Adductor Canal Block or Local Infiltrate Analgesia for Pain Control After Total Knee Arthroplasty? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background

Total knee arthroplasty is a treatment option for debilitating arthritis. In the postoperative period, patients experience moderate to severe pain affecting the rehabilitation, hospital stay, and patient satisfaction. This study aims at utilizing current best evidence to determine whether adductor canal block (ACB) or periarticular injection (PAI) is a better modality for managing short-term postoperative pain and opioid consumption.

Family Caregivers' Subjective Caregiving Burden,Quality of Life,and Depressive Symptoms Are Associated With Terminally Ill Cancer Patients' Distinct Patterns of Conjoint Symptom Distress and Functional Impairment in Their Last Six Months of Life

Context

Family caregivers constitute a critical component of the end-of-life care system with considerable cost to themselves. However, the joint association of terminally ill cancer patients' symptom distress and functional impairment with caregivers' subjective caregiving burden, quality of life (QOL), and depressive symptoms remains unknown.

Pediatric asthma quality of life questionnaire (PAQLQ): Validation among asthmatic children in Thailand

Quality of life (QoL) is an important consideration among asthma sufferers. The Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) is one of the most widely used instruments for measuring health-related QoL in children with asthma. The standardized version of PAQLQ contains 23 questions in three domains, i.e., activity limitation, symptoms and emotional function. The objective of this study was to validate the Thai-translated version of the PAQLQ. The study design consisted of a five-week single cohort study. Patients recorded symptoms, and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) each morning and evening during the first and fifth week of the study in asthma diary. At each clinic visit, a trained-interviewer administered the PAQLQ and performed spirometric measurements. Fifty-one children, ages between 7 and 17 yr participated in the study. Scores from the asthma diary were used to classify patients into stable vs. unstable groups. The construct validity of the questionnaire was confirmed in both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies by demonstrating correlations between various PAQLQ domains with clinical asthma parameters (asthma diary, beta-agonist use and PEFR). There was high internal consistency for scores of the three domains (Cronbach's alpha-coefficient = 0.83-0.95). For those with stable asthma, the reliability of PAQLQ was good for the rating scale (intra-class correlation coefficient--ICC = 0.84) and for total score (alpha = 0.97) indicating high reproducibility of the PAQLQ. The significant difference of changes QoL scores between stable and unstable groups was observed in all domains. We conclude that the Thai version of PAQLQ is valid and reliable for implementing in Thai children with asthma.     

Outcomes of low-vision services using optometric and multidisciplinary approaches: a non-randomized comparison

Consecutive patients (n = 215) who were referred to optometric (55%) or multidisciplinary (45%) low-vision services and above 50 years of age were recruited from four hospitals in the Netherlands. They completed two vision-related quality of life questionnaires, the Vision Quality of Life Core Measure (VCM1) and the Low Vision Quality of Life Questionnaire (LVQOL), before their first visit with low-vision services and 1 year later. At follow-up, patients referred to multidisciplinary low-vision services had lower scores on the mobility subscale of the LVQOL than patients referred to optometric low-vision services [5.3 points; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.2-10.5]. Paired sample t-tests for the two groups of patients taken together show improvement for the VCM1 (3.1 points; 95% CI: 0.6-5.6) and deterioration for the basic aspects of vision (3.5 points; 95% CI: 1.1-5.9) and the mobility (6.6 points; 95% CI: 3.7-9.5) subscales of the LVQOL. In conclusion, people referred to optometric services showed less deterioration in mobility than those referred to multidisciplinary services. No differences were observed for any of the other subscales of the LVQOL and the VCM1. Future research in this field should include randomized controlled designs comparing low-vision services with no treatment or placebo.     

Alcohol controls and Aboriginal society: The effects of the Northern Territory restricted areas legislation

The “restricted areas” provisions of the Northern Territory Liquor Act constitute a preventative policy aimed at reducing the effects of alcohol abuse, particularly on Aboriginal communities. Under the provisions, communities can apply to be declared “dry” or semi-restricted with respect to liquor. Since their inception in 1979, the provisions have given rise to continuing controversy. This paper addresses some of the issues associated with the controversy. Patterns of alcohol consumption on “dry”, semi-restricted and unrestricted communities are compared, and the incidence of apprehension for public drunkenness before and after restricted area declarations is examined. The paper also discusses the provisions under which vehicles implicated in acts of illicit “grog-running” are forfeited to the NT Government. It is concluded that the restricted area provisions are associated with reduced levels of alcohol consumption and apprehensions for drunkenness, and are therefore beneficial in outcome. However, it is also argued that at present the provisions are flawed in that, while some aspects serve to promote community control over alcohol consumption, other elements have the effect of undermining community control and responsibility.     

Nordic contributions to disability policies

The most spectacular contribution from the nordic countries to intellectual disability policy is probably the idea of normalization, but it is not the simplistic notion that can be inferred from international debate. Its major significance may have been to act as an inspiring catchword for the important trend away from institutions Into integrated living. However, it is more fully understood when seen in the concrete context where It has successively developed, and been critically analysed and tested in operation. Scandinavian sociologists and psychologists—as well as politicians—were also among the first to use the concept of quality of life for analysis of social policy, including intellectual disability. The primary medium for implementation has been legislation, where the dominant difficulty is to find a balance between security and freedom, protection and self-determination. Through this process, the role of social engineering in the welfare state, based on humanistic ideas of solidarity, can be followed into today's emphasis on individual influence and participation.     

