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1.
Environ Microbiol ; 25(8): 1522-1537, 2023 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36978287

ABSTRACT

Together with increasing environmental and anthropogenic pressures, pathogenic diseases are one of the important factors contributing to the ongoing decline of seagrass meadows worldwide; yet the diversity and ecology of the microorganisms acknowledged as seagrass parasites remain critically understudied. Here, we investigate phytomyxid parasites (Rhizaria: Endomyxa: Phytomyxea) of three different eelgrass (Zostera spp.) species found in the Northern hemisphere. We present molecular evidence that Plasmodiophora bicaudata, a long-recognized parasite of dwarf eelgrass taxa, is closely related to the novel phytomyxid recently discovered in root hairs of Zostera marina, and together they form a distinct clade within the order Phagomyxida, proposed here as Feldmanniella gen. nov. A full life cycle is systematically described in a phagomyxid representative for the first time, proving its conformity with the generalized phytomyxid life history, despite previous uncertainties. The presence of primary infection stages in nearly all collected eelgrass specimens, and subsequent analysis of amplicon sequences from a global Z. marina dataset, reveal phytomyxids to be ubiquitous and one of the predominant microeukaryotes associated with eelgrass roots on a global scale. Our discoveries challenge the current view of Phytomyxea as rare entities in seagrass meadows and suggest their generally low pathogenicity in natural ecosystems.


Subject(s)
Parasites , Zosteraceae , Animals , Ecosystem , Eukaryota , Rhizosphere
2.
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry ; 90(5): 498-506, 2019 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30770457

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Persistent difficulty in using the upper limb remains a major contributor to physical disability post-stroke. There is a nihilistic view about what clinically relevant changes are possible after the early post-stroke phase. The Queen Square Upper Limb Neurorehabilitation programme delivers high-quality, high-dose, high-intensity upper limb neurorehabilitation during a 3-week (90 hours) programme. Here, we report clinical changes made by the chronic stroke patients treated on the programme, factors that might predict responsiveness to therapy and the relationship between changes in impairment and activity. METHODS: Upper limb impairment and activity were assessed on admission, discharge, 6 weeks and 6 months after treatment, with modified upper limb Fugl-Meyer (FM-UL, max-54), Action Research Arm Test (ARAT, max-57) and Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory (CAHAI, max-91). Patient-reported outcome measures were recorded with the Arm Activity Measure (ArmA) parts A (0-32) and B (0-52), where lower scores are better. RESULTS: 224 patients (median time post-stroke 18 months) completed the 6-month programme. Median scores on admission were as follows: FM-UL = 26 (IQR 16-37), ARAT=18 (IQR 7-33), CAHAI=40 (28-55), ArmA-A=8 (IQR 4.5-12) and ArmA-B=38 (IQR 24-46). The median scores 6 months after the programme were as follows: FM-UL=37 (IQR 24-48), ARAT=27 (IQR 12-45), CAHAI=52 (IQR 35-77), ArmA-A=3 (IQR 1-6.5) and ArmA-B=19 (IQR 8.5-32). We found no predictors of treatment response beyond admission scores. CONCLUSION: With intensive upper limb rehabilitation, chronic stroke patients can change by clinically important differences in measures of impairment and activity. Crucially, clinical gains continued during the 6-month follow-up period.


Subject(s)
Neurological Rehabilitation , Stroke Rehabilitation , Stroke/complications , Upper Extremity , Activities of Daily Living , Adult , Chronic Disease , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Reported Outcome Measures , Recovery of Function , Stroke/physiopathology , Time Factors
3.
HEC Forum ; 31(4): 305-323, 2019 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31559515

ABSTRACT

Janet Malek (HEC Forum 31(2):91-102, 2019) argues that a "clinical ethics consultant's religious worldview has no place in developing ethical recommendations or communicating about them with patients, surrogates, and clinicians." She offers five types of arguments in support of this thesis: arguments from (i) consensus, (ii) clarity, (iii) availability, (iv) consistency, and (v) autonomy. This essay shows that there are serious problems for each of Malek's arguments. None of them is sufficient to motivate her thesis (nor are they jointly sufficient). Thus, if it is true that the religious worldview of clinical ethics consultants (CECs) should play no role whatsoever in their work as consultants, this claim will need to be defended on some other ground.


