[Psychoeducation for overweight patients with psychiatric disorders: The Wellness program developed in Quebec]. / L'éducation thérapeutique du patient pour les clientèles psychiatriques présentant un surpoids : l'exemple du programme « Wellness ¼ développé au Québec.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with severe psychiatric disorders such as psychosis, bipolar disorder, and depression have a greater risk of suffering from being overweight or from obesity than the general population. This can in part be explained by medication-induced weight gain related to the use of antipsychotics, antidepressants and mood stabilizers. Fortunately, non-pharmacological interventions targeting modifications in lifestyle behaviors exist to help patients deal with weight gain and weight management. The main objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of one of these interventions developed in Quebec (Canada), the Wellness Program. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 12-week program, consisting of two to three weekly individual and group sessions, was administered to patients diagnosed with a severe psychiatric disorder (i.e. Psychotic Disorders, Bipolar Disorders, Major Depressive Disorder) and referred to a general hospital for significant weight problems. Topics of program sessions included: physical conditioning, nutrition, meal cooking, psychoeducation, motivation, relaxation training, and optional walking sessions. A total of 47 participants took part in this study and either initially received the intervention (n=31) or were placed in a waitlist control group and later received the intervention (n=16). The effectiveness of the program was measured using objective anthropometric (weight, Body Mass Index, waist circumference) and clinical (psychiatric symptoms, medication adherence, quality of life) variables from both experimental and control groups. Assessments were conducted at the end of the 12-week intervention and at a 3-month follow-up. RESULTS: After three months of active intervention, there were no significant differences between the two groups for most of the variables studied. Patients in the experimental group did show greater improvements in weight loss, Body Mass Index and waist circumference compared to the control group, but these positive changes were not statistically significant given the small sample size of the study. However, the results obtained at follow-up three months after the end of the program showed a significant impact of the program, albeit small, on weight, Body Mass Index, waist circumference and on some aspects of quality of life in the experimental group. CONCLUSION: Non-pharmacological interventions targeting healthy lifestyle behaviors and weight management, such as the Wellness Program, seem effective in improving anthropometric variables and quality of life in patients with severe psychiatric disorders such as psychosis and mood disorders. Given the potential clinical benefits, implementation in clinical settings and widespread dissemination is recommended. Indeed, these programs have the potential to limit weight gain associated with medications used to treat psychiatric disorders and to improve quality of life for these patients.

Mineralocorticoids participate in the reduced vascular reactivity of pregnant rats.

The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAA) system is markedly activated in pregnancy. We evaluated if mineralocorticoid receptors (MR), a major component of the RAA system, are involved in the reduced vascular reactivity associated with pregnancy. Canrenoate (MR antagonist; 20 mg·kg(-1)·day(-1)) was administered to nonpregnant (NP) rats for 7 days and to pregnant rats from day 15 to 22 of gestation. These were killed on day 17, 19, or 22 of gestation and, for NP rats, after 7 days treatment. Constrictor responses to phenylephrine (PhE) and KCl were measured in endothelium-denuded thoracic aortic rings under the influence of modulators of potassium (activators) and calcium (blocker) channels. Responses to the constrictors were blunted from days 17 to 22 of gestation. Although canrenoate increased responses to PhE and KCl, it did not reverse their blunted responses in gestation. NS-1619 and cromakalim (respectively, high-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels and ATP-sensitive potassium channel activators) diminished responses to both PhE and KCl. Inhibition by NS-1619 on responses to both agonists was decreased under canrenoate treatment in NP, but the reduced influence of NS-1619 during gestation was reversed by the mineralocorticoid antagonist. Cromakalim reduced the response to PhE significantly in the pregnant groups; this effect was enhanced by canrenoate. Finally, nifedipine (calcium channel blocker) markedly reduced KCl responses but to a lesser extent at the end of pregnancy, an inhibiting effect that was increased with canrenoate treatment. These data demonstrate that treating rats with a MR antagonist increased vascular reactivity but that it differentially affected potassium and calcium channel activity in aortas of NP and pregnant animals. This suggests that aldosterone is one of the components involved in vascular adaptations to pregnancy.

