Recommendations for neuroradiological examinations in children living with achondroplasia: a European Society of Pediatric Radiology and European Society of Neuroradiology opinion paper.

Children living with achondroplasia are at an increased risk of developing neurological complications, which may be associated with acute and life-altering events. To remediate this risk, the timely acquisition of effective neuroimaging that can help to guide clinical management is essential. We propose imaging protocols and follow-up strategies for evaluating the neuroanatomy of these children and to effectively identify potential neurological complications, including compression at the cervicomedullary junction secondary to foramen magnum stenosis, spinal deformity and spinal canal stenosis. When compiling these recommendations, emphasis has been placed on reducing scan times and avoiding unnecessary radiation exposure. Standardized imaging protocols are important to ensure that clinically useful neuroimaging is performed in children living with achondroplasia and to ensure reproducibility in future clinical trials. The members of the European Society of Pediatric Radiology (ESPR) Neuroradiology Taskforce and European Society of Neuroradiology pediatric subcommittee, together with clinicians and surgeons with specific expertise in achondroplasia, wrote this opinion paper. The research committee of the ESPR also endorsed the final draft. The rationale for these recommendations is based on currently available literature, supplemented by best practice opinion from radiologists and clinicians with subject-specific expertise.

Drawing: A Dialogue across Disciplines.

There are many examples of a cross pollination between those involved in the arts and in the field of health care. This fruitful dialogue has resulted in the production of impressive artwork across many genres and given opportunities for the development of collaborative projects. Although advanced technologies have become more prevalent in clinics, wards and operating theatres, drawing activities continue to be a significant means of recording observations, communication and planning as well as a methodology for teaching and learning. Interdisciplinary creative projects reveal the continued importance of drawing as a central, primal activity both as part of a purposeful dialogue and also as a useful tool to encourage active participation in teaching and learning. Other studies continue to show drawing activities to be an excellent tool for developing skills in observation and communication, useful for improving the physical and psychological support for individual patients.

Public health women doctors in England: from backwater to strategic roles in 20 years.

Women doctors in public health were able to achieve consultant status, and major strategic leadership roles, well ahead of female colleagues in other areas of medical and, especially, surgical practice. This development was bound up with the struggles in the early days of the Faculty of Community Medicine to achieve its status as a separate Faculty of the Royal College of Physicians, raise standards and encourage able and committed doctors to join the specialty. This paper outlines the history of public health medicine in England between 1974 and the 1990s when, through a combination of design, and happenstance in response to organizational changes, a gender-neutral specialty was created, benefiting both men and women, and enabling the latter, in particular, to flourish.

Creating a robust multidisciplinary public health workforce - almost there?

From 1972 to 2001, membership of the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) was only open to medical practitioners with recognised specialist experience or training in public health. In 2001, the Faculty became multidisciplinary at the specialist level, a rare achievement in a medical specialty in the UK. 1 Specialists from backgrounds other than medicine were accepted as Members and Fellows of the Faculty provided they met the required standards. They were eligible for Consultant and Director of Public Health (DPH) posts, initially in England and Wales. A multidisciplinary higher specialist training scheme was established and, over time, rolled out systematically across the UK. These changes later led to limited developments for public health practitioners filling roles distinct from those in the specialist workforce. Reviewing this history reminds current and future generations of the struggles to reach the unique model we have today. The article teases out the key factors leading to the changes, summarises the somewhat bumpy journey over five decades and, in the shadow of the pandemic, reflects on the contemporary situation for the UK's public health workforce.

Cycle threshold values are inversely associated with poorer outcomes in hospitalized patients with COVID-19: a prospective, observational cohort study conducted at a UK tertiary hospital.

This single-centre observational study demonstrated that lower cycle threshold (Ct) values (indicating higher viral loads) on admission to hospital were associated with poorer outcomes in unvaccinated, hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Demographic and outcome data were collected prospectively for all adult patients who tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 on admission to the University Hospitals North Midlands NHS Trust between 1 February and 1 July 2020. Nasopharyngeal swab samples were obtained, and a valid Ct value was determined for all patients using the Viasure reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay, validated by Public Health England, on admission to hospital. Multi-variable logistic regression results based on data from 618 individuals demonstrated a significant inverse relationship between the odds of death and Ct values (adjusted odds ratio 0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.92-0.98, P=0.001). The association remained highly significant after adjusting for known clinical risk factors for COVID-19.