Subject(s)
Ethics Consultation/standards , Religion and Medicine , Ethics Consultation/trends , Humans , Professional-Patient Relations
5.
Women Health ; 54(6): 487-501, 2014.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24964295

ABSTRACT

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most frequently occurring sexually transmitted infection in the United States, but only one third of adolescent girls have received the HPV vaccine (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2012; Committee on Infectious Diseases, 2012). Understanding correlates of vaccination behavior among young women has important implications for health care delivery and public service messages targeting HPV vaccination. Female college students (N = 313) completed web-based surveys during their sophomore (second) year of college, fall 2008. Surveys included questions about HPV vaccination, demographic factors (ethnicity/race, socioeconomic status [SES]), individual characteristics (romantic relationship status, grade point average, religiosity), and sexual behavior. Lifetime HPV vaccination was reported by 46.5% of participants. Being African American/Black was associated with a lower likelihood of vaccination. Having a mother with more education, adhering to religious teachings about sex-related principles, and having engaged in recent penetrative sex were associated with a higher likelihood of vaccination. Health care providers should consider young women to be an important group for HPV vaccine education and catch-up, particularly for African American/Black young women and young women from lower SES backgrounds. Providing vaccine education and access to young women before they become sexually active is critical.


Subject(s)
Papillomavirus Infections/prevention & control , Papillomavirus Vaccines/administration & dosage , Sexual Behavior/statistics & numerical data , Students/statistics & numerical data , Vaccination/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Health Surveys , Humans , Papillomavirus Vaccines/immunology , Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data , Reproductive Health , Socioeconomic Factors , United States , Universities , Young Adult
6.
Disabil Rehabil ; 45(4): 613-619, 2023 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35238694

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The current pilot study assesses the use of real-time auditory feedback to help reduce abnormal movements during an active reaching task in patients with chronic stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 20 patients with chronic stroke completed the study with full datasets (age: M = 53 SD = 14; sex: male = 75%; time since stroke in months: M = 34, SD = 33). Patients undertook 100 repetitions of an active reaching task while listening to self-selected music which automatically muted when abnormal movement was detected, determined by thresholds set by clinical therapists. A within-subject design with two conditions (with auditory feedback vs. without auditory feedback) presented in a randomised counterbalanced order was used. The dependent variable was the duration of abnormal movement as a proportion of trial duration. RESULTS: A significant reduction in the duration of abnormal movement was observed when patients received auditory feedback, F(1,18) = 9.424, p = 0.007, with a large effect size (partial η2 = 0.344). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with chronic stroke can make use of real-time auditory feedback to increase the proportion of time they spend in optimal movement patterns. The approach provides a motivating framework that encourages high dose with a key focus on quality of movement. Trial Registration: ISRCTN12969079 https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN12969079 ISRTCN trial registration REF: ISRCTN12969079IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONMovement quality during upper limb rehabilitation should be targeted as part of a well-balanced rehabilitation programme.Auditory feedback is a useful tool to help patients with chronic stroke reduce compensatory movements.


Subject(s)
Dyskinesias , Stroke Rehabilitation , Stroke , Humans , Male , Feedback , Movement , Pilot Projects , Adult , Middle Aged , Aged , Female
7.
Transplant Cell Ther ; 29(2): 120.e1-120.e9, 2023 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36460202

