The epidemiology of chronic pain in Libya: a cross-sectional telephone survey.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is a public health problem although there is a paucity of prevalence data from countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of chronic pain and neuropathic pain in a sample of the general adult population in Libya. METHODS: A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted before the onset of the Libyan Civil War (February 2011) on a sample of self-declared Libyans who had a landline telephone and were at least 18 years of age. Random sampling of household telephone number dialling was undertaken in three major cities and interviews conducted using an Arabic version of the Structured Telephone Interviews Questionnaire on Chronic Pain previously used to collect data in Europe. In addition, an Arabic version of S-LANSS was used. 1212 individuals were interviewed (response rate = 95.1 %, mean age = 37.8 ± 13.9 years, female = 54.6 %). RESULTS: The prevalence of chronic pain ≥ 3 months was 19.6 % (95 % CI 14.6 % to 24.6 %) with a mean ± SD duration of pain of 6 · 5 ± 5 · 7 years and a higher prevalence for women. The prevalence of neuropathic pain in the respondents reporting chronic pain was 19 · 7 % (95 % CI 14 · 6-24 · 7), equivalent to 3 · 9 % (95 % CI 2 · 8 to 5 · 0 %) of the general adult population. Only, 71 (29 · 8 %) of respondents reported that their pain was being adequately controlled. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of chronic pain in the general adult population of Libya was approximately 20 % and comparable with Europe and North America. This suggests that chronic pain is a public health problem in Libya. Risk factors are being a woman, advanced age and unemployment. There is a need for improved health policies in Libya to ensure that patients with chronic pain receive effective management

Poor prospects for avian biodiversity in amazonian oil palm

Expansion of oil palm plantations across the humid tropics has precipitated massive loss of tropical forest habitats and their associated speciose biotas. Oil palm plantation monocultures have been identified as an emerging threat to Amazonian biodiversity, but there are no quantitative studies exploring the impact of these plantations on the biome’s biota. Understanding these impacts is extremely important given the rapid projected expansion of oil palm cultivation in the basin. Here we investigate the biodiversity value of oil palm plantations in comparison with other dominant regional land-uses in Eastern Amazonia. We carried out bird surveys in oil palm plantations of varying ages, primary and secondary forests, and cattle pastures. We found that oil palm plantations retained impoverished avian communities with a similar species composition to pastures and agrarian land-uses and did not offer habitat for most forest-associated species, including restricted range species and species of conservation concern. On the other hand, the forests that the oil palm companies are legally obliged to protect hosted a relatively species-rich community including several globally-threatened bird species. We consider oil palm to be no less detrimental to regional biodiversity than other agricultural land-uses and that political pressure exerted by large landowners to allow oil palm to count as a substitute for native forest vegetation in private landholdings with forest restoration deficits would have dire consequences for regional biodiversity

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

Meeting abstrac

The economic survival of long stay institutions for impoverished aged people La supervivencia económica de hogares para ancianos empobrecidos A sobrevivência econômica de instituições de longa permanência para idosos empobrecidos