A phase I/II study of continuous infusion suramin in patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer : toxicity and response

 Introduction: Suramin is a synthetic polysulfonated naphthylurea which has been used for the treatment of African trypanosomiasis and onchocerciasis, but since the mid-1980s has received attention as a possible antiretroviral and antineoplastic agent. Objective: This clinical trial of suramin was undertaken as a phase I/II study in patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer, with the hypothesis that the intensity of therapy with suramin could be increased significantly if measures were undertaken to maintain the plasma concentrations of the drug under 300 μg/ml. Methods: We report the clinical results of this trial, wherein patients were treated at three different targeted plasma suramin concentrations (275, 215 and 175 μg/ml) for varying periods of time (2, 4 or 8 weeks), with delivery of the drug by continuous intravenous infusion. Results: The major toxicity observed in this trial was neurologic, consisting of a motor and sensory peripheral neuropathy that resulted in both paresis and paralysis of the limbs. Nearly all of this severe (CTEP grade III, IV) neurologic toxicity was observed in the patients treated at a plasma suramin concentration of 275 μg/ml for 4 or more weeks. A single patient treated at 215 μg/ml for 8 weeks developed moderate (CTEP grade III) proximal lower extremity weakness, and no patient treated at 175 μg/ml developed this toxicity. The second most common toxicity observed was infection of the central venous catheter. The overall response rate for all of the evaluable patients was 17% (13 of 75 patients). In addition, prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-defined responses were observed in six patients receiving therapy at 175 μg/ml, but these responses were confounded by cessation of therapy with flutamide during suramin treatment. Conclusions: In summary, although plasma suramin concentrations were maintained below 300 μg/ml, neurologic toxicity nonetheless occurred with high frequency in patients treated at 275 μg/ml for 4 or more weeks. Therapy at 215 and 175 μg/ml was in general well tolerated, but central venous catheter-related infection, as well as the inconvenience and expense of continuous infusional therapy, make this method of drug delivery impractical. Only moderate antitumor activity was observed during this trial, but it is possible that both continuation of flutamide and flutamide withdrawal during suramin therapy confounded the assessment of suramin’s activity in hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Received: 9 June 1995/Accepted: 18 March 1996     

Neutrophil Bactericidal Function in Diabetes Mellitus: Evidence for Association with Blood Glucose Control

Neutrophil bactericidal activity was assessed in patients with type 1 (n=45) and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (n=68) and non-diabetic control subjects (n=40) by measurement of whole blood chemiluminescence. Though chemiluminescence values tended to be highest in the non-diabetic subjects these differences were not statistically significant (mean ± SD) (2.73 ± 1.65 mV (controls), 2.33 ± 1.41 mV (Type 1 diabetes) and 2.38 ± 1.12 mV (Type 2 diabetes), F=1.12, p=0.33). Significant negative correlations were evident, however, in patients with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes between chemiluminescence and glycated haemoglobin (r_s=-0.35, p=0.005 (Type 1), r_s=-0.45, p=0.002 (Type 2), fructosamine (r_s=-0.36, p=0.003 (Type 1), r_s=-0.42, p=0.004 (Type 2)), and random blood glucose (r_s=-0.25, p=0.04 (Type 1), r_s=-0.48, p=0.001 (Type 2)). Changes in whole blood chemiluminescence in a further group of 10 patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus commenced on insulin therapy were followed for 21 days. Serum fructosamine concentrations fell significantly over this time (524 ± 58 μmol l^?1 to 405 ± 47 μmol l^?1, p<0.001), however, although chemiluminescence values tended to rise these changes were not statistically significant (1.01 ± 0.38 mV to 1.60 ± 0.91 mV, S=4.24, df=5, p=0.52). These results suggest that impaired neutrophil bactericidal function is associated with poor blood glucose control. While it is likely that neutrophil bactericidal function will improve as blood glucose control improves, further studies are required both to confirm this and to demonstrate a reduction in the incidence of clinical bacterial infection.     

THE EFFECT OF HYPERTENSIVE EPISODES AND CARDIAC HYPERTROPHY ON THE CANINE CARDIAC BAROREFLEX

1. Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy has been implicated in the reduction of baroreflex sensitivity present in hypertension. The aim of the current study was to investigate the mean arterial pressure-heart rate reflex (MAP-HR) in a model which induced left ventricular hypertrophy but no sustained blood pressure elevation. 2. Five mongrel dogs were exposed to transient blood pressure elevation of between 20 and 30 mmHg, through hindlimb compression using a pneumatic pressure suit, for 7 h per day, 6 days per week for 6 weeks. Resting blood pressure was not altered by the 6 week hindlimb compression intervention. 3. Echocardiographically determined LV mass (mean ± s.e.m.) was 116.0 ± 7.4 g prior to hindlimb compression (baseline) and elevated to 125.4 ± 8.1 g (P= 0.003) after 6 weeks of compression. A reduction in the early (E) to late (A) transmitral diastolic flow ratio (E/A) from 1.80 ± 0.06 at baseline to 1.54 ± 0.09 (P = 0.037) after the 6 week intervention suggested that cardiac compliance was reduced. 4. The maximum gain of the MAP-HR reflex, studied using the ‘steady-state’ drug technique, when blood pressure was normal, showed a trend for reduction from 3.85 ± 0.43 beats/min per mmHg at baseline to 3.10 ± 0.45 beats/min per mmHg (P= 0.067) after 6 weeks of compression. This gain reduction became significant after β-adrenoceptor blockade with propranolol (3.13 ± 0.55 vs 2.32 ± 0.25 beats/min per mmHg; P= 0.039). Covariant analysis showed a significant inverse correlation between LV mass and maximum gain (r= 0.96; P<0.001) during the 6 week compression period. 5. The MAP-HR reflex changes in this model mimic those present in hypertension and implicate cardiac hypertrophy as one possible mediator.