Development and validation of a scale to measure the gross anatomy preparedness of medical graduates / Desarrollo y validación de una escala para medir la preparación anatómica general de los graduados médicos

SUMMARY: Postgraduate refresher courses may address deficiencies in the gross anatomy preparedness of medical graduates. However, the literature does not offer a method to identify such deficiencies. Our aim is to develop and validate a scale to measure the gross anatomy preparedness of medical graduates. First, we defined gross anatomy preparedness (the construct) as "the benchmark of personal ability in gross anatomy against the standard required for clinical practice." Next, we conducted a literature search for extant items related to our definition. To develop our scale, we grouped the items under three headings: proficiency, preference, and pertinence. Finally, we constructed item-specific response anchors to "Likertize" the items. We recruited experts to validate the content and conducted cognitive interviews to validate the response process. To evaluate the internal structure and reliability of the scale, we invited a purposive sample of 120 surgery residents to complete the scale and explored the results of the pilot test using data reduction and reliability analysis. A total of 77 surgery residents completed the scale. Varimax-rotated principal components analysis revealed three components with eigenvalues greater than one, and the components explained 64 % of the total variance. The rotated solution was consistent with the original structure of the questionnaire. The components, which represented the proficiency, preference, and pertinence item sets, explained 25 %, 23 %, and 16 %, respectively, of the total variance. Cronbach's α coefficients for the item sets were 0.72, 0.71, and 0.61, respectively. We developed and validated a scale to measure the gross anatomy preparedness of medical graduates. In addition, we offer conceptual guidelines to help users interpret the results of the scale. Outcome data are required to substantiate the predictive validity of the scale.

RESUMEN: Los cursos de actualización de posgrado pueden abordar las deficiencias en la preparación de la anatomía macroscópica de los graduados médicos. Sin embargo, la literatura no ofrece un método para identificar tales deficiencias. Nuestro objetivo fue desarrollar y validar una escala para medir la preparación anatómica general de los graduados médicos. Primero, definimos la preparación para la anatomía macroscópica (el constructo) como "el punto de referencia de la capacidad personal en anatomía macroscópica frente al estándar requerido para la práctica clínica". A continuación, realizamos una búsqueda bibliográfica de elementos existentes relacionados con nuestra definición. Para desarrollar nuestra escala, agrupamos los ítems bajo tres encabezados: competencia, preferencia y pertinencia. Finalmente, construimos anclas de respuesta específicas del ítem para "dar me gusta" a los ítems. Reclutamos expertos para validar el contenido y realizamos entrevistas cognitivas para validar el proceso de respuesta. Para evaluar la estructura interna y la confiabilidad de la escala, invitamos a una muestra intencional de 120 residentes de cirugía a completar la escala y exploramos los resultados de la prueba piloto utilizando la reducción de datos y el análisis de confiabilidad. Un total de 77 residentes de cirugía completaron la escala. El análisis de componentes principales rotados con Varimax reveló tres componentes con valores propios mayores que uno, y los componentes explicaron el 64 % de la varianza total. La solución rotada fue consistente con la estructura original del cuestionario. Los componentes, que representaban los conjuntos de ítems de competencia, preferencia y pertinencia, explicaban el 25 %, el 23 % y el 16 %, respectivamente, de la varianza total. Los coeficientes de Cronbach para los conjuntos de elementos fueron 0,72, 0,71 y 0,61, respectivamente. Desarrollamos y validamos una escala para medir la preparación anatómica general de los graduados médicos. Además, ofrecemos pautas conceptuales para ayudar a los usuarios a interpretar los resultados de la escala. Se requieren datos de resultados para corroborar la validez predictiva de la escala.

Wound infiltration with bupivacaine 0.5% with or without adrenaline does not decrease pain after thyroidectomy. A randomized controlled study.

