Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Film - Essay Example Hayne utilizes social issues like homophobia and racism, which remained mostly unspoken in many films of 1950s, from which he borrows and face them head on. In the scene, it becomes apparent that it is even worse to be a black than gay. One cannot fail to acknowledge how the themes of racism and sexual orientation as well as gender role are implicitly expressed in this particular scene of the film. One evening when Frank decides to work late into the evening, when Cathy makes up her mind to bring his dinner at the office where he works, she finds him passionately kissing a fellow man. Frank then goes ahead to confess to have been through â€Å"problems† in his youthful days and consequently agrees to make an appointment for a conversion therapy. His relationship with Cathy hits a snag and damages beyond repair, which forces him to resort to alcohol. In the meantime, Cathy becomes cozy with Raymond. A neighbor sees Cathy with Raymond and spreads the vicious chitchat of Cathy’s indecorous relationship. The rumor finally gets to Frank, who becomes irritated about the whole issue. Despite the fact that Cathy tries to defend her friendship with Raymond, she eventually put a stop to it altogether. Far from Heaven reflects the style used in many films of 1950s, particularly Douglas Sirk’s. Haynes diligently developed and chose appropriate color palettes for all scenes in the film. He accentuates experience with color in various scenes, for instance, where Cathy, Eleanor and their acquaintances dress up in red, yellow, brown and green. He utilizes green color to illuminate prohibited and baffling scenes. This is evident when Frank goes to a gay bar and when Cathy visits a black dominated restaurant in the black environs. Haynes also utilizes shots and angles that reflect 1950s film epoch. Cinematographer, Edward Lachman developed the 1950s impression using similar form of lighting techniques and apparatus and also makes use

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Cleft Palate Microflora- Normal and Pathogenic

Cleft Palate Microflora- Normal and Pathogenic A REVIEW OF LITERATURE Abstract Oral cavity is a house for more than 300 species of microorganisms which includes aerobic, non aerobic, spores, fungi etc. Though many microorganisms are commensal only few microorganism involve in pathogenic process due to predisposing or initiative factors like poor oral hygiene, medically compromised patients, dentate and non dentate mouth, dietary habit, clefts, etc,. Cleft palate is one of the conditions in which commensal microorganisms can become pathogenic over time. There will be communication between nasal and oral microorganisms, which makes the habitat more suitable for few like Staphylococcus species. Even after the closure of due to exchange of microflora between oral and nasal cavity it can lead to wound dehiscence, which further leads to post operative complications. Key words: cleft palate, oral microflora, wound dehiscence, staphylococcus, streptococcus, commensal, fistula Introduction Clefts of the palate comprise a range of disorders affecting the oral cavity, the causes of which remain largely unknown1. Affected children have a range of functional problems which include feeding difficulties at birth due to problems with oral seal, swallowing and nasal regurgitation, hearing difficulties due to abnormality in the palatal musculature and speech difficulties due to nasal escape and articulation problems (Mossey and Little, 2009)2. Cleft may also predispose to alteration of normal flora at nose and oral cavity. Viridans streptococci were the first persistent colonizer of the human mouth and Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and Neisseria spp were consistently found toward the end of the first year of life (Arief et al, 2005)3. NORMAL ORAL MICROFLORA The world we live in contains unimaginable numbers of bacteria, representing the major diversity of life on our planet. The commensal bacteria are present on the epithelial surfaces of the skin and on the mucosal surfaces of the oral cavity, respiratory tract, esophagus, gastrointestinal tract and urogenital tract. An estimated 300 to 500 bacterial species (sp) coexist within the oral cavity, of which approximately 50% are currently uncultivable.4 In spite of this, only a relatively small number of bacteria cause infection in man (Henderson and Wilson, 1998)5. Establishment of a normal flora occurs in a sequential manner: (1) the first exposure of the mucosal surfaces of a sterile neonate is to the maternal genital microflora during its passage through the birth canal, (2) a few hours later the organisms from the mothers (or the nurses) mouth and possibly a few from the environment are established in the mouth, usually Streptococci spp, which bind to mucosal epithelium, (3) oral flora on the childs first birthday usually consists of Streptococci, Staphylococci, Neisseriae and Lactobacilli, (4) the next evolutionary change in this community occurs during and after tooth eruption when two further niches are provided for bacterial colonization, (5) when all the teeth are lost as a result of senility, bacteria that colonize the mouth at this stage are very similar to those in a child before tooth eruption6,7,8. The oral cavity, upper respiratory tract, and certain regions of the ears and eyes have an indigenous microflora. Because of the close anatomic relationship of these structures, the resident flora of these regions shares many common pathogens. Within a given microenvironment, however, certain microbes that constitute