Predicting Sepsis Risk Using the "Sniffer" Algorithm in the Electronic Medical Record.

The Sepsis "Sniffer" Algorithm (SSA) has merit as a digital sepsis alert but should be considered an adjunct to versus an alternative for the Nurse Screening Tool (NST), given lower specificity and positive predictive value. The SSA reduced the risk of incorrectly categorizing patients at low risk for sepsis, detected sepsis high risk in half the time, and reduced redundant NST screens by 70% and manual screening hours by 64% to 72%. Preserving nurse hours expended on manual sepsis alerts may translate into time directed toward other patient priorities.

Drug use and childhood-, military- and post-military trauma exposure among women and men veterans.

BACKGROUND: The current study was undertaken to examine whether posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and depressive symptoms mediated the association between trauma exposure (combat-related trauma and non-combat traumas occurring before, during, and after military service), and drug abuse symptoms use among male and female veterans. METHODS: Participants were 2304 (1851 male, 453 female) veterans who took part in a multi-site research study conducted through the Department of Veterans Affairs Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (VISN 6 MIRECC). Path analytic models were used to determine the association between problematic past-year drug use and combat-related and non-combat trauma experienced before, during, or after the military and whether current post-traumatic stress symptoms or depressive symptoms mediated these associations. RESULTS: For both male and female veterans, depressive symptoms significantly mediated the effects of pre- and post-military trauma on drug abuse symptoms. CONCLUSION: Mental health providers who work with trauma-exposed Iraq and Afghanistan era veterans should assess for drug use, depressive symptoms, and life-span trauma (i.e., not only combat-related traumas) as part of a thorough trauma-based assessment for both men and women.

Substance-abusing mothers and fathers' willingness to allow their children to receive mental health treatment.

The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes of substance-abusing mothers and fathers entering outpatient treatment toward allowing their children to participate in individual- or family-based interventions. Data were collected from a brief anonymous survey completed by adults at intake into a large substance abuse treatment program in western New York. Only one-third of parents reported that they would be willing to allow their children to participate in any form of mental health treatment. Results of chi-square analyses revealed that a significantly greater proportion of mothers reported that they would allow their children to participate in mental health treatment (41%) compared to fathers (28%). Results of logistic regression analyses revealed even after controlling for child age, mothers were more likely than fathers to indicate their willingness to allow their children to receive mental health treatment; however, type of substance abuse (alcohol versus drug abuse) was not associated with parents' willingness to allow their children to receive treatment. Parental reluctance to allow their children to receive individual or family-based treatment is a significant barrier in efforts to intervene with these at-risk children.

Self and partner alcohol-related problems among ACOAs and non-ACOAs: associations with depressive symptoms and motivations for alcohol use.

The present study examined whether drinking motivations and depressive symptoms would have a stronger impact on alcohol-related problems among adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) and their dating partners as compared to non-ACOAs and their dating partners. Participants were 197 undergraduate (60 ACOAs, 137 non-ACOAs) 18 to 25year-old female drinkers in dating relationships. Participants completed measures of ACOA screening, depressive symptoms, and drinking motives, as well as alcohol-related problems for themselves and their partner. Although no differences were found between ACOA and non-ACOA women's alcohol-related problems, ACOA women and women with greater depressive symptoms were at a higher risk of having a partner with more alcohol-related problems. In addition, we found that regardless of parental history of alcoholism, higher depressive symptoms coupled with stronger motives for drinking to cope with stressors predicted participants' own alcohol-related problems. These findings demonstrate the need for future research to examine additional factors that may moderate the effects of depressive symptoms and ACOA status on female college student drinking problems. A greater understanding of the unique and interactive effects of these variables on alcohol-related problems in both young women and their dating partners can aid in the development of prevention programs more targeted to the specific vulnerabilities of this population.

Daily use of protective behavioral strategies and alcohol-related outcomes among college students.

