The evaluation of immediate behavioural outcomes of the syndromic case management approach for the treatement of patients with sexually transmitted infections at PHC centres of South Africa: Knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and sexual behaviour

This study aimed to determine the immediate behavioural outcomes of the WHO syndromic case management model for STIs in the public health sector in South Africa, on the levels of knowledge, attitudes and beliefs, and behavioural practices (KABPs) concerning STIs. An outcomes evaluation was conducted using KABP methodology. Exit interviews were conducted with 126 STI and non-STI patients at 24 primary health care (PHC) centres in four provinces. Both groups were found to have equally high levels of knowledge about STIs and their attitudes towards and beliefs about STIs were mostly practical and slightly negative, with only promiscuity both stereotyped and stigmatised. However, both groups were found to engage in risky sexual behavioural practices although they also indicated very strong intentions to use condoms in future. Overall, no significant differences were found between the two groups on any of the variables investigated. The implications of these findings for the control and prevention of both classic STIs and HIV/AIDS in South Africa are discussed. Keywords: sexually transmitted infections, syndromic case management, KABP, South Africa, primary health care centres. RÉSUMÉ Le but de cette étude était d'établir les résultats comportementaux immédiats du modèle de l'OMS de la gestion syndromique de cas de maladies sexuellement transmises (STIs) dans le secteur public de santé en Afrique du Sud au niveau de la connaissance, des attitudes, de la croyance et des pratiques (KABP) vis-à-vis les STIs. Une évaluation des résultats a été faite par le biais de la méthodologie KABP. Des entrevues de sortie ont eu lieu auprès de 126 patients de STIs et des patients qui n'en souffrent pas dans 24 centres de santé situés dans quatre provinces. Les résultats ont montré que les deux groupes avaient le même niveau de connaissance des STIs, leur attitude envers les STIs et ce qu'ils croyent des STIs étaient plutôt pratiques et un peu négatifs. La promiscuité était la seule à être stéréotypée et à être stigmatisée. Cependant, tous les deux groupes ont eu des rapports sexuels risqués, même s'ils ont montré une intention d'utiliser des préservatifs dans l'avenir. Dans l'ensemble, il n'y a pas eu de différences importantes entre les deux groupes sur les variables étudiées. Les conséquences de ces résultats pour le contrôle et la prévention des STIs et le VIH/SIDA en Afrique du Sud sont au centre de cette étude. Mots clés : les maladies/infections sexuellement transmises, la gestion syndromique de cas, les centres pour la santé primaire, l'Afrique du Sud. SAHARA J Vol.1(1) 2004: 35-4

Social constructions of gender roles, gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS in two communities of the Western Cape, South Africa

The links between gender roles, gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS risk are complex and culturally specific. In this qualitative study we investigated how women and men in two black communities in the Western Cape, South Africa, constructed their gender identities and roles, how they understood gender-based violence, and what they believed about the links between gender relations and HIV risk. First we conducted 16 key informant interviews with members of relevant stakeholder organisations. Then we held eight focus group discussions with community members in single-sex groups. Key findings included the perception that although traditional gender roles were still very much in evidence, shifts in power between men and women were occurring. Also, gender-based violence was regarded as a major problem throughout communities, and was seen to be fuelled by unemployment, poverty and alcohol abuse. HIV/AIDS was regarded as particularly a problem of African communities, with strong themes of stigma, discrimination, and especially ‘othering' evident. Developing effective HIV/AIDS interventions in these communities will require tackling the overlapping as well as divergent constructions of gender, gender violence and HIV which emerged in the study. Keywords: gender roles, gender-based violence, HIV/AIDS, South Africa. RÉSUMÉ Les liens entre les rôles de genre, la violence contre les femmes et le risque du VIH/SIDA sont complexes et culturellement particuliers. Dans cette étude qualitative, nous avons examiné: comment des hommes et des femmes ont construit des identités et les rôles de genre dans deux communautés noires du Cap de l'Ouest, en Afrique du Sud, comment ont-ils compris la violence contre les femmes et ce qu'ils croyaient des liens entre les relations de sexes et le risque du VIH. Dans un premier temps, nous avons mené 16 entretiens principaux d'informateurs auprès des membres des organismes dépositaires. Ensuite, nous avons eu huit discussions des groupes de foyer avec des membres de la communauté en deux groupes différents, un pour les femmes un autre pour les hommes. Les résultats de recherche ont inclus la perception que: même si les rôles de genre traditionnels restent toujours évidents, il y a aussi le déplacement de pouvoir entre les hommes et les femmes. De plus, la violence contre les femmes était vue comme un problème majeur à travers les communautés et d'être aggravée par le chômage, la pauvreté et l'abus d'alcool. Le VIH/SIDA était considéré particulièrement comme un problème des communautés africaines avec des thèmes fortes de stigmatisation, de discrimination et surtout le ‘othering' évidents. Le développement des interventions efficaces du VIH/SIDA dans ces communautés va exiger une maîtrise des constructions de genre qui se recouvrent partiellement et qui sont divergentes également, la violence contre les femmes et le VIH qui ont apparu dans cette étude. Mot clés: les rôles de genre, la violence contre les femmes, le VIH/SIDA, l'Afrique du Sud

