A Tool to Assess Patient and Surrogate Knowledge About the POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) Program

ContextIt is especially important that patients are well informed when making high-stakes, preference-sensitive decisions like those on the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form. However, there is currently no way to easily evaluate whether patients understand key concepts when making these important decisions.ObjectivesTo develop a POLST knowledge survey.MethodsExpert (n = 62) ratings of key POLST facts were used to select items for a POLST knowledge survey. The survey was administered to nursing facility residents (n = 97) and surrogate decision-makers (n = 112). A subset (n = 135) were re-administered the survey after a standardized advance care planning discussion to assess the scale's responsiveness to change.ResultsThe 19-item survey demonstrated adequate reliability (α = 0.72.). Residents' scores (x = 11.4, standard deviation 3.3) were significantly lower than surrogate scores (x = 14.7, standard deviation 2.5) (P < 0.001). Scores for both groups increased significantly after administration of a standardized advance care planning discussion (P < 0.001). Although being a surrogate, age, race, education, cognitive functioning, and health literacy were significantly associated with higher POLST Knowledge Survey scores in univariate analyses, only being a surrogate (P < 0.001) and being white (P = 0.028) remained significantly associated with higher scores in multivariate analyses.ConclusionThe 19-item POLST Knowledge Survey demonstrated adequate reliability and responsiveness to change. Findings suggest the survey could be used to identify knowledge deficits and provide targeted education to ensure adequate understanding of key clinical decisions when completing POLST.     

Patient preferences and predicted relative uptake for targeted therapies in metastatic colorectal cancer: a discrete choice experiment

Abstract

Objective

Ras wild-type metastatic colorectal cancers (mCRC) may be treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) agents. We aim to estimate patients’ preferences for mCRC treatment and relative importance of cost, efficacy improvement, avoidance of side effects and therapy convenience, and relative uptake between profiles that resemble Bevacizumab (anti-VEGF) and Cetuximab (anti-EGFR), two commonly prescribed mCRC targeted therapies.     

沙鼠肝泡球蚴组织中微血管密度、血管内皮生长因子的表达及意义

目的研究沙鼠肝泡球蚴组织中微血管密度(MVD)-CD34及血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)的表达及意义。方法将60只健康的长爪沙鼠随机平均分为2组,即实验组和对照组。实验组沙鼠采用开腹肝穿刺法,每只鼠接种原头节悬混液0.1 m L,对照组以相同的方法接种等量的PBS。分别于接种后第20、40、60、80、100 d时每组各处死6只沙鼠,实验组分别取泡球蚴组织和泡球蚴周围肝组织,对照组取正常肝组织。免疫组织化学法观察各时间点沙鼠肝泡球蚴组织中MVD-CD34及VEGF的表达情况。结果感染泡球蚴沙鼠肝脏中均见大小不等的团块状囊泡组织,部分播散至腹腔。在感染的各时间点,泡球蚴组织中均可见到MVD-CD34和VEGF的表达,定位于肝泡球蚴组织"外囊"囊壁内皮细胞的细胞浆。在感染后第20 d、40 d、60 d、80 d和100 d时,泡球蚴组织中MVD分别为(9.83±3.87)/HP、(25.33±6.71)/HP、(34.50±5.50)/HP、(37.67±5.71)/HP和(44.67±4.93)/HP,与泡球蚴周围肝组织〔0/HP、(1.17±0.98)/HP、(3.50±1.38)/HP、(5.83±2.71)/HP、(8.83±2.48)/HP〕和正常肝组织(均为0)相比,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。各时间点泡球蚴组织中VEGF免疫组织化学评分分别为(2.95±0.46)分、(3.90±0.68)分、(4.27±1.05)分、(5.33±0.95)分和(4.50±0.81)分,与泡球蚴周围肝组织〔(1.07±0.63)分、(1.38±0.75)分、(1.55±0.83)分、(1.67±0.47)分、(2.10±0.55)分〕和正常肝组织〔(1.02±0.83)分、(1.12±0.63)分、(1.26±0.26)分、(1.20±0.74)分、(1.21±0.28)分〕相比,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论血管生成可能是泡球蚴浸润性生长的机制之一,VEGF可能促进沙鼠肝泡球蚴组织血管新生。     

从GAMP的理念谈制药行业自动化工程建设与验证的有关问题

根据国际药物工程协会(ISPE)所提GAMP的理念,谈有关制药行业自动化工程建设与验证方面的问题,其中包括GAMP的基本思想与概念、制药行业自动化工程建设与验证关系问题以及我国制药行业自动化工程建设与验证所存在的问题。     

某设备所致脉冲X射线辐射场测量与防护评价

目的 了解某设备实验条件下不同位置脉冲X射线电离辐射水平，提出适当的防护建议。方法 采用热释光测量方法，分别在设备舱周围不同方向不同距离布放热释光剂量计，累积一定数量脉冲辐射后进行测量；采用电离室型X、γ剂量率仪（FJ-347A）实时测量工作状态下不同距离处电离辐射剂量率水平。依据《电离辐射防护与辐射源安全基本标准》（GB18871—2002）规定的职业照射人员和公众个人剂量限值提出不同工作位辐射防护建议。结果 热释光剂量计累计接收3 000个脉冲辐射，设备舱外壁0.01～8.98 mGy，顶部0.01～15.67 mGy，距外壁1～12 m之间0.01～2.18 mGy，工作位0 mGy。工作状态下，X射线剂量率仪测得距设备舱外侧壁1～20 m之间空气比释动能率范围0.26～16 mGy/h。结论 热释光剂量计、电离室型剂量率仪测量结果基本一致，说明两种方法均可用于脉冲X射线测量；工作状态下设备舱外近距离处辐射剂量率较高，可通过采取防护措施或者限制人员工作量以满足辐射防护要求。