Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to S Lawton.
There has been a reduction in the provision of specialist nursing care for dermatology patients. Low-status specialties are at greatest risk of erosion of their services. Lack of understanding results in a specialty being perceived as of low status.
A comparatiave study of purpose-made Vitrathene with a ready-made Tweeklon splint has been undertaken in 20 children with juvenile chronic arthritis who had such severe wrist and carpal involvement that a work splint was considered desirable. In half the dominant hand was splinted with Vitrathene and the other half Tweeklon. Assessments included the presence of soft-tissue swelling, extensor tenosynovitis and pain, together with the position and range of movement of the wrist, grip strength and functional tests. Tests included: maintenance of functional position, grip strength, dexterity, wear-resistance, and weight. Although the Vitrathene splint appeared better in the study, it was made by an experienced occupational therapist. The Tweeklon was applied by a physiotherapist reading the instructions which accompanied it; this took about a quarter of the time required to make the Vitrathene splints.
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Six tetraphenylporphyrins have been studied for their binding with human apohemoglobin and methemoglobin. Four showed binding with apohemoglobin, in a way hemin binds, to form analogs of recondtituted hemoglobin. Five porphyrins bound with methemoglobin, perhaps, through random ionic interaction.
During a four year period 6 patients from the total of 120 on home dialysis developed pericarditis with effusions. Plasma fibrinolytic activity, measured by euglobulin clot lysis time, was significantly reduced in these patients compared with either normal controls or dialysis patients without pericarditis. These dialysis patients without pericarditis as a group tended to have reduced plasma fibrinolytic activity compared with controls, but the difference was not significant. It is suggested that a reduction in the body's fibrinolytic activity may be a factor in the development of fibrinous pericarditis in chronic renal failure.
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This article gives an overview of eczema, including its assessment, the needs of patients with eczema and the management of eczema. The prevalence of all forms of eczema is unknown but there is evidence that atopic eczema is increasing. Nurses can play a vital role in the management of this condition by giving patients time for explanation and discussion.
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This article outlines the issues involved in assessing and managing patients who present with a vulval skin condition. It describes the anatomy of the vulval area, many of the skin conditions that nurses may encounter in their practice and potential treatment options for these conditions. The importance of accurate history-taking is emphasised and described, and appropriate referral to a specialist is also discussed.
Information technology in the nursing profession has been in existence for years, but only now with the growing presence of the Internet is it viewed as a possible platform to help meet the need for nurses' continuing educational development. For this to happen, it is important to know qualified nurses' experience with the Internet. In the United Kingdom, there is little understanding of whether community nurses have experience in using the Internet and if they do, how they use it. This article reports the findings of a survey questionnaire, taken in 1998, that was designed to target a random sample of 100 community nurses in Aberdeen, Scotland, to gauge awareness and attitudes toward the use of electronic sources of information for continuing education purposes. The response rate for the questionnaire was 83% (n = 83). A series of workshops was also undertaken, exploring the potential of the Internet and its access. A total of 52 people attended the workshops. One of the main aims of the workshops was to demystify the image of the computer, breaking down barriers for those with little or no experience in this field. The major findings of the survey and workshops indicate that although many respondents were interested in the potential benefits of the Internet to access information, there was little use made of and limited access to computer equipment.