Anger: an underappreciated destructive force in healthcare.

Anger is an emotional state that occurs when unexpected things happen to or around oneself and is "an emotional state that varies in intensity from mild irritation to intense fury and rage." It is defined as "a strong feeling of displeasure and usually of antagonism," an emotion characterized by tension and hostility arising from frustration, real or imagined injury by another, or perceived injustice. It can manifest itself in behaviors designed to remove the object of the anger (e.g., determined action) or behaviors designed merely to express the emotion. For the Roman philosopher Seneca anger is not an uncontrollable, impulsive, or instinctive reaction. It is, rather, the cognitive assent that such initial reactions to the offending action or words are in fact unjustified. It is, rather, the cognitive assent that such initial reactions to the offending action or words are in fact unjustified. It seems that the year 2022 was a year when many Americans were plainly angry. "Why is everyone so angry?" the New York Times asked in the article "The Year We Lost It." We believe that Seneca is correct in that anger is unacceptable. Anger is a negative emotion that must be controlled, and Seneca provides us with the tools to avoid and destroy anger. Health care professionals will be more effective, content, and happier if they learn more about Seneca's writings about anger and implement his wisdom on anger from over 2000 years ago.

Using needs assessment to develop curricula for screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) in academic and community health settings.

This article describes the use of a brief needs assessment survey in the development of alcohol and drug screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) curricula in 2 health care settings in the San Francisco Bay Area. The samples included university medical center faculty (n = 27) and nonphysician community health and social service providers in a nearby suburban county (n = 21). Informed by curriculum development theory and motivational interviewing strategies, questions regarding clinical and educational priorities, perceived importance and confidence with screening and intervention techniques, and referral resource availability were included. Medical center faculty expressed greater concern about limited appointment time (P = .003), adequacy of training (P = .025), and provider confidence (P = .038) as implementation obstacles and had lower confidence in delivering SBIRT (P = .046) and providing treatment referrals (P = .054) than community providers. The authors describe their approach to integrating needs assessment results into subsequent curriculum development. Findings highlight potential differences between physician and nonphysician training needs.

On-site experience of a project to increase access to diagnosis and treatment of Chagas disease in high-risk endemic areas of Colombia.

Colombia has one of the largest burdens of Chagas disease globally, with about 438,000 people affected according to 2015 estimates. Despite this, < 1% of the population has had access to diagnosis and treatment. A patient-centered roadmap for Chagas disease was developed from 2015 onwards to address access barriers and increase diagnostic and therapeutic coverage and was implemented in five municipalities where Chagas disease is endemic. The mean number of people tested per year increased from 37 before the project to 262 following implementation, and the average days between medical order and diagnostic confirmation results decreased from 258 to 19. The mean days from diagnostic confirmation to treatment initiation decreased from 354 before the project to 135 after implementation. The 5,654 people tested included 3,467 women of childbearing age. The prevalence of T. cruzi infection was 11.5%, and thus far 266 people have received antitrypanosomal treatment. Collaborative creation and implementation of a patient-centered roadmap can address access barriers in specific contexts, helping to reduce the invisibility and burden of this neglected disease.

Effectiveness of adult vaccination programs in faith-based organizations.

Elderly persons of African American and Latino descent have lower rates of immunizations after adjustment for insurance and education. Interventions that use faith-based organizations (FBOs) are promising but have not been well evaluated. We examined the effectiveness of an FBO adult vaccination program in minority communities. From December 2003 through January 2004 and November 2005 through February 2006, 15 churches were randomized to intervention with onsite adult vaccinations or to comparison with no vaccinations. Participants were eligible if they had not been previously vaccinated with pneumococcal vaccine, did not regularly receive influenza vaccine, were aged > or =65 years, and had a clinical indication for vaccination. Baseline and follow-up surveys were conducted. Primary outcome was rates of influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations. The study sample (N=186) was 44% African American, 43% Latino, 8% White, and 3% Asian. Of those eligible, 90 of 112 (80%) in the intervention group used the influenza vaccine compared to 32 of 70 (46%) in the comparison group (P < .001). Of those eligible, 58 of 88 (66%) in the experimental group used the pneumococcal vaccine compared to 20 of 57 (35%) in the comparison group (P < .001). Participants in the intervention group were significantly more likely to receive influenza vaccinations (odds ratio [OR] 4.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.5-9.4) and pneumococcal vaccination (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.8-7.2). More than ninety percent of all participants reported willingness to participate in FBO education and promotion programs. This onsite, FBO adult vaccination program was effective in increasing vaccination rates and may be promising for decreasing raciallethnic disparities in vaccination rates.