ABSTRACT

Although ruxolitinib is emerging as the treatment of choice for steroid-refractory or -dependent chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) based on randomized control trial data, there is relatively little real-world data published on ruxolitinib for this indication. We wanted to evaluate the real-world efficacy and safety of ruxolitinib in cGVHD patients who have failed any previous systemic therapy for cGVHD. We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy of ruxolitinib in 115 heavily pretreated patients with steroid-refractory or -dependent chronic GVHD across 5 transplantation centers. The majority of the study population had severe cGVHD (60%) and received ruxolitinib at the fourth treatment line or beyond (82%, n = 96). The median duration of follow-up in this study population was 13 months. The overall response rate (ORR) was 48.6%, 54.9%, and 48.5% at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. Clinical benefit (an outcome metric combining ORR with steroid reduction) was observed in 58.7%, 64.8%, and 60.6% of patients at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. Approximately one third of patients (37.9%) were able to discontinue prednisone at 12 months, and 63.8% were able to taper prednisone to a daily dose <0.1 mg/kg at 12 months. Failure-free survival at 12 months was 64.6% (54.1%-73.2%). Multivariate analysis identified that patients with severe cGVHD were at a higher risk of failure because of a therapy switch, whereas a pretransplantation hematopoietic stem cell transplantation-comorbidity index score ≥ 3 was associated with a high risk of failure because of increasing risk of non-relapse mortality. Overall, this study demonstrates the therapeutic efficacy of ruxolitinib for cGVHD in a heavily pretreated real-world population.


Subject(s)
Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome , Graft vs Host Disease , Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation , Humans , Retrospective Studies , Prednisone/therapeutic use , Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects , Graft vs Host Disease/drug therapy , Graft vs Host Disease/etiology , Salvage Therapy/adverse effects
8.
Bone Marrow Transplant ; 58(9): 1024-1032, 2023 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37365296

ABSTRACT

Established first-line therapy for chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) comprises corticosteroids with/without calcineurin inhibitors, but about half of cGvHD patients are refractory to corticosteroid therapy. The present study retrospectively analyzed treatment outcomes in 426 patients and undertook a propensity-score matching (PSM) analysis between ruxolitinib (RUX) treated group and a historical group of cGvHD patients treated with best available treatment (BAT). PSM process adjusted unbalanced risk factors between the 2 groups, including GvHD severity, HCT-CI score, and treatment line, extracting 88 patients (44 in BAT/RUX groups each) for final analysis. In PSM subgroup, RUX group showed 74.7% 12 months' FFS rate vs 19.1% for BAT group (p < 0.001), whereas 12 months' OS rates were 89.2% and 77.7%, respectively. Multivariate analysis for FFS confirmed RUX superiority over BAT together with HCT-CI score 0-2 vs ≥3. For OS, RUX was superior to BAT, while age ≥60 years and severe grade cGvHD adversely impacted OS. In PSM subgroup, at months 0, 3, and 6, 4.5%, 12.2% and 22.2% more patients in RUX group could discontinue prednisone compared to BAT group, respectively. In conclusion, the current study showed that for FFS, RUX was superior to BAT as second-line therapy or beyond in cGvHD patients after therapy failure.


Subject(s)
Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome , Graft vs Host Disease , Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation , Humans , Middle Aged , Graft vs Host Disease/etiology , Retrospective Studies , Propensity Score , Prednisone , Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects
9.
Int J Stroke ; 17(3): 269-281, 2022 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33724107

ABSTRACT

Background: Difficulty using the upper-limb is a major barrier to independence for many patients post-stroke or brain injury. High dose rehabilitation can result in clinically significant improvements in function even years after the incident; however, there is still high variability in patient responsiveness to such interventions that cannot be explained by age, sex, or time since stroke. Methods: This retrospective study investigated whether patients prescribed certain classes of central nervous system-acting drugs-γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonists, antiepileptics, and antidepressants-differed in their outcomes on the three-week intensive Queen Square Upper-Limb program. For 277 stroke or brain injury patients (167 male, median age 52 years (IQR: 21), median time since incident 20 months (IQR: 26)) upper-limb impairment and activity was assessed at admission to the program and at six months post-discharge, using the upper limb component of the Fugl-Meyer, Action Research Arm Test, and Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory. Drug prescriptions were obtained from primary care physicians at referral. Specification curve analysis was used to protect against selective reporting results and add robustness to the conclusions of this retrospective study. Results: Patients with GABA agonist prescriptions had significantly worse upper-limb scores at admission but no evidence for a significant difference in program-induced improvements was found. Additionally, no evidence of significant differences in patients with or without antiepileptic drug prescriptions on either admission to, or improvement on, the program was found in this study. Although no evidence was found for differences in admission scores, patients with antidepressant prescriptions experienced reduced improvement in upper-limb function, even when accounting for anxiety and depression scores. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that, when prescribed typically, there was no evidence that patients prescribed GABA agonists performed worse on this high-intensity rehabilitation program. Patients prescribed antidepressants, however, performed poorer than expected on the Queen Square Upper-Limb rehabilitation program. While the reasons for these differences are unclear, identifying these patients prior to admission may allow for better accommodation of differences in their rehabilitation needs.


