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A B da Silva

Publications and source records attributed to A B da Silva.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

The use of the qualitative research interview to uncover the essence of community psychiatric nursing: methodological reflections.

During the last decade in the Nordic countries, the qualitative research interview (QRI) has become a fruitful method for the study of how people experience their life-world, especially in social and professional contexts. The essential features and structural components of the QRI have been well developed, and various aspects of the interpretation of interview texts have been analyzed and theoretically assessed from the hermeneutic-phenomenological point of view. The validity, reliability, and fruitfulness of the method also have been constructively scrutinized. The present study, which examines the choice of appropriate QRI strategy and technique as illustrated with concrete examples, focuses on the specific area of psychiatric nurses' professional thoughts and experiences in community psychiatric nursing. This scientific article seeks to stimulate and illuminate the right use of QRI.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

The role of virtue ethics in psychiatric nursing.

The main purpose of this article is to discuss the place of the ethics of virtues and character in nursing and health care in general, and in psychiatric nursing in particular. To attain this goal, the relationship between the ethics of duty (i.e. rule based ethics) and the ethics of virtue and character will be clarified in order to defend our main hypothesis that these two types of ethics should complement each other, since both are necessary but neither by itself is sufficient for nursing. This means that any applied ethics, as in nursing, should consider the importance of the agent's moral character. To support our arguments, we shall use cases from the empirical reality of psychiatric and mental health care.

Character↗
PubMed1995

[Kinetic distribution of cyclosporine after single dose subcutaneous administration; experimental study in rats].

Adequate dose of cyclosporin A shows immunosuppressor effect, and low toxicity. The doses reported previously ranged from 2.5 to 25 mg/kg every 24, 48 hours and even 7 days. Routes for cyclosporin A administration are subcutaneous or intramuscular preferentially. In the present study, cyclosporin A (CSA) single dose subcultaneous was administered to 21 Wistar-Furth rats, adult, males, weighing 350-450g. The animals were divided in 3 groups receiving 2.5 mg/kg (group 1), 5.0 mg/kg (group 2) and 10.0 mg/kg (group 3). Blood samples were collected at 1, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours after drug collection into plastic tubes containing sodium EDTA. Blood cyclosporin A levels were determined by a commercially available radioimmunoassay kit (Sandoz RIE Kit Basel) after whole hemolysis using liquid nitrogen. Cyclosporin A blood concentrations vs time curve were plotted (log C vs t). Two compartment open model was applied to estimate the kinetic parameters as t(1/2) beta e beta. A model independent calculation was applied to estimate the kinetic parameters as AUCT, CIT and Vd. Initially, parametric and nonparametric tests were applied. Due to the high dispositional variability, nonparametric statistics (Wilcoxon's test) was applied for analysis of results obtained. Based on data obtained in the present study the authors suggest linear pharmacokinetics where Cmax AUCT showed proportional increases with the dose administered, remaining unchanged the Kinetic parameters as t(1/2) B,B, CIT and Vd.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1995

An analysis of some dimensions of the concept of moral sensing exemplified in psychiatric care.

There are few studies that focus on the interpersonal aspect of everyday ethical conflicts. Conceptual frameworks for research into ethical decision making in the health care system are mainly based on an ethic in which objectivity and principle-based thinking is emphasized, leaving the experience of concrete moral conflicts relatively unexplored. The aim of this paper is to analyze the dimensions of "moral sensing," a concept identified in an earlier grounded theory study of psychiatric nursing. Four dimensions of the concept of moral sensing, i.e., feeling, intuition, benevolence and genuineness, were synthesized by reviewing the works of past and contemporary philosophers. The analysis of moral sensing and its dimensions is exemplified by actual nurse-patient encounters in psychiatric nursing practice.

Decision Making↗
PubMed1994

EEG and dementia indicators in AIDS patients' Rorschach test.

