Selected Articles - Edema

1. Leg Edema Assessment and Management.
By Simon, Elizabeth B. MEDSURG Nursing. Jan/Feb2014, Vol. 23 Issue 1, p44-53. 10p
Abstract: The article discusses the assessment and management of leg edema, a palpable swelling due to an xpansion of the interstitial volume or an increase in extracellular volume. It mentions that leg edema can be a symptom of a serious underlying problem. It notes that leg edema can be managed by nurses by accurate assessment, history taking and diagnostic tests. It also emphasizes that a comprehensive discussion on the different types of edema and its etiology can equip nurses in its management..

2. The lymphatic system.
By McLafferty, Ella; Hendry, Charles; Farley, Alistair. Nursing Standard. 12/12/2012, Vol. 27 Issue 15-17, p37-42. 6p
Abstract: This article, which forms part of the life sciences series, examines the lymphatic system, focusing on the anatomy and physiology of lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes and lymph fluid. The flow of lymph through the body is described and the regulatory mechanisms involved are identified and discussed. In addition, there is a brief examination of common disorders of the lymphatic system, including lymphoma, lymphoedema and tonsillitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] .

3. Reducing the risk of lower limb lymphoedema.
By Hardy, Denise. Primary Health Care. Jul 2012, Vol. 22 Issue 6, p16-21. 6p
Abstract: Although lower limb lymphoedema (LLL) is a long-term condition that cannot be cured, the main symptoms of swelling and associated risk of infection can, with appropriate treatment, be controlled and often significantly improved. Preventing lymphoedema developing in the first place is paramount, and all healthcare professionals have a role to play in recognising who has or who is at risk of developing this often distressing, chronic condition. This article gives an overview of lymphoedema and the lymphatic system, highlights the causes of LLL, why it develops and which patients may be at risk and why. It also gives an overview of preventative strategies that may help to minimise the risk of LLL developing. .

4. Coordination of Multiple Services for a Patient With Severe Lymphedema of the Right Lower Extremity.
By Sylvia, Mary Beth; Spera, Erin; Hamilton, Susan M.; Harrington, Stella; Hartford, Jay; Quigley, Sandy. Critical Care Nurse. Aug 2011, Vol. 31 Issue 4, p55-68. 14p
Abstract: Surgical resection of the right lower extremity in an adult with severe lymphedema of the extremity required intensive coordination of multiple services and specialists because of the medical andsurgical complexity of the patient's condition, massive limb size, and surgical location in a children's hospital. Early and prolonged planning was necessary to anticipate problems and provide optimal care. The patient had a successful surgical outcome, improvement in medical comorbid conditions postoperatively, and improvement in the quality of life upon discharge. This coordinated effort will be used in the future as a template for patients with complex conditions whose care requires lengthy planning and involves multiple services and specialists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] .

Selected Articles - Smoking Bans

5. A Citywide Smoking Ban Reduced Maternal Smoking and Risk for Preterm Births: A Colorado Natural Experiment.
By Page, Robert Lee; Slejko, Julia F.; Libby, Anne M. Journal of Women's Health (15409996). Jun 2012, Vol. 21 Issue 6, p621-627. 7p
Abstract: We sought to evaluate the effect of a citywide smoking ban in comparison to a like municipality with no such ban in Colorado on maternal smoking and subsequent fetal birth outcomes.

6. Second-hand smoke exposure and household smoking bans in Chinese families: a qualitative study.
By  Abdullah, Abu S.; Hua, Fu; Xia, Xiao; Hurlburt, Sarah; Ng, Patrick; MacLeod, William; Siegel, Michael; Griffiths, Sian; Zhang, Zhiyong. Health & Social Care in the Community. Jul 2012, Vol. 20 Issue 4, p356-364. 9p
Abstract: As workplace smoking restrictions spread, smoking in the home is becoming the predominant source of exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) among children and other non-smokers in the household. This study explored issues around children's exposure to SHS. Focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews (IDI) were conducted among 31 Chinese households in urban Shanghai, China. All FGDs/IDIs were audio recorded and analysed thematically. The findings suggest that there are gaps in knowledge of the health consequences of smoking and SHS among the participants. Although there was a lack of knowledge about the health risk of exposure to SHS, most were willing to protect their child from the SHS exposure. In 16/31 households, families had partial home-smoking restrictions; there were no complete restrictions in any of the smokers' homes

Selected articles - Nutrition Reviews [Journal]

7. Is beer consumption related to measures of abdominal and general obesity? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
By Bendsen, Nathalie T; Christensen, Robin; Bartels, Else M; Kok, Frans J; Sierksma, Aafje; Raben, Anne; Astrup, Arne. Nutrition Reviews. Feb 2013, Vol. 71 Issue 2, p67-87. 21p
Abstract: A systematic review was conducted to assess the evidence linking beer consumption to abdominal and general obesity. Following a systematic search strategy, 35 eligible observational studies and 12 experimental studies were identified. Regarding abdominal obesity, most observational data pointed towards a positive association or no association between beer intake and waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio in men, whereas results for women were inconsistent. Data from a subset of studies indicated that beer intake >500 mL/day may be positively associated with abdominal obesity. Regarding general obesity, most observational studies pointed towards an inverse association or no association between beer intake and body weight in women and a positive association or no association in men.

