207262196
Cough and cold medication use in young children: Pharmacist reaction to changes in Canada.
OBJECTIVE
To gauge how community pharmacists will approach questions from the public after Canada begins requiring product labels to state that cough and cold medications should not be used in children younger than 6 years of age.


DESIGN
Cross-sectional study.


SETTING
Province of Saskatchewan, Canada, in February 2009.


PARTICIPANTS
143 community pharmacists.


INTERVENTION
Questionnaire was faxed to target group.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Estimates of product use in children aged 2 years to younger than 6 years, pharmacist satisfaction with the new guidelines, and potential plans when the new labels reach the market.


RESULTS
143 pharmacists returned a completed questionnaire by fax. Pharmacists currently recommend products for head colds for children aged 2 years to younger than 6 years more often than antitussives for coughs. More pharmacists were dissatisfied with the new ruling compared with those who were satisfied, with a main concern being that it went too far. Respondents indicated that when the new labels are implemented, they would be more likely to recommend use of the products among close family members than among the public.


CONCLUSION
These results suggest some support for product efficacy but possible concern over potential liability. Pharmacists are also concerned that removing dosing guidelines from packaging may not fully deter parental use of such products.
9219755
Consumer expectations of nonprescription medications according to location of sale.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the public has different expectations of nonprescription medications based on location of sale.


DESIGN
Cross-sectional, descriptive.


SETTING
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, during the summer of 2003.


PARTICIPANTS
2,102 randomly selected citizens.


INTERVENTION
Mail survey.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Differences in expectations for potency, safety, adverse effects, effectiveness, and package information of products sold in pharmacies versus convenience stores.


RESULTS
The response rate was 57.2%. Most participants (81.2%) were aware that nonprescription medications could be purchased in convenience stores, but far fewer (42.3%) had done so. As one potential resource during purchases, pharmacists were held in reasonably high regard. Expectations with the greatest difference were of a merchandising nature. Respondents expected pharmacies to have a better quality and selection of products and lower prices. For drug-related attributes, differences were minimal but statistically significant.


CONCLUSION
Location of sale does not appear to have any practical influence on consumer expectations of the drug-related attributes of nonprescription medications. Buyers of such products expect similar properties to be present regardless of location.
31432346
Hepatitis delta virus: Cis and Trans functions required for replication
33681413
The impact of manual handling on nursing home resident mobility during transfers on and off furniture: a systematic review.
This systematic review aimed to investigate the impact of staff manual handling practices and physical training interventions on nursing home residents' ability to transfer on and off furniture. Key words and subject headings were used to search databases for English language studies published after 1994. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies of physical activity interventions indicated that physical activity training will benefit residents' transfer ability. One study examined the effect of a safe manual handling program on resident quality care outcomes. Further research is required into the nature and impact of the assistance provided by staff to residents during transfers. Innovative and sustainable approaches to safe manual handling that promote resident mobility are needed.
3193958
The influence of protection, palliation and costs on mobility optimization of residents in nursing homes: a thematic analysis of discourse.
BACKGROUND
With the aging of the population, increasing numbers of older people live in nursing homes. Discourse such as policies and standards highlight the need to optimize the mobility independence of residents. This is expected to occur in a way that is safe for residents and staff whilst meeting the residents' needs. The influence of discourse on health care delivery can be poorly understood, being at times hidden or taken for granted. The aim of this study was to uncover discourse relevant to resident mobility optimization to enable the origins and reasoning behind existing and intersecting policy and practice to be critically appraised.


DESIGN
Narrative literature review and thematic analysis with a focus on discourse were employed for this study.


DATA SOURCES
Databases (CINAHL and Ovid Medline) and websites of relevant professional and governmental bodies were accessed.


METHOD
A literature search centered on retrieval of texts focused on discourses that influenced goals to optimize resident mobility. Database searches for texts covered the period from 1994 to 2011. Iterative thematic analysis focussed on the texts' socio-cultural context and influence.


FINDINGS
Four discourses emerged that potentially influence goals to optimize resident mobility: safe manual handling; falls prevention; palliative care; and costs and funding constraints to individualized care. These discourses may influence mobility care in the direction of more routinized, passive and dependency support approaches. A common overarching theme was that of collaboration and communication.


CONCLUSION
Discourses such as safe manual handling, falls prevention, palliative care and cost constraints to individualized care can negatively impact on the goal to optimize the mobility of residents in nursing homes. Inter-professional approaches where staff work collaboratively and communicate well may counter such influences and ensure individualized care that focuses more effectively on resident mobility.
24035579
Substance Use Disorders and Cluster B Personality Disorders: Physiological, Cognitive, and Environmental Correlates in a College Sample
Substance use disorders (SUDs) and Cluster B personality disorders (PDs) are both marked by impulsivity and poor behavioral control and may result in part from shared neurobiological or executive cognitive functioning deficits. To examine the potential utility of such models in explaining variance in SUDs and PDs at the lower end of symptom expression and impairment, 123 (73 female) volunteer college students were administered 2 measures of executive cognitive functioning; a task assessing autonomic reactivity to aversive noise blasts; a life events and a peer substance use measure; and structured clinical interviews to assess symptoms of substance abuse/dependence and antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic PDs. As expected, symptoms of SUDs and PDs were significantly positively correlated. Antisocial PD, alcohol and cannabis use disorder symptoms were significantly positively related to proportion of friends who use alcohol and drugs regularly and drug use among romantic partners. Number of negative life events was positively related to PD symptoms and to alcohol use disorder symptoms. Executive cognitive functioning was not related to SUD and PD symptoms in the expected direction. Findings suggest that, among higher functioning young adults, environmental factors may be particularly relevant to our understanding of SUDs and certain PDs.
18213491
The smacking controversy: what advice should we be giving parents?
BACKGROUND
Even among countries that have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child there is much disagreement about corporal punishment of children. Last year the Scottish Executive proposed a new law banning the smacking of children under the age of three, becoming the tenth European nation to do so. The proposal, currently abandoned whilst ostensibly still under debate, has raised a wave of controversy in child protection circles. In the nearest neighbouring country, England, a similar proposal was robustly rejected. PURPOSE OF THE PAPER: Given an increasing family and community focus in nursing, the implications of the debate for the profession cannot be ignored. What should we be telling 'ordinary' families about smacking? Thus this paper presents a positional statement on the smacking controversy and outlines some pointers for practice.


DISCUSSION
While for many the legislation proposed does not go far enough, others decry it as a breach of parental rights and, thus, the issue has become hugely controversial. Media opinion and various opposing campaigns dominate both public and professional spheres. Rights, responsibilities, examples from other countries, culture and gender are all used as fodder in the debate. Extreme examples are cited by both sides and used as grist for what are at times tenuous arguments. As there is even a division within child protection arenas, practising professionals may struggle to find a way through the maze of seemingly contradictory findings from research, policy and opinion.


CONCLUSIONS
A wide range of literature suggests that both public and professional opinion is divided on the use of smacking as a form of discipline of young children. Opinion is also divided on the ability of legislation to bring about change in social attitudes and behaviour. Health care professionals need to be in a position to recommend best practice and to do so consistently.