Recommendations for post-rehabilitation care of maxillofacial prostheses

Aim: This study aimed to review the scientific literature to describe the main care and hygiene protocols for different types of maxillofacial prostheses (MFP). Methods: A bibliographic search on the PubMed / Medline database using the following keywords: ["maxillofacial prosthesis" OR "ocular prostheses" OR "palatal obturators"] AND ["Cleaning" OR "disinfection"] AND ["care"] AND ["color stability"] OR ["denture cleansers" OR "cleansing agents"]. Articles addressing materials, cleaning and disinfection protocols, and care related to MFP were included. The following exclusion criteria were applied: no adequate methodology, incompatibility with the area of interest, and unavailability for reading in full. Results: The papers were grouped into the following topics: facial prostheses, ocular prostheses, maxillofacial intraoral prostheses, and retention systems. Conclusion: Despite the MFP changes over time, its degradation decreases upon following the recommendations and post-adaptation care. The guidelines for cleaning and disinfection must be individualized to guarantee the longevity of the prosthesis and the patient health

The technological influence on health professionals' care: translation and adaptation of scales / A influência tecnológica no cuidar dos profissionais de saúde: tradução e adaptação de escalas / La influencia tecnológica en el cuidar de los profesionales de salud: traducción y adaptación de escalas

Objectives: in this study, two research tools were validated to study the impact of technological influence on health professionals' care practice. Methods: the following methodological steps were taken: bibliographic review, selection of the scales, translation and cultural adaptation and analysis of psychometric properties. Results: the psychometric properties of the scale were assessed based on its application to a sample of 341 individuals (nurses, physicians, final-year nursing and medical students). The validity, reliability and internal consistency were tested. Two scales were found: Caring Attributes Questionnaire (adapted) with a Cronbach's Alpha coefficient of 0.647 and the Technological Influence Questionnaire (adapted) with an Alpha coefficient of 0.777. Conclusions: the scales are easy to apply and reveal reliable psychometric properties, an additional quality as they permit generalized studies on a theme as important as the impact of technological influence in health care.

Objetivos: este estudo consistiu na validação de dois instrumentos de pesquisa que permitem estudar o impacto da influência tecnológica na prática do cuidar dos profissionais de saúde. Método: foram dados os seguintes passos metodológicos: revisão bibliográfica, seleção das escalas, tradução e adaptação cultural e análise das qualidades psicométricas. Resultados: as propriedades psicométricas da escala foram avaliadas a partir da sua aplicação a uma amostra de 342 indivíduos (enfermeiros, médicos, estudantes finalistas de enfermagem e de medicina). Foram realizados estudos de validade e de fiabilidade e consistência interna. Obtiveram-se duas escalas: Escala dos Atributos do Cuidar (adaptada) com um valor de coeficiente de alpha de Cronbach de 0,647 e o Questionário da Influência Tecnológica (adaptado) com um valor de 0,777. Conclusões: as escalas são de fácil aplicação e revelam propriedades psicométricas confiáveis, sendo uma mais valia na medida em que permitem realizar estudos generalizados sobre um tema tão importante como o impacto da influência tecnológica no cuidar em saúde.

Objetivos: en este estudio fueron validados dos instrumentos de investigación que permiten estudiar el impacto de la influencia tecnológica en la práctica del cuidar de los profesionales de salud. Método: fueron dados los siguientes pasos metodológicos: revisión bibliográfica, selección de las escalas, traducción y adaptación cultural y análisis de las calidades psicométricas. Resultados: las propiedades psicométricas de la escala fueron evaluadas a partir de su aplicación a una muestra de 342 individuos (enfermeros, médicos, estudiantes finalistas de enfermería y de medicina). Fueron llevados a cabo estudios de validez y de fiabilidad y consistencia interna. Fueron encontradas dos escalas: Escala de los Atributos del Cuidar (adaptada) con coeficiente de alfa de Cronbach de 0,647 y el Cuestionario de Influencia Tecnológica (adaptado) con valor de 0,777. Conclusiones: las escalas son de fácil aplicación y revelan propiedades psicométricas confiables, siendo un valor añadido en la medida en que permiten desarrollar estudios generalizados sobre un tema tan importante como el impacto de la influencia tecnológica en el cuidado en salud.

End of life in the neonatal intensive care unit

PURPOSE: Death at the beginning of life is tragic but not uncommon in neonatal intensive care units. In Portugal, few studies have examined the circumstances surrounding the final moments of neonates. We evaluated the care given to neonates and their families in terminal situations and the changes that had occurred one decade later. DESIGN AND METHODS: We analyzed 256 charts in a retrospective chart review of neonatal deaths between two periods (1992-1995 and 2002-2005) in a level III neonatal intensive care unit. RESULTS: Our results show differences in the care of dying infants between the two periods. The analysis of the 2002-2005 cohort four years revealed more withholding and withdrawing of therapeutic activities and more effective pain and distress relief; however, on the final day of life, 95.7 percent of the infants received invasive ventilatory support, 76.3 percent received antibiotics, 58.1 percent received inotropics, and 25.8 percent received no opioid or sedative administration. The 2002-2005 cohort had more spiritual advisor solicitation, a higher number of relatives with permission to freely visit and more clinical meetings with neonatologists. Interventions by parents, healthcare providers and ethics committees during decision-making were not documented in any of the charts. Only eight written orders regarding therapeutic limitations and the adoption of palliative care were documented; seven (87.5 percent) were from the 2002-2005 cohort. Parental presence during death was more frequent in the latter four years (2002-2005 cohort), but only 21.5 percent of the parents wanted to be present at that moment. CONCLUSION: Despite an increase in the withholding and withdrawing of therapeutic activities and improvements in pain management and family support, many neonates still receive curative and aggressive practices at the end of life.