the normal flora are associated with distinct anatomic sites. Thus, the normal flora exists within complex ecosystems at different sites and interacts closely with different bacterial spp and with the host epithelial layers. This indigenous microflora is known to change over time and host age, congenital malformation, underlying disease and chemotherapeutic agents affect its composition4. Microbial counts have been reported to vary from day to day9. A variety of conditions affect successful colonization of the mucosal surface in the oral cavity, including factors such as epithelial cell turnover, salivary flow, reduction in the oral pH environment following food intake and dentition. The predominant components of oral flora are Streptococcal spp, most commonly members of the Streptococcus group4,7,8. Increasing the amount of sugar intake would encourage growth of certain Streptococci that are able to tolerate a lower pH environment and also presence of teeth (Arief et al, 2005)3. Organisms generally considered as commensals including palate are coagulase-negative staphylococci, nonhemolytic and viridans streptococci, Corynebacterium spp, Neisseria spp Candida spp and other cultivable and not-yet-cultivable spp of Streptococcus.10,11,12 Candida albicans (C. albicans) is the most prevalent yeast isolated from the human body as a commensal or as an opportunistic pathogen13. The presence of C.albicans in the oral cavity is not indicative of disease. In many individuals, C.albicans is a minor component of their oral flora, and they have no clinical symptoms. In healthy individuals, a large number of sites in the oral cavity can be colonized by C.albicans14. A number of bacteria which populate the normal oral microflora are opportunistic pathogens capable of injuring or even killing the carrier, if conditions permit- organisms like Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus), ÃŽ ²-hemolytic streptococci, Neisseria meningitides, Streptococcus pneumoniae,5 Klebsiella spp, Escherichia coli (E.coli) and Pseudomonas spp (Roscoe and Hoang, 2007)10. (Table 1) MICROFLORA INVOLVED IN WOUND DEHISCENCE Any wound is at some risk of becoming infected. One school of thought is that the density of microorganisms is the critical factor in determining whether a wound is likely to heal. However, a second school of thought argues that the presence of specific pathogens is of primary importance in delayed healing, while yet others have reported microorganisms to be of minimal importance in delayed healing15. Wound contaminants are likely to originate from three main sources: (i) the environment; (ii) the surrounding skin; (iii) endogenous sources involving mucous membranes. The normal microfloras of the oral cavity are both diverse and abundant, and these supply the vast majority of microorganisms that colonize wounds15. Bacterial infections after cleft palate surgery increase the risk of wound breakdown, palatal fistulas, poor speech, poor growth, poor aesthetic results and death. As the commensal oral bacteria in a normal young child change from birth as the child grows, factors that affect oral bacterial colonization include presence of antibodies that inhibit bacterial adherence, presence of teeth, formation of a biofilm, bacterial load in the saliva of attendants and frequency of exposure, prolonged hospital care and exposure to antibiotics (Chuo and Timmons 2005).3,16,17 The risk of infection is generally based on the susceptibility of a surgical wound to microbial contamination. Clean surgery carries 1 to 5% risk of postoperative wound infection and in dirty procedures that are significantly more susceptible to endogenous contamination, a 27% risk of infection has been estimated15. Though, infection is not a very frequent complication following correction of the palate, when infection occurs, partial or complete dehiscence may be the consequence. All wound infections were diagnosed on the second to sixth postoperative day while most patients leave the hospital on the third postoperative day. However, the strong relationship with preoperative cultures and dehiscence indicates that pathogens causing infection do play a role. Moreover, patients with dehiscence showed pus and fever, both signs of an infectious complication18. One might also argue that wound tension contributes to dehiscence and other causative factor. For example, too close to the incision edges may prevent the tissue from meeting and binding together properly. Sutures that are too tight can result in strangulation of the wound edges and poor blood supply to the wound, causing necrosis or sutures are removed too early.18 Wounds undergo a predictable alteration in microbial flora over time. Early on, the wound is colonized particularly by ÃŽ ²-hemolytic Streptococci and S.aureus, within the first 1 to 4 weeks, these are soon accompanied by that often infect wounds together in a synergistic fashion. After approximately 4 weeks, chronic wounds are more likely to become colonized by Pseudomonas spp Infections in older wounds are polymicrobial mixtures of aerobic pathogens usually associated with tissue necrosis, undermining and deep structure involvement (Gordon Dow, 2009).19 Invasive group A Streptococcal infections, once thought to be mainly a problem of the preantibiotic era, continue to be reported in many countries. In a multicenter general practice study in Denmark (1983 and 1984), group A ÃŽ ²-hemolytic streptococci detected in the throats of 10.9% of 99 asymptomatic children younger than 15 years old. Also the throat carrier rates of groups A, C and G ÃŽ ²-hemolytic streptococci decreased