Mentoring in community-based participatory research: the RCMAR experience.

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) has been identified as a useful strategy to overcome disparities in minority elders. However, little consensus exists with respect to appropriate CBPR training and mentoring mechanisms. In this paper, we summarize the mentoring activities in each of the six currently funded Resource Centers on Minority Aging Research (RCMAR). In addition to mentoring trainees and/or junior faculty, we also explore the bi-directional mentoring that occurs when faculty at academic health centers develop partnerships with members of their target communities.

Radiofrecuencia de los nervios geniculados para el tratamiento del dolor crónico en la osteoartrosis de rodilla / Genicular nerve radiofrequency in osteoarthritis-related chronic knee pain

Introducción: El uso de radiofrecuencia de los nervios geniculados para el tratamiento del dolor crónico de la rodilla secundario a osteoartrosis inició en 2011, y desde entonces se han realizado varios estudios con diferentes metodologías. Sin embargo, continúan generándose muchas dudas con respecto a las dianas anatómicas, los criterios de selección y la evidencia de su efectividad. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó una búsqueda electrónica desde enero de 2011 hasta abril de 2020 en las siguientes bases de datos: PubMed®, Embase ®, Google Académico y Web of Science (WoS). La búsqueda inicial encontró 106 artículos, de los cuales tomamos 33 para realizar la presente revisión. Resultados: Después de analizar cinco ensayos clínicos abiertos, un estudio de corte transversal, cuatro estudios prospectivos observacionales, ocho estudios de neuroanatomía, tres estudios retrospectivos, cuatro casos clínicos, dos series de casos, tres revisiones de la literatura y tres ensayos clínicos aleatorizados, controlados y doble ciegos; encontramos que la radiofrecuencia de los nervios geniculados disminuye el dolor asociado a la osteoartrosis de rodilla, consiguiendo una mejoría funcional con una duración variable del efecto analgésico entre tres y doce meses. A pesar del avance científico en esta área, aún no hay un consenso en cuanto a la neuroanatomía de la cápsula articular de la rodilla, la ubicación de las dianas, los parámetros empleados en radiofrecuencia y la utilidad de los bloqueos diagnósticos. Conclusiones: Se necesitan más ensayos clínicos que estandaricen los parámetros utilizados y confirmen los resultados positivos de los estudios realizados con radiofrecuencia de los nervios geniculados...(AU)

Introduction: The use of genicular nerve radiofrequency procedures to treat chronic knee pain due to osteoarthritis has surged in 2011, though many questions remain regarding anatomical targets, selection criteria, and evidence for effectiveness. Materials and methods: An electronic search was performed from January 2011 to April 2020. Databases searched included PubMed®, Embase®, Google Scholar and Web of Science (WoS). The initial search found 106 articles. Thirty-three articles were taken for this review. Results: After analyzing five open clinical trials, one cross-sectional study, four prospective observational studies, eight neuroanatomy studies, three retrospective studies, four clinical cases, two case series, three literature reviews and three randomized, double blind, controlled trials; we found genicular nerve radiofrequency achieves a pain reduction and functional improvement with a variable duration, between three and twelve months. There is no consensus regarding the neuroanatomy of the knee joint capsule, the location of the targets, the radiofrequency parameters used and the usefulness of diagnostic blocks. Conclusion: More clinical trials are needed to standardize the parameters used and confirm the positive results of genicular nerve radiofrequency. Although lonthere are few cases of adverse events associated with radiofrequency of the geniculate nerves, more studies are needed to support the safety of this technique and its long-term side effects in osteoarthritis knee pain management associated that do not respond to other previous medical treatments.(AU)

Diabetes and all-cause and coronary heart disease mortality among US male physicians.

