Referral to geriatric rehabilitation: a scoping review of triage factors in acutely hospitalised older patients.

OBJECTIVE: Old or frail acutely hospitalised patients can benefit from geriatric rehabilitation but criteria concerning referral decisions are unclear. This review presents an overview of clinical factors associated with referral to geriatric rehabilitation that may further consensus between hospital and rehabilitation professionals on triage. DESIGN: Scoping review. METHODS: A review was conducted following Arksey and O'Malley's framework. The search included literature concerning a broad spectrum of acutely hospitalised patients and factors associated with their referral to geriatric rehabilitation. RESULTS: Selected abstracts were categorised into distinct geriatric rehabilitation care pathways such as stroke, hip fracture, amputation of lower limb, cardiac and oncologic rehabilitation. Abstracts on internal medical patients were further reviewed and 29 studies were included. A total of 13 studies focused on factors identifying rehabilitation needs and 16 on factors associated with outcome of geriatric rehabilitation. Triage factors were diverse and included frailty status, functional decline, cognitive symptoms and multimorbidity. Mood symptoms and living situation further specified post-acute care needs. In overview, triage factors could be characterised as demographic (n = 4), diagnosis-related (n = 8), mental (n = 6), functional (n = 10) or multi-domain (n = 12) and mapped in a transitional care pathway. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Frailty and functional decline are characteristics frequently associated with referral to geriatric rehabilitation of acutely hospitalised internal medical patients. A comprehensive geriatric assessment or a simpler multi-domain set of tests reveals rehabilitation needs and approximates a functional prognosis. Professional consensus on factors and timing of triage in hospital is within reach.

Primary care diagnostic and treatment pathways in Dutch women with urinary incontinence.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how GPs manage women with urinary incontinence (UI) in the Netherlands and to assess whether this is in line with the relevant Dutch GP guideline. Because UI has been an underreported and undertreated problem for decades despite appropriate guidelines being created for general practitioners (GPs). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Routine primary care data for 2017 in the Netherlands. SUBJECTS: We included the primary care records of women aged 18-75 years with at least one contact registered for UI, and then extracted information about baseline characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and referral to pelvic physiotherapy or secondary care. RESULTS: In total, 374 records were included for women aged 50.3 ± 15.1 years. GPs diagnosed 31.0%, 15.2%, and 15.0% women with stress, urgency, or mixed UI, respectively; no diagnosis of type was recorded in 40.4% of women. Urinalysis was the most frequently used diagnostic test (42.5%). Education was the most common treatment, offered by 17.9% of GPs; however, no treatment or referral was reported in 15.8% of cases. As many as 28.7% and 21.7% of women were referred to pelvic physiotherapy and secondary care, respectively. CONCLUSION: Female UI is most probably not managed in line with the relevant Dutch GP guideline. It is also notable that Dutch GPs often fail to report the type of UI, to use available diagnostic approaches, and to provide appropriate education. Moreover, GPs referred to specialists too often, especially for the management of urgency UI.Key pointsUrinary incontinence (UI) has been an underreported and undertreated problem for decades. Despite various guidelines, UI often lies outside the GPs comfort zone.•According to this study: general practitioners do not treat urinary incontinence according to guidelines.•The type of incontinence is frequently not reported and diagnostic approaches are not fully used.•We believe that increased awareness will help improve treatment and avoidable suffering.

Tests for central sensitization in general practice: a Delphi study.

INTRODUCTION: Central sensitization (CS) may explain the persistence of symptoms in patients with chronic pain and persistent physical symptoms (PPS). There is a need for assessing CS in the consultation room. In a recently published systematic review, we made an inventory of tests for CS. In this study we aimed to assess which tests might have added value, might be feasible and thus be suitable for use in general practice. METHODS: We conducted a Delphi study consisting of two e-mail rounds to reach consensus among experts in chronic pain and PPS. We invited 40 national and international experts on chronic pain and PPS, 27 agreed to participate. We selected 12 tests from our systematic review and additional searches; panellists added three more tests in the first round. We asked the panellists, both clinicians and researchers, to rate these 15 tests on technical feasibility for use in general practice, added value and to provide an overall judgement for suitability in general practice. RESULTS: In two rounds the panellists reached consensus on 14 of the 15 tests: three were included, eleven excluded. Included were the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI), pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) and monofilaments. No consensus was reached on the Sensory Hypersensitivity Scale. CONCLUSION: In a Delphi study among an international panel of experts, three tests for measuring CS were considered to be suitable for use in general practice: the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI), pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) and monofilaments.

