Use of a dual lumen port for automated red cell exchange in adults with sickle cell disease

Red cell exchange (RCE) is a common procedure in adults with sickle cell disease (SCD). Implantable dual lumen Vortex (DLV) ports can be used for RCE in patients with poor peripheral venous access. We performed a retrospective cohort study of RCE procedures performed in adults with SCD. The main objective of the study was to compare the inlet speed, duration of procedures and rate of complications performed through DLV ports to those performed through temporary central venous and peripheral catheters. Twenty‐nine adults with SCD underwent a total of 318 RCE procedures. Twenty adults had DLV ports placed and 218 procedures were performed using DLV ports. Mean length of follow‐up after DLV port placement was 397 ± 263 days. Six DLV ports were removed due to infection and 1 for malfunction after a mean of 171 ± 120 days. Compared to temporary central venous and peripheral catheters, DLV port procedures had a greater rate of procedural complications, a longer duration, and a lower inlet speed (all P < 0.01). When accounting for the maximum allowable inlet speed to avoid citrate toxicity, 40% of DLV port procedures were greater than 10% below maximum speed, compared to 7 and 14% of procedures performed through temporary central venous and peripheral catheters (P < 0.0001). In conclusion, DLV ports can be used for RCE in adults with SCD, albeit with more procedural complications and longer duration. The smaller internal diameter and longer catheter of DLV ports compared to temporary central venous catheters likely accounts for the differences noted. J. Clin. Apheresis 30:353–358, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The effect of cardiac rehabilitation exercise programs on feelings of energy and fatigue: a meta-analysis of research from 1945 to 2005.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity is a healthful behavior that has promise for combating feelings of low energy and fatigue. Despite evidence suggesting that fatigue is a prodromal symptom of major cardiac events, improvements in feelings of energy and fatigue have largely been ignored by reviewers of cardiac rehabilitation literature who have focused on anxiety, depression and general measures of quality of life. DESIGN: A meta-analytical review. METHODS AND RESULTS: Computer databases were searched from January 1945 to May 2005 to identify relevant literature. A total of 36 studies consisting of 4765 subjects were included. Cardiac rehabilitation exercise programs were consistently associated with increases in energy and decreases in fatigue. The magnitude of the effect was moderately large (mean delta 0.51; 95% confidence interval 0.42-0.61) but was heterogeneous and modified by features of the research design. Comparison of effect sizes in cardiac rehabilitation studies concurrently measuring energy/fatigue, anxiety and depression suggest that exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programs have larger effects on feelings of energy and fatigue compared with anxiety and depression. CONCLUSION: This review quantifies the potential benefit of cardiac rehabilitation exercise programs on feelings of energy and fatigue, and suggests that cardiac rehabilitation researchers and practitioners may benefit from examining, and perhaps even focusing on, feelings of energy and fatigue as an important outcome variable. A greater understanding of the effect of cardiac rehabilitation exercise programs on feelings of energy and fatigue will be reached when more true experiments are conducted thereby avoiding the primary limitation of the literature reviewed; that is, the frequent use of non-experimental research designs.     

Pharmacologic treatment of fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome of widespread pain, nonrestorative sleep, disturbed mood, and fatigue. Optimal treatment involves a multidisciplinary approach with a team of health care providers using pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatment. Because of the heterogeneity of the illness, management should be individualized for the patient. Pharmacologic treatment should address issues of pain control, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and any underlying coexisting mood disorder. Nonpharmacologic treatment should include patient education, a regular exercise and stretching program, and cognitive behavioral therapy. All of these are essential to improving functional capacity and quality of life. This review provides general guidelines in initiating a successful pharmacologic treatment program for patients with fibromyalgia.     

Educating African American men about the prostate cancer screening dilemma: a randomized intervention.

