communication

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common disorder whose prevalence increases with age. Over time a strong correlation between erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease has been established as the result of the same pathophysiological process: endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. Because small vessels of the penis can be affected by atherosclerotic plaque earlier than coronary arteries, carotids or femoral arteries, men often have symptoms of ED long before the signs of cardiovascular disease appear. For this reason, ED can act as a marker of early atherosclerosis that predicts the onset of cardiovascular disease at a later time.

Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis is a rare benign inflammatory disease of gallbladder that may be misdiagnosed as carcinoma of the gallbladder intraoperative or in pre-operative imaging. Intramural accumulation of lipid-laden macrophages and acute and chronic inflammatory cells is the hallmark of the disease. The xanthogranulomatous inflammation can be very severe and can spill over to the neighboring structures like liver, bowel and stomach resulting in dense adhesions, abscess formation, perforation, and fistulous communication with adjacent bowel [1-3]. Cholecysto-colic fistula is a rare and late complication of gallstones roughly found 1 in every 1,000 cholecystectomies. Clinical featuresThe clinical features are variable and non-specific. Patients with cholecysto-colonic fistula often present with symptoms of acute cholecystitis and preoperative diagnostic tools often fail to show the fistula. Hence most cases it is an on table diagnosis. ManagementTreatment involves closing the fistula and performing an open or laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

In the cardiovascular field, tachycardia and increment of catecholamine plasma levels (sympathetic hyperactivity) have been reported by hypertensive patients that use L-type Ca2+ channel blockers (CCBs) since 70´s. Our discovery of the involvement of interaction between the intracellular signalling pathways mediated by Ca2+ and cAMP (Ca2+/cAMP interaction) revealed that this phenomenon (sympathetic hyperactivity) was resulting of increase of transmitter release from sympathetic neurons stimulated by CCBs due to its interference on the Ca2+/cAMP interaction. In the neuroscience field, this discovery has produced new paths for the understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer´s and Parkinson’s diseases. In this way, novel journeys for the development of new pharmacological strategies more effective for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases may be initiated.

Avulsive injuries to the face can be challenging. Soft tissue defects secondary to trauma and bites nessecitate local tissue transfer and the tissue closely resembles the missing skin in color and texture. These flaps can be rotated, advanced or transposed into a tissue defect and include: The forehead flap (median, paramedian) for large nasal defects.

A 27-year-old man presented to our hospital for abdominal pain and a cheesy discharge from the umbilicus which lasted for a few days. He was afebrile. The physical examination revealed periumbilical tenderness and discharge from the umbilicus. There were no signs of general infection. Otherwise, he had neither specific symptoms nor a palpable abdominal mass. Pelvic computerized tomographic (CT) scanning) confirmed the presence of a cyst in the midline of the abdominal wall, with communication with the bladder and peripheral calcification. The mass was infiltrated to the perivesical fat (Figure 1). The patient was prepared for surgery. During laparotomy, a urachal cyst with the cuff of the bladder dome were removed (Figure 2). Recovery was unremarkable. The resected specimen was a partial cystectomy specimen with perivesical fat and the median umbilical ligament

In the evolutionary journey of humanity, it is possible to verify an analysis of pandemics with high occurrences. This study aims to conduct a critical analysis of the role of Vitamin D as an endogenous vaccine in the main viruses present in humanity over the decades. To construct this text, we used the short review methodology through a critical analysis. This study demonstrated the importance of using Vitamin D as an endogenous vaccine when used frequently in both healthcare professionals and patients. Therefore, it is concluded that Vitamin acts protectively in the innate immune system.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the world’s major infectious diseases with 350 million people who are chronic carriers of HBV [1]. Significant minorities go on to develop liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma and over 1 million die annually from HBV-diseased liver. Janahi E. at faculty of science, Bahrain University, Bahrain has submitted the following information [2], on HBV-genome organization as part of his Ph.D. degree (2007) in Imperial College, England. HBV genomic organization has 4 Open Reading Frames (ORFs) i.e. Pre-S/S Gene, Pre-C/C ORF, P ORF and X ORF. Regulatory Elements has 4 promoters (pre S2, pre S1, C promoters and X promoters), Pregenomic RNA, Enhancers (Enh 1 and Enh 2) where they are involved in cccDNA formation, Glococorticoid-Responsive Element which is located in X ORF and P ORF overlapping, Polyadenylation Signal (Direct Repeat 1 (DR1) and Direct Repeat 2 (DR2)), Epsilon-Stem Loop and Post-Transcriptional Regulatory Element. HBV genotype D is prevalent in our Middle East area. The HBV genome is a partially relaxed-circular dsDNA molecule consisting of a full length strand (minus strand) with a single unique nick and a complementary (positive strand) of variable length. HBV is considered as a para-retrovirus because its replication involves the reverse transcription of an intermediate-RNA function, of pre-genomic RNA (pgRNA). Replication of HBV genome starts with the encapsidation of the pgRNA and encodes HBV polymerase into an immature nucleocapsid formed by the viral core antigen.

