Violence Towards Health Care Staff: Risk Factors, Aftereffects, Evaluation and Prevention

There has been an increase in violence against physicians and healthcare staff in the health-care environment in recent years. The risk of violence remains stronger in people working in health institutions than the ones working in other businesses. Results of previous studies in this issue consistently confirmed the fact that violence in health care business is quite higher in frequency than the violence reported in other business environments. However it has also been reported that only attacks resulting in serious injuries have been considered as incidents of violence and other violence attempts are inclined not to be reported to legal authorities resulting in a much lower official rates. Not only patients but also the relatives of patients have been reported to expose violence against healthcare workers. Verbal violence were found to be more common than physical violence. Violence incidents happen most commonly in the emergency room settings, and psychiatric clinic settings. Health care staff exposed to violence usually suffer from anxiety and restlessness as psychological after-effects. Health care workers are not sufficiently trained about how to cope with acute and chronic effects of violent behavior. This issue should be handled within the framework of medical faculty and related schools’ curriculum. All health care staff including physicians should get sufficient education to take immediate actions on such incidents. Unfortunately in Turkey, there is no specific legal regulation related to violence towards health employees. The verbal attacks, injuries, assault and murder of health workers are subject to general legal provisions. Both rapid changes in health care services, facilities and shortcomings in legal regulations cause gaps in violence prevention and employing safety issues in hospitals and related health care facilities. Training employees and hospital managers, and considering the creation and application of present and future regulations remain as main prerequisites for ensuring a safe environment for healthcare staff

Risk Factors and Impulsivity in Obesity

In addition to genetic tendency, social, cultural, emotional and diet-related factors play important role in the development of obesity. Impulsivity is the possible predictor of relapse in obesity treatment. Impulsivity is also considered as a predicting factor among patients who quit the treatment. Research has shown that obese people are more impulsive than other people. Impulsive features are especially found to be higher with those who have binge eating disorder. Impulsive people appears to have no control over their behaviors on eating and they have more interest towards food with higher calories. Another issue that strengthens the assocaition between obesity and impulsivity is the obesity in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Dopaminergic deficiency in the reward centre of the brain can be a common pathway for both attention deficit and obesity. Several approaches have been searched and put forward to sustain the patients’ lost weights after diet. Specific cognitive behavioral approaches developed for the treatment of impulsive behavior could contribute much into obesity treatment . Obesity is a chronic disease that requires long term treatment and follow up

The Relationship Between Postpartum Mental Status and Breastfeeding

Maternal mental health in postpartum period is an important issue as breast milk and breastfeeding. The mother’s physical and mental health is critical for long term breastfeeding and to give efficient care to baby. Maternal mental impairment results in insufficient feeding and disturbances in physical health of the baby. Women with depressive symptoms have been shown to fail to begin and continue breastfeeding. It is critical to diagnose and treat maternal depression to decrease negative outcomes of feeding in addition to education and support for efficient breastfeeding. During education for breastfeeding, determining accurate targets, case-concerned approaches and giving education for mothers and their relatives for diagnosis of probable complications is crucial for both mother and her baby

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Across the Life Span of Women: A Wellness‐Based Integrative Intervention

Women diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)—an endocrine disorder that affects a woman\u27s physical and psychological functioning—face challenges that affect personal and social functioning. Information about PCOS is provided for counselors, including a description of a wellness‐based integrative intervention to enhance optimal wellness and quality of life

Experimental Investigation of Mechanical and Electromagnetic Performance of Asphalt Concrete Containing Different Ratios of Graphite Powder as a Filler to be Potentially Used as Part of Wireless Electric Roads

This study experimentally investigates the usability of asphalt concrete pavement containing five different ratios of graphite powder (0%, 1.25%, 2.5%, 3.75% and 5% by weight of the aggregate blend or 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the filler content) as a filler to be potentially used as part of wireless electric roads (ER). As part of the study, first, optimum asphalt binder content for the asphalt mixes without graphite powder was determined as 5%. Then, using the determined optimum asphalt binder content, asphalt mixes containing five different ratios of graphite powder as a filler were prepared and their mechanical and volumetric properties based on Marshall mix design methodology were evaluated. As graphite powder ratios in the asphalt mixes increased, their Marshall stability, flow, voids filled with asphalt and unit weight test results mostly decreased but their air content and voids in mineral aggregate test results increased. Possible reasons for this could be: (1) lower bulk specific gravity of graphite powder, (2) higher asphalt absorbance, (3) having greater surface area compared to that of limestone filler, and (4) weak bonds between sheet-like graphite layers. Furthermore, another batch of asphalt mixes containing five different ratios of graphite powder were prepared and tested in the frequency range of 3–18 GHz for their electromagnetic permittivity properties. It was observed in this study that, except for the specimens with 100% graphite powder ratios, transmission magnitudes of all specimens were above 50% up to 8 GHz, indicating that they had comparably high transmission magnitudes so as comparably low tangent loss values. In the frequency range of 3–13 GHz, transmission magnitudes of the specimens with 25% and 50% graphite powder ratios were consistently higher than that having no graphite powder, the ones with 25% powder ratios had the highest transmission magnitudes in most of the cases in this frequency range. Considering the mechanical, volumetric and electromagnetic property test results of the asphalt mixes with five different ratios of graphite powder, it can be concluded that the use of 25% graphite powder ratio (corresponding to 1.25% of the aggregate blend used in the mixes), has a comparably lower negative effect on mechanical and volumetric properties of asphalt mixes and has a positive effect on electromagnetic permittivity properties of asphalt mixes. Asphalt mixes produced with this graphite powder ratio can be considered to be used as part of wireless ER

