Proposal for a 'surgical checklist' for ambulatory oral surgery

The authors propose a new checklist model adapted for ambulatory oral surgery procedures based on the ‘surgical checklist’ proposed by the WHO. The proposed document contains 18 items divided into two sets: those that must be verified before beginning surgery and those that must be verified after its completion, but prior to the patient's departure from the site where the surgery is performed. A checklist is an easy-to-use tool that requires little time but provides order, logic and systematization taking into account certain basic concepts to increase the level of patient safety. The authors think that the result is a checklist that is easy to complete and ensures that key patient safety-related matters are dealt with in this field of surgery.     

Titanium allergy: could it affect dental implant integration?

Purpose: Degradation products of metallic biomaterials including titanium may result in metal hypersensitivity reaction. Hypersensitivity to biomaterials is often described in terms of vague pain, skin rashes, fatigue and malaise and in some cases implant loss. Recently, titanium hypersensitivity has been suggested as one of the factors responsible for implant failure. Although titanium hypersensitivity is a growing concern, epidemiological data on incidence of titanium‐related allergic reactions are still lacking. Materials and methods: A computer search of electronic databases primarily MEDLINE and PUBMED was performed with the following key words: ‘titanium hypersensitivity’, ‘titanium allergy’, ‘titanium release’ without any language restriction. Manual searches of the bibliographies of all the retrieved articles were also performed. In addition, a complementary hand search was also conducted to identify recent articles and case reports. Results: Most of the literature comprised case reports and prospective in vivo/in vitro trials. One hundred and twenty‐seven publications were selected for full text reading. The bulk of the literature originated from the orthopaedic discipline, reporting wear debris following knee/hip arthroplasties. The rest comprised osteosynthesis (plates/screws), oral implant/dental materials, dermatology/cardiac‐pacemaker, pathology/cancer, biomaterials and general reports. Conclusion: This review of the literature indicates that titanium can induce hypersensitivity in susceptible patients and could play a critical role in implant failure. Furthermore, this review supports the need for long‐term clinical and radiographic follow‐up of all implant patients who are sensitive to metals. At present, we know little about titanium hypersensitivity, but it cannot be excluded as a reason for implant failure. To cite this article:
Siddiqi A, Payne AGT, De Silva RK, Duncan WJ. Titanium allergy: could it affect dental implant integration?
Clin. Oral Impl. Res. 22 , 2011; 673–680
doi: 10.1111/j.1600‐0501.2010.02081.x     

Effects of Chinese Medicine on Symptoms, Syndrome Evolution, and Lung Inflammation Absorption in COVID-19 Convalescent Patients during 84-Day Follow-Up after Hospital Discharge: A Prospective Cohort and Nested Case-Control Study

Objective:To observe the changes of symptoms,Chinese medicine(CM)syndrome,and lung inflammation absorption during convalescence in patients with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)who had not totally recovered after hospital discharge and whether CM could promote the improvement process.Methods:This study was designed as a prospective cohort and nested case-control study.A total of 96 eligible patients with COVID-19 in convalescence were enrolled from Beijing Youan Hospital and Beijing Huimin Hospital and followed up from the hospital discharged day.Patients were divided into the CM(64 cases)and the control groups(32 cases)based on the treatment with or without CM and followed up at 14,28,56,and 84 days after discharge.In the CM group,patients received the 28-day CM treatment according to two types of CM syndrome.Improvements in clinical symptoms,CM syndrome,and absorption of lung inflammation were observed.Results:All the 96 patients completed the 84-day follow-up from January 21 to March 28,2020.By the 84th day of follow-up,respiratory symptoms were less than 5%.There was no significant difference in the improvement rates of symptoms,including fatigue,sputum,cough,dry throat,thirst,and upset,between the two groups(P>0.05).Totally 82 patients(85.42%)showed complete lung inflammation absorption at the 84-day follow-up.On day 14,the CM group had a significantly higher absorption rate than the control group(P<0.05)and the relative risk of absorption for CM vs.control group was 3.029(95%confidence interval:1.026-8.940).The proportions of CM syndrome types changed with time prolonging:the proportion of the pathogen residue syndrome gradually decreased,and the proportion of both qi and yin deficiency syndrome gradually increased.Conclusions:Patients with COVID-19 in convalescence had symptoms and lung inflammation after hospital discharge and recovered with time prolonging.CM could improve lung inflammation for early recovery.The types of CM syndrome can be transformed with time prolonging.     

Standard Operating Procedures for Chinese Medicine Data Monitoring Committees of Clinical Studies

Although there is guidance from different regulatory agencies, there are opportunities to bring greater consistency and stronger applicability to address the practical issues of establishing and operating a data monitoring committee (DMC) for clinical studies of Chinese medicine. We names it as a Chinese Medicine Data Monitoring Committee (CMDMC). A panel composed of clinical and statistical experts shared their experience and thoughts on the important aspects of CMDMCs. Subsequently, a community standard on CMDMCs (T/CACM 1323-2019) was issued by the China Association of Chinese Medicine on September 12, 2019. This paper summarizes the key content of this standard to help the sponsors of clinical studies establish and operate CMDMCs, which will further develop the scientific integrity and quality of clinical studies.     