Laparoscopic versus open hepatectomy for malignant liver tumours in the elderly: systematic review and meta-analysis.

To evaluate comparative outcomes of laparoscopic versus open hepatectomy for malignant liver tumours in elderly patients. A systematic online search was conducted using the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane database, The Virtual Health Library, Clinical trials.gov, and Science Direct. Comparative studies comparing laparoscopic (LH) versus open hepatectomy (OH) for both primary and metastatic malignant liver tumours in the elderly were included. Total operative time (minutes), need to perform Pringle's manoeuvre, blood loss (ml), the requirement for blood transfusion intra-operatively/post-operatively, post-operative complications, r0 resection rate, specimen resection margin (mm), re-operation rate, length of hospital stay (LOS), and 90-day mortality were the evaluated outcome parameters. Twelve studies reporting a total number of 1762 patients who underwent laparoscopic (n = 831) or open (n = 931) hepatectomy were included. OH group was associated with a significantly higher overall number of post-operative complications compared to LH (P = 0.00001). Complications such as post-operative liver failure (P = 0.02), ascites formation (P = 0.002), surgical site infection (P = 0.02), blood loss (P = 0.03), blood transfusion rate (P = 0.05), and LOS (P = 0.00001) were significantly higher in the OH group when compared to LH. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of total operative time (P = 0.53), bile leak (P = 0.12), r0 resection rate (P = 0.36), re-operation (P = 0.70), and 90-day mortality (P = 0.11). Laparoscopic liver resections are safe with at least equal or superior peri-operative outcomes in the elderly population, although available data regards mainly the results of minor resections. Laparoscopic major resections in the elderly population should be carefully evaluated and preferably performed in expert centres.

Early versus delayed (interval) appendicectomy for the management of appendicular abscess and phlegmon: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The safety and role of emergency (EA) versus interval appendicectomy (IA) for appendicular abscess and phlegmon remains debatable with no optimal strategy identified. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate outcomes of managing appendicular abscesses and phlegmon with emergency or interval appendicectomy. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search of electronic databases using key terms including 'appendicular abscess', 'appendicular phlegmon' and 'interval appendicectomy'. Randomised controlled trials and observational studies comparing the two management approaches were included. Operative time, post-operation complication, unplanned bowel resection, rate of surgical site infection, post-operative length of stay and overall mortality rate were evaluated. RESULTS: We identified six studies (2 RCTs and 4 observational studies) with a total of 9264 patients of whom (n = 1352) underwent IA, and (n 7912) underwent EA. The EA group was associated with statistically significant unplanned bowel resection (OR 0.55, 95% CI [0.33-0.90], P = 0.02) and longer total operating time (MD - 14.11, 95% CI [- 18.26-- 9.96] P = 0.00001). However, the following parameters were compared for both EA and IA groups; there were no significant statistical differences: surgical site infection (OR 0.49, 95% CI [0.17-1.38], P = 0.18), post-operative intra-abdominal collection (RD - 0.01, 95% CI [- 0.04-0.01], P = 0.29), total length of hospital stay (MD 1.83, 95% CI [- 0.19-3.85], P = 0.08), post-operative length of hospital stay (MD - 0.27, 95% CI [- 3.66-3.13], P = 0.88) and mortality rate (MD - 0.27, 95% CI [- 3.66-3.13], P = 0.66). CONCLUSION: Emergency operation for appendicular abscess and phlegmon may lead to a higher rate of reported morbidity when compared with interval appendicectomy. Although emergency appendicectomy performed for appendicular abscess and phlegmon is a feasible and safe operative approach, it is associated with significantly increased operative time and unplanned bowel resection (ileocolic and right hemicolectomies) compared to interval appendicectomy.