OBJECTIVE: Identify structural couplings of Retirement Institutions for the Aged (RIA) with the economic system, in order to maintain those institutions that shelter the poor aged in the Brazilian context. METHOD: Qualitative, exploratory-descriptive study. The data collection was carried out through interviews with seven leading people and eight aged people, analysis of communication of 52 non-profit Brazilian RIAs, both public and private. The content analysis was performed based on the Niklas Luhmann's Systems Theory. RESULTS: It was verified that in face of the aged scarce resources, a considerable share of the maintenance costs are supported by the institutions themselves, whose search for resources is done by leaders, team, the aged and communities. CONCLUSIONS: The excessive involvement of these institutions in the elaboration of programs for searching funds can harm the performance of their essential function which is to care for the poor aged.<br>OBJETIVO: Identificar acoplamientos estructurales de Hogares para Ancianos (HA) con el sistema económico, para la manutención de las instituciones que abrigan ancianos pobres, en el contexto brasileño. MÉTODO: estudio de aproximación cualitativa de tipo exploratorio descriptivo. La recolecta de datos fue realizada mediante entrevistas con 7 dirigentes y 8 ancianos y análisis de comunicaciones de 52 HAs sin fines lucrativos, de carácter público o privado. El análisis del contenido fue procesado con base en los referenciales de la Teoría de Sistemas de Niklas Luhmann. RESULTADOS: Se verificó que, ante la falta de recursos económicos de los ancianos, una parte importante de los gastos para la manutención de las Has es asumida por las propias instituciones y la búsqueda de esos recursos involucra a dirigentes, equipo, ancianos y comunidades. CONCLUSIONES: El excesivo comprometimiento de las instituciones en la elaboración de programas en búsqueda de fuentes de recursos puede perjudicar el desempeño de la función esencial de cuidado al anciano pobre.<br>OBJETIVO: Identificar acoplamentos estruturais da instituição de longa permanência para idosos (ILPIs) com o sistema econômico, para a manutenção das instituições que abrigam idosos pobres, no contexto brasileiro. MÉTODO: Estudo exploratório-descritivo, de abordagem qualitativa. A coleta de dados foi realizada por meio de entrevistas com sete dirigentes e oito idosos, análise de comunicações de 52 ILPIs sem fins lucrativos, de caráter público ou privado. A análise de conteúdo foi processada com base nos referenciais da teoria de sistemas de Niklas Luhmann. RESULTADOS: Foi verificado que, diante da escassez de recursos econômicos dos idosos, parte importante das despesas para a manutenção das ILPIs é assumida pelas próprias Instituições e a busca desses recursos dirigentes, equipe, idosos e comunidades. CONCLUSÕES: O excessivo envolvimento das instituições na elaboração de programas em busca de fontes de recursos pode prejudicar o desempenho da função essencial de cuidado ao idoso pobre

Serosurvey of Rickettsia spp. in dogs and humans from an endemic area for Brazilian spotted fever in the State of São Paulo, Brazil Sorologia para Rickettsia spp. em cães e humanos de uma área endêmica para febre maculosa brasileira no Estado de São Paulo, Brasil

The present study provides a rickettsial serosurvey in 25 dogs and 35 humans in an endemic area for Brazilian spotted fever in the State of São Paulo, where the tick Amblyomma aureolatum is the main vector. Testing canine and human sera by indirect immunofluorescence against four Rickettsia antigens (R. rickettsii, R. parkeri, R. felis and R. bellii) showed that 16 (64%) of canine sera and 1 (2.8%) of human sera reacted to at least one of these rickettsial antigens with titers <FONT FACE=Symbol>&sup3;</FONT> 64. Seven canine sera and the single reactive human serum showed titers to R. rickettsii at least four times those of any of the other three antigens. The antibody titers in these 7 animals and 1 human were attributed to stimulation by R. rickettsii infection. No positive canine or human serum was attributed to stimulation by R. parkeri, R. felis, or R. bellii. Our serological results showed that dogs are important sentinels for the presence of R. rickettsii in areas where the tick A. aureolatum is the main vector of Brazilian spotted fever.<br>Este estudo avaliou a ocorrência de anticorpos anti-Rickettsia em 25 cães e 35 humanos, em uma área endêmica para a febre maculosa brasileira no Estado de São Paulo, onde o principal vetor é o carrapato Amblyomma aureolatum. Soros dos cães e humanos foram testados pela técnica de imunofluorescência indireta contra quatro antígenos de riquétsias (R. rickettsii, R. parkeri, R. felis, R. bellii), mostrando que soros de 16 (64%) cães e 1 (2,8%) humano reagiram com títulos <FONT FACE=Symbol>&sup3;</FONT> 64 para pelo menos um dos antígenos de riquétsias. Sete soros caninos e o único soro humano reativo demonstraram títulos para R. rickettsii no mínimo quatro vezes maior do que aqueles para os outros antígenos de riquétsias. Os títulos de anticorpos nesses cães e um humano foram considerados homólogos a R. rickettsii, enquanto que nenhum soro de cão ou humano foi considerado reativamente homólogo para R. parkeri, R. felis ou R. bellii. Os resultados sorológicos mostraram que cães são importantes sentinelas para a presença da bactéria R. rickettsii em áreas onde o carrapato A. aureolatum é o principal vetor da febre maculosa brasileira