Patient safety culture in out-of-hours primary care services in the Netherlands: a cross-sectional survey

Objective: To examine patient safety culture in Dutch out-of-hours primary care using the safety attitudes questionnaire (SAQ) which includes five factors: teamwork climate, safety climate, job satisfaction, perceptions of management and communication openness.

Design: Cross-sectional observational study using an anonymous web-survey. Setting Sixteen out-of-hours general practitioner (GP) cooperatives and two call centers in the Netherlands. Subjects Primary healthcare providers in out-of-hours services. Main outcome measures Mean scores on patient safety culture factors; association between patient safety culture and profession, gender, age, and working experience.

Results: Overall response rate was 43%. A total of 784 respondents were included; mainly GPs (N?=?470) and triage nurses (N?=?189). The healthcare providers were most positive about teamwork climate and job satisfaction, and less about communication openness and safety climate. The largest variation between clinics was found on safety climate; the lowest on teamwork climate. Triage nurses scored significantly higher than GPs on each of the five patient safety factors. Older healthcare providers scored significantly higher than younger on safety climate and perceptions of management. More working experience was positively related to higher teamwork climate and communication openness. Gender was not associated with any of the patient safety factors.

Conclusions: Our study showed that healthcare providers perceive patient safety culture in Dutch GP cooperatives positively, but there are differences related to the respondents’ profession, age and working experience. Recommendations for future studies are to examine reasons for these differences, to examine the effects of interventions to improve safety culture and to make international comparisons of safety culture.

• Key Points

• Creating a positive patient safety culture is assumed to be a prerequisite for quality and safety. We found that:

• ??healthcare providers in Dutch GP cooperatives perceive patient safety culture positively;

• ??triage nurses scored higher than GPs, and older and more experienced healthcare professionals scored higher than younger and less experienced professionals – on several patient safety culture factors; and

• ??within the GP cooperatives, safety climate and openness of communication had the largest potential for improvement.

     

陈宪海教授分层次辨治外感肺病经验

陈宪海教授根据外感病的临床传变特点,结合外感肺病的病机以及病情演变规律,联系整体观念以及脏腑相关理论,认为外感肺病在临床辨证治疗中应注重层次性,即外围层次、本脏层次、子母层次。在不同层次给予不同治疗,在表者宜解表驱邪,方以参苏饮加减;在肺者清肃肺气,方以三拗汤加减;及脾者宜健脾化痰,方以四君子汤加减。各层次治疗重点不同,选方用药精良,临床随症灵活加减,恢复肺之宣降功能,临床疗效较好。     

Ahmed青光眼引流阀植入治疗先天性青光眼术后眼压失控疗效分析

目的：探讨Ahmed青光眼引流阀植入治疗先天性青光眼术后眼压失控的疗效与安全性。

方法：回顾分析了2011-01/2014-12因先天性青光眼术后眼压失控患者22例22眼,行青光眼引流阀植入术。主要检查指标包括手术前后眼压、角膜直径以及并发症。

结果：术前平均年龄3.74±2.24岁,距上次手术平均2.59±1.78a,术前平均眼压35.22±6.36mmHg,平均水平角膜直径12.79±0.75mm。所有眼术中使用丝裂霉素C 0.3～0.5mg/mL 3～5min,青光眼引流阀植入颞上或鼻上方巩膜赤道部。术后1wk眼压11.4±4.45mmHg,术后12mo随访眼压16.73±7.23mmHg。以眼压<21mmHg为成功标准,术后12mo 16眼(73%)眼压控制。术后6例发生浅前房,均自行恢复。所有患者未发生引流阀排斥及眼内炎、角膜失代偿等严重并发症。

结论：Ahmed青光眼引流阀植入治疗先天性青光眼术后眼压失控,是一种安全、有效的方法。     

应用Pentacam评价激光周边虹膜切除术前后前房形态参数的改变

目的：通过比较Pentacam测量的可疑房角关闭患者行激光周边虹膜切除术前后各项参数,探讨评价前房形态改变的敏感参数。
　　方法：诊断为可疑房角关闭并接受激光周边虹膜切除术治疗的患者33例60眼。患者术前及术后1 d行Pentacam检查,观察前房各项参数在激光前后的变化,进行配对 t检验。
　　结果：与术前相比较,中央前房深度差异无统计学意义,周边前房深度明显加深,差异有统计学意义;前房容积明显增加,差异有统计学意义。前房夹角变宽,从治疗前的(22.26°±5.18°)增加为治疗后的(26.42°±5.20°),差异有统计学意义。
　　结论：激光周边虹膜切除术可以显著增加可疑房角关闭患眼的周边前房深度和前房容积,周边前房深度和前房容积可作为评价前房形态改变的敏感参数。     

不同分级原发性高血压对角膜内皮细胞的影响

目的：通过角膜内皮细胞计探讨不同分级原发性高血压对角膜内皮细胞的影响。

方法：采用病例对照研究,病例组为确诊原发性高血压的患者71例142眼,其中高血压1级组22例44眼、高血压2级组23例46眼、高血压3级组26例52眼; 对照组为健康查体者69例138眼,两组的年龄、性别差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05),且均排除全身、眼部疾病史。检测角膜内皮细胞的平均细胞面积、平均密度、变异系数及六角形细胞比例,两组进行统计学比较。

结果：病例组与对照组角膜内皮细胞的平均细胞面积、细胞密度的差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),但病例组较对照组的变异系数增大(t=3.34,P<0.05),六角形细胞比例下降(t=-2.07,P<0.05); 病例组中高血压1级组、2级组、3级组的平均细胞面积、细胞密度的差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),而变异系数、六角形细胞比例的差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。

结论：原发性高血压患者的角膜内皮细胞与对照组相比,变异系数增大、六角形细胞比例下降,高血压分级不同其变异系数、六角形细胞比例不同。     

Utilization of anticoagulants and outcomes in STEMI patients undergoing PPCI in the US hospitals: Bivalirudin,heparin plus GPI or heparin alone?

