Basic treatment procedures are discussed concerning (1) trauma to the oral-facial complex, (2) acute infection, and (3) myofascial pain dysfunction. (MB)

Tibial stress injuries, commonly called shin splints, often result when bone remodeling processes adopt inadequately to repetitive stress. Physicians who are caring for athletic patients must have a thorough understanding of this continuum of injuries, including medial tibial stress syndrome and tibial stress fractures, because there are…

The paper presents definitions of key terms concerned with development of medical practice guidelines, identifies eight attributes of good practice, and examines issues of guideline implementation and evaluation. The eight attributes are validity, reliability and reproducibility, clinical applicability, clinical flexibility, clarity,…

Considers aspects of children's fevers. Answers questions concerning: (1) the temperature at which a fever is infectious; (2) the point at which a feverish child in care should be sent home; (3) the length of time a parent should wait before returning the child to day care; and (4) the way to take a child's temperature. (RJC)

Discusses three approaches that are being developed to aid people with heredity and medical diseases: (1) Determination of DNA Abnormalities and Their Results; (2) Determination of Methods of Correction; and (3) Utilization of Chemical Treatment. (ZWH)

Considers ethical dilemmas inherent in health care decision making and in patients' advance directives. Describes PRACTICE (patient, relationships, advocacy, conflicts, treatment/nontreatment options, interests, consequences, ethical principles) model which allows health care practitioners to think about ethical issues in structured and systematic…

Reviews research pertinent to mental health services under health care reform proposals. Examines redistributional impact of inclusion of outpatient mental health benefits, optimal benefit packages, and findings that mental health services lower medical utilization costs. Argues that extending minimalist model of time-limited benefits to national…

Tested efficacy of educational interventions to increase use of advance directives among elderly. Examined three types of educational materials, various community-dwelling populations of elderly (n=293), and offers of free legal assistance. Interventions increased use slightly. Knowledge and use were associated with race and education. Deferring…

Advocates greater empirical research on ethics in health care by social-work researchers. A theoretical framework is presented as a heuristic device to stimulate research on a range of topics. Argues that by demonstrating empirically that their interventions improve ethical outcomes, social-work researchers can provide ammunition to support social…

Conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials of the administration of human albumin in critically ill patients. Findings raised serious concerns about the safety of an intervention that has been widely used in health care around the world. Findings illustrate the importance of systematic reviews in health care and other areas of…

In a struggle to balance fiscal realities with hospice philosophy, some hospices have attempted to cut costs by reducing social work involvement. This cross-sectional survey of 66 hospices found, however, increased social work involvement was significantly associated with lower hospice costs. Additional benefits included better team functioning,…

There is a need for models of health care that provide accessible, culturally appropriate, quality services to the population of Hispanic migrant farmworkers at risk for or diagnosed with diabetes. The purposes of this study were to describe the Migrant Health Service, Inc (MHSI), Diabetes Program, the conceptual model on which it is based, and 4…

Rural health services are difficult to maintain because of low patient volumes, limited numbers of providers, and unfavorable economies of scale. Rural patients may perceive poor quality in local health care, directly impacting the sustainability of local health care services. This study examines perceptions of local health care quality in 7…

A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed to evaluate resuscitation decisions and factors that impact these choices for young people with severe developmental disabilities residing in a skilled nursing facility. Decision-makers were provided with information to clarify resuscitation preferences. Parents/guardians of 30 of the 67 residents…

Objective and Participants: The authors of this retrospective case study focused on antimicrobial susceptibility of urinary tract isolates in cases of acute uncomplicated cystitis in college-aged women, aged 18 to 24 years, diagnosed at a major south-central university student health center. Methods: The authors obtained pertinent data from…