Medicine
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Solid pseudopapillary neoplasms (SPNs) of the pancreas are uncommon neoplasms and are potentially malignant. Complete resection is advised due to rare recurrence and metastasis. Duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection (DPPHR) is indicated for SPNs located in the pancreatic head and is only performed using the open approach. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports describing laparoscopic DPPHR (LDPPHR) for SPNs. ⋯ LDPPHR is a safe, feasible, and effective surgical procedure for SPNs.
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Observational Study
Influence of patient and provider factors on the workload of on-call physicians: A general internal medicine cohort observational study.
Factors associated with the physician workload are scarcely reported. The study aims to investigate the associated factors of on-call physician workload based on a published conceptual framework. The study was conducted in a general internal medicine unit of National Taiwan University Hospital. ⋯ On-call physician workload is associated with patient factors and the training of nurses. Number of unstable patients in a shift may be considered in predicting workload. The training of nurses may improve patient safety and decrease demand for clinical procedure.
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The prevalence of diabetes mellitus has been increasing both globally and locally. Primary care physicians (PCPs) are in a privileged position to provide first contact and continuing care for diabetic patients. A territory-wide Reference Framework for Diabetes Care for Adults has been released by the Hong Kong Primary Care Office in 2010, with the aim to further enhance evidence-based and high quality care for diabetes in the primary care setting through wide adoption of the Reference Framework. ⋯ The overall level of guideline adoption was found to be relatively high among PCPs for adult diabetes in primary care settings. The adoption barriers identified in this study should be addressed in the continuous updating of the Reference Framework. Strategies need to be considered to enhance the guideline adoption and implementation capacity.
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Spontaneous thyroid hemorrhage is a rare occurrence that results in pain, discomfort, and occasionally compressive symptoms. Infrequently, extensive thyroid hemorrhage can result in a rapidly expanding hematoma resulting in airway compromise. This is a case of an otherwise healthy young woman, 3 months postpartum, with a slowly expanding spontaneous thyroid hemorrhage that measured at 7 × 5.5 × 5 cm by computed tomography. She ultimately required intubation to manage respiratory distress and subsequently a hemithyroidectomy for definitive treatment. The case presentation is followed by a literature review where known etiologies of thyroid hematoma including traumatic and nontraumatic causes, precipitating anticoagulation, and spontaneous rupture of branches of the external carotid artery are outlined. The potential links to pregnancy are explored. The roles of bedside thyroid ultrasound in the emergency department and lateral neck roentgenogram in diagnosis are explored. The importance of airway management and indications for conservative versus surgical treatments are discussed. ⋯ This is a case of a spontaneous intrathyroidal hemorrhage, which progressed over days to ultimately cause airway compromise. It is imperative that physicians are educated on the appropriate detection and management of the potentially life-threatening spontaneous thyroid hematoma.
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Mammalian heat-shock-protein (HSP) 90α rapidly responses to environmental insults. We examined the hypothesis that not only serum HSP72 but also HSP90α is increased in the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), severe-sepsis (SS), and/or sepsis (S) compared to healthy children (H); we assessed HSP90α relation to (a) multiple organ system failure (MOSF) and (b) inflammatory-metabolic response and severity of illness. A total of 65 children with S, SS, or SIRS and 25 H were included. ⋯ The HSP72 was increased in SS/S and related negatively to HDL and LDL (P < 0.05). Serum HSP90α is markedly elevated in children with severe sepsis and is associated with MOSF. Better than the HSP72, also increased in SS, SIRS, and MOSF, HSP90α is related to the inflammatory stress, fever, outcome endpoints, and predicted mortality and inversely related to the low-LDL/low-HDL stress metabolic pattern.