Poor Accuracy of Manually Derived Head Computed Tomography Parameters in Predicting Intracranial Hypertension After Nontraumatic Intracranial Hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: The utility of head computed tomography (CT) in predicting elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) is known to be limited in traumatic brain injury; however, few data exist in patients with spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of prospectively collected data in patients with nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhage (subarachnoid hemorrhage [SAH] or intraparenchymal hemorrhage [IPH]) who underwent external ventricular drain (EVD) placement. Head CT scans performed immediately prior to EVD placement were quantitatively reviewed for features suggestive of elevated ICP, including temporal horn diameter, bicaudate index, basal cistern effacement, midline shift, and global cerebral edema. The modified Fisher score (mFS), intraventricular hemorrhage score, and IPH volume were also measured, as applicable. We calculated the accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of these radiographic features for the coprimary outcomes of elevated ICP (> 20 mm Hg) at the time of EVD placement and at any time during the hospital stay. Multivariable backward stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to identify significant radiographic factors associated with elevated ICP. RESULTS: Of 608 patients with intracranial hemorrhages enrolled during the study time frame, 243 (40%) received an EVD and 165 (n = 107 SAH, n = 58 IPH) had a preplacement head CT scan available for rating. Elevated opening pressure and elevated ICP during hospitalization were recorded in 48 of 152 (29%) and 103 of 165 (62%), respectively. The presence of ≥ 1 radiographic feature had only 32% accuracy for identifying elevated opening pressure (PPV 30%, NPV 58%, area under the curve [AUC] 0.537, 95% asymptotic confidence interval [CI] 0.436-0.637, P = 0.466) and 59% accuracy for predicting elevated ICP during hospitalization (PPV 63%, NPV 40%, AUC 0.514, 95% asymptotic CI 0.391-0.638, P = 0.820). There was no significant association between the number of radiographic features and ICP elevation. Head CT scans without any features suggestive of elevated ICP occurred in 25 of 165 (15%) patients. However, 10 of 25 (40%) of these patients had elevated opening pressure, and 15 of 25 (60%) had elevated ICP during their hospital stay. In multivariable models, mFS (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.36, 95% CI 1.10-1.68) and global cerebral edema (aOR 2.93, 95% CI 1.27-6.75) were significantly associated with elevated ICP; however, their accuracies were only 69% and 60%, respectively. All other individual radiographic features had accuracies between 38 and 58% for identifying intracranial hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: More than 50% of patients with spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage without radiographic features suggestive of elevated ICP actually had ICP > 20 mm Hg during EVD placement or their hospital stay. Morphological head CT findings were only 32% and 59% accurate in identifying elevated opening pressure and ICP elevation during hospitalization, respectively.

