Pigment stones are thought to form as a result of deconjugation of bilirubin by bacterial beta-glucuronidase, which results in precipitation of calcium bilirubinate. Calcium bilirubinate is then aggregated into stones by an anionic glycoprotein. Slime (glycocalyx), an anionic glycoprotein produced by bacteria causing foreign body infections, has been implicated in the formation of the precipitate that blocks biliary stents. We previously showed that bacteria are present within the pigment portions of gallstones and postulated a bacterial role in pigment stone formation through beta-glucuronidase or slime production. Ninety-one biliary bacterial isolates from 61 patients and 12 control stool organisms were tested for their production of beta-glucuronidase and slime. The average slime production was 42 for biliary bacteria and 2.5 for stool bacteria (P <0.001). Overall, 73% of biliary bacteria and 8% of stool bacteria produced slime (optical density >3). In contrast, only 38% of biliary bacteria produced beta-glucuronidase. Eighty-two percent of all patients, 90% of patients with common bile duct (CBD) stones, 100% of patients with primary CBD stones, and 93% of patients with biliary tubes had one or more bacterial species in their stones that produced slime. By comparison, only 47% of all patients, 60% of patients with CBD stones, 62% of patients with primary CBD stones, and 50% of patients with biliary tubes had one or more bacteria that produced beta-glucuronidase. Most biliary bacteria produced slime, and slime production correlated better than beta-glucuronidase production did with stone formation and the presence of biliary tubes or stents. Patients with primary CBD stones and biliary tubes had the highest incidence of slime production. These findings suggest that bacterial slime is important in gallstone formation and the blockage of biliary tubes.

Bacteria↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Position statement on the role of health care assistants who are involved in direct patient care activities within critical care areas.

Intensive care has developed as a speciality since the 1950s, and during this time, there have been major technological advances in health care provision, leading to a rapid expansion of all areas of critical care. The ongoing problem in recruiting qualified nurses in general has affected, and continues to be a problem for, all aspects of critical care areas. During the past decade, nursing practice has evolved, as qualified nurses have expanded their own scope of practice to develop a more responsive approach to the complex care needs of the critically ill patient. The aim of this paper is to present the British Association of Critical Care Nurses (BACCN) position statement on the role of health care assistants involved in direct patient care activities, and to address some of the key work used to inform the development of the position statement.

Clinical Competence↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Health care assistants' role, function and development: results of a national survey.

Intensive care has developed as a speciality since the 1950s; during this time there have been major technological advances in health care provision leading to a rapid expansion of all areas of critical care. The ongoing problem of recruiting appropriately qualified nurses has affected staffing levels in many units and continues to be a national problem. For many, the answer lies in employing health care assistants to support the work of registered nurses. A key aim of the British Association of Critical Care Nurses is to promote the art and science of critical care nursing by providing representation for its members, by responding to political and professional change and by producing and publishing position statements. A primary component of the work surrounding the development of this second position statement was the gathering of contemporary information in relation to the role of health care assistants within critical care units throughout the UK, through a survey of 645 critical care units within the UK. At present the impact upon the role of the critical care nurse is not fully understood, with research in this area suggesting that although there is a role for the health care assistant in the critical care environment, this should only be undertaken with a full analysis of this impact upon the work of the registered nurse.

Allied Health Personnel↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The 24-hour shelf-life of cytapheresis platelet concentrates stored in polyvinyl chloride containers should be extended only with caution.

A recent publication suggested that the 24-hour allowable shelf-life of apheresis platelet concentrates collected by open-system techniques be extended to 48 hours because platelets collected in this fashion usually remain sterile for that length of time. The current studies, however, show that the quality of platelet concentrates deteriorates rapidly after storage for more than 24 hours in the relatively small-volume, polyvinyl chloride containers of currently marketed, open-system software, as evidenced by the falling pH, the disintegration of platelets, and the inability of platelets to recover from hypotonic shock. Platelets were markedly defective within 48 hours. Thus, it seems unwise to extend the shelf-life of such platelet concentrates beyond 24 hours solely because they are likely to remain sterile. Collection techniques and software must also be modified to ensure satisfactory platelet quality before the period of storage should be extended.

Blood Component Removal↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Competing demands in the office visit: what influences mammography recommendations?

BACKGROUND: The multiple competing demands of the busy office visit have been shown to interfere with delivery of preventive services. In this study we used physician recommendations for screening mammography to examine the relative importance of physician, patient, and visit characteristics in determining on which patient visits this preventive service will be provided. METHODS: Physicians in the Ambulatory Sentinel Practice Network (ASPN) completed a questionnaire describing their knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about screening mammography. They also described the content of a series of nonacute care visits with women aged 40 to 75 years with regard to making a recommendation when the patient was due for screening mammography. The data were linked, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression methods were used to examine the relative importance of physician, patient, and visit characteristics on making a recommendation for mammography. RESULTS: Ninety-three physicians reported making a recommendation for screening mammography on 53.1% of nonacute visits. When modeling physician, patient, and visit characteristics separately, 70% of the variability in the model is explained by physician characteristics only, 63% by patient characteristics only, and 73% by visit characteristics only. A combined model using all characteristics explained 85% of the variability. CONCLUSIONS: Although characteristics of physicians and patients can predict frequency of recommendations for mammography, the specific characteristics of the visit are equally important. Efforts to improve delivery of preventive services in primary care that emphasize physician education and performance feedback are unlikely to increase rates of mammography recommendation. Effective strategies must consider the multiple competing demands faced by patients and physicians during each office visit and seek ways for assisting them in setting rational priorities for services.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of exposure, storage times, and types of holding media on the drag-swab monitoring technique for Salmonella.

Four maintenance media were compared for the preservation of the sensitivity of drag swabs and to assess the survival of Salmonella spp. on drag swabs at reduced temperatures. The effects of Difco double-strength skim milk (2 x SM), 2% buffered peptone water (BPW), a modified liquid Cary-Blair transport medium (LCB), and lactose broth holding medium were compared, as were storage periods of various lengths. The results with enzyme-linked immunosorbent antigen capture assay and highly selective plating media detection systems showed that 2 x SM had the highest level of recovery of salmonellae after prolonged storage, both under refrigeration at 4 C for 3 days and under frozen conditions of -15 C for 2 weeks.

Animals↗