Prognosis and Survival of Older Patients With Dizziness in Primary Care: A 10-Year Prospective Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: The prognosis of older patients with dizziness in primary care is unknown. Our objective was to determine the prognosis and survival of patients with different subtypes and causes of dizziness. METHODS: In a primary care prospective cohort study, 417 older adults with dizziness (mean age 79 years) received a full diagnostic workup in 2006-2008. A panel of physicians classified the subtype and primary cause of dizziness. Main outcome measures were mortality and dizziness-related impairment assessed at 10-year follow-up. RESULTS: At 10-year follow-up 169 patients (40.5%) had died. Presyncope was the most common dizziness subtype (69.1%), followed by vertigo (41.0%), disequilibrium (39.8%), and other dizziness (1.7%). The most common primary causes of dizziness were cardiovascular disease (56.8%) and peripheral vestibular disease (14.4%). Multivariable adjusted Cox models showed a lower mortality rate for patients with the subtype vertigo compared with other subtypes (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.62; 95% CI, 0.40-0.96), and for peripheral vestibular disease vs cardiovascular disease as primary cause of dizziness (HR = 0.46; 95% CI, 0.25-0.84). After 10 years, 47.7% of patients who filled out the follow-up measurement experienced substantial dizziness-related impairment. No significant difference in substantial impairment was seen between different subtypes and primary causes of dizziness. CONCLUSIONS: The 10-year mortality rate was lower for the dizziness subtype vertigo compared with other subtypes. Patients with dizziness primarily caused by peripheral vestibular disease had a lower mortality rate than patients with cardiovascular disease. Substantial dizziness-related impairment in older patients with dizziness 10 years later is high, and indicates that current treatment strategies by family physicians may be suboptimal.

Antibiotic prescribing and non-prescribing in nursing home residents with signs and symptoms ascribed to urinary tract infection (ANNA): study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic overprescribing for suspected urinary tract infection (UTI) in nursing homes (NHs) is common. Typical clinical scenarios in which antibiotics are inappropriately prescribed include response to nonspecific signs and symptoms and/or a positive urine test in the absence of symptoms referable to the urinary tract. These and other scenarios for inappropriate antibiotic prescribing were addressed in a recent international Delphi study which resulted in the development of a decision tool for the empiric treatment of UTI in frail older adults. The aim of the current study is to implement this decision tool, by integrating it into the electronic health record (EHR) and providing education on its content and use, and to evaluate its effect on appropriate antibiotic prescribing. An additional aim is to evaluate the quality of the intervention and the implementation process. METHODS: A cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (cRCT) is conducted in sixteen NHs and aims to include 897 residents diagnosed with suspected UTI. NHs in the intervention group use the EHR-integrated decision tool, and receive education for physicians and nursing staff; in the control group care as usual is provided. Data is collected through case report forms within the EHR at the day of diagnosis and at 3, 7, and 21 days thereafter. The primary outcome is appropriate antibiotic prescribing for suspected UTI at the day of diagnosis. Secondary outcomes include the course of symptoms, alternative diagnoses, treatment changes, complications, hospitalization, and mortality. Data on total antibiotic prescribing are additionally collected in the participating NHs 12 months before and during the study. Finally, the process evaluation combines cRCT data with questionnaires and qualitative interviews with NH professionals. DISCUSSION: This is the first cRCT to evaluate the recently developed, international decision tool for empiric treatment of suspected UTI in NH residents. Study findings will elucidate the effect of the intervention on appropriate antibiotic prescribing for suspected UTI, and provide insight into the applicability of the decision tool in NHs in general and in specific subgroups of NH residents. With this study we aim to contribute to antibiotic stewardship efforts in long-term care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The ANNA study was registered at the Netherlands Trial Register on 26 February 2019, with identification number NTR NL7555 .

Goal-setting in geriatric rehabilitation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE:: To explore the effect of goal-setting on physical functioning, quality of life and duration of rehabilitation in geriatric rehabilitation compared to care as usual. DATA SOURCES:: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Library were searched from initiation to October 2018. METHODS:: We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), controlled before-after studies and studies using historic controls of older patients (mean age ⩾55 years) receiving rehabilitation for acquired disabilities. Our primary outcome was physical functioning; secondary outcomes were quality of life and rehabilitation duration. Cochrane guidelines were used to assess the risk of bias of the studies and extract data. Only RCT data were pooled using standardized mean difference (SMD). RESULTS:: We included 14 studies consisting of a total of 1915 participants with a mean age ranging from 55 to 83 years. Ten out of the 14 studies had a randomized controlled design, 7 of which could be pooled for the primary outcome. The risk of bias was judged high in several domains in all included studies. The meta-analysis showed no statistically significant differences between goal-setting and care as usual for physical functioning (SMD -0.11 (-0.32 to 0.10)), quality of life (SMD 0.09 (-0.56 to 0.75)) and rehabilitation duration (MD 13.46 days (-2.46 to 29.38)). CONCLUSION:: We found low-quality evidence that goal-setting does not result in better physical functioning compared to care as usual in geriatric rehabilitation. For quality of life and duration of rehabilitation, we could not exclude a clinically relevant effect.

Are changes in pain, cognitive appraisals and coping strategies associated with changes in physical functioning in older adults with joint pain and chronic diseases?

