Impact of HIV on VA Dental Services: Report of a Survey

Objectives: This study assessed knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to the treatment of HIV-infected patients by Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) dental personnel. Methods : A questionnaire was mailed to all VA dentists, hygienists, and EFDA assistants and completed anonymously in May 1991. Descriptive results are reported along with comparisons between the findings from this study and a similar VA survey conducted in 1988, as well as several national surveys of non-VA dentists. Results : Nearly all VA respondents reported participation in some type of continuing education on HIV and infection control. They also reported high compliance with recommended infection control procedures. Furthermore, the findings suggest that VA dentists and hygienists have a high willingness to treat HIV-infected patients, far exceeding that expressed by non-VA dentists. However, a high level of anxiety related to occupational exposure to HIV seems to exist. Most respondents perceived a higher risk of HIV infection from commonly encountered occurrences in the workplace than actually exists based on current knowledge. Conclusions : While efforts to further reduce the risk of infection and improve care should continue, future efforts also should be directed toward reducing the anxiety of VA dental personnel in the treatment of infectious patients.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66390/1/j.1752-7325.1994.tb01215.x.pd

A survey of cross-infection control procedures: knowledge and attitudes of Turkish dentists

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitudes and behavior of Turkish dentists in Samsun City regarding cross-infection control. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A questionnaire was designed to obtain information about procedures used for the prevention of cross-infection in dental practices and determine the attitudes and perceptions of respondent dental practitioners to their procedures. The study population included all dentists in the city of Samsun, Turkey, in April 2005 (n=184). The questionnaire collected data on sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge and practice of infection control procedures, sterilization, wearing of gloves, mask, use of rubber dam, method of storing instruments and disposal methods of contaminated material, etc. Questionnaire data was entered into a computer and analyzed by SPSS statistical software. RESULTS: From the 184 dentists to whom the questionnaires were submitted, 135 participated in the study (overall response rate of 73.36%). As much as 74.10% dentists expressed concern about the risk of cross-infection from patients to themselves and their dental assistants. Forty-three percent of the participants were able to define "cross-infection" correctly. The greatest majority of the respondents (95.60%) stated that all patients have to be considered as infectious and universal precautions must apply to all of them. The overall responses to the questionnaire showed that the dentists had moderate knowledge of infection control procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Improved compliance with recommended infection control procedures is required for all dentists evaluated in the present survey. Continuing education programs and short-time courses about cross-infection and infection control procedures are suitable to improve the knowledge of dentists

Physical activity as therapeutic intervention for depression

Ziel Ziel der Arbeit ist die Darstellung des aktuellen Forschungsstandes zu körperlicher Aktivität als therapeutische Intervention bei Patienten mit Depressionen. Methodik Es wurde eine systematische Bewertung von im Zeitraum 1980 bis März 2016 veröffentlichten Fachartikeln, die den Einfluss einer Bewegungsintervention im Vergleich zu einer Kontrollbedingung in der Behandlung von Depressionen untersuchen, durchgeführt. Neben einer Beschreibung der Studiendesigns werden die Ergebnisse zu den verwendeten Zielvariablen depressive Symptomatik (DS) und affektive Befindlichkeit (AB), Art und Ausmaß der Bewegungsintervention und verwendete Erhebungsinventare tabellarisch dargestellt. Ergebnisse Insgesamt 34 der 48 in den Literaturüberblick aufgenommenen Studien berichten von signifikant positiven Auswirkungen von Bewegungsinterventionen auf die DS und die AB. 5 Studien berichten von einer tendenziell reduzierten DS infolge der Bewegungsintervention. 9 Studien konnten keinen positiven Einfluss von Bewegung auf die DS und die AB feststellen. Diskussion Dieser Übersichtssartikel zeigt, dass körperliche Aktivität zu einer Verminderung der Symptomatik und einer Steigerung der affektiven Befindlichkeit bei Patienten mit depressiven Erkrankungen führt. Daher sollten am aktuellen Trainingszustand depressiver Patienten orientierte moderate Bewegungsinterventionen einen Behandlungsbaustein im Rahmen eines mehrdimensionalen therapeutischen Zuganges darstellen.Aim This article gives a conspectus of the present state of research on the efficiency of exercise as a treatment for patients suffering from depression. Methods A systematic review of articles published between December 1980 and March 2016 was carried out. The review focused on studies that examined the effects of exercise compared to control conditions in the treatment of depression. Extracted and analyzed information from the articles included details about participants, characteristics of exercise and control conditions, assessments, study design and outcomes. Results A total of 34 of the 48 studies included in the literature search reported a significant reduction of depressive symptoms due to exercise interventions. There was a trend to reduced depressive symptoms following the exercise interventions in five studies. In nine studies no positive impact of exercise on depression and affective well-being could be detected. Discussion This review article shows that physical activity decreases depressive symptoms and increases affective well-being in patients with depressive diseases; therefore, exercise should be recommended as a component of depression treatment within the framework of a multi-dimensional approach.(VLID)452661