Health Services for Buruli Ulcer Control: Lessons from a Field Study in Ghana

Buruli ulcer (BU), caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans infection, is a debilitating disease of the skin and underlying tissue which starts as a painless nodule, oedema or plaque and could develop into painful and massive ulcers if left untreated. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, the study assessed the effectiveness of the BUPaT programme to improve early detection and management of BU in an endemic area in Ghana. The results of the study showed extensive collaboration across all levels, (national, municipality and community), which contributed to strengthening the programme. Health staff were trained to manage all BU cases. School teachers, municipal environmental staff and community surveillance volunteers were trained to give the right health messages, screen for detection of early cases and refer for medical treatment. WHO-recommended antibiotics improved treatment and cure, particularly for early lesions, and prevented recurrences. Improving access to antibiotic treatment is critical for early case management. Health education is required to emphasise the effectiveness of treatment with antibiotics to reduce deformities and the importance of seeking medical treatment for all skin lesions. Further research is needed to explain the role of environmental factors in BU contagion

UK guideline on transition of adolescent and young persons with chronic digestive diseases from paediatric to adult care

The risks of poor transition include delayed and inappropriate transfer that can result in disengagement with healthcare. Structured transition care can improve control of chronic digestive diseases and long-term health-related outcomes. These are the first nationally developed guidelines on the transition of adolescent and young persons (AYP) with chronic digestive diseases from paediatric to adult care. They were commissioned by the Clinical Services and Standards Committee of the British Society of Gastroenterology under the auspices of the Adolescent and Young Persons (A&YP) Section. Electronic searches for English-language articles were performed with keywords relating to digestive system diseases and transition to adult care in the Medline (via Ovid), PsycInfo (via Ovid), Web of Science and CINAHL databases for studies published from 1980 to September 2014. The quality of evidence and grading of recommendations was appraised using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system. The limited number of studies in gastroenterology and hepatology required the addition of relevant studies from other chronic diseases to be included. These guidelines deal specifically with the transition of AYP living with a diagnosis of chronic digestive disease and/or liver disease from paediatric to adult healthcare under the following headings; 1. Patient populations involved in AYP transition 2. Risks of failing transition or poor transition 3. Models of AYP transition 4. Patient and carer/parent perspective in AYP transition 5. Surgical perspectiv

Physiotherapists' experiences of physiotherapy interventions in scientific physiotherapy publications focusing on interventions for children with cerebral palsy: a qualitative phenomenographic approach

Background: Physiotherapy research concerning interventions for children with CP is often focused on collecting evidence of the superiority of particular therapeutic methods or treatment modalities. Articulating and documenting the use of theory, instrumentation and research design and the assumptions underlying physiotherapy research interventions are important. Physiotherapy interventions focusing on children with Cerebral Palsy should, according to the literature, be based on a functional and environmental perspective with task-specific functional activity, motor learning processes and Family-Centred Service i.e. to enhance motor ability and improve capacity so that the child can perform the tasks necessary to participate actively in everyday life. Thus, it is important to coordinate the norms and values of the physiotherapist with those of the family and child. The aim of this study was to describe how physiotherapists' experiences physiotherapy interventions for children with CP in scientific physiotherapy publications written by physiotherapists. Methods: A qualitative phenomenographic approach was used. Twenty-one scientific articles, found in PubMed, strategically chosen according to year of publication (2001-2009), modality, journals and country, were investigated. Results: Three qualitatively different descriptive categories were identified: A: Making it possible a functional-based intervention based on the biopsychosocial health paradigm, and the role of the physiotherapist as collaborative, interacting with the child and family in goal setting, intervention planning and evaluation, B: Making it work an impairment-based intervention built on a mixed health paradigm (biomedical and biopsychosocial), and the role of the physiotherapist as a coach, leading the goal setting, intervention planning and evaluation and instructing family members to carry out physiotherapist directed orders, and; C: Making it normal an impairment-based intervention built on a biomedical health paradigm, and the role of the physiotherapist as an authoritative expert who determine goals, intervention planning and evaluation. Conclusions: Different paradigms of health and disability lead to different approaches to physiotherapy which influence the whole intervention process regarding strategies for the assessment and treatment, all of which influence Family-Centred Service and the child's motor learning strategies. The results may deepen physiotherapists' understanding of how different paradigms of health influence the way in which various physiotherapy approaches in research seek to solve the challenge of CP

Les techniques de l'art Paléolithique

International audienceTechniques used by Upper Paleolithic groups to produce their graphic works of art provide almost inexhaustible sources on “ways of doing.” They also enable us to reflect on the levels of practice of “artists,” on the internal organization of societies, and on the implication of the individuals in the procurement of pigments, tools, and mediums

Physiological and behavioural responses of Gammarus pulex exposed to acid stress

International audienc

Le cancer de la prostate dans le département de l’Hérault : résultats de 30 ans d’enregistrement (1987–2016)

International audienceObjectifsL’objectif de cette étude est de présenter l’évolution de l’épidémiologie du cancer de la prostate dans l’Hérault à partir des données collectées par le registre des tumeurs de l’Hérault (RTH) sur une période de 30 ans.MéthodesÀ partir de la base de données du RTH, nous avons étudié l’évolution du cancer de la prostate de 1987 à 2016. Nous avons analysé les données concernant l’incidence, la mortalité, l’anatomopathologie des tumeurs et leur stade au diagnostic. Nous avons comparé ces résultats aux données nationales et internationales.RésultatsNous avons recensé 21 261 nouveaux cas de cancers de la prostate. Entre 1987 et 2016 le nombre de nouveaux cas de cancer de prostate a été multiplié par 2,8 avec un pic d’incidence en 2003. Le taux standardisé sur la population mondiale (TSM) de l’incidence est passé de 32,4 à 90,3 pour 100 000, la mortalité de 13,2 à 11,5 pour 100 000. Entre 2007 et 2015, le nombre cancer diagnostiqué au stade métastatique est passé de 5,1 % à 8,5 %, de même le taux de pT3 est passé de 17 % à 27,4 %. En 2016, la probabilité d’être atteint d’un cancer de prostate avant 75 ans est de 12,28 % (Fig. 1).ConclusionEn 30 ans, l’incidence du cancer de la prostate a fortement augmenté dans l’Hérault alors que l’on observe une diminution de sa mortalité. Ces données analytiques seront améliorées par le développement du Registre de l’Hérault Spécialisé en Onco-Urologie (RHESOU)