This study assessed the prevalence of colonization by Staphylococcus aureus in hospital housekeepers, and their knowledge and beliefs regarding this problem. Three saliva samples were collected and a questionnaire regarding knowledge and beliefs was applied. Of the 92 workers, 63 (68.5%) participated in the study; 20 were not and 43 were colonized; 13 by methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and 30 by methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus. Persistent carrier status of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus was detected in 15.4% of cases. Low knowledge and perception of occupational risk were observed. The mouth was identified as an important reservoir of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Analyzing knowledge and beliefs, as well as the state of carrier, is an important strategy to be added to educational actions for the prevention of workers' colonization.

The evaluation of quality of life (QOL) faced with chronic ischemic pain involves the clients in their subjectivity and multidimensionality. This descriptive study aimed to evaluate the quality of life of clients who presented chronic ischemic pain. A total of 100 clients of hospital institutes participated in the study. The instrument used to assess pain was an 11 point numerical scale, and to assess the quality of life, the World Health Organization Quality of Life-abbreviated questionnaire. The arithmetic mean for chronic pain was 5.59±3.16 points. The means for quality of life were: in the physical domain, 44.75±16.98; in the overall domain, 50.0±22.40; in the environment, 55.06±13.51, in the psychological, 56.21±17.19 and in the social domain, 68.33±21.84. Thus, the physical domain was, among the areas analyzed, the one which presented a greater impact on the quality of life of the clients with chronic ischemic pain.

Cross-sectional study developed to relate the international normalized ratio (INR), used as a parameter to monitor the levels of blood clotting, stability to adherence, age, level of education, socioeconomic level, interaction with other drugs, comorbidities, vitamin K intake, anticoagulation time and drug cost. 156 patients were included, mean age 57±13 years, (53.8%) male, 61 (39.1%) had high adherence, 91 (58.3%) medium and 4 (2.6%) low adherence to treatment, 117 (75%) had INR stability up to 50% and 39 (25%) > 75%, patients with shorter time of anticoagulation presented higher stability, those who spent less on the drug remained more stable and had better adherence. It was concluded that more than 90% of patients had high and medium adherence and that the anticoagulation time and drug cost were the factors related to the anticoagulation stability.

This methodological study aimed to evaluate the construct validity and reliability of the Brazilian-Portuguese version of Antonovsky's Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (ASCQ) among nursing professionals. The study included 211 professionals who worked in the surgical wards of eleven hospitals in a city in the interior of the State of Paraná-Brazil. The majority of participants were female (86.7%), with a mean length of service of 9.3 (SD=8.0) years. Construct validity was evaluated using Pearson correlation tests between the measures of sense of coherence and correlated constructs, obtaining strong negative correlations between sense of coherence and anxiety (r=-0.53) and sense of coherence and depression (r=-0.61). Internal reliability, assessed by Cronbach's alpha, obtained an acceptable value of 0.87. The Brazilian-Portuguese version of ASCQ maintained the psychometric properties of the original scale when used with nursing professionals.

The treatment of alcohol and drug users requires an extended reflection on the influence of the family and other social network groups of these individuals. Thus, this study, results of a qualitative study, aimed at investigating the presence of drug users in the social network of individuals undergoing treatment and the possible interventions of the mental health services in the social network of four users of alcohol in the municipality of Alegrete/RS. Interviews with users and families, genograms and eco-maps were used. The results indicated the presence of drug users in the family and in the other social network groups, and that the group for chemical dependants was the main intervention in these social networks. These results demonstrate the need for directing the actions of mental health to develop healthy bonds, to expand the social network and structure of the group in order to provide benefits which favor effective psychosocial rehabilitation.