The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder in pregnancy and after birth: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Previous reviews have provided preliminary insights into risk factors and possible prevalence of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) postpartum with no attempt to examine prenatal PTSD. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of PTSD during pregnancy and after birth, and the course of PTSD over this time. METHODS: PsychINFO, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were searched using PTSD terms crossed with perinatal terms. Studies were included if they reported the prevalence of PTSD during pregnancy or after birth using a diagnostic measure. RESULTS: 59 studies (N =24267) met inclusion criteria: 35 studies of prenatal PTSD and 28 studies of postpartum PTSD (where 4 studies provided prevalence of PTSD in pregnancy and postpartum). In community samples the mean prevalence of prenatal PTSD was 3.3% (95%, CI 2.44-4.54). The majority of postpartum studies measured PTSD in relation to childbirth with a mean prevalence of 4.0% (95%, CI 2.77-5.71) in community samples. Women in high-risk groups were at more risk of PTSD with a mean prevalence of 18.95% (95%, CI 10.62-31.43) in pregnancy and 18.5% (95%, CI 10.6-30.38) after birth. Using clinical interviews was associated with lower prevalence rates in pregnancy and higher prevalence rates postpartum. LIMITATIONS: Limitations include use of stringent diagnostic criteria, wide variability of PTSD rates, and inadequacy of studies on prenatal PTSD measured in three trimesters. CONCLUSIONS: PTSD is prevalent during pregnancy and after birth and may increase postpartum if not identified and treated. Assessment and treatment in maternity services is recommended

The Relationship Between Postpartum Mental Status and Breastfeeding

Maternal mental health in postpartum period is an important issue as breast milk and breastfeeding. The mother’s physical and mental health is critical for long term breastfeeding and to give efficient care to baby. Maternal mental impairment results in insufficient feeding and disturbances in physical health of the baby. Women with depressive symptoms have been shown to fail to begin and continue breastfeeding. It is critical to diagnose and treat maternal depression to decrease negative outcomes of feeding in addition to education and support for efficient breastfeeding. During education for breastfeeding, determining accurate targets, case-concerned approaches and giving education for mothers and their relatives for diagnosis of probable complications is crucial for both mother and her baby

Paliperidone palmitate induced black hairy tongue

[Cukurova Med J 2016; 41(4.000): 820-822

Black hairy tongue associated with olanzapine treatment: A case report

PubMedID: 17117318Olanzapine is an atypical antipsychotic drug approved for acute and long-term treatment of bipolar disorder. Although relatively safe as compared to other classical antipsychotic medications, there are a number of uncommon adverse effects of olanzapine such as oral cavity lesions. In addition to the relatively common side effect of dry mouth, several articles have reported an association between olanzapine treatment and the development of oral lesions such as apthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, glossitis and oral ulceration. Although there are several cases in which the tongue was affected in conjunction with stomatitis or pharyngitis, we could not find a case report indicating a direct relationship between olanzapine use and a tongue lesion. We present here the case of a patient with bipolar disorder, who developed recurrent black hairy tongue on two different occasions following the addition of olanzapine to lithium treatment. In the present case, xerostomia (dry mouth), which is an adverse reaction of both olanzapine and lithium, may have played a role in the development of black hairy tongue. All agents with a possible side effect of xerostomia may predispose patients to black hairy tongue, especially when they are administered in combination. To preclude the development of this complication with such drugs, extra time and effort should be given to improving oral hygiene. © The Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine

A Case of Comorbid Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Compulsive Buying Disorder

WOS: 000289561900013Nowadays, even though compulsive buying disorder itself is not placed under a separate diagnostic category in DSM-IV-TR, it is classified under the heading of "impulse control disorders not otherwise specified". In these cases, there is excessive buying and shopping, or inappropriate buying or shopping impulse or behaviors. The buying preoccupation, behaviors and impulses cause stress, social, professional and financial problems and are time-consuming. In these cases, the rate of psychiatric comorbidity is high. Especially major depression, mood disorders, anxiety disorder (particularly obsessive compulsive disorder), substance use, eating disorder (mainly bulimia) and personality disorders are frequently encountered. It was shown that compulsive buying is frequently seen in individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder. To draw attention that this subject is also a problem in our country, we reported a case followed in our outpatient clinic with the diagnosis of obsessive compulsive disorder and who showed depressive characteristics discordant with obsessive compulsive symptoms during follow-up controls, and in whom, after detailed evaluations, accompanying compulsive buying disorder was detected. This case is a good example to emphasize the importance of detecting comorbidities while developing treatment plan for psychiatric diseases. (Archives of Neuropsychiatry 2011; 48: 75-8