Accuracy and Precision of Acetabular Component Placement With Imageless Navigation in Obese Patients

Background

Obesity is a risk factor for acetabular component malposition when total hip arthroplasty is performed with manual techniques. The utility of imageless navigation in obese patients remains unknown. This study compared the accuracy and precision of imageless navigation for component orientation between obese and nonobese patients.

Medical waste management and environmental assessment in the Rio University Hospital,Western Greece

At this study a multi-criteria model was developed to examine the available procedures, techniques and methods of handling infectious waste in the large healthcare unit of University Regional General Hospital of Patras, Western Greece. Particularly, this study examined the: a) current legislation and Directives issued for medical waste management at Greece and among the other EU-members, b) contribution of healthcare wastes (HCW) generation rate on social and economic parameters in selected European countries, c) available procedures, techniques, and methods upon the disposal of infectious wastes at the healthcare studied, and, d) propositions for integrated management of such hazardous wastes. Specifically, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology was applied under pair wise comparison matrices in two stages: 1) the scale factors and the indicators, and 2) the criteria and their sub–criteria. The assessment of these pair wise matrices included the indicators and the sub–criteria. Subsequently, two pair wise comparison matrices, upon a) the “Fulfillment of environmental objectives” indicator and b) the “Energy consumption” sub criterion, were denoted. The AHP methodology yielded good results; however there is still space of improving the environmental performance. The normalized relative weights obtained for the criteria and sub criteria motivated specific actions that have to be handled. Particularly, the results indicated a very good value in environmental management criteria due the values obtained for the commitment towards the environmental policy standards and the waste management procedures. However, further improvements on staff awareness (such as development programs to enhance sensitivity) and more green purchasing suppliers, should be further addressed.     

Generalisierter Krampfanfall während der Anlage einer axillären Plexusblockade

Die Anaesthesiologie - Eine junge Patientin erleidet während der Anlage einer axillären Plexusblockade einen generalisierten Krampfanfall. Die Mechanismen, im Wesentlichen die vermutlich...     

Increased hospital costs are associated with low skeletal muscle mass in patients undergoing elective open aortic surgery

Objective

Low psoas muscle area is shown to be an indicator for worse postoperative outcome in patients undergoing vascular surgical. Additionally, it has been associated with longer durations of hospital stay in patients with cancer who undergo surgery and subsequently greater health care costs in Europe and the United States. We sought to evaluate this effect on hospital expenditure for patients undergoing vascular repair in a health care system with universal access.

Enhanced antitumour activity of doxorubicin and simvastatin combination loaded nanoemulsion treatment against a Swiss albino mouse model of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma

Doxorubicin (DOX) is the most commonly used anticancer drug; however, it has limited use because prolonged administration may result in severe cardiotoxicity. Simvastatin (SIM), generally prescribed for hypercholesterolaemia, has also shown salubrious results in the monotherapy or combinational drug therapy of different cancers in various models. Nanoparticle drug delivery systems are a novel way of improving therapeutics and also improving the absorption and specificity of drugs towards tumour cells. In this study, we exploited this technology to increase drug specificity and minimize imminent adverse effects. In this study, the antitumour activity of the combination formulas of DOX and SIM, either loaded in water (DOX‐SIM‐Solution) or nanoemulsions (NEs) (DOX‐SIM‐NE), was evaluated in a Swiss albino mouse model of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma. The anticancer effect was assessed by quantifying the change in body weight, mean survival time, and percent increase in lifespan (%ILS), determining haematological and serum biochemical parameters (liver function test, kidney function test and lipid profile parameters) as well as studying the histopathological alterations in liver tissues. We observed a clear increase in %ILS of the DOX‐SIM‐Solution group (265.30) that was double the %ILS of the DOX‐SIM‐NE group (134.70). However, DOX‐SIM‐NE had a non‐toxic effect on the haematological parameters, whereas DOX‐SIM‐Solution increased the levels of haemoglobin and lymphocytes. Furthermore, the encapsulation of SIM and DOX into NEs improved the levels of all serum biochemical parameters compared to the DOX‐SIM‐Solution. A reduction in the side effects of DOX‐SIM‐NE on the liver was also established using light microscopy, which revealed that the morphologies of the hepatocytes of the mice were less affected by administration of the DOX‐SIM‐NE treatment than with the DOX‐SIM‐Solution treatment. The study showed that incorporating SIM into the DOX‐loaded‐NE formulation remarkably improved its efficiency and simultaneously reduced its adverse effects.     

African-American Adolescents’ Weight Loss Skills Utilization: Effects on Weight Change in a Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial

Objective

Successful weight loss interventions for African-Americans adolescents are lacking. Cognitive-behavioral interventions seek to develop weight loss skills (e.g., counting calories, goal setting, managing one's environment). Little is known about how well adolescents implement such skills in their daily lives. Study aims were to (1) examine weight loss skills utilization at midpoint and end of a 6-month cognitive-behavioral/motivational interviewing weight loss sequential multiple assignment randomized trial (SMART), and (2) determine if greater skill utilization predicted weight loss at treatment end and 3 months post-treatment.