8. How prevalent is vitamin B12 deficiency among vegetarians?
By Pawlak, Roman; Parrott, Scott James; Raj, Sudha; Cullum-Dugan, Diana; Lucus, Debbie. Nutrition Reviews. Feb 2013, Vol. 71 Issue 2, p110-117. 8p
Abstract: Vegetarians are at risk for vitamin B12 ( B12) deficiency due to suboptimal intake. The goal of the present literature review was to assess the rate of B12 depletion and deficiency among vegetarians and vegans. Using a PubMed search to identify relevant publications, 18 articles were found that reported B12 deficiency rates from studies that identified deficiency by measuring methylmalonic acid, holo-transcobalamin II, or both.

9. Calcium intake, vascular calcification, and vascular disease.
By Spence, Lisa A; Weaver, Connie M. Nutrition Reviews. Jan 2013, Vol. 71 Issue 1, p15-22. 8p.
Abstract: Recent research has reported a possible link between calcium supplementation and increased risk of cardiovascular disease and its endpoints in healthy, older adults. To evaluate the current evidence regarding the impact of calcium supplementation on cardiovascular disease risk and to address research gaps, the present review was conducted. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were included, when available, along with original articles. The articles included in the review were obtained from PubMed using the following search terms: calcium intake, calcium supplementation, cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, mortality, and vascular calcification.

10. Sodium in the food supply: challenges and opportunities.
By: Desimone, John A; Beauchamp, Gary K; Drewnowski, Adam; Johnson, Guy H.
Nutrition Reviews. Jan 2013, Vol. 71 Issue 1, p52-59. 8p
Abstract: This article is based on proceedings from the Symposium on Sodium in the Food Supply: Challenges and Opportunities, sponsored by the North American Branch of the International Life Sciences Institute, at Experimental Biology 2010 in Anaheim, California. The symposium aimed to address the issue of dietary sodium and its consequences for public health. Presenters spoke on a variety of key topics, including salt taste reception mechanisms and preferences, methods and measures to assess sodium in the US food supply, and considerations regarding the reduction of sodium in processed foods. Information from these presentations, as well as literature references, are provided in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

11. Claudins, dietary milk proteins, and intestinal barrier regulation.
By Kotler, Belinda M; Kerstetter, Jane E; Insogna, Karl L. Nutrition Reviews. Jan2013, Vol. 71 Issue 1, p60 -65. 6p
Abstract: The family of claudin proteins plays an important role in regulating the intestinal barrier by modulating the permeability of tight junctions. The impact of dietary protein on claudin biology has not been studied extensively. Whey proteins have been reported to improve intestinal barrier function, but  heir mechanism of action is not clear. Recent studies, however, have demonstrated increased intestinal claudin expression in response to milk protein components. Reviewed here are new findings suggesting that whey- protein-derived transforming growth factor β transcriptionally upregulates claudin-4 expression via a Smad- 4-dependent pathway. These and other data, including limited clinical studies, are summarized below and, in the aggregate, suggest a therapeutic role for whey protein in diseases of intestinal barrier dysfunction, perhaps, in part, by regulating claudin expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Journal Table of Contents

12. From Nursing Review New Zealand, February/March 2014

12A. Q&A with Denise Kivell [Director of Nursing, Counties Manukau District Health Board and Chair of NENZ (Nurse Executives of New Zealand)
12B. A day in the life of a ... prison nurse [Denis Allen, Registered nurse, Hawkes Bay Regional Prison, Hastings
12C. Nurses and obesity: Do as I say, not as I do?
Promoting healthy lifestyles is bread and butter for today’s nurses, but recent research indicates Kiwi nurses are more likely to be obese then their patients. FIONA CASSIE discovers more about nursing, obesity, and weight management.
12D. Nurses and obesity: Helen's story
So should employers be walking the talk by supporting their nurses to maintain a healthy weight by supporting healthy lifestyle choices?
12E. Assertiveness: A much maligned term
So you want to say no, or want someone else to say yes, and you feel you have right on your side. You don’t want to be a doormat but neither do you want to be seen as bossy or demanding.
12F. There’s more to life than work … 
Nursing Review talks to two nurses about their out-of-work passions.
12G. Keeping safe with self-advocacy
12H. Don't be 'weak' and 'leak'
Forget about crunchies and taut abs – exercising your pelvic floor and transversus abdominis have rewards all of their own. FIONA CASSIE talks to nurse-turned-personal trainer Lynda Lovatt about exercise to protect and strengthen your pelvic floor for new mums, the middle-aged, and vigorous athletes.
12I. The rise (of exercise) and fall (of injuries)
Do community exercise programmes for the elderly reduce injuries as well as falls?
12J. RSS = Really Swift & Simple 
KATHY HOLLOWAY shows you how to keep updated on fresh material on your favourite websites through RSS and how to catch a podcast.
12K. Birds of a feather should flock together
NICOLA RUSSELL challenges each of the country’s 47,000 or so registered nurses to this year step up and take action – small or large – in a collective effort to make a difference for the patients they care for.
12L. NZ’s special athletes getting ‘unspecial’ health care
Screening of the country’s Special Olympics athletes shows high levels of undiagnosed health issues. Special Olympics CEO KATHY GIBSON challenges the policy makers and the health sector to provide free health screening for people with intellectual disabilities.
12M. Support or discrimination: How welcoming are you to nurses 'different' from yourself
New migrant nurses feel welcome?
JUDY SECCOMBE looks at nursing attitude to those who are ‘different’ and challenges kiwi nurses to be more welcoming to new colleagues from different ethnicities, cultures, or countries.

