BACKGROUND In September 2009, a folic acid fortification mandate (135 μg/100 g bread) was to be implemented in New Zealand. However, due to political and manufacturer objection, fortification was deferred until May 2012. Based on estimates of bread consumption derived from a 1997 nationally representative survey, this program was intended to deliver a mean additional intake of 140 μg folic acid...

BACKGROUND Ideally, care prior to the initiation of dialysis should increase the likelihood that patients start electively outside of the hospital setting with a mature arteriovenous fistula (AVF) or peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter. However, unplanned dialysis continues to occur in patients both known and unknown to nephrology services, and in both late and early referrals. The objective of t...

Background Identifying risk factors for unplanned extubation in patients receiving mechanical ventilation can help guide prevention strategies. Objective To assess the risk of unplanned extubation with different sedation strategies. Methods A 36-month quality improvement study in a 33-bed intensive care unit at a tertiary-care center. Results A total of 92 unplanned extubations occurred (7.5 ev...

BACKGROUND In common with other countries, teenage pregnancy is attracting policy attention in Sri Lanka because of the risks it poses to maternal and infant health and social and economic well-being. This study aimed to increase understanding of the context of teenage pregnancy, by (1) describing the socio-economic and demographic characteristics of pregnant teenagers and their partners; (2) e...

CONTEXT High unintended pregnancy rates, and inconsistencies between reported pregnancy intentions and contraceptive behaviors, have been well documented among young U.S. women. Women's beliefs about the benefits of childbearing and motherhood may be related to the apparent disconnect between pregnancy intentions and reproductive outcomes. METHODS Perceived benefits of childbearing and feelin...

Unplanned excision of extremity soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is common and has detrimental effects not only on patients' oncologic outcomes but also on functional and economic issues. However, no study has analyzed a nationwide population-based database. To estimate the incidence and treatment pattern of unplanned excision in extremity STS in the Korean population, a nationwide epidemiologic study...

Late referral of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and unforeseeable deterioration of residual renal function in known CKD patients remain a major problem leading to the need of unplanned start on chronic dialysis without a mature access for dialysis. In most centres worldwide, these patients are started on haemodialysis (HD) using a temporary tunnelled central venous catheter (CVC) fo...

I examine if and how rural Malawians alter their childbearing as a consequence of concern regarding the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The paper is motivated by the debate which opposes two ideas regarding the childbearing effect of high HIV infection rates and heightened AIDS mortality: one, the acceleration of childbearing as individuals find themselves under time pressure to meet their reproductive goal...

Introduction: Unplanned pregnancy has been associated with postpartum depression but there is little information about other psycho-emotional disorders. Objective: We aimed to determine the presence of psycho-emotional disorders in women with unplanned pregnancy. Methods: Six-hundred and four women were recruited and divided into two groups: One consisting of 302 women with unplanned pregnancie...