We studied the EEG and Rorschach test (RT) of nineteen AIDS patients and eight normal people in the same age group. Eight patients presented slow alpha rhythms (8 to 9 Hz); three, not-slow alpha rhythms (> 9 to 13 Hz); and eight, beta rhythms in background activity. Paroxystic activity, characterized by diffuse theta or delta waves, was present in eleven patients. We observed Oberholzer syndrome (organic dementia diagnosed by RT) in ten patients and Piotrowski syndrome (organic dementia diagnosed by RT) in eleven patients; six presented both. When considering only the group of AIDS patients, we did not observe a significant relation among slow alpha rhythm, not-slow alpha rhythm and the presence of paroxystic activity with the above-mentioned syndromes. AIDS patients with slow alpha rhythms showed a significantly greater number of Piotrowski syndrome dementia indicators when compared to normal individuals or those with slow alpha rhythms. We did not observe the same with Oberholzer syndrome.

AIDS Dementia Complex↗
PubMed1993

Electroencephalogram base rhythm in AIDS patients.

We studied the EEG of 73 patients diagnosed with HIV infection, with or without secondary complications. Sixty-eight belonged to CDC (Center for Disease Control) group IV and 38 presented signs or symptoms of encephalic neurological impairment. Rhythms constituting base activity were alpha (65.75%), beta (13.70%), theta (12.33%), and delta (8.22%). The alpha rhythm presented two modes: slow (8 to 9 Hz) in 25/48 or 52.08% of the cases and not-slow (> 9 to 13 Hz) in 23/48 or 47.92% of the cases. The alpha slow-mode has been observed in about 10 to 15% of the normal population, with the 8 Hz frequency being found in only 1% of the normal adult population, which suggests that in some manner HIV is implicated in the slowing-down of the EEG base rhythm in AIDS patients. The patients from CDC group IV with encephalic neurological involvement presented a base rhythm significantly lower than those with non-encephalic involvement or the absence of neurological impairment.

AIDS Dementia Complex↗
PubMed1990

Photoparoxysmal responses.

Sixty-five outpatients with photoparoxysmal response (PPR) during routine EEG were studied. The PPR showed prevalence in women (75.4%). Seizures were found in 66.1% of cases. The rest recordings were abnormal in 41.8% with prevalence of generalized paroxysm. Eight patterns of PPR were observed, being polyspike mixed to slow wave the most frequent (53%). The epileptic group showed a bimodal distribution in the several bands of photic stimulation, near 8 and 20-24 Hz. A sustained paroxysmal abnormality persisting after the photic stimulation was present in 6 epileptic patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

[Periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges. II. Developmental aspects].

A investigation was done on EEG evolution of 9 patients with PLEDs. In all patients PLEDs eventually disappeared, in general in a short period, less than 4 days in 5 cases. In 4 cases evolution was to slow background activity, and to posterior normalization in 2. In 3 cases evolution was to delta activity and suppression bursts, and all the 3 patients died. In the last 2 patients PLEDs were replaced by localized paroxysmal activity, which was anteriorly registered in 1. PLEDs was found in acute dysfunction of CNS, and in epileptic patients in periods of increased seizure activity. These data suggest that a critical point of alteration of the normal neuronal activity is needed for appearance and maintenance of PLEDs. No correlation could be done between the evolution of PLEDs, always to disappearance, and clinical outcome, that was variable.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Illiteracy and brain damage. 2. Manifestations of unilateral neglect in testing "auditory comprehension" with iconographic materials.

This report concerns the sentence-picture matching behavior of 100 neurologically healthy and 169 brain-damaged subjects, all of whom were unilingual adult right-handers. Within this population, 144 subjects were totally unschooled illiterates and the remaining 125 had received school education and thereafter had retained writing skills and reading habits. Brain-damaged subjects were tested less than 2 months after a first left- or right-hemisphere stroke. All subjects were administered an aphasia screening battery including, among other subtests, a set of six sentence-picture matching stimuli. For each of these six stimuli, subjects heard a sentence uttered by the examiner and were then requested to match this sentence with one of four drawings presented within a single display divided into four quadrants of equal surface. Three sentences were syntactically "simple" (noun subject + verb) and three were relatively more "complex" (noun subject + verb + one or two noun complements). Evidence of unilateral neglect was found in both left- and right-brain-damaged illiterates and literates. Moreover, the right neglect of left-brain-damaged subjects was manifest mostly when target sentences were relatively "complex" whereas the left neglect of right-brain-damaged subjects was manifest irrespective of the syntactic complexity of target sentences. Our data are interpreted as indicative of an interaction between two cognitive disorders resulting from dysfunctions of asymmetrically represented cognitive mechanisms. The implications of these findings with respect to clinical and research aphasia testing are discussed.

