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The objective of this study is to explore the information needs related to insulin therapy in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) from the children’s perspectives as well as their caregivers.
Qualitative study; semistructured interviews. To identify emerging themes relating to information needs, open coding and thematic analysis were employed.
Participants were recruited from a tertiary care children’s hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and a specialist hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Thirty one children with a mean age of 11.5 years (SD=1.9) and their caregivers were interviewed. Seventeen participants were from Malaysia and 14 were from Saudi Arabia.
Four themes of information emerged from the interviews, including information related to (1) hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia, (2) insulin therapy, (3) injection technique and (4) other information needs pertaining to continuous glucose monitoring, access to peer groups and future advances in insulin therapy.
This study provided valuable insights into the information needs related to T1DM and insulin therapy among children and adolescents with T1DM that should be considered by stakeholders in the development of age-appropriate education materials. Such materials will assist children and adolescents to better manage their life-long T1DM condition from adolescence until adulthood.
This research is intended to evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) versus percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) in osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF), which is associated with post-operative pain. Eligible studies were screened by searching multiple databases and sources such as PubMed, Cochrane and EMBASE for search terms updated to October 2023, and relevant literature sources were searched. Randomized, controlled, prospective or retrospective, and cohort studies were eligible. For the analysis of the primary results, an analysis of the data was carried out, such as mean difference (MD) or odds ratio (OR), and 95% confidence interval (CI). In the present research, 1933 research was screened in 4 databases, and 30 articles were chosen to be examined under strict exclusion criteria. No statistical significance was found in the use of bone cement in the PVP group and PKP (MD, −0.60; 95% CI, −1.40, 0.21, p = 0.15); PKP was associated with a reduced risk of cement leak compared with PVP group (OR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.38, 3.46, p = 0.0009); no statistical significance was found in the wound VAS score in PVP operation compared with that of PKP (MD, 0.16; 95% CI, −0.07, 0.40, p = 0.17); no statistical significance was found between the time of PVP operation and the time of PKP operation (MD, −2.65; 95% CI, −8.91, 3.60, p = 0.41). Compared with PVP technology, the PKP treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures reduces post-operative cement leakage, but there is no significant difference in the number of operative cement and wound VAS after operation. Nor did there appear to be a statistically significant difference in time between the two operations.
Being on a waiting list for elective (planned) cardiac surgery can be physically and psychologically challenging for patients. Research suggests that stress associated with waiting for surgery is dependent on different individual and contextual factors. However, most data on patients’ experiences of waiting for surgery and preferences for waiting list management derives from non-cardiac clinical populations. The aim of the current study is to explore patients’ experiences of being on a waiting list for elective cardiac surgery, and their views on how the waiting experience could be improved in the future. This work will inform the patient management strategy during the waiting period for surgery across the four major hospitals in London directly involved in this study, and potentially beyond by transferring learning to other services.
This is a mixed-methods study that will collect quantitative and qualitative data using a cross-sectional online survey. Patients who are on waiting lists for elective surgery across four major cardiac surgery departments in London hospitals, and are at least 18 years old, will be invited by their healthcare team via text message or letter to complete the survey. The target sample size of non-randomly selected participants will be 268. Bivariable and multivariable regression models will be used to assess associations between survey items measuring the impact of the cardiac condition on specific life domains (eg, daily activities, social and family relationships, hobbies, sexual life), anxiety and depression symptoms as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 and survey items evaluating experiences of health services. Data on experience and preferences for improvements to the waiting experience will be analysed with qualitative content analysis using an inductive approach.
This study was reviewed and granted ethical approval by the East of England—East Cambridge Research Ethics Committee. Findings from this study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, a research website and social media and with an online event engaging patients, members of the public, healthcare professionals and other relevant stakeholders.