Acceptability of bisphosphonates among patients, clinicians and managers: a systematic review and framework synthesis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the acceptability of different bisphosphonate regimens for the treatment of osteoporosis among patients, clinicians and managers, payers and academics. DESIGN: A systematic review of primary qualitative studies. Seven databases were searched from inception to July 2019. Screening, data extraction and quality assessment of full-articles selected for inclusion were performed independently by two authors. A framework synthesis was applied to extracted data based on the theoretical framework of acceptability (TFA). The TFA includes seven domains relating to sense-making, emotions, opportunity costs, burden, perceived effectiveness, ethicality and self-efficacy. Confidence in synthesis findings was assessed. SETTING: Any developed country healthcare setting. PARTICIPANTS: Patients, healthcare professionals, managers, payers and academics. INTERVENTION: Experiences and views of oral and intravenous bisphosphonates. RESULTS: Twenty-five studies were included, mostly describing perceptions of oral bisphosphonates. We identified, with high confidence, how patients and healthcare professionals make sense (coherence) of bisphosphonates by balancing perceptions of need against concerns, how uncertainty prevails about bisphosphonate perceived effectiveness and a number of individual and service factors that have potential to increase self-efficacy in recommending and adhering to bisphosphonates. We identified, with moderate confidence, that bisphosphonate taking induces concern, but has the potential to engender reassurance, and that both side effects and special instructions for taking oral bisphosphonates can result in treatment burden. Finally, we identified with low confidence that multimorbidity plays a role in people's perception of bisphosphonate acceptability. CONCLUSION: By using the lens of acceptability, our findings demonstrate with high confidence that a theoretically informed, whole-system approach is necessary to both understand and improve adherence. Clinicians and patients need supporting to understand the need for bisphosphonates, and clinicians need to clarify to patients what constitutes bisphosphonate treatment success. Further research is needed to explore perspectives of male patients and those with multimorbidity receiving bisphosphonates, and patients receiving intravenous treatment. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019143526.

Addressing sexuality and intimacy in people living with Parkinson's during palliative care and at the end of life.

Sexuality and intimacy are poorly researched in both people living with Parkinson's and in older people. Triggers for discussion usually centre on sexual dysfunction and hypersexuality in relation to Parkinson's. However, there are many more factors that impact on physical and emotional connectedness. Despite highlighting this unmet need there are limited tools or comprehensive assessments available to help improve quality of life. Further research is required within this field, with emphasis on health professionals' education and on highlighting to patients that they have permission for this topic to be discussed and actioned.

When is it okay to cry? An end-of-life simulation experience.

This article details how a small college of nursing affiliated with a faith-based health care corporation integrated the education of end-of-life care into a megacode simulation. Students participated in a high-fidelity simulated megacode scenario in which the simulator died. Following de-briefing, student groups participated in an additional scenario in which faculty coached them through postmortem care and interaction with a family member and a hospital chaplain. As a result of this multidimensional, interprofessional simulation, students developed heightened skill in applying basic life-saving measures, increased knowledge of and comfort with postmortem care, and increased awareness of the emotions elicited by the experience.

Medication adherence in Parkinson's.

Parkinson's is a complex degenerative disease which affects both motor and non-motor function and as such requires regular reassessment and collaboration between the patient and the healthcare team to achieve optimal outcomes. Complex medication regimes are often prescribed to manage symptoms; however, issues such as compliance, adherence and concordance need to be considered. The Parkinson's Nurse Specialist plays a central role in understanding patient needs and ability to manage medication regimes. The nurse has a fundamental function in achieving optimal medication adherence throughout the disease trajectory.

Complications of antibiotic therapy.

Antibiotics have greatly changed the practice of medicine for the better. Many infections commonly treated in the outpatient setting with antibiotics (eg, urinary tract infections, streptococcal pharyngitis), which previously caused significant morbidity and mortality, are now typically benign. However, with antibiotic therapy come side effects, ranging in severity from mild nausea to life-threatening cytopenias. This article highlights important complications of antibiotic therapy that may be encountered by outpatient providers. Side effects by system are discussed, and a few important drug-specific complications and important drug-drug interactions highlighted.

Bringing together patient and specialists: the first Birdshot Day.

