Plos One
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Patients who leave Emergency Department before physician's visit (LWBS) or during treatment (LDT) represent a useful indicator of the emergency care's quality. The profile of patients LWBS was described: they are generally males, young, with lower urgency triage allocation and longer waiting time. They have a greater risk of ED re-admission compared to discharged patients, but effect on hospitalization and mortality are more controversial. The aims of this study are to identify determinants and adverse short term outcomes for LWBS and LDT patients. ⋯ Determinants of LWBS confirmed what already known, but LDT patients should be further investigated. There could be adverse health effects for people with LWBS and LDT behaviour. This could be an issue that the Regional Health System should deal with.
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Although advance directives (AD) have been implemented for years in western countries, the concept of AD is not promoted extensively in eastern countries. In this study we evaluate a program to systematically conduct advance care planning (ACP) communication for hospitalized patients in Taiwan and identify the factors associated with AD completion. ⋯ The majority of inpatients with chronic life-limiting illness had ACP communication as part of this ACP program and over 80% completed an AD. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of implementing ACP discussion in East Asia and suggests that social workers may be an important component of ACP communication with patients.
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The lifecycle perspective reminds us that the roots of adult ill-health may start in-utero or in early childhood. Nutritional and infectious disease insults in early life, the critical first 1000 days, are associated with stunting in childhood, and subsequent short adult stature. There is limited or no opportunity for stunted children above 2 years of age to experience catch-up growth. Some previous research has shown short maternal height to lead to adverse birth outcomes. In this paper, we document the association between maternal height and caesarean section, and between maternal height and neonatal mortality in 34 sub-Saharan African countries. We also explore the appropriate height cut-offs to use. Our paper contributes arguments to support a focus on preventing non-communicable risk factors, namely early childhood under-nutrition, as part of the fight to reduce caesarean section rates and other adverse maternal and newborn health outcomes, particularly neonatal mortality. We focus on the Sub-Saharan Africa region because it carries the highest burden of maternal and neonatal ill-health. ⋯ Short stature is associated with an increased prevalence of caesarean section and neonatal mortality, particularly on the newborn's first days. These results are even more striking because we know that caesarean section rates tend to be higher among wealthier and more educated women, who are often taller and that the same patterns may hold for neonatal survival; in such cases, adjusting for wealth, education and urban residence would attenuate these associations. Caesarean sections can be lifesaving operations; however, they cost the health system and families more, and are associated with worse health outcomes. We suggest that our findings be used to argue for policies targeting stunting in infant girls and potential catch-up growth in adolescence and early adulthood, aiming to increase their adult height and thus decrease their subsequent risk of experiencing caesarean section and adverse birth outcomes.
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Unrecognized endobronchial intubation frequently occurs after emergency intubation. However, no study has evaluated the effect of one-lung ventilation on end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). We compared the hemodynamic parameters, blood gases, and ETCO2 during one-lung ventilation with those during conventional two-lung ventilation in a pig model of CPR, to determine the effect of the former on ETCO2. ⋯ However, the levels of these blood gases did not differ between the left-lung and two-lung ventilations. In a pig model of CPR, ETCO2 was significantly lower during right-lung ventilation than during two-lung ventilation. However, interestingly, ETCO2 during left-lung ventilation was comparable to that during two-lung ventilation.
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An important aim of teaching philosophy in Dutch secondary schools is to learn about philosophy (that is, the great philosophers) by doing philosophy. In an earlier study published in PLoS ONE, we focused on the relationship between student learning activities and teacher behavior by analyzing eight lessons. ⋯ We replicated this finding in the current study, using 10 new lessons, and elaborated on the relationship between the likely causes for doing philosophy effectively. The data suggest that conducting a dialogue in the form of a philosophical discussion is sufficient for achieving an effective lesson, whereas the teachers' guidance being shared with the students is a necessary but not sufficient condition for achieving an effective lesson.