Background: Diarrhea and nutrient deficiency worsen each other, and zinc is recommended to be included in clinical management of diarrhea. Therefore, this investigation was done to assess zinc prescription practice to children with diarrhea, identify factors associated with zinc prescription, and assess caregivers’ zinc’s perceived cost and willingness to pay for. Methods: A health institution based cross-sectional study was done. Caretakers of 609 children with diarrhea attending health centers in Addis Ababa were included. Logistic regression was applied to identify variables associated with zinc prescription. Results: Zinc was prescribed to 62.1% of children. About 74.9% of the caregivers were willing to pay for zinc. Previous use of zinc (AOR = 2.3; 95% CI: 1.34-4.01), exposure to zinc related message (AOR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.53-4.60) and willingness to pay for zinc (AOR = 6.9; 95% CI: 3.84-12.66) were associated with zinc prescription. Conclusion: Zinc was not administered to considerable proportion of children with diarrhea. Previous use of zinc, exposure to zinc related message and willingness to pay for positively contributed to zinc prescription. Health care workers shall be encouraged on zinc prescription. Intervention to increase willingness to pay for zinc and zinc benefit communication shall be strengthened in parallel with operational researches.

A term neonate was transferred from a Local Neonatal Unit to our surgical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit on Day 2 due to abdominal distension with radiological appearances suggestive of intestinal obstruction. He was born by Caesarean section with no risk factors for sepsis. He was intubated at birth for increased work of breathing and failed planned extubation on Day 1. 

Hypertension is a complex disorder involving multiple organ systems and the primarily modifiable risk factor for heart disease, which is the leading cause of death among both men and women in the World. Although both men and women develop hypertension, distinct gender differences in the incidence and severity of hypertension are well established where men have a higher incidence of hypertension compared with women of the same age until the sixth decade of life [1,2]. Despite gender differences in human hypertension, the treatment guidelines do not differ by gender [3]. Even if the causes of hypertension are complex and are related to genetic factors, lifestyle, diet structure, and environmental factors including air pollution [4], coupled with the potential determinants of hypertension, sex differences in hypertension-which exist in human populations-are attributed to both biological and behavioural factors. The biological factors include sex hormones, chromosomal differences, and other biological sex differences that are protective against hypertension in women. These factors become prominent in adolescence and persist through adulthood until women reach menopause. Behavioural risk factors for hypertension include high body mass index, smoking, and low physical activity.

Several experimental studies performed since 1975, using smooth muscles richly innervated by sympathetic nerves to exclude the autonomic influence of adjusting reflex (rodent vas deferens), showed that L-type voltage-activated Ca2++ channels (VACC) blockers completely inhibited neurogenic contractions induced by electrical field stimulation (EFS) in high concentrations (>10-6 M), but paradoxically increased these EFS-contractions in low concentrations (<10-6 M), suggesting that other mechanisms than only autonomic adjusting reflex are involved in these paradoxical effects. In 2013, we showed that these paradoxical effects of L-type VACC blockers, named by us “calcium paradox” phenomenon, were potentiated by drugs which increase cytosolic cAMP concentration ([cAMP] c-enhancers), such as rolipram, IBMX and forskolin, indicating that this sympathetic hyperactivity drug-induced is due to interaction of the Ca2+/cAMP intracellular signaling pathways (Ca2+/cAMP interaction). Then, the pharmacological manipulation of this interaction produced by combination of the L-type VACC blockers used in the antihypertensive therapy, and [cAMP] c-enhancers used in the antidepressive therapy, could represent a potential cardiovascular risk for hypertensive patients due to sympathetic hyperactivity. Then, we discussed the role of Ca2+/cAMP interaction for antihypertensive pharmacotherapy.

