Surgical Dilemma in Approaching Parapharyngeal Space Pleomorphic adenoma- Transcervical or Transoral Route - A Case Report.

A case of pleomorphic adenoma of deep lobe of parotid in parapharyngeal space presented as intra oral swelling. FNAC showed features of pleomorphic adenoma. Surgery done through transcervical route. HPE of excised mass confirmed pleomorphic adenoma.

Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of 60-Day Percutaneous Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Treatment Indicates Relief of Persistent Postoperative Pain, and Improved Function After Knee Replacement.

OBJECTIVES: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is an effective surgery for end-stage knee osteoarthritis, but chronic postoperative pain and reduced function affect up to 20% of patients who undergo such surgery. There are limited treatment options, but percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) is a promising nonopioid treatment option for chronic, persistent postoperative pain. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a 60-day percutaneous PNS treatment in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial for treating persistent postoperative pain after TKA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with postoperative pain after knee replacement were screened for this postmarket, institutional review board-approved, prospectively registered (NCT04341948) trial. Subjects were randomized to receive either active PNS or placebo (sham) stimulation. Subjects and a designated evaluator were blinded to group assignments. Subjects in both groups underwent ultrasound-guided placement of percutaneous fine-wire coiled leads targeting the femoral and sciatic nerves on the leg with postoperative pain. Leads were indwelling for eight weeks, and the primary efficacy outcome compared the proportion of subjects in each group reporting ≥50% reduction in average pain relative to baseline during weeks five to eight. Functional outcomes (6-minute walk test; 6MWT and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index) and quality of life (Patient Global Impression of Change) also were evaluated at end of treatment (EOT). RESULTS: A greater proportion of subjects in the PNS groups (60%; 12/20) than in the placebo (sham) group (24%; 5/21) responded with ≥50% pain relief relative to baseline (p = 0.028) during the primary endpoint (weeks 5-8). Subjects in the PNS group also walked a significantly greater distance at EOT than did those in the placebo (sham) group (6MWT; +47% vs -9% change from baseline; p = 0.048, n = 18 vs n = 20 completed the test, respectively). Prospective follow-up to 12 months is ongoing. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that percutaneous PNS decreases persistent pain, which leads to improved functional outcomes after TKA at EOT.

Giant Pleomorphic Adenoma of Submandibular Gland.

Pleomorphic adenoma is a benign tumor of salivary glands which is relatively rare among head & neck neoplasms. Parotid gland is the most common site of occurrence whereas submandibular gland is rarely affected. We present a case of a giant pleomorphic adenoma of submandibular gland.

A rare case of meningothelial meningioma in middle ear and mastoid.

A case of chronic suppurative otitis media, active squamosal variety on Examination under microscopy revealed grade 3 attic retraction. CT scan revealed soft tissue thickening and opacification in left middle ear cavity and mastoid. Surgery performed. Excised soft tissue on HPE revealed meningothelial meningioma.

Nebulized dexmedetomidine for attenuating hemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation in adult patients undergoing surgeries under general anaesthesia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Sympathetic stimulation associated with laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation (ETI) may lead to adverse cardio-/cerebro-vascular events in susceptible patients. Nebulization is a novel route for dexmedetomidine administration providing a large surface area for absorption while avoiding bradycardia and hypotension associated with intravenous route. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of dexmedetomidine nebulization for attenuating hemodynamic response to ETI in adult patients undergoing surgery under general anaesthesia. METHODS: This systematic review was registered prospectively in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42023403624). PubMed, Embase (OvidSP), Cochrane library, Scopus (Elsevier), Web of Science (Clarivate) and Google Scholar were systematically searched from database inception until March 31, 2023. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts and then full text against pre-specified eligibility criteria. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing effect of dexmedetomidine nebulization on hemodynamic response to ETI in adult patients undergoing surgeries under general anaesthesia were included. All studies reporting heart rate and systolic blood pressure at baseline and various time points after ETI were included. A pre-piloted data extraction form, Cochrane revised risk-of-bias tool (ROB 2) tool, GRADE approach and RevMan 5.4.1 (Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark) were used for data extraction, risk of bias assessment, rating certainty of evidence and data synthesis respectively. Mean difference and relative risk with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) were used for continuous and dichotomous variables respectively. RESULTS: Six RCTs randomized 480 patients with ASA I/II patients aged < 60 years of age and undergoing elective surgeries to receive either dexmedetomidine (n = 240) or saline nebulization (n = 240). Except for one RCT which used 2 µg/kg, all other RCTs used dexmedetomidine dose of 1 µg /kg. Heart rate, systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure were significantly lower in the dexmedetomidine group at all the measured time points after laryngoscopy and ETI with the only exception being systolic blood pressure at 3 min [mean difference -13.86 (95% CI -30.01 to 2.99), p = 0.09]. Bradycardia and hypotension as adverse effects were absent across the included studies. However, only one-third of the included studies had a low risk of bias and strength of evidence was very low according to the GRADE assessment. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to placebo, premedication with dexmedetomidine nebulization was associated with lower HR and BP following ETI without any risk of bradycardia and hypotension. However, the strength of evidence was very poor and came from just one country. Future well designed and conducted studies in different populations are warranted. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO Registration number: CRD42023403624.