with increasing age of the individuals’ studied.16 The carrier ship of group A Streptococcus may predispose to infection and S.aureus ranks second among spp cultured from infected wounds18. Whilst the importance of Staphylococci as medical pathogens has been recognised for many years, it is now suggest that Staphylococci can be isolated frequently from the oral cavity of particular patients group such as children, elderly and in ill patients. Therefore, it is apparent that the oral cavity may present a hitherto poorly recognised reservoir of Staphylococci, some of which may, under appropriate conditions cause local or systemic infection.17 Nasal bacteria may be transmitted through an oronasal cleftfistula to the oral cavity, and it may be able to survive in the oral environment in children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) (Mims et al., 1993). S.aureus were identified in 53.1% of saliva samples and 40.6% of nasal samples. The oronasal fistula area was significantly higher in children who had S.aureus colonization in their oral cavity (Tuna et al, 2008).20 Recent data have shown that S.aureus is more frequently found in the oral flora of cleft patients than in normal children. Using saliva swabs, Arief et al. found that children with cleft palate showed more colonization by S.aureus compared to normal children of 3–39 months, which decreased significantly after operation.3 According to Aziz, Rhee, and Redai (2009), 5.5% of patients had nonlife-threatening complications (infection or wound dehiscence)21 and according to Hupkens and group (2007), they encountered 6.0% of wound dehiscence.18 The microbiological studies comparing flora between cleft and non-cleft sites in children with CLP by Brennan et al. (2001) determined that the oral bacteria colonize the cleft nasal floor in patients with unilateral oronasal fistulas. They reported that oral bacteria were not cultured in the nasal floor of the cleft in the majority of patients with oronasal fistula. The Investigators claimed that oral bacteria might occur only when the fistulae are sufficiently large to maintain a similar environment to the oral cavity.20 The study by Tuna et al. showed bacterial transmission was proven for large oronasal fistulas and a correlation was found with S.aureus counts in the children with CLP. It appears that as fistula size increases, significantly higher colony numbers of S.aureus were found in saliva samples. In addition, S.aureus tends to survive in the oral cavity as a result of transmission through the nasal passages as long as an unrepaired cleft exists.20 One study by Myburgh, and K.W. Butow (2009), swabs taken from their soft palates were made for days 0, 2, 4 and 6. The pathogenic organisms were: C.albicans, E.coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, S. aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and others.22 Another study from Finland showed that, Viridans Streptococci were the first persistent oral bacteria in babies (Kononen, 2000). Staphylococci were prevalent in more than 25% of children aged 0 to 6 months. The prevalence of Staphylococcus was lower in older children.16 Klebsiella spp are ubiquitous in nature and probably have two common habitats, one being the environment and the other being the mucosal surfaces of humans which they colonize. In humans, Klebsiella pneumoniae is present as a saprophyte in the nasopharynx and in the intestinal tract. Klebsiellae are opportunistic pathogens, can give rise to severe diseases such as septicemia, pneumonia, UTI, soft tissue infection and nosocomial outbreaks. The detection rate in the nasopharynx range from 1 to 6%, which differ considerably from study to study; Klebsiella spp are rarely found there and are regarded simply as transient members of the flora.23 According to the statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Klebsiella spp account for 8% of endemic hospital infections and 3% of epidemic outbreaks. The mortality due to Klebsiella spp bacteremia approaches 27–34% in adult patients. This data also showed a marked overall increase in the incidence of this infection during the study period and are in agreement with previous reports regarding the dynamics of gram-negative and Enterobacteriaceae bacteremias.24 During the 1980s and 1990s, the frequency of nosocomial Candidiasis has increased dramatically. Data from the USA National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System shows that C.albicans was the most frequently isolated fungal pathogen (59.7%) in hospital environments. Transfer of Candida between individuals often occurs via the hands of health care workers, and nosocomial transmission can occur without Candidiasis outbreaks.14 Approximately 60% of the isolated recovered were gram-positive cocci (coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, ~31%), S.aureus (20%), and Enterococcus (9.5%). Over the past 5–10 years, most commonly isolated were gram-negative rods, such as E.coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, P.aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.23,25 It could be hypothesized that patient characteristics are primarily responsible for these differences. For example, genetic predilections, underlying diseases, social factors and economic factors and also differences in the virulence of individual microorganisms may be responsible for the manifestations of infection observed in cleft palate patients after surgery.26 (Table 2) Conclusion S.aureus and ÃŽ ²-hemolytic Streptococci are the commonest microflora which are responsible for wound dehiscence, it is always advised to do preoperative and postoperative culture. Though wound dehiscence is not always but frequent complication patient should be under proper care especially children. Alongside attention should be give to the other commensal microflora like Klebsiella, Candida, etc., which can become pathogenic over time in cleft patients. Despite advances in preoperative care, the rate of surgical wound dehiscence has not decreased in recent years. Recognition of risk factors, prevention of wound infection and mechanical stress on the incision are important. Management of dehisced wounds may include immediate surgery. If surgery is not needed, management is essentially the same as that of any other wound through maintenance of a moist wound environment, reduction of bio burden and pain, and promotion of granulation tissue.