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Biomedical subjects

K Morin

Publications and source records attributed to K Morin.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Confidentiality of health information postmortem.

CONTEXT: Recent discussions of health care privacy have prompted new concerns over the control of private health information after a patient's death. The importance of confidentiality protections postmortem is compounded as genetic technologies and research capabilities advance and public interest in this information increases. OBJECTIVE: The Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs of the American Medical Association developed this report to guide physicians in the management of patients' health information postmortem. PARTICIPANTS: This report was developed by the 9 physician members of the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs with the assistance of staff from the Ethics Standards Group at the American Medical Association. EVIDENCE: Literature searches in the MEDLINE and BIOETHICSLINE databases using the search terms postmortem and health information qualified with confidentiality or privacy yielded a combined total of 129 references. Additional references were culled from policies of a number of health care organizations. CONSENSUS PROCESS: The Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs solicited suggestions from the federation of state medical and specialty societies before drafting this report. A copy of the report was sent to the College of American Pathologists for comment. It was then adopted by a majority vote of the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association. CONCLUSIONS: The report emphasizes the importance of maintaining confidentiality for information held within a deceased patient's medical record. However, these protections are subject to certain exceptions. Confidentiality can be upheld when such information is used for educational or research purposes by removing individual identifiers. For disclosures in which the identity of the deceased patient is known, a number of considerations are provided to assess when disclosure would be ethically permissible.

American Medical Association↗
PubMed2000

The health effects of economic sanctions and embargoes: the role of health professionals. Ethics and Human Rights Committee.

As a widely used tool of foreign policy, economic sanctions take many forms. They include mandating trade restrictions (for example, limiting imports from or exports to a sanctioned nation), freezing bank accounts, limiting international travel to and from an area, imposing additional tariffs, and exerting other pressures that are intended to slow key economic activities. Since the end of the Cold War, as the global market has expanded, many countries and the United Nations have increasingly used economic sanctions instead of military intervention to compel nations to end civil or extraterritorial war or to reduce abuse of human rights. Similarly, the United States has attempted to influence international governments' domestic policies by using other economic means, such as relating "most favored nation" trading status to a country's human rights record or prohibiting the import of goods from countries in which illegal child labor is widespread. Repercussions from these measures influence a country's economic development and, therefore, can also affect the overall welfare of a nation's population. In contrast to war's easily observable casualties, the apparently nonviolent consequences of economic intervention seem like an acceptable alternative. However, recent reports suggest that economic sanctions can seriously harm the health of persons who live in targeted nations. For this reason, the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine has undertaken this examination of physicians' roles in addressing the health effects of economic sanctions.

Economics↗
PubMed1999

Nutrition and exercise in overweight and obese postpartum women.

This secondary analysis of a longitudinal, nonintervention study describes the nutritional and physical activity behavior of overweight and obese postpartum women and the differences in nutrition and physical activity when participants are evaluated according to four weight categories: underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese. The sample consisted of 67 postpartal women [40 (60%) African American and 27 (40%) White] who gave birth vaginally to healthy term infants. No differences were present when overweight and obese women were compared with underweight and normal weight women relative to nutrition and physical activity. Nutritional imbalances were present for overweight and obese women relative to protein and fat intake. Overweight and obese postpartum women can be encouraged to lose weight using a nutritionally balanced approach by decreasing fat and protein intake, maintaining an adequate carbohydrate intake, and increasing their folacin intake.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

First-time mothers' perceptions of prenatal care services.

This study sought to uncover information regarding prenatal care services as reported by primiparas. Inadequate prenatal care has been linked with the delivery of low birth weight (LBW) infants and infant mortality. This secondary analysis of a larger study (N = 426) examined the need for and availability, accessibility, and use of prenatal care services by primiparas (n = 141). Results indicated that primiparas delivering LBW infants reported less satisfaction with information on birth control and less information on infant feeding. In addition, mothers of LBW infants reported more often than mothers of normal birthweight infants that transportation and finances were barriers to prenatal care. Childbirth preparation class was the only predictor variable for birth weight in this study.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Varicella-zoster virus thymidine kinase gene and antiherpetic pyrimidine nucleoside analogues in a combined gene/chemotherapy treatment for cancer.