Trajectories of Neurologic Recovery 12 Months After Hospitalization for COVID-19: A Prospective Longitudinal Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Little is known about trajectories of recovery 12 months after hospitalization for severe COVID-19. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, longitudinal cohort study of patients with and without neurologic complications during index hospitalization for COVID-19 from March 10, 2020, to May 20, 2020. Phone follow-up batteries were performed at 6 and 12 months after COVID-19 onset. The primary 12-month outcome was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score comparing patients with or without neurologic complications using multivariable ordinal analysis. Secondary outcomes included activities of daily living (Barthel Index), telephone Montreal Cognitive Assessment (t-MoCA), and Quality of Life in Neurologic Disorders (Neuro-QoL) batteries for anxiety, depression, fatigue, and sleep. Changes in outcome scores from 6 to 12 months were compared using nonparametric paired-samples sign test. RESULTS: Twelve-month follow-up was completed in 242 patients (median age 65 years, 64% male, 34% intubated during hospitalization) and 174 completed both 6- and 12-month follow-up. At 12 months, 197/227 (87%) had ≥1 abnormal metric: mRS >0 (75%), Barthel Index <100 (64%), t-MoCA ≤18 (50%), high anxiety (7%), depression (4%), fatigue (9%), or poor sleep (10%). Twelve-month mRS scores did not differ significantly among those with (n = 113) or without (n = 129) neurologic complications during hospitalization after adjusting for age, sex, race, pre-COVID-19 mRS, and intubation status (adjusted OR 1.4, 95% CI 0.8-2.5), although those with neurologic complications had higher fatigue scores (T score 47 vs 44; p = 0.037). Significant improvements in outcome trajectories from 6 to 12 months were observed in t-MoCA scores (56% improved, median difference 1 point; p = 0.002) and Neuro-QoL anxiety scores (45% improved; p = 0.003). Nonsignificant improvements occurred in fatigue, sleep, and depression scores in 48%, 48%, and 38% of patients, respectively. Barthel Index and mRS scores remained unchanged between 6 and 12 months in >50% of patients. DISCUSSION: At 12 months after hospitalization for severe COVID-19, 87% of patients had ongoing abnormalities in functional, cognitive, or Neuro-QoL metrics and abnormal cognition persisted in 50% of patients without a history of dementia/cognitive abnormality. Only fatigue severity differed significantly between patients with or without neurologic complications during index hospitalization. However, significant improvements in cognitive (t-MoCA) and anxiety (Neuro-QoL) scores occurred in 56% and 45% of patients, respectively, between 6 and 12 months. These results may not be generalizable to those with mild or moderate COVID-19.

A prospective study of long-term outcomes among hospitalized COVID-19 patients with and without neurological complications.

BACKGROUND: Little is known regarding long-term outcomes of patients hospitalized with COVID-19. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study of 6-month outcomes of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Patients with new neurological complications during hospitalization who survived were propensity score-matched to COVID-19 survivors without neurological complications hospitalized during the same period. The primary 6-month outcome was multivariable ordinal analysis of the modified Rankin Scale(mRS) comparing patients with or without neurological complications. Secondary outcomes included: activities of daily living (ADLs;Barthel Index), telephone Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Neuro-QoL batteries for anxiety, depression, fatigue and sleep. RESULTS: Of 606 COVID-19 patients with neurological complications, 395 survived hospitalization and were matched to 395 controls; N = 196 neurological patients and N = 186 controls completed follow-up. Overall, 346/382 (91%) patients had at least one abnormal outcome: 56% had limited ADLs, 50% impaired cognition, 47% could not return to work and 62% scored worse than average on ≥1 Neuro-QoL scale (worse anxiety 46%, sleep 38%, fatigue 36%, and depression 25%). In multivariable analysis, patients with neurological complications had worse 6-month mRS (median 4 vs. 3 among controls, adjusted OR 1.98, 95%CI 1.23-3.48, P = 0.02), worse ADLs (aOR 0.38, 95%CI 0.29-0.74, P = 0.01) and were less likely to return to work than controls (41% versus 64%, P = 0.04). Cognitive and Neuro-QOL metrics were similar between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Abnormalities in functional outcomes, ADLs, anxiety, depression and sleep occurred in over 90% of patients 6-months after hospitalization for COVID-19. In multivariable analysis, patients with neurological complications during index hospitalization had significantly worse 6-month functional outcomes than those without.