Previous clinical, observation and epidemiologic studies have demonstrated strong association between serum uric acid (SUA) and cardiovascular disease (hypertension, heart failure, and asymptomatic atherosclerosis), metabolic states (abdominal obesity, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance) and kidney disease. There is a large body of evidence regarding the role of SUA as predictor of CV events and CV mortality in general population and individuals with established CV disease and metabolic diseases. However, SUA may exhibit protective effects on endothelium and vasculature as well as attenuate endogenous repair system through mobbing and differentiation of cell precursors. Although SUA lowering drugs are widely used in patients with symptomatic hyperuricemia and gout beyond their etiologies, there is no agreement of SUA below target level 6.0 mg/dL in asymptomatic individuals with kidney injury and CV disease and data of ones are sufficiently limited. The short communication is depicted on the controversial role of SUA as primary cell toxicity agent and secondary cell protector against hypoxia, ischemia and apoptosis

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are widely used in Oncology practice. Hypertension may develop during cancer treatment and TKIs are well known drugs that are associated with drug related hypertensive toxicity. TKI related hypertensive toxicity is not always the indicator of worse clinical outcomes and it may be the sign of treatment efficacy.

Background: Early and effective identification of childhood neurodevelopmental disorders remains a critical task of all pediatric healthcare professionals, which is critical to the well-being of children and their families. Methods: A retrospective review of medical records of all preschool children referred to a Child Development Centre (CDC) in North-West England, over a six-month period between Sept 2014 and Feb 2015 was conducted. The local multi-professional approach to the clinical assessment and management of preschool children was described and the published literature on this topic was reviewed. Results: Twenty four different categories of professionals spanning the whole range of primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare, social care and educational services were involved in the management of the patients. The largest group of professionals was the primary healthcare specialists. The ten different primary care professionals managed an average of 42% of the patients. The secondary healthcare providers were involved in the care of an average of 17%, tertiary care providers 10%, educational specialists 25% and social care professionals were involved with 5% of all the patients. The commonest diagnostic disorders were Speech/Language delay (56%), Global developmental delay (33%), Behavior difficulties (26%), Social communication concerns (21%) and Autistic spectrum disorder (19%). Conclusion: The high number and specialties of various healthcare professionals at all levels of care indicates the high social and economic investment required in managing the affected preschool children in the region. Childhood neurodevelopmental disorders in the preschool age represents a high level of public health significance.

This is an anatomy of a miscommunication, written by the patient, a medical school professor and his orthopaedic consultant, who was also a colleague leading to a series of misunderstandings. This raises the practical question of who is responsible for effective communication with the patient who is also a colleague. At the pre-operative assessment a combination of the diffidence of an inexperienced nurse and the patient’s wrong assumptions about his post-operative mobility and his keenness to maintain his independence and identity nearly led to a delayed discharge. The miscommunication was due to the patient’s assumptions about previous orthopaedic and recent cardiac surgery hospital experience. Neither he nor the nurse checked these assumptions and we speculate might this possibly account for why senior colleagues who become patients sometimes have unexpected complications. There are lessons to be learned from this frank exploration of the colleague patient’s experience of a miscommunication.

Present piece of idea exhibits to divert attention towards automated high precision Life Support System (LSS) instead of manual one using medical intelligence devices while treating and diagnosis to the patient, where Ventilator, inhaler and respiratory control is most important factor during operation, surgeries and in other likewise medical emergency situations to maintain proper saturation in patient lungs to sustain their lives. This work gives idea, how we can design A.I based Inhaler System for the same. 

