Deliberate self-harm: developing clinical guidelines.

Nurses in an acute admissions psychiatric ward are using reflective practice to develop clinical guidelines for the management of patients who deliberately self-harm. In this article, they describe the cyclical learning processes and reflective techniques involved.

Determination of soluble chromium in simulated PWR coolant by differential-pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry.

An analytical method has been developed for the determination of dissolved chromium at concentrations less than 2 mug/l. in PWR coolant by differential-pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry at a hanging mercury drop electrode. Concentrations above 2 mug/l. can be determined by appropriate dilution of the sample. The method is based on measurement of the current associated with reduction of a chromium(III)-DTPA (diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid) complex adsorbed at the surface of the mercury drop. The effects of boric acid, pH, DTPA concentration, accumulation potential and time were investigated together with the oxidation state of the chromium. No interference was observed from other transition metal ions expected to be present in PWR coolant. No alternative chemical technique of similar sensitivity was available for comparison with the results obtained in solutions containing <1 mug/l. chromium. Recoveries from simulated coolant solutions were greater than 95% and the relative standard deviations for single determinations were in the range 12-25%. The statistical limit of detection at the 95% confidence level was 0.023 mug/l. This method of analysis should prove valuable in corrosion studies and is uniquely capable of following the changes in soluble chromium concentration in PWR coolant that follow operational changes in the reactor.

Differential pulse stripping voltammetry for the determination of nickel and cobalt in simulated PWR coolant.

The determination of ionic nickel and cobalt in simulated PWR coolant at concentrations below 1 microg/l. by differential pulse stripping voltammetry at a hanging mercury-drop electrode has been investigated. The high sensitivity for these ions results from the adsorptive accumulation of their dimethylglyoximate complexes on the mercury drop. Boric acid does not interfere and if the samples are adjusted to pH 9 with an ammonia-ammonium chloride buffer, both nickel and cobalt can be determined in the same run. The relative standard deviations at concentrations below 2 microg/l. are of the order of 5-7% and the limits of detection for nickel and cobalt are about 8 and 2 ng/l. respectively. These performance statistics show that this method is the most sensitive method currently available for determination of soluble nickel and cobalt in PWR coolant and it should prove to be most valuable in any corrosion studies of the materials of construction of the primary circuit of a PWR.