood. This study used interpretive phenomenology to describe the experiences of seven matrones. We suggest that matrones provide a vital connection between traditional approaches to birth and the biomedical services offered by the formal health sector. Matrones’ unique role as both health professionals and rural women creates challenges and opportunities that affect their effectiveness and personal lives.     

Total elbow arthroplasty is moving forward: Review on past,present and future

The elbow joint is a complex joint, which, when impaired in function, leads to severe disability. In some cases however, an arthroplasty might be an appropriate treatment. In the past four decades, large steps havebeen taken to optimize this treatment in order to achieve better post-operative outcomes. To understand these progresses and to discover aspects for upcoming improvements, we present a review on the past developments, the present state of affairs and future developments which may improve patient care further.     

Improving Handoff by Deliberate Cognitive Processing: Results from a Randomized Controlled Experimental Study

BackgroundAlthough a number of successful handoff interventions have been reported, the handoff process remains vulnerable because it relies on memory. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of deliberate cognitive processing (i.e., analytical, conscious, and effortful thinking) on recall of information from a simulated handoff.MethodsThis two-phased experiment was executed in the Netherlands in 2015. A total of 78 pediatric residents were randomly divided into an intervention group (n = 37) and a control group (n = 41). In phase 1, participants received written handoffs from 8 patients. The intervention group was asked to develop a contingency plan for each patient, deliberately processing the information. The control group received no specific instructions. In phase 2, all participants were asked to write down as much as they recalled from the handoffs. The outcome was the amount and accuracy of recalled information, calculated by scoring for idea units (single information elements) and inferences (conclusions computed by participants based on two or more idea units).ResultsParticipants in the intervention group recalled significantly more inferences (7.24 vs. 3.22) but fewer correct idea units (21.1% vs. 25.3%) than those in the control group. There was no difference with regard to incorrectly recalled information.ConclusionOur study revealed that deliberate cognitive processing leads to creation of more correct inferences, but fewer idea units. This suggests that deliberate cognitive processing results in interpretation of the information into higher level concepts, rather than remembering specific pieces of information separately. This implies better understanding of patients’ problems.