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Biomedical subjects

B Lalonde

Publications and source records attributed to B Lalonde.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Evaluation of the IDI-MRSA assay for detection of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus from nasal and rectal specimens pooled in a selective broth.

Rapid detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) by PCR can be performed directly from nasal specimens with the IDI-MRSA assay. To improve the efficiency of screening, we evaluated the performance of the IDI-MRSA assay for the detection of MRSA from pooled and unpooled specimens cultured in a selective broth. Of the 287 specimens evaluated, 71 were culture and PCR positive, 203 were culture and PCR negative, 3 were culture positive and PCR negative, 8 were culture negative and PCR positive, and 2 remained inhibited. A methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus isolate was recovered from five of the eight specimens with false-positive PCR results. Compared to the results of culture, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative [corrected] predictive values of the IDI-MRSA assay for detection of MRSA from broth were 96%, 96%, 90%, and 98%, respectively. Following implementation of the IDI-MRSA assay, PCR-positive broths were subcultured for evaluation of assay performance. Of the 298 IDI-MRSA assay-positive broths, the results for 103 could not be confirmed by culture. A methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) isolate was recovered from 77 of these 103 broths. Repeat testing by the IDI-MRSA assay directly with the MSSA isolates confirmed the original positive PCR result. The positive predictive value of the IDI-MRSA assay fell from 90% during the evaluation phase to 65% postimplementation. The IDI-MRSA assay performed well for the detection of MRSA from a selective broth compared to the performance of the detection of MRSA from culture. However, because of the burden associated with implementation of infection control precautions, cultures remain essential in confirming positive IDI-MRSA results.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗
PubMed2000

Trainee characteristics and perceptions of HIV/AIDS training quality.

HIV/AIDS education and training have played a vital role in keeping health providers up to date on emerging developments and approaches. This study reports findings from seven HIV/AIDS education and training projects. Participants in more than 600 training sessions described themselves, their professional background, and their general reasons for taking the training. Immediately following the training, they also rated the quality of their educational experience along several dimensions. Trainee characteristics were related to assessments of training quality, using a regression decision-tree analytic approach. Although effect sizes were generally small, quality ratings of the HIV/AIDS training experiences were associated with certain projects, basic trainee demographic characteristics, professional background, and experience in the HIV field. Greater understanding about participant characteristics can provide clues about how these training experiences are perceived and processed and may inform decision making about instructional HIV/AIDS curricula.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Familial adenomatous polyposis or Gardner syndrome--review of the literature and presentation of 2 clinical cases].

Gardner syndrome is a type of hereditary gastrointestinal polyposis. Dental professionals should be aware that this syndrome can present as multiple impacted teeth and sometimes as large osteomas in the head and neck area. Following a brief review of literature, we present two cases of Gardner syndrome. One of these cases was diagnosed after a dental examination. The high incidence of malignant transformation of polyps into colorectal cancer indicates the importance of early diagnosis and follow-up.

Adenomatous Polyposis Coli↗
PubMed2000

[Bilateral agreements to reduce maternal mortality in developing countries. The FIGO experience].

In 1997, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) launched its Save the Mother program. Its overall objective is to mobilise obstetricians and gynaecologists in developing and developed countries to work together in an effort to reduce maternal mortality, through operational research demonstrating the feasibility and effectiveness of integrated comprehensive essential obstetric services. The FIGO Save the Mothers Uganda - Canada Project, jointly led by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada and the Association of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Uganda (AOGU), is one of the projects supported by FIGO. Conducted in Kiboga (Uganda), the project aims the reduction of maternal mortality and morbidity by a series of measures which target the district hospitals, community dispensaries and the community.

Canada↗
PubMed2000

Effects of HIV/AIDS education and training on patient care and provider practices: a cross-cutting evaluation.

Initial and continuing training in HIV/AIDS service provision is a critical way to enable the nation's health providers to use state-of-the-art developments and perspectives. Typically, the efficacy of HIV/AIDS training programs is evaluated using assessments administered to trainees immediately following the training. This study reports cross-cutting findings from telephone interviews conducted with 218 trainees an average of 8 months after training. Long-term training effects are examined in three domains: (a) general perspectives on HIV/AIDS; (b) health care provider service provision; and (c) changes in procedures and operations at the health care system level. The findings show the different ways that the training experience had long-term positive and observable effects in these three domains. In some cases, background characteristics and job positions predicted the specific type of reported training effects. The pattern of results suggests ways in which training methods can be targeted to specific audiences.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed2000

Do characteristics of HIV/AIDS education and training affect perceived training quality? Lessons from the evaluation of seven projects.

Initial and continuing HIV/AIDS education and training has been a critical way to bring the nation's health providers up to date on emerging developments and approaches. This study reports cross-cutting findings from seven HIV/AIDS education and training projects. Trainers described over 600 training sessions from these projects in terms of their structural characteristics and design elements, while trainees described these sessions on several dimensions related to training quality. Training characteristics were compared to trainee assessments of training quality. Using a decision-tree analytic approach for major training attributes, considerable support emerged for links between training characteristics and perceived quality of the HIV/AIDS training experience. More favorable quality ratings were associated with certain projects, the training setting, the types of trainees served by the training, the intended training impact, discussion of special populations, and training methods involving interactive learning. With increased knowledge regarding how these educational experiences relate to the ways they are perceived and processed, more targeted approaches to training design on HIV/AIDS can be developed.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Validity of two scales in identifying HIV-associated dementia.