The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of hip arthroscopy group and open surgical dislocation group as treatments for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) in young athletes, specifically in relation to early hip osteoarthritis. A systematic search was conducted across four databases to identify controlled trials comparing hip arthroscopy and open surgical dislocation for FAI treatment. The selected studies (9 in total) underwent rigorous literature assessment and data analysis using Review Manager (RevMan) 5.3 software. The meta- analysis revealed that there was no statistically significant difference between hip arthroscopy group (the test group) and the open surgical dislocation group (the control group) concerning the improvement of the alpha angle (Standardized Mean Difference [SMD]: -5.54; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: - 12.45,1.38; p = 0.117), the Modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) after a 12- month follow- up (SMD:0.94; 95% CI:- 2.87,4.75; p = 0.629) and the complication rate (OR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.26,1.65; p = 0.372). However, the meta- analysis revealed that the Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS) after a 12- month follow- up of the test group was significantly higher than that of the control group (SMD: 6.31; 95% CI: 0.53, 12.09; p = 0.032). In terms of the reoperation rate, it demonstrated a significantly lower rate in the test group compared to the control group (OR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.29, 0.82; p < 0.01). These findings suggest that hip arthroscopy may have better outcomes for patients with FAI, as it is associated with improvements in hip function and a lower reoperation rate. However, these conclusions should be validated by further high- quality studies.
Various treatment options are available for degenerative joint disease (DJD). During clinical visits, patients and clinicians collaboratively make decisions regarding the optimal treatment for DJD; this is the essence of shared decision-making (SDM). Here, we collated and assessed the SDM-related experiences and perspectives of outpatients with DJD in Taiwan.
In-depth interviews and thematic analysis.
Primary care clinics of a regional teaching hospital in Taiwan, October 2021–May 2022.
21 outpatients with at least three visits for DJD and who were aware of SDM.
Four main themes emerged in this study: first, equipping themselves with knowledge: outpatients obtained disease-related and treatment-related knowledge in various ways—seeking relevant information online, discussing with family and friends, learning from their own experiences or learning from professionals. Second, shared or not shared: physicians had different patterns for communicating with patients, particularly when demonstrating authority, performing mutual discussion, respecting patient preferences or responding perfunctorily. Third, seldom saying no to physician-prescribed treatment plans during clinical visits: most patients respected physicians’ professionalism; however, some patients rejected physicians’ recommendations indirectly, whereas some responded depending on their disease prognosis. Fourth, whose call?—participants decided to accept or reject a treatment plan independently or by discussing it with their families or by obeying their physicians’ recommendations.
In general, patients with DJD sought reliable medical information from various sources before visiting doctors; however, when having a conversation with patients, physicians dominated the discussion on treatment options. The patient–physician interaction dynamics during the SDM process determined the final medical decision, which was in accordance with either patients’ original autonomy or physicians’ recommendations. To alleviate medical paternalism and physician dominance, patients should be empowered to engage in medical decision-making and share their opinions or concerns with their physicians. Family members should also be included in SDM.
We aimed to explore the efficacy of maple leaf-shaped flap in the repair of perianal circular skin defect. This study is a retrospective review of patients with perianal circular skin defect after skin tumour resection and repaired with maple leaf-shaped flap. Patients included in this study were admitted in our department between January 2010 and January 2023. A standardized data collection template was used to collect related variables. The design and surgical procedures of maple leaf-shaped flap are carefully described in this study. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) was applied to assist wound healing postoperatively. Twenty-seven patients were included in this study. The average wound size after tumour resection measured 4 × 5 cm2–10 × 10 cm2. The circular skin defect was repaired by maple leaf-shaped flap, and NPWT was used after surgery. Twenty-five patients achieved primary wound healing and flaps were well-survived. Slight infection occurred in two patients, and both were cured after dressing change. During the follow-up period of 6–24 months, no tumour recurrence occurred. The perianal morphology can be well-restored by maple leaf-shaped flap, and the defecation control function of anus was not impaired. The application of maple leaf-shaped flap and NPWT is a promising way in the repair of perianal circular skin defect with little complication and satisfying outcomes.
