In this article, the author discusses the benefits that people with inflammatory bowel disease derive from a well-rounded exercise program that includes aerobic and resistive training. Exercise guidelines, precautions, and signs and symptoms of potential complications are reviewed.

Exercise Therapy↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The use of portfolios in the assessment of learning and competence.

BACKGROUND: Portfolios have been used to incorporate accreditation of prior learning into nursing and midwifery assessment. This article aims to review the available literature on the use of portfolios. CONCLUSION: There needs to be a thorough evaluation of portfolios to determine their effectiveness as assessment tools in relation to the curriculum.

Clinical Competence↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Empirical research on informed consent. An annotated bibliography.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Clinical Medicine↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Study of host and virological factors of patients with chronic HCV infection and associated laboratory or clinical autoimmune manifestations.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with an array of autoimmune laboratory and clinical manifestations. The goals of our study were to identify host and/or virological factors that are implicated in the pathogenesis of these manifestations. METHODS: We performed a detailed prospective study of various demographic, virological, biochemical, immunological (including lymphocyte subsets, Fc gamma-receptor and HLA class-II genotyping), histological and host genetic parameters in 3 well defined subgroups of HCV patients (n = 40): patients with liver disease only (group I, n = 11) or with laboratory (group II, n = 20) and clinical (group III, n = 9) autoimmune manifestations. RESULTS: Group III patients, mainly with features of mixed cryoglobulinemia, were older, with higher levels of rheumatoid factor and circulating cryoglobulins while they tended to have a longer estimated disease duration compared to the other two groups of patients. We did not identify any specific immunological features that could differentiate symptomatic versus asymptomatic patients, except from the elevated soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels. An increased frequency of the R/R131 FcR gamma IIIA and the NA1/NA1 Fc gamma RIIIB genotypes was observed in our total HCV population, regardless of autoimmune manifestations, compared to historical controls. No statistically significant differences in HLA class II allele frequencies was detected between patient subgroups or in comparison to healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: Chronically infected HCV patients with symptomatic mixed cryoglobulinemia display a number of unique characteristics that differentiate them from asymptomatic patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Adult↗