BACKGROUND: As the population ages, the number of people with chronic diseases increases. Frequently, older people suffer from joint pain together with other chronic diseases, which can lead to decreased physical functioning. AIMS: To investigate the associations of the changes in cognitive appraisals, coping strategies and pain with the change in physical functioning in older people, who have chronic pain and chronic diseases. METHODS: Elderly persons (n = 407, mean age 77 years, and 62% female), with self-reported joint pain and at least two chronic diseases, filled in questionnaires about cognitive appraisals, coping strategies, pain intensity and physical functioning at baseline, at 6- and 18-month follow-ups. The associations of change in physical functioning with changes in cognitive appraisals, coping strategies and pain were modelled using generalized estimating equations (GEE). RESULTS: Increase in pain, in negative thinking about the consequences of pain, and in activity avoidance and decrease in self-efficacy beliefs were associated with a decline in physical functioning. DISCUSSION: Observed mean changes were small but large inter-individual variability was seen. This shows that cognitive appraisals and coping strategies are malleable. Statistical model of change clarifies the direction of longitudinal associations. CONCLUSIONS: The longitudinal findings suggest that joint pain, cognitive appraisals and coping strategies may determine physical functioning in older people who have chronic pain and comorbidity.

Orofacial pain and its potential oral causes in older people with mild cognitive impairment or dementia.

BACKGROUND: The number of people with dementia and natural dentition is growing. As dementia progresses, the degree of self-care decreases and the risk of oral health problems and orofacial pain increases. OBJECTIVES: To examine and compare the presence of orofacial pain and its potential causes in older people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or dementia. METHODS: In this cross-sectional observational study, the presence of orofacial pain and its potential causes was studied in 348 participants with MCI or dementia with all levels of cognitive impairment in two outpatient memory clinics and ten nursing homes. RESULTS: Orofacial pain was reported by 25.7% of the 179 participants who were considered to present a reliable pain self-report (Mini-Mental State Examination score ≥14 points), while it could not be determined in people with more severe cognitive impairment. The oral health examination of the 348 participants indicated that potential painful conditions, such as coronal caries, root caries, tooth root remnants or ulcers were present in 50.3%. There was a significant correlation between the level of cognitive impairment and the number of teeth, r = 0.185, P = 0.003, teeth with coronal caries, r = -0.238, P < 0.001, and the number of tooth root remnants, r = -0.229, P = 0.004, after adjusting for age. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that orofacial pain and its potential causes were frequently present in participants with MCI or dementia. Therefore, a regular oral examination by (oral) healthcare providers in people with MCI or dementia remains imperative, even if no pain is reported.

Predicting an Unfavorable Course of Dizziness in Older Patients.

PURPOSE: Because dizziness in older people is often chronic and can substantially affect daily functioning, it is important to identify those at risk for an unfavorable course of dizziness to optimize their care. We aimed to develop and externally validate a prediction model for an unfavorable course of dizziness in older patients in primary care, and to construct an easy-to-use risk prediction tool. METHODS: We used data from 2 prospective cohorts: a development cohort with 203 patients aged 65 years or older who consulted their primary care physician for dizziness and had substantial dizziness-related impairment (Dizziness Handicap Inventory [DHI] ≥30), and a validation cohort with 415 patients aged 65 years or older who consulted their primary care physician for dizziness of any severity. An unfavorable course was defined as presence of substantial dizziness-related impairment (DHI ≥30) after 6 months. RESULTS: Prevalence of an unfavorable course of dizziness was 73.9% in the development cohort and 43.6% in the validation cohort. Predictors in the final model were the score on the screening version of the DHI, age, history of arrhythmia, and looking up as a provoking factor. The model showed good calibration and fair discrimination (area under the curve = 0.77). On external validation, discriminative ability remained stable (area under the curve = 0.78). The constructed risk score was strongly correlated with the prediction model. Performance measures for risk score cut-off values are presented to determine the optimal cut-off point for clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS: We developed an easy-to-use risk score for dizziness-related impairment in primary care. The risk score, consisting of only 4 predictors, will help primary care physicians identify patients at high risk for an unfavorable course of dizziness.

Hemodynamic effects of acute hyperoxia: systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: In clinical practice, oxygen is generally administered to patients with the intention of increasing oxygen delivery. Supplemental oxygen may, however, cause arterial hyperoxia, which is associated with hemodynamic alterations. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature to determine the effect of hyperoxia on central hemodynamics and oxygen delivery in healthy volunteers and cardiovascular-compromised patients. METHODS: PubMed and EMBASE were searched up to March 2017. Studies with adult humans investigating changes in central hemodynamics or oxygen delivery induced by acute normobaric hyperoxia were included. Studies focusing on lung, retinal, or brain parameters were not included. We extracted subject and oxygen exposure characteristics, indexed and unindexed values for heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, mean arterial pressure (MAP), systemic vascular resistance, and oxygen delivery during normoxia and hyperoxia. For quantitative synthesis of the data, a random-effects ratio of means (RoM) model was used. RESULTS: We identified 33 studies with 42 datasets. Study categories included healthy volunteers (n = 22 datasets), patients with coronary artery disease (CAD; n = 6), heart failure (HF; n = 6), coronary artery bypass graft (CABG; n = 3) and sepsis (n = 5). Hyperoxia (arterial oxygen tension of 234-617 mmHg) reduced cardiac output (CO) by 10-15% in both healthy volunteers (-10.2%, 95% confidence interval (CI) -12.9% to -7.3%) and CAD (-9.6%, 95% CI -12.3% to -6.9%) or HF patients (-15.2%, 95% CI -21.7% to -8.2%). No significant changes in cardiac output were seen in CABG or septic patients (-3%). Systemic vascular resistance increased remarkably in patients with heart failure (24.6%, 95% CI 19.3% to 30.1%). In healthy volunteers, and those with CAD and CABG, the effect was smaller (11-16%) and was virtually absent in patients with sepsis (4.3%, 95% CI -3.2% to 12.3%). No notable effect on MAP was found in any group (2-3%). Oxygen delivery was not altered by hyperoxia. Considerable heterogeneity existed between study results, likely due to methodological differences. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperoxia may considerably decrease cardiac output and increase systemic vascular resistance, but effects differ between patient categories. Heart failure patients were the most sensitive while no hemodynamic effects were seen in septic patients. There is currently no evidence supporting the notion that oxygen supplementation increases oxygen delivery.