This exploratory study with a qualitative approach aimed to identify nurses' insertion and practices at Psychosocial Care Centers for alcohol and drugs in São Paulo City, Brazil. Sixteen nurses participated in the study. Data were recorded and were analyzed by dialectic hermeneutics and guided by Brazilian psychiatric reform premises. The results evidenced nurses' difficulties to take part in the care recommended at these services, as their practices are more linked up with the traditional mental health care model. Causes of this phenomenon include nurses' lack of preparation to act in psychoactive substance-related issues and lack of knowledge on specific contents that would favor their insertion into care practice in these scenarios. It is concluded that more attention should be paid to these contents in nursing education, as the legal requirement of nursing presence at these services is insufficient as a strategy to guarantee their actual insertion.

This study analyzes the decentralization process of Leprosy control actions for Family Health Strategy units in the cities of the Almenara micro-region, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. This qualitative research, based on the concept "Technological Organization of Work", was carried out in nine municipalities. Semi-structured interviews and document research were used for data collection. Forty-five interviews with care providers and health managers were conducted. The data collection took place between November 2007 and February 2008. Content Analysis was utilized to study the data and results indicate that the cities present different levels of decentralization and that the process was determined based on local specifications and on the engagement of care providers and health managers. Several cities kept a reference team to provide support to primary health care. The conclusion is that the decentralization process is a strategy that proves to be useful in facing Leprosy in the micro-region.

The trajectory of this study was focused on understanding the experience of being a nursing teacher, woman and mother and reconciling work, motherhood and other daily activities. Participants were 11 women, mothers, teachers at higher education Institutions. Social Phenomenology was adopted for the analysis. The context of meanings was evidenced by categories: Difficulty in performing multiple activities; care of oneself and conciliation of social roles. Women give priority to being a mother, so that they have less time to take care of themselves. In spite of desiring to invest in teaching, they expect to have more time available to be in touch with their children and partner. This study showed that the professional and personal worlds need an interface, which allows for co-existence between the different roles women play in society.

This KAP (knowledge, attitude and practice) study, carried out from February to June 2008, aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding the Pap smear test among users of a primary health unit (PHU) and to verify any association with sociodemographic variables. The sample was comprised of 250 women. The knowledge, attitude and practice related to the examination were adequate in 40.4%, 28% and 67.6% of respondents, respectively. The results demonstrate higher proportions of adequate knowledge and attitude with schooling (>9 years) and age (>35 years). It is essential to seek specific answers regarding this issue in order to direct integrated actions of health education, thus ensuring greater access, adhesion and return of the women for the examination results.

This case study with a qualitative approach analyzes the professional trajectory of graduates from specialization programs in Family Health offered by the Family Health Center (FH-Center) in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil, between 2002 and 2004 identifies the contributions of this program to the performance of these professionals in the Family Health Strategy (FHS). The sample included 11 former students and data were collected through a questionnaire with semi-open questions from December 2007 to March 2008. The results revealed that six graduates no longer worked in the FHS and most of those still working in the FHS reported a low level of identification with the FHS. The program enabled changes in these professionals' daily practices, although some difficulties implementing the FHS principles into practice still remain. The conclusion is that the program positively impacted these professionals' trajectory, even though it represents a modality of training designed to complement knowledge and skills required by the FHS work.

This experimental and dose-response curve study aimed to carry out the quality control of the Chamomilla recutita sample, as well as to estimate the ideal dose, for anti-inflammatory effect, of the extract of its capitula, in patients with phlebitis due to peripheral intravenous infusion of antineoplastic chemotherapy and to evaluate the toxicity of this extract in human beings. The therapeutic efficacy, concerning the anti-inflammatory potential, of different doses of Chamomilla recutita extract were analyzed and compared in 25 patients. The time of regression of phlebitis was shorter for groups with 2.5% concentration (mean=29.2h, standard deviation = 8.98) and 5% concentration (mean = 38.8h, standard deviation = 17.47). Local toxicity was almost not observed. This research contributes to the innovation of the nursing clinical practice, since it suggests an alternative for the treatment of phlebitis through the clinical use of phytotherapeutic drugs.