Patient assessment in ambulatory surgery. A questionnaire study

In our department, from the beginning of December 1994 to the end of February 1995, we operated upon a selected group of 199 patients, hospitalized as day surgery patients. Each patient was given a questionnaire to fill in after discharge. We asked them to evaluate day surgery from the consumer's point of view. We did not record any data which could identify the single patient. We received 158 questionnaires (79%) of which 151 were accepted. One hundred and seven patients (71%) found day surgery acceptable and a good alternative to conventional hospitalization, 82% preferred having the same doctor and primary nursing during the treatment. One hundred and sixteen patients were discharged as planned (77%). There were no serious complications. Provided that patients are carefully selected, we find day surgery a highly satisfactory method of management which is safe and efficient.     

Sarcoidosis and thyrotoxicosis: A study of five patients

Regional blood flow of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and cardiac output have been determined in male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing from 30-726 g. The cardiac output (ml/min per kg) was highest in rats weighing 80-100 g. In heavier rats the cardiac output decreased proportionally with the body weight. The gradient of blood flow to the different parts of the GI tract develops step by step. In the weaning period the blood flow (ml/min per g tissue) through the stomach was less than that through the distal parts of the GI tract. However, the blood flow through the small intestine, cecum and large intestine was uniform at this age. In rats weighing 80-100 g the blood flow through both the cecum and large intestine was less than that through the small intestine. The gradient in blood flow through the various segments of small intestine developed last.     

Diagnosis and treatment of renal traumas in childhood (author's transl)

The diagnosis of a kidney trauma is discussed and the great importance of angiography besides i. v. urography and retrograde pyelogram is pointed out. In surgical treatment exact urinary diversion and wound drainage are most important points to avoid later complications.     

Unnecessary medical interventions. A questionnaire study among physicians and laymen

The aim of the study was to survey attitudes among medical doctors and lay people to unsolicited medical intervention. The design of the study was an anonymous questionnaire study including three scenarios implying ethical considerations. A total of 445 medical doctors working within different areas received the questionnaire, as did 75 medical students and 600 lay people. The results showed a response rate of 67%, highest among medical doctors and students. The lay people had significantly higher expectations concerning the medical intervention in two out of three scenarios compared to medical doctors and students. The participants were offered the opportunity to comment on the questionnaire. The conclusion of the Danish survey is that there is a significantly different approach to unsolicited medical intervention among lay people compared to medical doctors and students. Medical doctors are less disposed to perform unsolicited intervention compared with the wishes/expectations of the lay people. More open attitudes and information as well as better communication is recommended.     

Social class in childhood and general health in adulthood: questionnaire study of contribution of psychological attributes

OBJECTIVE: To determine the contribution of psychological attributes (personality characteristics and coping styles) to the association between social class in childhood and adult health among men and women. DESIGN: Partly retrospective, partly cross sectional study conducted in the framework of the Dutch GLOBE study. SUBJECTS: Sample of general population from south east Netherlands consisting of 2174 men and women aged 25-74 years. Baseline self reported data from 1991 provided information on childhood and adult social class, psychological attributes, and general health. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Self rated poor health. RESULTS: Independent of adult social class, low childhood social class was related to self rated poor health (odds ratio 1.67 (95% confidence interval 1.02 to 2.75) for subjects whose fathers were unskilled manual workers versus subjects whose fathers were higher grade professionals). Subjects whose fathers were manual workers generally had more unfavourable personality profiles and more negative coping styles. External locus of control, neuroticism, and the absence of active problem focused coping explained about half of the association between childhood social class and self rated poor health. The findings were independent of adult social class and height. CONCLUSIONS: A higher prevalence of negative personality profiles and adverse coping styles in subjects who grew up in lower social classes explains part of the association between social class in childhood and adult health. This finding underlines the importance of psychological mechanisms in the examination of the negative effects of adverse socioeconomic conditions in childhood.     

Preoperative care and anesthesia in surgical treatment of thyrotoxicosis

Light microscopy was used to study the structure and cellular organization of the osphradial organ of the pulmonary mollusque L. stagnalis. The osphradium unites the epithelial canal and the ganglion consisting of two cell populations. On the internal surface of the V-shaped osphradial canal there are three zones of cells: secretory, villous and epithelial. The villous zone of the canal is related with sensory bipolar and multipolar neurons of the ganglion. The irritation percepted by these cells seems to be transferred through numerous zones of neuropile to large unipolar neurons of the ganglion cortical layer.     

A twin study of objectively assessed personality in childhood.