Toxic Metabolic Encephalopathy in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Toxic metabolic encephalopathy (TME) has been reported in 7-31% of hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, some reports include sedation-related delirium and few data exist on the etiology of TME. We aimed to identify the prevalence, etiologies, and mortality rates associated with TME in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-positive patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, multicenter, observational cohort study among patients with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection hospitalized at four New York City hospitals in the same health network between March 1, 2020, and May 20, 2020. TME was diagnosed in patients with altered mental status off sedation or after an adequate sedation washout. Patients with structural brain disease, seizures, or primary neurological diagnoses were excluded. The coprimary outcomes were the prevalence of TME stratified by etiology and in-hospital mortality (excluding comfort care only patients) assessed by using a multivariable time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models with adjustment for age, race, sex, intubation, intensive care unit requirement, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores, hospital location, and date of admission. RESULTS: Among 4491 patients with COVID-19, 559 (12%) were diagnosed with TME, of whom 435 of 559 (78%) developed encephalopathy immediately prior to hospital admission. The most common etiologies were septic encephalopathy (n = 247 of 559 [62%]), hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) (n = 331 of 559 [59%]), and uremia (n = 156 of 559 [28%]). Multiple etiologies were present in 435 (78%) patients. Compared with those without TME (n = 3932), patients with TME were older (76 vs. 62 years), had dementia (27% vs. 3%) or psychiatric history (20% vs. 10%), were more often intubated (37% vs. 20%), had a longer hospital length of stay (7.9 vs. 6.0 days), and were less often discharged home (25% vs. 66% [all P < 0.001]). Excluding comfort care patients (n = 267 of 4491 [6%]) and after adjustment for confounders, TME remained associated with increased risk of in-hospital death (n = 128 of 425 [30%] patients with TME died, compared with n = 600 of 3799 [16%] patients without TME; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.52, P = 0.031), and TME due to hypoxemia conferred the highest risk (n = 97 of 233 [42%] patients with HIE died, compared with n = 631 of 3991 [16%] patients without HIE; aHR 1.56, 95% CI 1.21-2.00, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: TME occurred in one in eight hospitalized patients with COVID-19, was typically multifactorial, and was most often due to hypoxemia, sepsis, and uremia. After we adjustment for confounding factors, TME was associated with a 24% increased risk of in-hospital mortality.

Anticoagulation use and Hemorrhagic Stroke in SARS-CoV-2 Patients Treated at a New York Healthcare System.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: While the thrombotic complications of COVID-19 have been well described, there are limited data on clinically significant bleeding complications including hemorrhagic stroke. The clinical characteristics, underlying stroke mechanism, and outcomes in this particular subset of patients are especially salient as therapeutic anticoagulation becomes increasingly common in the treatment and prevention of thrombotic complications of COVID-19. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with hemorrhagic stroke (both non-traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage and spontaneous non-aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage) who were hospitalized between March 1, 2020, and May 15, 2020, within a major healthcare system in New York, during the coronavirus pandemic. Patients with hemorrhagic stroke on admission and who developed hemorrhage during hospitalization were both included. We compared the clinical characteristics of patients with hemorrhagic stroke and COVID-19 to those without COVID-19 admitted to our hospital system between March 1, 2020, and May 15, 2020 (contemporary controls), and March 1, 2019, and May 15, 2019 (historical controls). Demographic variables and clinical characteristics between the individual groups were compared using Fischer's exact test for categorical variables and nonparametric test for continuous variables. We adjusted for multiple comparisons using the Bonferroni method. RESULTS: During the study period in 2020, out of 4071 patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19, we identified 19 (0.5%) with hemorrhagic stroke. Of all COVID-19 with hemorrhagic stroke, only three had isolated non-aneurysmal SAH with no associated intraparenchymal hemorrhage. Among hemorrhagic stroke in patients with COVID-19, coagulopathy was the most common etiology (73.7%); empiric anticoagulation was started in 89.5% of these patients versus 4.2% in contemporary controls (p ≤ .001) and 10.0% in historical controls (p ≤ .001). Compared to contemporary and historical controls, patients with COVID-19 had higher initial NIHSS scores, INR, PTT, and fibrinogen levels. Patients with COVID-19 also had higher rates of in-hospital mortality (84.6% vs. 4.6%, p ≤ 0.001). Sensitivity analyses excluding patients with strictly subarachnoid hemorrhage yielded similar results. CONCLUSION: We observed an overall low rate of imaging-confirmed hemorrhagic stroke among patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Most hemorrhages in patients with COVID-19 infection occurred in the setting of therapeutic anticoagulation and were associated with increased mortality. Further studies are needed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of therapeutic anticoagulation in patients with COVID-19.