BACKGROUND: The importance of patient and public involvement (PPI) in healthcare decisions and research is increasingly recognised. This paper describes the aims, delivery, evaluation and impact of a 'Birdshot Day' organised for patients with birdshot uveitis, their carers and healthcare professionals. METHODS: Delivery of this event involved the close collaboration of patients with a large number of different healthcare professionals. The event's evaluation used established social research methods including qualitative questionnaires pre, post and 6 months following the event. The results were statistically analysed. RESULTS: Results indicated that this event significantly educated both patients and professionals. The sense of isolation felt by patients was reduced and networking was developed among all attendees. Patient priorities for research were recorded and invaluable insight into patients' needs for a better quality of life was gained. CONCLUSIONS: The first undertaking of this novel PPI event achieved all its aims. It became even clearer that fundamental questions remain about birdshot uveitis, including aetiology, pathogenesis, practical clinical issues and impact on quality of life. These questions can only be addressed in partnership with patients. To this end, patients and professionals came together under the banner 'Team Birdshot' and the National Birdshot Research Network was launched.

The UK Public Health Skills and Career Framework--could it help to make public health the business of every workforce?

There is growing recognition of the impact of the wider determinants of health and health inequalities, and an acknowledgement that addressing these root causes of ill health requires public health to be everyone's business and responsibility. Therefore, equipping the whole of the public health workforce and a wide range of other disciplines with the knowledge and skills to have a positive influence on health is a priority. The UK is implementing a competence-based skills framework that addresses this dual need. The aim of this paper is to describe how the UK Public Health Skills and Career Framework was developed, and to invite discussion on its potential usefulness as a tool for facilitating a shared approach to strengthening public health competence within and across countries.

Investigation of domain formation in sphingomyelin/cholesterol/POPC mixtures by fluorescence resonance energy transfer and Monte Carlo simulations.

We have recently proposed a phase diagram for mixtures of porcine brain sphingomyelin (BSM), cholesterol (Chol), and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (POPC) on the basis of kinetics of carboxyfluorescein efflux induced by the amphipathic peptide delta-lysin. Although that study indicated the existence of domains, phase separations in the micrometer scale have not been observed by fluorescence microscopy in BSM/Chol/POPC mixtures, though they have for some other sphingomyelins (SM). Here we examine the same BSM/Chol/POPC system by a combination of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and Monte Carlo simulations. The results clearly demonstrate that domains are formed in this system. Comparison of the FRET experimental data with the computer simulations allows the estimate of lipid-lipid interaction Gibbs energies between SM/Chol, SM/POPC, and Chol/POPC. The latter two interactions are weakly repulsive, but the interaction between SM and Chol is favorable. Furthermore, those three unlike lipid interaction parameters between the three possible lipid pairs are sufficient for the existence of a closed loop in the ternary phase diagram, without the need to involve multibody interactions. The calculations also indicate that the largest POPC domains contain several thousand lipids, corresponding to linear sizes of the order of a few hundred nanometers.

Prediction of missed myocardial infarction among symptomatic outpatients without coronary heart disease.

BACKGROUND: Missed diagnoses of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the ambulatory setting can cause patient suffering and malpractice litigation. Multiple algorithms have been developed to detect the presence of coronary heart disease (CHD) or acute coronary ischemia. METHODS: We performed a case-control study of patients with no prior history of CHD presenting to outpatient practices with potential cardiac ischemia. Malpractice claims files were used to identify 18 cases of patients with missed AMIs. For each case, we identified 3 control patients who had office visits for chest pain during the same month and assessed the association of 4 different prediction tools with missed AMI. RESULTS: The 18 cases of missed AMI had a 39% 1-month mortality rate. Cases were more likely than controls to be men (67% vs 26%, P = .001), to be smokers (88% vs 39%, P < .001), and to have low HDL cholesterol (39 mg/dL vs 59 mg/dL, P < .001) and elevated total cholesterol (236 mg/dL vs 213 mg/dL, P = .01). A Framingham risk score predicting a 10-year risk of CHD > or =10% and a positive score using the Goldman risk predictor were associated with an increased risk of missed AMI (odds ratio 5.7, 95% CI 1.8-18.4 for Framingham risk score; odds ratio 7.2, 95% CI 1.4-36.8 for Goldman risk predictor). CONCLUSIONS: Among ambulatory patients with possible cardiac ischemia and no prior CHD, multiple algorithms may be useful for improvement of risk stratification.