Caregiving environment

Traditionally, interpretation of research on lead effects in humans holds that increased lead burden directly results in deficits in cognitive functioning. However, several alternative hypotheses are also plausible. First, the Milar el al (1980) results suggest the possibility that cognitive deficits in children exposed to lead may be a direct result of deficiencies in the caregiving environment, rather than being due to lead per se. The research of Bradley and Caldwell (1976a, b) tends to support this conclusion. 

A third hypothesis is that the caregiving environment and lead combine to affect intellectual development adversely, similar to the relationship found by Werner el al (1968) between perinatal complications and later psychological development. At 20 months of age, IQ differences between children with and... 

In our research on low-level lead exposure we adopted a strategy of cross-sectional and longitudinal study of the intellectual, social, and neurobehavioural development of preschool children exposed to low or moderate blood lead (PbB) levels. We asked two questions (a) Does cross-sectional comparison show a significant interaction between age and PbB levels, between age and type of exposure (occupational versus non-occupational), or between age and the important behavioural covariates of lead exposure (SES level, maternal IQ, and quality of the caregiving environment) and (b) Upon regular 5-year re-evaluations, can changes in these children s intellectual, social, and neurobehavioural development be related to current PbB levels or to cumulative previous PbB levels after removal of lead from their home environment ... 

C. Quality of caregiving environment Caldwell s home observation for measurement of the environment... 

Behavioral therapy can be used to treat patients with ADHD however, it is generally not recommended as first-line monotherapy.8 Several studies have demonstrated that treatment with medication alone is superior to behavioral intervention alone in improving attention.12 However, behavioral therapy in combination with stimulant therapy was better at improving oppositional and aggressive behaviors.12 Behavioral modification involves training parents, teachers, and caregivers to change the physical and social environment and establishment... 

Patient education is a broad term that describes the process through which healthcare professionals attempt to increase patient knowledge of healthcare issues. Patient education can occur in a variety of environments from hospitals and long-term care institutions to physicians offices, community pharmacies, and other ambulatory care facilities. Patient education may be verbal or written, performed on an individual basis or in groups, and provided directly to the patient or caregiver. Although there are many different types of patient education, the process uses basic communication and educational techniques to achieve its goals of better health and improved health outcomes. 

Children s scores on the auditory comprehension scale of the Preschool Language Scale were also inversely associated with maternal-hair Hg concentrations (p = 0.0019). Scores declined approximately 2.5 points across the range of Hg concentrations. Additional analyses identified several outlier or influential data points, whose exclusion finm the analyses reduced the estimates of the Hg effect substantially, sometimes to nonsignificance. In the pilot phase of the SCDS, information was not collected on several key variables that frequently confoimd the association between neurotoxicant exposures and child development. Those variables are socioeconomic status, caregiver inteUigence, and qirality of the home environment. 

We have three ground rules for this discussion. First, this is a blameless environment. We are not here to find a scapegoat but to identify failures in our operating system. We want to reveal all of the issues and problems in an open discussion. Second, this process is confidential. Please do not reveal the name of the patient or the identity of the caregivers. Third, we ask you to think creatively about how to improve our systems and processes. Try to envision the patient as your own child and to identify systems that you would like to have in place to ensure your child s safety [Edmondson, Roberto, and Tucker, 2001, p. 2]. 

Contact precautions reduce the risk of transmission of epidemiologically important microorganisms by direct or indirect contact. Direct contact transmission involves skin-to-skin contact or the physical transfer of microorganisms to a susceptible host. This can occur when caregivers turn patients, bathe patients, or perform other patient-related activities with physical contact. Direct contact transmission can also occur between patients. Indirect contact transmission involves contact of a susceptible host with a contaminated object or surface in the patient environment. Contact precautions apply to specific patients with a known or suspected infection with... 

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