Allied Health Sciences

Antik Çağ’da Strigilisin Ecza Amaçlı Kullanımı Veriler ve Kanıt / Pharmaceutical Purpose of the Strigilis in Antiquity

by Daniş Baykan

Baykan, Daniş, "Antik Çağ’da Strigilisin Ecza Amaçlı Kullanımı Veriler ve Kanıt / Pharmaceutical Purpose of the Strigilis in Antiquity Data and Evidence", Colloquium Anatolicum IX 2010, 141-152.

Most of the herbal, mineral and bestial materials which we use in pharmacology today had also been taken into... more
Most of the herbal, mineral and bestial materials which we use in pharmacology today had also been taken into use for thousands of years without changing. Except for the materials used for preparations such as mortars, grinding plates and conservators, the types of spoons are the most common instruments of all. Some antique sources and findings show that in some instances “strigilis” were used instead of these spoons. 
Strigilis is a curved blade used by the ancient Romans and Greeks to scrape the body after bathing. Part of the bathing and personal hygiene routine in ancient Rome involved cleaning the body with oil. Having rubbed the oil in, a strigilis was used to scrape away any excess as well as any dead skin and dirt. Athletes also used strigilis to remove dirt, dust and oil from their bodies after exercise. This was sometimes bottled and sold as a medical treatment. It is desirable also to pour some medicament into the ear, and this should always be made lukewarm beforehand; and is best dropped in from a strigilis. Occasionally instruments not originally manufactured for surgical purposes were implemented. Galenos (XII.622-623) , Celsus (VI.7.1) , Plinius (XXV.103) , Marcellus Empiricus (IX.1)  and Scribonius Largus’un (XXXIX)  mention that the strigilis, a curved piece of metal with a handle used for scraping oil and sweat off the body after exercise, was often used to get into small openings. Galenos (XII.622), mentioned that the strigilis, a curved piece of metal with a handle used for scraping oil and sweat off the body after exercise was often used to get into small openings, so as Galenos said, “After having heated the fat of a squirrel in a strigilis, insert it into the auditory canal”. Celsus (VI.7.1) also directs that certain medicinal preparations can be warmed and allowed to drop into the ear by means of a strigilis, an appliance normally used by the Romans for scraping away sweat and dirt in the baths: “If severe inflammation entirely prevents sleep, there should be added to the poultice half its quantity of toasted and pounded poppy-head rind, and this should be boiled down with the rest in diluted raisin wine. It is desirable also to pour some medicament into the ear, and this should always be made lukewarm beforehand; and is best dropped in from a strigilis. When the ear is full, soft wool is applied over it to keep in the fluid. And these are the medicaments generally used for this purpose: but also there is rose oil and around-root juice and oil in which worms have been boiled, juice expressed from bitter almonds or from peach-kernels”.
It’s possible that a “strigilis” found in a tomb of a medicine from Roman Imperial period was used for pharmacology. Outside of the tomb context (in a settlement for instance) when a strigilis was found, it’s hard to determine the relation on it’s use for pharmacological purposes. Surveys of researches on the metal findings of Allianoi, retains clarifying many issues of the Anatolian history of medicine. The pieces of strigilis’ found in Allianoi show strong evidences in terms of it’s use in medicine.

Successful Risk Assessment May Not Always Lead To Successful Risk Control: A Systematic Literature Review of Risk Control after Root Cause Analysis

by Alan Card

Alan J. Card, James Ward, P. John Clarkson. Successful Risk Assessment May Not Always Lead To Successful Risk Control: A Systematic Literature Review of Risk Control after Root Cause Analysis. Journal of Healthcare Risk Management. 2012;31(3):6-12.

Root cause analysis is perhaps the most widely used tool in healthcare risk management, but does it actually lead to... more Root cause analysis is perhaps the most widely used tool in healthcare risk management, but does it actually lead to successful risk control? Are there categories of risk control that are more likely to be effective? And do healthcare risk managers have the tools they need to support the risk control process? This systematic review examines how the healthcare sector translates risk analysis to risk control action plans and examines how to do better. It suggests that the hierarchy of risk controls should inform risk control action planning and that new tools should be developed to improve the risk control process.

