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  • Blackburn Wolff posted an update 2 weeks, 1 day ago

    In 2019 the Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (SIGENP) and the Italian Society of Artificial Nutrition and Metabolism (SINPE) created a joint panel of experts with the aim of preparing an official statement on transition in Chronic Intestinal Failure (CIF). The transition from pediatric to adult care has a key role in managing all chronic diseases and in optimizing the compliance to care. Thus SIGENP and SINPE, in light of the growing number of patients with IF who need long-term Parenteral Nutrition (PN) and multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs throughout adulthood, shared a common protocol to provide an accurate and timely process of transition from pediatric to adult centers for CIF. The main objectives of the transition process for CIF can be summarized as the so-called “acronym of the 5 M” 1)Motivate independent choices which are characteristics of the adult world; 2)Move towards adult goals (e.g. self-management of his pathology and sexual issues); 3)Maintain the habitual mode of care; 4) Minimize the difficulties involved in the transition process and 5)Modulate the length of the transition so as to fully share with the adult’s team the children’s peculiarities.Post-operative biliary stricture is a cumbersome condition, secondary to biliary or vascular damage. Its risk factors include biliary or vascular anatomical variants, local inflammation, and poor surgical expertise. Intra-operative diagnosis is difficult, and in most cases, patients present with obstructive symptoms within a few weeks. Magnetic resonance cholangiography is a pivotal test to confirm the clinical picture, to study the level of the damage, and to guide treatment. Nowadays, endoscopic stenting is the first-line treatment in most centers. Multi-stenting treatment achieves long-term clinical success for more than 90% of patients, however multiple procedures are needed. In order to optimize healthcare provider costs, shorter duration endotherapies with covered metal stents are under evaluation. Radiological and surgical approaches are considered in the event of endoscopy failure.

    Decompression through an anterior approach is theoretically effective for the surgical treatment of cervical spondylotic amyotrophy (CSA), because the pathology usually locates at the anterior side. However, most previous studies investigated posterior surgery or a mix of anterior surgery and posterior surgery in their investigation. Only a few small case series have investigated the surgical outcomes of anterior decompression and fusion (ADF). Therefore, we conducted a multicenter retrospective study that included patients who underwent ADF for proximal-type CSA.

    We analyzed the outcomes of 77 consecutive spinal surgeries performed on proximal-type CSA patients who underwent ADF. Preoperative and postoperative manual muscle tests (MMT) and the patients’ backgrounds, radiological findings, and complications were reviewed. We divided the cases into two groups, good-outcome group (MMT improvement≧2 or improved to MMT 5) and poor-outcome group (others) and evaluated the prognostic factors for outcomes.

    Of gical outcome was duration of symptoms of ≥7 months.

    One of the mechanisms of the efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) for impaired muscle coordination of limbs is the destruction of Acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) at neuromuscular junction. The highly increased density of AChRs can change the acoustic impedance, and this change of the acoustic impedance can be the reason that radial shock wave (rESW) destroy AChRs selectively. However, the relationship between applied energy of rESWs and the therapeutic efficacy remains unclear, although some studies compared the clinical efficacy of rESWT between high- and low-energy applications. This study aimed to compare the CMAP change among different energy and pulses of rESW application.

    Male Sprauger-Dawley rats were used. A device that generates radial shock waves pneumatically, was used to apply the following six patterns of radial extracorporeal shockwaves in different energy flux densities and pulses to the right calf of each rat 1, 8000 pulses at 0.045mJ/mm

    ; 2, 4000 pulses at 0.09mJ/mm

    ; 3, 2000 pulses at 0.18mJ/mm

    ; 4, 4000 pulses at 0.045mJ/mm

    ; 5, 2000 pulses at 0.09mJ/mm

    ; 6, 1000 pulses at 0.18mJ/mm

    . Left calf muscles were considered controls.

    There was a significant reduction in CMAP amplitude between control and rESW-exposed muscles in the group applied 4000 pulses with EFD at 0.09mJ/mm

    and the group applied 2000 pulses with EFD at 0.18mJ/mm

    . However, the group applied 8000 pulses with EFD at 0.045mJ/mm

    and all groups which was exposed to total 180mJ rESW application did not show a significantly decreased CMAP amplitude compared with the untreated side.

    Total energy and energy flux density correlate with a decrease in CMAP amplitude by rESW application. These findings could be availed by clinicians in actual clinical setting for the proper application of rESW.

    Total energy and energy flux density correlate with a decrease in CMAP amplitude by rESW application. These findings could be availed by clinicians in actual clinical setting for the proper application of rESW.

    World-wide antimicrobial resistance is increasing, and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) interventions aimed at increasing compliance with optimal antimicrobial prescribing are essential in tackling this issue. Local level research about antimicrobial use is important to tailor interventions in a place-based approach to solve local level problems.

    As part of a broader mixed methods study, Medical Practitioners and Senior Nurses at three rural health services were invited by email to participate in interviews to explore opinions and practices of antimicrobial prescribing.