Music-based therapeutic interventions for people with dementia.

BACKGROUND: Dementia is a clinical syndrome with a number of different causes which is characterised by deterioration in cognitive, behavioural, social and emotional functions. Pharmacological interventions are available but have limited effect to treat many of the syndrome's features. Less research has been directed towards non-pharmacological treatments. In this review, we examined the evidence for effects of music-based interventions. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of music-based therapeutic interventions for people with dementia on emotional well-being including quality of life, mood disturbance or negative affect, behavioural problems, social behaviour and cognition at the end of therapy and four or more weeks after the end of treatment. SEARCH METHODS: We searched ALOIS, the Specialized Register of the Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Group (CDCIG) on 19 June 2017 using the terms: music therapy, music, singing, sing, auditory stimulation. Additional searches were carried out on 19 June 2017 in the major healthcare databases MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL and LILACS; and in trial registers and grey literature sources. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled trials of music-based therapeutic interventions (at least five sessions) for people with dementia that measured any of our outcomes of interest. Control groups either received usual care or other activities with or without music. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors worked independently to screen the retrieved studies against the inclusion criteria and then to extract data and assess methodological quality of the included studies. If necessary, we contacted trial authors to ask for additional data, including relevant subscales, or for other missing information. We pooled data using random-effects models. MAIN RESULTS: We included 22 studies with 1097 randomised participants. Twenty-one studies with 890 participants contributed data to meta-analyses. Participants in the studies had dementia of varying degrees of severity, and all were resident in institutions. Seven studies delivered an individual music intervention; the other studies delivered the intervention to groups of participants. Most interventions involved both active and receptive musical elements. The methodological quality of the studies varied. All were at high risk of performance bias and some were at high risk of detection or other bias.At the end of treatment, we found low-quality evidence that the interventions may improve emotional well-being and quality of life (standardised mean difference (SMD) 0.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.02 to 0.62; 9 studies, 348 participants) and reduce anxiety (SMD -0.43, 95% CI -0.72 to -0.14; 13 studies, 478 participants). We found low-quality evidence that music-based therapeutic interventions may have little or no effect on cognition (SMD 0.15, 95% CI -0.06 to 0.36; 7 studies, 350 participants). There was moderate-quality evidence that the interventions reduce depressive symptoms (SMD -0.27, 95% CI -0.45 to -0.09; 11 studies, 503 participants) and overall behaviour problems (SMD -0.23, 95% CI -0.46 to -0.01; 10 studies, 442 participants), but do not decrease agitation or aggression (SMD -0.07, 95% CI -0.24 to 0.10; 14 studies, 626 participants). The quality of the evidence on social behaviour was very low, so effects were very uncertain.The evidence for long-term outcomes measured four or more weeks after the end of treatment was of very low quality for anxiety and social behaviour, and for the other outcomes, it was of low quality for little or no effect (with small SMDs, between 0.03 and 0.34). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Providing people with dementia who are in institutional care with at least five sessions of a music-based therapeutic intervention probably reduces depressive symptoms and improves overall behavioural problems at the end of treatment. It may also improve emotional well-being and quality of life and reduce anxiety, but may have little or no effect on agitation or aggression or on cognition. We are uncertain about effects on social behaviour and about long-term effects. Future studies should examine the duration of effects in relation to the overall duration of treatment and the number of sessions.

Self-perceived care needs in older adults with joint pain and comorbidity.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to explore self-perceived care needs and determinants of identified needs in older adults with joint pain and comorbidity. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study using baseline data from a cohort study of older adults in the Netherlands (≥65 years) with joint pain and comorbidity (n = 407). We used the Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly (CANE) to assess self-perceived care needs. Regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between needs and sociodemographic factors (age, gender, partner status and educational level), physical factors (pain intensity, comorbidity, frailty and physical functioning) and psychosocial factors (anxiety, depression and social support). RESULTS: Older adults with joint pain and comorbidity reported on average 4.0 care needs out of 13 CANE items, of which 0.3 were unmet. High levels of environmental and physical needs were reported, such as needs with regard to physical illness (91%), household (61%) and mobility/falls (53%). However, most of these needs were met. Only few people reported psychosocial needs, but a large proportion of these needs was unmet, especially regarding company (66.7%) and daytime activities (37%). Psychosocial needs were more often present in frail participants (OR 2.40, 95% CI 1.25-4.61), and those with less perceived social support (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.08) and more depressive symptoms (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.07-1.26). DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS: Unmet needs are mainly present in the psychosocial domain. Specific attention targeted at these unmet needs may improve psychosocial well-being of older adults with joint pain and comorbidity.

