Nevin Manimala

Libyan J Med. 2023 Dec;18(1):2188649. doi: 10.1080/19932820.2023.2188649.

ABSTRACT

The Corpus callosum (CC) is the largest commissural fibre tract, ensuring swift information transfer and integration in both cerebral hemispheres. Variations in morphometry exist. There is a paucity of data on CC dimensions in our subregion, and no standardized reference is available. The study aims to determine the CC dimensions among the adult population in southeast Nigeria. The result will provide reference ranges and form a benchmark for comparisons of CC-related pathologies. A retrospective study of CC morphometric dimensions in normal subjects who had cranial MRI over two years in Memfys Hospital, Enugu, Southeast Nigeria, using a 1.5T GE© 16 channel machine. The CC was segmentalized into seven subregions using the modified Witelson method with special computer software. All measurements were taken twice from the T1 mid-sagittal image, and the mean was used for computation. The results were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. A total of 200 subjects were recruited for the study. The mean length and height of the CC were 75.58 ± 4.52 mm and 24.64 ± 3.40 mm, respectively. The width dimensions of the genu, body, rostrum and splenium were 10.88 ± 1.81 mm, 5.66 ± 1.32 mm, 3.65 ± 1.25 mm, and 10.02 ± 1.70 mm, respectively. No gender variations were noted among the different dimensions of CC (P = 0.90). The length and height of CC increase gradually with age and show a positive correlation. The width dimensions of the genu and splenium increase till middle age and subsequently decreases in line with brain atrophy (p = 0.0000& p = 0.004). Using Pearson’s correlation test, no correlation was noted in the dimensions of the body and rostrum of the corpus callosum when related to age and sex. (P = 0.92 & p = 0.66). Reference ranges of CC dimensions in our subregion were presented, and variations exist in its different morphometric dimensions which are affected by brain atrophy. Gender does not influence the dimensions in our subpopulations.

PMID:36946121 | DOI:10.1080/19932820.2023.2188649

JMIR Med Educ. 2023 Mar 21. doi: 10.2196/46428. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The use of artificial intelligence in medicine is expected to increase significantly in the upcoming years. Advancements in AI technology have the potential to revolutionize healthcare, from aiding in the diagnosis of certain diseases to helping with treatment decisions. Current literature suggests the integration of the subject of AI in medicine as part of the medical curriculum to prepare medical students for the opportunities and challenges related to the use of the technology within the clinical context.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the relevant knowledge and understanding of the subject of AI in medicine, and to specify curricula teaching content within medical education.

METHODS: For this research, we conducted 12 guideline-based expert interviews. Experts were defined as individuals who have been engaged in full-time academic research, development, and/or teaching in the field of artificial intelligence in medicine for at least five years. As part of the data analysis, we recorded, transcribed, and analyzed the interviews using qualitative content analysis. We used the software QCAmap and inductive category formation to analyze the data.

RESULTS: The qualitative content analysis led to the formation of three main categories (“Knowledge,” “Interpretation,” and “Application”) with a total of nine associated subcategories. The experts interviewed cited knowledge and an understanding of the fundamentals of AI, statistics, ethics, and privacy and regulation as necessary basic knowledge that should be part of medical education. The analysis also showed that medical students need to be able to interpret as well as critically reflect on the results provided by AI, taking into account the associated risks and data basis. To enable the application of AI in medicine, medical education should promote the acquisition of practical skills, including the need for basic technological skills, as well as the development of confidence in the technology and one’s related competencies.

CONCLUSIONS: The analyzed expert interviews’ results suggest that medical curricula should include the topic of AI in medicine to develop the knowledge, understanding, and confidence needed to use AI in the clinical context. The results further imply an imminent need for standardization of the definition of AI as the foundation to identify, define, and teach respective content on AI within medical curricula.

PMID:36946094 | DOI:10.2196/46428

Acta Odontol Scand. 2023 Mar 22:1-6. doi: 10.1080/00016357.2023.2192790. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how patients experienced a new dental service voucher, what influenced the patient experience, and the use of such vouchers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: An SMS-linked patient survey was sent to all patients (n = 1,000) that had received the voucher. The survey consisted of 23 questions (20 multiple choice, 3 open-ended), included themes like access to treatment, use of the voucher, and patient experience. Statistical analyses included Chi-square, Fisher’s exact, Mann-Whitney U tests, and Spearman’s rank correlation.