Ten pyrimidine nucleoside analogues, including (B)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine (BVDU) and closely related analogues, were evaluated for their cytostatic activity against human osteosarcoma cells transfected with the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) thymidine kinase (tk) (ATP:thymidine 5' phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.2.21) gene. (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyluracil (BVaraU), (E)-5-(2-iodovinyl)-2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyluracil (IVFAU) and (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxy-4'-thiouridine (S-BVDU) were among the most potent inhibitors of VZVtk gene-transfected cell proliferation. They displayed an inhibitory activity at drug concentrations that were up to four orders of magnitude lower than those required to inhibit the corresponding nontransfected tumor cells. Inhibition of cellular DNA polymerase and/or incorporation of the drugs into cellular DNA may be a likely target for the cytostatic activity of the BVDU derivatives against the VZVtk gene-transfected tumor cells. These compounds were approximately 40- to 80-fold more potent cytostatic agents in VZVtk gene-transfected cells than the anti-VZV compound 6-methoxy-9-beta-D-arabinofuranosylpurine (araM), and at least five- to 50-fold more cytostatic than ganciclovir in HSV-1tk gene-transfected murine mammary carcinoma FM3A cells. In addition, the intrinsic resistance of BVaraU, IVFAU and S-BVDU to glycosidic bond cleavage by mammalian dThd phosphorylases makes them promising candidate compounds for the treatment of VZVtk gene-transfected tumors in vivo.

Antiviral Agents↗
PubMed1995

Excessive weight gain in primigravidas with low-risk pregnancy: selected obstetric consequences.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a group of normal weight women with a low-risk pregnancy who increased their prepregnant weight by more than 25% experienced a longer second stage of labor or a higher proportion of operative deliveries than a group of normal weight women who increased their prepregnant weight by 25% or less. DESIGN: Comparative, descriptive, retrospective chart review. SETTING: A 480-bed tertiary care medical center. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred four primigravidas who had normal weight for height at conception and who experienced low-risk pregnancy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Length of second stage labor and mode of delivery. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found in the mean length of second stage labor between the two groups, t(94) = -2.05, p = 0.02. A higher proportion of operative deliveries (vacuum, forceps, or cesarean section) occurred in the group that increased their prepregnant weight by more than 25%, chi 2(3, N = 104) = 15.87, p = 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: The amount of weight gained during pregnancy influences progress and intervention during the second stage of labor.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Improving caretakers' knowledge of fever management in preschool children: is it possible?

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to investigate caretakers' knowledge of the implications of fever, the appropriate method of fever management, and the effectiveness of an educational intervention directed toward improving caretakers' ability to manage their child's fever. METHOD: A descriptive, comparative study was conducted with a convenience sample of 86 caretakers. Follow-up data were obtained for 50 caretakers. Data were collected with an investigator-developed open-ended questionnaire. RESULTS: A fever of 104 degrees F was considered to be harmful by 31 subjects. However, fever as low as 100 degrees F was perceived to be harmful by eight subjects. Administration of acetaminophen was the most frequent method of treatment (84 [98%] of 86). No significant improvement in caretaker knowledge in terms of the level of fever at which to administer medication was demonstrated (chi-squared analysis, .012; df, 1; p = 0.91). Accuracy of antipyretic medication dosage was improved (chi-squared analysis, 13.13; df, 6; p = 0.04). DISCUSSION: Caretakers continue to perceive even marginal fevers can cause harm. Improvement was noted in dose accuracy after the intervention. The lack of significant improvement in caretaker knowledge regarding some aspects of fever management after the educational intervention suggests that more than a one-time educational intervention is required.

Acetaminophen↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Developing workplace advocacy behaviors.

In this article, the authors describe the concept of workplace advocacy, workplace hazards experienced by hospital nurses, methods for teaching workplace advocacy behavior, and strategies for controlling specific workplace hazards. Workplace advocacy is a universally applicable concept for maintaining professional nursing practice. Staff development educators are key in helping staff nurses achieve autonomous nursing practice.

Education, Nursing, Continuing↗