Comprehensive, Evidence-Based, Consensus Guidelines for Prescription of Opioids for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain from the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP).

BACKGROUND: Opioid prescribing in the United States is decreasing, however, the opioid epidemic is continuing at an uncontrollable rate. Available data show a significant number of opioid deaths, primarily associated with illicit fentanyl use. It is interesting to also note that the data show no clear correlation between opioid prescribing (either number of prescriptions or morphine milligram equivalent [MME] per capita), opioid hospitalizations, and deaths. Furthermore, the data suggest that the 2016 guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have resulted in notable problems including increased hospitalizations and mental health disorders due to the lack of appropriate opioid prescribing as well as inaptly rapid tapering or weaning processes. Consequently, when examined in light of other policies and complications caused by COVID-19, a fourth wave of the opioid epidemic has been emerging. OBJECTIVES: In light of this, we herein seek to provide guidance for the prescription of opioids for the management of chronic non-cancer pain. These clinical practice guidelines are based upon a systematic review of both clinical and epidemiological evidence and have been developed by a panel of multidisciplinary experts assessing the quality of the evidence and the strength of recommendations and offer a clear explanation of logical relationships between various care options and health outcomes. METHODS: The methods utilized included the development of objectives and key questions for the various facets of opioid prescribing practice. Also utilized were employment of trustworthy standards, and appropriate disclosures of conflicts of interest(s). The literature pertaining to opioid use, abuse, effectiveness, and adverse consequences was reviewed. The recommendations were developed after the appropriate review of text and questions by a panel of multidisciplinary subject matter experts, who tabulated comments, incorporated changes, and developed focal responses to questions posed. The multidisciplinary panel finalized 20 guideline recommendations for prescription of opioids for chronic non-cancer pain. Summary of the results showed over 90% agreement for the final 20 recommendations with strong consensus. The consensus guidelines included 4 sections specific to opioid therapy with 1) ten recommendations particular to initial steps of opioid therapy; 2) five recommendations for assessment of effectiveness of opioid therapy; 3) three recommendations regarding monitoring adherence and side effects; and 4) two general, final phase recommendations. LIMITATIONS: There is a continued paucity of literature of long-term opioid therapy addressing chronic non-cancer pain. Further, significant biases exist in the preparation of guidelines, which has led to highly variable rules and regulations across various states. CONCLUSION: These guidelines were developed based upon a comprehensive review of the literature, consensus among expert panelists, and in alignment with patient preferences, and shared decision-making so as to improve the long-term pain relief and function in patients with chronic non-cancer pain. Consequently, it was concluded - and herein recommended - that chronic opioid therapy should be provided in low doses with appropriate adherence monitoring and understanding of adverse events only to those patients with a proven medical necessity, and who exhibit stable improvement in both pain relief and activities of daily function, either independently or in conjunction with other modalities of treatments.

Assessment of Nasal Obstruction in Patients Undergoing Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery.