RESULTS: The response rate was 25.7%. Patient experience was on average very good. Of the respondents, 148 (57.6%) reported that the voucher was very simple to use, 160 (62.3%) considered that they were helped very well, and 149 (58%) would have very willingly used a voucher again. Those who used the voucher reported an overall better patient experience, as did those with good oral health. Of those reporting unused service vouchers, 14 (67%) preferred to use the public oral health care services instead.

CONCLUSIONS: Notwithstanding a relatively low response rate, the results can be utilized to identify patients who need more support in using the voucher, and therefore to target information and guidance more effectively.

PMID:36946087 | DOI:10.1080/00016357.2023.2192790

Hum Brain Mapp. 2023 Mar 22. doi: 10.1002/hbm.26238. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The rapid white matter (WM) maturation of first years of life is followed by slower yet long-lasting development, accompanied by learning of more elaborate skills. By the age of 5 years, behavioural and cognitive differences between females and males, and functions associated with brain lateralization such as language skills are appearing. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can be used to quantify fractional anisotropy (FA) within the WM and increasing values correspond to advancing brain development. To investigate the normal features of WM development during early childhood, we gathered a DTI data set of 166 healthy infants (mean 3.8 wk, range 2-5 wk; 89 males; born on gestational week 36 or later) and 144 healthy children (mean 5.4 years, range 5.1-5.8 years; 76 males). The sex differences, lateralization patterns and age-dependent changes were examined using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). In 5-year-olds, females showed higher FA in wide-spread regions in the posterior and the temporal WM and more so in the right hemisphere, while sex differences were not detected in infants. Gestational age showed stronger association with FA values compared to age after birth in infants. Additionally, child age at scan associated positively with FA around the age of 5 years in the body of corpus callosum, the connections of which are important especially for sensory and motor functions. Lastly, asymmetry of WM microstructure was detected already in infants, yet significant changes in lateralization pattern seem to occur during early childhood, and in 5-year-olds the pattern already resembles adult-like WM asymmetry.

PMID:36946076 | DOI:10.1002/hbm.26238

Hum Fertil (Camb). 2023 Mar 22:1-8. doi: 10.1080/14647273.2023.2175267. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The aims of the research were (i) to compare the clinical outcome of IVF using follicular-phase depot gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist (depot agonist) protocol and GnRH antagonist protocol in patients with repeated IVF failure (RIF), (ii) to discover the optimal ovarian stimulation protocol for this group of low prognosis patients. 801 RIF patients with normal ovarian reserve receiving in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) were included in this retrospective study. Among them, 492 patients were treated with the depot agonist protocol, and the remaining 309 patients with the antagonist protocol. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to find the predictor(s) of the chance of live birth. Higher live birth rate (LBR) and clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) in fresh embryo transfer (ET) cycles were associated with the use of depot agonist compared with the antagonist protocols (44.81% vs. 27.27%, 54.64% vs. 34.93%, respectively; both p < 0.01) and depot agonist protocol was a strong predictor of live birth (OR = 2.182, 95% CI 1.355-3.514, p < 0.01). The CPR in thawed ET cycles was not significantly different between the two groups (38.12% vs. 45.26%, p > 0.05). A higher cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) was achieved in the depot agonist group (46.59% vs. 35.21%, p < 0.01). Beneficial endometrial receptivity in the depot agonist protocol contributed to a higher LBR in fresh ET cycles, rendering this protocol the preferred option in the treatment of RIF patients.

PMID:36946058 | DOI:10.1080/14647273.2023.2175267

Zhongguo Gu Shang. 2023 Mar 25;36(3):289-94. doi: 10.12200/j.issn.1003-0034.2023.03.019.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical effect of decompression and bone grafting on osteonecrosis of the femoral head(ONFH) at different sites of necrotic lesions.

METHODS: A total of 105 patients with ARCOⅡstage ONFH admitted from January 2017 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 71 males and 34 females, with an average age of (55.20±10.98) years old. The mean course of all patients was(15.91±9.85) months. According to Japanese Inveatigation Committee (JIC) classification, all patients were divided into 4 types:17 cases of type A, 26 cases of type B, 33 cases of type C1 and 29 cases of type C2. All four groups were treated with decompression of the pulp core and bone grafting. Visual analogue scale(VAS) and Harris hip joint score were used before and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after the operation, and the collapse of the femoral head was observed by X-ray examination within 2 years.

