Changes, challenges and choices for the primary health care workforce: looking to the future

AIMS: The main aim of this paper is to draw attention to problems facing the primary health care workforce in terms of demand for treatment of minor illness over the next two decades. These predictions have implications for the community nursing workforce in particular and the flexibility of primary health care teams in general. BACKGROUND: Care delivered in the primary care sector influences, and is influenced by, the characteristics of the health care workforce. These characteristics fall into two main groups: firstly, the shape of the present medical and nursing workforce and manpower trends; and secondly, the changes in doctors' and nurses' workloads. DESIGN: This paper draws on two studies, both commissioned by the Department of Health; the first study focusing on skill mix and delegation in primary health care teams and the second addressing the implications of skill mix for medical workforce scenarios in the changing policy environment. FINDINGS: From the first study, general practitioners across ten general practices were prepared to delegate at least one topic from over a third of 836 consultations and a further 17% of entire consultations. This potential delegation fell mainly to practice nurses and nurse practitioners. The second study used data extracted from the National Morbidity Surveys of 1981 and 1991 predicting that minor consultations are set to increase by 11 million from the 1990s to 2020--a minimal estimate. The authors argue that many of these extra predicted consultations will find their way onto practice nurses' and nurse practitioners' caseloads. CONCLUSIONS: Workforce issues and questions of professional roles and boundaries, in the context of the "greying" community nursing workforce, demand solutions if patient/client demand is to be met over the next two decades.     

结核感染T细胞斑点试验在脊柱结核诊断中的应用

目的：探讨结核感染T细胞斑点试验在脊柱结核诊断中的临床应用价值。方法选取2012年4月～2013年1月本院骨科病区收治的疑似脊柱结核患者156例,分别采用结核感染T细胞斑点试验和结核菌素试验进行诊断,比较两者对脊柱结核诊断的临床意义（包括灵敏性、特异性、假阳性率和假阴性率指标的差别）。结果结核感染T细胞斑点试验的灵敏性和特异性明显高于结核菌素试验（P＜0．05）;同时,结核感染T细胞斑点试验的假阳性率和假阴性率明显低于结核菌素试验试验（P＜0．05）。结论结核感染T细胞斑点试验在诊断脊柱结核中具有良好的敏感性和特异性,具有重要临床应用价值。     

Health outcomes of delayed union and nonunion of femoral and tibial shaft fractures

Introduction

Knowledge about the functional consequences of lower limb long bone fractures is helpful to inform patients, clinicians and employers about their recovery process and prognosis. This study aims to describe the epidemiology and health outcomes of femoral and tibial shaft fractures treated at two level I trauma centres, by comparing the differences between patients with delayed union or nonunion and patients with union.

Patients and methods

An analysis of registry data over two years, supplemented with medical record review, was conducted. Fracture healing was retrospectively assessed by clinical and radiological evidence of union, and the need for surgical intervention. SF-12 scores, and work and pain status were prospectively recorded at six and twelve months post injury.

Results

285 fractures progressed to union and 138 fractures developed delayed union or nonunion. There was a significant difference between the two cohorts with regards to the mechanism of injury, association with multi-trauma, open fractures, grade of Gustilo classification, patient fund source, smoking status and presence of comorbidities. The SF-12 physical component score was less than 50 at both six and twelve months with improvement in the union group, but not in the delayed union or nonunion group. 72% of patients with union had returned to work at one year, but 54% continued to have pain. The difference compared to patients with delayed union or nonunion was significant.

Discussion

Even patients whose fractures unite in the expectant time-frame will have residual physical disability. Patients with delayed union or nonunion have still poorer outcomes, including ongoing problems with returning to work and pain. It is important to educate patients about their injury so that they have realistic expectations. This is particularly relevant given that the patients most likely to sustain femoral or tibial shaft fractures are working-age healthy adults, and up to a third of fractures may develop delayed union or nonunion.

Conclusion

Despite modern treatment, the patient-reported outcomes of lower limb long bone shaft fractures do not return to normal at one year. Patients with delayed union or nonunion can expect poorer outcomes.     

结肠CT仿真内窥镜充气方法及压力的研究

目的：探讨结肠CT仿真内窥镜较理想的充气方法和充气压力。材料和方法：8名志愿者中，男4名，女4名，最大年龄50岁，最小年龄40岁，平均44.4岁。用电脑遥控灌肠整复仪通过双腔气囊胶乳导尿管向志愿者结肠内注入气体。先行最大耐受气压CT扫描，扫描期间持续注入这个压力直到扫描结束，然后每降低7.5mmHg进行一次CT扫描，最低压力为30mmHg。结果：肛门插管用双腔气囊胶乳导尿管。CT扫描时，用持续性注入同一压力气体的方法。结肠扩张程度，在52.5mmHg，40mmHg，37.5mmHg，30mmHg 4个级别气压之间，无显著性差异。结肠充气CT扫描后，腹部不适消失时间，男女之间有显著性差异。结论：CT扫描时，持续性注入同一压力气体的方法，可以保持肠管扩张的稳定性，保证CTVE检查的顺利进行。肠管充气压力的控制，不应以患者的最大耐受为标准，应以较低的气压为妥，本研究为30mmHg。肛门插管用双腔气囊胶乳导尿管，其膨胀的气囊可以起到固定导尿管和减少导尿管与肛门间的漏气作用。CT充气扫描后，腹部不适消失时间，女性较男性为长。     

Predictors of Early Complications of Total Shoulder Arthroplasty

The authors hypothesized that age, body mass index (BMI), and medical comorbidities (graded with the Charleson Comorbidiy index [CCI]) could be used to predict early complications after TSA. The authors performed a retrospective review of primary TSAs with a minimum of 90-day follow-up. One hundred twenty-seven patients met the inclusion criteria. Complications occurred in 12 (9.4%) of patients. Major complications occurred in 1 patient (0.8%), medical in 8 (6.3%), and surgical in 4 (3.1%). CCI significantly correlated with complication rates and multivariate regression analysis demonstrated CCI to be the only significant determinant of overall complication rates (P = 0.005) and medical complication rates (P = 0.015). While BMI subgroup did not affect complication rates, transfusion rates, intra-operative blood loss, or operative time, our study may have been underpowered for this variable.