ChemInform Research Articles

Pre-hospital care for children: a descriptive study from Central Norway

BackgroundPre-hospital incidents involving pediatric and neonatal patients are infrequent, and clinical characteristics and care for these patients differ from the adult population. Lack of knowledge, guidelines, and experience can make pre-hospital pediatric care challenging, and there is limited research on the epidemiology and best practice of care for this population. We examined the pre-hospital pediatric population in the county of Sør-Trøndelag, Norway, to improve our understanding of this population in our region.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective observational cohort study of emergency incidents involving children under twelve years of age with dispatch of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Sør-Trøndelag between 2018 and 2022. Incidents and patient characteristics were extracted from the Emergency Medical Communication Center (EMCC) database. In addition, data on patient characteristics and interventions for more serious incidents seen by the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) were included from the database LABAS. We provided descriptive statistics and estimated population incidences using Poisson regression.ResultsThe catchment area of EMCC Sør-Trøndelag has a population of approximately 43,000 children under the age of twelve years. During the five-year study period, there were 7005 emergency calls concerning this patient population, representing 6% of all emergency calls (total no. 108,717). Of these, 3500 (50%) resulted in the dispatch of an ambulance and/or HEMS, yielding an annual incidence of EMS dispatches of 17 per 1000 children. The three most common primary medical problems were respiratory distress, altered consciousness, and trauma. Among the 309 HEMS patients, 131 (42%) received advanced interventions from the HEMS physician. Assisted ventilation was the most frequent intervention.ConclusionsPediatric and neonatal patients make up a small proportion of pre-hospital patient dispatches in Sør-Trøndelag. Consequently, each EMS provider infrequently encounters children in the pre-hospital environment, resulting in less experience with pediatric advanced medical interventions. This study identifies some clinical characteristics and interventions regarding pediatric and neonatal patients that have been pointed out as focus areas for pediatric pre-hospital research.

Disparities in Patient Portal Activation and Usage at a Large Pediatric Academic Institution.

Access to personal medical information promotes patient understanding of health issues and enables patient self-advocacy of healthcare needs. The advent of electronic medical record systems and the 2016 21st Century CURES Act promoted and encouraged patient access to personal medical information, yet technology-dependent modalities have often disadvantaged certain communities. We sought to evaluate whether disparities existed in access to patient portals at our institution, the main pediatric care provider in an area serving one million children. We evaluated the activation of patient portal accounts at our institution over the past decade (2010-2021). Portal activation data were analyzed by ethnic background and language preference and income information available based on primary home access location. Further, we evaluated portal activation rates over time and across institutional interventions. A logistic regression model was used to identify important demographic associations with portal account status. Over 1 million patients were served at our pediatric institution over the study period with 47.7% having ever activated their patient portals. Univariate analyses and ultimately logistic regression modeling demonstrated significant differences in portal activation by ethnicity (odds ratio (confidence interval):1.36 (1.34, 1.37)), language preference (1.39 (1.37, 1.40)), and median household income (1.00001 (1.00001, 1.00001)). Interim interventions were successful in improving portal activation rates. Overall, electronic medical record portal activation was less prevalent among Hispanic, non-English speakers, and patients living in communities with lower median household income. Opportunities for interventions exist to reduce healthcare disparities in these underserved communities.

Prediction of microstructural evolution of multicomponent polymers by Physics-Informed neural networks

As emerging concepts, leveraging physical information with machine learning to construct hybrid models enables a scientific data-driven paradigm for the investigation of complex kinetic issues in the field of polymer science. Herein, the model of physics-informed neural networks (PINNs), integrating advantages of neural networks with physics-based knowledge, is extended to predict the spatiotemporal patterns of phase-separated microstructures of multicomponent polymers. It is demonstrated that the PINN-based data-driven model can achieve the forward, backward and bidirectional predictions of spatiotemporally phase-separated patterns of homopolymer blends. All predicted patterns reveal a high accuracy and robustness of PINN-based data-driven model by leveraging a small amount of training data. Particularly, the PINN-based method can be harnessed to infer the latent physical law about the growth kinetics of phase-separated microstructures. In addition, PINN-based data-driven model can also be generalized to forecast the spatiotemporal patterns of microphase-separated nanostructures of block copolymers and infer their growth kinetics. Our study opens the possibility of learning non-equilibrium phenomena of complex polymer systems from only a few snapshots of microstructural evolution.

