Surveillance of injecting‐related injury and diseases in people who inject drugs attending a targeted primary health care facility in Sydney's Kings Cross

Objective: This study examined the prevalence of injecting‐related injuries and diseases (IRIDs) and associated risk factors among people who inject drugs (PWID) attending a primary health care facility in Sydney's Kings Cross. Methods: We calculated prevalence of a wide range of IRIDs utilising data reported by 702 PWID who completed a clinician‐administered survey at their first visit. Multivariable logistic regressions identified factors independently associated with at least one episode of: i) cutaneous and ii) non‐cutaneous IRIDs. Results: Lifetime prevalence of cutaneous IRIDs was 23%. Forty‐two per cent of PWID with a history of abscess attended hospital at their most recent episode. Female gender, lifetime receptive syringe sharing (RSS), injecting while in custody, and ever injecting in places other than the arm were independently associated with reporting at least one episode of cutaneous IRIDs. Ever injecting in sites other than the arm, injecting for five or more years and lifetime history of RSS were independently associated with at least one episode of non‐cutaneous IRIDs. Conclusions: IRIDs are a substantial health issue for PWID. Their ongoing surveillance is warranted particularly in primary care settings targeting PWID to inform prevention and early management, thus reducing complications that may require hospital admission.     

Decontamination Techniques of Pathogen Bacteria in Meat and Poultry

Means of controlling or even improving the safety of food products is to decontaminate the carcasses or products during or at the end of the production line. The decontamination of meat and poultry can help to reduce human foodborne infections. However, process hygiene to prevent contamination should never be neglected. Some techniques of decontaminating raw meat and poultry meat products are discussed in this review.     

The pleuro-esophageal muscle: a disregarded anatomical structure

A transverse muscular band extending from the left pleura to the esophagus was detected during routine dissection of posterior mediastinum in Anatomy Department of Ege University Medical Faculty. As a result of a detailed review of the literature, we found that this structure is named as the pleuro-esophageal muscle. This muscle was made of smooth fibers, acting as an anchoring structure to the lower part of the esophagus. While the entire esophageal muscle is smooth in the early stage of fetal development, this muscle probably derives as an early separation from the esophagus.     

Magnetic resonance image-guided stereotactic body radiation therapy for liver rhabdoid tumor in infancy: A case report

Extracranial malignant rhabdoid tumors are rare and aggressive tumors that typically occur in the pediatric age group and have a poor prognosis. Herein, we report a case of a one year and five months old male infant who was referred with the diagnosis of malignant rhabdoid tumor of the liver. Magnetic resonance guided stereotactic body radiotherapy was administered with concomitant chemotherapy. Treatment was well tolerated with no severe acute side effects. A 40.8% volumetric reduction of the tumor was observed at the last fraction of MR guided radiotherapy.     

Physical inactivity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: data from twenty-one countries in a cross-sectional, international study

OBJECTIVE: Regular physical activity is associated with decreased morbidity and mortality. Traditionally, patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been advised to limit physical exercise. We studied the prevalence of physical activity and associations with demographic and disease-related variables in patients with RA from 21 countries. METHODS: The Questionnaires in Standard Monitoring of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (QUEST-RA) is a cross-sectional study that includes a self-report questionnaire and clinical assessment of nonselected consecutive outpatients with RA who are receiving usual clinical care. Frequency of physical exercise (>or=30 minutes with at least some shortness of breath, sweating) is queried with 4 response options: >or=3 times weekly, 1-2 times weekly, 1-2 times monthly, and no exercise. RESULTS: Between January 2005 and April 2007, a total of 5,235 patients from 58 sites in 21 countries were enrolled in QUEST-RA: 79% were women, >90% were white, mean age was 57 years, and mean disease duration was 11.6 years. Only 13.8% of all patients reported physical exercise>or=3 times weekly. The majority of the patients were physically inactive with no regular weekly exercise: >80% in 7 countries, 60-80% in 12 countries, and 45% and 29% in 2 countries, respectively. Physical inactivity was associated with female sex, older age, lower education, obesity, comorbidity, low functional capacity, and higher levels of disease activity, pain, and fatigue. CONCLUSION: In many countries, a low proportion of patients with RA exercise. These data may alert rheumatologists to motivate their patients to increase physical activity levels.     

Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy Alone or With Laparoscopic Herniorrhaphy

Background and Objectives:

Prostate cancer and inguinal hernia are common health issues in men aged more than 50 years. Recently, more data are accumulating that laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) and laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (LIHR) can be performed in the same operation. The purpose of this study was to compare patients who underwent simultaneous extraperitoneal LRP (E-LRP) and LIHR with control patients who underwent only E-LRP in a matched-pairs design.

Methods:

Medical records of 215 patients were evaluated, and 20 patients who underwent E-LRP+LIHR were compared with 40 patients who underwent only E-LRP in a matched-pairs analysis. Preoperative clinical parameters (age, body mass index, prostate-specific antigen, clinical stage, Gleason score of the prostate biopsy, and prostate volume) and operative data (operation time, duration of catheterization, length of hospital stay, estimated blood loss, time to perform the anastomosis and its quality, and the percentage of patients with bilateral lymphadenectomy) were evaluated, as well as postoperative parameters (pathological stage, Gleason score, specimen weight, follow-up duration, biochemical recurrence, complication rates, and duration of postoperative analgesic treatment).

Results:

No statistically significant differences were found in the preoperative and operative parameters between the 2 study groups. Pathological parameters and the follow-up period and complication rates were similar between the 2 groups.

Conclusion:

Performing LIHR and E-LRP during the same operation is safe and feasible in the treatment of patients with prostate cancer and inguinal hernia.     

The comparison of high and standard definition computed tomography techniques regarding coronary artery imaging

ObjectiveThe aim was to compare coronary high-definition CT (HDCT) with standard-definition CT (SDCT) angiography as to radiation dose, image quality and accuracy.ResultsThe intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of measured vessel attenuation values in SDCT between the two radiologists was exceedingly good. The ICC was higher in HDCT. The radiation dose of HDCT was higher than that of SDCT. The mean tube current was 180 (mA) in HDCT and 147(mA) in SDCT with the same tube voltage (kVp). There was no significant difference between image quality.ConclusionHDCT has a higher radiation dose but has much more atenuation and the spatial resolution which improve measurement accuracy for imaging coronary arteries.