Attention↗
PubMed1986

[Alexia without agraphia: a clinico-tomographic study].

The authors report the clinical findings and CT-scanning results in two cases of alexia without agraphia and review the literature on this subject. Both patients had extensive infarction in the territory supplied by the left posterior cerebral artery and developed severe alexia without agraphia, right hemianopia without color-anomia and one of them presented with transient verbal memory difficulties. In both cases the evolution was very good, with total regression of the alexia after 17 months in the first patient and almost complete recovery after there months in the second one. The authors comment on the causes and possible mechanisms of the alexias, especially of the alexia without agraphia, and suggest that every patient with right hemianopic disturbances due to occlusion of the left posterior cerebral artery be thoroughly studied from a neurological point of view, so that this syndrome can be detected since, notwithstanding its recognized rarity, it seems highly probable that many cases have been overlooked as a result of incomplete examination of the patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

[Isaacs' syndrome. Report of a case and review of the literature].

The case of a 17-year-old boy who had been well until the age of four when progressive stiffness of lower limbs developed is reported. Soon walking became difficult and on on his thighs, buttocks and calves one could notice the appearance of myokymia. Painful and intermittent spasms were often present specially after physical strain. This was followed by profuse sweating. Strength was normal but muscle relaxing was slow mainly in the quadriceps. The familiar history for neuromuscular pathology was negative. Muscle enzymes, thyroid function tests were within normal limits and muscular biopsy showed no abnormalities. The EMG disclosed a permanent spontaneous activity, more evident in the quadriceps, which was normal in shape, amplitude and duration. In association to this activity multiplets discharges and low motor units were also observed; in interferencial pattern appeared at maximum contraction but the multiplets and low motor units potentials kept on showing even though voluntary muscular activity ceased. The therapeutic essay with carbamazepin had a dramatic effect upon the course of the patient's conditions. He showed a great improvement with this drug and today leads a normal life being able even to play soccer and ride a bicycle. An interesting remark which should be done is the fact that the flexion of the neck inhibits the quadriceps myokymia whereas the extension makes them to appear and even worsen. Unfortunately is was not possible to carry out a more accurate investigation concerning electropharmacology and hystopathology as the patient was uncooperative and refused to undergo such examinations. However the authors believe that this clinical picture can be considered as a case of "continuous muscle-fibre activity" due to the great similarity it bears to the cases related by Isaacs in 1961. An extensive review concerning the pertinent literature has been done.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1975

[Involvement of nonhypothalamic encephalic structures in the Hand-Schüller-Christian disease. Report of a case and review of the literature].

A case of Hand-Schüller-Christian disease which presented a pyramidal syndrome besides elements of the classical triad and concentric retraction of the visual field is reported. The rare involvement of non-hypothalamic encephalic structures in that disease is emphasized together with the favourable effect of corticotherapy and radiotherapy.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A holistic-existential model for psychiatric nursing.

The authors offer a holistic model for psychiatric nursing based on a existential concept of man. They assert that the biomedical model of health and sickness is not sufficient to understand the reality in which psychiatric nurses practice. Within this model, understanding clients in relation to their life contexts becomes the focus, as well as trying to comprehend what effects suffering has on their ability to function. The relationship between nurse and client is discussed from a point of view that considers central existential precepts, such as: equality, encounter/being present, self-esteem/significance, responsibility and choice, objectives, meaning and clarification of values, guilt and atonement, openness and insight, conformity versus rebellion and finally hope.

Existentialism↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Squamous cell carcinoma-like and pox lesions occurring simultaneously in chorioallantoic membranes of chicken embryos inoculated with materials from squamous cell carcinoma and pox lesions in broiler chickens.

The finding of closely associated squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)-like lesions and pox lesions in chorioallantoic membranes (CAMs) inoculated with skin and palate samples taken from broilers is described. The samples were obtained from two broilers coming from different flocks that were not vaccinated against fowl pox. Both birds presented skin lesions, which were diagnosed in one bird as fowl pox, and in the other as SCC. After inoculation of CAMs with fresh tissues from both birds, histologic examination revealed, in all CAMs, lesions that were characteristic of fowl pox together with lesions consistent with those seen in the skin of broilers affected with SCC. This finding was unexpected and may shed some light on the etiology of SCC.

Allantois↗