90 research outputs found
Assessing safety culture in NICU: psychometric properties of the Italian version of Safety Attitude Questionnaire and result implications
Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are a high-risk setting. The Safety Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ) is a widely used tool to measure safety culture. The aims of the study are to verify the psychometric properties of the Italian version of SAQ, to evaluate safety culture in the NICUs and to identify improvement interventions
Endothelial function and urine albumin levels among asymptomatic Mexican-Americans and non-Hispanic whites
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background-</p> <p>Mexican-Americans (MA) exhibit increases in various cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors compared to non-Hispanic Whites (NHW), yet are reported to have lower CVD mortality rates. Our aim was to help explain this apparent paradox by evaluating endothelial function and urine albumin levels in MA and NHW.</p> <p>Methods-</p> <p>One hundred-five MA and 100 NHW adults were studied by brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), blood and urine tests. Participants were studied by ultrasound-determined brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), blood and urine tests, at a single visit.</p> <p>Results-</p> <p>Despite higher BMI and triglycerides in MA, MA demonstrated higher FMD than did NHW (9.1 ± 7.3% vs. 7.1 ± 6.3%, p < 0.04). Among MA, urinary albumin was consistently lower in participants with FMD ≥ 7% FMD versus < 7% FMD (p < 0.006). In multivariate analyses in MA men, urinary albumin was inversely related to FMD (r = -0.26, p < 0.05), as were BMI and systolic blood pressure. In MA women, urinary albumin:creatinine ratio was an independent inverse predictor of FMD (p < 0.05 ).</p> <p>Conclusion-</p> <p>To our knowledge, this is the first study to analyze, in asymptomatic adults, the relation of MA and NHW ethnicity to FMD and urine albumin levels. The findings confirm ethnic differences in these important subclinical CVD measures.</p
Effects of treatment of female urinary incontinence using a rehabilitative device. Symptoms evaluation using ICIQ-UI-SF Quality of Life evaluation using SF-36
We evalutated the impact of a rehabilitative device on symptoms and quality of life in women with stress urinary incontinenc
Cigarette smoking and insulin resistance in patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
To evaluate the effects of chronic cigarette smoking on insulin sensitivity in
patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), we examined 28
smokers and 12 nonsmokers with NIDDM, of similar sex, age, body mass index,
waist/hip ratio, alcohol consumption, physical activity level, glycometabolic
control, diabetes duration, and treatment. Insulin and C-peptide responses to
oral glucose load were significantly higher in smokers than nonsmokers, whereas
glucose levels were not substantially different. During insulin clamp (20
mU/min.m2), carried out in combination with tritiated glucose infusion and
indirect calorimetry, total glucose disposal was markedly reduced in smokers vs.
nonsmokers [19 +/- 1.2 vs. 33 +/- 5 mumol/min.kg fat-free mass (FFM); P < 0.001],
in a dose-dependent fashion (F = 6.8, P < 0.001 by ANOVA when subjects were
categorized for number of cigarettes smoked per day). Oxidative (9 +/- 1 vs. 14
+/- 2 mumol/min.kg FFM; P < 0.01) and nonoxidative (10 +/- 1 vs. 19 +/- 4
mumol/min.kg FFM; P < 0.01) pathways of insulin-mediated intracellular glucose
metabolism were similarly reduced in smokers vs. nonsmokers. Plasma free fatty
acid levels (240 +/- 33 vs. 130 +/- 23 microEq/L; P < 0.05) and lipid oxidation
rate (1.39 +/- 0.1 vs. 0.95 +/- 0.2 mumol/ min.kg FFM; P < 0.05) were less
suppressed by hyperinsulinemia in smokers than nonsmokers. In conclusion, chronic
cigarette smoking seems to markedly aggravate insulin resistance in patients with
NIDDM
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