    Seven Medical Practitioners and thirteen Senior Nurses from three small rural health services participated in the study. The major findings were that nurses were perceived as the ‘gatekeepers’ to antimicrobial initiatives by all participants. Senior Nurses perceived AMS activities as being a link in a world-wide program to eradicate antimicrobial resistance, while Medical Practitioners perceived it as a local level program, aimed at educating individual prescribers. There was consensus that an intervention aimed at improved documentation at the point of prescribing and increased accessibility to antimicrobial prescribing guidelines had a high potential for increased compliance with optimal prescribing of antimicrobials.

    The research enabled identification of interventions aimed at increasing optimal compliance with antimicrobial prescribing that are acceptable to and appropriate for Medical Practitioners and nursing staff at three rural health services.

    The research enabled identification of interventions aimed at increasing optimal compliance with antimicrobial prescribing that are acceptable to and appropriate for Medical Practitioners and nursing staff at three rural health services.

    The isolation of people with transmissible diseases have been known from ancient times. While this topic has been explored from the patients’ lived experiences; there is a lack of studies conducted from other viewpoints particularly that of the nurses who provide care to these patients in a 24-hour-period each day. This study explored the experience of source isolation in patients infected with multi-drug resistant organisms, from the nurses’ perspectives.

    The Heideggerian (Heidegger, 1962) philosophical ideas formed the overarching framework in which this study was undertaken. Sixteen Registered Nurses were recruited from two New South Wales major hospitals with whom in-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted. Using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) tool for the analysis of their data; van Manen’s (1990) lifeworld existentials mainly provided a guide for the reflection.

    Four main themes which emerged from the analysis and interpretation of data are Changed relationships; A controlled space; Fear of infectre consequences on themselves or other people if they became infected.

    The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the role of international travel in spreading infections. Travellers visiting friends and relatives (VFR) are at higher risk of acquiring infections than other travellers, therefore improving the travel health behaviour of these travellers is important. Ethnic Chinese are one of the largest migrant groups in many countries, yet there have been no published studies regarding this population as VFR travellers. We present findings of a study of Australian Chinese VFR travellers relevant to the pandemic response.

    In 2013, five focus groups were conducted with Australian Chinese VFR travellers, exploring topics such as vaccines, face masks, outbreaks and travel health seeking behaviour. Participants were aged 18 years or older and had travelled to China for VFR purposes in the preceding 18 months. see more Sessions were recorded and transcribed, and thematic analysis was undertaken.

    Participants viewed VFR travel as low risk, and underestimated the risks associated with travellineloping risk communication and educational interventions as part of a pandemic response.

    To examine short-term test-retest reliability of the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 5 (SCAT5).

    Longitudinal study.

    Sixty-two professional male ice hockey players (mean age=22.5, SD=3.2) completed a preseason baseline test twice over a two-week interval. Half of the players were tested by the same assessor on both testing sessions. Spearman’s correlations (rs) were used to determine linear agreements, and Wilcoxon signed rank tests (sig r) were used to determine mean differences, between testing sessions.

    Symptoms had high test-retest reliability (Score rs=0.85, p<0.001, sig r p<0.001; Severity rs=0.84, p<0.001, sig r p<0.001). The reliability coefficients for the SAC (rs=0.58, p<0.001, sig r p=0.412), and mBESS (rs=0.40, p=0.001, sig r p=0.607) were considerably lower than symptoms. More than half (52%) of the athletes reported at least one baseline symptom (Md=1, M=2.2, SD=3.3). The most commonly reported symptoms were fatigue or low energy and neck pain. The broad ranges of SAC total scores (range=28-45, Md=35, M=35.4, SD=4.2) and SAC test-retest change scores (range -7 to +11) were mostly due to variability on the memory performance, tested using 10-item word lists. The number of mBESS single leg stance errors (Md=1, Md 3.2, SD=4.0) was greater than Tandem stance errors (Md=0, Md=2.0, SD=3.6).

    The two-week test-retest reliability of the SCAT5 baseline scores varied from moderate to high. However, there was considerable individual variability on the SAC and mBESS scores and most players have notable short-term fluctuation on performance even if uninjured. Recommendations for interpreting change on the SCAT5 are provided.

    The two-week test-retest reliability of the SCAT5 baseline scores varied from moderate to high. However, there was considerable individual variability on the SAC and mBESS scores and most players have notable short-term fluctuation on performance even if uninjured. Recommendations for interpreting change on the SCAT5 are provided.

    To explore the effect of removing and reintroducing man-made jumps in terrain parks (TPs), on the proportion of severe injuries among alpine skiers and snowboarders in Québec, Canada.

    Quasi-experimental study.

    Injuries were identified via injury report forms completed by ski patrollers during seasons 2000-2001 to 2016-2017 in Québec ski areas. Severe injuries were defined based on the type of injury or ambulance evacuation. Logistic regression analysis was used to provide adjusted odds ratios (AOR) for the comparison of the time periods before jump removal (PRE) and after jump reintroduction (POST) with the jump removal interval (INT).

    Compared with INT, the proportion of severe injuries in PRE was not significantly different (AOR 1.05; 95% CI 0.85-1.30), but was higher in POST (AOR 1.76; 95% CI 1.24-2.51) for ski areas with jump removal. In ski areas without jump removal, there was no change in PRE (AOR 0.96; 95% CI 0.87-1.07) and increased odds of severe injuries in POST (AOR 1.20; 95% CI 1.07-1.35).