Minimal standard terminology for gastrointestinal endoscopy - MST 3.0.

Standardization of the language of gastrointestinal endoscopy is becoming increasingly important on account of international collaboration, standardized documentation requirements, and computer-based reporting. Version 1 of the Minimal Standard Terminology (MST) was devised to facilitate this development, and, through broad international collaboration, the document was developed and tested further to produce version 2.0, published in 2000.

Esophageal stents for iatrogenic esophageal perforations during cardiac surgery.

The usefulness and safety of transesophageal echocardiography during cardiac surgery have been well described in the literature. However, rare complications of this procedure can occur and should be familiar to surgeons and anesthesiologists. A series of two cases of esophageal perforation by echoprobe during cardiac surgery treated successfully by endoscopic stenting are reported.

Being the caregiver of a person with a mental health problem.

Providing care to a friend or relative suffering from a mental health problem can affect the physical and mental health of the caregiver. In the Montreal Mental Health Survey, 405 caregivers of people suffering from such problems took part in a mail survey about their experiences. The goal of this article is to describe these caregiving experiences and to identify their predictors.

Validation study of a nonspecific psychological distress scale.

Background: Psychological distress scales are often used in national epidemiological surveys to monitor the mental health status and predict demands in mental health services. These scales have the advantage of being easy to administer and inexpensive to use. The goal of this study is to assess the clinical validity of the Psychological Distress Manifestations Measure Scale (PDMMS) by comparing it to a standard criterion.

[Anxiety disorders: an issue for public health?].

The enhancement of mental health is becoming an increasingly important public health issue. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental problems. In light of the scope of the problem, public health has the mandate to continuously monitor the evolution of these disorders and to ensure that the health care system serves the population appropriately, in terms of service availability, accessibility, continuity and effectiveness.