Association of the time to first epinephrine administration and outcomes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: SOS-KANTO 2012 study

Objective

This study assessed the association between the timing of first epinephrine administration (EA) and the neurological outcomes following out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) with both initial shockable and non-shockable rhythms.

Psychosocial mechanisms of a behavioral treatment for urinary incontinence of prostate cancer survivors

Abstract

Purpose: We examined underlying psychosocial processes of a behavioral treatment for urinary incontinence (UI) of prostate cancer survivors.

Design: Secondary analysis of data collected from a clinical trial.

Sample: Two hundred forty-four prostate cancer survivors who participated in a clinical trial of behavioral intervention to UI as intervention or control subjects.

Methods: The participants had a 3-month behavioral intervention or usual care and were followed up for an additional 3?months. They were assessed at baseline, 3, and 6?months. Latent growth curve models were performed to examine trajectories of each study variable and relationships among the variables.

Findings: Increasing self-efficacy and social support were significantly and independently associated with more reduction of urinary leakage frequency over time.

Implications for psychosocial oncology: Providing problem-solving skills and social support, including peer support, are essential for empowering patients to reduce UI.     

Making clinical decisions for dental care: concepts to consider

Clinical decisions are often made with incomplete information, yet patient care decisions are made every day. Patients vary clinically, uncertainty exists in diagnostic and prognostic information, and many preventive and treatment alternatives have not been formally assessed for their effectiveness. Because scientific information will never answer all clinical questions, clinical decisions are partially based on probabilistic information.
This paper describes how to apply clinical decision making to diagnosing and managing dental caries and periodontal diseases. By using explicit information to quantify probabilities and outcomes, clinical decision making analyzes decisions made under uncertain conditions and the uncertain impact of clinical information.
Clinical decision making incorporates concepts for preventing, diagnosing and treating dental caries and periodontal diseases: risk assessment, evidence-based dentistry, and multiple oral health outcomes. This information can serve as a tool for clinicians to augment clinical judgment and expertise.     

Cancer support groups – are they effective?

Cancer causes significatlt emotional distress to a considerable majority of patients. Many of these patients typically receive little formal psychological intervention. Support groups, however, have provided one forum from which patients can attempt to gain help and can use to overcome some psychological trauma that accompanies the cancer hagnosis, subsequent treatment and relapse. This article reviews past studies of professionally run cancer support groups as opposed to psychological intervention groups. These studies are considered in light of the proposed benefits and the methodological limitations frequently inherent in such studies.     

Screening vs. individual detection of industrial fluorosis: a decision analysis model

In preventive medicine and occupational health, decision-makers face uncertainty, divergent opinions, and varying needs. In the Swiss aluminum industry, screening for industrial fluorosis illustrates how decision analysis and cost-effectiveness analysis can provide rational and explicit models of decision-making in such contexts. Data on fluoride-exposed potroom workers are used to compare the cost-effectiveness of two strategies: mass screening of fluorosis versus individual detection of the disease on the basis of the worker's symptoms. A decision-analysis and a sensitivity analysis are performed to assess the impact of the screening program for different levels of expected prevalence of the disease. The optimal decision, in economic terms, is the one that minimizes the pension and screening-related costs and maximizes the number of years of full working capacity. Swiss data suggest that a diagnosis of clinical fluorosis is unlikely before 10 years of exposure to fluoride. Between 10 and 30 years of exposure to fluoride, mass screening may be more cost-effective than individual detection of the disease, even when the expected prevalence of the disease in a given industrial setting is less than 10%.     

The relational underpinnings of quality internal auditing in medical clinics in Israel

Internal auditing is a key mechanism in enhancing organizational reliability. However, research on the ways quality internal auditing is enabled through learning, deterrence, motivation and process improvement is scant. In particular, the relational underpinnings of internal auditing have been understudied. This study attempts to address this need by examining how organizational trust, perceived organizational support and psychological safety enable internal auditing. Data collected from employees in medical clinics of one of the largest healthcare organizations in Israel at two points in time six months apart. Our results show that organizational trust and perceived organizational support are positively related to psychological safety (measured at time 1), which, in turn, is associated with internal auditing (measured at time 2).     

宁波普通高中教师职业压力、社会支持与亚健康躯体症状的典型相关分析

目的 探讨宁波市普通高中的教师心理压力,社会支持与亚健康状态的相关关系.方法 采用职业压力问卷、社会支持量表与亚健康躯体症状自评量表对随机抽取的128名宁波市普通高中教师进行相关关系分析.结果 当存在社会支持变量时,2组变量的典型相关系数达0.563,0.471( P <0.01).职业压力的增大与社会支持水平的减少都将导致教师亚健康躯体症状的增多.当撤去社会支持变量后,典型相关系数为0.497( P <0.01).典型变量ξ中"考试压力","工作负荷"与"职业期望"的因子负载分别增大为0.801,0.855,0.726.典型变量η中的"疲劳感觉"与"睡眠障碍"的因子负载分别增大为0.774,0.859.结论 社会支持水平在职业压力与亚健康躯体症状之间可能具有中介调节作用.     

Caring for the patient with fibromyalgia: the rehabilitation nurse's role.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic, potentially disabling, cluster of symptoms that manifests as pain for 3 months or more and pain with pressure on 11 of 18 tender points throughout the body. Because there is no known cause, and therefore, no cure, treatment focuses on the control or relief of symptoms. Many patients are referred to rehabilitation settings for physical or exercise therapy. While exercise is helpful in the control of the pain, stiffness, fatigue, sleep disorders, and mood changes, a holistic approach to treatment is more effective. Rehabilitation nurses provide major support for patients with FM. Validation of the patients' experiences is essential for achieving quality of life. Many patients have a history of being undertreated because of a lack of credibility and invisibility of the illness. This article provides background information about FM, summarizes the FM trajectory, reviews approaches to management, and discusses the role of rehabilitation nurses in a holistic approach to care of clients with FM.     

The Application of Number Needed to Treat (NNT) to Clinical Problems in Radiotherapy

The goals of this report are: 1) to review the number needed to treat (NNT) concept, which, although well established in many sectors of medicine, is still relatively new to the radiotherapy community; 2) to discuss several clinical radiotherapy examples illustrating the inherent advantages of the NNT approach; and 3) to discuss potential future roles of the NNT concept within radiotherapy.