Association of freeze-dried plasma with 24-h mortality among trauma patients at risk for hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Blood products form the cornerstone of contemporary hemorrhage control but are limited resources. Freeze-dried plasma (FDP), which contains coagulation factors, is a promising adjunct in hemostatic resuscitation. We explore the association between FDP alone or in combination with other blood products on 24-h mortality. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This is a secondary data analysis from a cross-sectional prospective observational multicenter study of adult trauma patients in the Western Cape of South Africa. We compare mortality among trauma patients at risk of hemorrhage in three treatment groups: Blood Products only, FDP + Blood Products, and FDP only. We apply inverse probability of treatment weighting and fit a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model to assess the hazard of 24-h mortality. RESULTS: Four hundred and forty-eight patients were included, and 55 (12.2%) died within 24 h of hospital arrival. Compared to the Blood Products only group, we found no difference in 24-h mortality for the FDP + Blood Product group (p = .40) and a lower hazard of death for the FDP only group (hazard = 0.38; 95% CI, 0.15-1.00; p = .05). However, sensitivity analyses showed no difference in 24-h mortality across treatments in subgroups with moderate and severe shock, early blood product administration, and accounting for immortal time bias. CONCLUSION: We found insufficient evidence to conclude there is a difference in relative 24-h mortality among trauma patients at risk for hemorrhage who received FDP alone, blood products alone, or blood products with FDP. There may be an adjunctive role for FDP in hemorrhagic shock resuscitation in settings with significantly restricted access to blood products.

Treatment of functional bowel disorders in an integrative medicine clinic resulting in improved digestive tract symptoms.

Background and Aim: Functional bowel disorders (FBDs), including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and others, are conditions without a physically identifiable etiology that, as a result, are difficult to treat. Alternatives to traditional medical interventions are needed because IBS patients require more of physician time and higher healthcare spending. The goal of this study was to determine the efficacy of alternative lifestyle interventions for patients with FBDs seen in an integrative medicine (IM) clinic at an academic medical center. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review to determine whether patients with FBDs had improvement in symptoms following predominantly nutrition-based IM interventions that included recommendations for dietary supplements and elimination diets. We measured symptoms before and after intervention (average time between measurements 8.75 months) using a medical symptoms questionnaire (MSQ) commonly used to quantify symptom change in IM clinics. Results: Digestive tract symptoms, as measured by the MSQ, improved significantly in patients (n = 57) with FBDs following IM intervention. The MSQ Digestive Tract subtotal for FBD patients decreased from 10.2 (SD, 5.4) to 7.2 (SD, 5.2) (P < 0.001) after IM intervention. Conclusions: Patients in an IM clinic had improved digestive tract symptoms scores following IM intervention. Because nutrition-based interventions were the primary intervention recommended by IM providers, primary care physicians and gastroenterologists may wish to consider referring FBD patients to registered dietitian-nutritionists (RDNs) skilled in implementing elimination diets.

Retention of medical officers in district health services, South Africa: a descriptive survey.

BACKGROUND: The health workforce is critical to strengthening district health services (DHS). In the public sector of South Africa, medical officers (MOs) are essential to delivering services in primary health care (PHC) and district hospitals. Family physicians, responsible for clinical governance, identified their retention as a key issue. AIM: To evaluate factors that influence retention of MOs in public sector DHS. DESIGN & SETTING: A descriptive survey of MOs working in DHS, Western Cape, South Africa. METHOD: All 125 MOs working in facilities associated with the Stellenbosch University Family Physician Research Network (SUFPREN) were included in the survey. A questionnaire measured the prevalence of key factors that might be associated with retention (staying >4 years) and included the Satisfaction of Employees in Health Care (SEHC) tool and Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS). Data were collected in Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) and analysed in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). RESULTS: Ninety-five MOs completed the survey. The overall rating of the facility (P = 0.001), age (P = 0.004), seniority (P = 0.015), career plans (P<0.001), and intention to stay in the public sector (P<0.001) were associated with retention. More personal factors such as social support (P = 0.007), educational opportunities for children (P = 0.002), and staying with one's partner (P = 0.036) were also associated with retention. Sex, rural versus urban location, district hospital versus primary care facility, overtime, remuneration, and additional rural allowance were not associated with retention. CONCLUSION: The overall rating of the facility was important and subsequent qualitative work has explored the underlying issues. These findings can guide strategies in the Western Cape and similar settings to retain MOs in the DHS.

