Taxonomy development for term standardization in activity resulting from medication review processes: a Delphi study.

BACKGROUND: Medication review (MR) is the systematic assessment of a patient's medications for safety and effectiveness by a healthcare professional. The language used to describe MR activity, such as stopped medicine and increased dose, should be consistent across studies to assist researchers compare how different services operate and identify their mechanism of impact. AIM: To develop an international taxonomy of standardized terms and activity definitions related to medication reviews. METHOD: This was a three-stage Delphi-based consensus study with international medication review experts. A systematic review provided MR activity terms for the survey. Experts rated their consensus on each activity term and its definition on a Likert scale and provided written feedback. The consensus was 75% panel agreement. At each stage, consensus elements were retained, and feedback was used to revise definitions. RESULTS: Seven experts were recruited for the study (response rate 15.2%) from four countries: the United Kingdom (n = 4), New Zealand (n = 1), Australia (n = 1), and Malaysia (n = 1). The following terms achieved consensus: the term Medication as a descriptor for MR terms; discontinue medication, start medication, dose increase, dose decrease, dosage form change, and medication safety and efficacy monitor to describe MR activity; Educate to describe the delivery of healthcare professionals and patients/carers education. CONCLUSION: Standardized medication review activity terms and definitions have been selected for universal adoption in all future MR research to facilitate a meaningful comparison of process evaluations within different settings.

Spinopelvic In Situ Fixation and Early Mobilization: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Pelvic fractures with sacroiliac extension are significant and complicated orthopedic injuries that pose a challenge in management and favorable outcomes. A 50-year-old obese female presented after a motor vehicle accident with pelvic fracture lateral compression. The patient underwent anterior external fixation with a left sacroiliac screw (SIS) on the next day of admission and was kept in a non-weight-bearing state. During her hospital stay, she developed deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and was treated. During the follow-up on the sixth week, the patient was not complying with her immobilization instructions and was exposing the left lower limb to weight bearing. The radiologic evaluation demonstrated a pulled-out SIS with a stable fracture. Considering that the patient was obese, had a history of DVT and COVID-19 infection, and the fracture was minimally displaced, it was decided to perform a spinopelvic in-situ fixation from L4 to S2 and augment it with a left SIS. The patient tolerated the surgery well and was referred to physiotherapy for early mobilization with full weight bearing. During her six-month and two-year follow-ups, she was well mobilized with no active complaints, and radiographic studies showed good healing, no displacement, no signs of instability, and a stable construct. Our case report presents a very rare and difficult but successful management of a fracture displacement in a non-compliant patient with one pulled-out screw through fast-tracked in situ spinopelvic fixation with early mobilization and full weight bearing. To our knowledge, this is one of the rare reports detailing a patient undergoing in situ spinopelvic fixation due to minimally displaced fracture with comorbidities such as obesity and DVT. Our report demonstrates the viability of accepting pulled-out screws, with respect to the patient's health, the fracture's geometry, a quick follow-up in situ spinopelvic fixation, early mobilization, full weight-bearing outcomes, and a lower risk for complications.

An Overview of Fluvoxamine and its Use in SARS-CoV-2 Treatment.

Fluvoxamine (FLV) is a well-tolerated, widely accessible antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) category. It was formerly used to reduce anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, and depression. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an enclosed ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus with a positive-sense RNA genome that belongs to the Coronaviridae family. Infection with SARS-CoV-2 causes clinical deterioration, increased hospitalization, morbidity, and death. As a result, the purpose of this research was to review FLV and its use in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2. FLV is a potent sigma-1 receptor (S1R) agonist that modulates inflammation by reducing mast cell downregulation, cytokine production, platelet aggregation, interfering with endolysosomal viral transport, and delaying clinical deterioration. FLV treatment reduced the requirement for hospitalization in high-risk outpatients with early identified coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), defined by detention in a COVID-19 emergency department or transfer to a tertiary hospital. In addition, FLV may reduce mortality and risk of hospital admission or death in patients with SARS-CoV-2. The most common adverse effect is nausea; other gastrointestinal symptoms, neurologic consequences, and suicidal thoughts may also occur. There is no evidence that FLV can treat children with SARS-CoV-2. Although FLV is not expected to increase the frequency of congenital abnormalities during pregnancy, this risk must be balanced with the potential benefit. More research is required to determine the effectiveness, dose, and mechanisms of action of FLV; however, FLV appears to offer significant promise as a safe and widely accessible drug that can be repurposed to reduce substantial morbidity and mortality due to SARS-CoV-2.