Diagnostic behaviour of general practitioners when suspecting Lyme disease: a database study from 2010-2015.

BACKGROUND: Due to the raised public awareness of Lyme Borreliosis (LB), its increased incidence and the increased availability of serological tests, the demand for diagnostic testing on LB has increased. This may affect the diagnostic behaviour of general practitioners (GPs). Aim of our study was to describe GPs' diagnostic behaviour when suspecting LB. METHODS: In this descriptive study from January 2010 to June 2015, we used the anonymized electronic medical records of 56,996 patients registered in 12 general practices in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The target population was identified by means of an extensive search strategy, based on International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC-1) codes, free text and diagnostic test codes. All contacts related to LB were included in the analysis. RESULTS: 2311 patients were included, accounting for 3861 LB contacts and 2619 LB episodes. The distribution of LB contacts showed annual peaks during spring and summer. Serological testing was performed in 36.4% of LB episodes and was mostly requested in patients presenting with general symptoms (71.4%). Unnecessary testing often occurred and only 5.9% of the tests turned out to be positive by immunoblot. From January 2010 to June 2015, no significant differences were found in the number of requested serological tests. The level of serological testing during LB episodes differed significantly between the general practices (19.2% to 75.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to clinical guidelines, GPs regularly requested serology even when there was a low suspicion of LB. The development of an easy-to-use diagnostic algorithm may decrease overuse of diagnostic tests and thereby reduce overtreatment of LB.

Management of patients with persistent medically unexplained symptoms: a descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: In 2013 the Dutch guideline for management of medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) was published. The aim of this study is to assess medical care for patients with persistent MUS as recorded in their electronic medical records, to investigate if this is in line with the national guideline for persistent MUS and whether there are changes in care over time. METHODS: We conducted an observational study of adult primary care patients with MUS. Routinely recorded health care data were extracted from electronic medical records of patients participating in an ongoing randomised controlled trial in 30 general practices in the Netherlands. Data on general practitioners' (GPs') management strategies during MUS consultations were collected in a 5-year period for each patient prior. Management strategies were categorised according to the options offered in the Dutch guideline. Changes in management over time were analysed. RESULTS: Data were collected from 1035 MUS consultations (77 patients). Beside history-taking, the most frequently used diagnostic strategies were physical examination (24.5%) and additional investigations by the GP (11.1%). Frequently used therapeutic strategies were prescribing medication (24.6%) and providing explanations (11.2%). As MUS symptoms persisted, GPs adjusted medication, discussed progress and scheduled follow-up appointments more frequently. The least frequently used strategies were exploration of all complaint dimensions (i.e. somatic, cognitive, emotional, behavioural and social) (3.5%) and referral to a psychologist (0.5%) or psychiatrist (0.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Management of Dutch GPs is partly in line with the Dutch guideline. Medication was possibly prescribed more frequently than recommended, whereas exploration of all complaint dimensions, shared problem definition and referral to mental health care were used less.

Pressure pain thresholds over the cranio-cervical region in headache: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Sensitivity of tissues can be measured by algometry. Decreased pressure pain thresholds over the cranio-cervical area are supposed to reflect signs of sensitization of the trigemino-cervical nucleus caudalis. A systematic review was conducted to assess the current scientific literature describing pressure pain threshold (PPT) values over the cranio-cervical region in patients with migraine, tension-type headache (TTH), and cervicogenic headache (CeH). A literature search was executed in three databases. The search strategy included the following keywords: migraine, TTH, CeH, PPT and algometry. A total of 624 papers was identified of which relevant papers were subsequently assessed for methodological quality. Twenty-two selected papers were assessed by two independent reviewers and the majority of studies scored low risk of bias on the selected items. Mean PPT values of several sites measured in the cranio-cervical region in patients with migraine, chronic TTH and CeH scored lower values compared to controls. The trapezius muscle (midpoint between vertebrae C7 and acromion) was the most frequently targeted site and showed significantly lower PPT values in adults with migraine (pooled standardized mean difference kPa: 1.26 [95%CI -1.71, -0.81]) and chronic TTH (pooled standardized mean difference kPa: -2.00 [95%CI -2.93, -1.08]). Most studies found no association between PPT values and headache characteristics such as frequency, duration or intensity. Further standardization of PPT measurement in the cranio-cervical region is recommended.