This overview of systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analysis (MAs) aimed to systematically collate, appraise and synthesize evidence for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) with the external application of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM). SRs/MAs of external application of CHM for DFUs were collected by searching Cochrane Library, Web of science, CNKI, PubMed, VIP, Embase and Wanfang. Two independent reviewers carried out the literature selection and data extraction. Subsequently, AMSTAR-2 tool, PRISMA, and GRADE system were applied by two reviewers independently to evaluate the methodological quality, reporting quality, and evidence quality of the included studies, respectively. Eight SRs/MAs met the eligibility criteria and were included. According to AMSTAR-2, a very low methodological quality assessment was given to the included SRs/MAs due to the flaws of items 2, 4 and 7. The PRISMA system identified protocol and registration weaknesses, as well as search method weaknesses. With GRADE, no high-quality evidence was identified to support the role of external application of CHM for DFUs, and the quality of evidence for the vast majority of outcomes was rated as low or moderate. In conclusion, low- to moderate-quality evidence supports the promise of external application of CHM for the treatment of DFUs. Due to the limitations of the evidence supporting external application of CHM for DFUs, rigorously designed and larger samples of high-quality studies are needed going forward before broad recommendations can be made.
Laparoscopic-assisted vaginal radical hysterectomy (LARVH) and abdominal radical hysterectomy (ARH) have been widely applied to treat cervical carcinoma. But LARVH and ARH have not been fully investigated in treating cervical carcinoma after injury associated with injury. This research is intended to provide an up-to-date basis for comparing LARVH with ARH in early stage cervical carcinoma. Comparison between LARVH and ARH in cervical carcinoma was carried out through a combination of related research. Eligible articles from databases such as PubMed and Embase were screened using an established search strategy. This report covered the results of LARVH versus ARH in cervical carcinoma. The average difference and the 95% confidence interval (CI) were used for the combination of consecutive variables. The combination of categorical variables was performed with the odds ratio (OR) 95% confidence interval. Through the identification of 1137 publications, eight of them were chosen to be analysed. Among them, 363 were treated with LARVH and 326 were treated with ARH. Eight trials showed that LARVH was associated with a reduced risk of postoperative wound infection than ARH (OR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.1–0.55, p = 0.0009). Five trials showed that there was no difference in the risk of postoperative bleeding after surgery (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.42–3.29, p = 0.76). We also did not differ significantly in the duration of the surgery (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, −6.58 to 10.15, p = 0.68). So, the two surgical methods differ significantly only in the risk of postoperative wound infection.
Craniotomies are intricate neurosurgical procedures susceptible to post-operative complications, among which surgical site infections (SSIs) are particularly concerning. This study sought to elucidate the potential risk factors and pathogenetic characteristics associated with SSIs following craniotomy procedures in a clinical setting. A retrospective study was conducted from May 2020 to May 2023, examining patients subjected to elective or emergency craniotomies. The cohort underwent post-operative surveillance for SSIs, facilitating patient classification into SSI and Non-SSI groups based on infection occurrence. Data collection encapsulated demographic and clinical parameters, including American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classifications, and operative factors. SSIs were diagnosed via an integrated approach combining clinical symptoms, microbiological culture findings and pertinent laboratory tests. A rigorous statistical methodology employing IBM's SPSS version 27.0 was utilised for data analysis. In a univariate analysis, significant risk factors for post-craniotomy SSIs were identified, with patients aged over 60 displaying a pronounced susceptibility. Moreover, surgeries exceeding a duration of 4 h heightened infection risks. Elevated ASA grades denoted an increased prevalence of SSIs, as did emergency procedures and higher National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance scores. Multivariate analysis pinpointed epidural/subdural drainage as a protective measure against SSIs, whereas emergency surgeries, operative times beyond 4 h and subsequent surgeries within the hospital stay amplified infection risks. Notably, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus dominated the identified pathogens at 28.09%, followed by Escherichia coli (17.98%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (10.11%) and Staphylococcus aureus (11.24%), underscoring the need for diverse prophylactic measures. SSIs following craniotomies present a multifaceted challenge influenced by a confluence of patient-related, operative and post-operative determinants. Understanding these risk factors is paramount in refining surgical protocols and post-operative care strategies to mitigate SSI incidence.