Analysis of an Exact Solution of Problem of the Evaporative Convection (Review). Part II. Three-dimensional Flows

In the paper the review of exact solutions of the three-dimensional convection problems is presented. The solutions allow one to model the two-layer convective fluid flows with evaporation at the thermocapillary interface

Air-tightness evaluation in thoracic surgery with use of laser optical-acoustic spectroscopy

The simple and effective method of the leakage test in thoracic surgery using laser photo-acoustic leak detector «LaserGasTest» was suggested and tested in experiment on mongrels. Sulfur hexafluoride used for the work of leak detector is an inert and biologically harmless gas of the 4th class of danger and its concentration in medical ventilation apparatus does not exceed 5000 mg/m3 (0.077 %). The proposed technique provides real-time high-frequency determination of location and size of leakage

Analysis of an Exact Solution of Problem of the Evaporative Convection (Review). Part I. Plane Case

Development of theory describing the convection under conditions of "liquid – gas" phase transition, is caused by the active experimental study of the convective phenomena accompanied by evaporation/condensation at interphase. Results of the analytical and numerical investigation of new nonstandard problems of heat and mass transfer in domains with free surfaces or interfaces allow one to evaluate the adequacy of new mathematical models and to derive new characteristic criteria. The obtained fundamental knowledge on physical mechanisms of the studied processes provides the basis of modification and improvement of the fluidic technologies using the evaporating liquids and gas-vapor mixtures as working media. In the paper the analysis of the exact solution of the convection equations, which gives a possibility to model the two-layer convective fluid flows with evaporation, is presented

The Role of Intrapleural Lymphotropic Blockades in the Incidence of Respiratory Complications after Surgical Treatment of Lung Cancer

The development of respiratory complications in patients after surgical treatment of lung cancer remains a serious problem, far from being resolved today. Pain remains the main factor that leads to a decrease in respiratory function in the postoperative period.The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of intrapleural lymphotropic blockades on the incidence of respiratory complications in the postoperative period in patients undergoing surgical treatment of lung cancer.Materials and methods. 103 patients with operable forms of lung cancer, who underwent anatomical lung resection or pneumonectomy, were treated in the Oncology Department of the Tomsk Regional Oncology Center. The patients were divided in two groups. The first group included 52 patients, who were supplemented with intrapleural lymphotropic blockades. The second group consisted of 51 patients who received a standard multimodal scheme of analgesia in the postoperative period. In the postoperative period, we assessed severity of pain in patients, and the frequency and types of respiratory disorders.Results. The analysis of the results revealed a significant decrease in the intensity of pain syndrome the first 12 hours after surgery in the group of patients, who underwent lymphotropic blockade. The analysis of the frequency of respiratory disorders in the study groups also revealed significant reduction in the number of complications in patients in the group with lymphotropic blockade. Acute postoperative pain, that prevents full natural ventilation, plays one of the key roles in the pathogenesis of respiratory complications in patients after surgical treatment of lung cancer.Conclusion. The use of multimodal analgesia of intrapleural lymphotropic blockade in the complex allows to reduce the pain syndrome and provide psycho-emotional comfort of the patient in the early postoperative period, thereby reducing the risk of respiratory disorders