A Prospective Study of Neurologic Disorders in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19 in New York City.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and associated mortality of well-defined neurologic diagnoses among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we prospectively followed hospitalized severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-positive patients and recorded new neurologic disorders and hospital outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, multicenter, observational study of consecutive hospitalized adults in the New York City metropolitan area with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. The prevalence of new neurologic disorders (as diagnosed by a neurologist) was recorded and in-hospital mortality and discharge disposition were compared between patients with COVID-19 with and without neurologic disorders. RESULTS: Of 4,491 patients with COVID-19 hospitalized during the study timeframe, 606 (13.5%) developed a new neurologic disorder in a median of 2 days from COVID-19 symptom onset. The most common diagnoses were toxic/metabolic encephalopathy (6.8%), seizure (1.6%), stroke (1.9%), and hypoxic/ischemic injury (1.4%). No patient had meningitis/encephalitis or myelopathy/myelitis referable to SARS-CoV-2 infection and 18/18 CSF specimens were reverse transcriptase PCR negative for SARS-CoV-2. Patients with neurologic disorders were more often older, male, white, hypertensive, diabetic, intubated, and had higher sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores (all p < 0.05). After adjusting for age, sex, SOFA scores, intubation, history, medical complications, medications, and comfort care status, patients with COVID-19 with neurologic disorders had increased risk of in-hospital mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17-1.62, p < 0.001) and decreased likelihood of discharge home (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.63-0.85, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Neurologic disorders were detected in 13.5% of patients with COVID-19 and were associated with increased risk of in-hospital mortality and decreased likelihood of discharge home. Many observed neurologic disorders may be sequelae of severe systemic illness.

Protocolized Urine Sampling is Associated with Reduced Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infections: A Pre- and Postintervention Study.

BACKGROUND: Standard urine sampling and testing techniques do not mitigate against detection of colonization, resulting in false positive catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI). We aimed to evaluate whether a novel protocol for urine sampling and testing reduces rates of CAUTI. METHODS: A preintervention and postintervention study with a contemporaneous control group was conducted at 2 campuses (test and control) of the same academic medical center. The test campus implemented a protocol requiring urinary catheter removal prior to urine sampling from a new catheter or sterile straight catheterization, along with urine bacteria and pyuria screening prior to culture. Primary outcomes were test campus CAUTI rates, compared between each 9-month pre- and postintervention epoch. Secondary outcomes included the percent reductions in CAUTI rates, compared between the test campus and a propensity score-matched cohort at the control campus. RESULTS: A total of 7991 patients from the test campus were included in the primary analysis, and 4264 were included in the propensity score-matched secondary analysis. In the primary analysis, the number of CAUTI cases per 1000 patients was reduced by 77% (6.6 to 1.5), the number of CAUTI cases per 1000 catheter days was reduced by 63% (5.9 to 2.2), and the number of urinary catheter days per patient was reduced by 37% (1.1 to 0.69; all P values ≤ .001). In the propensity score-matched analysis, the number of CAUTI cases per 1000 patients was reduced by 82% at the test campus, versus 57% at the control campus; the number of CAUTI cases per 1000 catheter days declined by 68% versus 57%, respectively; and the number of urinary catheter days per patient decreased by 44% versus 1%, respectively (all P values < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Protocolized urine sampling and testing aimed at minimizing contamination by colonization was associated with significantly reduced CAUTI infection rates and urinary catheter days.

Keeping the team together: Transformation of an inpatient neurology service at an urban, multi-ethnic, safety net hospital in New York City during COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically affected the operations of New York City hospitals during March and April of 2020. This article describes the transformation of a neurology division at a 450-bed tertiary care hospital in a multi-ethnic community in Brooklyn during this initial wave of COVID-19. In lieu of a mass redeployment of staff to internal medicine teams, we report a novel method for a neurology division to participate in a hospital's expansion of care for patients with COVID-19 while maintaining existing team structures and their inherent supervisory and interpersonal support mechanisms.

