Meanings constructed by family members about coerced treatment for alcohol and drug use in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: In Brazil, regarding drug and alcohol treatment, there is an emphasis on financing long-term residential treatment and a lack of community-based approaches, leading to a burden on families. Therefore, family members increasingly seek coerced treatment even though there are reports of human rights violations in this context. This study aims to describe the meanings constructed by family members regarding coerced treatment of people who use alcohol and other drugs. METHODS: We conducted 15 interviews with the family members of people who use alcohol and other drugs and had requested coerced treatment. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Through analysis, five major themes regarding the use of coerced treatment were constructed: (1) as protection for people from the dangers related to the use of alcohol and other drugs; (2) as punishment, aiming to prevent the return to drug use; (3) as a guarantee of abstinence; (4) as a consequence of the loss of autonomy to decide what was best for themselves; and (5) as time for the reorganization of the family members' lives. The lack of emotional support in relation to their concerns regarding the health and safety of the person using drugs, the prohibitionist discourse and the emphasis on abstinence shared in the decision to seek coerced treatment, and the lack of knowledge about voluntary treatments contributed to family members requesting coerced treatment more than once. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the importance of the need for public policies that expand evidence-based voluntary approaches, especially community-based services, and promote the disclosure of these services to eliminate coerced treatment. Health care providers should support the feelings of family members and provide guidelines related to other treatment options, making families feel genuinely included as partners in the care of people who use drugs.

Contribuiçäo ao estudo da anatomia do sistema de canais radiculares de caninos inferiores utilizando-se de cortes macroscópicos e da diafanizaçäo / Anatomy study of root system of lower canines using macroscopic cuts and clarifying technique

A anatomia dos canais radiculares tem sido tema de estudos desde 1942 e mesmo com as diversas observaçöes descritas por vários autores, permaneceu-se dúvidas a respeito dos aspectos morfológicos internos de vários grupos de dentes. O presente trabalho utilizou-se de 103 (cento e três) caninos interiores extraídos, onde se analisou os aspectos macroscópicos da cavidade pulpar, utilizando-se de cortes sagital, frontal e transversais, assim como da diafanizaçäo. Notamos que, em 100 po cento dos espécimes haviam uma raiz e um único canal radicular, sendo que em 83 por cento das amostras evidenciou-se permeabilidade dentinária. Os canais secundários foram verificados em 47 por cento dos dentes, assim com 3 por cento de canais laterais, 1 por cento canal acessório e 15 por cento co delta apical. fator importante que observamos também foi que, em 42 dos espécimes o forame apical coincidia-se com o ápice radicular; 23 por cento, abria-se para vestibular, 8 por cento, para distal; 8 por cento, para mesial e 4 por cento para lingual

Human IgG1 and IgG4: the main antibodies against Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) salivary gland proteins.

The Triatoma infestans salivary gland proteins (TSGP) can induce local and systemic hypersensitivity reactions in humans. IgG antibodies against TSGP were present in higher levels in sera of Chagas disease patients, and in individuals living in triatomine-infested areas than in controls living in triatomine-free areas. TSGP-specific IgG1 was found in sera of Chagas patients, and of individuals living in triatomine-infested rural areas, and uniquely specific IgG4 was present in sera of Chagas patients living in triatomine-infested areas, reactive against TSGP. Unique specificities were not detected in sera of individuals reacting against the ubiquitous mosquito Culex quinquifasciatus saliva proteins (CSGP). In conclusion, IgG1 reactive against TSGP is the main antibody present in individuals living in the triatomine-infested study areas. Also, IgG4 is found in the sera of insect-transmitted Chagas disease patients living in study areas.