Assessing Empathy in Anesthesia Residents with the Chinese Version of the Consultation and Relational Empathy: A Pilot Standardized Patient Program

Objectives To validate the reliability of the Chinese version of the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) in physician-standardized patient (SP) encounter. We also tried to examine the agreement between video-based ratings and in-room ratings, as well as the agreement between the faculty ratings and SP ratings. Methods The CARE was translated into Chinese. Forty-eight anesthesia residents were recruited to make preoperative interview in SP-counter. Performance of each resident was graded by in-room raters, video raters and SP raters. Consistency between different raters was examined. Results The Chinese-CARE measure demonstrated high scale reliability with a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.95 and high consistency in the in-room ratings in intraclass correlation (coefficient=0.888, P<0.001). Despite a good consistency in intraclass correlation, video ratings were significantly higher than in-room ratings (39.6±7.1 vs. 24.0±10.0, P<0.001), and Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicated that the pass/fail rate was significantly higher based on video ratings than based on in-room ratings (45/48 vs. 22/48, P<0.001). SP ratings had a moderate consistency with in-room faculty ratings (coefficient=0.568, P<0.001), and there was no significant difference between the pass/fail rates based on the in-room ratings and SP ratings (22/48 vs. 28/48, P=0.12). Conclusions The Chinese-CARE measure is reliable in the assessment of empathy during preoperative anesthesia interview. In-room and video ratings are not equivalent, while SP may provide a feasible alternative for the faculty rater in the assessment of communication skills with an appropriate measure.     

Understanding the experiences of self-injurious behavior in autism spectrum disorder: Implications for monitoring technology design

ObjectiveMonitoring technology may assist in managing self-injurious behavior (SIB), a pervasive concern in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Affiliated stakeholder perspectives should be considered to design effective and accepted SIB monitoring methods. We examined caregiver experiences to generate design guidance for SIB monitoring technology.Materials and MethodsTwenty-three educators and 16 parents of individuals with ASD and SIB completed interviews or focus groups to discuss needs related to monitoring SIB and associated technology use.ResultsQualitative content analysis of participant responses revealed 7 main themes associated with SIB and technology: triggers, emotional responses, SIB characteristics, management approaches, caregiver impact, child/student impact, and sensory/technology preferences.DiscussionThe derived themes indicated areas of emphasis for design at the intersection of monitoring and SIB. Systems design at this intersection should consider the range of manifestations of and management approaches for SIB. It should also attend to interactions among children with SIB, their caregivers, and the technology. Design should prioritize the transferability of physical technology and behavioral data as well as the safety, durability, and sensory implications of technology.ConclusionsThe collected stakeholder perspectives provide preliminary groundwork for an SIB monitoring system responsive to needs as articulated by caregivers. Technology design based on this groundwork should follow an iterative process that meaningfully engages caregivers and individuals with SIB in naturalistic settings.     

Persistent inequitable design and implementation of patient portals for users at the margins

ObjectiveDiane Forsythe and other feminist scholars have long shown how system builders’ tacit assumptions lead to the systematic erasure of certain users from the design process. In spite of this phenomena being known in the health informatics literature for decades, recent research shows how patient portals and electronic patients health records continue to reproduce health inequalities in Western societies. To better understand this discrepancy between scholarly awareness of such inequities and mainstream design, this study unravels the (conceptual) assumptions and practices of designers and others responsible for portal implementation in the Netherlands and how citizens living in vulnerable circumstances are included in this process.Materials and methodsWe conducted semistructured interviews (n = 24) and questionnaires (n = 14) with portal designers, health professionals, and policy advisors.ResultsIn daily design practices, equity is seen as an “end-of-the-pipeline” concern. Respondents identify health care professionals rather than patients as their main users. If patients are included in the design, this generally entails patients in privileged positions. The needs of citizens living in vulnerable circumstances are not prioritized in design processes. Developers legitimize their focus with reference to the innovation-theoretical approach of the Diffusion of Innovations.Discussion and conclusionAlthough feminist scholars have developed important understandings of the exclusion of citizens living in vulnerable circumstances from portal design, other academic efforts have profoundly shaped daily practices of portal development. Diane Forsythe would likely have taken up this discrepancy as a challenge by finding ways to translate these insights into mainstream systems design.     

Conflict control processing in adults with developmental dyslexia: An event related potentials study

ObjectiveThe present study investigated the time course for processing conflict in dyslexic adults using a flanker task.MethodsSixteen dyslexic and 15 control adults performed a flanker task comprising congruent and incongruent trials in which participants had to indicate the direction of targets surrounded by flankers. Early negative potentials associated with orienting of attention (i.e., N1) and conflict monitoring (i.e., N2) and two positive potentials associated with conflict resolution (i.e., P3b and Nogo P3) were recorded.ResultsThe behavioral data showed differences between incongruent and congruent trials for reaction times in both groups but for error rate only in dyslexics. As in previous studies, controls displayed greater N1, N2 and NoGo P3 as well as a smaller P3b in incongruent trials. Dyslexics lacked N1, N2 and P3b modulation whereas NoGo P3 effect was preserved.ConclusionDyslexics showed impairments in conflict monitoring and in some aspects of conflict resolution (i.e., the allocation of attentional resources) whereas other aspects of conflict resolution (i.e., the inhibition) were preserved.SignificanceThis is the first study to investigate conflict control processing in dyslexic adults using ERPs. Results provide evidence for deficits in orienting of attention, conflict monitoring and allocation of attentional resources in dyslexics.