Prevalence and Impact of Hyponatremia in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 in New York City.

OBJECTIVES: Hyponatremia occurs in up to 30% of patients with pneumonia and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of hyponatremia associated with coronavirus disease 2019 and the impact on outcome is unknown. We aimed to identify the prevalence, predictors, and impact on outcome of mild, moderate, and severe admission hyponatremia compared with normonatremia among coronavirus disease 2019 patients. DESIGN: Retrospective, multicenter, observational cohort study. SETTING: Four New York City hospitals that are part of the same health network. PATIENTS: Hospitalized, laboratory-confirmed adult coronavirus disease 2019 patients admitted between March 1, 2020, and May 13, 2020. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Hyponatremia was categorized as mild (sodium: 130-134 mmol/L), moderate (sodium: 121-129 mmol/L), or severe (sodium: ≤ 120 mmol/L) versus normonatremia (135-145 mmol/L). The primary outcome was the association of increasing severity of hyponatremia and in-hospital mortality assessed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Secondary outcomes included encephalopathy, acute renal failure, mechanical ventilation, and discharge home compared across sodium levels using Kruskal-Wallis and chi-square tests. In exploratory analysis, the association of sodium levels and interleukin-6 levels (which has been linked to nonosmotic release of vasopressin) was assessed. Among 4,645 patient encounters, hyponatremia (sodium < 135 mmol/L) occurred in 1,373 (30%) and 374 of 1,373 (27%) required invasive mechanical ventilation. Mild, moderate, and severe hyponatremia occurred in 1,032 (22%), 305 (7%), and 36 (1%) patients, respectively. Each level of worsening hyponatremia conferred 43% increased odds of in-hospital death after adjusting for age, gender, race, body mass index, past medical history, admission laboratory abnormalities, admission Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score, renal failure, encephalopathy, and mechanical ventilation (adjusted odds ratio, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.08-1.88; p = 0.012). Increasing severity of hyponatremia was associated with encephalopathy, mechanical ventilation, and decreased probability of discharge home (all p < 0.001). Higher interleukin-6 levels correlated with lower sodium levels (p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Hyponatremia occurred in nearly a third of coronavirus disease 2019 patients, was an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality, and was associated with increased risk of encephalopathy and mechanical ventilation.

An audit of the outcomes of the College of Surgeons general surgery final examinations.

BACKGROUND: An audit of the Fellowship of the College of Surgeons (FCS) of South Africa examination results has not been previously performed. The purpose of this study was to review and determine any predictors of outcome (pass or fail). METHODS: The results of the FCS(SA) final examinations from October 2005 to and including October 2014, were retrieved from the College of Medicine of South Africa database. The current format of the examinations consists of two written essay question papers, an objectively structured clinical examination (OSCE), two clinical cases and two oral examinations. These were retrospectively reviewed and analysed. Predictors of failure or success were determined. RESULTS: During the 10-year study period, 472 candidates attempted the examinations. A total of 388 (82%) candidates were successful in the written component of the examination and were subsequently invited to participate in the clinical component of the examinations. Overall, 296 (63%) candidates passed and 176 (37%) failed. There were 51 candidates who were invited to the oral examinations despite an average of less than 50% in the two papers, and 34 (67%) failed the overall examination. Similarly, 126 candidates were invited having failed one of the two papers of which 81 (64%) ultimately failed. A total of 49 candidates failed the OSCE, 82% of these candidates failed overall. There were strong correlations between the averages of the papers versus the orals (Spearman ρ = 0.51), the papers versus the cases (Spearman ρ = 0.50), and the papers versus the OSCE (Spearman ρ = 0.55). CONCLUSION: The written papers are the main determinant of invitation to the second part of the examination. Candidates with marginal scores in the written component had an overall failure rate of 67%. Failing one paper and passing the other, resulted in an overall failure rate of 64%. Failing the OSCE resulted in an overall 82% failure rate. With the high failure rate of candidates with marginal scores and with the inter-examination variability of the papers, it might be prudent to revisit both the process of invitation selection and the decision to continue with the long-form of the written component.