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Wiley's copyright policies do not allow me to post the published version of the paper, but they do allow me to send out individual copies. So if you don't have access to the Journal of Healthcare Risk Management and would like a copy of this article, please email me at:
alan [dot] j [dot] card [at] gmail [dot] com

Kerala tourism

by jithin samuel

Kerala Tourism

Kerala, located on the Southwestern tip of India, enjoys unique geographical features that have made it one of the... more Kerala, located on the Southwestern tip of India, enjoys unique geographical features that have made it one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in Asia. Fondly referred to as ‘God’s Own Country’, Kerala was selected by the National Geographic Traveller as one of the 50 destinations of a lifetime and one of the thirteen paradises in the world.

Emergency Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities: Implications for Rehabilitation Administrators

by James Soldner

Co-authored with Matthew E. Sprong, Terri A. Lewis, and D. Shane Koch, Published in "Journal of Rehabilitation Administration', 2011

Rehabilitation administrators can play a key role in preparing persons with disabilities to be prepared for disaster... more Rehabilitation administrators can play a key role in preparing persons with disabilities to be prepared for disaster events. Due to the occurrence of recent high profile disasters in the United States, increasing emphasis has been placed on emergency management at all levels. The four primary areas of emergency management are preparedness, response. recovery, and mitigation. Each of these areas has high importance on the federal, local and organizational level; however, emergency management at the individual level is often the first priority. This article is intended to provide an overview of the occurrence of recent disasters, as well as stress the importance of emergency planning for persons with disabilities when disaster occurs. This article will also include a discussion of relevant legislation related to emergency management, various phases of emergency management, relevant roles and functions, and recommendations to help incorporate an emergency planning component for both rehabilitation administrators and organizations.

Visual and vestibular systems.

by Charles Fox

Fox, C. R., & Cohen, H. (1993). Visual and vestibular systems. In H. Cohen (Ed.), Neuroscience for Rehabilitation (pp. 97-128). Philadelphia, PA: J.B. Lippincott Co. (Honorable Mention, Best New Book, Medical Book Publishers).

Special senses 3: the visual system.

by Charles Fox

Fox, C. R. (1999). Special senses 3: the visual system. In H. Cohen (Ed.), Neuroscience for Rehabilitation (pp. 169-194). Philadelphia, PA: J.B. Lippincott Co.

Development, Expansion and Use of a Stroke Clinical Trials Resource for Novel Exploratory Analyses (in press) International Journal of Stroke.

by Marian Brady

Ali M, Bath P, Brady M, Davis S, Diener H-C, Donnan G; Fisher M, Hacke W, Hanley DF, Luby M, Tsivgoulis G, Wahlgren N, Warach S, Lees KR, on behalf of the VISTA Steering Committees.

A Protocol for a Systematic Review of Knowledge Translation Strategies in the Allied Health Professions

by Lauren Albrecht

SR protocol published in Implementation Science on 2 June 2011.

A review of termination of pregnancy:Prevalent health care professional attitudes and ways of influencing them.

by Allyson Lipp

Lipp, A. (2008). A review of termination of pregnancy:Prevalent health care professional attitudes and ways of influencing them. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 17(13), 1683-1688.

AIM: To review the literature on attitudes of health care professionals to termination of pregnancy and draw out... more AIM: To review the literature on attitudes of health care professionals to termination of pregnancy and draw out underlying themes. BACKGROUND: The controversy surrounding therapeutic abortion is unremitting with public opinion often polemic and unyielding. Nurses and midwives are at the centre of this turmoil, and as more termination of pregnancies are being performed using pharmacological agents, they are becoming ever more involved in direct care and treatment. Attitudes towards termination of pregnancy have been found to vary depending on the nationality of those asked, the professionals involved, experience in abortion care, as well as personal attributes of those asked such as their obstetric history and religious beliefs. The reasons for women undergoing abortion were also found to influence attitudes to a greater or lesser extent. CONCLUSION: This paper explores research studies undertaken into attitudes of health care professionals towards termination of pregnancy, to appreciate the complexity of the debate. It is possible that the increased involvement of nurses in termination of pregnancy, that current methods demand, may lead to change in attitudes. Consideration is given to a number of remedies to create an optimum environment for women undergoing termination of pregnancy. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This paper establishes via a literature review that attitudes in those working in this area of care depend upon a variety of influences. Suggestions are made for measures to be put into place to foster appropriate attitudes in those working in termination of pregnancy services.