RESULTS: All 105 patients were successful on operation without complications, and the mean follow-up duration was (24.45±2.75) months. Harris score showed that there was no statistical difference among four groups before surgery and 3, 6 months after surgery (P>0.05);at 12 and 24 months after surgery, there were significant differences among all groups (P<0.01). There were significant differences in intragroup Harris scores at preoperative and postoperative time points among four groups (P<0.01). VAS showed that there was no statistical difference among four groups before and 3, 6 months after surgery (P>0.05);at 12 and 24 months after surgery, there were significant differences among all groups (P<0.01). There were significant differences in VAS at preoperative and postoperative time points among four groups (P<0.01). None of the patients in four groups had femoral head collapse before and 3, 6 months after surgery. At 12 months after operation, there were 3 cases of femoral head collapse in group C and 4 cases in group C2(P>0.05);At 24 months after operation, 1 case of femoral head collapse occurred in group B, 6 cases in group C1 and 8 cases in group C2(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: Core decompression and bone grafting can improve the effect of ONFH and hip preservation. The effect of hip preservation for ONFH is closely related to the location of the osteonecrosis lesion, so the influence of the location of lesion on the effect of hip preservation should be considered in clinical treatment, so as to make better preoperative hip preservation plan.

PMID:36946026 | DOI:10.12200/j.issn.1003-0034.2023.03.019

Zhongguo Gu Shang. 2023 Mar 25;36(3):236-41. doi: 10.12200/j.issn.1003-0034.2023.03.008.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To observe the intervention effect of damage control orthopaedic(DCO) strategy on fat embolism syndrome(FES) associated with long shaft fracture of lower limbs.

METHODS: Retrospective analysis was made on the clinical data of 163 patients with FES associated with lower limb long shaft fractures admitted from January 2015 to May 2021. They were divided into two groups based on the time point of implementing DCO strategy in January 2018. Total of 92 patients were admitted from January 2015 to December 2017 as the control group, and other 71 patients were admitted from January 2018 to May 2021 as the intervention group. The hospital mortality, arterial oxygen saturation (SaO₂), arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO₂) and oxygenation index (OI), hemoglobin (Hb), platelet count(PLT), Harris score of hip joint, HSS score of knee joint, AOFAS score of ankle joint, clinical efficacy and complications were observed and compared between two groups.

RESULTS: Total of 163 patients were followed up for 12 to 18 months with an average of (16.91±1.22) months. The in-hospital mortality rate in the intervention group was 2.82% (2/71), and that in the control group was 16.30% (15/92), the difference between two groups was statistically significant(χ²=6.455, P<0.05). After the intervention, SaO₂, PaO₂ and OI in two groups were higher than those before the intervention(P<0.05), and after the intervention, SaO₂, PaO₂ and OI in two groups were statistically significant(P<0.05). Hb and PLT in two groups after intervention were higher than those before intervention (P<0.001), and there was statistically significant difference in Hb and PLT between two groups after intervention (P<0.05). The Harris score of hip joint, HSS score of knee joint and AOFAS score of ankle joint in both groups after 3 months of treatment were better than those before treatment (P<0.05). The total clinical effective rate of the intervention group was higher than that of the control group(χ²=4.194, P<0.05). The total incidence of complications in the intervention group was lower than that in the control group(χ²=4.747, P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: DCO strategy is helpful to reduce the in-hospital mortality of patients with FES associated with long shaft fracture of lower extremities, eliminate FES symptoms and stabilize vital signs, gain time advantage for phase Ⅱ definitive surgery, and has significant clinical intervention effect, which is worth popularizing.

PMID:36946015 | DOI:10.12200/j.issn.1003-0034.2023.03.008

Zhongguo Gu Shang. 2023 Mar 25;36(3):232-5. doi: 10.12200/j.issn.1003-0034.2023.03.007.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To analyze and compare the clinical efficacy of internal fixation and total hip replacement in the treatment of displaced femoral neck fracture from 55 to 65 years.

