Evaluation of a program to reduce back pain in nursing personnel.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a program designed to reduce back pain in nursing aides. METHODS: Female nursing aides from a university hospital who had suffered episodes of back pain for at least six months were included in the study. Participants were randomly divided into a control group and an intervention group. The intervention program involved a set of exercises and an educational component stressing the ergonomic aspect, administered twice a week during working hours for four months. All subjects answered a structured questionnaire and the intensity of pain was assessed before and after the program using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Student's t-test or the Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test for independent samples, and Chi-square test or the Exact Fisher test for categorical analysis, were used. The McNemar test and the Wilcoxon matched pairs test were used to compare the periods before and after the program. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant decrease in the frequency of cervical pain in the last two months and in the last seven days in the intervention group. There was also a reduction in cervical pain intensity in the two periods (2 months, 7 days) and lumbar pain intensity in the last 7 days. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that a program of regular exercise with an emphasis on ergonomics can reduce musculoskeletal symptoms in nursing personnel.

[Spinal cord physical-functional assessment model]. / Modelo de avaliação físico-funcional da coluna vertebral.

The study describes semiological methods that must be employed in posture and spinal cord evaluation, considering primary health care. The methods used in this study involve the patient's history, and a specific physical examination which includes a static inspection, posture examination, dynamic inspection, palpation, muscle strength and flexibility assessment, neurological examination and special tests.

[Ergonomic and postural aspects in a central supply unit]. / Aspectos ergonômicos e posturais em centro de material.

Unsuitable environmental factors can lead to back injuries. In order to develop a critical thinking about the workplace effects on human health, this paper discuss ergonomic and postural aspects in a Central Supply Unit.

[Educational proposal focused on ergonomics as prevention tool against musculoskeletal injuries for the nursing staff]. / Proposta educativa com enfoque ergonômico para auxiliar na prevenção de lesões músculo-esqueléticas na equipe de enfermagem.

Nursing staff is subject to lesions in the back due to ergonomic factors and inadequate posture. A specific educational proposal for nursing personnel was elaborated with the objective of helping to reduce these lesions. This study presents the development and topics of this educational strategy that was constructed from an analysis of the work environment and of the activities engaged in by this personnel. Themes relative to the anatomy and biomechanics of the vertebral column were presented, as well as general posture orientations, specific ergonomic aspects of nursing tasks and considerations about the movement and transportation of patients.

Study of barrier properties and chemical resistance of recycled PET coated with amorphous carbon through a plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) process.

Many studies have been carried out in order to make bottle-to-bottle recycling feasible. The problem is that residual contaminants in recycled plastic intended for food packaging could be a risk to public health. One option is to use a layer of virgin material, named functional barrier, which prevents the contaminants migration process. This paper shows the feasibility of using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycled for food packaging employing a functional barrier made from hydrogen amorphous carbon film deposited by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PECVD) process. PET samples were deliberately contaminated with a series of surrogates using a FDA protocol. After that, PET samples were coated with approximately 600 and 1200 Angstrons thickness of amorphous carbon film. Then, the migration tests using as food simulants: water, 10% ethanol, 3% acetic acid, and isooctane were applied to the sample in order to check the chemical resistance of the new coated material. After the tests, the liquid extracts were analysed using a solid-phase microextraction device (SPME) coupled to GC-MS.

Dynamics of some limnological characteristics in pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) culture tanks as function of handling.

In order to study the water quality in fish tanks, a 166-day (January to July 1992) experiment was realized using the indigenous species "p acu" (Piaractus mesopotamicus). Two different protein levels were tested in the diet (16% and 34% crude protein) and three stocking densities (0.25, 0.50 and 0.77 fish/m2). From the results, it was observed that the interactions between stocking density and experiment length affected the characteristics bicarbonate and alkalinity, as well as the interaction between stocking density and protein levels affected concentrations of free and total CO2, conductivity and pH (P < 0.05). The water temperature in tanks changed significantly during the period of study (P < 0.05),decreasing gradually from summer to winter. There was no significant difference in water residence time in the tanks (P < 0.05) during the experiment. The other limnological characteristics were not affected by treatments during study period.

Early administration of inhaled nitric oxide to children with acute respiratory distress syndrome and its effects on oxygenation and ventilator settings: prospective preliminary report of ten patients.

AIM: To establish a protocol for the early introduction of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) therapy in children with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and to assess its acute and sustained effects on oxygenation and ventilator settings. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ten children with ARDS, aged 1 to 132 months (median, 11 months), with arterial saturation of oxygen <88% while receiving a fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) >or=0.6 and a positive end-expiratory pressure of >or=10 cm H2O were included in the study. The acute response to iNO was assessed in a 4-hour dose-response test, and positive response was defined as an increase in the PaO2/FiO2 ratio of 10 mm Hg above baseline values. Conventional therapy was not changed during the test. In the following days, patients who had shown positive response continued to receive the lowest iNO dose. Hemodynamics, PaO2/FiO2, oxygenation index, gas exchange, and methemoglobin levels were obtained when needed. Inhaled nitric oxide withdrawal followed predetermined rules. RESULTS: At the end of the 4-hour test, all the children showed significant improvement in the PaO2/FiO2 ratio (63.6%) and the oxygenation index (44.9%) compared with the baseline values. Prolonged treatment was associated with improvement in oxygenation, so that FiO2 and peak inspiratory pressure could be quickly and significantly reduced. No toxicity from methemoglobin or nitrogen dioxide was observed. CONCLUSION: Administration of iNO to children is safe. iNO causes rapid and sustained improvement in oxygenation without adverse effects. Ventilator settings can safely be reduced during iNO treatment.