[Alcoholism in an industrial population: diagnosis, prevalence and conditioning factors]. / Alcoolismo na população industrial: diagnóstico, prevalência e condicionantes.

The pattern of alcohol consumption has been studied among 92 males, workers in a factory of the Lisbon area. In this population there were three groups of ethanol consumers: I--non consumers, 6%; II--medium, up to 80g/day, 68%; III--heavy consumers, more than 80g/day, 26%. Another group (IV) was considered, for reference, with 23 patients with heavy alcoholism in the outpatients of an alcoholic addicts clinic. Besides the clinical questionnaire and medical examination, the following methods have been used and analysed: brief MAST; Le Gô, Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), serum glutamic oxalacetic Trasaminase (SGOT), and gama-glutamyl transpepticlase (gamma GT). The mean ethanol consumption in group IV was significantly higher than in group III (p less than 0.005), and in group III higher than in group II (p less than 0.001). Group IV demarked itself form group III due to a higher prevalence of symptoms of physical dependence (p less than 0.001), and of consumption of tranquilizers (p less than 0.01). In group III the sensitivity of brief MAST has been only 8.5% and of Le Gô 13%. An increased MCV was found in 20% of individuals in group I, 4.9% in group II, 20% in group IV. The SGOT was normal in groups I and II, and increased in 8.7% of group III and 30.4% of group IV (p less than 0.05). The gamma GT was normal in group I and abnormal in 4.7% of group IV (p less than 0.01). In conclusion, approximately 25% of the workers have an excessive ethanol consumption.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Management of pain in the home]. / Approche de la douleur à domicile.

Since patients treated with analgesics at home exist in ever-increasing numbers, and nurses are convinced of the efficacity of the treatment of pain, we are confronted with an urgent need for competent training. This is why, for a little over a year now, nurses have benefitted from theoretical and practical aids, allowing them to work more effectively, be it on the educative, therapeutic, technical and human level, so that patients benefit from a better quality of life and die in comfort and dignity.

Changes in psychiatric admission MMPI profiles over a period of 15 to 20 years.

An attempt was made to compare admission MMPI profiles of a matched sample of psychiatric inpatients over a 15- to 20-year period. For both males and females, significant decreases in MMPI indices of psychopathology occurred. Possible reasons for this decrease are presented.

DAD1- and DAD2-like agonist effects on motor activity of C57 mice: differences compared to rats.

Studies on rats indicate that DAD1- and DAD2-like agonists produce a biphasic action on motor activity, with low doses reducing activity below control levels, and higher doses initially reducing, then elevating, activity for a prolonged period. Although some of the reported effects of DAD1- and DAD2-like receptor agonists on motor activity of mice are consistent with their effects on rats, the possibility of species differences is also apparent. In the current study the effects of DAD1- and DAD2-like agonists on motor activity of C57BL/6 (C57) mice were determined to establish species consistencies and differences with respect to their effects on rats. The partial DAD1-like agonist SKF 38393 reduced the activity of C57 mice at low doses and elevated activity above control levels at higher doses, if the mice were thoroughly habituated to the test chamber. The full DAD1 agonist SKF 82958 also increased the activity of C57 mice, and along with the SKF 38393 results indicates a response to DAD1 receptor stimulation similar to that reported for rats. In contrast to the species similarity in response to DAD1 stimulation, the DAD2-like agonist quinpirole produced only a dose-responsive monotonic reduction in the activity of C57 mice, whether the animals were nonhabituated or well-habituated to the testing environment, male or female, young or mid-aged, injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) or subcutaneously (s.c.), and with either low or high doses. This apparent species difference in response to quinpirole might reflect distinguishable functional properties of the DA subreceptor systems.