METHODS: From September 2016 to August 2020, 86 patients with Garden type Ⅲ or Ⅳ femoral neck fracture were divided into two groups according to different surgical methods. Among them, 38 patients were treated with lag screws for internal fixation, there were 26 males and 12 females, aged 55 to 64 years old with an average of(60.2±3.1) years;the other 48 patients were treated with total hip replacement, including 28 males and 20 females, aged from 57 to 65 years old with an average of(61.3±3.8) years. The time from injury to operation ranged from 1 to 3 days. The reoperation rate, incidence of deep infection, Harris score of hip joint function, visual analogue scale(VAS) of pain and patients reported outcome scores(European five-dimensional Health Questionnaire, EQ-5D) were compared between two groups.

RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 24 to 54 months with an average of (35.8±10.3) months. There was significant difference in reoperation rate between two groups (P<0.05). There was no significant difference on the incidence of deep infection, hip Harris score and VAS between two groups(P>0.05) . The postoperative EQ-5D score of patients with internal fixation was lower than that of total hip replacement, and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: Both the surgery of internal fixation and total hip replacement have similar effect in short-and medium term among the patients aged 55 to 65 years old. However, for the reoperation rate, the group of internal fixation was higher than that of total hip replacement. For the subjective functional score of patients, the group of internal fixation was lower than that of total hip replacement.

PMID:36946014 | DOI:10.12200/j.issn.1003-0034.2023.03.007

Zhongguo Gu Shang. 2023 Mar 25;36(3):226-31. doi: 10.12200/j.issn.1003-0034.2023.03.006.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of percutaneous compression plate and cannulated compression screw in the treatment of displaced femoral neck fractures in young and middle-aged patients.

METHODS: From January 2015 to July 2020, 68 young and middle-aged patients with displaced femoral neck fracture were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 31 cases were fixed by percutaneous compression plate (PCCP), and 37 cases were fixed by cannulated compression screw (CCS). General data such as gender, age, cause of injury, comorbidities, fracture classification and cause of injury of two groups were collected. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, full weight bearing time, fracture healing time, visual analogue scale(VAS), Harris hip score and complications were compared between two groups.

RESULTS: Patients in both groups were followed up for more than 2 years. There were no significant differences in operation time, intraoperative blood loss, fracture reduction quality, hospital stay and VAS between two groups. The fracture healing time in PCCP group was significantly shorter than that in CCS group (t=-4.404, P=0.000). The complete weight bearing time of PCCP group was significantly shorter than that of CCS group (t=-9.011, P=0.000). Harris score of hip joint in PCCP group was better than that in CCS group 2 years after operation (P=0.002). Complications occurred in 3 cases (9.68%) in PCCP group, while 11 cases (29.72%) in CCS group, with a statistically significant difference (P=0.042).

CONCLUSION: Both PCCP and CCS can be used for the treatment of displaced femoral neck fractures in young and middle-aged people. Compared with CCS, PCCP fixation can achieve shorter fracture healing time and create conditions for early full weight bearing. PCCP results in higher hip score and lower complications.

PMID:36946013 | DOI:10.12200/j.issn.1003-0034.2023.03.006

J Hum Nutr Diet. 2023 Mar 22. doi: 10.1111/jhn.13170. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Treatment of medically compromised patients with eating disorders is difficult in general hospital wards. There is currently no consensus on the best feeding method, however previous research has demonstrated the safety of using enteral feeding. As an oral diet has benefits on psychological and behavioural pathways, concurrent feeding requires further investigation. This research aimed to examine acceptability and safety of implementing mini meals to a previously nil-by-mouth seven-day enteral feeding protocol. This was mixed methods research including a retrospective observational study and participant survey. Patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in Brisbane, Australia between July 2020 and March 2021 were eligible. Eligible participants were provided mini meals from day five. Type and quantity of meals consumed alongside clinical incident data were collected. The survey examined acceptability of mini meals. Descriptive statistics were used to interpret findings. Content analyses were conducted on survey responses. Sixty-four participants (95% (n=57/60) female, 25.2±8.9 years, 75% (n=45/60) diagnosed with anorexia nervosa) were included. At least half of the participants consumed some or all of the mini meals at each meal period. No clinical incidents were reported. Twenty-six (50%, n=26/52) surveys were returned. Half (54%, n=14/26) agreed-strongly agreed that mini meals improved their experience. Eleven participants desired more choice in menu items. This study found that introducing mini meals into an enteral feeding protocol is acceptable and safe for patients with eating disorders. Participants reported benefits in returning to eating, however some items on the menu require reconsideration to enable increased consumption. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PMID:36945998 | DOI:10.1111/jhn.13170