The purpose of the present study was to examine associations between use of protective behavioral strategies (PBS) and alcohol-related outcomes (alcohol consumption, negative alcohol consequences, and positive alcohol consequences) using a daily diary approach. This approach is less affected by retrospective memory biases than typical self-reports of alcohol-related variables and allows the examination of both between-subjects and within-person effects. Using hierarchical linear modeling of data from 40 subjects who completed daily dairies for up to 15 days, we found significant within-person variation in PBS use over time, and each type of PBS had unique relationships with alcohol-related outcomes. For example, within-person variation in Serious Harm Reduction, one form of PBS, predicted increased daily alcohol use, negative consequences, and positive consequences. Our findings suggest the importance of intensive longitudinal methods to examine both between-subjects and within-subjects effects of PBS use and alcohol-related outcomes.

Phytochemical screening, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of Chrysopogon zizanioides essential oil

Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty, Poaceae, is a plant widely used in northeast Brazil in folk medicine for the treatment of various pathological conditions, including inflammatory pain. The present study evaluated the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of C. zizanioides essential oil (EO) in rodents. EO was further characterized by GC/MS. The major components of EO were identified as khusimol (19.57%), E-isovalencenol (13.24%), α-vetivone (5.25%), β-vetivone (4.87%) and hydroxy-valencene (4.64%). Following intraperitoneal injection (i.p.), EO at 50 and 100 mg/kg significantly reduced the number of writhes (51.9 and 64.9%, respectively) and the number of paw licks during phase 2 (56.7 and 86.2%, respectively) of a formalin model when compared to control group animals. However, EO-treated mice were ineffective at all doses in hot-plate and rota-rod tests. The EO inhibited the carrageenan-induced leukocyte migration to the peritoneal cavity in a dose-dependent manner (34.7, 35.4, and 62.5% at doses of 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg, respectively). In the paw edema test, the EO (100 mg/kg) inhibited all three phases of the edema equally well, suggesting that the EO has a non-selective inhibitory effect on the release or actions of these mediators. Our results suggest possible antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of the EO.

Maternal and paternal alcohol misuse and alcohol-related outcomes among college students.

Using a large college student sample (N = 1,095), the present study examined whether the relationship between parental alcohol abuse and offspring alcohol use varied as a function of parent and offspring gender, and whether the relationship to the non-substance-abusing mother or father buffered against the risk associated with being an adult child of an alcoholic (ACOA). Among women, maternal ACOAs (i.e., the mother only was suspected of alcohol misuse) had the greatest risk of problematic alcohol consumption, whereas among men, both parent ACOAs (i.e., both parents were suspected of alcohol misuse) had the greatest risk of problematic alcohol consumption. No support was found for the buffering hypothesis. We discuss implications of our findings and future directions.

Self-regulation as a buffer of the relationship between parental alcohol misuse and alcohol-related outcomes in first-year college students.

Alcohol misuse among college students is a large public health concern, thus, it is imperative to identify factors that reduce this risk. One risk factor associated with developing alcohol-related problems is meeting criteria for being an adult child of an alcoholic (ACOA). Conversely, self-regulation has been identified as a protective factor that is inversely associated with drinking-related outcomes. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether self-regulation buffers the risk associated with ACOA status on alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences. In a sample of 195 first-year college students, we found that ACOA status had a unique effect on both alcohol consumption and alcohol-related consequences. Self-regulation was unrelated to alcohol use but inversely associated with alcohol-related consequences. Notably, self-regulation moderated the effect of ACOA status on alcohol-related problems (but not alcohol consumption) such that self-regulation was most strongly related to alcohol-related problems among ACOAs. Our results suggest that self-regulation helps explain the resilience of many ACOAs.

Assessment of antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of Porophyllum ruderale (Jacq.) Cass., Asteraceae, aqueous extract

The present work investigated the antinociceptive and antiinflammatory activities of the Porophyllum ruderale (Jacq.) Cass., Asteraceae, aqueous extract (PRAE). For this purpose, acetic acid writhing, paw licking induced by formalin, hot-plate and pleurisy tests were performed. The doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg (p.o.) significantly inhibited the writhing 63.4, 89.6 and 94.8 percent, respectively, in comparison with control group. The lick of the paw 1st phase was reduced at the dose of 400 mg/ kg (24.9 percent), while the 2nd phase had reduction at doses 200 and 400 mg/ kg (23.1 and 34.4 percent), respectively. The PRAE inhibited the carrageenaninduced neutrophil migration to the peritoneal cavity in a higher dose (p<0.05). Taken together, our results suggest that the PRAE can constitute target potential for use in therapies of the pain and inflammation.