Glenoid Bone Reaction to All-Soft Suture Anchors Used for Shoulder Labral Repairs.

BACKGROUND: All-soft suture anchors (ASSAs) are commonly used for shoulder labral repair and capsulorrhaphy in patients with shoulder instability. While these anchors may have some specific advantages over other types of suture anchors, little is known about the prevalence and time-dependence of bone cyst formation and tunnel expansion after implantation of ASSAs. The aim of this study was to quantify the proportions of cyst formation and tunnel expansion around ASSAs and to characterize and test for differences in abnormalities observed at different postoperative time points. METHODS: Thirty patients who were treated with arthroscopic shoulder stabilization surgery with ASSAs (1.4 mm; JuggerKnot, Biomet) underwent a computed tomography (CT) scan of the operatively treated shoulder at 1 month (10 patients), 6 months (10 patients), or 12 months (10 patients) postoperatively. Demographic and operative data were collected, and CT scans were evaluated for cyst formation, tunnel expansion, and tunnel volume measured in cubic millimeters. Statistical analyses were performed to detect differences in these outcomes among the follow-up groups. All shoulders were stable at all time points of the study, and there were no incidents of recurrent instability during the study period. RESULTS: Ninety-one suture anchors were evaluated in 30 patients. Tunnel expansion was identified in the large majority of patients in the 6-month and 12-month follow-up groups, with a significant increase in these proportions compared with the 1-month follow-up group (p = 0.002). Mean tunnel volumes also significantly increased over the study period (p < 0.001). The presence of cyst formation was negligible in all 3 follow-up cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated low rates of cyst formation but a significantly increased tunnel volume 6 and 12 months after shoulder labral surgery with ASSAs. There was no association with the initial tunnel location. Additional well-controlled studies with longer follow-up are needed to identify potential associations among tunnel expansion, intraoperative technique, and clinical outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Kinematic Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Evaluation of Disc-Associated Cervical Spondylomyelopathy in Doberman Pinschers.

BACKGROUND: The dynamic component of disc-associated cervical spondylomyelopathy (DA-CSM) currently is evaluated using traction magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which does not assess changes in flexion and extension of the cervical vertebral column. In humans with cervical spondylotic myelopathy, kinematic MRI is used to identify dynamic compressions. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility and utility of kMRI in Doberman Pinschers with DA-CSM using a novel positioning device. We hypothesized that kMRI would identify compressive lesions not observed with neutral positioning and change the dimensions of the spinal cord and cervical vertebral canal. ANIMALS: Nine client-owned Doberman Pinschers with DA-CSM. METHODS: Prospective study. After standard MR imaging of the cervical spine confirmed DA-CSM, dogs were placed on a positioning device to allow imaging in flexion and extension. Morphologic and morphometric assessments were compared between neutral, flexion, and extension images. RESULTS: Flexion was associated with improvement or resolution of spinal cord compression in 4/9 patients, whereas extension caused worsening of compressions in 6/9 patients. Extension identified 6 new compressive lesions and was significantly associated with dorsal and ventral compression at C5-C6 (P = .021) and C6-C7 (P = .031). A significant decrease in spinal cord height occurred at C6-C7 from neutral to extension (P = .003) and in vertebral canal height at C5-C6 and C6-C7 from neutral to extension (P = .011 and .017, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Our results suggest that kMRI is feasible and provides additional information beyond what is observed with neutral imaging, primarily when using extension views, in dogs with DA-CSM.

Persistent fever after recovery from granulocytopenia in acute leukemia.

