Effects of exogenous factors on spatial accuracy in neurosurgery

The study aimed to assess the effect of exogenous factors such as surgeon posture, surgical instrument length, fatigue after a night shift, exercise and caffeine consumption on the spatial accuracy of neurosurgical manipulations. For the evaluation and simulation of neurosurgical manipulations, a testing device developed by the authors was used. The experimental results were compared using nonparametric analysis (Wilcoxon test) and multivariate analysis, which was performed using mixed models. The results were considered statistically significant at p < 0.05. The study included 11 first-year neurosurgery residents who met the inclusion criteria. Hand support in the sitting position (Wilcoxon test p value = 0.0033), caffeine consumption (p = 0.0058) and the length of the microsurgical instrument (p = 0.0032) had statistically significant influences on the spatial accuracy of surgical manipulations (univariate analysis). The spatial accuracy did not significantly depend on the type of standing position (Wilcoxon test p value = 0.2860), whether the surgeon was standing/sitting (p = 0.1029), fatigue following a night shift (p = 0.3281), or physical exertion prior to surgery (p = 0.2845).When conducting the multivariate analysis, the spatial accuracy significantly depended on the test subject (p < 0.0001), the use of support during the test (p = 0.0001), and the length of the microsurgical instrument (p = 0.0397). To increase the spatial accuracy of microsurgical manipulations, hand support and shorter tools should be used. Caffeine consumption in high doses should also be avoided prior to surgery.     

Effect of peer support on adults with diabetes-related peripheral neuropathy

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of peer support on exercise self-efficacy, physical activity level, and neuropathic symptoms in patients with diabetes-related peripheral neuropathy (DPN).MethodsA total of 60 adults with DPN were assigned to groups. Patients in the control group received routine education (RE), while patients in the intervention group received peer support (PS) combined with routine diabetes education. Data were collected at baseline and after intervention (12 weeks).ResultsAt 12 weeks, better outcomes were found in the PS group compared to the RE group for the following aspects: exercise self-efficacy, steps, total physical activity, fasting blood glucose and 2-hour postprandial blood glucose. Decreases in scores on Toronto Clinical Scoring System occurred between baseline and post-intervention in both groups.ConclusionPeer support is an effective way to improve exercise self-efficacy, number of steps, and general physical activity and to reduce blood glucose for patients with DPN. But the effects of peer support on neuropathic symptoms is are obvious. Further research is needed.Practice implicationsAs a low-cost, effective education approach, peer support strategies should be integrated into our healthcare system to meet the minimum needs of patients with DPN.     

乳腺癌术后上肢淋巴水肿患者自我管理体验的质性研究

目的 了解乳腺癌术后上肢淋巴水肿患者自我管理中的体验和感受，为临床制订解决方案提供参考。 方法 采用质性研究方法对15例乳腺癌术后上肢淋巴水肿患者进行半结构式访谈，采用Colaizzi7步分析法分析资料。 结果 提炼出6个主题，包括缺乏自我管理知识、思想上未引起足够重视、管理方式的差异化、自我管理过程中存在诸多障碍、自我管理中的情绪问题和社会支持不足。 结论 乳腺癌术后上肢淋巴水肿患者在自我管理过程中存在较多问题，医护人员应帮助患者纠正对疾病的错误认知及处理方式，树立良好的自我管理行为与习惯，重视患者由自我管理产生的心理问题，联合家庭和社会共同提高患者的自我管理能力。     

Innovating medication reviews through a technology-enabled process

Medication reviews are effective in improving the quality of medication use among older people. However, they are conducted to various standards resulting in a wide range of outcomes which limit generalisability of findings arising from research studies. There also appear to be funding and time constraints, lack of data storage for quality improvement purposes, and non-standardised reporting of outcomes, especially clinically relevant outcomes. Furthermore, the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has restricted many face-to-face activities, including medication reviews. This article introduces a technology-enabled approach to medication reviews that may overcome some limitations with current medication review processes, and also make it possible to conduct medication reviews during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing an alternate platform. The possible advantages of this technology-enabled approach, legislative considerations and possible implementation in practice are discussed.