Surviving a stroke in South Africa: outcomes of home-based care in a low-resource rural setting

Background: Little is known of stroke outcomes in low- and middle-income countries with limited formal stroke rehabilitation services and of homebased-stroke services delivered within the primary health care (PHC) context by community health workers (CHWs).

Objectives: To describe and analyze the outcomes of patients with stroke from a rural PHC setting in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Methods: In a longitudinal survey, 93 stroke patients, referred to home and community-based care services (HCBC) between June 2015 and December 2017, were assessed at baseline, one month and three months. Changes in function (Barthel Index (BI)), caregiver strain (Caregiver Strain Index (CSI)), impact of environmental factors and satisfaction with stroke care were measured.

Results: HCBC was delayed, fragmented and brief (median session duration 20 minutes (IQR 15.0–30.0)). Although function improved significantly, dependence remained high: median BI score changed from 40.0 (IQR 15.0–70.0) to 62.5 (IQR 30.0–81.25) (p = .019). A third (33.0% (30/91)) of caregivers initially experienced strain and the median CSI score remained 3.0 (IQR 0.0–7.0) (p = .672). Overall, patient and caregiver satisfaction with HCBC was low with only 46.9% (31/66) of caregivers and 17.4% (12/69) of patients satisfied with all aspects of care. Only 47.6% of assistive product needs were met. Environmental factors negatively impacted on patient function and caregiving.

Conclusions: Clinical practice pathways and referral guidelines should be developed for the HCBC platform. Specific training of CHWs, focusing on how to educate, support and train family caregivers, provide assistive devices and refer to health services is needed.     

重型/危重型新型冠状病毒肺炎机械通气患者的肺康复策略

结合国内外中西医肺康复的研究成果,探讨重型/危重型新型冠状病毒肺炎机械通气患者的肺康复策略。机械通气是治疗重型/危重型肺炎必不可少的支持手段,但可能引起呼吸肌无力,导致痰液排泄障碍,进而影响预后。对于重型/危重型新型冠状病毒肺炎机械通气患者而言,及早采取必要的中西医肺康复干预措施意义重大,不仅有助于缓解呼吸困难症状,而且可缩短住院时间、改善预后。     

快速康复内窥镜椎间盘切除术治疗腰椎间盘突出症的临床观察

目的:探讨快速康复外科理念联合内窥镜椎间盘切除术治疗腰椎间盘突出症的疗效。方法:选取2018年4月—2019年4月本院收治的86例腰椎间盘突出症患者,随机分为两组,每组43例,对照组通过内窥镜椎间盘切除术治疗,观察组予以快速康复外科理念联合内窥镜椎间盘切除术治疗,对比两组疗效和并发症发生情况。结果:观察组并发症发生率(4.65%)较对照组(18.60%)低,差异有统计学意义(P 0.05);观察组下床活动时间、住院时间较对照组短,术后7天的疼痛评分较对照组低,差异有统计学意义(P 0.05);术后3个月,观察组的Oswestry功能障碍指数问卷表评分较对照组低,日本骨科协会评估治疗分数较对照组高,差异有统计学意义(P 0.05)。结论:探讨快速康复外科理念联合内窥镜椎间盘切除术治疗腰椎间盘突出症可减少并发症,缩短术后恢复时间,进而促进患者功能有效康复。     

腮腺切除术中沿面神经总干顺行解剖面神经的效果及安全性

目的探讨腮腺切除术中应用沿面神经总干顺行解剖面神经的治疗效果及安全性。方法选取我院2016年2月至2019年3月收治的60例择期行腮腺切除术的患者,随机分为观察组与对照组各30例。对照组沿面神经总干逆行解剖面神经,观察组沿面神经总干顺行解剖面神经,观察两组患者术后1个月面神经功能及术后并发症发生情况。结果术后1个月,两组患者的面神经功能分级比较无统计学差异(P>0.05);观察组的术后并发症发生率为10.00%,明显低于对照组的33.33%(P <0.05)。结论临床行腮腺切除术中,沿面神经总干顺行解剖面神经可降低术后并发症发生率,值得推广。     