Retention of medical officers in the district health services of the Western Cape, South Africa: An exploratory descriptive qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: An adequate health workforce is an essential building block of effective health systems. In South Africa, medical officers (MOs) are a key component of service delivery in district health services. The Stellenbosch University Family Physician Research Network in the Western Cape identified that retention of MOs was a key issue. The aim of this study was to explore the factors that influence the retention of MOs in public sector district health services in the Western Cape, South Africa. METHODS: This is a descriptive exploratory qualitative study. Medical officers were purposefully selected in terms of districts, facility types, gender, seniority and perceived likelihood of leaving in the next four years. Semi-structured interviews were performed by family physicians, and the qualitative data were analysed using the framework method. RESULTS: Fourteen MOs were interviewed, and four major themes were identified: career intentions; experience of clinical work; experience of the organisation; and personal, family and community issues. Key issues that influenced retention were: ensure that the foundational elements are in place (e.g. adequate salary and good infrastructure), nurture cohesive team dynamics and relationships, have a family physician, continue the shift towards more collaborative and appreciative management styles, create stronger career pathways and opportunities for professional development in the district health services, be open to flexible working hours and overtime, and ensure workload is manageable. CONCLUSION: A number of important factors influencing retention were identified. Leaders and managers of the healthcare services could intervene across these multiple factors to enhance the conditions needed to retain MOs.

Exploring resilience in family physicians working in primary health care in the Cape Metropole.

BACKGROUND: Despite the high prevalence of burnout among doctors, studies have shown that some doctors who choose to remain in primary healthcare (PHC) survive, even thrive, despite stressful working conditions. The ability to be resilient may assist family physicians (FPs) to adapt successfully to the relatively new challenges they are faced with. This research seeks to explore resilience through reflection on the lived experiences of FPs who have been working in PHC. AIM: To explore the resilience of FPs working in PHC in the Cape Metropole. SETTING: The study was conducted among FPs in PHC in the Cape Town metropole, Western Cape province, South Africa. METHODS: A phenomenological qualitative study involved interviewing 13 purposefully selected FPs working in the public sector PHC in the Cape Metropole. Data were analysed using the framework method. RESULTS: The mean resilience scale was moderate. Six key aspects of resilience were identified: having a sense of purpose, 'silver lining' thinking, having several roles with autonomy, skilful leadership, having a support network and self-care. CONCLUSION: The aspects that contribute to FP resilience are multi-faceted. It entails having a sense of purpose, 'silver lining' thinking, having several roles with autonomy, skilful leadership, having a support network and valuing self-care. Our exploration of resilience in FPs in the Cape Metropole corroborates the findings of previous studies. To ensure physician wellness and improved patient outcomes, we recommend that individual and organisational strategies should be implemented in the absence of long-term policy changes.

The Next Generation of Dietitians: Implementing Dietetics Education and Practice in Integrative Medicine.

Integrative medicine is a quickly expanding field of health care that emphasizes nutrition as a key component. Dietitians and nutritionists have an opportunity to meet workforce demands by practicing dietetics and integrative medicine (DIM). The purpose of this article is to describe a DIM education program and practicum. We report the results of an interprofessional nutrition education and practicum program between the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) Department of Dietetics and Nutrition and KU Integrative Medicine. This partnered program provides training that builds on the strong foundation of the Nutrition Care Process and adds graduate-level educational and practicum experiences in foundational integrative medicine knowledge, including nutritional approaches from a systems biology perspective, nutrigenomics, and biochemistry as the core knowledge to understand the root cause of a chronic disorder and to choose appropriate nutritional tools for interventions. This interprofessional KUMC program provides a dietetic internship, master's degree, and graduate certificate in DIM and fulfills a need for dietitians and nutritionists who seek careers practicing in an integrative medicine setting. The program fulfills expanding workforce needs to provide quality health care for patients with chronic illnesses.

Nutritional and Metabolic Biomarkers in Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Exploratory Study.

