Tobacco abuse and dental problems among sanitation workers of Allahabad city: a cross sectional study

Background: ‘Sanitary labourers’ are known by different names such as ‘Health Labourers’, ‘Manual Scavengers’ garbage man, trash man etc. They are mainly involved in street cleaning, waste carrying, drainage and toilet cleaning in the cities. Intake of alcohol and tobacco products is prevalent to cope with the inhuman task of cleaning filthy sewage, and as a modality to forget their health problems. The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to find out the association of dental problems with tobacco abuse among the study population.Methods: The study population included 610, 122 from each zone of Allahabad city through “Proportionate stratified random sampling”. The study subjects was interviewed and examined, Dental problems were assessed by taking history, doing a clinical examination, reviewing past medical records.Results: Dental problems were found to be higher in prevalence among “exclusive smokers”, “combined abuser” and “exclusive tobacco” chewers as compared to “non abuser”. Dental caries were found to be higher in prevalence among the entire three abusers group as compared to “non abusers”. Missed teeth were found to higher in prevalence among “combined abuser” and “exclusive tobacco chewers” group as compared to “non abusers”. Enamel erosion was found to be higher among “exclusive tobacco chewers” group as compared to “non abusers”. All these finding were found to be statistically significant.Conclusions: Dental problems were found to be more prevalent among tobacco abusers than non abusers.

Tricuspid valve endocarditis in non-drug abusers: A case series from India

Objective The etiology of tricuspid valve endocarditis (TVE) seems to be different in our country as intravenous (IV) drug abuse is not known to be a major health hazard. The objective of this communication is to study the risk factors, clinical profile, follow-up data of TVE patients and focus on the difficulties in diagnosis and variations encountered. Methods A retrospective analysis of data of 10 patients of TVE managed in a tertiary care center during January 1992 to June 2015 was done. Results TVE was encountered in a diverse subset of patients with cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) (group I; 3 patients), immunocompromised state with indwelling central venous catheter (CVC) (group II; 2 patients), congenital heart disease (CHD) (group III; 3 patients) and in apparently healthy individuals (group IV; 2 patients). Blood cultures were negative in half the patients. In group I early surgical extraction of leads, device and vegetation provided excellent results. Prognosis was poor with 100% mortality in immunocompromised patients. Patients in group III did well on medical management. The overall mortality was high (30% in hospital and additional 20% within one year). Conclusions TVE is rare and can occur in different clinical scenarios. Indiscriminate use of antibiotics modifies the clinical picture causing delay in diagnosis and referral to speciality care. Echocardiography remains the main modality and should be used serially to facilitate early diagnosis. The prognosis is guarded. Early surgery is recommended in pacemaker lead, fungal endocarditis, persistent sepsis or hemodynamic instability for favorable prognosis.

A comparative study of the effectiveness of group-based cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy in reducing depressive symptoms in Iranian women substance abusers

Various therapeutic approaches have been used to improve depressive symptoms in substance abusers. In a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design and experimental and control groups, we examined and compared the effectiveness of two group-based treatment strategies­cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)­in reducing depressive symptoms among Iranian women substance abusers. The statistical population included all female addict patients who referred to addiction treatment centers of Birjand city in 2015. A sample of 30 subjects were selected through the available sampling method and randomly assigned into experimental (CBT and DBT) and control groups (each group, 10 patients). The data collection instrument was the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) questionnaire. The patients in the experimental groups were given skills in eight sessions of 90 min. The data were analyzed by the SPSS-19 software by using mean, standard deviation, and percentages at the descriptive level and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) test at the inferential level. The comparison of the mean depression score before intervention in all the groups showed no significant difference. However, after intervention, the findings showed that both CBT and DBT interventions could reduce the mean scores of depression in women substance abusers, 17.5 ± 3.0 vs 29.3 ± 4.1 (F[1,17] = 51.91, p value < 0.01) and 14.7 ± 1.8 vs 29.3 ± 4.1 (F[1,17] = 106.62, p value < 0.01), respectively, for CBT and DBT. Post-treatment effect sizes were large and did not differ statistically for CBT (ηp2, 0.75) and DBT (ηp2, 0.86). Therefore, this study highlights the importance of CBT and DBT skills training to substance abusers and provides initial evidence of their effectiveness.(AU)