Background: In health care systems nursing care documentation is a vital and powerful tool that ensures continuity of care and communication between health personnel for better patient outcomes. Knowledge, attitude and practice of nurses’ towards nursing care documentation affect the quality and coordination of patients’ care. Hence, this study aimed to assess knowledge, attitude, practice and associated factors towards nursing care documentation among nurses in West Gojjam Zone public hospitals, Amhara Ethiopia. Method: Institutional based cross sectional study was conducted among 246 nurses in West Gojjam Zone public hospitals from February to March 8, 2018. The study participants were selected by simple random sampling technique. Data were collected by using pre-tested and validated self-administered structured questionnaire with internal reliability of Cronbach’s Alpha values 0.912, 0.784 and 0.713 for knowledge, attitude and practice questions respectively. Epi data version 3.1 and SPSS version 20 was used for data entry and analysis respectively. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression model were used. Result: The overall response rate was 97.56%. Among 240 respondents 54.6% of them had good knowledge, 50% of study participants had favorable attitude and 47.5% of study participants had good nursing care documentation practice. Sex and monthly salary were found to be statistically significant with knowledge of nurses. Work setting, work experiences and knowledge of nurses had significant association with nurses’ attitude towards nursing care documentation. Availability of operational standards, knowledge and attitude of nurses had significant association with nursing care documentation practice. Conclusions and Recommendation: Results of this study showed that knowledge, attitude and practice of West Gojjam zone public hospital nurses on nursing care documentation were poor. Therefore; in order to solve this problem each hospital should recruit nurses until hospitals are saturated enough. It is recommended to avail nursing care documentation standards/guidelines in each hospital and to give training about it and also it is recommended to conduct multisite studies especially qualitative type to increase its quality.

Circular Economy, Sustainability, Design for Environment are some of the keywords that identify new formidable challenges to be faced in the next years. Raw materials have a dominant role in reaching that goal. Green energy, electric vehicles, communication, etc. depends on raw materials labeled as critical because of their economic importance coupled with high supply risk. For this reason, mitigating actions need to be used in materials selection and design such as material substitution, improved materials efficiency and recycling. In this technical communication, a method to implement raw materials criticality issues in materials selection is described according to the recent literature. The strategy is based on Ashby’s approach and the definition of the alloy criticality index quantifying the criticality per unit of mass of the material.

The effect of the intrinsic lutetium radioactivity on the detection performances of a LYSO based in-beam PET-like prototype used for quality control of hadrontherapy treatments is studied. This radioactivity leads to a background that degrades the measurement of the β+ signal. In particular, it prevents the measurement of faint signals originating from low activity β+ sources. This paper presents a method to estimate the minimum β+ activity that can be measured for any acquisition time taking into account the non-extensible dead time of the detector. This method is illustrated with experimental data collected with the in-beam PET-like prototype. The results presented in this paper are therefore specific to this detector. The method can however be applied in other contexts, either to other lutetium based PET detectors or even to non-PET detectors affected by lutetium radioactivity. The dead time correction formalism can also be used generally to scale signal and background yields in any non-paralizable detector, even those in which the background is not due to the presence of intrinsic radioactivity.

Background: Communication is the process of exchanging information or messages from one group to the other through mutually understood verbal or non-verbal ways. Communication barrier is anything that prevents receiving and understanding the messages. poor communication between patients and the nurses’ result in an increased length of stay, wastage of the resource, patient dissatisfaction, absence of confidence, and frustration for both the nurses and the patients. This study will provide basic information on the level of nurses to patients’ communication and perceived barriers in government hospitals of Bahir Dar city. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the level of the nurse to patient communication and perceived barriers in government hospital of Bahir Dar city, Ethiopia, 2020. Methods: Institution based cross-sectional mixed-methods study was conducted from February 24 – March 9/2020 in government hospitals of Bahir Dar city. A total of 380 nurses were included in the quantitative study by using simple random sampling. For both the quantitative and qualitative study, at the initial stage of data collection and interview; informed consent was obtained from respondents. Data were entered into Epi Data 4.6 and analyzed with a statistical package of social science version 25. Data were mainly analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. For the qualitative study, purposive sampling technique was employed, and 7 participants were interviewed. Thematic analysis was used. Results: From the total participants 36.5% of nurses were found to have poor communication. Variables which have statistically significant associations with the level of communication were educational level, work experience, the unwillingness of nurses, and lack of communication skill. The highest perceived communication barriers were lack of continuous training with 82.7% followed by workload with 80.7% and lack of medical facilities with 79.2% as reported by nurses. All environmental-related barriers were the perceived barriers of the nurse to patient communication. Conclusion: In this study, the communication of nurses to patients is found to low. To enhance communication with the patients; nurses and other stakeholders like the ministry of health, the health bureau, and hospital authorities need to recognize the communication barriers. Giving awareness on the communication barrier for the nurses helps to minimize the barriers and improve the nurses to patients’ communication.