by Chun-Yi Lin, Yi-ping Chang, Ying-Chuan Julie Ma
Measurement of real-ear-to-coupler differentials (RECDs) is a critical part of the hearing aid (HA) verification process. This study examines the validity of reference RECD values preset by the HA analyzer, Audioscan RM500, for deaf-and-hard-of-hearing (DHH) children in Taiwan. RECD measurements were performed on 658 ears of DHH children. A linear mixed model was used to analyze the reference and measured RECD values. The findings revealed slight disparities between normative RECD values from North America and those observed in Taiwanese DHH children. While generally small (less than 5 dB), these differences imply potential challenges in achieving optimal HA fitting in specific scenarios. Therefore, we recommend individualized RECD/REM measurements for cases of poor auditory performance, certain frequency ranges, or notable variations in ear canal volume. From a clinical perspective, while broadly applicable, the use of North American RECD normative data in Taiwan requires cautious consideration of potential minor variations. This study contributes to current knowledge by affirming the use of a Western RECD database for Taiwanese DHH children. However, we underscore the ongoing importance of individualized HA fitting strategies, particularly for cases with stagnant intervention progress. While built-in RECD reference values can offer preliminary fitting guidance, especially in busy clinical settings, our study sheds light on the circumstances where caution is essential. Audiologists can efficiently allocate their time and effort by focusing on personalized RECD measurements for cases exhibiting suboptimal intervention outcomes, thereby effectively optimizing HA gain settings.by Chuan Bo Liang, Bin Cui, Fu Rong Wang, Jing Peng, Jian Ying Ma, Mei Yin Xu, Jun Ke, Yi Tian, Zi Qi Cui
Cooking methods can change the composition of foods and have important effects on human health. The Chinese people have developed many distinct and unique cooking methods. However, the daily cooking patterns of Chinese people and the characteristics and evolution of trends in cooking patterns commonly used by Chinese consumers remain unclear. The objective of this study was to identify the major cooking patterns and discuss their effects on human health, as well as to identify the cooking pattern consumer clusters and the evolution of trends in Chinese consumer cooking patterns. From March to June 2021, this study interviewed 4,710 residents in Eastern China regarding the consumption frequency of each cooking method when food is prepared at home or when eating out. Exploratory factor analysis, K-Means cluster analysis, Chi-square test, pairwise comparisons of multiple sample rates, and multivariate linear regression were used to identify the cooking patterns and cooking pattern consumer clusters, to assess differences in consumption preferences between consumer clusters, and to examine the relationship between demographic characteristic variables and different cooking patterns. Results revealed three major cooking patterns, namely traditional Chinese (cooking methods with native Chinese characteristics), bland, and high-temperature cooking patterns, as well as seven cooking pattern consumer clusters and their demographic characteristics in the Eastern Chinese population. With increases in age, education level, and income, consumers tended to choose the healthy “Bland” cooking pattern. Further, there was a higher proportion of people aged 36–65 years in the C3 cluster, which is characterized by the “Bland” cooking pattern. However, participants who were male and younger made fewer healthy choices in their cooking patterns. Specifically, a higher proportion of participants aged 21–35 years were found in the C5 cluster, which is characterized by the unhealthy “High-temperature” cooking pattern. Therefore, culinary health education should focus on individuals who are male and young. Specifically, the shift in cooking patterns among people aged 21–35 years should receive special attention.The COVID-19 pandemic prompted planning for clinical surges and associated resource shortages, particularly of equipment such as ventilators. We sought to examine the experience of the healthcare professionals who created policies for crisis standards of care, and allocation of ventilators in the event of shortage.
To that end, we conducted semistructured interviews with healthcare professionals in the USA involved in institutional planning for resource shortages in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic.
USA.
We conducted 25 interviews between May and July 2021. Half of the respondents were female (48%), many from Northeastern institutions (52%), and most practised in academic institutions (92%).
Many (64%) respondents reported that their institution had an approved policy to guide ventilator allocation in the event of a shortage. We identified one overarching theme: the work of planning for resource shortages imposed a psychological burden on many planners. We identified four subthemes that influenced that burden: impact of leadership, institutional variation in process and policies, faith in the policies and future directions.
