Musculoskeletal complaints in English law enforcement officers: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives. Musculoskeletal (MSK) complaints are prevalent in law enforcement officers (LEOs), but research that examines their risk factors is limited. This study aimed to identify the self-reported MSK complaint prevalence and perceived causes in LEOs. Methods. The Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire was used to identify the 12-month and 7-day prevalence of MSK 'trouble' (ache, pain, discomfort) for nine body sites. The perceived cause, participant characteristics and occupational role were reported. Body fat percentage was measured using bioelectrical impedance. Results. Complete submissions of 186 questionnaires were received (80% male, median age 40.6 years, interquartile range 10.1). Eighty-six per cent of officers reported having an MSK complaint in the last 12 months, where lower back, shoulder and neck complaint prevalence was 59.1, 48.4 and 42.5%, respectively. The occupational role was associated with the site and presence of complaints (p < 0.05), where armed officers presented with more shoulder, lower back and hip/thigh complaints. Age, sex and body fat did not impact complaint prevalence. Participants mainly attributed their complaints to occupation equipment or to sport and exercise. Conclusion. MSK complaints were highly prevalent in this cohort, particularly armed officers. Further research is required to establish the impact of these complaints and how they can be mitigated.

Sensitivity, Specificity and the Diagnostic Accuracy of PET/CT for Axillary Staging in Patients With Stage I-III Cancer: A Systematic Review of The Literature.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Axillary lymph node (ALN) status plays a key role in the staging of breast cancer. Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) using 18-Fluorodeoxyglucose (18FDG) can visualise ALN metastasis. However, its utility compared to current methods is unclear. We systematically reviewed the role of 18FDG PET/CT in breast cancer staging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed, Ovid and Cochrane were searched systematically up until August 2020. Included papers had true positive (TP), false positive (FP), true negative (TN) and false negative (FN) rates, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV). RESULTS: Nine studies (n=1486) were included, showing: i) sensitivity=52.2%, ii) specificity=91.6%, iii) PPV=77.8%, iv) NPV=77.2, and v) accuracy=77.3%. CONCLUSION: 18FDG-PET/CT has a low sensitivity but high specificity for ALN disease. Therefore, ultrasound-guided biopsy could be considered in a positive CT/PET. Modest accuracy prohibits the use of 18FDG-PET/CT alone in axillary staging. Prospective research using standardised protocols and quantitative cut-off points is warranted.