Search

Background Advance care planning (ACP) is an ongoing conversation where healthcare professionals explore patients' and families' wishes in order to act within their best interests. The COVID19 pandemic continues to highlight the importance of timely ACP, namely while our patients have capacity. We noted that despite advancing age, accumulating co-morbidities and high clinical frailty scores (CFS); ACP discussions were not taking place within our elderly department. We aimed to increase ACP conversations and ensure documentation on ReSPECT forms to allow continuity within primary care. Methods 10 patients per ward were randomly selected. 69 patients met inclusion criteria (over 65 with CFS ≥5 or any patient with dementia). We reviewed electronic and paper records and defined evidence of ACP as ReSPECT form including preferred place of death (PPoD), or discussion with patient or relative in medical notes. We randomly selected a pilot ward and applied interventions over 4 weeks: • Small group teaching to junior doctors • Visiting ward MDTs to identify appropriate patients for ACP • Presenting baseline data to geriatricians • Visual aids from the palliative care team and prompt sheets for doctors. Results Prior to our interventions, 22% of our sample had evidence of advance care planning, 33% of discussions documented on ReSPECT form. Following our intervention period we reviewed medical notes on our pilot ward. 58% patients now had evidence of ACP, with 66% documented on a ReSPECT form. Conclusion We achieved a significant increase in advance care planning within our elderly medicine department, and are therefore better equipped to provide personalised care alongside our patients' wishes and values. Next steps: • Expanding teaching across the multi-disciplinary team • ACP 'champions' to highlight appropriate patients • Expansion of initial interventions across the department We hope to embed and maintain this change through education, training and inspiring others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In April 2009, at the Association of Physicians of Great Britain and Ireland (APGBI) Annual Meeting in Birmingham, a workshop was held to consider the changing demographics of the medical profession, its potential effects on the Association’s stated aims of promoting academic excellence and ways of ensuring that medical academia is attractive to everyone with the ability and drive it needs. This paper reports the discussions of the workshop participants and also summarises recommendations for actions by both the Association and its membership, which will encourage interest, equal opportunities and personal development for all in academic medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Discussing errors and quality improvement is a tradition in academic health centers, particularly in morbidity and mortality conferences embedded in surgical training and during teaching rounds. Little, if any, attention is typically given to iatrogenic harms from structural racism, however. This article canvasses ways in which training programs recognize and address health care-generated harm from inequity and identifies areas for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four phases of trial are widely used in testing drugs, surgery, and diagnosis in Western medicine (WM). The staged testing process helps protect patients from unnecessary harms and control costs while assessing safety and efficacy. In this paper we adapt the four phase trials for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). As TCM has been used in humans for thousands of years and there has been good preliminary clinical evidence on safety and efficacy for many of its therapies, in most cases its evaluation can start directly in humans, and preclinical laboratory research can be conducted in phase 4 trials after the efficacy is firmly demonstrated. Furthermore, unlike investigational drugs, TCM therapies are various in the certainty of their safety and efficacy and thus should not enter the evaluation process at the same stage. Unlike in WM, clarifying and refining PICO (patients, intervention, comparator, and outcome) are an important part of evaluation of newly designed TCM therapies. The incommensurability between WM and TCM causes additional difficulties in TCM trials regarding defining and choosing PICO, for which some suggestions are made. Observational studies seem to have a greater role in evaluation for TCM although the efficacy must be confirmed with randomized trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We sought to determine how many abstracts presented at the 2012 and 2014 Medical Library Association (MLA) annual conferences were later published as full-text journal articles and which features of the abstract and first author influence the likelihood of future publication. To do so, we replicated a previous study on MLA conference abstracts presented in 2002 and 2003. The secondary objective was to compare the publication rates between the prior and current study. Methods: Presentations and posters delivered at the 2012 and 2014 MLA meetings were coded to identify factors associated with publication. Postconference publication of abstracts as journal articles was determined using a literature search and survey sent to first authors. Chi-squared tests were used to assess differences in the publication rate, and logistic regression was used to assess the influence of abstract factors on publication. Results: The combined publication rate for the 2012 and 2014 meetings was 21.8% (137/628 abstracts), which is a statistically significant decrease compared to the previously reported rate for 2002 and 2003 (27.6%, 122/442 abstracts). The odds that an abstract would later be published as a journal article increased if the abstract was multi- institutional or if it was research, specifically surveys or mixed methods research. Conclusions: The lower publication rate of MLA conference abstracts may be due to an increased number of program or nonresearch abstracts that were accepted or a more competitive peer review process for journals. MLA could increase the publication rate by encouraging and enabling multi-institutional research projects among its members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Drowning is a critical health problem worldwide, and the World Health Organization reported that about 360,000 people died due to drowning in 2015. More than half of these deaths are related to people under 25. Based on WHO, the highest rate of drowning deaths occurs among children aged 1 to 4 years, followed by children aged 5-9 years. This study aimed to determine the epidemiological factors as well as other factors affecting drowning in the age group under 18 years old in the pre-hospital emergency system of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate mission forms of all under 18-year-old ones with drowning in the EMS center of Mazandaran from April to July 2023. Items such as age, sex, place of drowning, the result of the mission, and the time of the accident were extracted. Result: Of 127 children who were rescued after drowning