Effects of a Clinical Simulation Course about Basic Life Support on Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Learning

Training in basic life support (BLS) using clinical simulation improves compression rates and the development of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills. This study analyzed the learning outcomes of undergraduate nursing students taking a BLS clinical simulation course. A total of 479 nursing students participated. A pre-test and post-test were carried out to evaluate theoretical knowledge of BLS through questions about anatomical physiology, cardiac arrest, the chain of survival, and CPR. A checklist was used in the simulation to evaluate practical skills of basic CPR. The learning outcomes showed statistically significant differences in the total score of the pre-test and after completing the BLS clinical simulation course (pre-test: 12.61 (2.30), post-test: 15.60 (2.06), p < 0.001). A significant increase in the mean scores was observed after completing the course in each of the four parts of the assessment protocol (p < 0.001). The increase in scores in the cardiac arrest and CPR sections were relevant (Rosenthal’s r: −0.72). The students who had prior knowledge of BLS scored higher on both the pre-test and the post-test. The BLS simulation course was an effective method of teaching and learning BLS skills

Association between Crystalline Silica Dust Exposure and Silicosis Development in Artificial Stone Workers

Occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica (SiO2 ) is one of the most common and serious risks because of the health consequences for the workers involved. Silicosis is a progressive, irreversible, and incurable fibrotic lung disease caused by the inhalation of respirable crystalline silica dust. A cross-sectional epidemiological study was carried out to assess the occupational risk factors that may contribute to the onset of silicosis in workers carrying out work activities with the inhalation of silica compact dust. The study population consisted of 311 artificial stone workers from the province of Almeria (southeast of Spain). Among them, 64 were previously diagnosed with silicosis and the rest of the participants (n = 247 workers) were not diagnosed with such a disease. The workers showing a greater risk of developing silicosis were those who installed kitchen worktops at consumers’ homes, as they did not use face-masks or were not provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) by their business. The results of this study provide support for the evidence indicating that silicosis is a major emerging health concern for workers in the artificial stone sector. Exposure to crystalline silica dust thus can influence the development of silicosis in those cases where individual and collective protection measures are not used or adequately applied

Evaluation of Gonadal Alterations in a Population Environmentally Exposed to a Mixture of Endocrine Active Pesticides

Although there are studies that show that some pesticides produce gonadal dysfunction and gonadal cancer in different animals, there are not many studiesregardinghumans. This study determined the prevalence and risk in humans of developing ovarian or testicular dysfunction or cancer in areas with distinct exposure to pesticides, which have endocrine disrupting properties. A population-based case-control study was carried out on humans living in ten health districts of Andalusia (Southern Spain) classified as areas of high or low environmental exposure to pesticides according to agronomic criteria. The study population included 5332 cases and 13,606 controls. Data were collected from computerized hospital records between 2000 and 2018.The risk of gonadal dysfunction or cancer was significantly higher in areas with higher use of pesticides in relation to those with lower use

Analysis of Anxiety Levels of Nursing Students Because of e-Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The continued expand of the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic, confinement measures and an urgent change in the education of nursing students from traditional education to distance learning throughout the country affect the mental health of university students. This study analyzed state-trait anxiety levels of nursing students because of e-Learning during two periods of the COVID-19 confinement. A mixed follow-up study was used, which evaluates the same cohort cross-sectionally but with a longitudinal component. A sample of 460 nursing students of the Nursing Degree at the University of Lorca (Murcia) and University of Almería (Spain) completed an online anxiety level questionnaire using the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) during the first and fourth weeks of the COVID-19 confinement. Total anxiety levels increased in the fourth week, as compared to the first week (first week: 50.4 ± 20.8 and fourth week: 59.9 ± 10.6 (p < 0.001)). The linear regression model showed that the significant predictors for STAI anxiety in nursing students were being in the last year of the degree program, being female, and spending confinement in a house without a garden. In general, most nursing students were emotionally affected by high levels of anxiety of state-trait during the COVID-19 outbreak

Alexithymia and Insecure Attachment among Male Intimate Partner Violence Aggressors in the Dominican Republic

The complexity of intimate partner violence and the impossibility of understanding it from single factors have been studied from different biological, psychological, and socio-cultural factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 187 men involved in legal proceedings for problems of violence in their intimate partner relationships in the Dominican Republic in order to explore whether insecure attachment represents a risk factor for alexithymia in men with violent behaviors. The attachment style was determinate by the Casullo and Fernández-Liporace Attachment Styles Scale, and alexithymia was assayed using the Latin American Consensual Toronto Alexithymia Scale (LAC TAS-20), a modification of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Chi-square test and multiple binary logistic regression analysis were performed to explore the phenomena of alexithymia and attachment styles in the context of a confinement center for male intimate partner offenders in the Dominican Republic. The results showed that insecure attachment represents a risk factor for alexithymia, being highest for avoidant attachment in the population studied. The results also highlight the influence of other factors such as education and maternal–familial relationships as a factor risk for alexithymia

Nursing Interventions to Facilitate the Grieving Process after Perinatal Death: A Systematic Review