Aim & objectives-To assess and compare the nasal obstruction in patients before and after undergoing FESS using Visual analogue scale, Rhinomanometry and Diagnostic nasal endoscopy. Introduction- Chronic Rhinosinusitis with, or without nasal polyps can lead to nasal obstruction. Patients refractory to medical treatment undergo Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). FESS has been shown to improve subjective quality of life outcomes and objective endoscopic improvement. Material & methods- A prospective study conducted in the department of Ear, Nose & Throat, of a tertiary care medical college and associated Hospital between January 2021 and October 2022. Subjective and objective assessment of nasal obstruction was done using Visual analogue scale, Rhinomanometry and Diagnostic nasal endoscopy before and after surgery at 1st, 3rd and 6th month. Results- Post FESS, there was a significant improvement in nasal obstruction on Visual analogue scale, sinuses were healthy and drainage was adequate on Diagnostic nasal endoscopy, statistically significant (P < 0.05) decrease in nasal resistance was seen on Rhinomanometry. Conclusion- A good subjective outcome on Visual analogue scale and a good objective outcome on Diagnostic nasal endoscopy and Rhinomanometry can be obtained with FESS in patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

Results From a Prospective, Clinical Study (US-nPower) Evaluating a Miniature Spinal Cord Stimulator for the Management of Chronic, Intractable Pain.

BACKGROUND: Chronic, intractable, neuropathic pain is readily treatable with spinal cord stimulation (SCS). Technological advancements, including device miniaturization, are advancing the field of neuromodulation. OBJECTIVES: We report here the results of an SCS clinical trial to treat chronic, low back and leg pain, with a micro-implantable pulse generator (micro-IPG). STUDY DESIGN: This was a single-arm, prospective, multicenter, postmarket, observational study. SETTING: Patients were recruited from 15 US-based comprehensive pain centers. METHODS: This open-label clinical trial was designed to evaluate the performance of the Nalu™ Neurostimulation System (Nalu Medical, Inc., Carlsbad, CA) in the treatment of low back and leg pain. Patients, who provided informed consent and were successfully screened for study entry, were implanted with temporary trial leads. Patients went on to receive a permanent implant of the leads and micro-IPG if they demonstrated a >= 50% reduction in pain during the temporary trial period. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs), such as pain scores, functional disability, mood, patient impression of change, comfort, therapy use profile, and device ease of use, were captured. RESULTS: At baseline, the average pain Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score was 72.1 ± 17.9 in the leg and 78.0 ± 15.4 in the low back. At 90 days following permanent implant (end of study), pain scores improved by 76% (VAS 18.5 ± 18.8) in the leg and 75% (VAS 19.7 ± 20.8) in the low back. Eighty-six percent  of both leg pain and low back pain patients demonstrated a >= 50% reduction in pain at 90 days following implant. The comfort of the external wearable (Therapy Disc and Adhesive Clip) was rated 1.16 ± 1.53, on average, at 90 days on an 11-point rating scale (0 = very comfortable, 10 = very uncomfortable). All PROs demonstrated statistically significant symptomatic improvement at 90 days following implant of the micro-IPG. LIMITATIONS:   Limitations of this study include the lack of long-term results (beyond 90 days) and a relatively small sample size of 35 patients who were part of the analysis; additionally, there was no control arm or randomization as this was a single-arm study, without a comparator, designed to document the efficacy and safety of the device. Therefore, no direct comparisons to other SCS systems were possible. CONCLUSIONS: This clinical study demonstrated profound leg and low back pain relief in terms of overall pain reduction, as well as the proportion of therapy responders. The study patients reported the wearable aspects of the system to be very comfortable.

Comparative study of local injections of autologous platelet rich plasma versus corticosteroid in management of chronic plantar fasciitis.

Background: Plantar fasciitis is a known degenerative pathology and is a common cause of heel pain. We intend to evaluate the efficacy between locally injected Corticosteroids and autologous PRP in the management of chronic plantar fasciitis patients. Materials and methods: In this prospective randomized controlled study, 70 chronic plantar fasciitis with failed conservative management for 3 months were randomly selected into 2 groups of 35 patients each. Group A received a local autologous platelet rich plasma injection of 3 ml and group B received a local corticosteroid injection of 2 ml. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores were compared between the groups at 15 days, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months. Results: No improvement in pain between autologous PRP and corticosteroids study subjects was noted in the initial period up to 15 days whereas after 1 month, 3 months and 6 months duration, it is seen that autologous PRP injected study subjects showed significant relief in pain compared to corticosteroids. Conclusion: PRP was more effective in chronic plantar fasciitis patients compared to corticosteroids with pain relief coming after first 1st, 3rd and 6th month of the injection. Level of evidence: Level 2.