Cost of postoperative complications: How to avoid calculation errors

Postoperative complications(PC) are a basic health outcome, but no surgery service in the world records and/or audits the PC associated with all the surgical procedures it performs. Most studies that have assessed the cost of PC suffer from poor quality and a lack of transparency and consistency. The payment system in place often rewards the volume of services provided rather than the quality of patients' clinical outcomes. Without a thorough registration of PC, the economic costs involved cannot be determined. An accurate, reliable appraisal would help identify areas for investment in order to reduce the incidence of PC,improve surgical results, and bring down the economic costs. This article describes how to quantify and classify PC using the Clavien-Dindo classification and the comprehensive complication index, discusses the perspectives from which economic evaluations are performed and the minimum postoperative follow-up established, and makes various recommendations. The availability of accurate and impartially audited data on PC will help reduce their incidence and bring down costs. Patients, the health authorities, and society as a whole are sure to benefit.     

Assessment of backward walking unmasks mobility impairments in post-stroke community ambulators

Background: While over half of stroke survivors recover the ability to walk without assistance, deficits persist in the performance of walking adaptations necessary for safe home and community mobility. One such adaptation is the ability to walk or step backward. Post-stroke rehabilitation rarely includes backward walking (BW) assessment and BW deficits have not been quantified in post-stroke community ambulators.

Objective: To quantify spatiotemporal and kinematic BW characteristics in post-stroke community ambulators and compare their performance to controls.

Methods: Individuals post-stroke (n = 15, 60.1 ± 12.9 years, forward speed: 1.13 ± 0.23 m/s) and healthy adults (n = 12, 61.2 ± 16.2 years, forward speed: 1.40 ± 0.13 m/s) performed forward walking (FW) and BW during a single session. Step characteristics and peak lower extremity joint angles were extracted using 3D motion analysis and analyzed with mixed-method ANOVAs (group, walking condition).

Results: The stroke group demonstrated greater reductions in speed, step length and cadence and a greater increase in double-support time during BW compared to FW (p < .01). Compared to FW, the post-stroke group demonstrated greater reductions in hip extension and knee flexion during BW (p < .05). The control group demonstrated decreased plantarflexion and increased dorsiflexion during BW, but these increases were attenuated in the post-stroke group (p < .05).

Conclusions: Assessment of BW can unmask post-stroke walking impairments not detected during typical FW. BW impairments may contribute to the mobility difficulties reported by adults post-stroke. Therefore, BW should be assessed when determining readiness for home and community ambulation.     

血清S100ββ变化与老年患者腹部手术后认知功能障碍的关系

目的观察老年患者腹部手术后S100ββ蛋白的变化以及术后认知功能障碍(POCD)的发生情况,并探讨二者的关系。方法26例65岁以上的老年患者ASAⅡ~Ⅲ级,行腹部手术。监测术前、术毕、术后6、24、48、72h血清S100ββ的变化,并评定术前及术后1周内的认知功能。结果老年患者血清S100ββ蛋白在术毕最高(P<0·01),术后6h和24h逐渐下降,但术后48h再次上升(P<0·01),术后72h回复至术前水平。26例老年患者腹部手术后1周内有7例发生POCD。POCD组与非POCD组相比,术毕及术后6h血清S100ββ蛋白水平明显增高(P<0·05)。结论老年患者腹部手术后POCD的发生与血清S100ββ蛋白的变化有密切关系。血清S100ββ蛋白可作为评估老年患者术后发生POCD的重要指标。     

影响颅脑外伤术后颅内感染的危险因素分析

目的探讨影响颅脑外伤开颅术后颅内感染的危险因素。方法采用回顾性研究比较分析了912例颅脑损伤术后出现颅内感染与未出现颅内感染组间的差异因素。结果非感染 770例,颅内感染142例(15．6％)。感染类型有无菌性脑膜炎、细菌性脑膜炎、脑室炎及脑室积脓、脑脓肿、硬膜下腔积脓、术区皮下或(和)骨瓣下化脓或合并骨髓炎、切口感染。细菌检出率占感染的27．5％。颅脑外伤术后感染与高温季节、高龄、重度以上损伤、短期内两次以上手术、连续两侧开颅术、长时间 (>5 h)手术、显微外科手术、颅底与后颅凹手术、脑室外引流、皮下或硬膜外积液以及急诊手术等因素相关(P<0．05)。结论对具有上述危险冈素的易感患者应给予更密切的关注和预防性的处理。