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Kidney Stones :: essays research papers

Kidney Stones The medical term for kidney stones is Nephrolithiasis or Renal Calculi. A kidney stone is a solid lump that can be as small as a grain of sand and as large as a golf ball made up of crystals that separate from urine and build up on the inner surfaces of the kidney. A kidney stone that does not pass on out can block the urinary tract. This blockage will probably cause a lot of pain. If medical attention is not received to identify the cause of the pain and remove the blockage, the pain is likely to go away over a few days. This usually will cause the sufferer to think that the problem is over with but it actually has not. The problem that had actually happened was that the kidney that had been blocked has now shut down. This kidney, if left untreated for just a few days, can lead to a permanent loss of the kidney.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many potential causes of a kidney stone. They are formed from any of the following, or even two of the following:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a family genetic predisposition to form stone  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  to local water or soil conditions  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  intake of excess uric acid, certain medications, Vitamin C, or Vitamin D  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a diet of fruits and vegetables high in oxalate  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  long term dehydration and its resulting concentration of urine  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  urinary infection  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  living in an area where high temperatures cause sweating and loss of fluids  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  possibly, just leading a low physical activity lifestyle Doctors and other physicians say that the best two ways to prevent this disease from happening is to keep yourself well hydrated at all times. This is best done by drinking 2 or 3 cups of water a day and to only eat/drink a certain amount of the following foods:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  apples ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  asparagus ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  beer ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  beets ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  berries, various ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  black pepper ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  broccoli  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  cheese ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  chocolate ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  cocoa ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  coffee ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  cola drinks ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  collards ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  figs   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  grapes ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ice cream ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  milk ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  oranges ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  parsley ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  peanut butter ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  pineapples  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  spinach ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Swiss chard ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  rhubarb ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  tea ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  turnips ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  vitamin C ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  yogurt   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If the kidney stone is larger than 1/4 inch in diameter it will most likely pass through the kidney without any medical treatments except for the pain killers to help the patient make it through the kidney stone episode which may last for several days. Those between 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch in diameter are less likely to pass on their own as they get larger. If the kidney stone is larger than 1/2 inch in diameter it will likely need to be either removed by surgery or by lithrotripsy. Lithrotripsy is the process of killing the stone by using

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Insulin and American Diabetes Association