Improved leadership strategies and cross-institutional collaboration can reduce the psychological burden of planning and facilitate updating plans in anticipation of future shortages.
A meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the treatment of burn wounds and to provide a scientific basis for clinical drug therapy. We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang databases to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) on PRP in treating burn wounds, with the control group being treated with conventional treatments and the intervention group being treated with PRP alone or combined with PRP on the basis of the control group. The search duration was each database's inception to September 2023. The literature was screened, data were extracted and quality was assessed by two independent researchers. Data analysis was performed using the Review Manager 5.4 software. Eighteen RCTs comprising 1463 patients were included in the analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that the application of PRP significantly improved the wound healing rate (standardised mean difference [SMD]: 1.11, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.54–1.67, p < 0.001), shortened wound healing time (SMD: −1.69, 95% CIs: −2.21 to −1.17, p < 0.001) and reduced the incidence of adverse events (7.03% vs. 18.93%, odds ratio [OR]: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.20–0.53, p < 0.001), and also significantly reduced patients' pain (SMD: −1.86, 95% CI: −2.47 to −1.25, p < 0.001) of burn patients when compared with the control group. This study showed that PRP is effective in repairing burn wounds, promoting wound healing, reducing the incidence of adverse events and reducing patient pain, making it worthy of clinical promotion and application.
Single-port laparoscopy (SPL) has existed for several years. This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of SPL compared with conventional laparoscopy (CL) in the treatment of benign gynecologic adnexal lesions. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the superiority of SPL versus CL in the treatment of post-operative wound pain. The study looked for English-language publications from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and the Web of Science until June 2023. The main result was the visual analogue scale (VAS) after 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24 and 48 h after operation. The paper contains 10 related papers by means of e-search. Of these, 4 were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), while 6 were non-RCTs. The results indicated that SPL and CL were significantly different after 2, 24 and 48 h after operation. SPL had lower post-operative pain after 2 h compared with CL (MD, −0.6; 95% CI, −0.98, −0.21; p = 0.002). After the operation, SPL also had a lower incidence of post-operative pain after 24 h compared with CL (MD, −0.59; 95% CI, −1.12, −0.06; p = 0.03). And the difference in pain was at 48 h after the most significant (MD, −0.49; 95% CI, −0.75, −0.23; p = 0.0002). But after 6, 8 and 12 h after operation, there was no significant difference in the degree of pain. Thus, SPL operations may result in a lower degree of pain than CL in both the post-operative and far post-operative phase.
The present study aimed to investigate the effect of local oxygen therapy combined with vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) on the healing of stage IV pressure ulcers sacrococcygeal. In this prospective study, we included a total of 98 patients with stage IV sacrococcygeal pressure ulcers in our hospital between February 2021 and June 2022. The patients enrolled were randomly and equally divided into two groups: the study group (undergoing local oxygen therapy combined with VSD treatment) and the control group (receiving conventional treatment). The wound healing time and hospital stay were compared between the two groups. Additionally, the wound area, tissue type, wound exudation and pain intensity were assessed before treatment, 10, 20, 30 and 40 days after treatment. The incidence of complications was also calculated. The study group demonstrated significantly shorter wound healing time and hospital stays compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Before treatment, there were no significant differences in terms of wound area, tissue type and wound exudation between the two groups (p > 0.05); after 10, 20, 30 and 40 days of treatment, however, evidently smaller wound areas, improved tissue types and reduced wound exudation were observed in the study group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the study group exhibited increased microvascular count compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Before treatment, there was no significant difference in pain intensity between the two groups (p > 0.05), whereas markedly lower pain intensity was seen in the study group than in the control group after 10, 20, 30 and 40 days of treatment (p < 0.05). The incidence of complications did not significantly differ between the two groups after 40 days of treatment (p > 0.05). Local oxygen therapy combined with VSD was found to effectively accelerate the healing process of stage IV sacrococcygeal pressure ulcers, leading to shorter hospital stays and improved patient prognosis. This combined therapy shows promise for widespread application in clinical practice.
FreshRSS 