Pediatric Asthma Control and Communication Instrument: translation into Portuguese and cross-cultural adaptation for use in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To translate the Pediatric Asthma Control and Communication Instrument (PACCI) to Portuguese and adapt it for use in Brazil, ensuring the cultural validity of the content and semantic equivalence of the target version. METHODS: The Brazilian Portuguese-language version of the PACCI was developed according to the most commonly used methodology, which included the following steps: translation; synthesis of the translation; review by the author of the original questionnaire; back-translation; synthesis of the back-translation; review by a native external researcher who is a native speaker of English; approval of the author of the original questionnaire; review by a specialist in Portuguese; review by a multidisciplinary committee of experts to determine the agreement of the items, considering the clarity of each and its appropriateness in the cultural context; cognitive debriefing; and development of the final version. The cognitive debriefing involved 31 parents/legal guardians of children 1-21 years of age with a clinical diagnosis of asthma, as defined by the Global Initiative for Asthma, with the objective of determining the comprehensibility and clarity of the items for the target population. RESULTS: The multidisciplinary committee of experts indicated that the items on the questionnaire were clear and comprehensible, with kappa values above 0.61, indicating substantial agreement. In the cognitive debriefing, the parents/legal guardians presented no difficulties in understanding any of the items (agreement > 0.90); therefore, no further changes were needed. CONCLUSIONS: The translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the PACCI for use in Brazil were successful.

Examining Childhood Obesity From Infancy: The Relationship Between Tummy Time, Infant BMI-z, Weight Gain, and Motor Development-An Exploratory Study.

INTRODUCTION: This exploratory study investigated the infant time spent in tummy time (TT) in relation to body mass index z score (BMI-z), weight gain, and motor development in infants from birth to 4 months. METHOD: Mothers and their infants were telephone surveyed at 2 and 4 months. Mother demographics; TT; feeding practices; and infant length, and height, and development were collected each time. RESULTS: Results from Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel and single logistic regression showed a significant association between development, level of BMI-z, and time spent in TT at 2 months of age (p < .0001). The threshold model showed there was a decline in BMI-z at 4 months as daily time in TT increases past the threshold value of approximately 12 minutes per day. Mother education and TT at 2 months were significant predictors of BMI-z at 4 months. DISCUSSION: Study outcomes suggest that infant positioning and time in TT promote infant motor development and may moderate rapid infant weight gain.

Pediatric Asthma Control and Communication Instrument: translation into Portuguese and cross-cultural adaptation for use in Brazil / Pediatric Asthma Control and Communication Instrument: tradução e adaptação transcultural para a língua portuguesa falada no Brasil

ABSTRACT Objective: To translate the Pediatric Asthma Control and Communication Instrument (PACCI) to Portuguese and adapt it for use in Brazil, ensuring the cultural validity of the content and semantic equivalence of the target version. Methods: The Brazilian Portuguese-language version of the PACCI was developed according to the most commonly used methodology, which included the following steps: translation; synthesis of the translation; review by the author of the original questionnaire; back-translation; synthesis of the back-translation; review by a native external researcher who is a native speaker of English; approval of the author of the original questionnaire; review by a specialist in Portuguese; review by a multidisciplinary committee of experts to determine the agreement of the items, considering the clarity of each and its appropriateness in the cultural context; cognitive debriefing; and development of the final version. The cognitive debriefing involved 31 parents/legal guardians of children 1-21 years of age with a clinical diagnosis of asthma, as defined by the Global Initiative for Asthma, with the objective of determining the comprehensibility and clarity of the items for the target population. Results: The multidisciplinary committee of experts indicated that the items on the questionnaire were clear and comprehensible, with kappa values above 0.61, indicating substantial agreement. In the cognitive debriefing, the parents/legal guardians presented no difficulties in understanding any of the items (agreement > 0.90); therefore, no further changes were needed. Conclusions: The translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the PACCI for use in Brazil were successful.