CONTEXT: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is currently on the rise, now affecting approximately 1 in 68 children in the United States according to a 2010 surveillance summary from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This figure is an estimated increase of 78% from the figure in 2002. The CDC suggests that more investigation is needed to understand this astounding increase in autism in such a short period. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this pilot study was to determine whether a group of children with ASD exhibited similar variations in a broad array of potential correlates, including medical histories, symptoms, genetics, and multiple nutritional and metabolic biomarkers. DESIGN: This study was a retrospective, descriptive chart review. SETTING: The study took place at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC). PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 7 children with ASD who had sought treatment at the Integrative Medicine Clinic at the medical center. RESULTS: A majority of the children exhibited an elevated copper:zinc ratio and abnormal vitamin D levels. Children also demonstrated abnormal levels of the essential fatty acids: (1) α-linolenic acid (ALA)- C13:3W3, and (2) linoleic acid (LA)-C18:2W6; high levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA); and an elevated ω-6:ω-3 ratio. Three of 7 children demonstrated abnormal manganese levels. Children did not demonstrate elevated urine pyruvate or lactate but did have abnormal detoxification markers. Three of 7 patients demonstrated abnormalities in citric acid metabolites, bacterial metabolism, and fatty acid oxidation markers. A majority demonstrated elevated serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to casein, egg whites, egg yolks, and peanuts. A majority had absent glutathione S-transferase (GSTM) at the 1p13.3 location, and 3 of 7 children were heterozygous for the glutathione S-transferase I105V (GSTP1). A majority also exhibited genetic polymorphism of the mitochondrial gene superoxide dismutase A16V (SOD2). CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this small group of children with ASD points to the existence of nutritional, metabolic, and genetic correlates of ASD. These factors appear to be important potential abnormalities that warrant a case control study to evaluate their reliability and validity as markers of ASD.

Pediatric Integrative Medicine Approaches to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neuropsychiatric disorder in children and is increasing in prevalence. There has also been a related increase in prescribing stimulant medication despite some controversy whether ADHD medication makes a lasting difference in school performance or achievement. Families who are apprehensive about side effects and with concerns for efficacy of medication pursue integrative medicine as an alternative or adjunct to pharmacologic and cognitive behavioral treatment approaches. Integrative medicine incorporates evidence-based medicine, both conventional and complementary and alternative therapies, to deliver personalized care to the patient, emphasizing diet, nutrients, gut health, and environmental influences as a means to decrease symptoms associated with chronic disorders. Pediatric integrative medicine practitioners are increasing in number throughout the United States because of improvement in patient health outcomes. However, limited funding and poor research design interfere with generalizable treatment approaches utilizing integrative medicine. The use of research designs originally intended for drugs and procedures are not suitable for many integrative medicine approaches. This article serves to highlight integrative medicine approaches in use today for children with ADHD, including dietary therapies, nutritional supplements, environmental hygiene, and neurofeedback.

Risedronate reduces intracortical porosity in women with osteoporosis.

Nonvertebral fractures account for 80% of all fractures and their accompanying morbidity and mortality. Despite this, the effect of drug therapy on cortical morphology has received limited attention, partly because cortical bone is believed to remodel less and decrease less with age than trabecular bone. However, the haversian canals traversing the cortex provide a surface for remodeling that produces bone loss, porosity, and cortical fragility. We developed a new method of 3D micro-computed tomography (microCT) to quantify intracortical porosity and the effects of treatment. Women with osteoporosis randomized to risedronate (5 mg/day, n = 28) or placebo (n = 21) had paired transiliac biopsies at baseline and 5 years imaged using 3D microCT. Pores determined from 8 to 12 slices were stratified by their minor axis length into those 25 to 100 microm (closing cone of haversian canals), 100 to 300 microm (cutting cone of haversian canals), and >300 microm (coalescent cavities). Porosity was analyzed as pore area (percent bone area) and pore density (pore number/mm(2)). Medians are reported. Risedronate reduced pore area in the 25 to 100, 100 to 300, and 300 to 500 microm ranges over 5 years (p = .0008, .04, NS, respectively) corresponding to an 18% to 25% reduction. In the placebo group, pore area was unchanged. At 5 years, pore area and pore number/mm(2) in the 25 to 100 microm range were each 17% lower in the risedronate group than in the placebo group (p = .02 and .04, respectively). Risedronate is likely to maintain bone strength and reduce nonvertebral fracture risk in part by reducing remodeling and therefore the number and size of intracortical cavities.

