[Factors affecting the choice of peritoneal dialysis: Perspective of patients and nephrologists].

Purpose: To identify factors related to the choice of peritoneal dialysis as a first dialysis technique: the viewpoint of patients and viewpoint of nephrologists.

Methods: A retrospective multicenter study, type case-control was conducted in patients starting dialysis between 2010 and 2014 in 4 dialysis facilities in the PACA region. Nephrologists take care of patients included in the study were also interviewed.

Assessment and risk classification protocol for patients in emergency units.

Objective: to develop, validate the contents and verify the reliability of a risk classification protocol for an Emergency Unit.

Method: the content validation was developed in a University Hospital in a country town located in the state of Sao Paulo and was carried out in two stages: the first with the individual assessment of specialists and the second with the meeting between the researchers and the specialists. The use of the protocol followed a specific guide.

[Torsades de pointes caused by cetirizine overdose].

Several therapeutic substances can cause torsades de pointes, especially if they prolong the QT interval and/or if there is an associated hypokalaemia. Certain second generation H1 antihistamines have been incriminated in the occurrence of such ventricular arrhythmias, such as terfenadine and astezimole, which have been withdrawn. Cetirizine, widely used in the treatment of allergic reactions, is a second generation H1 antihistamine with as yet no precautions of use regarding rhythm disturbances.

[Permanent education in an outsourced cleaning service at a university hospital].

Permanent education has been a source of constant reflections due to a rapid technological evolution, which brings about changes in work organization, and requires updated knowledge from workers. In the context of this new technological paradigm in production relations and work organization, we analyzed the permanent education activities involving outsourced workers in the cleaning sector of a university hospital and evaluated their knowledge about work environment contamination risks and the importance of their work for health maintenance. Six semi-structured interviews were carried out with the outsourced workers in the cleaning sector and two with the persons in charge of permanent education for these workers, besides four activity observation periods and the field diary.

Hyperkalemia risks in hemodialysed patients consuming fluoride-rich water.

In order to observe the consequences of chronic ingestion of high fluoride-rich water on plasma potassium levels of hemodialysed subjects, we have conducted a retrospective study on 25 patients with chronic renal failure, treated with a substitute method, six of whom (consumers group, group C) were drinkers of a bicarbonate (about 4500 mg/l) and fluoride-rich (9 mg/l) mineral water, the Vichy Saint-Yorre water. With respect to sodium polystyrene sulfonate consumption (n = 17), there was no significant difference between group C and NC (non-consumers group). A significant correlation between plasma fluoride and potassium levels was observed only before dialysis (P < 1 x 10(-7)) but not after dialysis.