Comprehensive coordinated community based palliative care (C3PaC) model for cancer patients in North India: a mixed-method implementation research study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Cancer remains an escalating and challenging public health issue. The management, especially palliative care (PC), is disintegrated and out of reach of in need patients. The overall aim of the project is to develop a feasible and scalable Comprehensive Coordinated Community based PC model for Cancer Patients (C3PaC); congruent with socio-cultural, context and unmet needs in north India. METHODS: A mixed method approach will be used for three-phased pre- and post-intervention study in one of the districts of North India, having a high incidence of cancer. During phase I, validated tools will be used for quantitative assessment of palliative needs among cancer patients and their caregivers. Barriers and challenges for provision of palliative care will be explored using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions among participants and health care workers. The findings of phase I along with inputs from national experts and literature review will provide inputs for the development of the C3PAC model in phase II. During phase III C3PAC model will be deployed over a period of 12 months and its impact assessed. Categorical and continuous variables will be depicted as frequency (percentages) and mean ± SD/median (IQR) respectively. Chi-square test/Fischer test, independent samples Student t-tests and Mann-Whitney U tests will be used for categorical, normally and non-normally distributed continuous variables, respectively. Qualitative data will be analyzed using thematic analysis using Atlas.ti 8 software. DISCUSSION: The proposed model is designed to address the unmet palliative care needs, to empower community-based healthcare providers in comprehensive home-based PC and to improve the quality of life of cancer patients and caregivers. This model will provide pragmatic scalable solutions in comparable health systems particularly in low- and lower-middle Income countries. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study has been registered with the Clinical Trial Registry-India (CTRI/2023/04/051357).

RadFormer: Transformers with global-local attention for interpretable and accurate Gallbladder Cancer detection.

We propose a novel deep neural network architecture to learn interpretable representation for medical image analysis. Our architecture generates a global attention for region of interest, and then learns bag of words style deep feature embeddings with local attention. The global, and local feature maps are combined using a contemporary transformer architecture for highly accurate Gallbladder Cancer (GBC) detection from Ultrasound (USG) images. Our experiments indicate that the detection accuracy of our model beats even human radiologists, and advocates its use as the second reader for GBC diagnosis. Bag of words embeddings allow our model to be probed for generating interpretable explanations for GBC detection consistent with the ones reported in medical literature. We show that the proposed model not only helps understand decisions of neural network models but also aids in discovery of new visual features relevant to the diagnosis of GBC. Source-code is available at https://github.com/sbasu276/RadFormer.

Impact of End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium on Palliative Care Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Care of Dying of Nurses in India: A Quasi-Experimental Pre-post Study.

Palliative care (PC) training is conspicuously absent in Indian nursing curricula which is an obstacle to deliver quality end of life care (EOLC). End of life care nursing education consortium (ELNEC) aims to improve nursing staff knowledge and attitudes in PC and EOLC, however its impact on knowledge and attitudes has not been investigated in India. We aimed to assess the impact of ELNEC on the knowledge and attitudes of nurses in India towards PC and care of the dying. This prospective study included 108 registered nurses. A pre- and post-training questionnaire containing Palliative Care Quiz of Nursing (PCQN) and Frommelt Attitude toward Care of the Dying Scale Form B (FATCOD-B) was used to evaluate the PC knowledge and attitudes towards EOLC respectively. Subgroup analysis to delineate association of baseline knowledge and attitudes with gender, educational qualification or professional experience of working with patients with cancer or chronic life limiting illnesses were done. Pre-test FATCOD-B and PCQN scores of 110.81 ± 9.37 and 8.45 ± 1.88 reflect favorable attitudes towards care of dying not backed by sufficient PC knowledge respectively. The mean PCQN and FATCOD-B scores improved from 8.45 ± 1.88 to 10.16 ± 1.89 (P = .0001) and from 110.81 ± 9.37 to 119.47 ± 10.14 (P = .0001) respectively; implying a statistically significant improvement in PC knowledge and a more positive attitudes towards care of the dying. End of life care nursing education consortium is effective in improving practicing nurses' knowledge and attitudes toward PC and care of the dying.