The effect of transdermal testosterone on mammographic density in postmenopausal women not receiving systemic estrogen therapy.

CONTEXT: Greater mammographic density is associated with increased breast cancer risk and reduced diagnostic mammographic sensitivity and may be seen with estrogen/progestin therapy (EPT). The effects of testosterone therapy on mammographic density in postmenopausal women not on EPT are not known. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to compare effects of two doses of the testosterone transdermal patch (TTP) with placebo in postmenopausal women without concomitant EPT on mammographic density over 52 wk. DESIGN: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multinational trial. PATIENTS: Patients included 279 postmenopausal women participating in a testosterone and sexual function study with paired mammograms for baseline and 52 wk/exit. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to placebo, TTP 150 microg/d, or TTP 300 microg/d, stratified by menopause type (natural or surgical). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Change from baseline to wk 52 in the percentage of dense tissue (PD) on digital mammograms. RESULTS: A total of 250 women with paired mammograms for study baseline and wk 52 were included in the primary analysis. Mean age was 54.6 yr, baseline body mass index was 27.5 kg/m(2), and 78% were naturally menopausal. There were no baseline differences between groups. Mean changes from baseline (+/-SEM) in PD for placebo, TTP 150 microg/d and TTP 300 microg/d were small (0.05 +/- 0.16, 0.06 +/- 0.19, and 0.21 +/- 0.17%) and not significantly different. There were no statistically significant differences from placebo for total dense or nondense area and no significant relationships between hormone levels and PD after adjustment for body mass index. CONCLUSION: TTP therapy over 52 wk appears to have no significant effect on digitally quantified absolute or percent dense mammographic area in postmenopausal women not using EPT.

Esophageal transit and in vivo disintegration of branded risedronate sodium tablets and two generic formulations of alendronic acid tablets: a single-center, single-blind, six-period crossover study in healthy female subjects.

BACKGROUND: Delayed esophageal transit or disintegration of oral bisphosphonate tablets before they enter the stomach may be of concern with respect to iatrogenic complications among patients receiving longterm treatment. Different formulations of generic bisphosphonate tablets meeting regulatory requirements may have substantial differences in pharmaceutical attributes from the branded product that may result in different characteristics during esophageal transit. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate and compare esophageal transit times and in vivo disintegration of 3 bisphosphonate formulations, one branded and the others generic, that are commercially available in Canada and the United Kingdom. METHODS: This was a single-center, randomized, singleblind, 6-period crossover study in healthy postmenopausal women aged >50 years. Each subject received a single oral dose of a branded risedronate sodium 35-mg tablet and 2 generic formulations of alendronic acid 70-mg tablets (Novopharm Limited, Toronto, Canada, and Teva UK Limited, Morley, United Kingdom) in both the erect and semisupine (45 degrees ) positions. Although the products are labeled to be taken in the erect position, the semisupine position was included to simulate dosing in bedridden patients. Subjects took tablets with 30 mL of water in the morning after an overnight fast. The tablets were radiolabeled with technetium-99m ion-exchange resins to enable visualization and measurement of esophageal transit time and disintegration using a gamma camera. Dynamic scintigraphic images were obtained for a total of 10 minutes: 2 images per second for the first 30 seconds and 1 image every 15 seconds for 9.5 minutes. This was a mechanistic study and tolerability was not assessed. RESULTS: The study was conducted in 20 healthy white female subjects with a mean age of 62 years (range, 51-77 years). The effect of body position was statistically significant (P = 0.043), with the estimated hazard ratio (HR) of 0.74 indicating longer transit time in the semisupine position relative to the erect position. There was a statistically significant difference in transit time among the 3 types of tablets (P = 0.007), with the Novopharm tablet (HR = 0.59; P < 0.001) and Teva tablet (HR = 0.71; P = 0.042) having longer transit times compared with the risedronate tablet. In 4 instances, the Novopharm tablet disintegrated and dispersed in the esophagus, once in the erect position and 3 times in the semisupine position. CONCLUSIONS: In these healthy female subjects, esophageal transit was delayed when the tablets were given in the semisupine position. The branded risedronate tablet had a significantly faster transit time than the 2 generic formulations of alendronate tested.