Human factors in pelvic surgery

In the pelvis, anatomic complexity and difficulty in visualization and access make surgery a formidable task. Surgeons are prone to work-related musculoskeletal injuries from the frequently poor design and flow of their work environment. This is exacerbated by the strain of surgery in the pelvis. These injuries can result in alterations to a surgeons practice, inadvertent patient injury, and even early retirement. Human factors examines the relationships between the surgeon, their instruments and their environment. By bridging physiology, psychology, and ergonomics, human factors allows a better understanding of some of the challenges posed by pelvic surgery. The operative approach involved (open, laparoscopic, robotic, or perineal) plays an important role in the relevant human factors. Improved understanding of ergonomics can mitigate these risks to surgeons. Other human factors approaches such as standardization, use of checklists, and employing resiliency efforts can all improve patient safety in the operating theatre.     

Living with the financial consequences of cancer: A life course perspective

Abstract

Purpose

Financial hardship can be a major cause of distress among persons with cancer, resulting in chronic stress and impacting physical and emotional health. This paper provides an analysis of the lived experience of cancer patients’ financial hardship from diagnosis to post-treatment.     

Questionnaire measures of self-directed ageing stereotype in older adults: a systematic review of measurement properties

The population is ageing, but while average life expectancy continues to increase, healthy life expectancy has not necessarily matched this and negative ageing stereotypes remain prevalent. Self-directed ageing stereotypes are hypothesised to play an important role in older adults’ health and well-being; however, a wide variety of terms and measures are used to explore this construct meaning there is a lack of clarity within the literature. A review was conducted to identify tools used to measure self-directed ageing stereotype in older adults and evaluate their quality. Searches identified 109 papers incorporating 40 different measures. Most common were the Philadelphia Geriatric Centre Morale Scale Attitude Towards Own Ageing (ATOA) subscale, Ageing Perceptions Questionnaire (APQ) and Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire. Despite being most frequently used, the ATOA was developed to measure morale in older adults rather than self-directed ageing stereotypes. Over 25 terms were used to describe the concept, and it is suggested that for consistency the term “self-directed ageing stereotype” be adopted universally. Across measures, poor reporting of psychometric properties made it difficult to assess scale quality and more research is needed to fully assess measures before conclusions can be drawn as to the best tool; however, the Brief-APQ appears to hold most promise. Future research must address this issue before interventions to reduce negative self-directed ageing stereotypes can be developed and fully evaluated.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s10433-020-00574-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

医学本科生在儿外科实习中的困惑和解决策略

实习是医生从理论步入实战最重要的经历。2014年国家七部委联合出台《意见》:进入临床工作的住院医师要求本科必须取得毕业证、规培证、执业证才有资格。也就是本科毕业后必须进行为期3年的规范化培训才有资格进入临床。这种教学模式对医学本科生实习心态波动很大。对是否考研,如何选择就业充满困惑,尤其是面对难度高、收入低、稀缺小专业或者不喜欢的专业,抵触、焦虑、逃避成了学生最常见反应。他们认为是浪费自己读书时间,耽误考研,以至于学生和代教教师在实际工作中普遍表现得敷衍、懈怠。如何改善现状和帮助学生走出困境,不仅需要医院深化教学改革,同时政府行为、政策也亟待完善或改革。     

Time course of arsenic species in red blood cells of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patients treated with single agent arsenic trioxide

Background:Arsenic trioxide (ATO) is widely applied to treat acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). To elucidate metabolism and toxicity of arsenic, we analyzed time course of arsenic species in red blood cells (RBCs) of APL patients.

Methods:Nine APL patients received ATO (0.16 mg/kg/day) through 18-h infusion. Blood was collected before daily administration (days 2 to 9), and at different time points on day 8. Inorganic arsenic (iAs), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) were detected by HPLC-ICP-MS.

Results:Arsenic species reached C_max at 18 h on day 8. Arsenicals gradually accumulated during days 2 to 9, whereas their percentages remained almost constant. The general trend in red blood cells (RBCs) was iAs > MMA > DMA. MMA was consistently the predominant methylated arsenic metabolite in RBCs. iAs, MMA, and tAs (tAs = iAs + DMA + MMA) concentrations (P < 0.0001), MMA/DMA ratios (P = 0.0016) and iAs% (P = 0.0013) were higher in RBCs than in plasma.

Conclusions:Time course of arsenic species reveal kinetic characteristic of ATO metabolites in RBCs. Arsenic species accumulated with administration frequency. Arsenic species in RBCs were remarkably different from those in plasma. Time course of arsenic species in RBCs is important in ATO clinical application.     

Collagenous colitis without diarrhoea at diagnosis – a follow up study

Objective: Chronic watery diarrhoea is a classical symptom of collagenous colitis (CC). However, in some cases, the typical histologic findings of CC can be found in patients without this symptom. In this study we have performed a follow up on patients with a confirmed histological diagnosis of CC without the typical symptom watery diarrhoea.

Patients and methods: A structured medical record follow-up was performed on the subgroup of patients without watery diarrhoea but diagnosed with the typical CC histologic appearance in a previous study of microscopic colitis.

Results: At follow up after a median time of 8 years (range: 0.33–12 years), five of these fifteen patients developed bowel symptoms but only two developed characteristic CC symptoms with watery diarrhoea.

Conclusion: The majority of patients without chronic watery diarrhoea at diagnosis remained free from this symptom during follow up and only in a few cases symptoms attributed to CC developed.     

《中医基础理论》多元化教学评价方式的构建与实践

《中医基础理论》是中医学课程体系中的主干课程,其教学质量对于中医学人才的总体培养质量具有举足轻重的作用。构建科学合理的教学评价方式是切实推进教学改革,提升教学质量的重要一环。文章论述了《中医基础理论》课程多元化教学评价方式的构建和具体实施方案,在整个《中基》教学过程的不同阶段合理地运用三种评价方式,进行全面客观和准确的判断评价,从而为师生"教"与"学"的切实改进和提升提供真实的依据。实践表明:多元化教学评价方式增强了学生学习的兴趣,提高了学生自主学习的积极性和能力,提高了学生运用知识分析和解决问题的能力,培育了学生的团队协作精神和创新思维;同时,激发了教师教学的热情,促进了教师教学理念、教学方法、教学手段以及专业知识的更新,提高了教师综合素质。本文对实践中存在的问题也进行了总结。