Pain, Neuropsychiatric Symptoms, and Quality of Life of Nursing Home Residents With Advanced Dementia in The Netherlands: A Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have investigated factors associated with quality of life (QoL) in nursing home residents with dementia. Both pain and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are clinically relevant and individually associated with a lower QoL; however, there are no studies that investigated pain and NPS together in relation to QoL. PURPOSE: In this study, we explored the relationship of pain and NPS with QoL in nursing home residents with dementia by investigating the association between pain concurrently with NPS, and QoL. METHODS AND PATIENTS: Secondary data analyses of cross-sectional data from 199 residents were collected by observations at dementia special care units of 10 nursing homes. QoL was measured with Qualidem, pain with the Mobilization Observation Behavior Intensity Dementia (MOBID-2) Pain Scale and NPS with the Neuropsychiatric Symptoms Inventory. The relation of pain and NPS to QoL was studied using multiple linear regression analyses. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, activities of daily living, comorbidity, medication use, and dementia severity. RESULTS: Regression models with pain and NPS, showed no independent relationship between pain and QoL subdomains, but NPS, in particular agitation and depressive symptoms, were significantly associated with lower QoL subdomain scores. Agitation was related to lower scores on the subdomains "relationship" [95% confidence interval (CI), -0.083 to -0.059], "positive affect" (95% CI, -0.037 to -0.013), "restless tense behavior" (95% CI, -0.003 to -0.004), and "social relations" (95% CI, -0.033 to -0.009), whereas depression was related to lower scores on the subdomains "positive affect" (95% CI, -0.054 to -0.014), "negative affect" (95% CI, -0.114 to -0.074), "restless tense behavior" (95% CI, -0.075 to -0.025), and "social relations" (95% CI, -0.046 to -0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Only NPS were significantly associated with QoL in nursing home residents with dementia. Further longitudinal research is needed to estimate the nature of the relationship between pain, NPS, and QoL.

Prevalence and severity of behavioural symptoms in patients with Korsakoff syndrome and other alcohol-related cognitive disorders: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Experiences from clinical practice suggest that behavioural symptoms in patients with Korsakoff syndrome (KS) are a frequent problem. Knowledge about behavioural symptoms is important in understanding and managing these symptoms. The aim of this study is to review the prevalence and severity of behavioural symptoms in KS. METHODS: Relevant articles were identified by searching Medline (PubMed), PsycINFO, Embase and CINAHL up to 4 June 2014. Two reviewers independently selected the studies, extracted their baseline data and assessed methodological quality using a standardized checklist. RESULTS: Fifteen studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. A diversity of diagnoses was used indicating that KS and other alcohol-related cognitive disorders and terms were used interchangeably. None of the studies were primarily designed to estimate the prevalence or severity of behavioural symptoms in patients with KS. Most studies had serious methodological limitations. The reported prevalence estimates of behavioural symptoms in the included studies varied strongly. Most prevalent were depressive symptoms and disorders (2-50%, median 27%) and agitation and aggression (10-54%, median 27%). None of the reported, mean severity estimates met pathological thresholds. The highest severity estimates were found for apathy. CONCLUSIONS: Good quality studies on behavioural symptoms in patients with KS are lacking. Observational research designed to provide reliable estimates of the prevalence and severity of behavioural symptoms in patients with KS is needed. This could improve understanding and managing these symptoms and help care staff to better support the needs of this specific patient group. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Manipulative interventions for reducing pulled elbow in young children.

BACKGROUND: Pulled elbow (nursemaid's elbow) is a common injury in young children. It often results from a sudden pull on the arm, usually by an adult or taller person, which pulls the radius through the annular ligament, resulting in subluxation (partial dislocation) of the radial head. It can also be caused by a fall or twist. The child experiences sudden acute pain and loss of function in the affected arm. Pulled elbow is usually treated by manual reduction of the subluxed radial head. Various manoeuvres can be applied; most commonly, supination of the forearm, often combined with flexion, and (hyper-)pronation. It is unclear which is most successful. This is an update of a Cochrane review first published in 2009 and last updated in 2011. OBJECTIVES: To compare the effects (benefits and harms) of the different methods used to manipulate pulled elbow in young children. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Bone, Joint and Muscle Trauma Group Specialised Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, LILACS, PEDro, clinical trial registers and reference lists of articles. Date of last search: September 2016. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised or quasi-randomised controlled clinical trials evaluating manipulative interventions for pulled elbow were included. Our primary outcome was failure at the first attempt, necessitating further treatment. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently evaluated trials for inclusion, assessed risk of bias, and extracted data. We pooled data using a fixed-effect model. MAIN RESULTS: Overall, nine trials with 906 children (all younger than seven years old and 58% of whom were female) were included, of which five trials were newly identified in this update. Eight trials were performed in emergency departments or ambulatory care centres, and one was performed in a tertiary paediatric orthopaedic unit. Four trials were conducted in the USA, three in Turkey, one in Iran, and one in Spain. Five trials were at high risk of selection bias because allocation was not concealed and all trials were at high risk of detection bias due to the lack of assessor blinding. Eight trials compared hyperpronation with supination-flexion. We found low-quality evidence that hyperpronation resulted in less failure at first attempt than supination-flexion (9.2% versus 26.4%, risk ratio (RR) 0.35; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.25 to 0.50; 811 participants, 8 studies). Based on an illustrative risk of 268 failures at first attempt per 1000 children treated using supination-flexion, this amounted to 174 fewer failures per 1000 children treated using hyperpronation (95% CI 134 to 201 fewer). Based on risk differences data, we also estimated a number needed to treat of 6 (95% CI 5 to 8); this means that six children would need to be treated with the hyperpronation method rather than the supination-flexion method to avoid one additional failure at the first attempt.The very low-quality evidence (from four studies) for pain during or after manipulation means that it is uncertain whether there is or is not a difference between pronation and supination-flexion. There was very low-quality evidence from six studies that repeat pronation may be more effective than repeat supination-flexion for the second attempt after initial failure. The remaining outcomes were either not reported (adverse effects, recurrence) or unsuitable for pooling (ultimate failure). Ultimate failure, reported for the overall population only because of the differences in the study protocols with respect to what to do after the first attempt failed, ranged from no ultimate failures in two studies to six failures (4.1% of 148 episodes) in one study.One trial compared supination-extension versus supination-flexion. It provided very low-quality evidence (downgraded three levels for very serious risk of bias and serious imprecision) of no clear difference in failure at first attempt between the two methods. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There was low-quality evidence from eight small trials that the pronation method may be more effective at first attempt than the supination method for manipulating pulled elbow in young children. For other outcomes, no conclusions could be drawn either because of very low-quality evidence or the outcomes not being reported. We suggest that a high-quality randomised clinical trial comparing hyperpronation and supination-flexion is required to provide definitive evidence. We recommend that this is preceded by a survey among clinicians to establish the extent of clinical equipoise and to optimise the study design and recruitment.

