July 2021

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Economic Factors and Quality Indicators in Intensive Care Unit: A Systematic Review

Geovane Rossone Reis and Ana Lúcia de Medeiros

ABSTRACT: Social inequality in Brazil promotes discrepancies in access to health services, especially in intensive care units, which require highly complex assistance in a set of therapies and procedures of high cost and specialization. Economic factors may influence the demand for beds in intensive care units, while the lack of resources in developing countries, such as Brazil, may demand greater operational efficiency, which includes health care quality indicators. In view of this, economic factors linked to quality indicators, such as infection rates, length of stay and mortality, are not usually used in public policy assessments. The objective of the article is to analyze the scientific production that deals with the relationship between people's economic and behavioral variables, the quality of care with the provision of intensive care beds. To this end, a systematic review was carried out in the main databases, and a bibliometric analysis on the topic. Research directly related to bed optimization and the quality of care in intensive care units, as well as economic planning or economic variables, is very scarce among the databases surveyed, especially in developing countries such as Brazil. Data related to indicators of quality of care or the provision of intensive care services in periods of economic recession help to understand regionally the aspects of demand and offer of intensive care services, as social inequality in Brazil promotes discrepancy in access to health services, especially in tertiary health care, which requires highly complex assistance in a set of highly specialized therapies and procedures. In view of the results, research that may result in strategic health planning, especially for developing countries like Brazil, where operational efficiency must be prioritized due to scarce resources, should be promoted in order to prioritize investments and health management based on economic factors.

[ FULL TEXT PDF 1-6 ] 10.22587/ajbas.2021.15.7.1

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Relationship between Project Related Factors, Ethical Practices and Building Performance: An Empirical Study of the Construction Industry in Lagos State of Nigeria

Abdul Jubreel Babatunde Odukoya, Mohd. Fo’ad Sakdan, Adi Anuar Azmin, Fazdliel Aswad Ibrahim

ABSTRACT: Corporate organizations and individuals have advocated several performance indicators for construction projects. This study uses the indicator of ethical practices and project related factors to investigate the factors that influence building performance in Nigeria. This study is aimed at investigating the association between project related factors, ethical practices, and building performance in the Lagos State of Nigeria. A sample of 250 questionnaires was distributed to professional builders in Lagos State, Nigeria, out of which 152 were found valid for statistical evaluation. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 26 was used for data analysis. The results revealed that project related factors and ethical standard practices positively influence building performance. However, the study found no relationship between ethical honesty and accountability and building performance. This study helps construction industry policy makers to develop factors that improve building performance. This study contributes to the construction industry by confirming the importance of project related factors and ethical standard practices in improving building performance.

[ FULL TEXT PDF 7-15 ] 10.22587/ajbas.2021.15.7.2

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Anthropogenic activities and contamination of Taabo Lake sediments by trace metals (cadmium, mercury, lead and chromium)

Sidibe Adama, Yapo Habib Kpidi, Dopé Armel Cyrille Yapi, Yapoga Jean Seka, Ossey Bernard Yapo

ABSTRACT: Pollution by trace metals (TME) is a current problem that concerns the scientific community concerned with maintaining the environment at a level of quality conducive to human health and well-being. The objective of this study is to evaluate the level of contamination of the sediments of Taabo Lake by cadmium, mercury, lead and chromium. To do this, 15 sediment samples were collected in three (3) sampling campaigns, from five (5) stations. Analyses by the Varian flame atomic absorption spectrometric (AAS) method for chromium, lead and cadmium and, the cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometric (CV-AAS) method for mercury focused on the fine fractions of the sediments (φ < 63 μm). Geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and Contamination factor (FC) were determined for establishing the level of contamination of sediments by metallic trace.The results show that the concentrations of cadmium (2.494 ppm), mercury (0.685 ppm) and lead (17.850 ppm) in the sediments of Taabo Lake are higher than in the earth's crust. Chromium, on the other hand, at 6.980 ppm, is lower than the earth's crust. The geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and the contamination factor (CF) revealed sediments highly contaminated by cadmium and mercury. Lead contamination of sediments is said to be moderate. However, low or no chromium contamination of sediments was found.

[ FULL TEXT PDF 16-24 ] 10.22587/ajbas.2021.15.7.3

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