Observational attachment theory-based parenting measures predict children's attachment narratives independently from social learning theory-based measures.

Conceptually and methodologically distinct models exist for assessing quality of parent-child relationships, but few studies contrast competing models or assess their overlap in predicting developmental outcomes. Using observational methodology, the current study examined the distinctiveness of attachment theory-based and social learning theory-based measures of parenting in predicting two key measures of child adjustment: security of attachment narratives and social acceptance in peer nominations. A total of 113 5-6-year-old children from ethnically diverse families participated. Parent-child relationships were rated using standard paradigms. Measures derived from attachment theory included sensitive responding and mutuality; measures derived from social learning theory included positive attending, directives, and criticism. Child outcomes were independently-rated attachment narrative representations and peer nominations. Results indicated that Attachment theory-based and Social Learning theory-based measures were modestly correlated; nonetheless, parent-child mutuality predicted secure child attachment narratives independently of social learning theory-based measures; in contrast, criticism predicted peer-nominated fighting independently of attachment theory-based measures. In young children, there is some evidence that attachment theory-based measures may be particularly predictive of attachment narratives; however, no single model of measuring parent-child relationships is likely to best predict multiple developmental outcomes. Assessment in research and applied settings may benefit from integration of different theoretical and methodological paradigms.

Social learning theory parenting intervention promotes attachment-based caregiving in young children: randomized clinical trial.

Parenting programs for school-aged children are typically based on behavioral principles as applied in social learning theory. It is not yet clear if the benefits of these interventions extend beyond aspects of the parent-child relationship quality conceptualized by social learning theory. The current study examined the extent to which a social learning theory-based treatment promoted change in qualities of parent-child relationship derived from attachment theory. A randomized clinical trial of 174 four- to six-year-olds selected from a high-need urban area and stratified by conduct problems were assigned to a parenting program plus a reading intervention (n = 88) or nonintervention condition (n = 86). In-home observations of parent-child interactions were assessed in three tasks: (a) free play, (b) challenge task, and (c) tidy up. Parenting behavior was coded according to behavior theory using standard count measures of positive and negative parenting, and for attachment theory using measures of sensitive responding and mutuality; children's attachment narratives were also assessed. Compared to the parents in the nonintervention group, parents allocated to the intervention showed increases in the positive behavioral counts and sensitive responding; change in behavioral count measures overlapped modestly with change in attachment-based changes. There was no reliable change in children's attachment narratives associated with the intervention. The findings demonstrate that standard social learning theory-based parenting interventions can change broader aspects of parent-child relationship quality and raise clinical and conceptual questions about the distinctiveness of existing treatment models in parenting research.

Hemangioma of the mitral valve: Following the murmur.

Cardiac hemangiomas are an exceedingly rare condition, with about 100 cases described in the literature, of which only 13 were valvular. We report the case of a 66-year-old woman, with no prior cardiovascular disease, who presented with an abdominal infection caused by Enterococcus faecalis, complicated by recrudescent fever and new-onset systolic mitral murmur. The transesophageal echocardiogram revealed a large vegetation on the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve, with a high embolic risk, leading to a diagnosis of acute endocarditis. The patient began antibiotics, with no clinical improvement, developing severe heart failure and coronary and cerebrovascular embolic phenomena, and underwent excision of the mass and placement of a biological mitral prosthesis. The histopathologic analysis revealed a cavernous hemangioma. Eight months later, the patient presented with recurrence of acute bacterial endocarditis and septic shock, and underwent replacement of the prosthetic valve. The histologic exam showed no signs of hemangioma. The rarity of this case and its complications make its presentation relevant.

Impact of a parenting program in a high-risk, multi-ethnic community: the PALS trial.

