Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the involvement evaluation questionnaire in caregivers of patients with borderline personality disorders

The involvement evaluation questionnaire (IEQ) was created to evaluate the caregiver's experience of burden and the consequences of providing care to people with psychotic disorders. To date, the IEQ has not been validated with caregivers of people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). The main objective of the study was to confirm the psychometric properties and factorial structure of the Spanish version of the IEQ in 151 caregivers of people with BPD, with an average age of 54.52 (SD = 9.91). Two models were tested by means of confirmatory factor analysis, following the original factor structure. The Models 1 and 2 displayed adequate fit, with comparative fit index and Tucker‐Lewis index > 0.90 and root‐mean‐square root of approximation < 0.08; however, Model 2 was more parsimonious. The Cronbach's alphas are adequate, ranging from 0.70 to 0.85. The consequences of providing care to people with BPD had a low or moderate association with the Level of Expressed Emotion scores. IEQ scores of caregivers of people diagnosed with BPD with psychiatric comorbidity did not differ from those of caregivers of people diagnosed with BPD without psychiatric comorbidity. The IEQ has adequate psychometric properties and can be utilized to assess burden in caregivers of people with BPD.     

Metastasis of submandibular gland carcinoma to the toe bone: a case report

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is rare. One of its characteristics is a high rate of distant metastasis, and the most common site is the lungs, followed by the brain and liver. Bony metastases account for up to 1.96% of cases only, however, and metastasis from the blood to the bones of distal limbs is rare. We report a 62-year-old woman who presented with pain caused by bony metastases as the first symptom eight years after being diagnosed with submandibular ACC. Although such cases are rare, they indicate that when patients who have had cancer visit the hospital with other symptoms, clinicians should make sure to rule out metastasis.     

Role of live animals in the training of microvascular surgery: a systematic review

As training in microvascular surgery often involves the use of live animals, it is important that such a practice is regularly revisited and justified, particularly in the context of emerging training strategies such as virtual simulation. This systematic review was therefore designed to assess the ongoing need for their use over other methods. A search of PubMed and MEDLINE using the major MeSH terms: anastomosis, surgical vascular procedures, microsurgery, and training, yielded 1386 titles from which 153 abstracts were read, 70 papers analysed, and 17 included. Nine of these papers were randomised studies that compared different methods of training. Other publications were included if the use of live animals was assessed or commented upon, or both (8 publications). Only one study randomised trainees to a non-living animal model or a living model, with detailed assessment that included clinical transfer to live surgery. It showed no significant difference in the quality of training, and excellent techniques of assessment. There was much discussion on the advantage of regular training and opportunities to practise without tuition, but there was no clear advantage for the use of live animals. Our review emphasises the lack of evidence regarding the need for live animals in the training of microsurgical or microvascular skills. Although the assumption remains that the use of live rats is essential, there is a clear need for a high-quality, comparative study to justify the continued use of such models given the quality of the alternatives now available.     

Association of group‐specific component exon 11 polymorphisms with bronchial asthma in children and adolescents

Several studies have investigated the association of Group‐specific Component (GC) gene, also known as vitamin D‐binding protein (VDBP), and various respiratory disorder susceptibility with conflicting results. In this sense, we aimed to investigate whether rs7041 and rs4588 variants confer susceptibility to bronchial asthma in a sample of an Egyptian population and to elucidate by in silico analysis the structural and functional impact of these variants. Group‐specific Component polymorphisms rs7041 and rs4588 were genotyped in 192 Egyptian children and adolescents (96 with asthma and 96 healthy controls) by TaqMan single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping assay. The rs7041 GG genotype showed a significantly elevated frequency among patients under codominant, dominant, recessive and allelic models where the patient group had greater carriage rate of G allele [OR 2.15, CI 95% (1.32‐3.50; P = 0.002)], while rs4588 CA and AA genotypes were found to be protective genotypes with controls showing a greater carriage rate of A allele [OR 0.52, CI 95% (0.30 ‐ 0.90; P = 0.02)]. Three haplotype allele combinations were identified with frequencies of GC (44.3%), TC (31.3%) and TA (24.5%) in the total study population. GC haplotype was shown to be more frequent in controls, while TC and TA haplotypes were more predominant in the patient group. Only rs7041 variant showed a significant association with family history and pubertal status. In conclusion, both study GC variants could be implicated in childhood bronchial asthma pathogenesis; rs7041 GG genotype and G allele increased asthma risk while rs4588 AA genotype and A allele conferred protection in the study population.     

Are HCAHPS Scores Higher for Private vs Double-Occupancy Inpatient Rooms in Total Joint Arthroplasty Patients?

Background

Private hospital rooms have a number of potential advantages compared to shared rooms, including reduced noise and increased control over the hospital environment. However, the association of room type with patient experience metrics in total joint arthroplasty (TJA) patients is currently unclear.

Mortality Rate and Mid-Term Outcomes of Total Hip Arthroplasty Using Dual Mobility Cups for the Treatment of Femoral Neck Fractures in a Middle Eastern Population

Background

The dual mobility cups (DMCs) were shown to reduce dislocation rate following total hip arthroplasty for any etiology, including femoral neck fractures. No reported studies evaluating DMC results for femoral neck fracture in a Middle Eastern population were found in the literature.

Implementierungsgrad der strukturierten Notrufabfrage in deutschen Leitstellen und Auswirkungen ihrer Einführung

Die Anaesthesiologie - Die Notrufabfrage ist elementar für die Disposition geeigneter Rettungsmittel und die Anleitung von Anrufern in Erste-Hilfe-Maßnahmen. Dadurch hat sie unmittelbaren...     

Non alcoholic fatty liver disease and risk of incident diabetes in subjects who are not obese

Background and aims

It is not known whether non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a risk factor for diabetes in non obese, non centrally-obese subjects. Our aim was to investigate relationships between fatty liver, insulin resistance and a biomarker score for liver fibrosis with incident diabetes at follow up, in subjects who were neither obese nor centrally-obese.