BACKGROUND: While diabetes has long been associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), the magnitude of risk of diabetes-related CHD is uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of diabetes and prior CHD on all-cause and CHD mortality. METHODS: In a prospective cohort study of 91 285 US male physicians aged 40 to 84 years, participants were divided into 4 groups: (1) a reference group of 82 247 men free of both diabetes and CHD (previous myocardial infarction and/or angina) at baseline, (2) 2317 men with a history of diabetes but not CHD, (3) 5906 men with a history of CHD but not diabetes, and (4) 815 men with a history of both diabetes and CHD. Rates of all-cause and CHD mortality were compared in these groups. RESULTS: Over 5 years (49 7952 person-years of follow-up), 3627 deaths from all causes were documented, including 1242 deaths from CHD. Compared with men with no diabetes or CHD, the age-adjusted relative risk of death from any cause was 2.3 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0-2.6) among men with diabetes and without CHD, 2.2 (95% CI, 2.0-2.4) among men with CHD and without diabetes, and 4.7 (95% CI, 4.0-5.4) among men with both diabetes and CHD. The relative risk of CHD death was 3.3 (95% CI, 2.6-4.1) among men with diabetes and without CHD, 5.6 (95% CI, 4.9-6.3) among men with CHD and without diabetes, and 12.0 (95% CI, 9.9-14.6) among men with both diabetes and CHD. Multivariate adjustment for body mass index, smoking status, alcohol intake, and physical activity as well as stratification by these variables did not materially alter these associations. CONCLUSIONS: These prospective data indicate that diabetes is associated with a substantial increase in all-cause and CHD mortality. For all-cause mortality, the magnitude of excess risk conferred by diabetes is similar to that conferred by a history of CHD; for mortality from CHD, a history of CHD is a more potent predictor of death. The presence of both diabetes and CHD, however, identifies a particularly high-risk group.

Adapting Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment for Alcohol and Drugs to Culturally Diverse Clinical Populations.

OBJECTIVES: To review the literature on the screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) approach to alcohol and drug use with racial and ethnic subgroups in the United States and to develop recommendations for culturally competent SBIRT practice. METHODS: Articles reporting on the use of SBIRT components (screening, brief intervention, referral to treatment) for alcohol and drug use were identified through a comprehensive literature search of PubMed from 1995 to 2015. RESULTS: A synthesis of the published literature on racial and ethnic considerations regarding SBIRT components (including motivational interviewing techniques) was created using evidence-based findings. Recommendations on culturally competent use of SBIRT with specific ethnic groups are also described. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of the literature reviewed, SBIRT offers a useful set of tools to help reduce risky or problematic substance use. Special attention to validated screeners, appropriate use of language/literacy, trust building, and incorporation of patient and community health care preferences may enhance SBIRT acceptability and effectiveness. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Providers should consider the implications of previous research when adapting SBIRT for diverse populations, and use validated screening and brief intervention methods. The accompanying case illustration provides additional information relevant to clinical practice.

Ethnic minority older adults participating in clinical research: developing trust.

OBJECTIVE: African American, Latino, and American Indian older adults are underrepresented in clinical research studies. A significant barrier to participation in research is mistrust of the scientific community and institutions. The aims of this article are to discuss the lack of representation of ethnic minorities in clinical research. METHODS: This article presents a review of the literature regarding medical research mistrust. Also described are the trust-building activities of the Resource Centers on Minority Aging Research (RCMAR), federally funded centers focused on research and aging in communities of color. DISCUSSION: The RCMAR centers are building trust with the communities they serve, resulting in the recruitment and retention of ethnic minority older adults in clinical research studies and health promotion projects. Implications are discussed for other researchers toward building trust with ethnic minority elders to increase their participation in research.

Focus group interviews on racial and ethnic attitudes regarding adult vaccinations.