Interventions for cutaneous molluscum contagiosum.

BACKGROUND: Molluscum contagiosum is a common skin infection that is caused by a pox virus and occurs mainly in children. The infection usually resolves within months in people without immune deficiency, but treatment may be preferred for social and cosmetic reasons or to avoid spreading the infection. A clear evidence base supporting the various treatments is lacking.This is an update of a Cochrane Review first published in 2006, and updated previously in 2009. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of specific treatments and management strategies, including waiting for natural resolution, for cutaneous, non-genital molluscum contagiosum in people without immune deficiency. SEARCH METHODS: We updated our searches of the following databases to July 2016: the Cochrane Skin Group Specialised Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, and LILACS. We searched six trial registers and checked the reference lists of included studies and review articles for further references to relevant randomised controlled trials. We contacted pharmaceutical companies and experts in the field to identify further relevant randomised controlled trials. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials of any treatment of molluscum contagiosum in people without immune deficiency. We excluded trials on sexually transmitted molluscum contagiosum and in people with immune deficiency (including those with HIV infection). DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently selected studies, assessed methodological quality, and extracted data from selected studies. We obtained missing data from study authors where possible. MAIN RESULTS: We found 11 new studies for this update, resulting in 22 included studies with a total of 1650 participants. The studies examined the effects of topical (20 studies) and systemic interventions (2 studies).Among the new included studies were the full trial reports of three large unpublished studies, brought to our attention by an expert in the field. They all provided moderate-quality evidence for a lack of effect of 5% imiquimod compared to vehicle (placebo) on short-term clinical cure (4 studies, 850 participants, 12 weeks after start of treatment, risk ratio (RR) 1.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.92 to 1.93), medium-term clinical cure (2 studies, 702 participants, 18 weeks after start of treatment, RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.14), and long-term clinical cure (2 studies, 702 participants, 28 weeks after start of treatment, RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.79 to 1.17). We found similar but more certain results for short-term improvement (4 studies, 850 participants, 12 weeks after start of treatment, RR 1.14, 95% CI 0.89 to 1.47; high-quality evidence). For the outcome 'any adverse effect', we found high-quality evidence for little or no difference between topical 5% imiquimod and vehicle (3 studies, 827 participants, RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.07), but application site reactions were more frequent in the groups treated with imiquimod (moderate-quality evidence): any application site reaction (3 studies, 827 participants, RR 1.41, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.77, the number needed to treat for an additional harmful outcome (NNTH) was 11); severe application site reaction (3 studies, 827 participants, RR 4.33, 95% CI 1.16 to 16.19, NNTH over 40).For the following 11 comparisons, there was limited evidence to show which treatment was superior in achieving short-term clinical cure (low-quality evidence): 5% imiquimod less effective than cryospray (1 study, 74 participants, RR 0.60, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.78) and 10% potassium hydroxide (2 studies, 67 participants, RR 0.65, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.93); 10% Australian lemon myrtle oil more effective than olive oil (1 study, 31 participants, RR 17.88, 95% CI 1.13 to 282.72); 10% benzoyl peroxide cream more effective than 0.05% tretinoin (1 study, 30 participants, RR 2.20, 95% CI 1.01 to 4.79); 5% sodium nitrite co-applied with 5% salicylic acid more effective than 5% salicylic acid alone (1 study, 30 participants, RR 3.50, 95% CI 1.23 to 9.92); and iodine plus tea tree oil more effective than tea tree oil (1 study, 37 participants, RR 0.20, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.57) or iodine alone (1 study, 37 participants, RR 0.07, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.50). Although there is some uncertainty, 10% potassium hydroxide appears to be more effective than saline (1 study, 20 participants, RR 3.50, 95% CI 0.95 to 12.90); homeopathic calcarea carbonica appears to be more effective than placebo (1 study, 20 participants, RR 5.57, 95% CI 0.93 to 33.54); 2.5% appears to be less effective than 5% solution of potassium hydroxide (1 study, 25 participants, RR 0.35, 95% CI 0.12 to 1.01); and 10% povidone iodine solution plus 50% salicylic acid plaster appears to be more effective than salicylic acid plaster alone (1 study, 30 participants, RR 1.43, 95% CI 0.95 to 2.16).We found no statistically significant differences for other comparisons (most of which addressed two different topical treatments). We found no randomised controlled trial evidence for expressing lesions or topical hydrogen peroxide.Study limitations included no blinding, many dropouts, and no intention-to-treat analysis. Except for the severe application site reactions of imiquimod, none of the evaluated treatments described above were associated with serious adverse effects (low-quality evidence). Among the most common adverse events were pain during application, erythema, and itching. Included studies of the following comparisons did not report adverse effects: calcarea carbonica versus placebo, 10% povidone iodine plus 50% salicylic acid plaster versus salicylic acid plaster, and 10% benzoyl peroxide versus 0.05% tretinoin.We were unable to judge the risk of bias in most studies due to insufficient information, especially regarding concealment of allocation and possible selective reporting. We considered five studies to be at low risk of bias. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: No single intervention has been shown to be convincingly effective in the treatment of molluscum contagiosum. We found moderate-quality evidence that topical 5% imiquimod was no more effective than vehicle in terms of clinical cure, but led to more application site reactions, and high-quality evidence that there was no difference between the treatments in terms of short-term improvement. However, high-quality evidence showed a similar number of general side effects in both groups. As the evidence found did not favour any one treatment, the natural resolution of molluscum contagiosum remains a strong method for dealing with the condition.