Cyanoacrylate microbial sealants for skin preparation prior to surgery

by Allyson Lipp

Cochrane Systematic Review

A B S T R A C T
Background
Surgical site infections are a continuing concern in health care. Microbial... more A B S T R A C T
Background
Surgical site infections are a continuing concern in health care. Microbial sealant is a liquid applied to the skin immediately before
surgery. It is thought to contribute to reducing surgical site infections by sealing in the skin flora to prevent contamination and infection
of the surgical site.
Objectives
To assess the effects of the preoperative application of microbial sealants (compared with no microbial sealant) on the rates of surgical
site infection in people undergoing clean surgery.
Search strategy
We searched the Cochrane Wounds Group Specialised Register (searched 10 May 2010), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled
Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2010, Issue 2), Ovid MEDLINE (1950 to April Week 3 2010), Ovid MEDLINE - In-
Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations (searched 10 May 2010), Ovid EMBASE (1980 to 2010 Week 18) and EBSCO CINAHL
(1982 to 10 May 2010). We searched bibliographies and contacted manufacturers of microbial sealants for unpublished studies. There
were no restrictions based on language, date or publication status.
Selection criteria
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were eligible for inclusion if they involved people undergoing clean surgery in an operating theatre
and compared the use of preoperative microbial sealants with no microbial sealant.
Data collection and analysis
All review authors independently extracted data on the characteristics, risk of bias and outcomes of the eligible trial.
Main results
One small trial (177 participants undergoing hernia repair) met the inclusion criteria. There was no statistically significant difference
in the rates of surgical site infection (three patients in the control group developed a surgical site infection compared with none in the
intervention group; risk ratio (RR) 0.17, 95% CI 0.01 to 3.19, P = 0.23).
Authors’ conclusions
There is currently insufficient evidence as to whether the use of microbial sealants reduces the risk of surgical site infection in people
undergoing clean surgery and further rigorous RCTs are required.

P L A I N L A N G U A G E S U M M A R Y
Cyanoacrylate microbial sealants for skin preparation prior to surgery
Surgical site infection is a serious complication of surgery. Microbial sealant is a liquid applied to the surface of the skin immediately
before surgery to seal in any bacteria living on the skin that may pose a risk of infection. Before applying the sealant the skin at
the operation site is usually prepared with a solution of 10% povidone-iodine. Only one eligible randomised trial was identified that
compared the impact on surgical site infection rates of sealant compared with no sealant; this trial was too small to detect any important
difference in surgical site infection rates as statistically significant therefore further research is needed.

A laboratory investigation and validation of methods for sampling contaminated uniforms and work-wear.

by Allyson Lipp

Lusardi, G., Lipp, A., 2011. A laboratory investigation and validation of methods for sampling contaminated uniforms and work-wear. Journal of Hospital Infection 7th March.

This study was designed to investigate and validate methods for sampling and retrieval of micro organisms from... more This study was designed to investigate and validate methods for sampling and retrieval of micro organisms from contaminated uniform/work-wear Recent guidance in the UK states there is no conclusive evidence that work-wear poses an infection transmission risk in the healthcare environment. Whilst some studies have identified the presence of pathogenic organisms on uniforms, the link between healthcare associated infection (HCAI) and work-wear has not been established in the current literature. A key aspect of such investigations is the ability to reproducibly recover and detect the number of micro-organisms on the garments under investigation. Therefore, in order to undertake further research into contamination levels of uniforms, the methods used to retrieve organisms need to be validated for this particular purpose.

