The St George's eating disorders service meal preparation group for inpatients and day patients pursuing full recovery: a pilot study.

This naturalistic cohort study evaluates a meal cookery group-based occupational therapy intervention for adult inpatients and day patients with severe eating disorders. It also evaluates the Eating and Meal Preparation Skills Assessment (EMPSA) as an outcome measure, allowing clients pursuing recovery to rate ability and motivation to perform tasks related to preparing and eating 'normal' meals. Twenty-seven participants completed EMPSAs at their first, 10th and final sessions, plus 1 year later. The Ability subscale of EMPSA indicated significant improvements (p < 0.001) by the 10th session, which was maintained 1 year later. The Motivation subscale of EMPSA indicated no significant changes at the 10th session but highly significant improvements (p < 0.001) between the 10th and final session, which was maintained 1 year later. Internal consistency for EMPSA was demonstrated by Cronbach's alpha of 0.71 for Ability subscale and 0.95 for Motivation subscale. We conclude that the meal preparation group is effective and durable.

Computed tomography-guided percutaneous needle biopsy of pulmonary nodules: impact of nodule size on diagnostic accuracy.

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to compare the diagnostic accuracy and complication rate of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous lung biopsies of lung nodules1.5 cm in diameter. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 139 patients (age range, 18-89 years; mean, 62.5 years) underwent CT-guided percutaneous fine-needle aspiration biopsy or 20-gauge core biopsy using an automated biopsy gun. In 37 patients, the lung nodule measured 1.5 cm (mean, 2.8 cm). Diagnostic accuracy was determined by cytopathology results. Major and minor complications were documented. RESULTS: Overall diagnostic accuracy, pneumothorax rate, and thoracostomy tube insertion rates were 67.6%, 34.5%, and 5%, respectively. Of the 98 patients with malignancy, 77 patients (78.6%) had a definite diagnostic biopsy. Overall, nodules>1.5 cm were statistically more likely to result in a diagnostic specimen (73.5%) than nodules1.5 cm than in those1.5 cm. However, the diagnostic accuracy for malignancy is high in both groups, with a low risk of complications.