Diagnostic role of the neutrophil‑to‑lymphocyte ratio and the platelet‑to‑lymphocyte ratio in breast cancer: A systematic review and meta‑analysis.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) may be indicative of breast cancer (BC); however, this remains inconclusive. With the aim to assess the current literature to evaluate the diagnostic roles of NLR PLR and LMR in BC, a systematic literature search was performed using the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, VIP database and China Biology Medicine disc databases up to August 29, 2023. The standardized mean deviation and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each outcome was reported, and heterogeneity and publication bias were assessed. Overall, 39 studies were included in the present study. Pooled analysis with the random-effects model demonstrated that patients with BC had significantly higher NLR and PLR, and a lower LMR, compared with non-BC subjects. The pooled sensitivities of the NLR and PLR were 0.68 (95% CI, 0.59-0.75) and 0.55 (95% CI, 0.36-0.72), respectively, and the pooled specificities of the NLR and PLR were 0.75 (95% CI, 0.68-0.81) and 0.80 (95% CI, 0.51-0.94), respectively. However, the limited number of studies included hindered the evaluation of the diagnostic role of LMR. In summary, a higher NLR and PLR and lower LMR were associated with the presence of BC. NLR and PLR may be potential blood-based biomarkers for the differentiation of BC. Despite these findings, further studies are needed to validate their clinical applicability and practicality. International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews registration no. CRD42024522226.

Molecular Evolution and Adaptation Strategies in Marine Ciliates: An Inspiration for Cold-Adapted Enzyme Engineering and Drug Binding Analysis

In the present review, we summarize genome mining of genomic data obtained from the psychrophilic Antarctic marine ciliate Euplotes focardii and its evolutionary-close mesophilic cosmopolitan counterpart E. crassus. This analysis highlights adaptation strategies that are unique to the Antarctic ciliate, including antioxidant gene duplication and distinctive substitutions that may play roles in increased drug binding affinity and enzyme reaction rate in cold environments. Enzymes from psychrophiles are usually characterized by high activities and reaction rates at low temperatures compared with their counterparts from mesophiles and thermophiles. As a rule, catalyst cold activity derives from an increased structural flexibility that may lead to protein denaturation in response to temperature fluctuation. Molecular thermolability has been a major drawback of using macromolecules from psychrophiles in industrial applications. Here, we report a case study in which the role of peculiar amino acid substitution in cold adaptation is demonstrated by site-directed mutagenesis. Combined with a rational design approach, these substitutions can be used for site-directed mutagenesis to obtain cold-active catalysts that are structurally stable. Furthermore, molecular docking analysis of β-tubulin isotypes extrapolated from E. focardii and E. crassus genomes allowed us to obtain additional insight on the taxol binding site and drug affinity. E. focardii genome mining and the comparison with the mesophilic sibling counterpart can be used as an inspiration for molecular engineering for medical and industrial applications.

Bibliometric Analysis of the 100 Most-Cited Articles on the Methods of Shade-Matching in Dentistry.