Perinatal death is the death of a baby that occurs between the 22nd week of pregnancy (or when the baby weighs more than 500 g) and 7 days after birth. After perinatal death, parents experience the process of perinatal grief. Midwives and nurses can develop interventions to improve the perinatal grief process. The aim of this review was to determine the efficacy of nursing interventions to facilitate the process of grief as a result of perinatal death. A systematic review of the literature was carried out. Studies that met the selection criteria underwent a quality assessment using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool. Four articles were selected out of the 640 found. Two are quasi-experimental studies, and two are randomized controlled clinical studies. The interventions that were analyzed positively improve psychological self-concept and role functions, as well as mutual commitment, depression, post-traumatic stress and symptoms of grief. These interventions are effective if they are carried out both before perinatal loss and after it has occurred. The support of health professionals for affected parents, their participation in the loss, expressing feelings and emotions, using distraction methods, group sessions, social support, physical activity, and family education are some of the effective interventions

Determination of Foetal Scalp Blood Sampling pH as an Indicator of Loss of Foetal Well-Being in Women Undergoing Caesarean Section

Asphyxia during birth is one of the three leading causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality among newborns carried to term. The objective of this study was to evaluate the measurement of the foetal scalp blood pH as a measure of foetal status, evaluating: cord gases, meconium-stained fluid, APGAR score or the need for neonatal resuscitation in pregnant women undergoing caesarean sections. A cross-sectional study was carried out over a period of 5 years (2017–2021) at the Hospital de Poniente (southern Spain). A total of 127 pregnant women participated from whom a foetal scalp blood pH sample was taken and used to indicate the need for an urgent caesarean section. The results showed a correlation between the pH of the scalp blood and the pH of the umbilical cord artery, umbilical cord vein (Rho of Spearman arterial pH: 0.64, p < 0.001; Rho of Spearman venous pH: 0.58, p < 0.001) and the APGAR test one minute after delivery (Spearman’s Rho coefficient of 0.33, p < 0.01). These results suggest that the foetal scalp pH should not be considered a foolproof method to indicate an urgent caesarean section. Foetal scalp pH sampling can be used as a complementary test, in conjunction with cardiotocography, to indicate whether an emergency caesarean section is necessary due to loss of foetal well-being

Comparative Study between the Combination of Dexamethasone and Bupivacaine for Third Molar Surgery Postoperative Pain: A Triple-Blind, Randomized Clinical Trial

Objectives: To compare the possible benefits of the combination of dexamethasone–bupivacaine with articaine–epinephrine as an anaesthetic block after third molar surgery. Materials and Methods: Triple-blind, randomized, controlled, parallel, phase 3 clinical trial. Two groups: experimental (93 patients) with standard anaesthetic block: 40/0.005 mg/mL articaine–epinephrine and submucosal reinforcement with 0.8 mg dexamethasone–5% bupivacaine; and control group (91 patients) with standard block: 40/0.005 mg/mL articaine–epinephrine. The surgery consisted of the extraction of the impacted mandibular third molar by performing a procedure following the same repeatable scheme. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to analyse postoperative pain. Results: Groups were homogeneous, without significant differences related to epidemiological variables. Postoperative pain among the first, second, and seventh postoperative days was statistically significantly lower in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Drug consumption was lower in the experimental group throughout the study period (p < 0.04). Conclusion: Bupivacaine is an alternative to articaine in oral surgery, being more effective in reducing postoperative pain by reducing patients’ scores on the VAS as well as their consumption of analgesic drugs after surgery

Estudio andaluz de prevalencia de diversas patologías en áreas con distinto nivel de utilización de plaguicidas

Tesis Univ. Granada. Departamento de Medicina Legal, Toxicología y Psiquiatría. Leída el 10 de junio de 200

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Monitoring of Pregnancy and Delivery of Pregnant Women in the Dominican Republic

Pregnancy monitoring is vital to guaranteeing that both the foetus and the mother are in optimal health conditions. WHO protocols recommend at least eight medical examinations during the pregnancy period. While the cancellation or reduction of appointments during pregnancy due to the pandemic may help reduce the risk of infection, it could also negatively influence perinatal outcomes and the birthing process. The aim of this research was to analyse the differences in perinatal outcomes and birth characteristics in two groups of pregnant women: women who gave birth before and during the pandemic, and whether these differences are due to changes in pregnancy monitoring because of the COVID-19 situation. A retrospective study was carried out from July 2018 to December 2021, at the Santo Domingo Hospital (Dominican Republic). A total of 1109 primiparous pregnant women were recruited for this study during the birthing process and perinatal visits. The results describe how women who gave birth before the pandemic had greater control and monitoring of their pregnancy, more doctor visits (p = 0.001), fewer caesarean sections (p = 0.006), and more skin-to-skin contact after birth (p = 0.02). During the COVID-19 pandemic, pregnant women’s attendance at routine pregnancy monitoring, both doctor visits and ultrasound scans, has decreased, leading to an increase in the number of caesarean and instrumental deliveries. At the perinatal level, processes such as skin-to-skin contact after birth between mother and newborn or the introduction of early breastfeeding in the delivery room have also been reduced