BACKGROUND: Until there is a definitive demonstration that early diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer reduces disease-related mortality, it is imperative to promote informed screening decisions by providing balanced information about the potential benefits and risks of prostate cancer screening. Within a community/academic collaboration, we conducted a randomized trial of a printed booklet and a videotape that were designed for African American (AA) men. The purpose of the trial was to determine the effect of the interventions on knowledge, decisional conflict, satisfaction with the screening decision, and self-reported screening. METHODS: Participants were 238 AA men, ages 40 to 70 years, who were members of the Prince Hall Masons in Washington, DC. Men were randomly assigned to the (a) video-based information study arm, (b) print-based information study arm, or (c) wait list control study arm. Intervention materials were mailed to men at home. Assessments were conducted at baseline, 1 month, and 12 months postintervention. Multivariate analyses, including ANCOVA and logistic regression, were used to analyze group differences. RESULTS: The booklet and video resulted in a significant improvement in knowledge and a reduction in decisional conflict about prostate cancer screening, relative to the wait list control. Satisfaction with the screening decision was not affected by the interventions. Self-reported screening rates increased between the baseline and the 1-year assessment, although screening was not differentially associated with either of the interventions. In exploratory analyses, prostate-specific antigen testing at 1 year was more likely among previously screened men and was associated with having low baseline decisional conflict. CONCLUSIONS: This study represents one of the first randomized intervention trials specifically designed to address AA men's informed decision making about prostate cancer screening. We have developed and evaluated culturally sensitive, balanced, and disseminable materials that improved knowledge and reduced decisional conflict about prostate cancer screening among AA men. Due to the high incidence and mortality rates among AA men, there is a need for targeted educational materials, particularly materials that are balanced in terms of the benefits and risks of screening.     

Focal peritubular capillary C4d deposition in acute rejection.

BACKGROUND: Diffuse peritubular capillary (PTC) C4d deposition has been shown to be associated with relatively poor graft outcome. The significance of focal PTC C4d staining in the early post-transplant period is uncertain. METHODS: Sixty-five biopsies from 53 patients with acute rejection were graded (Banff '97 criteria), stained for C4d, monocytes and T cells, and divided into three groups according to PTC C4d: (i) focal C4d (F) (14 biopsies, 14 patients), (ii) diffuse C4d (D) (23 biopsies, 15 patients) and (iii) no C4d (N) (28 biopsies, 24 patients). The three groups were compared with respect to a variety of biopsy and clinical parameters including outcome. RESULTS: The incidence of transplant glomerulitis and glomerular monocyte infiltration were significantly greater in F (64% and 2.0+/-2.0) and D (57% and 3.4+/-2.0) than in N (11% and 0.2+/-0.2). A significantly higher proportion of F (93%) demonstrated acute cellular rejection (Banff '97 grade > or = 1A) than did D (35%). The F and D groups included significantly more females (50 and 67%, respectively) than did N (21%). The percentage of patients with a second or third transplant was higher in F (29%) and D (40%) than in N (8%) (P = 0.0589). The proportion of patients with glomerular filtration rate < 30 ml/min at 12, 24 and 48 months was higher in the D and F groups than in the N, and there was a statistically significant increasing trend in odds of this outcome occurring at 48 months across the three groups (D > F > N group) (P = 0.0416). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the biopsy findings and clinical course in patients with focal PTC C4d staining are similar to those associated with diffuse C4d.     

Scholarly productivity: are nurse academics catching up?

The aim of this study was to document the amount of recent change in Australian nurse academics' scholarly productivity and to investigate the influence of demographic factors such as gender, academic rank, qualifications, increase in qualifications, state of residence, university and university size. Scholarly productivity was calculated from an audit of journal articles. The findings of this study indicate that, while there has been a slight increase in scholarly productivity in the last five years, nursing still lags behind other disciplines. Scholarly productivity was found to be positively associated with highest academic qualification, academic rank and promotion. The study indicates the continuing need for senior nurse academics to provide mentoring to colleagues and foster the development of skills associated with scholarly productivity.