The purpose of this bibliometric analysis is to identify the 100 most cited articles and delve into citation metrics to gain insights into the evolving trends in shade-matching methods in dentistry. Following PRISMA guidelines, two reviewers conducted a structured search in Scopus using keyword-based search strings. The top 100 articles were selected based on predefined criteria, and their bibliometric data were extracted. Harzing's Publish Or Perish and VOSviewer were used to generate the bibliographic network. Between 1989 and 2017, the top 100 articles were published and obtained citations ranging from 560 to 48. Twenty-eight articles received over 100 citations, deemed classic. The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry and the United States of America were the primary contributors. In-vitro experimental studies employing restorative material samples were prevalent, with spectrophotometers being the favored method of color analysis. Using Python, Spearman's correlation coefficient resealed positive correlations between citation count and age of publication (r = 0.16, p = 0.12) and between citation count and the impact factor of the journal (r = 0.35, p < 0.05). However, a negative correlation was observed between citation density and age of publication (r = -0.46, p < 0.05). This study demonstrated a significant upward trajectory of citation count in shade-matching in dentistry, reflecting high-quality scientific contributions.

Prognosis and clinicopathological features of patients with early-onset and late-onset colorectal cancer with second primary malignancies.

The risk of developing a second primary malignancy differs among colorectal cancer patients in different age groups. This study aimed to investigate the differences in prognosis and clinicopathological features of patients with early-onset colorectal cancer and late-onset colorectal cancer who developed second primary malignancies. The study included 15489 patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center between January 2008 and December 2018. Data pertaining to these patients were derived from the database. A total of 680 (4.5%) patients subsequently developed a second primary malignancy. Considering death as a competing event, the 10-year cumulative risk of second primary malignancy for early-onset colorectal cancer was 5.3%, compared with 7.3% for late-onset colorectal cancer. Cox analysis showed that late-onset colorectal cancer, colon cancer, smaller tumor size, and fewer tumor nodules without residual lymph node structure, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy were independent risk factors for second primary malignancy. In our patient cohort, early-onset colorectal cancer was associated with better prognosis compared to late-onset colorectal cancer, for both overall survival and second primary malignancy-free survival. In addition, there was insufficient evidence that early-onset colorectal cancer also affected prognosis after the occurrence of second primary malignancies. The risk of early-onset colorectal cancer subsequently developing second primary malignancy was significantly lower than late-onset colorectal cancer, and the second primary malignancies of early-onset colorectal cancer were more likely to be colorectal cancer. Overall survival and second primary malignancy-free survival of early-onset colorectal cancer were consistently better than late-onset colorectal cancer.

A Digital Health Behavior Intervention to Prevent Childhood Obesity

Infant growth predicts long-term obesity and cardiovascular disease. Previous interventions designed to prevent obesity in the first 2 years of life have been largely unsuccessful. Obesity prevalence is high among traditional racial and ethnic minority groups. To compare the effectiveness of adding a digital childhood obesity prevention intervention to health behavior counseling delivered by pediatric primary care clinicians. Individually randomized, parallel-group trial conducted at 6 US medical centers and enrolling patients shortly after birth. To be eligible, parents spoke English or Spanish, and children were born after 34 weeks' gestational age. Study enrollment occurred between October 2019 and January 2022, with follow-up through January 2024. In the clinic-based health behavior counseling (clinic-only) group, pediatric clinicians used health literacy-informed booklets at well-child visits to promote healthy behaviors (n = 451). In the clinic + digital intervention group, families also received health literacy-informed, individually tailored, responsive text messages to support health behavior goals and a web-based dashboard (n = 449). The primary outcome was child weight-for-length trajectory over 24 months. Secondary outcomes included weight-for-length z score, body mass index (BMI) z score, and the percentage of children with overweight or obesity. Of 900 randomized children, 86.3% had primary outcome data at the 24-month follow-up time point; 143 (15.9%) were Black, non-Hispanic; 405 (45.0%) were Hispanic; 185 (20.6%) were White, non-Hispanic; and 165 (18.3%) identified as other or multiple races and ethnicities. Children in the clinic + digital intervention group had a lower mean weight-for-length trajectory, with an estimated reduction of 0.33 kg/m (95% CI, 0.09 to 0.57) at 24 months. There was also an adjusted mean difference of -0.19 (95% CI, -0.37 to -0.02) for weight-for-length z score and -0.19 (95% CI, -0.36 to -0.01) for BMI z score. At age 24 months, 23.2% of the clinic + digital intervention group compared with 24.5% of the clinic-only group had overweight or obesity (adjusted risk ratio, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.70 to 1.17]) based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria of BMI 85th percentile or greater. At that age, 7.4% of the clinic + digital intervention group compared with 12.7% of the clinic-only group had obesity (adjusted risk ratio, 0.56 [95% CI, 0.36 to 0.88]). A health literacy-informed digital intervention improved child weight-for-length trajectory across the first 24 months of life and reduced childhood obesity at 24 months. The intervention was effective in a racially and ethnically diverse population that included groups at elevated risk for childhood obesity. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04042467.