Cervical Spinal Cord Stimulation for Trigeminal Neuralgia: a Narrative Review.

BACKGROUND: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a chronic neuropathic pain condition affecting one or more divisions of the fifth cranial (trigeminal) nerve. TN is defined by recurrent unilateral electric shock-like pain that is abrupt in both onset and termination. The pain is triggered by innocuous sensory stimuli and is classified as either classic TN, related to vascular compression; secondary TN, due to a tumor along the trigeminal nerve or an underlying disease like multiple sclerosis; or idiopathic TN. Among the various therapies available for TN, carbamazepine remains the first-line treatment. Newer medications have demonstrated efficacy in patients who do not respond to or cannot tolerate carbamazepine. When medical management and neuroablative procedures fail, spinal cord stimulation (SCS) serves as a promising and popular option, with an estimated 34,000 SCS procedures performed annually worldwide. SCS employs the implantation of electrical leads in the epidural space to manage pain. PURPOSE OF REVIEW: A review of literature was conducted to explore the use of cervical spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. METHODS: A MEDLINE/PubMed search using the search terms "spinal cord stimulation" and "trigeminal neuralgia" was employed to find any case reports and research studies (retrospective studies, double-blinded studies, observational studies) on the topic. No date limiters were used for the search. The initial search resulted in 76 non-duplicate entries from the database. After application of the search criteria, 58 studies were excluded because they were not relevant to the study. A further detailed review of the included articles was conducted by all the reviewers. During this phase of the review, additional 6 studies were excluded. A total of 11 studies were included: 7 case reports and 4 retrospective review studies. RECENT FINDINGS: In the review, we discuss 7 different case reports on the use of cervical SCS for trigeminal neuralgia and an additional 4 retrospective studies reviewing outcomes and pain relief in patients who underwent treatment. The case reports and retrospective studies reviewed demonstrated that TN patients realized > 50% pain relief following permanent electrode implantation. In all the cases discussed, complications from SCS were rare and/or not reported. Additionally, most of the cases report that patients who had adequate pain relief from SCS were able to wean off, or significantly reduce, oral medications given the vast improvement in pain reduction. CONCLUSIONS: Cervical spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a safe and effective procedure for patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) who have refractory pain despite the use of medications. In many cases, the procedure provides an adequate level of pain relief with very few complications or side effects. The vast majority of current research on the use of cervical SCS for TN currently consists of case reports and retrospective analysis. In order to further evaluate the efficacy of SCS for treatment, large-scale randomized controlled studies or observational studies need to be conducted to properly evaluate SCS as a treatment modality for trigeminal neuralgia.

Efficacy and Safety of LigaSure in Laparoscopic Sutureless Appendectomy.

Background The closure of the appendiceal stump is a crucial step during an appendectomy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the LigaSure Vessel Sealing System in laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) for sealing and dividing the base of the appendix. Material and methods Laparoscopic appendectomy was performed using the 5-mm LigaSure Vessel Sealer in 53 patients, and the mesoappendix along with the base of the appendix was divided by LigaSure. Patient demographic details, operative time, return to oral feed, duration of hospital stay, and postoperative complications were recorded, and statistical analysis was done. Results Out of 53 patients (24 women and 29 men), no complications occur in 51 patients. The mean age and standard deviation (SD) were 26.50 ± 10.46 years. The mean operative time for 53 appendectomies by LigaSure was 27.8 ± 6.72 minutes. The mean duration of hospital stay after surgery was 3.3 ± 0.72 days. One patient developed mild subcutaneous emphysema over the abdomen (1.8%), and surgical site infection occurred in one patient (1.8%). Conclusion This study demonstrated that sealing and dividing the base of the appendix by the LigaSure Vessel Sealing System is safe and feasible. It is associated with low complication rate and may help in simplifying the operative procedure.

Tuberculosis Screening via Chest X-Ray is Financially Burdensome in Previously Independently Living Elective Total Knee Arthroplasty Patients.

