No abstract

The results can be used for the purpose of developing knowledge for healthcare professions and for educational purposes.

ObjectivesTo explore growth data (height-for-age, weight-for-age and BMI-for-age) of children living in poor socioeconomic conditions in rural areas of Chin State, Burma/Myanmar; and to compare these data with the growth and development z-score (GDZ) values for school-aged children and adolescents, provided by the WHO.SettingA support and educational programme, run by the Swedish association Chin Development and Research Society (CDRS), was carried out among underprivileged school-aged children, unable to attend school without economic and practical support, living in villages and remote areas in Chin State.ParticipantsCommunity leaders who were well familiar with the citizens in the community identified children in need of this support. Other community members could also suggest or apply for this. The sample includes all participating children in the CDRS programme at the time of the data collection in six townships. The children were placed in host families, close to a suitable school. Two samples with a total of 639 children from 144 villages and remote areas were obtained:1. Children in the CDRS Chin Programme (CCP) (2007–2010) comprised 558 children: 50% girls and boys.2. Children in the Chin Society (CCS) (2010) comprised 81 children: 44% girls and 56% boys.Primary outcome measuresGrowth data.ResultsAll growth data from both groups deviated significantly from the WHO standard references (p≤0.001). The prevalence of stunting (height-for-age ≤–2SD) was 52% among girls and 68% among boys. High levels of wasting (weight-for-age ≤–2SD) were found among girls 29% and boys 36% aged 5–10 years. In addition, severe thinness (BMI-for-age ≤–2SD) was found among girls 31% and boys 44%, all results to be compared to the expected 2.27%.ConclusionsMany more than expected—according to the WHO reference values—in CCP and CCS suffered from stunting, wasting and thinness.

Objective Fibrin has been used as a standard material for scaffold fixation during cartilage repair surgery. Most of the commercially available fibrin preparations need an additional method for scaffold fixation, most often with sutures, thus damaging the surrounding healthy cartilage. There is therefore a need to find alternatives to this method. In our study, we have investigated the potential possibility to use mussel adhesive protein as such an alternative. Methods In this study, hydrophobic plastic was coated with the mussel adhesive protein Mefp-1 as well as with other cell adhesives (poly-lysine, fibronectin, and collagen). Human keratinocytes and chondrocytes were seeded on these substrates at 37°C in culture medium, followed by analysis of attachment and proliferation by crystal violet staining and metabolic labelling. Performance of Mefp-1 and fibrin as tissue glues were estimated by tensional force resistance measurement of moist porcine dermis (as a correlate to scaffold) glued to dermis, cartilage, or bone at 37°C. Results Mefp-1 supported maximal cell attachment at a coating density of approximately 1 µg/cm2. This was at least as good as the other adhesives tested. In addition, it supported cell proliferation at least as good as regular tissue culture plastic over a 7-day period. Measurement of tensional force resistance showed that Mefp-1 performed equally well as fibrin when porcine dermis was glued to cartilage and bone at the same concentration. Separation of the moist tissues after 15-minute incubation required a force of approximately 1 N/cm2 for both compounds. Conclusions Mefp-1 show properties that qualify it as a compound that potentially could replace fibrin as a tissue glue for scaffold fixation. Given the possibilities to modify this protein by bioengineering, it is likely that the properties can be further improved.

ObjectiveTo explore healthcare professionals’ conceptions of the care of patients who are also healthcare professionals.DesignExplorative, with a qualitative, phenomenographic approach.Participants and setting16 healthcare personnel within different professions (doctors, nurses, assistant nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists) were interviewed about the care of 32 patients who were themselves members of different healthcare professions, in one healthcare organisation in Sweden.ResultsThe care of patients who are healthcare professionals was conceived in five different ways, as: usual, dutiful, prioritised and secure, insecure and responsive. An initial conception was that their care was usual, just as for any other patient, and also a perceived duty to treat them and to protect their right to be a patient—as any other patient. Exploring further, informants described that these patients did receive secure and prioritised care, as the informants experienced making a greater commitment, especially doctors giving privileges to doctor–patients. A conception of insecure care infused the informants’ descriptions. This comprised of them feeling intimidated in their professional role, feeling affected by colleagues’ stressful behaviour and ambiguity whether the healthcare professional–patient could be regarded as a competent professional. The deepest way of understanding care seemed to be responsive care, such as acknowledging and respecting the patient's identity and responding to their wishes of how treatment was to be met.ConclusionsCaring for healthcare professionals seems to trigger different ethical approaches, such as deontology and ethics of care. According to ethics of care, the findings may indeed suggest that these patients should be cared for just as any other patients would be, but only if this means that they are cared for as persons, that is, they are given ‘person-centred care’. This would imply balancing between acknowledging the vulnerable patient in the colleague and acknowledging the identity of the colleague in the patient.