OBJECTIVES: To examine and compare the validity of the HIV Dementia Scale (HDS) and Executive Interview (EXIT) in detecting HIV/AIDS dementia. METHODS: The sample included hospitalized or skilled nursing/assisted-living facility (SNF) HIV/AIDS patients (N = 103). Participants completed the HDS, EXIT, and the Structured Clinical Interview from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV). A chart review also was performed. RESULTS: Sample was predominantly male (93%) and white (79%), with a mean age of 38 years (standard deviation [SD] = 8 years). Twelve patients had a clinical diagnosis of HIV dementia. Cutoff scores of 10 or less for the HDS and 11 or more for the EXIT optimized sensitivity and specificity. Education level was related to performance for both tests. Using separate logistic regression analyses, the HDS and the EXIT were significant individual predictors of dementia. When entered together, the EXIT was the only significant predictor of dementia. Selected items of the HDS and EXIT also performed well in identifying patients with dementia. CONCLUSIONS: The HDS and the EXIT show promise as brief, well-tolerated screening tools for HIV dementia in ill patients. The HDS was more sensitive, but the EXIT added additional predictive power over the HDS in identifying dementia.

AIDS Dementia Complex↗
PubMed1999

Systems change resulting from HIV/AIDS education and training. A cross-cutting evaluation of nine innovative projects.

An evaluation of nine diverse HIV/AIDS training programs assessed the degree to which the programs produced changes in the ways that health care systems deliver HIV/AIDS care. Participants were interviewed an average of 8 months following completion of training and asked for specific examples of a resulting change in their health care system. More than half of the trainees gave at least one example of a systems change. The examples included the way patient referrals are made, the manner in which agency collaborations are organized, and the way care is delivered.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

La Esperanza del Valle: alcohol prevention novelas for Hispanic youth and their families.

With extensive Hispanic community involvement, a television, radio, and storybook novela were developed to improve Hispanic parent-youth communications and youth attitudes regarding alcohol. Focus groups with the target audiences determined the novelas' concentration on alcohol, their medium and language of choice for Hispanic youth versus parents, and the health messages and cultural values to be portrayed. Reactions to the novelas were obtained via self-report surveys, random street interviews, radio listener call-ins, and community group meetings. Favorable reactions were obtained regarding the novelas' cultural sensitivity and appropriateness, and their potential to affect future behavior change. The affect of the television novela on Hispanic youth was evaluated by a pre-post self-report survey administered to middle and high school students. Survey results indicated the television novela may have had some positive impact on Hispanic youth attitudes and behavioral intentions regarding alcohol. The evaluation time line was limiting, however, and further evaluation is required.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

[Dens in dente: apicoectomy and retrograde obturation].

Dens in dente is a developmental anomaly, which, in some advanced cases, requires a combination of conventional and surgical endodontic treatment. The purpose of this article is to suggest how to treat a Type 3 (Oehlers classification) dens in dente.

Apicoectomy↗
PubMed1996

[Oro-dental manifestations of leukemia in children].

Every year in Canada, approximately one thousand cancer cases are reported in children from birth to age 14. Leukemia accounts for approximately 30 per cent of these cases. Leukemia and its treatment are likely to cause to children more oral complications than all other types of cancer. Both the leukemic condition itself and the therapy cause oral signs and symptoms with significant morbidity. Since life expectancy for a patient with leukemia has been greatly improved, dentists have an increasing role to play before, during and after a treatment against leukemia. A review of the oral manifestations related to leukemia and its treatment is presented.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Identifying and treating HIV-related oral conditions: a clinical grand rounds approach.

The authors describe an innovative method for teaching dental professionals to differentially diagnose and treat HIV-related oral lesions. The method included a half day of didactic presentations and a half day of clinical grand rounds. The clinical grand rounds featured clinical stations where small groups of practitioners observed HIV oral manifestations and interacted with patients. Their observations were discussed with two dentists expert in diagnosing and managing oral complications of HIV. Videotapes of the patients' oral lesions augmented the discussions.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1995

[Benign migratory glossitis: an enigmatic lesion].

Although benign migratory glossitis, commonly called "geographic tongue," is frequently observed, we still have not been able to determine its etiology. While the condition is usually asymptomatic, the spectacular appearance of the lesion frequently causes the patient considerable worry. Based on a review of the literature, different theories on the lesion's etiology as well as therapeutic modalities will be discussed.

Glossitis, Benign Migratory↗
PubMed1995

[Oral candidiasis: diagnosis and drug therapy].

Oral candidiasis is the most frequently observed oral mycosis. It can be manifested as a variety of clinical symptoms, and both local and systemic factors may contribute to its development. A confirmation of this infection depends upon the use of appropriate diagnostic tests, in addition to the presence of clinical signs and symptoms. The choice of antifungal agent depends on the location, severity and chronicity of the lesions, as well as the health status of the patient. Oral candidiasis generally responds well to pharmacological treatment. If the infection is persistent or recurrent, a possible underlying homeostatic disturbance should be investigated.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed1993

Correlates of caregiver strain in home health care.

Family caregivers (N = 183) caring for persons admitted to home health care agencies in Washington State were interviewed regarding their perceived caregiver strain. Perceived subjective strain was found to be significantly related to factors beyond home health care agency control such as age of the caregiver, sex of the care receiver, and the caregiver's health. Objective strain, however, was significantly related to factors such as the care receiver's functional status, types of tasks with which they require help, the number of caregiver hours spent performing these tasks, and the number of days the care receiver spends in bed. It is hypothesized that agencies can reduce perceived objective strain by improving patients' functional independence through nursing and therapy visits.

Adult↗