Nurses' attitudes towards patients hospitalised for self-harm.

Self-harm is a public health issue that accounts for thousands of presentations at hospital each year. Self-harm commonly involves self-injury by cutting, burning or poisoning. The incidence of self-harm is increasing in the UK, particularly in young people. Research suggests that people who self-harm experience negative attitudes from healthcare staff, including nurses, on presentation to healthcare services. This is an ethical issue in nursing practice that has implications for the quality of care provided. Nurses with a lack of mental health training provide care for patients who self-harm in emergency departments and acute medical settings. This article presents a literature review exploring the factors affecting nurses' attitudes towards patients hospitalised for self-harm and makes recommendations for improving practice. The article identifies requirements for nurse education and training in mental health and effective provision of care for patients who self-harm and present at the emergency department.

Protection against aflatoxin-B1-induced liver mutagenesis by Scutellaria baicalensis.

We have measured the inhibition of the mutagenicity of the mycotoxin aflatoxin-B(1) in the liver of the rat by plant material of Scutellaria baicalensis, or Huang-qin. The addition of one percent dried Huang-qin to the feed of the animals reduced the mutant frequency of a subsequent administration of aflatoxin-B1 by approximately 60 and 77%, respectively, for two different batches of the plant material. The addition of Huang-qin also increased the expression of the gene for glutathione S-transferase A5 subunit by 2.5-3.0-fold, and decreased expression of P450 cytochrome 3A2 by 1.8-2.0-fold. The greater increase of the expression of the GST gene may result in the protection shown by Huang-qin. The sensitivity of the hepatic mitochondria to swelling, a measure of the mitochondrial permeability transition, is increased significantly in animals that are on a diet containing Huang-qin. This may lead to increased sensitivity to apoptosis on treatment with toxic compounds. The two batches of Huang-qin material show differences in both chemical composition and preventive potential. This study demonstrates how a combination of generating and analysis of plant varieties together with a mammalian assay for efficacy may improve the search for better plant-based prevention of cancer initiation.