accident, 87 cases (68.5%) were male. The mean age of drowned children was 12 years. The highest rate of drowning was recorded for the age group of 11-18 years (n=86, (67.7%), followed by 19 victims in the age group of 6-8 years (15%). About 17 children (13.4%) died before the ambulance arrived, and 9 (7.1%) were transferred to the medical center during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The highest number of drowning cases belonged to the group who were transferred to the medical centers (n=74, 58.3%). The mean age of the deceased was 9 years old. Conclusion: Based on the findings, over one-fifth of the drowned children died before the ambulance arrived or received advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Addressing the determinants of health affecting drowning requires a multi-sectoral approach and inevitably a multi-sectoral action plan to prevent drowning in Iran. Training is a critical component of preventing the risk of drowning in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Major abdominal surgery is associated with endothelial glycocalyx disruption. The anti-inflammatory effects of lidocaine were recently associated with endothelial barrier protection. Methods: This was a single-centre, parallel group, randomized, controlled, double blind, pilot trial. Forty adult patients scheduled for major abdominal surgery were included between December 2016 and March 2017 in the setting of a University Hospital in Brussels (Belgium); reasons for non-inclusion were planned liver resection and conditions associated to increased risk of local anesthetics systemic toxicity. Patients were randomized to receive either lidocaine by continuous intravenous administration or an equivalent volume of 0.9% saline. The primary endpoint was the postoperative syndecan-1 concentration (difference between groups). Near-infrared spectroscopy of the thenar eminence in association with the vascular occlusion test, and contemporary analysis of flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery were the secondary outcomes, along with haemodynamic data. Blood samples and data were collected before surgery (T0), and at 1–3 h (T1) and 24 h (T2) post-surgery. Results: Syndecan-1 concentration increased significantly post-surgery (P < 0.001), but without any difference between groups. The near-infrared spectroscopy-derived and flow-mediated dilation-derived variables showed minor changes unrelated to group assignment. Compared with the placebo group, the intervention group had a significantly lower peri-operative mean arterial pressure and cardiac index, despite equally conducted goal-directed haemodynamic management. Postoperative lactate concentrations were similar between groups. Conclusions: Lidocaine failed to have any effect on endothelial function. Since in comparisons to other types of clinical situations, syndecan-1 was only slightly upregulated, endothelial dysfunction after major abdominal surgery might be overestimated. Trial registration: « ISRCTN Registry » identifier: ISRCTN63417725. Date: 15/06/2020. Retrospectively registered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multiple organ failure and early surgery are associated with high morbimortality after open necrosectomy. Data are mostly derived from historical cohorts with early necrosectomy bereft of step-up treatment algorithm implementation. Thus, mostly circumstantial evidence suggests a better clinical course following mini-invasive surgical and endoscopic necrosectomy. We studied the results of open necrosectomy in a contemporary cohort of patients with complicated pancreatic necrosis treated at a tertiary center. Methods: A retrospective cohort study from a university teaching hospital. Results of 109 consecutive patients treated with open necrosectomy during a 12-year period are reported. Results: The overall 90-day mortality rate was 22.9%. The 90-day mortality rate was 10.6% if necrosectomy could be delayed until 4 weeks from symptom onset and the necrosis had become walled off on preoperative imaging. The risk factors for 90-day mortality were age over 60 years (OR 19.4), pre-existing co-morbidities (OR 16.9), necrosectomy within 4 weeks (OR 6.5), multiple organ failure (OR 12.2), white blood cell count over 23 × 109 (OR 21.4), and deterioration or prolonged organ failure as an indication for necrosectomy (OR 10.4). None or one of these risk factors was present in 52 patients (47.7% of all patients), and these patients had no mortality. Conclusion: Late open necrosectomy for walled-off necrosis has a low mortality risk. Open necrosectomy can be done without mortality in the absence of multiple risk factors for surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Despite increased focus on opioid prescribing, little is known about the influence of prescription opioid medication information given to patients in the emergency department (ED). The study objective was to evaluate the effect of an Electronic Medication Complete Communication (EMC2) Opioid Strategy on patients' safe use of opioids and knowledge about opioids. Methods: This was a three‐arm prospective, randomized controlled pragmatic trial with randomization occurring at the physician level. Consecutive discharged patients at an urban academic ED (>88,000 visits) with new hydrocodone‐acetaminophen prescriptions received one of three care pathways: 1) usual care, 2) EMC2 intervention, or 3) EMC2 + short message service (SMS) text messaging. The ED EMC2 intervention triggered two patient‐facing educational tools (MedSheet, literacy‐appropriate prescription wording [Take‐Wait‐Stop]) and three provider‐facing reminders to counsel (directed to ED physician, dispensing pharmacist, follow‐up physician). Patients in the EMC2 + SMS arm additionally received one text message/day for 1 week. Follow‐up at 1 to 2 weeks assessed "demonstrated safe use" (primary outcome). Secondary outcomes including patient knowledge and actual safe use (via medication diaries) were assessed 2 to 4 days and 1 month following enrollment. Results: Among the 652 enrolled, 343 completed follow‐up (57% women; mean ± SD age = 42 ± 14.0 years). Demonstrated safe opioid use occurred more often in the EMC2 group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.19 to 5.06), but not the EMC2 + SMS group (aOR = 1.87, 95% CI = 0.90 to 3.90) compared with usual care. Neither intervention arm improved medication safe use as measured by medication diary data. Medication knowledge, measured by a 10‐point composite knowledge score, was greater in the EMC2 + SMS group (β = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.09 to 1.06) than usual care. Conclusions: The study found that the EMC2 tools improved demonstrated safe dosing, but these benefits did not translate into actual use based on medication dairies. The text‐messaging intervention did result in improved patient knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts of studies on rheumatology which include the unusual cases of pyomyositis, the hepatitis E infection in inflammatory arthritis and the response to intravenous cyclophosphamide in a giant cell arteritis.