Procesamiento emocional en maltratadores de género mediante el Test de Expresiones Faciales de Ekman y la Tarea Stroop Emocional / Emotional processing in batterers as assessed by Test Ekman Facial Expressions and Emotional Stroop Task in intimate partner violence situations

La investigación actual en el campo de la violencia de pareja es escasa en lo que se refiere al papel del procesamiento emocional de los maltratadores. Sin embargo, ningún estudio ha investigado en la misma muestra la capacidad de reconocer las emociones y la influencia de las emociones en los aspectos atencionales. El objetivo de este estudio es investigar en una muestra de maltratadores la capacidad de reconocer las emociones de fotografías estandarizadas y analizar la interferencia de las palabras con contenido emocional en una tarea atencional. La muestra consistió en 90 hombres condenados por violencia de pareja y 77 hombres condenados por otros delitos. Se evaluaron las características sociodemográficas asociadas a nuestra muestra y el procesamiento emocional de las expresiones faciales con la prueba de Ekman y la Tarea Stroop Emocional, diseñada específicamente para evaluar el procesamiento emocional en situaciones de violencia contra la pareja. Los resultados mostraron un mejor reconocimiento emocional de los maltratadores en las emociones faciales de enfado y sorpresa. Para el procesamiento de palabras con contenido emocional, las diferencias no fueron estadísticamente significativas.

Current research in the field of intimate partner violence has been scarce as regards the role of emotional processing in abusers. Nevertheless, no study has investigated the ability to recognize emotions and the influence of emotions on attention-related aspects among the same sample. The aim of this study is to investigate the ability to recognize emotions in standardized photographs, and to analyze the interference that words with emotional content exert on an attention task in a sample of abusers. The sample consisted of 90 men convicted of intimate partner violence and 77 men convicted of other crimes. Demographic characteristics associated to the sample were evaluated, as were emotional processing of facial expressions with the Ekman Test and the Emotional Stroop task, specifically designed to assess emotional processing in situations of intimate partner violence. The results showed better emotional recognition among abusers in the recognition of facial emotions of anger and surprise. As for the processing of words with emotional content, differences were not statistically significant.

Abusadores sexuais adultos e adolescentes no sul do Brasil: pesquisa em denúncias e sentenças judiciais / Sexual offender adults and adolescents in south of Brazil: research with complaints and veredicts / Delincuentes sexuales adultos y adolescentes en el sur de Brasil: investigación con denuncias y sentencias judiciales

Este estudo investigou o abuso sexual perpetrado por adultos e adolescentes em processos judiciais de natureza criminal encaminhados à 1ª e 2ª Varas da Infância e Juventude de Porto Alegre entre os anos de 2003 e 2007. Foram coletadas informações sobre abusadores, vítimas, tipos de abuso e desfecho dos processos objetivando caracterizar os abusadores e comparar o perfil das vítimas e o tipo de abuso (intrafamiliar ou extrafamiliar). Foram encontrados 241 processos, sendo 229 elegíveis para a pesquisa. Os resultados indicaram que entre abusadores adultos predominou o abuso sexual intrafamiliar contra vítimas do sexo feminino, sendo os principais abusadores pais e padrastos das vítimas. Entre abusadores adolescentes houve predomínio do abuso sexual extrafamiliar contra vítimas do sexo masculino, especialmente vizinhos. Estes resultados sugerem que pode haver diferenças no perfil das vítimas e no tipo de abuso perpetrado por adultos e adolescentes, hipótese que merece ser testada em estudos futuros.