BACKGROUND: In 1995, to reduce the transmission of Tuberculosis (TB) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that all patients discharged from hospitals be required to have chest x-rays (i.e., radiography) performed before admission to long term care facilities (LTCFs). Previously independently living patients (PILPs) who undergo elective total knee replacement (TKA) surgery are a population at higher risk to end up in LTCFs for rehabilitation. By 2017, the incidence of TB was 9,105 cases compared to 22,762 in 1995. However, the recommendations that hospitals be required to perform a chest x-ray in all patients (including PILPs) being transferred to LTCF's have remained in place. The purposes of this study were to: a) determine the incidence of TB-positive chest x-rays in PILPS discharged to LTCFs after undergoing elective TKA surgery, and b) assess the cost (i.e., both financial and possible exposure to unnecessary radiation) of mandated chest x-rays before hospital discharge to LTCF for PILPs. METHODS: Retrospective 2012-2017 patient chart data were collected from the Michigan Arthroplasty Registry Collaborative Quality Initiative (MARCQI) to identify all elective TKAs for PILPs performed at two Ascension participating centers. Study data included sex, age, body mass index (BMI), length of stay, comorbidities, and chest x-ray results before discharge. Patients who underwent surgery for fracture, infection, trauma, or malignancy were excluded from the study. Categorical data were analyzed using Fisher's exact test and Student's t-test were used for continuous data. RESULTS: The authors identified 4,041 total elective TKA's, from which 500 PILPs were discharged to a LTCF due to functional, medical and/or social concerns. Chest x-rays were associated with 500 (100%) negative findings for TB. Overall hospital costs for chest x-rays for patient's being discharged to an extended care facility totaled $90,848. CONCLUSIONS: The mandated use of chest x-rays for TB screening of PILPs undergoing elective surgery TKA prior to discharge to LTCFs appear to place an unnecessary financial burden on the healthcare system. The mandatory use of x-rays for assessment of possible TB infection before transfer to LTCFs appears to also expose PILPs unnecessarily to radiation. Although further studies are needed to verify these results, the authors recommend that perhaps instead chest x-rays should be reserved for patients with specific comorbidities (e.g., patients on immunosuppressive therapy, with HIV, etc.) or for those patients residing in LTCFs prior to surgery.

Maggots in the Intercostal Drain: Case Report of a Rare Presentation with a Brief Review of Literature.

Maggots are dipterous larvae of flies. Infestation of vertebrate animals (including humans) by maggots is termed as Myiasis. Warm and Humid climate, low socio-economic status, lack of knowledge and poor living conditions, malignant wounds predispose the cancer patients to maggot infestation in India. Apart from infestation in the wounds; oral, ophthalmic, nasal, aural, enteric, urogenital, trachea-pulmonary and rectal myiasis have been reported. Maggot infestation of the Intercostal drain (ICD) container without associated pleural myiasis is an extremely rare entity. We describe a rare case report of maggots in the ICD in a patient with metastatic chondrosarcoma femur with ICD in situ for malignant pleural effusion. Early detection and management are the keys to prevent the catastrophic complication of pleural myiasis.

Evaluating the Need for Integrated Pediatric Palliative Care Services in a Pediatric Oncology Setting: A Retrospective Audit.

OBJECTIVES: Early integrated palliative care has shown to improve the quality of life in patients with cancer. During the past decade, pediatric palliative care has become an established area of medical expertise, however due to scant information available regarding the triggers for referral and referral practice very few children receive a formal palliative care consult. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective audit of medical case records of pediatric oncology patients over a period of 1 year from September 30, 2019, to September 30, 2020, was conducted. Demographic details, diagnosis, staging, clinical parameters, reason for referral, and palliative care plan were captured in a predesigned pro forma. RESULTS: Among 126 children with cancer, 27 (21.4%) patients were referred to palliative care. Majority 21 (77%) referrals were inpatient consults. Symptom management 17 (44.7%) was the most common trigger for referral followed by referrals for psychosocial support 12 (14.4%). Children with solid tumors 16 (59%) were more often referred than hematological malignancies. Among those needing end of life care, 8 (88.8%) out of 9 families preferred home than hospital. CONCLUSION: Low incidence of palliative care referral and presence of symptoms as a trigger for palliative care referral suggests gaps in the integrated approach. The study findings prompt a review of palliative care referral criteria and referral practice in a pediatric oncology setting.

