Developing a Collaborative Community Partnership Program in Medical Asepsis with Tattoo Studios

Abstract The possibility of transmission of infectious agents during tattooing has become a legitimate issue of concern for health care providers. A collaborative educational program was developed by a county health department, College of Nursing, and tattoo artists to address issues of medical asepsis with the goal of producing a mechanism for certification of tattoo studios. The group\u27s effort was enhanced by recognizing each other\u27s value systems and by the mutual need for a successful program. A framework for developing, implementing, and evaluating community partnerships was addressed. This program demonstrated that community health nurses can play an instrumental role in collaborating with both health care providers and personal‐service workers to minimize transmission of infectious agents during cosmetic procedures

Methadone deaths: a toxicological analysis

Aims—To perform a toxicological analysis of deaths involving methadone and to determine the fatal concentration of methadone in such deaths. Methods—Deaths in which methadone was mentioned in the cause of death were identified. Deaths were divided into those associated with methadone only and deaths in which the cause of death was a combination of methadone and other drugs. Toxicological findings in these deaths were analysed and compared with previously published data. Results—One hundred and eleven cases were analysed. In 55 cases, methadone poisoning was given as the sole cause of death. Fifty victims were adults, age range 17–51 years (median, 23), with five victims under 14 years of age. The mean methadone concentration in the adult deaths was 584 µg/litre (median, 435; range, 84–2700). In 56 cases, age range 15–49 years, (median, 28), death was ascribed to a combination of methadone and other drugs. The mean methadone concentration in these deaths was 576 µg/litre (median, 294; range, 49–2440). In 26 cases, multiple site sampling was performed. This revealed that there could be a 100% discrepancy between methadone concentrations, and other drugs, in samples collected in different sites in the same body. Conclusions—There is an overlap between quoted therapeutic methadone concentrations and methadone concentrations seen in fatalities. However, those dying from methadone poisoning might not be the same as those in a methadone programme. A degree of caution must be exercised in determining a fatal concentration because of the phenomenon of postmortem redistribution. Pathologists and toxicologists need to examine all the available postmortem findings in identifying the cause of death. Key Words: methadone • toxicological analysis • drug overdose • postmortem redistributio