Tag: pubmed

BMJ Open Qual. 2024 May 23;13(2):e002734. doi: 10.1136/bmjoq-2023-002734.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The Serious Illness Care Programme was developed to promote more, better and earlier serious illness conversations. Conversations about goals and values are associated with improved experiences and outcomes for seriously ill patients. Clinicians’ attitudes and beliefs are thought to influence the uptake and performance of serious illness conversations, yet little is known about how clinicians perceive the impact of these conversations on patients. This study aimed to explore physicians’ perceptions regarding the impact of serious illness conversations for patients.

METHODS: The Serious Illness Care Programme was implemented as a quality improvement project in two hospitals in Southern Sweden. Focus group evaluation discussions were conducted with 14 physicians and inductive thematic analysis was undertaken.

RESULTS: The results revealed that physicians considered potential perils and optimised potential payoffs for patients when engaging in serious illness conversations. Potential perils encompassed inappropriate timing, damaging emotions and shattering hopes. Potential payoffs included reflection time, secure space, and united understandings.

CONCLUSIONS: Physicians depicted a balance in evaluating the perils and payoffs of serious illness conversations for patients and recognised the interrelation of these possibilities through continual assessment and adjustment.

PMID:38782485 | DOI:10.1136/bmjoq-2023-002734

BMJ Paediatr Open. 2024 May 23;8(1):e002572. doi: 10.1136/bmjpo-2024-002572.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to characterise paediatric emergency department presentations during the 2023 thunderstorm asthma (TA) epidemic, characterised by a sudden surge in wheeze presentations, with analysis of environmental factors.Wheeze presentations totalled 50 (28%) on 12 June and 18 (19%) 13 June. There was no prior asthma in 39 (57%) and no atopic disorders in 30 (44%). There was neither asthma nor atopic disorders in 8 (12%). 44 (65%) were severe or life-threatening. There were no endotracheal intubations and no deaths. High pollen and air pollution warnings were issued.TA poses a significant, sudden health threat, often in children without asthma. A surge strategy is required.

PMID:38782482 | DOI:10.1136/bmjpo-2024-002572

Acta Ortop Mex. 2024 Mar-Apr;38(2):105-108.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: anterior cruciate ligament injuries (ACL) continue increasing in frecuency in the general population and sportmen who practice soccer and american football where we can locate 53% of the total of cases, the annual incidence is 70 per 100,000 persons. The incidence of this injuries has being increasing in women probably of the increase of the participation in such sports.

OBJECTIVE: to document the causes of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) plasty failure, as well as the diagnosis, surgical technique, and postoperative care of a revision ACL plasty surgery.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: a search for relevant information, original research articles, clinical trials, and reviews in indexed journals was performed.

RESULTS: anterior cruciate ligament injuries continue to increase among the general population and athletes who play soccer and American soccer mainly, in this population group we found 53% of the total cases. The gold standard for treatment is arthroscopic reconstruction of the ligament. ACL reconstruction surgery has good results, with an estimated 75-90% success rate. Long-term failures of anterior cruciate ligament repair represent 5-25%. Among the factors associated with this failure are technical errors, traumatic antecedents, biological factors, among others.

CONCLUSIONS: in ACL revision surgery good results can be achieved with respect to graft stability, return to play and functional stability of the knee, but the results are generally inferior to those of primary ACL reconstruction.

PMID:38782476

Acta Ortop Mex. 2024 Mar-Apr;38(2):101-104.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: it is estimated that 302 million people worldwide are affected by osteoarthritis, corresponding to 60% osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, which responsible 80% of disability in older adults, hence the importance of the association of the sign with the early inflammatory process in OA.

OBJECTIVE: to determine the association of digital pressure sign in patients with and without osteoarthritis of the knee.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: this was an observational, comparative cross-sectional study, carried out in patients with and without a diagnosis of knee OA, to whom the digital pressure sign was determined. The sample was calculated with the formula for two proportions, obtaining a total of 40 participants per group, obtained by non-probabilistic sampling for convenience. The statistical analysis included frequencies, percentages, 2 and OR. The bioethics regulations in force were respected.

RESULTS: the study included 80 participants, with a median age of 48.9 years (RQI 46-53.7), 73.1% were predominantly female sex (38), and a statistically significant association was found between patients with OA and the presence of digital pressure sign, 2 4.62 and p value = 0.41, OR of 2.65.

CONCLUSIONS: the presence of digital pressure sign increases the probability of having OA 2.65 times more.