The article presents abstracts of studies on rheumatology which include the progressive resistance training classes in combination with weekly medical review, the leaflet for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and the development of physical activity programme for rheumatoid arthritis.

The article presents abstracts of studies on rheumatology which include the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with rituximab, the auditing of a group education programme for patients with inflammatory arthritis and the compliance with treat to target recommendations on RA.

Coronary artery disease ( CAD) is the most common cause of death for both men and women. However, over the years, emergency physicians, cardiologists, and other health care practitioners have observed varying outcomes in men and women with symptomatic CAD. Women in general are 10 to 15 years older than men when they develop CAD, but suffer worse postinfarction outcomes compared to age-matched men. This article was developed by the cardiovascular workgroup at the 2014 Academic Emergency Medicine ( AEM) consensus conference to identify sex- and gender-specific gaps in the key themes and research questions related to emergency cardiac ischemia care. The workgroup had diverse stakeholder representation from emergency medicine, cardiology, critical care, nursing, emergency medical services, patients, and major policy-makers in government, academia, and patient care. We implemented the nominal group technique to identify and prioritize themes and research questions using electronic mail, monthly conference calls, in-person meetings, and Web-based surveys between June 2013 and May 2014. Through three rounds of nomination and refinement, followed by an in-person meeting on May 13, 2014, we achieved consensus on five priority themes and 30 research questions. The overarching themes were as follows: 1) the full spectrum of sex-specific risk as well as presentation of cardiac ischemia may not be captured by our standard definition of CAD and needs to incorporate other forms of ischemic heart disease ( IHD); 2) diagnosis is further challenged by sex/gender differences in presentation and variable sensitivity of cardiac biomarkers, imaging, and risk scores; 3) sex-specific pathophysiology of cardiac ischemia extends beyond conventional obstructive CAD to include other causes such as microvascular dysfunction, takotsubo, and coronary artery dissection, better recognized as IHD; 4) treatment and prognosis are influenced by sex-specific variations in biology, as well as patient-provider communication; and 5) the changing definitions of pathophysiology call for looking beyond conventionally defined cardiovascular outcomes to patient-centered outcomes. These emergency care priorities should guide future clinical and basic science research and extramural funding in an area that greatly influences patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Academic Emergency Medicine is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Academic Emergency Medicine is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Academic Emergency Medicine is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To improve the teaching performance of emergency physicians, it is necessary to understand the attributes of expert teachers and the optimal methods to deliver faculty development. A working group of medical educators was formed to review the literature, summarize what is known on the topic, and provide recommendations for future research. This occurred as a track of the 2012 Academic Emergency Medicine ( AEM) consensus conference 'Education Research in Emergency Medicine: Opportunities, Challenges, and Strategies for Success.' The group concluded that the current state of research on these topics is limited. Improvement in understanding will come through research focusing on Kirkpatrick's higher levels of evaluation (behavior and results). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents several abstracts which were presented at the 2011 meeting of the Medical Library Association, including one on hospital system electronic medical records, one on improving the safety, quality and efficiency of patient care at Exempla Healthcare and one on the National Library of Medicine’s 2006–2016 long range plan.