BACKGROUND: Parenting programs have been shown to work when delivered to motivated ethnic majority parents in demonstration projects, but comparatively little is known about their impact when delivered to high-risk, multi-ethnic populations by routine local services. METHODS: The Primary Age Learning Skills (PALS) trial was a randomized controlled trial of an evidence-based parenting-group program that targeted the parent-child relationship and child literacy. Parents of 174 children were selected from a population of 672 5- and 6-year-olds attending four primary schools in a high-risk, ethnically diverse, inner-city area. Eighty-eight children were allocated to the Incredible Years preventive program plus a shortened six-week version of the SPOKES literacy program, delivered by local services; 86 to usual community services; 152/174 (87%) of families were successfully followed up. Parent-child relationship quality and child behavior were measured using direct observation and parent interview; child reading was assessed psychometrically. RESULTS: Two-thirds (58/89) of those offered the parenting program attended at least one session, with similar enrollment rates across the Black African, African-Caribbean, White-British and Other ethnic groups. Mean attendance was four relationship-building sessions and one literacy-development session. Satisfaction questionnaires were completed by 43/58 starters; 93% said they were well or extremely satisfied, with equally high rates across ethnic groups. At follow-up after one year, those allocated to the intervention showed significant improvements in the parent-child relationship on observation and at interview compared to controls; effects were similar across all ethnic groups. However, child behavior problems and reading did not improve. The cost was £1,343 ($2,100) per child. CONCLUSIONS: Programs can be organized to be engaging and effective in improving parenting among high-risk, multi-ethnic communities, which is of considerable value. To also be cost-effective in achieving child changes may require a set-up that enables parents to attend more sessions and/or an exclusive focus on children with clinically significant behavior problems.

Evaluation of a manual-based programme for the promotion of social and emotional skills in elementary school children: results from a 4-year study in Portugal.

The promotion of socio-emotional skills in educational contexts is highly beneficial to individuals' global adjustment and development. Evaluation research suggests that interventions for the promotion of socio-emotional skills are effective. However, most of this work has been carried out in the USA and there is now a pressing need to evaluate interventions at the cross-cultural level. This 4-year study evaluated the effectiveness of a teacher manual-based intervention for the promotion of social and emotional skills in Portuguese elementary school children. Using a quasi-experimental design, teachers taught manual-based strategies to children in the experimental group, focusing on specific social and emotional skills. These strategies were integrated as part of the curricular activities. Results showed statistically significant differences between the experimental group and the control group on the evaluated outcomes (self-control, emotional differentiation, emotional regulation, social skills, and self-esteem). For each of the dimensions studied, effect sizes were large (above 0.80). Findings are similar to those reported by international research evaluating the effectiveness of programmes for the promotion of social and emotional skills in school-age children. This study is an important contribution in the establishment of evidence-based socio-emotional skills programmes at the cross-cultural level.

Isolated aortic coarctation: experience in 100 consecutive patients.

INTRODUCTION: Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is a stenosis usually located in the descending aorta. Treatment consists of surgical or percutaneous removal of the obstruction and presents excellent immediate results but significant residual problems often persist. OBJECTIVES: To describe the presentation, treatment and long-term evolution of a population of 100 unselected consecutive patients with isolated CoA in a single pediatric cardiology center. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of all patients with isolated CoA treated during4 the last 21 years (1987-2008). RESULTS: The patients (n=100, 68.3% male) were diagnosed at a median age of 94 days (1 day to 16 years). The clinical presentation differed between patients aged less or more than one year, the former presenting with heart failure and the latter being asymptomatic with evidence of hypertension (88 and 63%, respectively; p < 0.01). Treatment, a median of 8 days after diagnosis, was surgical in 79 cases (20 end-to-end anastomosis, 31 subclavian flap, 28 patch) and percutaneous in the remaining 21 (15 balloon angioplasty, 6 with stenting). The mean age of surgical patients was younger than in those treated percutaneously (3.4 vs. 7.5 years; p < 0.01). Immediate mortality was 2% and occurred in the surgical group. There was no late mortality, in a mean follow-up of 7.2 +/- 5.4 years. Recoarctation occurred in 8 patients (6 surgical, 2 percutaneous). There are 46 patients who currently have hypertension (19 at rest, 27 with effort), their median age at diagnosis being older than the others (23 vs. 995 days; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Isolated CoA has an excellent short-term prognosis but a significant incidence of long-term complications, and should thus no longer be seen as a simple obstruction in the descending aorta, but rather as a complex pathology that requires careful follow-up after treatment. Its potentially insidious presentation requires a high level of clinical suspicion, femoral pulse palpation during physical examination of newborns and older children being particularly important. Delay in treatment has an impact on late morbidity and mortality. Taking into account the data currently available on late and immediate results, the final choice of therapeutic technique depends on the patient's age, associated lesions and the experience of the medical-surgical team. Hypertension should be closely monitored in the follow-up of these patients, as well as its risk factors and complications.