The optimal timing of breast cancer surgery after COVID-19 infection: an observational study

PurposeIt is controversial for the optimal time of breast cancer surgery after COVID-19 infection. Purpose was to assess the risk of postoperative complication in breast cancer patients with COVID-19 infection, in order to select optimal surgery timing after COVID-19 infection.MethodsBreast cancer patients infected with COVID-19 and performed surgery between December 20th, 2022 to March 20th, 2023 were included in this prospective study (n = 577). Patients performed surgery between May 1, 2019 to October 1, 2019 were listed as control group (n = 329). They had not been infected with COVID-19 before surgery. Patients were grouped by time of surgery relative to COVID-19 infection. Database was evaluated using logistic regression.ResultsPatients infected with COVID-19 had a higher incidence of complications after surgery compared to that not-COVID-19 infection (6.59% vs. 3.04%). Multivariable logistic analysis demonstrated that timing of surgery was associated with complications (OR = 4.253; 95% CI: 0.855–21.153, P = 0.044). Patients performed surgery within 2 weeks after COVID-19 infection had the highest rates of complication (17.65%) when compared with other groups, while the incidence was decreased into 5.51% when surgery 2 weeks or more after COVID-19 infection. With a median follow-up was 10 months, all patients with complications were recovered without serious complications or death, which had no adverse effect on subsequent anti-tumor therapy.ConclusionsIt needs to be cautious when breast cancer surgery was performed within 2 weeks after COVID-19 infection. Although the incidence of complications in patients undergoing surgery 2 weeks after COVID-19 infection is still slightly high, surgery might be recommended considering urgency of treatment, good prognosis of complications and the lack of influence on subsequent adjuvant therapy.

Cognitive behavioral therapy combined with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for premature ejaculation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Premature ejaculation (PE) remains one of the most common male disorders. Many clinical trials have shown that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has significant efficacy in the treatment of PE. The purpose of this article is to review the current evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of CBT combined with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for treating PE. We selected eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from databases including Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, VIP, China Biology Medicine (CBM), Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane Library. All data in this paper were analyzed using STATA 17.1 software. Cochrane Evaluator's Manual 5.3 was used to assess the quality of the included literature. Data collection was conducted up until May 2024. Finally, 15 high-quality randomized controlled trials were included, with 1243 patients, 653 experimental groups and 590 control groups. The meta-analysis showed that, compared with SSRIs alone, behavioral therapy combined with SSRIs can significantly prolong the IELT of PE patients, and improve perceived control over ejaculation, Chinese Index of Premature ejaculation-5 (CIPE-5), sexual life satisfaction, and spouses' sexual life satisfaction. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in side effects between the two groups. In addition, the published bias test results showed no significant bias. CBT combined with SSRIs could be a viable alternative for the treatment of PE. Both cognitive and behavioral training or behavioral training alone as a supplement to SSRIs are effective, with no significant increase in adverse reactions.

C-reactive Protein-albumin-lymphocyte Index as a Novel Biomarker for Progression in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Renal Cancer.