Background: The field of hospital medicine is growing rapidly in academic medical centers. However, few organizations have explicitly considered the opportunities and barriers posed to hospital medicine's development as an academic field in internal medicine.Objective: To develop consensus around key areas limiting or facilitating hospital medicine's development as an academic discipline.Design: Consensus format conference of key stakeholders in academic hospital medicine.Results: The Consensus Group identified several issues impeding the development of academic hospital medicine as a recognized entity in academic settings, including extraordinarily rapid growth, increasingly preponderate non-teaching roles, and demands to perform non-clinical duties (such as quality improvement) not generally viewed as academic pursuits. The Consensus Group developed recommendations for addressing these concerns, specifically 1) characterizing the 'optimal' job description for an academic hospitalist, 2) developing better local and at-a-distance opportunities for training academic hospitalists in key aspects of early career success, 3) advocacy for development of fellows and junior faculty researchers in hospital medicine. Fostering academic hospital medicine will help address these issues more effectively and will help the field while also attracting the next generation of generalists needed to care for an increasingly complex inpatient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) are organizations that link three functions: providing highly specialized medical services, teaching activities and conducting research. The aim of the study was to provide an international comparison of the governance and organization models of AMCs. The analysis covered 10 European countries (Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain) and Israel. Methods: The study has an explorative and descriptive character. The methods involved: (1) the creation of a conceptual framework; (2) the development of a dedicated questionnaire; (3) data collection and analysis. The data was collected based on purposive sampling. There were 26 respondents from 11 countries. Results: There is no standardized definition of AMCs across countries. Different types of hospital providers do link patientcare, teaching and research. Depending on the country and particular institution, the balance between these three functions, as well as the scope might vary a lot. The majority of the participating countries face either public or not-for-profit ownership for AMCs and medical faculties. However, the relationship between hospital and faculty varies substantially. Main internal governance challenges focus on lack of responsiveness to change and financial conflicts between the three core tasks. External challenges relate to financial sustainability and workforce shortages. Most respondents believe that in the nearby future the governance of AMCs will evolve to a more functionally integrated model of the three functions. Conclusions: The study fills the gap in the literature on organization and governance of European AMCs. Although, there are substantial differences in the models of governance across countries, many challenges are highly similar. This raises important questions for future research (e.g. focusing solely on one function) as well as policy (the potential for cross-national learning). Key messages:· There is no standardized definition of AMCs across countries and different types of organizations are used to link the three functions of providing patientcare, teaching activities and research. · Despite the organizational and legal differences, AMCs in different countries face similar challenges (nimbleness and financial conflicts between the three functions; health workforce shortages). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts of studies on the treatment of osteoarthritis which include the intra-articular steroid injections in knee osteoarthritis, the exercise-based rehabilitation programme for people with osteoarthritis and the physical function in patients with peripheral joint pain.

An abstract of the study "Upgrading Standards of Ethical Publishing in Rheumatology Journals," by Armen Gasparyan is presented.

The article presents abstracts of the studies "Leucocyte IG-Like Receptors: Immunomodulators That Provide a Novel Mechanism for MHC Disease Associations?," by Rachel Allen and "The Role of Toll-Like Receptors in the Pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis," by Sandra Sacre.

Information on the topics discussed at the 2013 Association of Departments of Family Medicine (ADFM) Annual Winter Meeting is presented. These include creating a strong partnership with the academic medical center (AMC), improving quality and reducing costs for patients, employers, and payers, and improving the family medicine practice. The results of the annual member survey on how DFMs meet the challenge of health system change is also discussed.

The article presents abstracts of studies on ageing which include the ageing of the bone and muscle, the definitional approaches to sarcopenia and osteoporosis and the therapeutic targets with potential influence on bone and muscle.

The article presents abstracts of the studies "Zebras and an Inpatient Pain Management Programme," by Helen Cohen and "Outpatient Physiotherapy and the Comorbidities of Generalized Hypermobility," by Toby Smith.

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19:e41-e44 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Abstract The authors present a case of a 51-year-old male who arrived to the emergency department (ED) with rash and arthralgias. He was not initially forthcoming about all aspects of his history, but ultimately careful clinical evaluation confirmed by laboratory abnormalities revealed the diagnosis. The patient's clinical presentation is given, a discussion of the differential diagnoses is included, and his clinical course is summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a calendar of events related to epilepsy in the fall of 2006. The teaching course "Modern Trends in Epilepsy" will be held during the 38th International Danube Symposium for Neurological Sciences and Continuing Education at the Hotel Voronez in Brno, Czech Republic on April 5-8. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation's 14th Annual Clinical Neurophysiology in Practice course will be held in Cleveland, Ohio on February 27 - March 3. The Eight Eilat Conference on New Antiepileptic Drugs will be held in Sitges, Spain on September 10-14.