Subject(s)
Stroke Rehabilitation , Stroke , Aftercare , Central Nervous System , Drug Prescriptions , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Discharge , Recovery of Function , Retrospective Studies , Stroke Rehabilitation/methods , Treatment Outcome , Upper Extremity
10.
Cell Rep ; 40(2): 111063, 2022 07 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35830800

ABSTRACT

The complex sphingolipids exhibit a diversity of ceramide acyl chain structures that influence their trafficking and intracellular distributions, but it remains unclear how the cell discerns among the different ceramides to affect such sorting. To address the mechanism, we synthesize a library of GM1 glycosphingolipids with naturally varied acyl chains and quantitatively assess their sorting among different endocytic pathways. We find that a stretch of at least 14 saturated carbons extending from C1 at the water-bilayer interface dictate lysosomal sorting by exclusion from endosome sorting tubules. Sorting to the lysosome by the C14∗ motif is cholesterol dependent. Perturbations of the C14∗ motif by unsaturation enable GM1 entry into endosomal sorting tubules of the recycling and retrograde pathways independent of cholesterol. Unsaturation occurring beyond the C14∗ motif in very long acyl chains rescues lysosomal sorting. These results define a structural motif underlying the membrane organization of sphingolipids and implicate cholesterol-sphingolipid nanodomain formation in sorting mechanisms.


Subject(s)
G(M1) Ganglioside , Glycosphingolipids , Ceramides/metabolism , Cholesterol/metabolism , G(M1) Ganglioside/metabolism , Sphingolipids/metabolism
11.
Musculoskeletal Care ; 19(2): 158-164, 2021 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32949095

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study explored the psychological impact of living with chronic pain as a result of ankylosing spondylitis or undifferentiated spondyloarthritis. The aim was to investigate individual's current pain experience and their current psychological state. METHODS: A total of 161 individuals who had a clinical diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis or undifferentiated spondyloarthritis participated in an online survey. This survey measured daily/weekly pain, quality of life and psychological wellbeing. RESULTS: Results indicated that participants reported feeling high levels of pain consistently that impaired their daily functioning more than 50% of the time. Furthermore, on average participants reported experiencing extremely severe levels of psychological distress, that significantly correlated with their experience with pain. CONCLUSIONS: This research is significant as it highlights a need to address the psychological well-being of individuals who are diagnosed with chronic rheumatic disease in conjunction with the support they receive for their physical well-being. Furthermore, health professionals need to be mindful of the degree of debilitation associated with these diseases.


Subject(s)
Chronic Pain , Spondylarthritis , Spondylitis, Ankylosing , Chronic Pain/epidemiology , Chronic Pain/etiology , Humans , Pain Measurement , Quality of Life , Spondylarthritis/epidemiology , Spondylitis, Ankylosing/complications
12.
Eur J Radiol ; 128: 109062, 2020 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32422551

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To assess the performance of statistical modeling in predicting follow-up adherence of incidentally detected pulmonary nodules (IPN) on CT, based on patient variables (PV), radiology report related variables (RRRV) and physician-patient communication variables (PPCV). METHODS: 200 patients with IPN on CT were retrospectively identified and randomly selected. PV (age, gender, smoking status, ethnicity), RRRV (nodule size, patient context, whether follow-up recommendations were provided) and PPCV (whether referring physician documented IPN and ordered follow-up on the electronic medical record) were recorded. Primary outcome was whether patients received appropriate follow-up within +/- 1 month of the recommended time frame. Statistical methods included logistic regression and machine learning (K-nearest neighbors and support vector machine). RESULTS: Adherence was low, with or without recommendations provided in the radiology report (23.4 %-27.4 %). Whether the referring physician ordered follow-up was the dominant predictor of adherence in all models. The following variables were statistically significant predictors of whether referring physician ordered follow-up: recommendations provided in the radiology report, smoking status, patient context and nodule size (FDR logworth of respectively 21.18, 11.66, 2.35, 1.63, p < 0.05). Prediction accuracy varied from 72 % (PV) to 93 % (PPCV, all variables). CONCLUSION: PPCV are the most important predictors of adherence. Amongst all variables, patient context, smoking status, nodule size, and whether the radiologist provided follow-up recommendations in the report were all statistically significant predictors of patient follow-up adherence, supporting the utility of statistical modeling for analytics, quality assurance and optimization of outcomes related to IPN.