We reviewed the hospital admissions of 168 patients with acute leukemia to determine the incidence of persistent fever following recovery from chemotherapy-induced granulocytopenia. This phenomenon was observed during 26 (15.5%) hospital admissions. The microbiologically and/or clinically documented causes identified in 23 instances included viral infection (two patients), perirectal abscess (two patients), Hickman catheter-related bacteremia (two patients), intraabdominal infection (four patients), and nine fungal infections (five resolving pneumonia, one disseminated candidiasis, three focal hepatic and/or splenic mycosis). One patient had both cholecystitis and a pneumonia of uncertain origin and three patients had drug reactions. Although overall the source of fever was usually readily apparent, focal hepatic and/or splenic mycosis produced protracted fevers that were difficult to diagnose. Visceral fungal infection should be a leading diagnostic consideration in patients with leukemia who remain persistently febrile following recovery from chemotherapy-induced granulocytopenia.

Risk factors for Clostridium difficile toxin-associated diarrhea.

The hospital-wide attack rate for Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea at our tertiary-care university hospital was 0.02 per 100 patient discharges (0.02%) in 1982, but 0.41% and 1.47% in 1986 and 1987, respectively, with a peak incidence of 2.25% in the fourth quarter of 1987. Hospital antibiotic usage patterns showed concurrent increased use of third-generation cephalosporins, and intravenous vancomycin and metronidazole. Thirty-seven cases selected for study were older than 37 control patients, more likely to have an underlying malignancy and less likely hospitalized on the obstetrics/gynecology service. Their mean duration of hospitalization prior to diagnosis was 21 days, versus a mean total length of stay of eight days for controls. All cases received antibiotics, compared to 24 of the controls. Cases were given more antibiotics for longer periods, and more often received clindamycin, third-generation cephalosporins, aminoglycosides and vancomycin. Gender, race, duration of hospitalization, prior surgery and antiulcer therapy were not significant by logistic regression analysis. Epidemiologic variables with significantly different adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) were age greater than 65 years (14.1, 1.4-141), intensive care unit residence (39.2, 2.2-713), gastrointestinal procedure (23.2, 2.1-255) and more than ten antibiotic days (summation of days of each antibiotic administered) (16.1, 2.2-117). Control measures included encouraging earlier isolation and treatment of suspected cases and formulary restriction of clindamycin, with use of metronidazole for therapy of anaerobic infections. By the second half of 1988, the attack rate had dropped progressively to 0.74%.

Anaerobic bacteremia in patients with acute leukemia.

We reviewed 402 hospital admissions of patients with acute leukemia to define the frequency and characteristics of anaerobic bacteremia in this patient population. Six (5.2%) of the 116 septicemia episodes documented in these patients were caused by anaerobes (Bacteroides species, 3; Fusobacterium species, 2; and Clostridium tertium, 1); two of these episodes were polymicrobial. Five patients had had prior bacteremia. All six patients were receiving broad-spectrum antibiotics, including an anti-pseudomonal penicillin, at the time of the episode. In each instance, the absolute granulocyte count was 0/mm3. Five patients had clinically apparent sources of infection, including perirectal abscess, gastrointestinal bleeding, or Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea. Anaerobic bacteremia is an infrequent occurrence in granulocytopenic patients with acute leukemia, but may occur when there is obvious disruption of normal gastrointestinal anatomic barriers.

Giovanni Alfonso Borelli: "Father of spinal biomechanics".

The first modern textbook on spinal biomechanics was written by Giovanni Alfonso Borelli in 1680. A mathematician, astronomer, and physicist by trade, Borelli became consumed in the physical laws of nature and the human body. His work served as a monumental contribution to ascertain, in depth and with undiminished accuracy, the basic biomechanical principles of the human body.

Primary bone and metastatic tumors of the cervical spine.