Some patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) develop early or late recurrence after surgery. However, there is no clear consensus on which patients with postoperative RCC should be treated. This study aimed to establish a biomarker for selecting patients who are at a higher risk of relapse following renal cancer surgery. A total of 378 patients who underwent nephrectomy or partial nephrectomy for a diagnosis of RCC at our hospital were included, with a focus on pT3 cases at high risk of recurrence. Factors associated with postoperative progression, including pathological and hematological parameters, were examined. Sarcomatoid features, Fuhrman grade 4, and C-reactive protein-albumin-lymphocyte (CALLY) index were statistically significant predictive factors for progression-free survival after surgery (p<0.0011, p=0.0047, and p<0.0001, respectively). In the multivariate Cox proportional regression analysis, the CALLY index was the most statistically significant predictor of the risk of postoperative recurrence (p=0.0002). In addition to the existing risk factors for RCC recurrence, such as sarcomatoid features and Fuhrman grade, we propose that the CALLY index is a predictor of postoperative recurrence and that patients with a low CALLY index are good candidates for postoperative treatment. Our study may help select patients with pT3 disease with a high risk of recurrence who require postoperative treatment.

Risk Factors for Adhesive Small Bowel Obstruction After Liver Cancer Surgery.

Although the frequency of small bowel obstructions after liver surgery is generally considered low, previous studies have followed-up patients for less than a year, thus the incidence of small bowel obstructions several years after surgery is unknown. Furthermore, the rise in laparoscopic surgeries and the use of adhesion prevention materials may influence the occurrence of small bowel obstructions. This study aimed to assess the incidence of small bowel obstructions within a five-year period following liver surgery and identify the associated risk factors. This case series analysis analyzed patients who underwent liver surgery between April 2012 and March 2014 from 32 participating hospitals. Multivariate analysis was conducted to examine risk factors for small bowel obstructions. A total of 953 patients were included in the analysis, and the incidence of small bowel obstructions was 1.6%. The incidence was significantly higher at 3.4% for surgeries related to metastatic liver cancer compared to other types of surgeries. Laparoscopic surgery had no significant effect on the incidence of SBO (p=0.72). There was no significant difference in the incidence of small bowel obstructions between surgeries that employed adhesion prevention materials and those that did not. Multivariable analysis revealed that longer surgical time and re-operation were independent risk factors for small bowel obstructions. The incidence of small bowel obstructions following surgery for metastatic liver cancer is significantly higher compared to other liver surgeries. Neither laparoscopic surgery nor adhesion prevention materials reduce its occurrence. Longer surgical time and re-operation are independent risk factors for small bowel obstructions.

Short-term Outcomes of Robotic Left Colectomy Reconstructed by Intracorporeal Overlap Anastomosis for Left-sided Colon Cancer: A Single-center Report from Japan.

Surgery for colon cancer requires covering a wide area and performing both tumor resection and precise lymph node dissection. Robotic left-sided colectomy (RLC) has not been thoroughly established due to the rarity of descending colon cancer. Therefore, we investigated 19 patients who underwent RLC for left-sided colon cancer. Between January 2023 and July 2024, a total of 19 consecutive patients underwent robotic radical left colectomy, which included mobilization of the splenic flexure. We compared the intra- and postoperative factors between left-sided colectomy with and without stent placement. Total operative time (p=0.002), console time (p=0.001), and lymph node harvest time (p=0.001) were significantly different. The total operative time with stent placement was longer than that without stent placement (421.6 vs. 302.0, p<0.01). Console time with stent placement was longer than that without stent placement (315.0 vs. 202.0, p<0.01). More lymph nodes were harvested with stent placement than without (33.1 vs. 11.0, p<0.01). We did not experience any conversions to open surgery, and two Grade II complications were observed according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Both total operative and console times were longer in cases with stent placement compared to those without. Nevertheless, we safely performed robotic left colectomy, regardless of whether the left-sided colon cancer was treated with stent placement, even in cases where the anastomosis overlapped naturally. Our postoperative outcomes showed no anastomosis-related complications. Therefore, RLC reconstruction using an intracorporeal overlap anastomosis is feasible for left-sided colon cancer, both in terms of intraoperative and postoperative outcomes.