RESUMO Objetivo: Realizar a tradução e a adaptação transcultural do Pediatric Asthma Control and Communication Instrument (PACCI) para o contexto da população brasileira, e assegurar a validade de conteúdo e equivalência semântica da versão adaptada. Métodos: A versão do PACCI para a língua portuguesa falada no Brasil foi desenvolvida de acordo com a metodologia mais comumente utilizada, que incluiu as seguintes etapas: tradução; síntese da tradução; revisão de um pesquisador nativo de língua inglesa; tradução reversa; síntese da tradução reversa; revisão de um pesquisador nativo de língua inglesa; apreciação do autor do questionário original; revisão por especialista em língua portuguesa; revisão do comitê multiprofissional de especialistas para verificar a concordância dos itens, considerando a clareza e a adequação dos itens ao contexto cultural; desdobramento cognitivo; e desenvolvimento da versão final. O desdobramento cognitivo foi realizado com 31 pais/responsáveis por crianças e adolescentes de 1-21 anos, com diagnóstico clínico de asma de acordo com a Global Initiative for Asthma, com o objetivo de verificar a compreensão e a clareza dos itens na população-alvo. Resultados: O comitê multiprofissional de especialistas indicou que os itens do questionário se apresentaram claros e compreensíveis, com valores de kappa superiores a 0,61, indicando concordância substancial. Considerando o procedimento de desdobramento cognitivo, os pais/responsáveis não apresentaram dificuldades de compreensão (concordância > 0,90) não havendo necessidade de modificações da versão final em português. Conclusões: O PACCI apresenta-se adequadamente traduzido e transculturalmente adaptado para uso na população brasileira.

Surgical resources in South Africa: a review of the number of functional operating theatres.

BACKGROUND: Surgery has previously been neglected as a development initiative, despite the obvious effect of surgical illnesses on morbidity and mortality. Recently, greater attention has been given to surgical services, as there is growing evidence of cost-effectiveness of surgical interventions. Operating theatre numbers have been used as a measure of surgical capacity, despite there being limitations associated with this use of this metric. This study aims to analyse part of the surgical resources in South Africa. METHODS: A descriptive analysis of surgical infrastructure in all nine provinces was performed. The total number of functional operating theatres was documented for all public and private hospitals in South Africa. Hospitals were contacted during the period from 1 October 2014 until 31 December 2014. RESULTS: The results showed 3.59 operating theatres per 100 000 population. This fell below the global average of 6.2 operating theatres per 100 000 as well as other developed countries. Theatres were concentrated in metropolitan areas, and there were a greater number of private operating theatres per insured population than in the uninsured public sector. CONCLUSION: Strengthening surgical systems will reduce the surgical burden of disease and improve health outcomes globally. Little is known about the available surgical resources such as operating theatre density, although using this metric to evaluate surgical capacity has its limitations.

Where are general surgeons located in South Africa?

BACKGROUND: Human resources are the backbone of health-care delivery systems and the lack of surgical workforce in developing countries is often the greatest challenge to providing surgical care. The workforce availability and composition is an important indicator of the strength of the health system. This study aimed to analyse the distribution of general surgeons within South Africa. METHOD: A descriptive analysis of the general surgical workforce in South Africa was performed. The total number of specialist and non-specialist general surgeons working in the public sector in South Africa was documented between the periods from the 1 October 2014 until 31 December 2014. RESULTS: There were significant disparities in the number and distribution of general surgeons in South Africa. There were 1.78 specialist general surgeons per 100 000, of which 0.69 per 100 000 specialist general surgeons were working in the public sector. There were 2.90 non-specialist general surgeons per 100 000. There were 6 specialist general surgeons per 100 000 insured population working in the private sector, which is comparable with the United States (US). Urban provinces such as Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal had the largest number of specialist general surgeons per 100 000. These areas had the largest number of medical aid beneficiaries and nearly 60% of specialist general surgeons were estimated to work exclusively in the private sector. CONCLUSION: There was a major shortage of surgical providers in South Africa, and in particular the public sector.

