A job task analysis of the authorised firearms officer - counter terrorism (AFO-CT) national role profile.

BACKGROUND: The Ministry of Defence Police recognised the requirement to develop a Physical Employment Standard (PES) for the Authorised Firearms Officer -Counter Terrorism (AFO-CT) role profile. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to conduct a job task analysis to identify the most critical and physically demanding tasks performed by AFO-CT personnel. METHODS: A focus group and online survey were undertaken to identify a list of job tasks. The down-selected job tasks were objectively monitored during training events to determine the most physically demanding tasks. Tasks were ranked by physical demand and additional factors (e.g., operational load, primary physical actions). Down-selected tasks were then included in a Subject Matter Experts (SME) task scenario generation workshop. The physiological demands of the resulting standardised scenarios were determined. RESULTS: The focus group (n = 11) identified 13 physically demanding and critical role-related tasks. The subsequent survey (n = 907) down-selected eight tasks with a 'moderate' demand or greater. Thirty AFO-CT personnel completed the eight tasks as part of routine training events. From the observed tasks, four tasks were down-selected and combined into two operationally relevant, reasonable worst-case standardised scenarios during a SME workshop. The two scenarios, 'Conduct Armed Search in the Open for an Active Shooter' and 'Victim Focussed Emergency Search' were used in subsequent phases of the research to form the basis of the AFO-CT PES. CONCLUSION: This research elucidated the most physically demanding job tasks within the AFO-CT role profile to inform the development of a MOD armed policing PES.

Development of a high sensitivity RT-PCR assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in individual and pooled nasopharyngeal samples.

The COVID-19 pandemic requires sensitive detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from samples to ensure accurate detection of infected patients, an essential component of effective national track and trace programs. Due to the scaling challenges of large sample numbers, sample pooling is an attractive solution to reduce both extraction and amplification reagent costs, if high sensitivity can be maintained. We demonstrate that the Erba Molecular ErbaMDx SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Kit (EM kit) delivers high sensitivity, achieving analytical detection of 5 copies/reaction SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA, and 200 copies/mL SARS-CoV-2 inactivated virus spiked into nasopharyngeal swab (NP) samples and extracted through workflow. Furthermore, the EM Kit demonstrates high sensitivity in both pooled (1 in 5) and non-pooled NP samples when compared to an FDA Emergency Use Authorization approved assay, following published FDA guidelines. These findings demonstrate that the EM Kit is suitable for sample pooling, with minimal impact on assay performance. As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, high sensitivity assays such as the EM Kit will have an important role in ensuring high throughput and sensitive testing using pooled samples can be maintained, delivering the most cost-effective sample extraction and amplification option for national test and trace programs.

Complications after transesophageal echocardiogram in pediatric patients with gastrostomy tube and/or Nissen fundoplication.

INTRODUCTION: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is frequently used in children with and without congenital heart disease when transthoracic echocardiography is inadequate for visualizing cardiac structures. Recent guidelines state relative contraindications of TEE include post-gastrostomy tube (GT) or Nissen fundoplication surgery. No data exist documenting the incidence of complications in this population after a TEE. Aim of this study was to document the incidence of abdominal complications after TEE in pediatric patients who previously had a GT or Nissen fundoplication. METHODS: Single institution retrospective study was performed evaluating patients from 2013 through 2020. Patients were included if they had previously undergone a GT or Nissen procedure and subsequently underwent a TEE procedure. Baseline demographics were obtained. Major (esophageal/gastric perforation, oropharyngeal dysphagia, GT displacement, and Nissen breakdown) and minor (abdominal pain, feeding intolerance, and GT leakage) complications were recorded. RESULTS: Total of 34 patients underwent 48 TEE procedures. Age was 6.2 ± 6.6 years (median 3.0 years, .4 - 23.0 years) and weight was 18.5 ± 14.8 kgs (median 12.4 kgs, 4.2 - 57.5 kg) at time of TEE. Twenty-nine patients had congenital heart disease. Five patients had a Nissen fundoplication, 14 patients had a GT, and 15 patients had both procedures prior to the TEE. No patient had a major abdominal complication after the TEE. One patient had abdominal pain (2.1%), one patient had feeding intolerance and leakage around the GT site (2.1%), and two patients had leakage around the GT site (4.2%) after the TEE. Patients that experienced complications were significantly younger (1.7 ± 1.1 years vs. 6.6 ± 6.7 years, P < .01) and weighed less (8.7 ± 3.5 kg vs. 20.1 ± 15.5 kg, P < .01) than those that had no complications. All minor complications resolved with minimal interventions required. CONCLUSION: In this study, major abdominal complications did not occur after a TEE procedure in pediatric patients that had previous abdominal surgeries. The incidence of minor complications was relatively low and was easily remedied in this patient population. Though a relative contraindication by guidelines, TEE imaging, including transgastric views, can be performed relatively safely in pediatric patients with prior abdominal surgeries if needed.