Subject(s)
Incidental Findings , Lung Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Models, Statistical , Patient Compliance/statistics & numerical data , Solitary Pulmonary Nodule/diagnostic imaging , Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Ethnicity/statistics & numerical data , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Health Communication/methods , Humans , Life Style , Logistic Models , Lung/diagnostic imaging , Male , Middle Aged , Reproducibility of Results , Retrospective Studies , Sex Factors , Young Adult
13.
BMJ Open ; 10(10): e036481, 2020 10 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33020085

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The Queen Square Upper Limb (QSUL) Neurorehabilitation Programme is a clinical service within the National Health Service in the UK that provides 90-hours of therapy over 3-weeks to stroke survivors with persistent upper limb impairment. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of participants of this programme, including clinicians, stroke survivors and caregivers. DESIGN: Descriptive qualitative. Data analysis was performed using a conventional thematic content approach to identify main themes by four researchers to avoid any potential bias or personal motivations, promoting confirmability. SETTING: Clinical outpatient neurorehabilitation service. PARTICIPANTS: Clinicians (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, rehabilitation assistants) involved in the delivery of the QSUL Programme, as well as stroke survivors and caregivers who had participated in the programme were purposively sampled. Each focus group followed a series of semi-structured, open questions that were tailored to the clinical or stroke group. One independent researcher facilitated all focus groups, which were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim by a professional transcription agency. RESULTS: Four focus groups were completed: three including stroke survivors (n=16) and caregivers (n=2), and one including clinicians (n=11). The main stroke survivor themes related to psychosocial aspects of the programme ('you feel valued as an individual'), as well as the behavioural training provided ('gruelling, yet rewarding'). The main clinician themes also included psychosocial aspects of the programme ('patient driven ethos-no barriers, no rules') and knowledge, skills and resources of clinicians ('it is more than intensity, it is complex'). CONCLUSIONS: As an intervention, stroke survivors and clinicians consider the QSUL Programme to be both comprehensive and complex. The nature of the interventions in the programme spans psychosocial and behavioural domains. We suggest the future clinical trials of upper limb rehabilitation consider testing the efficacy of these multiple interacting components.


Subject(s)
Neurological Rehabilitation , Stroke Rehabilitation , Stroke , Humans , Perception , State Medicine , Survivors , Upper Extremity
14.
Anat Sci Educ ; 13(6): 769-777, 2020 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32163665

ABSTRACT

Student engagement is known to have several positive effects on learning outcomes and can impact a student's university experience. High levels of engagement in content-heavy subjects can be difficult to attain. Due to a major institutional restructure, the anatomy prosection laboratory time per subject was dramatically reduced. In response, the authors set out to redesign their anatomy units with a focus on engaging the learning activities that would increase time-on-task both within and outside of the classroom. One of these curriculum changes was the implementation of a suite of anatomy learning activities centered on sets of three-dimensional printed upper limb skeleton models. A two-part mixed-method sequential exploratory design was used to evaluate these activities. Part one was a questionnaire that evaluated the students' engagement with and perceptions of the models. Part two involved focus groups interviews, which were an extension of the survey questions in part one. The results of the study indicated that the majority of students found the models to be an engaging resource that helped improve their study habits. As a result, students strongly felt that the use of the models inspired greater academic confidence and overall better performance in their assessments. Overall, the models were an effective way of increasing the engagement and deep learning, and reinforced previous findings from the medical education research. Future research should investigate the effects of these models on student's grades within osteopathy and other allied health courses.


