Medicine
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Use of continuous infusion technique with pre-filled elastic pumps for prevention of centrally inserted central catheter occlusion in critically ill patients: A feasibility study.
Flushing catheter seems to be a crucial procedure for preventing centrally inserted central catheter (CICC) occlusion, which can flush the liquid and blood attached to the lumen into the bloodstream. The continuous infusion technique is characterized by continuous perfusion of flushing fluid and maintaining positive pressure in the lumen, which has been demonstrated to effectively prevent peripheral indwelling needle occlusion. However, the use of continuous infusion technique in CICC care among critically ill patients has been rarely described. ⋯ In this study, continuous infusion technique with pre-filled elastic pumps was successfully used in critically ill patients for prevention of CICC occlusion, without major undesired effects. A larger cohort and a randomized clinical trial are warranted in order to establish its absolute efficacy in CICC care.
-
Comparative Study
Comparative evaluation of 2D and 3D YouTube videos as supplementary educational resources for vitreoretinal surgery training.
Ophthalmologists and ophthalmology residents (ORs) are increasingly turning to the internet for medical information, underscoring the significant role that YouTube videos, particularly three-dimensional (3D) ones, play in lifelong learning. This study aimed to compare the content and quality of 3D YouTube videos with two-dimensional (2D) videos as supplementary educational tools for vitreoretinal surgery. Data collected included video length (minutes), time elapsed since upload (days), number of views, likes, dislikes, vitreoretinal surgery type, and visualization system. ⋯ Inter-rater reliability was confirmed to be good, with the lowest intra-class correlation coefficient being 0.796 for SOs (95% confidence interval: 0.668-0.875) and 0.814 for ORs (95% confidence interval: 0.698-0.886). In conclusion, side-by-side 3D YouTube videos offer a valuable supplementary educational tool, enhancing depth perception and enabling both SOs and ORs to better understand the complexities of ocular surgeries, particularly vitreoretinal procedures. These videos can also be used to observe new procedures and refresh previously acquired knowledge of past surgeries.
-
Comparative Study
An appraisal and comparative analysis of superb microvascular imaging with conventional ultrasound and MRI for greater trochanteric pain syndrome management.
Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) is a common cause of hip pain and is often associated with chronic lower back pain and lower extremity osteoarthritis. Its diagnosis is clinical; however, imaging has been shown to aid in the differential diagnosis of challenging cases. Superb microvascular imaging (SMI) is a new technique that may be more effective than power Doppler ultrasonography (PDUS) in the detection of inflammation-related vascularity in patients. ⋯ Moreover, magnetic resonance imaging detected peritendinous edema with an accuracy of 60.5%, including tendinosis and partial tears but not complete tendon tears. Our study showed that PDUS is an underutilized modality in the diagnosis of GTPS and that SMI may further improve diagnostic accuracy. However, the low sensitivity of both techniques suggests that a clinical diagnosis remains essential.
-
Caregiver burden significantly affects both patients and caregivers but is often overlooked in clinical practice. Physical and emotional strain on caregivers can compromise the quality of care. Care robots are emerging as solutions to alleviate these burdens by assisting with routine tasks, thereby reducing caregivers' physical strain and stress. Therefore, a prospective, non-randomized, interventional clinical trial was designed to identify changes in caregivers' physical activities due to care robot use and explore the associated benefits. ⋯ In this study, we demonstrated that employing care robots can aid in mitigating muscle overuse among caregivers, potentially alleviating pain due to musculoskeletal conditions.
-
Comparative Study
Retrospective comparative analysis of human fascioliasis versus bacterial liver abscess.
This study aimed to compare the clinical characteristics of human fascioliasis and bacterial liver abscesses to provide a reference for the early and effective differentiation of these 2 diseases to avoid misdiagnosis. We retrospectively compared the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 95 patients with human fascioliasis and 95 with bacterial liver abscess admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University between January 2013 and March 30, 2023. The human fascioliasis group exhibited a higher proportion of female patients and a greater frequency of abdominal pain and lesions affecting both lobes of the liver. ⋯ Human fascioliasis predominantly affects young women and demonstrates a seasonal pattern. It is associated with severe abdominal symptoms, widespread lesions, significantly elevated eosinophil levels, and seasonal incidence. Bacterial liver abscess predominantly affects elderly men with diabetes, and it is associated with localized lesions and severe inflammatory manifestations and occurs throughout the year.