Verbal pain scores and their association with vital signs before and after surgery [abstract]

The purpose of the research project was to determine if an association existed between self-reported verbal pain scores and heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate in adult patients who had elective surgery at the University Hospital. This study was conducted prospectively in the O.R. Holding Area and Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) at the University Hospital. The total number of patients enrolled was 100. Heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and pain scores were obtained in the holding area and in the PACU. Pain was assessed using an 11-point verbal Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) where 0 represented no pain and 10 represented the worst pain imaginable. Statistical analysis of the data reveals a clinically significant association between holding and PACU verbal pain scores with heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate. This study identified a p-value of 0.0147 between pain scores and heart rate in the holding area, a p-value of 0.0169 between pain scores and diastolic blood pressure at fifteen minutes in the PACU, and a p-value of 0.0131 between pain scores and respiratory rate at forty-five minutes in the PACU. Based upon these results, vital signs appear to be a reliable method for assessing pain in the pre- surgical and postsurgical patient

Epitaph for a Musician: Rhoda Coghill as Pianist, Composer and Poet

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Labor Relations and the Law in South Korea

This Comment looks at labor legislation\u27s role in shaping the present state of labor relations in South Korea A brief history of the government\u27s symbiotic relationship with business serves as a backdrop for assessing the current laws. The laws have an employer bias accenluated by the broad administrative oversighit government has over labor relations. More troublesome provisions of the laws are considered in detail. This Comment then turns to recent pro-labor changes in the laws but discusses why labor unions are unlikely to achieve full equality in labor relations at this juncture. In conclusion, this Comment makes suggestions for change based on the premise that labor negotiations should be conducted by the parties on an equal footing

Epitaph for a Musician: Rhoda Coghill as Pianist, Composer and Poet

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Provider-initiated testing and counselling programmes in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review of their operational implementation.

OBJECTIVE: The routine offer of an HIV test during patient-provider encounters is gaining momentum within HIV treatment and prevention programmes. This review examined the operational implementation of provider-initiated testing and counselling (PITC) programmes in sub-Saharan Africa. DESIGN AND METHODS: PUBMED, EMBASE, Global Health, COCHRANE Library and JSTOR databases were searched systematically for articles published in English between January 2000 and November 2010. Grey literature was explored through the websites of international and nongovernmental organizations. Eligibility of studies was based on predetermined criteria applied during independent screening by two researchers. RESULTS: We retained 44 studies out of 5088 references screened. PITC polices have been effective at identifying large numbers of previously undiagnosed individuals. However, the translation of policy guidance into practice has had mixed results, and in several studies of routine programmes the proportion of patients offered an HIV test was disappointingly low. There were wide variations in the rates of acceptance of the test and poor linkage of those testing positive to follow-up assessments and antiretroviral treatment. The challenges encountered encompass a range of areas from logistics, to data systems, human resources and management, reflecting some of the weaknesses of health systems in the region. CONCLUSIONS: The widespread adoption of PITC provides an unprecedented opportunity for identifying HIV-positive individuals who are already in contact with health services and should be accompanied by measures aimed at strengthening health systems and fostering the normalization of HIV at community level. The resources and effort needed to do this successfully should not be underestimated

Freshman Composition Final Portfolio Assignment

This syllabus is for a Freshmen Inquiry Writing Seminar, which is a two-section, collaboratively taught course wherein one of the two courses engages students in critical thinking, reading, and writing about the issue of language and literacy, while the other introduces students to conventions of academic writing and mentors them in social and rhetorical writing processes. Thus, this course draws on the topic of language and literacy as a vehicle for critically analyzing students\u27 own languages and literacies and developing especially their academic and information literacies. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to reflect on their writing practice. As a culminating assignment for the course, students are asked in this assignment prompt to analyze their writing and writing process. They are asked to reflect on whether or not they met the course outcomes in their final paper and support their analysis with artifacts from their participation throughout the course

Minds at the edge of chaos

The concept of a mental model is increasingly becoming of interest to organisations, as it is a person\u27s beliefs, thoughts, interpretations, or otherwise termed, \u27mental model\u27 that can affect our actions and therefore how people achieve organisational outcomes (Jensen & Rasmussen 2004). This paper establishes a robust definition of the concept of a mental model for future research. The research was conducted using coherent conversations as part of a complexity-based inquiry. This project seeks to understand and explore the views held by individuals about actual work practices and ideal work practices. This research concludes that the individuals, who make up the organisation, are in a state of chaotic edge thinking, where everything is perceived as a threat, procedures are formed to control, and people react radically. Moreover, this is concluded to be due to miscommunication and a lack of communicative connectedness between staff and supervising managers

Grey and white matter differences in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome : A voxel-based morphometry study

Conflicts of interest and source of funding The authors declare no conflicts of interest. This research was funded by the Medical Research Council (MR/J002712/1). AF is supported by Research Capability Funding from the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust.Peer reviewedPublisher PD