Exploration of the advantages of targeted isolation of deep-sea microorganisms and genetically engineered strains.

Oil, mineral processing and environmental restoration can be dangerous processes. Attempts are often made to apply microorganisms to reduce the risks, but the adaptability of terrestrial organisms is often weak. Although genetically engineered strains can improve their environmental adaptability through targeted modification, there are problems such as metabolite accumulation, poor plasmid stability and potential pathogenicity. Screening of extremophiles from the natural environment has become an inevitable choice. The special environment in the deep sea (high pressure, low temperature, low nutrition, high salinity) is a natural place for extremophiles to grow and survive, thus screening of extremophiles from the deep sea is conducive to the green and sustainable development of industry. In this paper, the application status and problems of genetically engineered strains are reviewed based on the microorganisms needed for extreme industry. This paper focuses on the application status and advantages of deep-sea microorganisms. It is found that their advantages are strong adaptability, stable gene, friendly environment, simple and convenient technology (compared with genetic engineering), which has a broad industry processes application prospect. This review broadens the scope of microbial applications.

Effect of preoperative inspiratory muscle training combined with preoperative education on postoperative pulmonary complications in high-risk patients with lung cancer: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Preoperative inspiratory muscle training (IMT) is recognised as an important component of the preoperative management of lung cancer, although there is limited evidence for the delivery of a home-based IMT programme combined with preoperative education. We developed a programme combining short-term home-based IMT and preoperative physiotherapy education ('the programme'). This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of this programme in reducing postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) after lung cancer resection compared with standard care. In this randomised controlled trial, 114 participants scheduled for lung cancer surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University will be randomly assigned (1:1) to either receive usual care (information booklet) or usual care combined with the programme, which consist of short-term home-based IMT and preoperative physiotherapy education. The primary outcome measure will be PPCs using the Melbourne Group Score. Secondary outcomes will include health-related quality of life, maximal inspiratory pressure, 6 min walk distance, length of hospital stay, anxiety and depression levels, and hospital costs. The study has received ethics approval from the ethics committee of the first affiliated hospital of Fujian Medical University (approval no: MRCTA, ECFAH of MFU [2021]569). Participants will be required to provide written informed consent. The results of the study will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals. ChiCTR2300067464.

Cribriform Pattern Is a Predictive Factor of PSA Recurrence in Patients Receiving Radiotherapy After Prostatectomy.

In prostate cancer, robotic total prostatectomy is a popular treatment modality. However, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) recurrence after prostate cancer surgery remains a concern. Salvage radiotherapy is commonly used to treat PSA recurrence, but the recurrence rate after salvage radiotherapy is high, highlighting the need for better predictive markers. This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the association between cribriform pattern and PSA recurrence in patients receiving radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy. Data of 50 patients who underwent radiotherapy after total prostatectomy between January 2010 and May 2020 were retrospectively evaluated. The median age was 67 years. Among these patients, two cases involved postoperative irradiation, while 48 cases involved salvage irradiation after postoperative PSA recurrence. The median time from surgery to PSA recurrence was 38.3 months. The median radiation dose was 64 Gy in 32 fractions. Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy was administered in 38 cases and intensity-modulated radiation therapy was used in 12 cases. Combined hormone therapy was administered in 21 cases. PSA levels were measured every 3 months after treatment. Statistical analysis between groups was performed by a t-test. The median follow-up period after radiotherapy was 31 months. No local recurrences were observed at the prostate bed, and no deaths related to prostate cancer were recorded during follow-up. However, 18 patients (36.0%) had PSA recurrence. The PSA recurrence rate based on the cribriform pattern was 17.6% in the none to moderate group (34 patients) and 75.0% in the severe cribriform pattern group (16 patients). The PSA recurrence rate was significantly higher in patients with a severe invasive cribriform pattern (p=0.001). No significant differences were observed in other histopathological characteristics. The cribriform pattern in surgical pathology specimens was found to be a useful predictor of PSA recurrence after postoperative radiotherapy.