Hard-To-Treat Idiopathic Refractory Autoimmune Haemolytic Anaemia with Reticulocytopenia.

Autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) is an uncommon condition characterized by increased destruction of erythrocytes associated with reticulocytosis in the great majority of cases. We present the case of a 68-year-old woman with jaundice and malaise. Investigation revealed AIHA with reticulocytopenia. The patient failed to respond to prednisolone or to rituximab. Azathioprine and epoetin beta were subsequently started, the prednisolone dose was increased, and the patient began to respond after 1 month. In AIHA, reticulocytopenia is a very rare presentation and a sign of great severity and poor outcome. The scarcity of therapeutic options in refractory cases poses a major challenge for physicians. LEARNING POINTS: Autoimmune haemolytic anaemia is a rare disorder characterized by decompensated acquired haemolysis caused by the host's immune system acting against its own red cell antigens.Concomitant presentation with reticulocytopenia is very rare and a sign of great severity and poor outcome.Treatment options in refractory cases still greatly rely on individual experience and expert opinion.

Pacemaker lead as an iatrogenic cause of right heart failure: Case report. / Electrocatéter como causa iatrogénica de insuficiência cardíaca direita ­ relato de um caso.

Technical advances in health care have improved patient survival and quality of life, but are not devoid of complications. We present the case of a 74-year-old woman with a history of hypertensive heart disease with preserved systolic function, atrial fibrillation and dyslipidemia. She had a DDDR pacemaker implanted in 2005 due to symptomatic complete atrioventricular block. The patient reported progressive fatigue, weakness, ascites with abdominal discomfort, and lower limb edema, accompanied by non-specific hepatic cholestasis on biochemical testing. Abdominal ultrasound revealed homogeneous hepatomegaly and dilatation of the inferior vena cava and upper hepatic veins, suggestive of congestive hepatopathy. Echocardiography revealed tricuspid regurgitation progressively worsening over the previous four years and dilatation and progressive dysfunction of the right ventricle, with preserved left ventricular function. The transesophageal echocardiogram revealed severe tricuspid regurgitation with flail septal leaflet and marked dilatation of the tricuspid annulus due to mechanical interference of the pacemaker lead, which was adhering to the septal leaflet. Minimally invasive surgical treatment was performed with partial resection of the leaflet, placement of a tricuspid annuloplasty ring and replacement of the pacemaker lead. Regression of the congestive symptoms was observed, and the postoperative echocardiogram showed the tricuspid annuloplasty ring with no evidence of stenosis and only slightly dilated right chambers with moderate pulmonary hypertension. Six months after the procedure, the patient suffered an acute neurological event and died.

The Manchester Triage System in acute coronary syndromes.