Cervical spine tumors, whether primary bone tumors or metastatic tumors, are rare. The possibility of tumors existing must be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with persistent neck pain, with or without neurologic symptoms, particularly in those with significant pain at night. The clinical presentation is extremely variable, though a history of malignancy should always raise the concern for recurrence. The evaluation and diagnostic assessment includes a thorough physical examination. Radiographic imaging is usually initiated with plain radiographs and additional advanced imaging obtained as indicated. Using appropriate biopsy principles and techniques, tissue is obtained for histologic determination of the suspected lesion before surgical intervention. Treatment options are extremely variable and depend on many factors, including tumor type, location, and patient preference. Treatment warrants a multidisciplinary approach from experienced physicians and is most successfully accomplished in referral centers. Oncologic staging using the Enneking staging system, followed by surgical staging using the Weinstein, Boriani, Biagini system, will aid in the accurate characterization of the tumor load, maximize surgical goals, assure use of appropriate terminology, and provide optimal communication among treatment centers regarding tumor characteristics, treatment efforts, and results.

Structured and free-recall measures of worry themes: effect of order of presentation on worry report.

Structured instruments (SI) or free-recall instruments (FRI) can be used to examine worry themes. In the case where both types are use jointly, order of presentation may influence number and content of free-recall worries. Half of a large undergraduate sample (N = 609) received the SI before the FRI and the other half received them in the opposite order. Highly prevalent worries (i.e., common worries reported by more than 25% of the sample) were more numerous when the FRI was used first. However, moderately prevalent and rare worries (reported by 5% to 24% and 0% to 4% of the sample, respectively) were more numerous when the FRI was administered second. Results are discussed in terms of a possible priming effect produced by SI on moderately prevalent and rare free-recall worries.

Worry themes in primary GAD, secondary GAD, and other anxiety disorders.

This study examines worry themes among 87 anxiety disorder patients divided into three groups: (a) 24 primary generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) patients, (b) 25 secondary GAD patients, and (c) 38 other anxiety disorder patients (primarily obsessive-compulsive disorder, social phobia and panic disorder with agoraphobia). Structured and free-recall measures were used to measure five worry themes: relationships, work, finances, physical threat, and the future. Both types of measures revealed that GAD patients worry more about the future than non-GAD patients. Further, post hoc analyses testing for linear relationships indicated that primary GAD patients worry more about the future than secondary GAD patients who in turn worry more about the future than other anxiety disorder patients. The results suggest that although worry about immediate problems may not differentiate GAD patients from other anxiety disorder patients, high levels of worry about future events may be a distinguishing feature of GAD.

Invasive aspergillus rhinosinusitis in patients with acute leukemia.

Invasive aspergillus rhinosinusitis is a potentially lethal complication of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in patients with acute leukemia. The majority of cases are caused by Aspergillus flavus. The infection is difficult to diagnose early but should be suspected when a neutropenic patient develops persistent fever without a known source, symptoms of rhinitis or sinusitis, cutaneous findings over the nose or sinuses, symptoms and signs of orbital or cavernous sinus disease, or an ulcerating lesion of the hard palate or gingiva. Careful anterior rhinoscopy followed by computed tomography of the sinus helps establish the diagnosis, which should be confirmed by histologic study and culture of biopsied material. Early treatment with aggressive surgery, high-dose amphotericin B and 5-fluorocytosine, and possibly white blood cell transfusions may produce a cure if the patient's bone marrow recovers. Newer antifungal agents offer promise for prophylaxis and treatment of this infection.

70% alcohol disinfection of transducer heads: experimental trials.

We investigated the feasibility of transducer head disinfection with 70% alcohol wipes. In the initial trial, nine gas-sterilized transducers were inoculated with an estimated 5 X 10(6) organisms of a clinical isolate of Enterobacter cloacae, mimicking a contaminated fluid couple. A sterile disposable transducer dome was attached to each transducer. The units were allowed to sit for 24 hours at room temperature; the domes were then removed. Three transducer heads were cultured prior to disinfection to ensure that viable organisms remained. Each transducer head was wiped clean with a single alcohol wipe, allowed to dry, and then cultured. All nine cultures showed growth of E. cloacae. A second series of trials with 54 transducers employed an identical protocol, except that each transducer head received not one, but two, applications of alcohol. In addition to E. cloacae (26 runs), Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans were employed in nine, nine and ten runs, respectively. Cultures of 53 of 54 transducer heads showed no growth; the single positive culture was attributed to an error in technique. These preliminary results suggest that the double-alcohol-wipe technique may be an easy, cost-effective, alternative or supplemental method of transducer head disinfection. However, we do not advocate routine implementation of this technique in patient care settings until clinical trials confirm its safety and efficacy.

