Obesity and pronated foot type may increase the risk of chronic plantar heel pain: a matched case-control study

Background  

Chronic plantar heel pain (CPHP) is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders of the foot, yet its aetiology is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between CPHP and a number of commonly hypothesised causative factors.     

Clinical aspects of pelvic inflammatory disease

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a common and poorly managed condition. Untreated or inadequately treated, it leads to tubal infertility, ectopic pregnancy and chronic pelvic pain. Diagnostic difficulties are compounded by the wide variety of clinical presentations and the insensitivity and poor specificity of laboratory tests. Better recognition of mild and atypical disease needs a high index of suspicion whenever young, sexually active women present with gynaecological symptoms. Laparoscopy supplemented by microbiological tests and fimbrial minibiopsy should be regarded as the diagnostic 'gold standard' for research studies; new studies are required to identify techniques which might reduce under- and over-diagnosis. Early treatment reduces the risk of an adverse effect on fertility. Any therapeutic regimen selected should be effective against the common aetiological agents Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, genital mycoplasmas and aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Since at least 60% of cases of PID can be attributed to infection with a sexually transmitted organism, partner notification forms an essential part of management.      

Carcinoma in a True Diverticulum of the Gallbladder

Extensive search of the literature reveals the extreme rarity of true diverticulum of the gallbladder. Its frequency varies from 0.0008% of all resected gallbladders at the Mayo Clinic to 0.06% of a series of congenital anomalies of the gallbladder collected from the world literature. We are presenting a case of a true diverticulum of the gallbladder with sonographic demonstration and focal malignant alterations, neither one of which has been reported previously. The difference between true and false diverticula of the gallbladder is discussed.     

Determinants of health-service use by low-income people.

Poverty influences health status, life expectancy, health behaviours, and use of health services. This study examined factors influencing the use of health-related services by people living in poverty. In the first phase, 199 impoverished users of health-related services in 2 large Canadian cities were interviewed by their peers. In the second phase, group interviews with people living in poverty (n = 52) were conducted. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Diverse health-related services were used to meet basic and health needs, to maintain human contact, and to cope with life's challenges. Use of services depended on proximity, affordability, convenience, information, and providers' attitudes and behaviours. Use was impeded by inequities based on income status. To promote the health of people living in poverty, nurses and other health professionals can enhance the accessibility and quality of services, improve their interactions with people living in poverty, provide information about available programs, offer coordinated community-based services, collaborate with other sectors, and advocate for more equitable services and policies.     

Dynamics of saccadic adaptation: differences between athletes and nonathletes.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to delineate differences in saccadic adaptation characteristics between a population of racquet sports athletes and nonathletes. METHODS: Eye movements were recorded at 120 Hz using a video-based eye tracker (ELMAR 2020) in a sample of 27 athletes (varsity badminton and squash players) and 14 nonathletes (<3 hours/week participation in recreational sports). Responses to negative positional error and positive positional error were studied in two sessions on separate days. Negative positional errors were induced by displacing the stimuli backwards by 3 degrees from the initial target step (12 degrees). Likewise, positive positional errors were induced by displacing the stimuli forward by 3 degrees . Amplitude gains were calculated for trials before, during, and after the adaptation phase. The magnitude and the rate of change of saccadic adaptation were determined from the amplitude gains. Differences between the groups were compared using regression analysis. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the two groups in the magnitude of saccadic adaptation, both for negative (athletes -60%, nonathletes -57%) and positive (athletes +26%, and nonathletes +27%) positional error. Racquet sports athletes showed a significantly faster rate of adaptation for the positive positional error. A significant difference was not observed in the rate of adaptation for the negative positional error. CONCLUSIONS: Racquet sports athletes and nonathletes adapt to positional error signals by similar amounts. However, racquet sports athletes respond to positive positional errors at a faster rate, suggesting that a strategic component or environmental influences (such as practice) may play a role in saccadic adaptation.     

Photometrics: a new method of measuring the cross-sectional area of the subglottis.

A new endoscopic method of measuring the cross-sectional area of a subglottic stenosis is presented. The method was tested against existing techniques using a model. By standardizing the distance from the objective of the endoscope to the stenotic area we were able to measure the cross-sectional area using a graduated grid held against the video screen. This technique was then compared with the standard one of estimating the diameter of a stenosis from the external diameter of the bronchoscope which can be passed through the stenosis. The methods were found to be equally accurate in measuring the lumen diameter. However, when measuring the minimum cross-sectional area, three of five observers were significantly better (P less than 0.01) using the photometric method rather than the standard method (Wilcoxon's rank sum test for paired data). The photometric technique of measuring the cross-sectional area of the subglottis is easily performed, non-traumatic, and allows a visual record to be kept.