A nutritional disease of childhood associated with a maize diet Essay

A nutritional disease of childhood associated with a maize diet - Essay Example actor related to a dietary deficiency, perhaps a form of protein malnutrition, on account of a lack of some amino acids in the diet of the affected children which was entirely based on inadequate breast milk supplemented by a maize preparation. Despite certain similarities in the symptoms of the described syndrome and pellagra, Williams was quite certain that the disease was not pellagra or beri-beri. In this paper a new disease has been meticulously described with detailed information provided about the familial circumstances and dietary habits of the suffering children. However, as the author herself states, it was â€Å"impossible to conduct a scientific investigation into the cause, or to make any controlled experiments into the nature of the cure† (p.432). As a Woman Medical Officer in charge of maternal and child health in the British colony of Gold Coast, Williams’ job was â€Å"to hand out advice in clinics and treat acutely ill infants in the hospital, but she rapidly established the need for comprehensive medical services to sick infants, and in addition conducted clinical research† (Stanton, 2001, p 149). The disease, subsequently named by Williams as kwashiorkor, meaning ‘disease of the deposed child’ in the native Ga language, is now well-defined although the â€Å"descriptions and interpretations of kwashiorkor have changed over ti me† (Stanton, 2001, p 151). Kwashiorkor has come to be recognised as a form of malnutrition caused by inadequate protein intake in the presence of fair to good energy (total calories) intake (Van Voorhees, 2006). Fuchs (2005) describes protein caloric malnutrition as the most deadly form of malnutrition. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it is the primary or associated cause of nearly 30000 deaths of children under five each day (2000). The aetiology of kwashiorkor as understood today is clearly multifactorial and includes poverty or food insecurity, inadequate weaning and other feeding practices, and

Uustal 1993 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Uustal 1993 - Essay Example Decision models coupled with the right moral thinking offer a useful tool for guidance for the process of value clarification. In addition, the Uustal model prevents the nurses from solely relying on their emotions and intuition for the making of any critical decision. The model outlines formal steps for the nurses to follow when they encounter an ethical dilemma (Uustal 1993). For the purpose of this paper, the Uustal model details the dilemma that I once faced concerning my civil repression after pushing a colleague off the staircases. It focuses on whether the actions may have been rational and reasonable at that particular time. The welfare of others forms a critical part of my daily activities as a nurse. In this instance, my civil detention for the purpose mental health treatment and evaluation seemed like the sole right course. On the contrary, the system does not look for the danger posed by the nurses to the people around them. By healthcare laws, it is everyone’s right to work in any of the health institutions.  I was provoked by my fellow nurse, Johnston Lambert, who I even unsuccessfully tried to warn, but he incessantly kept whispering abuses and offensive word to me. Unfortunately, I lost my temper and turned violent on his cunning nature. He kept taunting the other nurses who before my arrival had grown very scared of his antics. Utilitarianism theory state that the outcome determines whether an action is right or wrong. In accordance with this, I was boldly trying to defend my dignity and sense of self-worth. Apparently, Johnston Lambert faces a series of federal cases filed by the nurses that he had bullied and harassed. Retrospectively, the concerns raised by the senior staff indicate that there would have been another better way that the whole issues would have been. The board issued me a verbal reprimand for my actions. Consequently, I received a transfer from the nursing home to my current workplace. It