This study investigated sexual abuse perpetrated by adults and teenagers in the criminal proceedings referred to the1st and 2nd Childhood and Youth's Courts of Porto Alegre between 2003 and 2007. The information collected for abusers, victims, types of abuse and the outcomes of processes aiming to characterize and compare the profile of abusers and victims and the type of abuse (intrafamilial or extrafamilial). After being collected, the data were tabulated and categorized, and of the 241 cases, 229 were eligible for the study. The results indicated that among adult abusers there was a predominance of intrafamilial sexual abuse against female victims and that the main abusers were fathers and stepfathers. Among adolescents abusers, extrafamilial sexual abuse against male victims predominated, especially against neighbors. These results suggest that there may be differences in the profile of the victims and the type of abuse perpetrated by adults and adolescents, a hypothesis that should be tested in future studies..

Este estudio investigó los abusos sexuales perpetrados por adultos y adolescentes em procedimientos legales presentados em dos Tribunales de la Niñez y la Juventud de Porto Alegre entre 2003 y 2007. Se recolectó información sobre agresores, víctimas, tipo de abuso y sentencias para comparar el perfil de las víctimas, de los abusadores y el tipo de abuso (intrafamiliar o extrafamiliar). Fueran encontradas 241 demandas judiciales, con 229 elegibles para el estudio. Los resultados indicaron que entre los abusadores adultos predominó el abuso sexual intrafamiliar y las víctimas mujeres predominan sobre los hombres. Padres y padrastros son los principales perpetradores. Entre los adolescentes el abuso sexual extrafamiliar contra niños fue más frecuente, sobre todo contra los vecinos. Estos resultados sugieren que puede haber diferencias en el perfil de víctimas y en el tipo de abuso perpetrado por adultos y adolescentes, una hipótesis que merece ser investigada en estudios futuros.

Assessment Effects Of Maintenance Therapy On Quality Of Life Of Opiate Abusers

Objective: This study was conducted to assess the effects of Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT) and buprenorphine-naloxone Maintenance Therapy (BNX) on the Quality of life (QoL) of opiate abusers. Methods: The QoL status of opioid-dependent patients was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. It is a cross-sectional study involving a total of 108 patients who received MMT or BNX therapy in Malaysia from May 2011 to September 2011. Results: A statistically significant difference in the overall QoL and psychological aspect among patients on MMT was observed. On the contrary, the scores of overall QoL and quality of social relationship for BNX group were higher in patients with lower dosage. Conclusion: The comparison between patients on high dose MMT and high dose BNX exhibited significant difference in the overall QoL especially in psychological, social relationship and environment domains, with the high dose MMT group having better mean score.

Tricuspid valve endocarditis: Not just in I V drug abusers.

Tricuspid valve endocarditis affects Intravenous drug abusers without any pre-existing heart disease, similarly seen in immunodeficiency states, alcoholism, extensive burns, long standing indwelling right side catheters or intravenous cannulas and congenital heart diseases with left to right shunts. Right sided endocarditis accounts for 5% to 10% of all cases of infective endocarditis. It is less encountered due to lower rates of congenital and rheumatic heart disease affecting right side valves, lower right heart pressure and reduced stress to tricuspid and pulmonary valves and lower right heart blood oxygen content. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common organism isolated followed by Streptococcus pyogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and candida species. Polymicrobial infections are common in IV drug addicts. The patient described here had post-partum septicaemia that predisposed her to Tricuspid Valve Endocarditis with septic pulmonary emboli which is an important complication of tricuspid valve endocarditis.

Tobacco Use Among Drug Dependent Patients in Treatment Setting.