Diabetes is an endocrine disease that affects the blood sugars of individuals throughout the United States. It is one of the leading causes of death. There are three different types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes, gestational diabetes, and type 2 diabetes. Hispanics are the second highest minority diagnosed with diabetes. Hispanics are less likely to seek medical care because of cultural beliefs and lack of insurance. There is also a genetic link to Hispanics and diabetes.â€Å"Type 1 diabetes, once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone needed to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy† (Mayo Clinic, 2013). This diabetes is common during adolescence but is possible during adulthood. There is no cure for type 1 diabetes but there are medicines that can help an individual that is dealing with this disease. Signs and symptoms for type 1 diabetes is increased thir st, frequent urination, hunger, weight loss, fatigue, and blurred vision.  (Mayo Clinic, 2013)Risk factors for type 1 diabetes are famlial history, location, genetics, and viral exposure. â€Å"Exposure to Epstein-Barr virus, coxsackievirus, mumps virus or cytomegalovirus may trigger the autoimmune destruction of the islet cells, or the virus may directly infect the islet cells† (Mayo Clinic, 2013). Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy. It is when sugar levels are high because the â€Å"body is not able to produce and use all the insulin it needs during pregnancy† . The cause of gestational diabetes is still unknown.Pregnant women are usually tested for gestational diabetes between 24 to 28 weeks but doctors could recommend early testing if the pregnant woman shows signs of diabetes. If it is not controlled, the unborn child could be affected by the high sugar levels. The glucose passes through the placenta and causes the baby’s pancreas to produce mor e insulin to help control the sugar levels. The increase of energy that the glucose gives the unborn child is too much so instead of the baby using it up, it is stored as fat. This increase of fat may cause macrosomia.Macrosomia may cause problems during delivery because it increases the baby’s weight and size. Also, â€Å"the extra insulin that the baby’s pancreas makes may cause newborns to have very low blood glucose levels at birth and are also at higher risk for breathing problems† . According to American Diabetes Association (2013), babies that are born with low levels of sugar are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life. â€Å"Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolize sugar (glucose)†.When an individual has type 2 diabetes their body does not produce enough insulin or their body ignores the insulin it has produced. This is commonly in adulthood but there is an increased of cases in adolescent beca use of the obesity is increasing. If type 2 diabetes is untreated, it can be life threatening or cause other health complications. Some complications that may occur are heart disease, neuropathy, nephropathy, eye damage, foot damage, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s disease. â€Å"An individual can manage the condition by eating well, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight† .Risk factors that will contribute to a individual getting type 2 diabetes are their weight, fat distribution, inactivity, familial history, race, age, and if they had gestational diabetes or prediabetes. â€Å"Prediabetes is a condition in which your blood glucose levels is higher than normal, but not too high to be classified as diabetes† . Race plays a factor in type 2 diabetes. African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asian American (Pacific Islanders) are more susceptible to it. According to the American Diabetes Association (2013), there are 25.8 million children and adults in the United States living with diabetes.Of those 25. 8 million people 11. 8% of them are Hispanics. Hispanics have a higher rate because of their lack of access to quality health care, social and cultural factors, or genetics. â€Å"The United States Department of Health and Human Services estimates 1 out of every 3 Hispanics do not have health insurance† . Without health insurance Hispanics are least likely to visit doctors for preventive care. This increases their chances to developing a disease that could have been prevented with correct treatment or changes in life style.â€Å"Hispanics are raised to be self-reliant, which may be the reason 42% of them say they have had zero visit to a medical provider† . â€Å"Many Hispanic parents feel guilty about putting their own health needs above those of their families and they feel their time and money could be better spent than using it for preventive care† . They did not go to see the doctor until they are very ill or they use house remedies to help with their illnesses. Sometimes, house remedies worked temporary and then the illnesses comes back stronger than before.At this time, Hispanics might seek professional help. If they do seek medical attention, the doctors find array of illnesses. The doctors attention to the more severe ones and ask them to go back. Since, Hispanics are less likely to see the doctors when they believe they are healthy, they will not go back for a follow-up. Then the cycle may start all over again. A culture factor is Hispanics perceive their weight different than other cultures. â€Å"The researchers found about 25% of the overweight Hispanic women perceive their weight as â€Å"normal† when in fact they are overweight† .The Hispanic culture perceives curves as an attractive feature in women. They are blind to the fact that the curves may be a sign of illnesses such as diabetes. Since Hispanics have a high rate of