Serodiagnosis of invasive aspergillosis in patients with hematologic malignancy: validation of the Aspergillus fumigatus antigen radioimmunoassay.

Six hundred sixteen sera from 79 hematology patients admitted on 152 occasions were analyzed for validation of the Aspergillus fumigatus antigen radioimmunoassay (RIA). Invasive aspergillosis developed on 24 admissions of 22 patients. Maximal antigenic activity was significantly higher in patients with invasive aspergillosis than in controls (P less than .0005). At the level of antigenic activity selected as the cutoff value, the sensitivity of the RIA was 74%, the specificity 90%, the positive predictive value 82%, and the negative predictive value 85%. Antigen was detected before invasive aspergillosis was suspected during 30% of admissions and before pathological or even preliminary microbiological evidence for disease in 46%. In 17 (77%) of the 22 episodes of pulmonary aspergillosis, the RIA would have been the first positive diagnostic test for aspergillosis or would have confirmed a diagnosis established by other means. Overall, the test would have been of clinical usefulness in diagnosis, management, and prognosis in 80% of 16 fatal cases.

The Southwestern Ontario Joint Replacement Pilot Project: electronic point-of-care data collection. Southwestern Ontario Study Group.

OBJECTIVE: To pilot a provincial joint replacement registry using electronic point-of-care data collection. DESIGN: Data collection study. SETTING: Southwestern Ontario, which has a population base of 3.5 million people. PARTICIPANTS: Eighteen orthopedic surgeons. METHOD: Information on total hip and knee replacements was obtained by the orthopedic surgeons over a 6-month period. Information was obtained in paper form and electronically on hand-held computers. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient demographics, waiting times from referral to operation, patient satisfaction and relevance and value of electronic records compared with paper records. MAIN RESULTS: Data were collected on 815 total hip and knee arthroplasties. A slightly greater number of hips required revision than knees. The majority of patients were in the 60 to 90-year age range. With respect to the waiting time from referral to operation 10% of patients waited less than 5 weeks, 50% waited less than 30 weeks, and 90% waited less than 59 weeks. There was a high level of patient satisfaction with the operation and with hospital care received. Most surgeons found that the gathering and use of data electronically was relevant and easy. The electronic data were more timely, accurate and complete than paper records. CONCLUSION: Electronic point-of-care data collection is appropriate, particularly in high-volume, high-cost surgical interventions such as total joint replacements.

Detection of fungal antigen in body fluids for diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis.

In clinical trials, the diagnostic utility of a radioimmunoassay (RIA) to detect Aspergillus antigen was demonstrated in sera obtained from patients with invasive pulmonary, endothelial, and disseminated aspergillosis, in cerebrospinal fluids from patients with Aspergillus meningoencephalitis, and in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids from patients with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. The RIA was further evaluated in three blinded, controlled clinical trials. In one, sera were collected prospectively from patients with acute leukemia. Antigenemia was detected in four patients with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) due to A. flavus, appeared early in the course of infection of three patients concurrent with the onset and evolution of lung infiltrates, and remitted with antifungal chemotherapy. Antigenemia was not detected in three patients before the onset of IPA, in eight leukemic controls, or in the 24 normals. In contrast, seven bronchoscopies were performed in five patients with IPA; fungi were not isolated in three. In a second study, antigenemia was found in coded sera from two patients with invasive aspergillosis but not in eight controls. In the third controlled study, 616 sera from 79 hematology patients admitted on 152 occasions were analyzed for circulating fungal antigen. The diagnostic utility of the RIA was confirmed and levels of antigenemia correlated with the patients' clinical course. These studies demonstrate the utility of the Aspergillus antigen RIA for diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis in hospitalized high risk patients.