Obtained objectively assessed measures of activity, fidgeting, vigilance, selective attention, and aggression for a sample of 87 twin pairs in late childhood (mean age 7.6 yrs). Data included videotaped observations in standardized situations, objective test scores, and mechanical measures. Test–retest reliability was obtained for all measures. Contrary to results of questionnaire studies, there was little evidence for genetic influence on reliable and objective behavioral assessments. Also in disagreement with questionnaire studies, between-family environmental sources of variance were far more important than within-family factors. (35 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Occurrence of asthma and chronic bronchitis among female hairdressers. A questionnaire study

AIMS: We examined the relationship between apoptosis and three different major stages of human breast carcinoma: intraductal carcinoma (DCIS), infiltrating duct carcinoma (IDC) and metastatic carcinoma in lymph nodes. We also determined the correlation between apoptosis and oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and p53. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study investigates the extent of apoptosis in 63 breast carcinomas by in-situ end-labelling, in formalin-fixed, paraffin-processed tissue sections. The 63 breast carcinomas, included 22 DCISs, 26 IDCs, three infiltrating lobular carcinomas (ILC) and 12 metastatic lymph nodes. The apoptotic labelling index was higher in DCIS than IDC and metastatic carcinoma (P < 0.001, P < 0.007, respectively). By immunohistochemistry, we also analysed p53, ER and PR. Apoptosis correlated significantly with p53 (r = 0.748, P = 0.0004) in IDC. Also, ER correlated significantly with PR (r = 0.629, P = 0.00001). No apparent correlation was found between the apoptosis and ER or PR. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that not only does apoptosis differ between intraductal carcinoma and infiltrating carcinoma but also it might be regulated by altered p53 expression.     

Prosocial development in middle childhood: A longitudinal study.

Examined change in prosocial moral judgment over a 7-year period; determined whether there are gender differences in the development of prosocial moral judgment; and examined the interrelations of moral judgment, affect (empathy), and behavior in middle childhood. Participants were two groups of children who have been followed for 5 and 7 years and two groups of children interviewed for the first time at either ages 9–10 or 11–22. Hedonistic reasoning decreased with age; simple needs-oriented moral judgments increased with age and then leveled off; most other more sophisticated types of reasoning increased in a linear fashion with age. Modes of reasoning that most explicitly reflect role taking or empathy increased in use with age for girls but not for boys. Empathy was positively related to needs-oriented judgments and to higher-level prosocial reasoning and was negatively related to hedonistic reasoning (depending on the age of the children). Empathy was positively related to donating at 11–22 years of age but not at 9–20 years of age. Relations between behavior and reasoning varied depending on the structure and costs of a specific behavior. The results are discussed in relation to theory and research concerning developmental change in moral reasoning and possible mediators of prosocial development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Family treatment of childhood anxiety: A controlled trial.

A family-based treatment for childhood anxiety was evaluated. Children (n?=?79) aged 7 to 14 who fulfilled diagnostic criteria for separation anxiety, overanxious disorder, or social phobia were randomly allocated to 3 treatment conditions: cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), CBT plus family management (CBT+ FAM ), and waiting list. The effectiveness of the interventions was evaluated at posttreatment and at 6 and 12 months follow-up. The results indicated that across treatment conditions, 69.8% of the children no longer fulfilled diagnostic criteria for an anxiety disorder, compared with 26% of the waiting-list children. At the 1 2-month follow-up, 70.3% of the children in the CBT group and 95.6% of the children in the CBT + FAM group did not meet criteria. Comparisons of children receiving CBT with those receiving CBT+ FAM on self-report measures and clinician ratings indicated added benefits from CBT+ FAM treatment. Age and gender interacted with treatment condition, with younger children and female participants responding better to the CBT+ FAM condition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A longitudinal study of the relation between representations of attachment in childhood and cognitive functioning in childhood and adolescence.

85 Icelandic children (41 girls and 44 boys) participated in a study on the relations among attachment representations (AREP), self-confidence (SEC), and cognitive functioning (COF) in childhood and adolescence. AREP and SEC were assessed at age 7 on the basis of children's responses to a separation story and observations made by independent observers. COF was measured at ages 7, 9, 12, 15, and 17 yrs based on a battery of Piagetian tasks assessing concrete and formal reasoning. Children with a secure attachment representation were favored in their cognitive performance in childhood and adolescence. Children with an insecure–disorganized attachment representation were particularly disadvantaged on deductive reasoning tasks. SEC played a significant but varying role in mediating the effects of AREP on COF. The study controlled for IQ and attention difficulties. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral treatment of childhood obesity.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 103(3) of Psychological Bulletin (see record 2008-10688-001). Tables 1 and 2 contain several errors. The correct data is provided in the erratum. These errors do not influence any of the main points or conclusions in this article.] Obesity is a common problem in children and is associated with an increased risk of adult obesity. Twenty-four studies on the behavioral treatment of childhood obesity are reviewed. Studies involving comparisons of behavioral treatment with no treatment or placebos have shown the superiority of behavioral treatment. In addition, the effects of a number of treatment factors on outcome are suggested. These factors include parental involvement, the arrangement of treatment contingencies, and exercise. Several directions for future research are presented, including selecting which children to treat, individualizing treatment, prevention, community programs, and the side effects of weight control. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of childhood disorders.

Clinicians today face difficulties in appropriately assisting children with mood disorders, whose parents may challenge diagnostic and treatment decisions based on potentially faulty information obtained from unregulated sources (e.g., the Internet, commercial books, other media). In light of this problem, as well as the U.S. Surgeon General's recent call for increases in evidence-based diagnosis and treatment of childhood disorders, it is important that psychologists educate themselves and their clients about evidence-based practices. Evidence-based assessment and psychosocial and psychopharmacological treatment procedures for childhood unipolar and bipolar mood disorders are reviewed, and specific practice recommendations are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)