Infertility education in baccalaureate schools of nursing

The increasing number of couples who enter the current health care system for assistance with fertility needs warrants an examination of the ways nurse educators are preparing nurse generalists to meet those needs. A survey was conducted of baccalaureate nursing programs to determine what, if any, information was being presented on infertility. Analysis of data with a 50% return rate indicated most schools of nursing in this sample are in fact including some information on infertility in their curricula. What is interesting to note is only slightly more than half of respondents included information on the emotional and psychosocial issues of infertility, despite the fact that the greatest cost of infertility is the emotional one. One of the major concerns of infertile couples is health care providers, including nurses, do not seem to understand what they are experiencing. How do nurses obtain such understanding if they are not prepared in their educational program to do so?     

A systematic approach to definitive planning for osseointegrated implant prostheses

Thoughtful design selection is crucial for the perpetual success of any dental implant restoration. This article reviews treatment considerations specific to the postsurgical presentation of the implant patient. Deviations from the originally planned design may be necessary at this time. Indications for the selection of specific prosthetic modalities are offered in a sequence of paradigms to support the cognitive skills of the inexperienced clinician.     

Acute ethanol intoxication increases the risk of infection following penetrating abdominal trauma

Acute alcohol (ETOH) intoxication as a risk factor for infection in trauma victims to our knowledge has not been previously reported. To determine if ETOH intoxication increases infection risk we examined data from 365 patients with penetrating abdominal trauma who were enrolled in a multi-center antibiotic study. Ninety-four patients sustained an injury to a hollow viscus. To separate acute from chronic ETOH effects, infections were divided into two categories: (1) trauma related; infections caused by bacterial contamination at the time of injury, while blood alcohol level (BAL) was elevated. (2) nosocomial; infections caused by bacteria acquired during hospital stay, after BAL had normalized. A BAL > or = 200 mg/dL was associated with a 2.6-fold increase in trauma-related infections. There was no association between BAL and subsequent nosocomial infection. Since infection rates for intoxicated patients were not higher after BAL had normalized, acute rather than chronic effects of ETOH appear to be responsible.     

Serial measurements of left ventricular ejection fraction by radionuclide angiography early and late after myocardial infarction

1-Acyl-2-succinyl glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (GPC) was synthesized and its properties described. Although 1-acyl-2-succinyl GPC is a good substrate for succinate dehydrogenase, experiments on the incorporation of [2,3-14C] succinate into mitochondrial lipids gave no evidence to indicate that it is an intermediate in the enzymic oxidation of succinate to fumerate, as has been suggested earlier.