057. The Comparative Efficacy of Robot-Assisted Versus Laparoscopic Surgery for Rectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Background: Total mesorectal excision (TME) is the gold standard surgical intervention for rectal cancer, associated with effective local recurrence management and improved overall survival rates. Laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer is primarily recognised as a curative treatment. Nonetheless, laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer presents technological limitations. Robot-assisted laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (TME) surgery for rectal cancer was established to address these technical difficulties. Our objective was to assess the clinical and oncological outcomes of robot-assisted surgery compared to laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer. Methods: We searched PubMed, ScienceDirect, and CENTRAL to identify studies and trials published between 2014 and 2023. The outcomes of our study encompass operational duration, duration of hospital admission, and intra-operative haemorrhage. We employed Revman 5.4.2 to do the meta-analysis. Results: Seven trials were analysed, encompassing 1,231 patients, including 545 patients who underwent robotic-assisted surgery and 686 patients who received laparoscopic surgery. Our results demonstrate that robot-assisted surgery significantly reduced operation time (MD 74.04, 95% CI [28.12, 119.97], p = 0.002), hospital stay (MD -1.86, 95% CI [-2.68, -1.05], p &lt; 0.00001), and intra-operative blood loss (MD 36.83, 95% CI [23.55, 50.11], p &lt; 0.00001). Our study identified robot-assisted surgery as a viable option for rectal cancer treatment. Conclusion: Our study revealed that robot-assisted surgery correlated with decreased intra-operative blood loss, operative duration, and length of hospital stay. Further research is needed to corroborate these findings

Understanding and improving the quality of primary care for people in prison: a mixed-methods study.

People in prison are generally in poorer health than their peers in the community, often living with chronic illness and multimorbidity. Healthcare research in prisons has largely focused on specific problems, such as substance use; less attention has been paid to conditions routinely managed in primary care, such as diabetes or hypertension. It is important to understand how primary care in prisons is currently delivered in the United Kingdom and how it can be improved, in order to reduce health inequalities. To understand the quality of primary care in prison, including gaps and variations in care, in order to recommend how quality of prison health care can be improved. A mixed-methods study with six interlinked work packages. Predominantly the North of England. Between August 2019 and June 2022, we undertook the following work packages: (1) International scoping review of prison healthcare quality indicators. (2) Stakeholder consensus process to identify United Kingdom focused prison healthcare quality indicators. (3) Qualitative interview study with 21 people who had been in prison and 22 prison healthcare staff. (4) Quantitative analysis of anonymised, routinely collected data derived from prison healthcare records (~ 25,000 records across 13 prisons). (5) Stakeholder deliberation process to identify interventions to improve prison health care. (6a) Secondary analysis of the qualitative data set, focusing on mental health and (6b) analysis of the quantitative data set, focusing on health care of three mental health subgroups. Our scoping review found predominantly only papers from the United States of America and of variable rigour with the main finding being that performance measurement is very challenging in the prison healthcare setting. In collaboration with stakeholders, we prioritised, refined and applied a suite of 30 quality indicators across several healthcare domains. We found considerable scope for improvement in several indicators and wide variations in indicator achievement that could not be attributed to differences in prison population characteristics. Examples of indicators with scope for improvement included: diabetes care, medicines reconciliation and epilepsy review and control. Longer length of stay in prison was generally associated with higher achievement than shorter stays. Indicator achievement was generally low compared to that of community general practice. We found some encouraging trends and relatively good performance for a minority of indicators. Our qualitative interviews found that quality of health care is related to factors that exist at several levels but is heavily influenced by organisational factors, such as understaffing, leading to a reactive and sometimes crisis-led service. Our stakeholder deliberations suggested opportunities for improvement, ideally drawing on data to assess and drive improvement. Our mental health work package found that coded mental illness had mixed associations with indicator achievement, while the interviews revealed that mental distress is viewed by many as an inevitable facet of imprisonment. Our analyses of indicator achievement were limited by the quality and coverage of available data. Most study findings are localised to England so international applicability may differ. Marked variations in the quality of primary care in prisons are likely to be attributable to the local organisation and conditions of care delivery. Routinely collected data may offer a credible driver for change. This study is registered at researchregistry.com (Ref: 5098). This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme (NIHR award ref: 17/05/26) and is published in full in Health and Social Care Delivery Research; Vol. 12, No. 46. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Pediatric critical care nursing empowerment through distance education and simulation in Accra, Ghana

