Search

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Background: Atopic dermatitis is a chronic skin disease of childhood. Non-adherence to medical treatment is correlated with inadequacy of the information parents receive from health professionals, parental corticophobia and a poor prognosis. A key point for enhancing the effectiveness of the treatment is the provision of organized and evidence-based education by a specialist nurse. Aim: To illustrate the contribution of educational intervention provided by a specialist nurse to children with atopic dermatitis and their parents. Method: A systematic review was made of published articles through PubMed database for the period 2000 to 2010, using the key words "quality of life of children with atopic eczema", "nurse education for atopic dermatitis", "compliance for atopic eczema", "nurse educational intervention to atopic eczema", "nurse specialist for atopic dermatitis". The inclusion criteria for this review were: (a) Papers published in the English language, (b) date of publication between 2000 and 2010, (c) papers referring to children with atopic dermatitis and their parents, (d) articles referring to organized nurse educationalintervention and its results. Through a search of articles published in English referring to atopic dermatitis (730), 69 results were found relevant to the study aims, of which 12 qualified for further analysis. Results: Educational intervention by a nurse practitioner significantly decreases the severity of the disease and improves the quality of life of both the children and their parents. In addition the degree of satisfaction of the patients is positively associated with awareness brought by a nurse specialist based on a patient-centered approach according to the age of the children, with the severity of the disease, and with the time given for conducting counseling meetings. Conclusions: The degree to which atopic dermatitis affects children depends on their compliance with treatment, regular monitoring and continuous guidance by a nurse educator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of oral contraceptives (OCs) is very popular and widespread, as at least 100 million women worldwide use them, not only for birth control, but also for many other purposes. The safety of OCs has been thoroughly examined, and a great number of studies have been conducted to investigate the correlation between OC use and breast cancer, but with conflicting conclusions. Aim: Review of the correlation found between OC intake and the risk of breast cancer in a wide age range of women who took the pill either during the observation time or before. Method: Search of the electronic databases Cochrane library, PubMed, Medline, and Google Scholar, using the key words: "contraceptives", "oral", "cancer", "breast", "risk", "hormones", revealed 69 relevant primary studies. The inclusion criteria for this review were: (a) Papers published in the English language, (b) papers that refer solely to the specific breast cancer type and the specific kind of hormone treatment, (c)exclusion of studies that included cancer induction risk factors, such as the genetic factor BRCA 1,2, and (d) papers published between 1990 and 2010. Only 30 studies ultimately met the inclusion criteria. Results: A linear correlation between duration of OK intake and breast cancer incidence was identified by a small number of studies. The age of first OC use was found to be slightly correlated with breast cancer incidence in some studies, but others showed opposite results. Concerning correlation between the OC dose or type of hormones used and breast cancer incidence, it has been shown that women aged 20-44 years that used OCs containing >35 μg of ethinyl oestradiol had an approximate risk 50% higher than that of non-users (RR=1.99, RR= 1.27, respectively). OCs containing high-dose progestin were related to a higher breast cancer incidence among women aged under 35 years, with RR 8.11. Second generation OCs showed an overall higher risk for breast cancer than the absence of use of OCs. Conclusions: The dosage and type of OC, the age of the woman at first use and the duration of the use all play a role in breast cancer incidence, according to a number of studies, while others failed to demonstrate statistically significantdifferences between users and non-users. On balance, the results derived from the studies were inconclusive with regard to obtaining a firm connection between OCs and breast cancer incidence. The need for further monitoring is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Nosileftiki is the property of Hellenic Nurses' Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: The impact of cancer in the mental realm is an issue of huge interest, which has been studied for decades by health care scientists and psychologists. The review of medical literature reveals that approximately one in two patients with cancer manifest psychiatric disorders due to the illness. In the case of breast cancer, patients often experience anxiety and depression problems involving also their families, either as a side effect of therapeutic approaches that are followed, or as an effect of the disease itself. So, an in-depth analysis and understanding of these problems is extremely important, aiming to tackle them. Aim: The purpose of this article is to analyze the impact of breast cancer in the psychological world of the patient and her family, regarding the generation of feelings of anxiety and depression. Method: A comprehensive search in the bibliographic databases “Medline” and “ScienceDirect” has been conducted, along with a search over HEAL-Link. The keywords used included “breast cancer”, “family” and “psychological implications”. The search referred to articles from 1995 to 2012, whereas purely medical articles on breast cancer were excluded. Results: The paper identified extensive international research on the subject of stress and depression that breast cancer incurs to patients. The psychological morbidity causes are summarized in the cancer itself, as well as in the therapeutic approaches followed by the patient. Its implications lie in the patient and the quality of her mental life, in her family, in the social environment and in the disease itself, exacerbating its effects. Conclusions: There are consequences to both the quality of life of the patient and the disease itself. For this reason, a careful behavior towards the patient is needed, as well as patience on behalf of the patient herself. In addition, there are several internationally proposed ways of therapeutic approach to depression and anxiety that causes the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific evidences are about the results of studies that are conducted in health sciences and are used in everyday clinical practice in combination with clinical experience and patients' values. For this reason, health scientists must rely on the results that come from reliable and valid studies. Today, articles are searched and found relatively easily and immediately via the internet, using the various databases with regards to health sciences. Finding of appropriate evidence in databases requires common sense, knowledge, experience and patience. During the time, adaptation to the databases is increased continuously and literature search becomes easier and leads to more valid results. Successful search and recovery of the appropriate articles in databases are determined to a large extent from key-words or, differently, from search terms that are used by the investigators. Substantially, the key-words are those that determine the validity of recovery of appropriate articles. Moreover, it is very important to determine with clarity the research question that is to be investigated. The most important databases via the internet with regards to health sciences are the following: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Collaboration, CINAHL, ISI Web of Knowledge, PsycINFO, Scopus, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, COS Conference Papers Index, Scirus, ClinicalTrials.gov and IATROTEK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is current practice for biotechnological companies that conduct innovative genetic research to develop patents, in order to safeguard their research results and inventions. Aim: Review of the ethical, theological and legal questions that arise from the application of patents in human genetics. Method: A literature review was conducted on review papers and original research articles from Medline, Scopus and IATPOTEK databases, covering the period 1978-2008 and using as key-words: "Bioethics", "patents on human genes", "legislation", "Orthodox ethics". Results: The main ethical arguments expressed against patents in human genetics are the following: (a) Genes are present in nature and consequently genetic research constitutes not invention but discovery, and (b) "patents" on human genetic material will have negative consequences for both health care and health research. On the other hand, the biotechnological companies support their argument that genetic patents provide them with protection, which is important because they undertake the risk of investing enormous funds in genetic research with a view to introducing into the market new and useful products that will be of eventual benefit to society. The Orthodox church, applying anthropological teaching, is against the commercialization of health, considering that all persons should have equal access to medical services, independent of their economic situation or social origin. Finally, the documented legal approach to the issue of genetic patents is that human genes are an integral part of the human body and therefore genetic patenting follows the same principles that define the legal protection of individuals. When, however, the genetic material has undergone sufficient treatment and transformation, it is possible to get a patent. Conclusions: The welfare state should take the appropriate measures to protect human dignity, but also to promote scientific research. Whenever innovative genetic research leads to concrete biotechnological applications, it should be protected with authorization of a patent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the course of their work, nurses care for patients before they are born, after they have died and during the lifetime in between. For the appropriate execution of certain tasks it is necessary to use certain procedure manuals containing detailed instructions on specific nursing procedures, which provide documentation of appropriate nursing practice. Such a procedure manual directs nursing practices related to the death of a patient, and the laying out of the body in preparation for the funeral director or coroner, ensuring that these practices are carried out in a legally and culturally safe way. Unfortunately, many Greek hospitals and health care agencies do not have such a procedure manual at their disposal, and if a manual is available, it is usually either out of date or not documented or disregarded, remaining on the shelf until nurses are confronted with the unfamiliar. This paper explores: (a) the nursing care of the terminally ill patient, (b) the important role of the nurse in recognizing the spiritual and religious needs of the terminally ill patient, and (c) a documented protocol for post- mortem care, taking into account specific cases such as infants and children, criminal involvement in death, high risk infectious diseases and patients whose religion is other than Christianity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the international literature the term evidence-based practice in nursing is synonymous with professional, rational thinking that enables transparent, responsible, rationally articulated and legally defensible nursing actions. However, the questions of what constitutes evidence, who decides on the validity of the various types of evidence and how evidence-based practice can be integrated into Greek nursing are highly controversial. The aims of this paper are to transpose the term evidencebased practice into the Greek setting and to provide a historical review and analysis of the term, with the overall objective of integrating its core concepts into Greek nursing practice. A literature search was made in the CINAHL search engine and articles and books on the relevant topic were hand-selected and analysed. The historical overview and analysis of the term evidencebased practice reveals the construction of two different schools of thought, based on; a) evidence emerging from randomized controlled trials, and b) evidence emerging from reflective analysis of specific clinical cases. The aims and objectives of Greek nursing would be best served by adoption of the second school of thought, related to the concept of evidence based on clinical experience. Greek nurses should be educated adequately and facilitated appropriately in the clinical setting so as to be able to practice their profession using reflective techniques. This will enable nursing practitioners to make a critical assessment of the range of evidence and its uniqueness for each patient, in order to plan their clinical practice using the evidence that is most relevant for that particular patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]