A portable diagnostic workstation based on a Webpad: implementation and evaluation

A wireless hand-held Webpad device was used to review a sample set of cranial computerized tomography (CT) studies to assess its diagnostic capabilities and its feasibility as a portable diagnostic workstation for radiology. The data-set consisted of 30 head CT studies of emergency cases. Two neuroradiologists and a senior radiologist participated in the evaluation of the portable workstation. They used a Web-based viewer that we developed, which provided all the major functionalities required for radiological image review. The reported radiological findings and diagnoses were compared with a gold standard, comprising a set of diagnoses previously formulated by a consensus panel of radiologists who had reviewed the original studies. The diagnoses made using the Webpad were correct (no major discrepancies) in 82 out of 90 interpretations (91%), which is comparable to the accuracy reported in image review with a conventional radiological workstation. The average total working time per diagnosis was 5 min 25 s (range 2-12 min). The simplicity of use of the system and its low cost make it suitable for distributing radiological studies within hospital facilities.     

All‐cause versus cause‐specific excess deaths for estimating influenza‐associated mortality in Denmark,Spain, and the United States

BackgroundSeasonal influenza‐associated excess mortality estimates can be timely and provide useful information on the severity of an epidemic. This methodology can be leveraged during an emergency response or pandemic.MethodFor Denmark, Spain, and the United States, we estimated age‐stratified excess mortality for (i) all‐cause, (ii) respiratory and circulatory, (iii) circulatory, (iv) respiratory, and (v) pneumonia, and influenza causes of death for the 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 influenza seasons. We quantified differences between the countries and seasonal excess mortality estimates and the death categories. We used a time‐series linear regression model accounting for time and seasonal trends using mortality data from 2010 through 2017.ResultsThe respective periods of weekly excess mortality for all‐cause and cause‐specific deaths were similar in their chronological patterns. Seasonal all‐cause excess mortality rates for the 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 influenza seasons were 4.7 (3.3–6.1) and 14.3 (13.0–15.6) per 100,000 population, for the United States; 20.3 (15.8–25.0) and 24.0 (19.3–28.7) per 100,000 population for Denmark; and 22.9 (18.9–26.9) and 52.9 (49.1–56.8) per 100,000 population for Spain. Seasonal respiratory and circulatory excess mortality estimates were two to three times lower than the all‐cause estimates.DiscussionWe observed fewer influenza‐associated deaths when we examined cause‐specific death categories compared with all‐cause deaths and observed the same trends in peaks in deaths with all death causes. Because all‐cause deaths are more available, these models can be used to monitor virus activity in near real time. This approach may contribute to the development of timely mortality monitoring systems during public health emergencies.     

Preparation and in vitro evaluation of 99mTc-labelled bovine lactadherin as a novel radioligand for apoptosis detection

Lactadherin is an opsonin, which binds with high affinity to phosphatidylserine exposed on the surface of apoptotic cells via its C1C2 domains. Phagocytosis of the apoptotic cells is then facilitated by an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)- mediated binding to macrophages surface integrins. The present report describes the synthesis of ^99mTc-HYNIC–lactadherin with a radiochemical yield of 88±5% (n= 3) and a specific activity of 41±5 µCi/µg (n=3) when purified. Purified ^99mTc-HYNIC–lactadherin was shown to be stable for at least 5 h when supplemented with 1.5 mg/ml fatty-acid-free BSA. The radiolabelled protein retained its phospholipid binding ability that was verified by its ability to bind to apoptotic HL60 leukaemia cells. The apoptotic cells demonstrated a RGD independent 3- to 4-fold excess binding of the radioactive component relative to control cells. Surplus of unlabelled lactadherin almost completely inhibited the binding of ^99mTc-HYNIC–lactadherin. Collectively our data indicate that ^99mTc-HYNIC–lactadherin is potentially useful as a new molecular binding tool for the identification of apoptotic cells. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Increase Participation in Your Local Chapter Using Technology

Membership in a professional nursing organization alloww nurses to interact with one another and can promote a higher level of excellence in patient care. This is especially important during a time when nurses are faced with many challenges from patients, families, and healthcare organizations. The rehabilitation nurses in South Dakota realized the importance of membership in the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN), however, did not have a local chapter due to the large distances separating the rehabilitation facilities. They organized a chapter uniting nurses hundreds of miles from one another using teleconference technology. Using technology may be a way to organize local chapters and provide nurses with ongoing support and learning opportunities.