Consumption of New Zealand Blackcurrant Extract Improves Recovery from Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage in Non-Resistance Trained Men and Women: A Double-Blind Randomised Trial.

BACKGROUND: Blackcurrant is rich in anthocyanins that may protect against exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) and facilitate a faster recovery of muscle function. We examined the effects of New Zealand blackcurrant (NZBC) extract on indices of muscle damage and recovery following a bout of strenuous isokinetic resistance exercise. METHODS: Using a double-blind, randomised, placebo controlled, parallel design, twenty-seven healthy participants received either a 3 g·day-1 NZBC extract (n = 14) or the placebo (PLA) (n = 13) for 8 days prior to and 4 days following 60 strenuous concentric and eccentric contractions of the biceps brachii muscle on an isokinetic dynamometer. Muscle soreness (using a visual analogue scale), maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), range of motion (ROM) and blood creatine kinase (CK) were assessed before (0 h) and after (24, 48, 72 and 96 h) exercise. RESULTS: Consumption of NZBC extract resulted in faster recovery of baseline MVC (p = 0.04), attenuated muscle soreness at 24 h (NZBC: 21 ± 10 mm vs. PLA: 40 ± 23 mm, p = 0.02) and 48 h (NZBC: 22 ± 17 vs. PLA: 44 ± 26 mm, p = 0.03) and serum CK concentration at 96 h (NZBC: 635 ± 921 UL vs. PLA: 4021 ± 4319 UL, p = 0.04) following EIMD. CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of NZBC extract prior to and following a bout of eccentric exercise attenuates muscle damage and improves functional recovery. These findings are of practical importance in recreationally active and potentially athletic populations, who may benefit from accelerated recovery following EIMD.

Absent pulmonary valve or pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum: Which is it?

A fetal echocardiogram noted valvar pulmonary atresia vs critical pulmonary valve stenosis, confluent pulmonary arteries, patent ductus arteriosus, and an apical muscular ventricular septal defect vs coronary sinusoid. Postnatal echocardiogram documented an absent pulmonary valve, coronary artery fistula to the right ventricle, confluent pulmonary arteries, and a patent ductus arteriosus. Catheterization confirmed the postnatal echocardiographic findings except there was no antegrade flow from the right ventricle to the pulmonary arteries. Close evaluation of all imaging modalities revealed the final diagnosis of absent pulmonary valve with a double-chambered right ventricle with no egress from the right ventricle to pulmonary artery.

Heart Rate Variability is a Moderating Factor in the Workload-Injury Relationship of Competitive CrossFit™ Athletes.