OBJECTIVES: To study the effect of local wound infiltration with and without adrenaline on pain perception after thyroidectomy using the visual analog score (VAS).  Methods: A prospective randomized controlled double-blinded study was conducted between May 2015 and June 2016 at The University of Jordan Hospital, Amman, Jordan. Eighty-nine patients undergoing planned thyroidectomy were included in the study. Patients were divided randomly into 3 groups: Group A, local wound infiltration with bupivacaine 0.5% was administered; Group B, bupivacaine 0.5% with adrenaline was administered; Group C (control), no infiltration was performed. Standardized thyroidectomies were performed in the 3 groups. Pain perception was measured using VAS at 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery. A comparison between the 3 groups was carried out. Results: No significant differences among the 3 groups were observed at all time points (p=0.246). Visual analog scores were significantly lower at 12 and 24 hours after operations.  Conclusion: Local wound infiltration with bupivacaine 0.5% does not decrease pain perception after thyroidectomy performed under general anesthesia, and adding adrenaline does not enhance its effect.

Comparison of ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve blocks and intravenous morphine for control of post-orchidopexy pain in pediatric ambulatory surgery.

BACKGROUND: The present study is a prospective randomized double-blinded study that designed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of postoperative pain control and incidence of complications between ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve block and intravenous morphine in paediatric patients undergoing unilateral orchidopexy in day surgery unit. METHODS: Seventy patients aged 2-12 years were randomly allocated to two groups of thirty five. One group received intravenous morphine 100 microgram/kg before skin incision and the other group had ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve block with 0.25 ml/kg bupivacaine 0.5% also before skin incision. All patients have received standardized anaesthesia. Postoperative pain was assessed using 0 - 10 scale at 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 postoperative hours, also the intraoperative fentanyl requirements, time to first postoperative analgesia, the total number of paracetamol doses and any extra analgesic requirements were recorded, side effects like respiratory depression, vomiting, itching, inguinal hematoma and lower limb weakness were assessed during the first 24 hours. RESULTS: Pain scores were significantly lower in the morphine group compared to the block group on admission and one hour after admission to the postanaesthesia care unit, no significant difference in pain score on 2nd, 3rd and 4th postoperative hours. The total number of intraoperative fentanyl doses was significantly higher in the block group compared to morphine group, there was no significant difference in the duration of analgesia, number of total paracetamol doses, need for extra analgesics in both groups over the 24 postoperative hours. None of the seventy patients experienced postoperative respiratory depression, inguinal hematoma or lower limb weakness, but significantly more patients in morphine group experienced vomiting and itching compared to the block group. CONCLUSION: Ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve block and intravenous morphine administered following general anaesthesia for unilateral orchidopexy in day surgery unit are safe and effective in controlling postoperative pain, morphine analgesia had a higher incidence of postoperative vomiting and itching.

Performance of chloride/phosphate test in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. Is it related to calcium level?

OBJECTIVE: To examine the sensitivity of the chloride/phosphate (Cl/PO4) ratio with a cut-off point of >33 as a diagnostic test for primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) in surgically proven patients, and its performance at different calcium levels. METHODS: This is a retrospective medical records based study. Data of 120 patients diagnosed with pHPT, already operated in the Department of Surgery, Cisanello Hospital, Pisa, Italy between March 2010 and June 2011 were reviewed. They were divided into 4 subgroups according to their calcium levels. The Cl/PO4 ratio was measured for each patient, with a cut-off point of 33, sensitivity of Cl/PO4 test was measured. Test sensitivity was calculated for each subgroup, and a correlation with the parathyroid hormone (PTH) level was investigated. Performance of the equation was tested for the normocalcemic patients with a suitable control group. RESULTS: The sensitivity of Cl/PO4 ratio for the whole group was 0.883 (0.809-0.932). The sensitivity was 0.9340 (0.857-0.973) for patients with serum calcium above normal levels. A similar result of 0.933 (0.830-0.978) was demonstrated for the subgroup with hypercalcemia <1 (mg/dL) above normal level. Normocalcemic patients constituted 24%; for this subgroup, the sensitivity test was 0.724 (0.562-0.887), specificity was 0.763 (0.628-0.898), positive predictive value was 0.700 (0.536-0.864), and negative predictive value was 0.784 (0.651-0.916). No correlation was identified between the performance of formula and serum PTH level. CONCLUSION: The Cl/PO4 test seems to be a good tool to anticipate pHPT and showed a fair performance in normocalcemic patients.