Subject(s)
Anatomy/education , Education, Medical, Undergraduate/organization & administration , Models, Anatomic , Printing, Three-Dimensional , Problem-Based Learning/methods , Curriculum , Education, Medical, Undergraduate/methods , Educational Measurement/statistics & numerical data , Focus Groups , Humans , Imaging, Three-Dimensional , Models, Educational , Osteopathic Medicine/education , Program Evaluation , Qualitative Research , Stakeholder Participation , Students, Medical/psychology , Students, Medical/statistics & numerical data , Surveys and Questionnaires/statistics & numerical data , Universities/organization & administration
15.
BMJ Case Rep ; 12(5)2019 May 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31151971

ABSTRACT

A male patient in his late 30s presented to our outpatient clinic at Mortimer Market Centre with worsening liver transaminases tests 2 months after a resolved acute hepatitis A infection. A diagnosis of parainfectious autoimmune-like hepatitis phenomena was made based on the history, laboratory and histological features.


Subject(s)
Hepatitis A , Hepatitis, Autoimmune/virology , Acute Disease , Administration, Oral , Adult , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/administration & dosage , Azathioprine/administration & dosage , Diagnosis, Differential , Drug Administration Schedule , Hepatitis, Autoimmune/drug therapy , Humans , Immunosuppressive Agents/administration & dosage , Male , Prednisolone/administration & dosage , Treatment Outcome
16.
Eur Geriatr Med ; 10(4): 585-593, 2019 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34652731

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify the psychological and behavioural factors influencing clinicians managing older people with possible UTI in urgent care settings, and to develop an improvement roadmap. METHODS: Michie's behaviour change wheel and COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behaviour Change) models were used as the theoretical basis for this study. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 21 purposively selected medical and nursing staff in a large urban emergency department in the East Midlands, United Kingdom. Analysis was informed by the framework approach. A participatory design approach was used to develop an improvement roadmap. RESULTS: Key themes emerging from the semi-structured interviews included lack of knowledge on the role of urine dipstick testing, bias towards older people, automatic testing, time and resource constraints, pressures from peers and patients, and fear of the legal consequences of inaction. A thematic networks map indicated complex interactions between psychological and behavioural factors. Among more than 50 different intervention ideas identified by the workshop participants, two interventions were prioritised for implementation: i) controlling the use of dip stick urine tests; ii) providing individualised feedback to staff regarding the outcomes of patients diagnosed and treated for UTI. CONCLUSIONS: Psychological and behavioural factors play a significant role in the misdiagnosis of UTI in older people. Systematic approaches incorporating these factors might improve patient outcomes. Future studies should focus on implementation and evaluating their effectiveness and sustainability.

17.
Am J Trop Med Hyg ; 72(6): 768-76, 2005 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-15964962

ABSTRACT

In 2002, the world's largest outbreak of neuroinvasive West Nile virus (WNV) disease occurred. Illinois reported 21% of the total cases in the United States, the most among all states. The epidemiology of WNV in Illinois in 2002 was examined to determine factors associated with severe disease and death. A total of 884 cases were identified and there were 66 deaths. The overall attack rate of WNV infection was 7.1 per 100,000 population and this increased with age. The median ages of patients and patients who died were 56 and 78 years, respectively. Among patients who died, 91% were diagnosed with encephalitis and the case-fatality rate for patients with encephalitis was 18.6%. Patients more than 50 years old had a significantly higher risk of being reported with encephalitis (relative risk [RR] = 3.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.6-4.3%) and death (RR = 22.3, 95% CI = 5.5-90.4%). Clinicians evaluating elderly patients with WNV infection should assess patients closely for progression of disease.


Subject(s)
Disease Outbreaks , West Nile Fever/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Animals , Birds/virology , Child , Child, Preschool , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Humans , Illinois/epidemiology , Infant , Middle Aged , Population Surveillance , West Nile virus/isolation & purification
18.
J Womens Health (Larchmt) ; 14(1): 61-7, 2005.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-15692279