UNLABELLED: Adult immunizations have dramatically improved the health of many Americans. In the United States, researchers have documented disparities in the utilization of adult vaccinations between whites and racial and ethnic minority populations. This article examines racial and ethnic attitudes regarding recommended adult vaccinations. METHODS: Four adult focus groups (N=22) were conducted in community churches in San Francisco, CA. Participants were either age-appropriate or had clinical indications to receive a strong recommendation for influenza and pneumococcal immunizations but had not been routinely immunized against influenza and had never been vaccinated against pneumococcal disease. Content analysis was used to analyze narrative data and identify emerging themes. RESULTS: Participants reported that they lacked information about the benefits or potential side effects of influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations and that their physicians were not routinely informing them of, or recommending, these vaccinations. Meanwhile, most participants expressed a willingness to be vaccinated against pneumococcal infection and influenza. All focus group participants felt that community churches were a potential venue for delivery of adult vaccines. CONCLUSIONS: Many adult racial and ethnic minorities have basic information regarding the influenza vaccine but lack sufficient information regarding the benefits of pneumococcal vaccinations. Physicians should provide information regarding adult vaccinations to all patients. On-site vaccination and vaccine education programs in community churches may be successful in increasing the utilization of adult vaccinations in unvaccinated church populations.

Severe neutropenia in an infant with methylmalonic acidemia.

Neutropenia exists when the neutrophil counts is less than 1000/mm3 in infants between 2 weeks and 1 year of age and less than 1500/mm3 beyond 1 year of age (1). Severe infections occur when the absolute neutrophil count is below 500/mm3 with perirectal abscesses, pneumonia, and sepsis being common. Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor (G-CSF) produces a sustained neutrophil recovery in patients with severe neutropenia, reduces the incidence and severity of infection, and improves the quality of life. Various cytopenias, including neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and pancytopenia, have been reported in association with inborn errors of branched aminoacid metabolism such as methylmalonic, propionic and isovaleric acidemia. We report an infant with methylmalonic acidemia who presented severe neutropenia.

Airtraq en la vía aérea difícil en pediatría: reporte de tres casos / Airtraq in difficult paediatric airway: report of three cases

Abstract The difficult pediatric airway is a challenge for the anesthetist due to the difficulty achieving an adequate assessment, the paucity of management algorithms, lack of accurate knowledge regarding incidence, as well as limitations of the various devices in this group of patients. We present 3 clinical cases of pediatric patients with craniofacial malformations. Although amenable to ventilation, they had a history of difficult orotracheal intubation during previous interventions but were managed successfully with the Airtraq videolaryngoscope. Although this device has not been studied to a large extent in pediatrics, there are different sizes suitable for patient age. This, together with ease of use, fast learning curve and successful approach to the difficult airway in the few published studies, has contributed to turn it into a primary and rescue technique when the initial approach has failed in situations of difficult pediatric airway.

Resumen La vía aérea difícil (VAD) en pediatría representa un reto para el anestesiólogo debido a la dificultad para realizar una valoración adecuada de la misma, a los escasos algoritmos de manejo, al desconocimiento de su incidencia exacta, asociado a las limitaciones que tienen los diferentes dispositivos en este grupo de pacientes. Presentamos tres casos clínicos pediátricos de malformaciones craneofaciales; se trata de pacientes ventilables, pero con antecedentes de dificultad en la intubación orotraqueal en intervenciones previas que fueron posteriormente manejados con éxito con el videolaringoscopio Airtraq. Aunque este dispositivo ha sido poco estudiado en pediatría, existen diferentes tamaños adaptados a la edad del paciente, que, junto a su rápido aprendizaje, facilidad de manejo y el acceso exitoso en la VAD en los escasos estudios publicados; lo están convirtiendo en una técnica primaria o de rescate cuando ha fallado la técnica inicial en situaciones de VAD en pediatría.