In this study swatches of standard, sterile work-wear polyester mix material were inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) and Bacillus atrophaeus (B. atrophaeus) to represent potentially pathogenic organisms likely to be implicated in HCAI. Following incubation, four sampling methods were tested in a laboratory setting (swabbing, carpet sampler, Sartorius air sampler, Casella slit sampler) against the reference method (stomaching) and the numbers of colony forming units (CFUs) recovered from the swatches were then recorded.

The carpet sampler was the most efficient method in recovering microbiological contamination which had been applied dry to the sterile swatches. At the higher inoculum levels, the carpet sampler retrieved 51% of the challenge organisms compared to the Sartorius air sampler (6%), Casella slit sampler (10%) and swabbing (6%). The reference method of stomaching recovered 104%.

The reslts demonstrated that wet contamination of certain materials can lead to significant binding of micro-organisms to the test fabric.
Advantages of the carpet sampler compared to other methods include the requirement for less equipment, ease of use in a clinical environment and the capacity to test large numbers rapidly.

Lay health workers in primary and community health care for maternal and child health and the management of infectious diseases: A review synopsis

by Allyson Lipp

Lipp, A., 2011. Lay health workers in primary and community health care for maternal and child health and the management of infectious diseases: A review synopsis, Public Health Nursing.
In Press.

Review: Acupuncture was better than no acupuncture but did not differ from minimal (sham) acupuncture for chronic low back pain at 8 weeks

by Gareth Parsons

Parsons G (2006) Acupuncture was better than no acupuncture but did not differ from minimal (sham) acupuncture for chronic low back pain at 8 weeks. Evid

Review: patient controlled opioid analgesia reduces postoperative pain more than conventional as-needed opioid analgesia.

by Gareth Parsons

Parsons G (2007) Review: patient controlled opioid analgesia reduces postoperative pain more than conventional as-needed opioid analgesia.

Review: Patient education after inguinal hernia surgery did not differ from routine information for pain at rest at 7 days

by Gareth Parsons

Parsons G (2008) Patient education after inguinal hernia surgery did not differ from routine information for pain at rest at 7 days. Evid Based Nurs. 2008 Jan ;11

Review: evidence does not support use of static magnets for pain.

by Gareth Parsons

Parsons G (2008) Review: evidence does not support use of static magnets for pain. Evid Based Nurs. 2008 Apr ;11 (2):49

Broom, M. & Parsons, G. (2009) Patient-controlled Analgesia In Foundation Skills for Caring Using Student-Centred Learning (Glasper, A., McEwing, G. and Richardson, J. eds.) Palgrave Macmillan London, pp. 310-317.

by Gareth Parsons

Virtual Pain Manager

by Gareth Parsons

This is a link to a game I have developed with my colleague Barry Richards at the University of Glamorgan.
The... more This is a link to a game I have developed with my colleague Barry Richards at the University of Glamorgan.
The game involves caring for a post-operative patient on a PCA.

PAIN CONTROL NURSING-Acute Pain Algorithm-In Situations Where Intense Pain May Occur and Rapid Analgesia is Required, An Algorithm for the …

by Gareth Parsons

Developing the reflexive dimension of reflection: a framework for debate

by Allyson Lipp

Lipp, A. (2007). Developing the reflexive dimension of reflection: A framework for debate. Multiple Research Approaches, 1(1), 18-26.

Reflexivity is defined and then explored as a meta-methodology for research as well as a means to stimulate... more Reflexivity is defined and then explored as a meta-methodology for research as well as a means to stimulate professional development using reflection as a platform.

Reflexivity is argued to be a deeper and broader dimension of reflection. A model of reflection, based on critical theory, is introduced to assist with the transition from reflection to reflexivity as the categories of the reflective model provide the foundation for the transition. Solutions are then outlined for the various challenges to reflexivity.

A preliminary framework for undertaking reflexivity is introduced in an effort to guide novices in this ever-more necessary adjunct to research and professional development.