PMID:38782475

Acta Ortop Mex. 2024 Mar-Apr;38(2):88-94.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: the use of blood transfusions leads to increased hospital costs and an increased risk of medical complications and death. Therefore, it is necessary to study the incidence of major bleeding events and the factors associated with these outcomes in patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty (THA).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: observational, longitudinal and prospective study, carried out at the High Specialty Medical Unit of Traumatology and Orthopedics of Lomas Verdes of the Mexican Institute of Social Security, in the Joint Replacement Service, in the period from March 1, 2020 to July 1, 2020.

RESULTS: the incidence of major bleeding in patients undergoing primary THA was 84.8%, when considering two criteria: a decrease in hemoglobin 2 g/dl and the need for transfusion 2 units of red blood cells. This figure increased to 87.1% when also including trans-surgical bleeding at its 75th percentile, equivalent to 500 ml. Transfusion of at least one unit of red blood cells during surgery was performed in 68% of patients. Trans-surgical bleeding reached a maximum of 1,900 ml, with a 75th percentile of 500 ml. Unlike other studies, in our institution, female gender did not prove to be a significant risk factor for major bleeding.

CONCLUSION: it is advisable to analyze the procedures and particularities of THA surgery that may be associated with a lower risk of bleeding in older patients.

PMID:38782473

Acta Ortop Mex. 2024 Mar-Apr;38(2):82-87.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: ligamentous injuries of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis resulting in its opening are common occurrences in traumatology; however, their diagnosis poses a challenge for orthopedic surgeons. The tibioastragaloid mortise radiograph view is the most commonly used method for diagnosing this type of injury, but its reliability is compromised due to variations in ankle positioning during the study, which often depend on the operator.

OBJECTIVE: to demonstrate that the designed device achieves a correct and consistent radiographic image of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis in the mortise view.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: we present a prospective, longitudinal, observational study. We designed a polypropylene device that maintains the ankle at 90 degrees of dorsiflexion and 15 degrees of internal rotation. The device was used to take mortise view radiographs of healthy ankles, and corresponding measurements were taken to assess the syndesmosis.

RESULTS: we evaluated a total of 46 radiographs of healthy ankles, with a predominance of left ankles. The obtained measurements were as follows: anterior tibiofibular distance (ATFD) ranged from 3 to 6 mm, posterior tibiofibular distance (PTFD) ranged from 1 to 3 mm, tibiofibular clear space (TFCS) ranged from 2 to 3 mm, and a Merle D’Aubigne ratio of 2:1 was observed in all ankles. When comparing the measurements obtained with those established by Harper and Keller, no statistically significant difference was found (2 < 5).

CONCLUSION: with the use of the designed device, we achieved a correct and consistent radiographic image of the mortise and the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis.

PMID:38782472

Am Surg. 2024 May 23:31348241256083. doi: 10.1177/00031348241256083. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Background: Malignant bowel obstruction (MBO) due to peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) is associated with poor outcomes. Optimal management for palliation remains unclear. This study aims to characterize nonoperative, procedural, and operative management strategies for MBO and evaluate its association with mortality and cost.Materials and Methods: ICD-10 coding identified patient admissions from the 2018 to 2019 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) for MBO with PC from gastrointestinal or ovarian primary cancers. Management was categorized as nonoperative, procedural, or surgical. Multivariate analysis was used to associate treatment with mortality and cost.Results: 356,316 patient admissions were identified, with a mean age of 63 years. Gender, race, and insurance status were similar among groups. Length of stay (LOS) was longest in the surgical group (surgical: 17 days; procedural: 14 days; nonoperative: 7 days; P = .001). In comparison to nonoperative, procedural and surgical patients had statistically higher hospital charges, post-discharge medical needs, palliative care consults, and admission to rehab centers. Mortality was 7% in nonoperative, 9% in procedural, and 8% in surgical (P = .007) groups. In adjusted analyses, older age, palliative care consult, and non-Medicare payer status were associated with higher mortality. Compared to nonoperative, procedural and surgical groups resulted in increased costs (procedural: $17K more; surgical: $30K more).Conclusions: Admissions for procedural and surgical treatment of MBO are associated with increased LOS, hospital costs, and discharge needs. Optimal management remains challenging. Clinicians must examine all options prior to recommending palliative interventions given a trend towards higher resource utilization and mortality.