BackgroundThe study assessed a distance simulation and education intervention designed to improve nursing empowerment in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Ghana. MethodsThis was a single center, mixed methods, longitudinal simulation-based pilot study. A distance pediatric critical care nursing curriculum that combined interactive learning via Zoom and distance simulation using the Virtual Resus Room was designed and delivered from the United States to KBTH PICU nursing staff. ResultsThe Clinical Teamwork Scale, used to assess team performance after each simulation, demonstrated an upward trend over time in all categories. The modified Simulation Effectiveness Tool was utilized to evaluate the learners' perceptions of the effectiveness of the simulation in meeting their learning objectives. Qualitative content analysis of this free-text feedback highlighted the course's educational content, organizational aspects, learning experience, simulation case scenarios and relevance to pediatric critical care in Ghana. ConclusionsA distance pediatric critical care nursing curriculum, relevant to local practice and resources, was implemented through an international partnership and contributed to nursing empowerment through improved learning and confidence.

Intraprofessional boundary crossing in acute paediatric care: A rich journey for general practice and paediatric residents.

Achieving optimal collaboration between general practitioners and hospital-based critical care doctors is vital yet challenging, necessitating targeted collaborative training during residency. Despite apparent benefits, implementing intraprofessional learning faces constraints. Understanding its occurrence is crucial for engaging and educating residents. Considering boundaries' learning potential, we developed and evaluated an educational programme for general practitioner (GP) and paediatric (P) residents in paediatric emergency care based on Akkerman's Boundary Crossing Theory. The study investigated how intraprofessional learning mechanisms occurred and what learning conditions facilitated or impeded learning of GP and P residents, aiming to optimise educational programme design for intraprofessional collaboration. We developed an educational programme with three activities: joint medical assessments of paediatric patients in each other's context, mutually mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercises (mini-CEXs) about intraprofessional collaboration skills and educational meetings about collaborative care. We performed a qualitative study with a constructivist approach to explore experiences of the programme. We conducted focus group interviews and analysed mini-CEXs, utilising Boundary Crossing theory for template analysis. Ten GP and eight P residents participated in our study. Learning mechanisms of identification and coordination dominated the joint medical assessments. Mini-CEXs stimulated reflection. Educational meetings with supervisors about intraprofessional barriers initiated transformation. Facilitated learning conditions were bidirectional crossing, enthusiastic supervisors, residents being familiar with each other, clear mini-CEX design and authentic paediatric cases. Unclear mutual expectations during joint medical assessments impeded learning of residents. Working in each other's context triggers learning mechanisms of identification, coordination and reflection, forming the basis for intraprofessional learning in paediatric emergency care for GP and P residents. For development of new collaboration practices, supervisors are necessary to translate reflection into transformation. Mutual responsibilities and expectations should be made more explicit to create a safer intraprofessional learning environment. Our findings extend to other medical training contexts, leveraging boundaries for learning.