SpringerPlus
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Postpartum posterior pelvic girdle pain (PPGP) affects nearly 20 % of women who experience back pain in the peripartum period. The sacroiliac joint is a source of this pain in 75 % of women with persistent PPGP. A subset of women will fail to obtain acceptable pain relief from the current array of non-surgical treatment options. ⋯ These improvements were characteristic of the overall study results; no difference was detected between sub-groups. The sacroiliac joint can be a source of pain in women with persistent PPGP and should be investigated as a pain generator. In this study, women with carefully diagnosed chronic SI joint pain from PPGP recalcitrant to conservative therapies experienced clinically beneficially improvements in pain, disability and quality of life after minimally invasive SI joint fusion using a series of triangular porous plasma spray coated implants.
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One of the cornerstones in resuscitation training is defibrillation safety, inadvertent "shocking" of the patient when another person has contact with the patient may have a range of safety consequences. The objective of the study was to assess visual and verbal safety checks by paramedic students prior to defibrillation. This was a prospective observational mannequin study of defibrillation safety during a simulated cardiac arrest by paramedic students. ⋯ For scenario two agreement between student and assessor proved significant for "charging eye contact" for all three defibrillation attempts, with agreement ranging from 40 % (p = 0.043) to 53 % (p = 0.003), and "scanning the scene to ensure all persons are clear of the patient" before defibrillation attempt one and two with agreement ranging from 29 % (p = 0.044) to 46 % (p < 0.007). The results of this study suggest student perception of their performance and what they actually do is vastly different. Further studies using video recording glasses are required so students can gain an accurate and realistic sense of their defibrillation safety performance.
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There have been several imaging studies of cervical radiculopathy, but no three-dimensional (3D) images have shown the path, position, and pathological changes of the cervical nerve roots and spinal root ganglion relative to the cervical bony structure. The objective of this study was to introduce a technique that enables the virtual pathology of the nerve root to be assessed using 3D magnetic resonance (MR)/computed tomography (CT) fusion images that show the compression of the proximal portion of the cervical nerve root by both the herniated disc and the preforaminal or foraminal bony spur in patients with cervical radiculopathy. ⋯ The 3D MR/CT fusion imaging technique enhances visualization of pathoanatomy in cervical hidden area that is composed of the root and intervertebral foramen. This technique provides two distinct advantages for diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy. First, the isolation of individual vertebra clarifies the deformities of the whole root groove, including both the uncinate process and superior articular process in the cervical spine. Second, the tortuous or twisted condition of a compressed root can be visualized. The surgeon can identify the narrowest face of the root if they view the MR/CT fusion image from the posterolateral-inferior direction. Surgeons use MR/CT fusion images as a pre-operative map and for intraoperative navigation. The MR/CT fusion images can also be used as educational materials for all hospital staff and for patients and patients' families who provide informed consent for treatments.
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Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease, is usually a benign self-limiting disease which typically affects young females under the age of 30 years and resolves without treatment within six months. However, when it occurs in the context of connective tissue disease, particularly systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), it is usually associated with a flare-up of the patient's symptoms, requiring treatment, and can lead to severe, potentially life-threatening sequelae. ⋯ Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease is a histopathological diagnosis, and although the classical form appears to represent a distinct entity, it is unclear whether it is always the same entity, regardless of the context in which it occurs, or whether it represents a histological pattern with a variety of possible causes. In any case, the possibility of auto-immune sequelae in patients with known autoimmune disease should always be considered if these patients present with a sepsis-like clinical syndrome and no infective source is identified.
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Empirical evidence regarding cancer screening and health literacy is mixed. Cancer is the leading cause of death in Asian Americans, yet screening rates are notably low. Using a population-based sample, we determined if health literacy: (1) was associated with breast and cervical cancer screening, and (2) helped to explain Asian cancer screening disparities. ⋯ Self-reported health literacy predicted cervical and breast cancer screening, but was not able to explain Asian cancer screening disparities. We provide new evidence to support a relationship between health literacy and cancer screening. Health literacy is likely a useful focus for interventions to improve cancer screening and ultimately reduce the burden of cancer. To specifically reduce Asian cancer disparities, additional areas of focus should be considered.