Unveiling the masked native blood group following thalidomide therapy in a thalassemia patient: A 5 WHY analysis approach

Blood grouping discrepancy in patients with hematological disorders can occur due to red cell sensitization following transfusion, transplantation, and pregnancy or pre-analytical errors. Prompt initiation of root cause analysis is vital to avoid complications of wrong blood transfusion. We present an unusual case of Rh mismatched grouping report of 24 year old female thalassemia patient being managed in our hospital since 2015. Her current type and screen were observed as O Rh D negative with negative antibody screen while the historical blood group was O Rh D positive. The pre-analytical errors were ruled out and blood grouping performed from fresh sample also demonstrated as O Rh D negative despite antigen enhancement techniques and had no recent transfusion history. We sought to reason out the possibilities for discordant Rh grouping report, historical and present group through “Funnel based problem solving 5 WHY analysis” approach. The review of the past clinical history revealed that the patient had undergone Rh mismatch bone marrow transplant (Rh D positive donor and Rh D negative recipient) at 5 years of age which soon resulted in graft failure. Yet, she continued to receive Rh D positive blood thereafter with no development of anti-D which explains the historical blood group. Recently the patient was started on thalidomide, the Hb F inducer drug, which helped in maintaining her hemoglobin level between 9 and 10 g/dl without transfusion support for two months. This allowed unmasking of native Rh D negative blood and the review of clinical history played a significant role in resolution of grouping discrepancy.     

A retrospective analysis comparing set up errors from standard versus customised headrests for head and neck radiotherapy

IntroductionIn response to advice from The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence ⁽¹⁾ to reduce hospital visits during COVID-19, standard headrests were introduced for head and neck radiotherapy within Northern Centre for Cancer Care (NCCC). The standard headrest requires one mould room appointment compared to 3 appointments with customised headrests.MethodsTwo groups of 10 patients treated between December 2019 and June 2020 were retrospectively analysed by 1 observer. Groups were stratified according to age, sex and tumour site. One group had customised headrest and the other had standard headrest. Five hundred and forty seven cone beam computed tomography images were reviewed. A 6 Degree of Freedom match was performed then chin, shoulder and spine position were assessed using dosimetrist drawn structures. Structures out of the tolerance were recorded. A chi-squared test was used for statistical analysis.ResultsThe out of tolerance chin position count recorded was 21 for customised headrest and 36 for standard headrest, p-value 0.046. The shoulder position count was 13 for customised headrest and 77 for standard headrest p-value <0.001. The spine position count was 3 for CHR and 21 for standard headrest, p-value <0.001. This means the headrests compared are not equivalent in terms of set up reproducibility. Overall the standard headrest group had 10 set-up re-scans and no set up re-scans were recorded in the customised headrest group.ConclusionFewer hospital visits with SHR reduce patient exposure to COVID-19. However, CHR provided a more reliable level of immobilisation in this study.Implications for practiceThe radiotherapy service will be reviewed in line with these findings.     

Effective Feedback Strategies for Teaching in Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology

The clinical setting of pediatric and adolescent gynecology poses complex tasks for the physician with its numerous procedures and the communication demands of interacting with an adolescent and/or guardian. Needless to say, teaching within this setting is highly demanding. Regardless of the level of learner or the professional role (e.g., nurse, medical student, resident, physician assistant) represented, clinical teaching requires that the instructor provide feedback in ways that benefit the student. Recent research on feedback suggests a more complex understanding of feedback than in the past. This article highlights key research and its implication for effective feedback by presenting a three part framework; know your learner, understand what is to be learned, and plan for improvement.     

Mise en place et évaluation d’un apprentissage par simulation des examens gynécologiques

ObjectivesTo report the setting-up of a new educational program in the teaching of female pelvic and breast examinations and to investigate and compare the views and experience of undergraduate medical students and teachers on the program.Patients and methodsProspective evaluation of the teaching program through completion of a satisfaction questionnaire including items related to the educational value of the session by the students and the teachers.ResultsThe educational program included an online preparation for the session, 3 workshops on training models (breast examination, pelvic examination, cervical snear procedure) and a video clip. In total, 419 (80.6%) of 520 second study year students (and 15 [50%] of 30 teachers [13 doctors and 17 midwifes] responded to the questionnaire). The students and the teachers were either very satisfied (56.6% and 13.4%, respectively) or satisfied (43.2% and 86.6%, respectively). On average, 89.7% of students wanted more lessons of this type and all teachers felt these useful or very useful training for students.Discussion and conclusionTeaching sessions for pelvic and breast examination, which make combined use of videos and training models, are associated with a high degree of satisfaction from teachers and students in their second student's year.     

Serum superoxide dismutase activity in acute and chronic paediatric liver diseases

Background and study aimsMeasuring serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels in infants and children having acute or chronic liver disease of different aetiologies, and correlating these levels with disease aetiology in an attempt to clarify the role of SOD as an antioxidant in these diseases.Patients and methodsWe prospectively enrolled 58 infants and children and divided them into four groups: Group I, 24 patients with surgical cholestasis; group II, 11 patients with medical cholestasis; group III, nine patients with autoimmune chronic hepatitis; and group IV, 14 patients with viral hepatitis. Forty healthy age- and sex-matched children served as controls. Serum SOD activity was measured in all patients and controls using spectrophotometry.ResultsThe level of SOD showed a statistically significant increase in patients with medical cholestasis compared to healthy controls (p < 0.0001). SOD activity of other groups showed no significant difference compared to controls.ConclusionsSignificantly increased serum SOD in infants and children with medical cholestasis is probably consequent to its increase in liver tissue in response to the liberation of reactive oxygen species. This suggests that products of free radical reactions might be involved in the pathogenesis and/or progression of medical cholestasis, and that SOD might attempt to minimise the liver injury.     

Making Modern Migraine Medieval: Men of Science,Hildegard of Bingen and the Life of a Retrospective Diagnosis

Charles Singer’s retrospective diagnosis of Hildegard of Bingen as a migraine sufferer, first made in 1913, has become commonly accepted. This article uses Hildegard as a case study to shift our focus from a polarised debate about the merits or otherwise of retrospective diagnosis, to examine instead what happens when diagnoses take on lives of their own. It argues that simply championing or rejecting retrospective diagnosis is not enough; that we need instead to appreciate how, at the moment of creation, a diagnosis reflects the significance of particular medical signs and theories in historical context and how, when and why such diagnoses can come to do meaningful work when subsequently mobilised as scientific ‘fact’. This article first traces the emergence of a new formulation of migraine in the nineteenth century, then shows how this context enabled Singer to retrospectively diagnose Hildegard’s migraine and finally examines some of the ways in which this idea has gained popular and academic currency in the second half of the twentieth century. The case of Hildegard’s migraine reminds us of the need to historicise scientific evidence just as rigorously as we historicise our other material and it exposes the cumulative methodological problems that can occur when historians use science, and scientists use history on a casual basis.     

对精神病患者监护人的干预在减少医疗纠纷中的作用

目的:探讨对精神病患者监护人的干预在减少医疗纠纷中的作用。方法:采用回顾性调查,统计32例医疗纠纷情况并分析原因。结果:产生医疗纠纷的原因中,22例与患者的监护人有较大关系。结论:通过对监护人的干预能减少精神病科的医疗纠纷。