individuals with diabetes, the pr edisposition of their family members of being diagnose with diabetes is much higher. Studies have shown that when a youth is diagnosed with diabetes there is a 45%-80% chance that one of their parents has diabetes and 74-100% has a first or second degree relative with type 2 diabetes .Diabetes is an illness that greatly affects the Hispanic culture. There are organizations that are trying to create programs to help families and individuals deal with it. The â€Å"National Council for La Raza are focusing their efforts on implementing more healthy shopping programs like the â€Å"Comprando Rico y Sano† (Buying Delicious and Healthy) to help Hispanics make healthier and more economical choices when grocery shopping†. The National Diabetes Prevention Programs is focusing more on finding ways for the prevention of diabetes by getting agencies to help with the cause.They â€Å"encourage collaboration among federal agencies, community-based organizations, employers, insurer s, health care professionals, academia, and other stakeholders to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes among people with prediabetes in the United States†. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. It could easily be prevented by making healthy life changes such as losing weight and eating healthy. If a person is diagnosed with diabetes, they needed to take measures to help control their condition and make a better choice when it comes to their health. Insulin and American Diabetes Association Diabetes Diabetes is an endocrine disease that affects the blood sugars of individuals throughout the United States. It is one of the leading causes of death. There are three different types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes, gestational diabetes, and type 2 diabetes. Hispanics are the second highest minority diagnosed with diabetes. Hispanics are less likely to seek medical care because of cultural beliefs and lack of insurance. There is also a genetic link to Hispanics and diabetes.â€Å"Type 1 diabetes, once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone needed to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy† (Mayo Clinic, 2013). This diabetes is common during adolescence but is possible during adulthood. There is no cure for type 1 diabetes but there are medicines that can help an individual that is dealing with this disease. Signs and symptoms for type 1 diabetes is incre ased thirst, frequent urination, hunger, weight loss, fatigue, and blurred vision.  (Mayo Clinic, 2013)Risk factors for type 1 diabetes are famlial history, location, genetics, and viral exposure. â€Å"Exposure to Epstein-Barr virus, coxsackievirus, mumps virus or cytomegalovirus may trigger the autoimmune destruction of the islet cells, or the virus may directly infect the islet cells† (Mayo Clinic, 2013). Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy. It is when sugar levels are high because the â€Å"body is not able to produce and use all the insulin it needs during pregnancy† . The cause of gestational diabetes is still unknown.Pregnant women are usually tested for gestational diabetes between 24 to 28 weeks but doctors could recommend early testing if the pregnant woman shows signs of diabetes. If it is not controlled, the unborn child could be affected by the high sugar levels. The glucose passes through the placenta and causes the baby’s pancreas to pr oduce more insulin to help control the sugar levels. The increase of energy that the glucose gives the unborn child is too much so instead of the baby using it up, it is stored as fat. This increase of fat may cause macrosomia.Macrosomia may cause problems during delivery because it increases the baby’s weight and size. Also, â€Å"the extra insulin that the baby’s pancreas makes may cause newborns to have very low blood glucose levels at birth and are also at higher risk for breathing problems† . According to American Diabetes Association (2013), babies that are born with low levels of sugar are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life. â€Å"Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolize sugar (glucose)†.When an individual has type 2 diabetes their body does not produce enough insulin or their body ignores the insulin it has produced. This is commonly in adulthood but there is an increased of cases in adoles cent because of the obesity is increasing. If type 2 diabetes is untreated, it can be life threatening or cause other health complications. Some complications that may occur are heart disease, neuropathy, nephropathy, eye damage, foot damage, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s disease. â€Å"An individual can manage the condition by eating well, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight† .Risk factors that will contribute to a individual getting type 2 diabetes are their weight, fat distribution, inactivity, familial history, race, age, and if they had gestational diabetes or prediabetes. â€Å"Prediabetes is a condition in which your blood glucose levels is higher than normal, but not too high to be classified as diabetes† . Race plays a factor in type 2 diabetes. African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asian American (Pacific Islanders) are more susceptible to it.According to the American Diabetes Association (2013), there are 25.8 million children an d adults in the United States living with diabetes. Of those 25. 8 million people 11. 