Music-based therapeutic interventions for people with dementia.

BACKGROUND: Dementia is a clinical syndrome with a number of different causes which is characterised by deterioration in cognitive, behavioural, social and emotional functions. Pharmacological interventions are available but have limited effect to treat many of the syndrome's features. Less research has been directed towards non-pharmacological treatments. In this review, we examined the evidence for effects of music-based interventions as a treatment. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of music-based therapeutic interventions for people with dementia on emotional well-being including quality of life, mood disturbance or negative affect, behavioural problems, social behaviour, and cognition at the end of therapy and four or more weeks after the end of treatment. SEARCH METHODS: We searched ALOIS, the Specialized Register of the Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Group (CDCIG) on 14 April 2010 using the terms: music therapy, music, singing, sing, auditory stimulation. Additional searches were also carried out on 3 July 2015 in the major healthcare databases MEDLINE, Embase, psycINFO, CINAHL and LILACS; and in trial registers and grey literature sources. On 12 April 2016, we searched the major databases for new studies for future evaluation. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomized controlled trials of music-based therapeutic interventions (at least five sessions) for people with dementia that measured any of our outcomes of interest. Control groups either received usual care or other activities. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two reviewers worked independently to screen the retrieved studies against the inclusion criteria and then to extract data and assess methodological quality of the included studies. If necessary, we contacted trial authors to ask for additional data, including relevant subscales, or for other missing information. We pooled data using random-effects models. MAIN RESULTS: We included 17 studies. Sixteen studies with a total of 620 participants contributed data to meta-analyses. Participants in the studies had dementia of varying degrees of severity, but all were resident in institutions. Five studies delivered an individual music intervention; in the others, the intervention was delivered to groups of participants. Most interventions involved both active and receptive musical elements. The methodological quality of the studies varied. All were at high risk of performance bias and some were at high risk of detection or other bias. At the end of treatment, we found low-quality evidence that music-based therapeutic interventions may have little or no effect on emotional well-being and quality of life (standardized mean difference, SMD 0.32, 95% CI -0.08 to 0.71; 6 studies, 181 participants), overall behaviour problems (SMD -0.20, 95% CI -0.56 to 0.17; 6 studies, 209 participants) and cognition (SMD 0.21, 95% CI -0.04 to 0.45; 6 studies, 257 participants). We found moderate-quality evidence that they reduce depressive symptoms (SMD -0.28, 95% CI -0.48 to -0.07; 9 studies, 376 participants), but do not decrease agitation or aggression (SMD -0.08, 95% CI -0.29 to 0.14; 12 studies, 515 participants). The quality of the evidence on anxiety and social behaviour was very low, so effects were very uncertain. The evidence for all long-term outcomes was also of very low quality. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Providing people with dementia with at least five sessions of a music-based therapeutic intervention probably reduces depressive symptoms but has little or no effect on agitation or aggression. There may also be little or no effect on emotional well-being or quality of life, overall behavioural problems and cognition. We are uncertain about effects on anxiety or social behaviour, and about any long-term effects. Future studies should employ larger sample sizes, and include all important outcomes, in particular 'positive' outcomes such as emotional well-being and social outcomes. Future studies should also examine the duration of effects in relation to the overall duration of treatment and the number of sessions.