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a popular tool for monitoring training adaptation and readiness in athletes, but it also has the potential to indicate early signs of somatic tissue overload prior to the onset of pain or fully developed injury. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the interaction between HRV, workloads, and risk of overuse problems in competitive CrossFit™ athletes. Daily resting HRV and workloads (duration × session-RPE) were recorded in six competitive CrossFit™ athletes across a 16 week period. The Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Overuse Injury Questionnaire was distributed weekly by e-mail. Acute-to-chronic workload ratios (ACWR) and the rolling 7-day average of the natural logarithm of the square root of the mean sum of the squared differences between R-R intervals (Ln rMSSDweek) were parsed into tertiles (low, moderate/normal, and high) based on within-individual z-scores. The interaction between Ln rMSSDweek and ACWR on overuse injury risk in the subsequent week was assessed using a generalized linear mixed-effects model and magnitude-based inferences. The risk of overuse problems was substantially increased when a 'low' Ln rMSSDweek was seen in combination with a 'high' ACWR (relative risk [RR]: 2.61, 90% CI: 1.38 - 4.93). In contrast, high ACWRs were well-tolerated when Ln rMSSDweek remained 'normal' or was 'high'. Monitoring HRV trends alongside workloads may provide useful information on an athlete's emerging global pattern to loading. HRV monitoring may therefore be used by practitioners to adjust and individualise training load prescriptions, in order to minimise overuse injury risk.

Ruptured myocardial abscess causing left ventricle to pulmonary artery communication in an infant with community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis.

Myocardial abscess perforation is an extremely rare complication of infective endocarditis. We present a case of a 12-month-old infant who developed community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia after an incision and drainage of a skin abscess. He subsequently developed septic emboli to the brain and lungs, and a myocardial cavity in the outlet portion of the interventricular septum. The cavity ruptured 4 days after diagnosis and created a left ventricle to pulmonary artery fistulous communication. The patient died secondary to embolic complications to the brain. We are not aware of any other cases of myocardial abscess rupture in this location of the heart, in a patient of this age, or due to infection with community-associated methicillin-resistant S aureus .

Unusual surgical repair of the Taussig-Bing heart: evaluation of complex anatomy in the adult with congenital heart disease with cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

Double outlet right ventricle is a heterogeneous congenital defect that encompasses a variety of anatomic aberrations and physiologic consequences. We describe the unusual cardiovascular magnetic resonance anatomic findings and sequelae of a 44-year-old man who underwent biventricular repair of double outlet right ventricle, subpulmonary type, which included tunneling of the ventricular septal defect to the pulmonary artery, right ventricular-to-pulmonary artery conduit and Damus-Kaye-Stansel procedure.

Echocardiographic parameters that predict outcome in aortic atresia patients undergoing comprehensive stage II procedure.

BACKGROUND: The hybrid procedure is one option for palliating patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. As experience increases with this palliation, the physiology and its influence on outcome can be better assessed. The goal of this study was to determine if echocardiographic parameters correlate with post-operative variables in patients with aortic atresia undergoing the comprehensive Stage II procedure. METHODS: Retrospective chart review on all patients with aortic atresia, who underwent the comprehensive Stage II procedure from January 2002 to December 2008, was performed. Echocardiographic indices were evaluated and correlations were made with peri-operative and hospital variables. Pair-wise Pearson's correlation tests were used to analyze the associations between continuous measures. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients met inclusion criteria. Age at comprehensive Stage II procedure was 0.45 ± 0.13 years and body surface area was 0.31 ± 0.04 m(2). Right ventricle (RV) percentage change was 45 ± 10%, eccentricity index was 1.96 ± 0.45, estimated systemic cardiac output was 7.68 ± 2.56 L/min/m(2) and estimated effective systemic cardiac output was 5.15 ± 2.24 L/min/m(2). Retrograde patent ductus arteriosu (PDA) velocity time integral (VTI) correlated with log pre-bypass lactate and maximum lactate (r = 0.53, 0.44). PDA regurgitant fraction correlated with log post-bypass lactate, length of intubation, and urine output on day four (r = 0.39, 0.46, -0.37). RV percentage change correlated with log pre-bypass lactate, and urine output on days four and five (r =-0.38, 0.43, 0.54). No echocardiographic parameter predicted renal or liver insufficiency, dialysis, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use, or hospital death. CONCLUSION: Retrograde PDA VTI and RV percent change correlated with some peri-operative variables though no echocardiographic parameter was associated with any major morbidities or mortality. Newer echocardiographic techniques may better predict comprehensive stage II outcomes.