Tobacco use is widely prevalent in substance using patients in treatment settings. Nearly three times as many individuals with alcohol and drug problems smoke cigarettes compared to the general population. In addition to addressing the primary drug of abuse, it is important to systematically assess characteristics and patterns of tobacco use and treat tobacco dependence in these patients as they are at high risk of mortality from tobacco related illnesses..Consecutive patients presenting to the Tobacco Cessation Clinic of a national level deaddiction centre were assessed in detail using a semi-structured proforma. Most were males(97.3%) and majority (61.8%) of patients belonged to the 21-40 yrs age group. Most were self employed and primary drug of abuse was heroin in 47 (42.3%) and alcohol in 44 (39.6%) subjects. 53 (47.7%)used smoking tobacco only, 16 (14.7%) used only smokeless tobacco and 40 (36%) used a combination of both. Majority of smokable tobacco use was in the form of bidi (69.4%). Majority of the subjects (56.7%) were in the contemplation stage of change whereas 36 (32.7%) of subjects had taken steps towards quitting the use of tobacco products and qualified for the action stage as per RTCQ. The majority of patients qualified for moderate [56 (50.9%) dependence] to high dependence [37 (33.3%)] as per FTND score. This has obvious treatment implications.

Survey on Physiological and Psychological Symptoms of Drug Abusers under Rehabilitation Period Through Labor / 中国康复理论与实践

@#Objective To investigate the physiological and psychological symptoms of drug abusers under rehabilitation period through labor.Methods A self-designed clinical symptoms questionnaire and Eysenck Personality Questionaire (EPQ) were used to evaluate 1 004 drug abusers under rehabilitation period through labor, and the related symptoms were analyzed.Results The mainly physiological symptoms were fatigue, forgetfulness, aching pain of joints, arrhythmia and discomfort of limbs, and the mainly psychological symptoms are drug craving, insomnia and anxiety. The mean scores of P and E were higher in those who had the drug craving symptoms ( P<0.01), and the mean scores of N were higher in those who had the insomnia or anxiety symptoms ( P<0.01).Conclusion The mainly physiological symptoms of drug abusers under rehabilitation period through labor are fatigue, forgetfulness, aching pain of joints, arrhythmia and discomfort of limbs, which are probably caused by the unbalance of the nervous and internal secretive systems, and the plastisity of the nervous system. The psychological symptoms may due to the effect of morphine and the personality of the drug abusers.

Rehabilitation for Homeless Adolescent Substance Abusers at a Halfway House in Korea / 간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a rehabilitation program on hope and self-efficacy in a sample of homeless adolescent substance abusers at a halfway house in Seoul, Korea. METHODS: Five residents of a halfway house were provided with a 16-week rehabilitation program based on a cognitive-behavioral approach. To evaluate the effectiveness of the program, this study used a single-case experimental design with the variables - hope and self-efficacy - being measured at pre-, post-, and followup tests. RESULTS: While three participants showed considerable positive changes in hope and self-efficacy after the program, two participants did not show any positive changes. Despite this lack of consistent patterns in the effectiveness of the rehabilitation program, there was a qualitative change in social status (such as academic and work status) for the participants at the follow-up test. CONCLUSION: A rehabilitation program based on a cognitive-behavioral approach may improve the hope and selfefficacy of homeless adolescent substance abusers at a halfway house and help them to reintegrate into society.

Seroprevalence of antibody to the hepatitis C virus in methamphetamine abusers / 예방의학회지

This study was designed to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis C virus(HCV) infection in drug abusers. The subjects were 141 inpatients who had been admitted to a general hospital with the symptoms and signs of methamphetamine intoxication. Seroprevalence of antibody to the hepatitis C virus(anti-HCV) was 60.3%,(85/141) and it was higher in the group with increased frequency and duration of drug abuse, but such a relationship was not found in the seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg). These findings suggested the possibility of high prevalence of HCV infection in methamphetamine abusers, and the importance of repetitive percutaneous injection in the transmission of HCV infection.

Serum immunology investigation of Cryptosporidium infection among injection drug abusers / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To explore the status of Cryptosporidium infection among injection drug abusers(IDUs) based on the purified recombinant CP23 protein antigen.Methods The serologic antibody response of Cryptosporidium infection was examined by indirect ELISA in the collected 588 serum episodes of IDUs and 384 cases of healthy persons. Results Among 588 cases of IDUs, 69.90% of them were serologic antibody-positive, compared with 29.43% of the healthy persons, with a significant difference(P