INTRODUCTION: A growing number of hospitals have implemented the Manchester Triage System (MTS) in their Emergency Department (ED), so as to better prioritize the evaluation of those attending these departments. OBJECTIVES: To assess whether the MTS was used effectively in patients admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: We evaluated 114 consecutive patients admitted to the Cardiology Department with a diagnosis of ACS. We recorded the color assigned in the MTS, mean time from arrival in the ED to MTS, mean time from MTS to first medical assessment (1-MA) and mean time from 1-MA to admission. We also analyzed the correlation between the type of ACS and clinical presentation and its relation with MTS. RESULTS: Of the 114 patients, one was coded red (0.9%), 71 orange (62.3%), 12 green (11%), and two were not assigned a color code according to MTS because they were admitted via a Medical Emergency and Resuscitation Vehicle. Mean time from arrival in the ED to MTS was 5.2 +/- 0.6 min and from MTS to MA was 20 +/- 2.5 min. In patients triaged as orange the time from MTS to MA was 15.1 +/- 1.5 min, as yellow 36.2 +/- 7 min, and as green 35.2 +/- 20.6 min (p = 0.003). Mean time from 1-MA to admission was 144.4 +/- 17 min, with no differences according to triage code or ACS type. Clinical presentation influenced triage and the speed of 1-MA and admission, patients with typical presentation being evaluated and admitted more quickly. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients admitted for ACS are initially triaged as orange or yellow, an indication for prompt assessment in the ED; this has a positive effect on time to first medical assessment, but has no effect on time to hospital admission.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae-associated Mucositis: A Recently Described Entity.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) is a common cause of respiratory infections and can be associated with extrapulmonary complications. MP mucositis has recently been described as a distinct endemic clinical entity called Mycoplasma pneumoniae-induced rash and mucositis (MIRM). The authors present the case of a 46-year-old man with atypical pneumonia associated with exuberant mucositis, conjunctival hyperaemia and positive serological assays for MP IgM. The patient was treated with azithromycin and systemic corticosteroid therapy. Supportive care including pain management, intravenous hydration and mucosal care was also given. There was complete resolution of the pneumonia and mucositis. The presence of atypical pneumonia with mucosal involvement without cutaneous lesions and a favourable clinical evolution led to the diagnosis of MIRM. LEARNING POINTS: Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection can be associated with mucocutaneous lesions. A new entity called Mycoplasma pneumoniae-induced rash and mucositis (MIRM) has been recently described. The mucocutaneous involvement associated with MIRM is predominantly mucositis with scarce or absent cutaneous expression.The clinical presentation, pathophysiology and disease outcomes of MIRM distinguish it from Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis and erythema multiform.MIRM has an overall favourable prognosis as the majority of patients recover without sequalae and recurrence is rare.

Evaluation of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy by exercise stress echocardiography. New methodology.

Exercise echocardiography with image acquisition during treadmill exercise is the most common form of stress testing used in our department. The usual evaluation of patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy consists of serial echocardiographic studies at rest. The purpose of this study was to evaluate intraventricular gradients during exercise echocardiography in patients with a diagnosis of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. We studied 13 patients, 8 male, mean age 56 +/- 9 years Intraventricular gradients were measured using continuous wave Doppler; two evaluations were performed at rest: one in left lateral decubitus and the other in orthostatic position after one minute in this position. The patients then underwent a treadmill exercise test using the modified Bruce protocol, during which intraventricular gradients were measured at peak exercise. Finally, a further measurement was taken in the first 90 seconds of the recovery period in left lateral decubitus. The intraventricular gradient in left lateral decubitus was 54 +/- 29 mmHg; in orthostatic position 69 +/- 30 mmHg (p < 0.001 versus gradient in left lateral decubitus); at peak exercise 109 +/- 47 mmHg (p < 0.001 versus gradient in orthostatic position); and during recovery in left lateral decubitus 78 +/- 33 mmHg (p < 0.001 versus gradient at peak exercise in orthostatic position). We conclude that intraventricular gradients increase significantly in orthostatic position and increase considerably during treadmill exercise testing. The gradients measured in the recovery period do not reflect what happens during effort or therefore during these patients' daily activities. This type of evaluation can help us to better understand the pathophysiology of patients with a diagnosis of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and to optimize treatment.