Interstage echocardiographic changes in patients undergoing hybrid stage I palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The hybrid procedure is an alternative for initial palliation for patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. No echocardiographic data exist for the interstage (IS) period. The goal of this study was to describe the echocardiographic changes during this period. METHODS: A chart review was performed on patients discharged from the hospital with the diagnosis of hypoplastic left heart syndrome who underwent hybrid palliation. Echocardiograms at hospital discharge (post-hybrid), before and after any IS interventions, and before comprehensive stage II procedure were reviewed. Distal right pulmonary artery (RPA) and left pulmonary artery (LPA) velocity, slope, velocity time integral (VTI), pressure halftime (p1/2), pulsatility index (PI), and systolic/diastolic (S/D) ratio of the waveforms were recorded. Atrial septal defect (ASD) mean gradient, ductus arteriosus peak velocity, retro-aortic arch peak velocity, tricuspid regurgitation (TR), and right ventricular function were documented. Exploratory hypotheses were tested with chi-square and t tests. Stepwise logistic regression was used to identify any multiple sets of relatively independent variables. RESULTS: Thirty patients met inclusion criteria. Fourteen patients underwent 22 different interventions at the atrial septum, ductus arteriosus, or retro-aortic arch in the IS period. Baseline ASD gradient (P = .012) and ductus arteriosus velocity (P = .002) predicted an IS intervention. There were significant differences in LPA and RPA VTI (P = .011, .03), p1/2 (P = .038, .008), and S/D (P = .012, .033); RPA slope (P = .013); ASD gradient (P = .003); ductus arteriosus velocity (P = .021); and TR (P = .031) before and after an intervention. There were significant differences in post-hybrid versus pre-comprehensive stage II LPA and RPA VTI (P = .009, .022), PI (P = .031, .022), and peak velocity (P = .004, .037); RPA S/D (P = .025) and p1/2 (P = .029); ductus arteriosus velocity (P < .001); retro-aortic arch peak velocity (P = .035); and ASD mean gradient (P < .001). Pre-comprehensive stage II function tended to predict death (P = .085). CONCLUSION: Echocardiographic parameters help predict IS course and guide clinical therapy for this patient population.

The effect of common origin of the carotid arteries in neurologic outcome after neonatal ECMO.

BACKGROUND: Common origin of the carotid arteries (COCA) is a normal anatomic variant reported to occur in approximately 11% of the general population. The objective of this study was to determine whether this variant places venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) patients at a higher risk for adverse neurologic sequelae owing to potential occlusion of both carotid arteries by the arterial cannula. METHODS: The authors reviewed clinical records and echocardiograms of the initial 220 ECMO patients at their institution. Aortic arch morphology was determined by a pediatric cardiologist blinded to all other data. After exclusion of predetermined patients, 131 patients were divided into 2 groups: those with separate origin of the carotid arteries (n = 111) and those with COCA (n = 20). The neurologic outcome variables studied included the results of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); computed tomography (CT); electroencephalogram (EEG); brainstem auditory-evoked response (BAER), head ultrasound scan, and Bayley Scales of Infant Development reported as Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI) and Mental Developmental Index (MDI). RESULTS: COCA had no predictive value in determining PDI and MDI outcomes and no significance in predicting an increased risk of adverse neurologic sequelae based on MRI, CT, EEG, BAER, or head ultrasound scan. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that COCA is a common aortic arch variant (15%, n = 20 of 131) and that this variant does not appear to increase the risk of neurologic injury in infants undergoing venoarterial ECMO.

An initiative to improve diabetes care standards in healthcare organizations serving minorities.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to assess changes of diabetes care standards in healthcare organizations that participated in 2-year initiative to improve diabetes care and expand outreach in minority communities. METHODS: An independent sample of the medical records of adults with type 2 diabetes was randomly drawn at 3 points of time (N = 829). Rates of compliance with 20 selected measures of standards of basic diabetes care were measured and compared over time. RESULTS: Significant improvements in compliance rates from baseline to the end point were found in 11 measures including annual hemoglobin A1C testing (65.8% to 76.3%), annual lipid profile (33.8% to 49.1%), and biannual lower extremity examination (40.0% to 56.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Improvements in diabetes care were credited with giving providers feedback on their compliance and increasing support of patient self-care, especially through tailoring outreach and services to minorities.