Conferences & Seminars

13. Managing, leading and governing for service organisations in transition
9 April 2014
Auckland
CGO Transitions is again running a workshop in Auckland for not-for-profit organisations. Based on the model in the recent book Stepping through Transitions, this is a unique opportunity to ensure that your organisation is resilient and sustainable going forward, whether you are in development or consolidation mode. We welcome and encourage attendance by both senior staff and board or management committee members. This workshop is also running in Hamilton on 19 March, and later in the year we are planning workshops in New Plymouth, Christchurch, Masterton, and possibly Dunedin.
More Information: http://www.cgotransitions.co.nz/workshops

14. Determinants of Health and Wellbeing workshop
Friday 11 April 2014
Tauranga
The WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health has produced a landmark report on actions to improve health and reduce inequalities. This report is of special relevance to health promoters.
The report, Closing the Gap in a Generation, says that avoidable inequities in health "arise because of the circumstances in which people, live, work and age and the systems put in place to deal with illness".
Why does such inequality matter? Health inequality kills. There are now over 200 studies of income inequality and health. Life expectancy, infant death rates, low birth weight, the number of people badly overweight, the number of people with poor mental health have repeatedly been shown to be worse in more unequal societies.
More information: http://www.hauora.co.nz/social-determinants-of-health.html
 
 

News - National

15. Fuoride
Judgment: New Health NZ Inc v Sth Taranaki District Council
Friday, 7 March 2014, 12:41 pm
Press Release: New Zealand High Court [Full judgment: New_Health_v_Taranaki.pdf]
IN THE HIGH COURT OF NEW ZEALAND
NEW PLYMOUTH REGISTRY
CIV-2013-443-107
[2014] NZHC 395
BETWEEN NEW HEALTH NEW ZEALAND INC
Plaintiff
AND SOUTH TARANAKI DISTRICT COUNCIL
Defendant
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1403/S00072/judgment-new-health-nz-inc-v-sth-taranaki-district-council.htm

16. Warning fruit could be contaminated with Hepatitis A
Friday March 14, 2014 Source: ONE News
The Ministry for Primary Industries is urging people to check their fruit bowls for apples and peaches that could be infected with Hepatitis A. MPI has issued a warning for some Royal Gala and New Zealand Beauty apples and Golden Queen peaches sold over the past two weeks
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/warning-fruit-could-contaminated-hepatitis-5864768

17. Government indecision 'costing precious lives'
Waikato Times - 12 March 2014
At least 1000 New Zealanders will die unnecessarily from bowel cancer while the Government dithers on rolling out a national screening programme.  That's the dire prediction of Beat Bowel Cancer Aotearoa chief executive Megan Smith, who is calling on health minister Tony Ryall to expand a successful Waitemata-based bowel screening pilot programme to the rest of the country as soon as possible.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/9818261/Government-indecision-costing-precious-lives

18. New Auckland Measles Alert
Radio New Zealand - 11 March 2014
A new measles alert has been issued by Auckland health officials. Earlier in March, officials confirmed that passengers with measles had been on two Air New Zealand domestic flights at a time when they would have been infectious. The Auckland Regional Public Health Service now says an infectious person was also on a Singapore Airlines flight from Singapore to Auckland last week.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/238495/new-auckland-measles-alert

News - International

19. 12 steps to help you deal with less sugar
By Ian Austin, The Province March 13, 2014
The World Health Organization wants people to drastically reduce their consumption of added sugar. Processed food, breakfast cereals, baked goods — sugar is everywhere in our daily life.
http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/tips+help+curb+your+sugar+intake/9612993/story.html

20. Is weight gain a guarantee in middle age?
Research suggests exercise may be an effective weapon in battle of the bulge
By Jill Barker, Special to the Gazette
Is weight gain inevitable as we age, or can an active lifestyle keep the extra pounds off as the years March on? The answer is important as excess weight, especially if it collects around the middle, increases the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders. Estimates suggest that annual Canadian health care costs related to the 17 chronic diseases linked to obesity are close to $7.1 billion. Yet there’s some question as to how effective regular exercise is in the fight against the middle-age spread
http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/diet-fitness/weight+gain+guarantee+middle/9609657/story.html