Quantitative Determination of Ascorbic Acid in Herbal Medicinal Products by HPLC

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is involved in many vital biochemical processes in the human body. Rose hips are a natural source of ascorbic acid. Rose hips are used in decoctions and many vitamin herbal teas. Russian compendial methods for the quantitative determination of ascorbic acid have certain limitations precluding its objective measurement in herbal drugs, herbal drug preparations, and herbal medicinal products.The aim of the study was to develop an analytical procedure for the quantitative determination of ascorbic acid in herbal drugs, herbal medicinal preparations, and herbal medicinal products using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).Materials and methods. The study involved two herbal medicinal products, Rose Hips (rose hips) and Vitamin Herbal Tea 2 (rose hips and rowan fruits), and reference standards for ascorbic acid, rutoside, quercetin, gallic acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, luteolin-7-glucoside, citric acid, DL-malic acid, thiamine, and pyridoxine hydrochloride. The authors used a 1260 Infinity II chromatograph with a diode array detector by Agilent and an Inertsil ODS-3 chromatographic column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) by GL Sciences. The HPLC system was operated in gradient elution mode, and the detector was set at 244 nm.Results. Ascorbic acid content in herbal drugs, herbal medicinal preparations, and herbal medicinal products can be determined by HPLC. Adequate sample preparation and chromatography conditions allow for inhibiting ascorbic acid oxidation in aqueous solutions for a period sufficient to complete testing (not less than 8 h).Conclusions. The authors developed a highly sensitive and selective HPLC procedure for the quantitative determination of ascorbic acid intended for the standardisation of herbal drugs, herbal medicinal preparations, and herbal medicinal products. The procedure is worthy of inclusion in the Rose Hips and Vitamin Herbal Tea 2 monographs of the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation. Switching to HPLC should not require lowering the limit for ascorbic acid (not less than 0.2%) established in the Rose Hips and Vitamin Herbal Tea 2 monographs for the titration method. The ascorbic acid content was below this limit in the vast majority of study samples. However, this discrepancy may be explained by the presence of dog rose (Rosa canina) species low in vitamin C, which should normally be used only as choleretics

USE OF TITANIUM NIKELIDE IMPLANT AND FREE REVASCULARIZED FLAP FOR RECONSTRUCTION OF FENESTRATED TRACHEAL DEFECT (EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION)

Reconstruction of fenestrated tracheal defect using free revascularized flap combined with titanium nikelide implant has been developed. The experimental study was performed on 8 mongrels, on which defect or tracheostomy was created. The tracheal defect reconstruction was completed using free fasciocutaneous inguinal flap. Efficacy of the method was tested using clinical, radiological, macro- and microscopic examination. It is ascertained, that the technique permits to reconstruct fenestrated tracheal defect with minimal injury of donor zone, to simplify and shorten the operation

NEW TECHNOLOGIES iN RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY OF INJURIES AND CICATRICIAL STENOSES OF TRACHEA

The results of treatment of 9 patients with mechanical injury of trachea and of 22 patients with cicatricial stenoses of trachea are presented, in this article. 18 patients had. staged, reconstructive and plastic operations at the cicatricial stenosis, 2 patients had. endoscopic recanalization of tracheal lumen and. 2 patients had. sleeve resection of trachea with, anastomosis. An. original medical complex including argon-plasmatic, cryosurgical and. lymphotropic technologies. In all cases we managed, to recover respiratory tract integrity and. to provide adequate breath through, natural respiratory tract