Isolated multiple bilateral thyroid metastases from prostatic adenocarcinoma: case report and literature review.

Solitary metastasis from prostate adenocarcinoma to thyroid gland is very rare and usually associated with other distal metastasis. This report describes for the first time isolated multiple bilateral thyroid metastasis from prostatic adenocarcinoma. A 67-year-old man who is known as a case of prostatic adenocarcinoma was admitted to a hospital as a case of a multinodular goiter on the basis of clinical and CT scan findings. Total thyroidectomy was performed and histopathology result showed adenomatous goiter containing bilateral metastatic prostatic adenocarcinoma. This is the first report of isolated multiple bilateral thyroid gland metastasis from prostatic adenocarcinoma without other distal metastasis. Such lesions are very rare and can be misdiagnosed, so high index of suspicion for thyroid metastasis should be always maintained in all oncology patients with isolated thyroid mass because early resection and thyroidectomy will change the prognosis for patient.

Recurrent right sublingual ranula, concomitant with ipsilateral submandibular salivary gland aplasia.

INTRODUCTION: Oral ranula is a retention cyst that arises from the salivary gland with recurrence rate of up to 25% after complete excision of ranula and up to 2% in case of complete excision of ranula and sublingual gland. Major salivary gland aplasia is a rare finding that is usually associated with other developmental anomalies. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We report a 15-year-old female patient presented with recurrent intraoral cystic swelling that was documented to be sublingual ranula. CT scan revealed also the absence of right submandibular salivary gland with persistence of its Whartons duct. This combination has never been reported previously. DISCUSSION: The combination of recurrent sublingual ranula associated with aplasia of ipsilateral submandibular salivary gland and persistence of Whartons duct has never been reported before in the literature, a finding that may provide the base for future research. CONCLUSION: Further research may prove similar associations between oral ranula and salivary gland aplasia, which may have clinical implications on diagnostic and management plan decisions.

New trends in the clinicopathological features of differentiated thyroid cancer in Central Jordan.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current trends in presentation and distribution of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) at the largest referral hospital for endocrine cancers in Central Jordan. METHODS: We analyzed the clinical features, management and outcome of 110 patients diagnosed with thyroid carcinoma at Jordan University Hospital, Amman, between 1996 and 2001. RESULTS: Papillary carcinoma was diagnosed in 87 patients (80%), follicular carcinoma in 3 patients (2.7%), Hurthle cell carcinoma in 8 patients (7.3%), medullary carcinoma in 5 (4.5%), and anaplastic carcinoma in 4 patients (3.6%), metastatic cancer in 2 patients and lymphoma in one patient. Time course analysis showed an increasing trend in surgery for thyroid cancer from 28 cases in 1986-1991 to 48 in 1996-2001. As time advanced, the incidence of locally invasive disease and lymph node involvement markedly increased over the last 5 years of the study (from 28-62%). All patients with follicular carcinoma were diagnosed in the period 1986-1994. After thyroidectomy and a follow up period of 2-15 years, 10 patients died of their disease, 4 of these died within one year from anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. CONCLUSION: The dramatic decline in the incidence of follicular thyroid carcinoma combined with the increase in the advanced forms of thyroid cancer in Central Jordan may suggest a possible environmental factor in thyroid carcinogenesis in this region. We suggest a larger scale studies and steps to investigate the etiologic factors for thyroid carcinogenesis in Central Jordan.