Percepción de los cuidados visibles e invisibles desde una doble perspectiva en una Unidad de Hemodiálisis / Perception of visible and invisible care from a double perspective in a Hemodialysis Unit

OBJETIVO: Analizar y comparar la percepción del cuidado desde la perspectiva de pacientes y enfermeras. Población: 42 pacientes y 34 enfermeras de un Servicio de Hemodiálisis. METODOLOGÍA: Estudio observacional, descriptivo transversal, en el que se administró a los participantes un cuestionario de variables sociodemográficas y la escala CIBISA. Resultados principales: El valor medio de la escala CIBISA en pacientes fue significativamente superior al del grupo de profesionales. No se observó asociación entre las variables sociodemográficas y la percepción de cuidados, tanto en el grupo de pacientes como en el de enfermeras. CONCLUSIÓN: Enfermeras y pacientes tienen un punto de vista diferente sobre los cuidados, siendo estos últimos los que dan más valor al cuidado invisible. Esto debe hacer reflexionar sobre la posición que las enfermeras adoptan con las personas que cuidan: tecnificación o cuidados

OBJECTIVE: To analyze and compare the perception of care from the perspective of patients and nurses. Study population: 42 patients and 34 nurses from a hemodialysis service participated in the study. METHODOLOGY: Observational, descriptive transversal study, in which participants were given a questionnaire of sociodemographic variables and the CIBISA scale. MAIN RESULTS: The average value of the CIBISA scale in patients was significantly higher than that of the group of professionals. No association was observed between sociodemographic variables and the perception of care, both in the group of patients and in the group of nurses. CONCLUSION: Nurses and patients have a different view of care, the latter being the ones that give more value to invisible care. This should make you reflect on the position that nurses take with caregivers: technification or care

Electrophoretic deposition of antibiotic loaded PHBV microsphere-alginate composite coating with controlled delivery potential.

Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) technique has been developed for the fabrication of antibiotic-loaded PHBV microsphere (MS)-alginate antibacterial coatings. The composite coatings deposited from suspensions with different MS concentrations were produced in order to demonstrate the versatility of the proposed method for achieving functional coatings with tailored drug loading and release profiles. Linearly increased deposit mass with increasing MS concentrations was obtained, and MS were found to be homogeneously stabilized in the alginate matrix. Chemical composition, surface roughness and wettability of the deposited coatings were measured by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, laser profilometer and water contact angle instruments, respectively. The co-deposition mechanism was described by two separate processes according to the results of relevant measurements: (i) the deposition of alginate-adsorbed MS and (ii) the non-adsorbed alginate. Qualitative antibacterial tests indicated that MS containing coatings exhibit excellent inhibition effects against E. coli (gram-negative bacteria) after 1h of incubation. The proposed coating system combined with the simplicity of the EPD technique can be considered a promising surface modification approach for the controlled in situ delivery of drug or other biomolecules.

Electrophoretic co-deposition of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) reinforced alginate-Bioglass® composite coating on stainless steel: mechanical properties and in-vitro bioactivity assessment.

PVA reinforced alginate-bioactive glass (BG) composite coatings were produced on stainless steel by a single step electrophoretic deposition (EPD) process. The present paper discusses the co-deposition mechanism of the three components and presents a summary of the relevant properties of the composite coatings deposited from suspensions with different PVA concentrations. Homogeneous composite coatings with compact microstructure and increased thickness, i.e. as high as 10 µm, were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The surface roughness of coatings with different PVA contents was slightly increased, while a significant increase of water contact angles due to PVA addition was detected and discussed. Improved adhesion strength of coatings containing different amounts of PVA was quantitatively and qualitatively confirmed by pull-off adhesion and cycled bending tests, respectively. In-vitro bioactivity tests were performed in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 7, and 14 days, respectively. The decomposition rate of the coatings was reduced with PVA content, and rapid hydroxyapatite forming ability of the composite coatings in SBF was confirmed by FTIR and XRD analyses. According to the results of this study, composite alginate-Bioglass® bioactive coatings combined with PVA are proposed as promising candidates for dental and orthopedic applications.

Electrophoretic Deposition of Chitosan/h-BN and Chitosan/h-BN/TiO2 Composite Coatings on Stainless Steel (316L) Substrates.

This article presents the results of an experimental investigation designed to deposit chitosan/hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and chitosan/h-BN/titania (TiO2) composites on SS316L substrates using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) for potential antibacterial applications. The influence of EPD parameters (voltage and deposition time) and relative concentrations of chitosan, h-BN and TiO2 in suspension on deposition yield was studied. The composition and structure of deposited coatings were investigated by FTIR, XRD and SEM. It was observed that h-BN and TiO2 particles were dispersed in the chitosan matrix through simultaneous deposition. The adhesion between the electrophoretic coatings and the stainless steel substrates was tested by using tape test technique, and the results showed that the adhesion strength corresponded to 3B and 4B classes. Corrosion resistance was evaluated by electrochemical polarization curves, indicating enhanced corrosion resistance of the chitosan/h-BN/TiO2 and chitosan/h-BN coatings compared to the bare stainless steel substrate. In order to investigate the in-vitro inorganic bioactivity, coatings were immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 28 days. FTIR and XRD results showed no formation of hydroxyapatite on the surface of chitosan/h-BN/TiO2 and chitosan/h-BN coatings, which are therefore non bioactive but potentially useful as antibacterial coatings.

Knowledge, use and ecology of golden thistle (Scolymus hispanicus L.) in central Spain.

BACKGROUND: This paper assesses the current ethnobotanical knowledge, use and management of Scolymus hispanicus L. in two localities of Central Spain and the relation with its natural abundance. It also addresses the influence of sociodemographic factors such as age, gender and time living in the village in the variation of knowledge and practice levels. METHODS: During 2007 and 2008, 99 semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire were made to a random stratified sample by sex and age, asking them about their traditional knowledge and practices (use and gathering) of Scolymus hispanicus. A knowledge and practice (KP) index was created based on the answers to the questionnaire. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Scolymus hispanicus is still gathered and consumed by 20% and 35% of the informants, respectively. According to the KP index, the knowledge and practice level is similar in both villages. Age and time living in the village are the factors that better explain the variability in the KP level. People living for more than ten years in the village and those older than 60 years have the highest knowledge level, whereas the younger than 19 the lowest. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggests that the prevalence of ethnobotanical knowledge and uses depends more on the cultural importance of the plant and the transmission of such popular knowledge than on the resource's abundance.