The Concept of Respite in Palliative Care: Definitions and Discussions.

PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW: The definition of respite care remains unclear and its purpose and effectiveness are unproven till date. This paper reviews the current evidence regarding definition and efficacy of respite care, as well as the different programs, models, and interventions employed to deliver the same. RECENT FINDINGS: A scoping search identified the relevant literature to be included in the review. The current evidence reiterates the lack of clarity in defining and delineating the purpose of respite care. Recent empirical evidence supports the effectiveness of respite care with clear benefits for the carers, patients, their families, and the healthcare system. Along with inpatient, home, and hospice care, respite care is considered as an essential component of palliative care. Evidence, although weak, supports the efficacy of respite care. High-quality studies with clear outlining of the scope of the services and resolution of ambiguities pertaining to its definition are warranted to fill the gaps in knowledge.

A Retrospective Review of Lead Migration Rate in Patients Permanently Implanted with Percutaneous Leads and a 10 kHz SCS Device.

Background: Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been used over decades for pain management, but migration of percutaneous leads has been the most common complication. Better surgical techniques and newer SCS technologies likely reduced the incidence of lead migration requiring surgical revision, although data are sparse. This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the incidence of clinically significant percutaneous lead migration in patients permanently implanted with a 10 kHz SCS system. Methods: Consecutive patients with chronic trunk and/or limb pain, permanently implanted between January 2016 and June 2019, were included in the analysis. Data were collected from the hospital's electronic medical records and the manufacturer's database. Clinically significant lead migration, defined as diminished pain relief followed by surgery to correct lead location, was assessed at the 6-month follow-up. Results: At the 6-month follow-up, there were no cases of clinically significant lead migration, average pain relief was 65.2%, 82% of patients had response (≥50% pain relief), improvement of function was noted in 72% of patients, and decrease of medication was observed in 42% of patients. Therapy efficacy was sustained in patients with >12 months follow-up; the average pain relief was 58.5%, and the response rate was 82%. Conclusions: The surgical techniques in use today are designed to minimise the risk of percutaneous lead migration and may have reduced its incidence. In addition, new SCS systems may give greater opportunity to mitigate cases of minor lead movement using alternative stimulation programs.

Effectiveness of mouth self-examination for screening of oral premalignant/malignant diseases in tribal population of Dehradun district.

BACKGROUND: Mouth self-examination (MSE) is shown as a speedy, economical, and effortless method of oral cancer detection. As previous studies were conducted in population with high literacy, the current survey was performed to explore the usefulness of MSE for finding the oral cancerous precancerous lesions in indigenous low literate population of Dehradun district. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It is a cross-sectional survey which was done on the Buksa tribal communities in Dehradun district, India. Out of seven tehsils in the district, two were randomly selected, from which two villages were selected. Individuals belonging to Buksa tribe above the age of 18 years were gathered in commonplace. A total of 539 people who gave their consent were enrolled for study. Using a questionnaire, information regarding sociodemographic details, history of risk factors, and practice of MSE was obtained by interview method, followed by recording oral findings by a single expert. Later, performance of MSE was taught to the participants and they were asked to record the same. Descriptive analysis and Chi-square test were applied wherever applicable and significance level was kept at below 0.05. RESULTS: It was observed that out of 539 participants, 220 (40.8%) practiced MSE and 319 (59.2%) have never practiced MSE. Further analysis showed that a total of 39% males and 42.7% females had MSE habits and this difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). In totality, the prevalence of oral lesions identified by health worker was 213 (39.5%), whereas MSE showed only prevalence rate of 69 (12.8%). MSE had low sensitivity (24.6%), whereas high specificity (87.4%) for all the lesions and most sensitive in detecting ulcers (72.7%), and highest specificity in identifying red lesions (99.2%). CONCLUSION: Even though the sensitivity of MSE for detecting oral premalignant/malignant lesions was low, specificity was very high. Frequent efforts to educate and encourage public on MSE may enhance efficacy and compliance.