8% of them are Hispanics. Hispanics have a higher rate because of their lack of access to quality health care, social and cultural factors, or genetics. â€Å"The United States Department of Health and Human Services estimates 1 out of every 3 Hispanics do not have health insurance† . Without health insurance Hispanics are least likely to visit doctors for preventive care. This increases their chances to developing a disease that could have been prevented with correct treatment or changes in life style.â€Å"Hispanics are raised to be self-reliant, which may be the reason 42% of them say they have had zero visit to a medical provider† . â€Å"Many Hispanic parents feel guilty about putting their own health needs above those of their families and they feel their time and money could be better spent than using it for preventive care† . They did not go to see the doctor until they are very ill or they use house remedies to help with their illnesses. Sometimes, house remedies worked temporary and then the illnesses comes back stronger than before.At this time, Hispanics might seek professional help. If they do seek medical attention, the doctors find array of illnesses. The doctors attention to the more severe ones and ask them to go back. Since, Hispanics are less likely to see the doctors when they believe they are healthy, they will not go back for a follow-up. Then the cycle may start all over again. A culture factor is Hispanics perceive their weight different than other cultures. â€Å"The researchers found about 25% of the overweight Hispanic women perceive their weight as â€Å"normal† when in fact they are overweight† .The Hispanic culture perceives curves as an attractive feature in women. They are blind to the fact that the curves may be a sign of illnesses such as diabetes. Since Hispanics have a high rate of individuals with diabete s, the predisposition of their family members of being diagnose with diabetes is much higher. Studies have shown that when a youth is diagnosed with diabetes there is a 45%-80% chance that one of their parents has diabetes and 74-100% has a first or second degree relative with type 2 diabetes .Diabetes is an illness that greatly affects the Hispanic culture. There are organizations that are trying to create programs to help families and individuals deal with it. The â€Å"National Council for La Raza are focusing their efforts on implementing more healthy shopping programs like the â€Å"Comprando Rico y Sano† (Buying Delicious and Healthy) to help Hispanics make healthier and more economical choices when grocery shopping†. The National Diabetes Prevention Programs is focusing more on finding ways for the prevention of diabetes by getting agencies to help with the cause.They â€Å"encourage collaboration among federal agencies, community-based organizations, employers , insurers, health care professionals, academia, and other stakeholders to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes among people with prediabetes in the United States†. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. It could easily be prevented by making healthy life changes such as losing weight and eating healthy. If a person is diagnosed with diabetes, they needed to take measures to help control their condition and make a better choice when it comes to their health.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Promote Professional Development Essay

It is important to continually strive to improve our knowledge and the way we practice, this can be applied to personal or professional goals. Developing our potential, will enhance our work role and promote our talents. It enhances our lives and contributes to achieving our dreams and aspirations Continued professional development is important, and it’s not just about attending training courses. It about promoting a culture for learning, with work based learning at the centre of this. In order to meet the needs of its service users. This enables staff to keep up-to-date with current legislation, care standards it expands their knowledge, and helps the meet their full potential, it promotes a culture of lifelong learning It enables them to carry out their work roles as per their job role/ description in a safe and competent manner. It keeps staff motivated, and feels valued. The GSCC code of practice states that all social care employers must provide training to enable staff to develop their skills and knowledge. CPD helps to raise standards of care, which is very important to comply with current standards and legislation and also meet the needs and aspirations of the users of the service and for employers have a competent workforce. CPD benefits the employer, the employee and the services users that they support, better knowledge leads to better practice, to deliver a high quality service, that is accountable To promote professional development, we also need to look at the potential barriers that can occur, when trying to promote staff development/ implement change. These can be things such as lack of understanding of why we need to change or develop. It can emotional barriers that staff fear the activity, or fear being judged, age can also be a barrier, staff think that they are getting older and don’t wish to develop further/coming to the end of their working life. †¢Financial barriers/ budget restraints can be barriers, so looking at other way we can deliver training or aid development is needed such a sourcing training that is free of charge is one possible way to overcome this barrier. †¢Training being in another country/ distance/ time, this is a problem for our schemes in England, other problems faced is having enough staff requiring the same training here in England to justify the trainer flying over hear. A possible way that this can be overcome, could