PMID:38782409 | DOI:10.1177/00031348241256083

J Mot Behav. 2024 May 23:1-10. doi: 10.1080/00222895.2024.2355932. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The association between low back pain and lumbar spine local dynamic stability (LDS) appears to be modulated by if and how someone catastrophizes about pain, suggesting that the cognitive perceptions of pain may influence an individual’s ability to control lumbar spine motion. Previous work also demonstrates that directing cognitive resources and attentional focus can influence movement performance. Therefore, we aimed to examine whether distracting attentional focus would influence lumbar spine LDS during repetitive flexion-extension movements. Sixteen participants performed repetitive spine flexion-extension movements under two baseline conditions (pre- and post-), and while attentional focus was distracted by either an external sensory stimulus or a cognitive-motor dual-task, both targeted at the hands. Lumbar spine LDS was examined over 30 continuous movement repetitions using maximum Lyapunov exponents. In comparison to both Baseline and Post-Baseline trials, the perceived mental workload was significantly elevated during the cognitive-motor dual-task trial but not the external sensory stimulus trial. The only statistically significant effect on LDS occurred in the Post-Baseline trial, where LDS was higher than in the cognitive-motor dual-task. In combination with previous work, these findings suggest that distracting attentional focus during repetitive lumbar spine flexion-extension movements does not have a negative influence on lumbar spine LDS.

PMID:38782408 | DOI:10.1080/00222895.2024.2355932

Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2024 Dec 31;20(1):2350817. doi: 10.1080/21645515.2024.2350817. Epub 2024 May 23.

ABSTRACT

COVID-19 vaccine uptake varied across countries, in part due to vaccine hesitancy fueled by a lack of trustworthy information. To help health workers provide evidence-based answers to common questions about COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination, and thereby, assist individuals´ decisions on vaccine acceptance, COVID-19 InfoVaccines, a joint WHO-EU project, was launched in February 2021 to support COVID-19 vaccine rollout in 6 Eastern European countries. COVID-19 InfoVaccines was made available in seven languages and shared on social media networks. A total of 262,592 users accessed COVID-19 InfoVaccines.com between February 11, 2021, and January 31^st, 2023. The users were most interested in: general questions; vaccine efficacy and duration of protection; vaccine safety; vaccine co-administration, and dose-interval and interchangeability; though the interest in a specific theme varied in function of the epidemiological situation. A total of 118,510 (45.1%) and 46,644 (17.7%) users scrolled up to 35% and 75% of the COVID-19 InfoVaccines webpage, respectively. The average engagement rate was 71.61%. The users accessed COVID-19 InfoVaccines from 231 countries and territories, but the majority were in Ukraine (N = 38,404; 14.6%), Spain (N = 23,327; 8.9%), and Argentina (N = 21,167; 8.1%). Older Facebook users were more interested in COVID-19 information than younger individuals (X² p-value < .0001). Two hundred twenty-eight videos were shared on YouTube. The average Click-Through-Rate on Facebook was 7.82%, and that on YouTube was 4.4%, with 60 videos having a Click-Through-Rate >5%, falling in the range of average YouTube video Click-Through-Rate (2% – 10%). As misinformation about vaccines and vaccination spreads easily and can negatively impact health-related decisions, initiatives like COVID-19 InfoVaccines are crucial to facilitate access to reliable information.

PMID:38782400 | DOI:10.1080/21645515.2024.2350817

Cir Cir. 2024;92(2):219-227. doi: 10.24875/CIRU.23000155.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Acute appendicitis remains as a differential diagnosis in older patients with abdominal pain. The Alvarado scale may assist to guide the diagnosis and treatment of this entity. The operative characteristics of the scale are little known in this population.

METHOD: We conducted a systematic review of original studies published between 1986 and 2022 evaluating the diagnostic performance of the Alvarado scale in older adults with suspected acute appendicitis. The review was conducted according to the PRISMA statement. The evaluation of the methodological quality of the studies was performed according to the ROBINS-I criteria.

RESULTS: Four original studies of retrospective design including 480 patients were identified. The heterogeneity and poor methodological quality limited an aggregate statistical analysis (meta-analysis). The value of the ROC curve of the scale varies between 0.799 and 0.969. From the available studies, the value of the ROC curve is lower in comparison to the RIPASA scale and comparable to the Lintula scale.

CONCLUSIONS: The evidence on the diagnostic performance of the Alvarado scale in older adults is limited. The poor methodological quality of the available studies calls for a prudent use of this tool in this population. Our findings offer opportunities for future research.

PMID:38782393 | DOI:10.24875/CIRU.23000155