Readability of Patient Education Materials From the Web Sites of Orthopedic Implant Manufacturers.

BACKGROUND: Prior studies indicate that orthopedic patient education materials are written at a level that is too high for the average patient. The purpose of this study was to assess the readability of online patient education materials provided by orthopedic implant manufacturers. METHODS: All patient education articles available in 2013 from the web sites of the 5 largest orthopedic implant manufacturers were identified. Each article was evaluated with the Flesch-Kincaid (FK) readability test. The number of articles with readability ≤ the eighth-grade level (average reading ability of US adults) and the sixth-grade level (recommended level for patient education materials) was determined. Mean readability levels of each company's articles were compared using analysis of variance (significance set at P < .05). RESULTS: A total of 581 articles were reviewed from the 5 largest implant manufacturers. The mean overall FK grade level was 10.9 (range, 3.8-16.1). Only 58 articles (10%) were written ≤ the eighth-grade level, and only 13 (2.2%) were ≤ the sixth-grade level. The mean FK grade level was significantly different among groups (Smith & Nephew = 12.0, Stryker = 11.6, Biomet = 11.3, DePuy = 10.6, Zimmer = 10.1; P < .0001). CONCLUSION: The majority of patient education materials from implant manufacturers are written at a level too high to be comprehended by the average patient. Future efforts should be made to improve the readability of orthopedic patient education materials.

Injury patterns and outcomes of open fractures of the proximal ulna do not differ from closed fractures.

BACKGROUND: The incidence and injury patterns of open fractures of the proximal ulna are poorly elucidated and little evidence exists to guide management. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: The purpose of this study was to compare the (1) bony injury patterns; (2) range of motion (ROM) and frequency of union; and (3) postoperative complications between open and closed fractures of the proximal ulna. METHODS: Seventy-nine consecutive open fractures of the proximal ulna were identified. After excluding fracture-dislocations, penetrating injuries, and pediatric injuries, 60 were compared in a retrospective case-control study with an age- and sex-matched group of 91 closed fractures to compare the bony injury patterns based on radiographic review. In a subset of 39 open and 39 closed fractures with sufficient followup, chart and radiographic review was performed by someone other than the operating surgeon to compare differences in final ROM, union, and postoperative complication rates at a minimum followup of 3 months (mean, 22 and 15 months; range, 3-86 months and 3-51 months for open and closed fractures, respectively). A total of 12% of the fractures were open (79 of 671) at the three study centers, and the majority of fractures were intraarticular (45 of 60 [75%]) with Gustilo-Anderson Type I and II wounds (54 of 60 [90%]). RESULTS: Overall, open fractures of the proximal ulna overall did not have more complex bony injury patterns, but there were more anterior olecranon fracture-dislocations among the open fracture group (nine of 60 [15%] versus two of 91 [2%]; p = 0.004) and more posterior olecranon fracture-dislocations in the closed fracture group (31 of 91 [34%] versus seven of 60 [12%]; p = 0.002). Final ROM was not different in both groups and all fractures healed. There was no difference in wound infection rate but a higher secondary procedure rate among open fractures of the proximal ulna (39% versus 23%, p = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to open fractures of the distal humerus, open fractures of the proximal ulna present with mild soft tissue injuries and do not have more complex bony injury patterns than closed fractures. Our findings suggest that open fractures of the proximal ulna are the result of tension failure of the skin secondary to the limited soft tissue envelope around the proximal ulna. Open fractures of the proximal ulna should be regarded as relatively mild injuries that are not different in severity and prognosis compared with closed fractures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Readability of arthroscopy-related patient education materials from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and Arthroscopy Association of North America Web sites.

We sought to assess the readability levels of arthroscopy-related patient education materials available on the Web sites of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA). We identified all articles related to arthroscopy available in 2012 from the online patient education libraries of AAOS and AANA. After performing follow-up editing, we assessed each article with the Flesch-Kincaid (FK) readability test. Mean readability levels of the articles from the AAOS Web site and the AANA Web site were compared. We also determined the number of articles with readability levels at or below the eighth-grade level (the average reading ability of the US adult population) and sixth-grade level (the widely recommended level for patient education materials). Intraobserver reliability and interobserver reliability of FK grade assessment were evaluated. A total of 62 articles were reviewed (43 from AAOS and 19 from AANA). The mean overall FK grade level was 10.2 (range, 5.2 to 12). The AAOS articles had a mean FK grade level of 9.6 (range, 5.2 to 12), whereas the AANA articles had a mean FK grade level of 11.4 (range, 8.7 to 12); the difference was significant (P < .0001). Only 3 articles had a readability level at or below the eighth-grade level and only 1 was at or below the sixth-grade level; all were from AAOS. Intraobserver reliability and interobserver reliability were excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient of 1 for both). Online patient education materials related to arthroscopy from AAOS and AANA may be written at a level too difficult for a large portion of the patient population to comprehend.

Behavior, knowledge, and attitudes towards khat among Yemeni medical students and effects of a seminar.

This study describes khat behavior, knowledge, and attitudes among Yemeni medical students (MS) and the effects of a seminar. The students completed a survey (n = 62); a subgroup participated in a discussion-based seminar and follow-up survey (n = 18). Although the students demonstrated knowledge about khat's health effects and considered it unacceptable for health professionals to chew khat, they disagreed that health professionals should advise patients to quit. Knowledge and attitudes improved post-seminar (not significant, except for a borderline significant increase in students correctly identifying khat as addictive; P = 0.063). Although effects were small, seminars may help health professionals address khat use in Yemen.

Recurrent severe neutropenia following doxycycline use in a young healthy woman.

A 29-year-old woman was hospitalized for fever, pharyngitis, and severe neutropenia after recent use of doxycycline and other antimicrobials. Three years later, she again presented with severe neutropenia after recent doxycycline use. Diagnostic workups were unyielding. This is only the second published case of severe neutropenia associated with doxycycline use.

Human Borrelia miyamotoi infection: A cause of persistent fever and severe hyperthermia in New England.

An adult male presented to a hospital in southwestern Connecticut with tachypnea, generalized weakness, altered mental status, and relapsing fever with maximum recorded temperature of 106 °F. He required active cooling, antipyretic therapy, broad spectrum antibiotics, and intubation for airway protection after an episode of emesis. Initial laboratory and imaging workup were remarkable for elevated inflammatory markers, acute kidney injury, and bilateral lower lobe infiltrates. Further workup with lumbar puncture and electroencephalography were unrevealing. Extensive testing for causes of relapsing fever including tickborne diseases revealed that the patient was seropositive for Borrelia miyamotoi. Notably, he had no rash, and workup found no evidence of coinfection by other Borrelia, Ehrlichia or Anaplasma species. This case illustrates the need for clinicians to test for tick-borne diseases when evaluating for cases of relapsing fever in New England and is among the first case reports to demonstrate Borrelia miyamotoi as a cause of severe pyrexia.

Non-dissecting large thoracic aortic aneurysm leading to chronic aortic insufficiency presenting as acute heart failure.

Large, non-dissecting thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) up to 13 cm in size are typically found in elderly patients with non-specific respiratory symptoms yet must be detected quickly due to their mortality risk. We present a 31-year-old man with exertional dyspnea secondary to aortic insufficiency from a 9.4 cm TAA.