A randomized trial to assess the effect of a research informational pamphlet on telephone survey completion rates among older Latinos.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To assess the effects of receiving a research informational pamphlet produced by the federal Office for Human Research Protections on telephone survey participation rates of older Latinos, and illustrate the feasibility of nesting recruitment studies within other funded studies when stand alone funding for recruitment studies is limited. DESIGN AND METHODS: Latino patients aged ≥50 with ≥1 visit during the preceding year (N=1314) were sampled from three community clinics and a multi-specialty medical group. Patients were randomly assigned to receive or not receive a pamphlet that contained information on research participation in the initial mailing for the telephone survey study. Survey participation rates were compared between the pamphlet and no pamphlet groups. RESULTS: In a multivariate model, women (OR=1.4; 95% CI 1.1, 1.8), and those with public insurance (vs. no insurance; OR=1.7; 95% CI 1.1, 2.5) were more likely to participate, while those age 65+ (vs. age 50-54; OR=0.6; 95% CI 0.4, 0.8) were less likely to participate; there was no significant difference by pamphlet group (OR=0.8; 95% CI 0.7, 1.1). Nesting of the randomized trial of the recruitment pamphlet within the funded study required minimal additional resources. IMPLICATIONS: Recruitment methods that are more intensive than a pamphlet may be needed to enhance survey participation rates among older Latinos. Nesting recruitment trials within funded studies is a promising and efficient approach for testing recruitment strategies.

Reviews: developing culturally sensitive dementia caregiver interventions: are we there yet?

Despite evidence of ethnic differences in family caregivers' experiences, the extent to which caregiver interventions are culturally tailored to address these differences is unknown. A systematic review of literature published from 1980 to 2009 identified: differences in caregiving experiences of African American, Latino, and Chinese American caregivers; psychosocial support interventions in these groups; and cultural tailoring of interventions. Ethnic differences in caregiving occurred at multiple levels (intrapersonal, interpersonal, environmental) and in multiple domains (psychosocial health, life satisfaction, caregiving appraisals, spirituality, coping, self-efficacy, physical functioning, social support, filial responsibility, familism, views toward elders, use of formal services and health care). Only 18 of 47 intervention articles reported outcomes by caregiver ethnicity. Only 11 reported cultural tailoring; 8 were from the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health (REACH) initiative. Cultural tailoring addressed familism, language, literacy, protecting elders, and logistical barriers. Results suggest that more caregiver intervention studies evaluating systematically the benefits of cultural tailoring are needed.

Manejo anestésico de un paciente con síndrome de Rett y fractura distal de húmero: reporte de un caso y revisión de la literatura / Anesthetic management of a patient with Rett Syndrome and distal humerus fracture: A case report and literature review

El síndrome de Rett (SR) es un trastorno neurológico que afecta principalmente a las mujeres. Se caracteriza por un retraso mental severo después de un periodo de desarrollo aparentemente normal en la infancia temprana. Las principales características incluyen autismo, espasticidad, microcefalia, escoliosis, estereotipias, control anormal de la respiración y convulsiones. Se ha notificado que son muy sensibles a sedantes y tienen una lenta recuperación luego de una anestesia. Nosotros describimos y discutimos el manejo anestésico de una mujer de 26 años con SR y fractura distal del húmero, tratada con reducción y fijación con agujas de Kirschner bajo anestesia regional y sedación; quien tuvo depresión respiratoria luego de administrar 1 mg de midazolam i.v. intraoperatorio. Nuestra experiencia con este caso nos hace concluir y sugerir que no se deben usar benzodiacepinas en SR, y si no existe contraindicación, la anestesia regional es la técnica de elección.

Rett Syndrome (RS) is a neurological disorder that almost exclusively affects females. RS is characterized by severe mental retardation following a period of apparent normal development in early childhood. The main clinical features include autism, spasticity, microcephaly, scoliosis, stereotyping, abnormal respiratory control and seizures. Patients with RS have been reported to be extremely sensitive to sedatives and exhibit a slow recovery from anesthesia. We describe and discuss the anesthetic management of a 26-year-old woman with RS and distal fracture of the humerus that underwent reduction and fixation with Kirschner'swires under regional anesthesia and sedation. Intraoperatively, the patient experienced respiratory depression following the administration of 1 mg of I.V. midazolam. Our experience in this case led us to conclude and suggest that benzodiazepines should not be used in RS and in the absence of contraindications the technique of choice should be regional anesthesia.