Recognizing and treating fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic medical condition characterized by widespread body pain and uncontrollable fatigue. It is often accompanied by many other problems such as irritable bowel, headaches, sleep disorder, and poor circulation. Diagnostic criteria including tender point locations and various other symptoms are provided to aid in recognizing fibromyalgia. Treatment options including the latest drug therapies and self-help therapies should assist the health care provider in treating the fibromyalgia patient. The clinician and the patient must work closely together to identify the combination of treatment options and medications that are most beneficial to each patient. Patient education is crucial since patients who understand their medical condition will be better able to manage their symptoms. Through further research and education, an improved quality of life for patients with fibromyalgia and their families can be attained.

Prevalence of sexual harassment among rural community care workers.

This study identified the prevalence of sexual harassment and the demographic characteristics of rural, midwestern community care workers (CCWs). To prevent premature institutionalization, community care workers provide home-based assistance that enables elderly persons to remain in their homes. Data were collected from 735 CCWs to determine their demographic characteristics and the prevalence of sexual harassment at the work site. The prevalence portion of the instrument provided data which indicated that 27.8% of the CCWs were harassed on the job and that 15% of the workers were harassed by their elderly client. Demographic characteristics were collected which showed that 94.8% of the CCWs were women, 60.4% were married, and 89.8% were white. Discussion and recommendations drawn from the results of the collected data are included in this article.