Articles: function.
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Repeated sensory exposures shape the brain's function and its responses to environmental stimuli. An important clinical and scientific question is how exposure to pain affects brain network activity and whether that activity is modifiable with training. We sought to determine whether repeated pain exposure would impact brain network activity and whether these effects can be reversed by cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based training. ⋯ Finally, the regulate group showed enhanced resting functional connectivity between areas of the DMN and executive control network over time, compared with the control group. Our study demonstrates that trainable cognitive states can alter the effect of repeated sensory exposure on the brain. The findings point to the potential utility of cognitive training to prevent changes in brain network connectivity that occur with repeated experience of pain.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Sep 2016
ReviewExhaled nitric oxide levels to guide treatment for adults with asthma.
Asthma guidelines aim to guide health practitioners to optimise treatment for patients so as to minimise symptoms, improve or maintain good lung function, and prevent acute exacerbations or flare-ups. The principle of asthma guidelines is based on a step-up or step-down regimen of asthma medications to maximise good health outcomes using minimum medications. Asthma maintenance therapies reduce airway inflammation that is usually eosinophilic. Tailoring asthma medications in accordance with airway eosinophilic levels may improve asthma outcomes such as indices of control or reduce exacerbations or both. Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a marker of eosinophilic inflammation, and as it is easy to measure, has an advantage over other measurements of eosinophilic inflammation (for example sputum eosinophils). ⋯ With new studies included since the last version of this review, which included adults and children, this updated meta-analysis in adults with asthma showed that tailoring asthma medications based on FeNO levels (compared with primarily on clinical symptoms) decreased the frequency of asthma exacerbations but did not impact on day-to-day clinical symptoms, end-of-study FeNO levels, or inhaled corticosteroid dose. Thus, the universal use of FeNO to help guide therapy in adults with asthma cannot be advocated. As the main benefit shown in the studies in this review was a reduction in asthma exacerbations, the intervention may be most useful in adults who have frequent exacerbations. Further RCTs encompassing different asthma severity, ethnic groups in less affluent settings, and taking into account different FeNO cutoffs are required.
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Observational Study
Electronically Mediated Time-out Initiative to Reduce the Incidence of Wrong Surgery: An Interventional Observational Study.
"Wrong surgery" is defined as wrong site, wrong operation, or wrong patient, with estimated incidence up to 1 per 5,000 cases. Responding to national attention on wrong surgery, our objective was to create a care redesign intervention to minimize the rate of wrong surgery. ⋯ Implementation of a forced-completion electronically mediated time-out process before incision is feasible, but it is unclear whether true performance improvements occur.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Sep 2016
Long term end-stage renal disease and death following acute renal replacement therapy in the ICU.
In ICU the need for acute renal replacement therapy (RRT) associates with high mortality and risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), but there are limited long-term data. We investigated these outcomes and their risk factors. ⋯ The need of acute RRT was associated with markedly increased long term risk of death and ESRD; in contrast its use was not associated with 30-day mortality. In addition to acute RRT, decreased kidney function and peripheral vascular disease before ICU admission were risk factors for ESRD. It seems warranted offering medical follow-up to patients after acute RRT in ICU.