E Dreyer — Page 2 | PubMed Health

PubMedDate not supplied

[Operational definition of the quality of nursing care at an intensive care unit of a teaching hospital].

The purpose of this study is the development of valid standards and criteria of nursing care quality for intensive care units (ICUs) based on Donabedian's approach to quality access. Eighteen standards and 219 criteria have been formulated by ICU staff nurses at a school-hospital, according to a protocol. These standards/criteria have then been evaluated by 14 experts in ICU Nursing from 5 other hospitals by means of a written questionnaire. The results indicated a high acceptance thereof and only one criterion was rejected. This showed that staff nurses and the experts involved had similar concepts about quality of ICU practice. The developed operational definition may be a basis to quality access tool. Staff nurses participation in this process is recommended.

Clinical Competence↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Evaluation of the indirect immunofluorescence test for the diagnosis of bancroftian filariasis using microfilariae W. bancrofti as the antigen, in Recife-PE, Brazil].

The authors analysed the indirect immunofluorescence assay, for the diagnosis of bancroftian filariasis using papain treated W. bancrofti microfilariae as antigen, widely used in Recife-Brazil. Sera from 50 patients with several clinical forms of the disease including asymptomatic carriers, tropical pulmonary eosinophilia, elephantiasis, filarial fever and chyluria were analysed. For the control group, 50 individuals were selected, living at least 5 years in endemic area, with neither previous DEC treatment nor clinical-laboratory evidences of the disease, called normals endemic. The sensitivity and specificity were analysed taking into account different cut off values. It was not possible to differentiate infected individuals from the control group. It was not even possible to establish any correlation with IMF titers among different clinical presentation of the disease. Crossed reactions with various intestinal helminths were considered, but no relationship was found.

Adolescent↗