Objective. Despite major trials showing the opposite, one of three small randomized trials conducted outside the US has raised questions about whether heparin alone is a viable antithrombotic strategy for primary percutaneous coronary interventions (PPCI). We determined the frequency and in-hospital outcomes of anticoagulation strategies in patients undergoing PPCI. Methods. We analyzed records from 2008 through 2013 in the Premier Research Database of patients hospitalized with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing PPCI. Patients were categorized into one of four anticoagulation strategies: bivalirudin alone, bivalirudin plus glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI), unfractionated or low-molecular-weight heparin alone or heparin plus GPI. In-hospital clinical outcomes were compared between treatment groups after propensity score matching. Results. Among 114,134 eligible STEMI patients, heparin alone was the least frequent anticoagulation strategy, used in 14.4% to 18.1% of cases per year. Bivalirudin alone nearly tripled during the study period, from 12.7% to 37.8% and surpassed that of heparin plus GPI by 2013. Bivalirudin alone performed better than heparin alone for mortality (4.7% vs 5.3%, p = 0.010), clinically apparent bleeding (5.7% vs 6.7%, p < 0.001), transfusion rates (4.1% vs 4.8%, p = 0.003) and mean length of stay (4.1 vs 4.2 days, p < 0.001). The in-hospital death rate was lower with heparin plus GPI than with heparin alone (4.9% vs 5.9%, p < 0.001), but clinically apparent bleeding was higher in heparin plus GPI than in heparin alone (9.4% vs 7.1%, p < 0.001). Conclusion: In patients hospitalized for STEMI undergoing PPCI, heparin alone is not commonly used and is inferior to bivalirudin for mortality, bleeding and length of stay outcomes. Heparin is also inferior to heparin plus GPI for ischemic protection but associated with less bleeding.     

Anterior segment changes after pharmacologic mydriasis using Pentacam and optical coherence tomography in angle closure suspects

AIM:To compare the dynamic changes of anterior segment parameters especially iris morphology induced by pharmacologic mydriasis between angle closure suspects and normal controls.METHODS:The study group comprised 19 eyes of 19 angle closure suspects and 19 eyes of 19 age- and sex-matched normal open-angle eyes. Pentacam and optical coherence tomography measurements before and 30min after instillation of compound tropicamide eye drop were performed and compared. Biometric evaluations of iris tomography and anterior chamber angle were estimated by a customized image-processing software.RESULTS:Baseline axial length, iris cross sectional area and volume did not differ significantly between angle closure suspects and normal controls. Angle closure suspects had smaller pupil size, narrower anterior segment dimension and axial length, thinner iris with greater curve in comparison with normal controls. Pharmacologic mydriasis led to significant increments in iris thickness at 750 μm, anterior chamber depth and volume, whereas significant decrements in iris curve, cross sectional area and volume in both groups. Angle opening distance at 500 μm was increased significantly in normal controls (from 0.465±0.115 mm to 0.539±0.167 mm, P=0.009), but not in angle closure suspects (from 0.125±0.100 mm to 0.145±0.131 mm, P=0.326). Iris volume change per millimeter of pupil dilation (△IV/△PD) decreased significantly less in angle closure suspects than normal controls (-2.47±1.33 mm² vs -3.63±1.58 mm², P=0.019). Linear regression analysis showed that the change of angle opening distance at 500 μm was associated most with the change of central anterior chamber depth (β=0.841, P=0.002) and △IV/△PD (β=0.028, P=0.002), followed by gender (β=0.062, P=0.032).CONCLUSION:Smaller iris volume decrement per millimeter of pupil dilation is related significantly with the less anterior angle opening in angle closure suspects after pharmacologic mydriasis. Dynamic iris change may be as a prospective indicator of iris compressibility and angle closure glaucoma.     

Recent advances on the δ opioid receptor: from trafficking to function

Within the opioid family of receptors, δ (DOPrs) and μ opioid receptors (MOPrs) are typical GPCRs that activate canonical second-messenger signalling cascades to influence diverse cellular functions in neuronal and non-neuronal cell types. These receptors activate well-known pathways to influence ion channel function and pathways such as the map kinase cascade, AC and PI3K. In addition new information regarding opioid receptor-interacting proteins, downstream signalling pathways and resultant functional effects has recently come to light. In this review, we will examine these novel findings focusing on the DOPr and, in doing so, will contrast and compare DOPrs with MOPrs in terms of differences and similarities in function, signalling pathways, distribution and interactions. We will also discuss and clarify issues that have recently surfaced regarding the expression and function of DOPrs in different cell types and analgesia.

LINKED ARTICLES

This article is part of a themed section on Opioids: New Pathways to Functional Selectivity. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2015.172.issue-2