Speckle-tracking-derived strain and strain-rate analysis: a technique for the evaluation of early alterations in right ventricle systolic function in patients with systemic sclerosis and normal pulmonary artery pressure.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Systemic sclerosis is associated with pulmonary artery hypertension. Speckle-tracking-derived strain and strain rate may be a diagnostic tool to detect early changes in right ventricular function, before pulmonary artery hypertension development. Our aim was to assess whether speckle-tracking-derived strain and strain-rate parameters may detect right ventricular early alterations in patients with systemic sclerosis with normal pulmonary systolic artery pressure (PAP). METHODS: Seventeen asymptomatic patients with systemic sclerosis and 22 controls were enrolled. A complete two-dimensional echo with speckle-tracking-derived longitudinal strain and strain rate of the basal right ventricular free wall and interventricular septum was performed. RESULTS: Median age was 56 years (43.8-71.5) in the systemic sclerosis group and 48.5 years (32-56.5) in the control group. No differences in conventional left ventricular parameters, tissue Doppler indexes, or in tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion were found. Patients with systemic sclerosis had higher levels of peak tricuspid regurgitation velocity and less respiratory collapse in the inferior vena cava. There were no differences in the speckle-tracking-derived strain and strain-rate parameters measured at the level of the basal interventricular septum and in the strain values measured at the level of the basal lateral right ventricular free wall. Nevertheless, a significant increase of the longitudinal strain rate measured at the basal lateral free wall of the right ventricle was found in patients with systemic sclerosis when compared with controls [-5.5 (-6.4--2.6)/s vs. -1.8 (-3.9--1.4)/s; P = 0.014]. CONCLUSION: Speckle-tracking-derived longitudinal strain rate is useful to detect early right ventricular function changes in patients with systemic sclerosis with normal pulmonary systolic artery pressure levels. This alteration may preclude pulmonary artery hypertension development and reflect an adaptive response to higher levels of pulmonary systolic artery pressure.

Attachment narratives and behavioral and emotional symptoms in an ethnically diverse, at-risk sample.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the clinical correlates and predictions from attachment narratives in a sample of early school-age children from a high psychosocial risk, ethnically diverse sample. METHOD: A total of 113 children were assessed using the Manchester Child Attachment Story Task, a semistructured assessment of children's attachment representations. Parents and teachers provided data using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Peer nominations of popularity and antisocial behavior were also obtained. RESULTS: Significant associations that were modest to moderate in magnitude were obtained between attachment narrative scales indexing security, coherence, and disorganization with multiple indices of children's behavioral and emotional adjustment, prosocial behavior and competence; these associations held across ethnic groups and were independent of psychosocial risk. CONCLUSIONS: The findings build on and extend support for the use of attachment narrative assessments in the clinical context and demonstrate their applicability and validity across a broad range of ethnicity and social contexts.

Relatório de estágio: Refletindo sobre a prática baseada na evidência / Internship report: Reflecting on evidence-based practice

O presente relatório de estágio pretende identificar e descrever as competências adquiridas enquanto enfermeira especialista em saúde mental e psiquiatria, com o objetivo de obter o grau de mestre em enfermagem de saúde mental e psiquiatria. Ao longo deste relatório serão apresentados vários capítulos correspondentes a várias intervenções realizadas ao longo do curso de especialização em enfermagem de saúde mental e psiquiatria, da Escola Superior de Saúde de Leiria, e que demonstram a aquisição de competências nesta área. Deste modo, apresentar-se-á o trabalho de investigação realizado no grupo terapêutico ComunicAr'te, as intervenções realizadas no grupo da dor, os jogos terapêuticos dinamizados, as intervenções no autoconceito, autocuidado e autoestima, um estudo de caso realizado e as intervenções realizadas no âmbito da melhoria da qualidade.