Is regular exercise an effective strategy for weight loss maintenance?

Weight regain after weight loss is one of the most significant challenges to successful obesity treatment. Regular exercise has long been touted as a strategy for weight loss maintenance, but the lack of clear evidence in clinical trials has caused some to question its effectiveness. In this review, we present the arguments both questioning and in support of exercise as an obesity therapeutic. Our purpose is to bring clarity to the literature, present a unified perspective, and identify the gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed in future studies. Critical questions remain including sex differences, individual variability and compensatory behaviors in response to exercise, exercise adherence, the role of energy flux and the molecular mechanisms mediating the beneficial effects of exercise after weight loss and during weight regain. Future research should focus on these critical questions to provide a more complete understanding of the potential benefits of exercise on weight loss maintenance.

A retrospective evaluation of the Modified Alvarado Score for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in HIV-infected patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the diagnostic value of a Modified Alvarado Score (MAS) ≥7 for acute appendicitis in both Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-negative (HIVneg) and positive (HIVpos) patientcohorts. METHODS: This retrospective study included all HIV-tested patients undergoing appendectomy at a regional hospital from March 2010 to March 2011. The MAS was calculated for all patients, as well as for the HIVneg and HIVpos groups separately. Two subgroups were considered for each of these: MAS ≥7 (high likelihood of appendicitis) and MAS <7 (low likelihood of appendicitis). These subgroups were then analysed against histopathological findings of the resected appendix. MAS specificities and sensitivities were determined by comparing Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curves for the various scores. RESULTS: The study comprised 133 patients. Eighty-six (65%) were men and the median age was 20 years (range 4-64); 18 patients (14%) were HIVpos. Appendicitis was confirmed histologically in 113 patients, 100 in the HIVneg group and 13 in the HIVpos group. Specificity and sensitivity of a MAS ≥7 for HIVneg patients was 73 and 85% respectively. Based on the ROC curves, HIVpos patients only showed similar sensitivities (69%) and specificities (80%) at a MAS ≥8. CONCLUSION: A MAS ≥7 is a reliable predictor of acute appendicitis in HIVneg patients. In HIVpos patients, the MAS threshold required to accurately predict appendicitis is 8. The use of a MAS ≥7 in this group of patients will result in unnecessary surgical intervention.

Surgical Resources in South Africa: An International Comparison and Deficit Calculation.

BACKGROUND: Surgical conditions lead to premature death and disability resulting in a massive economic burden. Contributing to this global crisis is the lack of data on the limited surgical infrastructure and workforce in many low- and middle-income countries. METHODS: This study involved a descriptive analysis of surgical resources in South Africa and included the total number of hospitals, number of hospital beds, number of surgical beds, number of general surgeons, and the number of functional operating theatres. All hospitals in South Africa were contacted between the 1 October 2014 and the 31 December 2014. An international comparison of South Africa's surgical resources was then made with several countries. RESULTS: The results showed one hospital per 100,000 population. There were 186.64 hospital beds, 41.55 surgical beds, 1.78 specialist general surgeons, 2.90 non-specialist general surgeons, and 3.59 operating theatres per 100,000 people in South Africa. These numbers fell far below international recommendations, as well as for developed countries such as the UK and USA. CONCLUSION: Strengthening surgical systems will reduce the surgical burden of disease and improve health outcomes globally. This description of surgical infrastructure and workforce provided insight into the surgical capacity of South Africa. Furthermore, this research provided a comparison of surgical resources between South Africa and the rest of the world.