ABSTRACT

We outline some of the causes of medication errors involving women and recommend ways that healthcare practitioners can prevent some of these errors. Patient safety has become a major concern since the November 1999 release of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, "To Err Is Human." Errors involving prescription medications are responsible for up to 7000 American deaths per year, and the financial costs of drug-related morbidity and mortality may be nearly $77 billion a year. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) collects and analyzes voluntary confidential medication error reports and makes recommendations on the prevention of such errors. This paper uses the expertise of ISMP in medication error prevention to make recommendations to prevent medication errors involving women. Healthcare practitioners should focus on areas of the medication use process that would have the greatest impact, including obtaining complete patient information, accurately communicating drug information, and properly educating patients. Although medication errors are not more common in women, there are some unique concerns with medications used for treating women. In addition, sharing of information about medication use and compliance with medication regimens have been identified as concerns. Through the sharing of information and improving the patient education process, healthcare practitioners should play a more active role in medication error reduction activities by working together toward the goal of improving medication safety and encouraging women to become active in their own care.


Subject(s)
Drug Prescriptions/standards , Medication Errors/prevention & control , Patient Education as Topic/methods , Pharmaceutical Preparations/standards , Self Medication/methods , Sex Characteristics , Women's Health , Attitude to Health , Drug Labeling/standards , Female , Health Behavior , Humans , Professional-Patient Relations , Quality Assurance, Health Care/standards , Risk Factors , Risk Management , Safety , United States
19.
J Surg Educ ; 72(4): e33-45, 2015.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25882664

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Global health experiences (GHEs) are becoming increasingly prevalent in surgical residency education. Although it may seem intuitive that participation in GHEs develops CanMEDS competencies, this has not been studied in depth in surgery. The purpose of this study is (1) to explore if and how otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OHNS) resident participation in GHEs facilitates the development of CanMEDS competencies and (2) to develop an OHNS GHE tool to facilitate the integration of CanMEDS into GHE participation and evaluation. METHODS: An online survey explored the GHEs of current and past OHNS residents in Canada. Based on the data collected and a literature review, a foundational tool was then created to (1) enable OHNS residents to structure their GHEs into CanMEDS-related learning objectives and (2) enable OHNS program directors to more effectively evaluate residents' GHEs with respect to CanMEDS competencies. RESULTS: Participants' GHEs varied widely. These experiences often contributed informally to the development of several CanMEDS competencies. However, few residents had concrete objectives, rarely were CanMEDS roles clearly incorporated, and most residents were not formally evaluated during their experience. Residents felt they achieved greater learning when predeparture objectives and postexperience reflections were integrated into their GHEs. CONCLUSIONS: Although GHEs vary widely, they can serve as valuable forums for developing CanMEDS competencies among participating residents. Without clear objectives that adhere to the CanMEDS framework or formal assessment methods however, residents in GHEs risk becoming medical tourists. The use of an objective and evaluation tool may facilitate the creation of predeparture learning objectives, encourage self-reflection on their GHE, and better enable program directors to evaluate residents participating in GHEs.


Subject(s)
Global Health/education , Internship and Residency , Otolaryngology/education , Canada , Educational Measurement , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Medical Tourism , Professional Competence
20.
Oral Oncol ; 50(8): 696-703, 2014 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24917389

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) has emerged as an alternative to radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for the treatment of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Many centers restrict the use of TORS to early (T1-2) OPSCC. The purpose of this article was to assess oncologic and functional outcomes of TORS for primary treatment of early OPSCC. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed for all relevant English language studies using Embase, Medline, and Pubmed. Our primary outcome measure was local control; secondary outcomes included overall survival (OS) and tracheostomy tube (TT) and gastrostomy tube (GT) dependence rates. Three authors independently extracted study information and analyzed all included articles for quality and bias using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. RESULTS: A total of 206 papers were identified, with 11 meeting the inclusion criteria (190 patients). For T1-2 OPSCC, the aggregate local control rate was 96.3% with an OS rate of 95.0%. Rates of prolonged (>12 month) TT and GT dependence were 0.0% and 5.0% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review suggests that TORS offers high rates of disease control with low rates of long-term TT or GT dependence in T1-2 OPSCC. However, further study is needed to compare TORS outcomes to those of traditional therapies.


Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/surgery , Oropharyngeal Neoplasms/surgery , Robotics , Surgical Procedures, Operative , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/physiopathology , Humans , Oropharyngeal Neoplasms/physiopathology
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