be maybe training more staff over here that can deliver certain training, and become training champions, working together so that all our staff training is due at the same time, would then make it more cost effective to have trainers over from Ireland. †¢Parental responsibilities/ single parents/ child care/ work life balance. Working around a young child can be a juggling act. In order to support parents, we should give as much notice as possible to enable them to find child care. Be flexible in our approach, offer flexible working and offer advice and understanding of their difficulties. †¢Staffing levels/ lack of cover, being short staffed and then having other staff on training can cause stress and strain on the service. One way to possibly combat this is staggering training days, and getting in relief staff if budgets allow. †¢Intellectual barriers/ over confident/ don’t feel they need to be trained, I think that in this situation it needs to be discussed during supervision/ appraisals, assessments and feedback. Identifying area’s that are lacking, discussing the benefits of CPD, how it will enhance their role and job satisfaction/ better understanding of their role and responsibilities. The importance of continually keeping skills and knowledge up to date to meet current standards, and to be able to practice. Offer ongoing encouragement. †¢Lack of encouragement from management. If staff feels that they are not being supported or encouraged they need to bring this up at supervision/ annual appraisals. Identify what they need and speak openly with their manager, as supervision should be a two way process, ask their manager for a supervision contract and agree goals and aim for the future. If the manager continues to fail to provide encouragement staff or development opportunities then staff should put in a grievance. There are many sources and systems of support to promote CPD and supervision, being the one that is used most of all. Mentoring to new staff can provide a great source of support; Mentors can pass on their experience and knowledge to the mentee. They can provide guidance and support to aid mentee’s learning, and development. They offer advice and provide feedback about skills and knowledge of the mentee. They can support the mentee to evaluate and develop their new role, provide practical help and guidance. They aid the mentee to learn, and identify areas for improvement. Another source is coaching, this is more a 1-1 process, designed to develop management and leaderships skills/ potential, such as with team Leaders and their managers. I have found my own manager’s coaching, has been really helpful. In identifying my goals and what I need to do in order to develop. They can offer advice, provide useful hints on how to manage the team, promote change and how to deal with challenging behaviour from other staff members, and how to manage the team to accept changes within the workplace. Help to identify career goals, and plan what skills are needed for progression, build confidence Other sources are annual appraisals, this looks at plans for future development, sets goals and targets, with a time scale and how it will be achieved. Reading company policies and procedures, helps to enhance knowledge and keep up to date, reading journals on care, subscribing to magazines within your profession/ reports/ television/ listening to the news on incidents that have happened is another good source of information. E Learning is an easy way to learn online, attending staff meetings, listening to your peers, in house training courses, DVD presentations, local free training, such as CAB, local DAT, recognised bodies websites, CQC, GSCC, HCPC Working in partnership with other organisations. Sharing training opportunities. The local safeguarding board offer free training. It’s important to discuss with your manager, your needs and they will also be able to provide you with other sources of information that can build on your strengths and address weaknesses. Budgets and time retrains have to be considered when looking at desirable training for staff, but essential training needs to be continually kept up to date. As this is the back bone of our service and what we provide. Things such as health and safety, safeguarding moving and handling is all mandatory training that needs to be renewed and continually kept up to date. Failure to have this training and up to date and in place could lead the company open to litigation, and not being compliant with current standards We also need to be continually aware of any changes that have taken place in care standards and make sure we are up to date with these. These could be changes in government policy or new initiatives. We must prioritise what is essential and what is desirable, and balance against less important activities. When looking at desirable training we have to balance the needs of the service, and the needs of the service users. Will the team benefit from this training, can we just send one member of staff and they feed back the information to the rest of the team. We need to look at the staff members job description, what do they training they need in order to perform their job to the best of their abilities. We need to identify gaps in training where improvements can be made. Identify staff strengths so that their knowledge can be shared with others Other factors could be using other methods of training such as E Learning, books and policies that staff can read and update their own knowledge, look at what is in their job description, what they need to do and what training will help them achieve that.