Problem In Management Of Patients Research Articles

Exploring side effects of corticosteroids in myasthenia gravis: Unveiling alternatives for safer treatment

Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a chronic organ-specific autoimmune disease that weakens voluntary muscles by affecting neuromuscular junctions. The formation of antibodies against acetylcholine receptors is the most prevalent cause. The incidence and prevalence rates of (MG) are increasing exponentially (1). In addition to symptomatic medication, corticosteroids continue to be the first-line treatment for MG due to their affordability, ease of access, and efficacy (2). Although corticosteroids are frequently prescribed, they are not without drawbacks. Long-term corticosteroid use can result in various side effects, including osteoporosis, weight gain, acne, elevated blood pressure, mood fluctuations, and a cushingoid appearance. It has also been linked to rare complications such as gastric and esophageal irritation, compressive fractures, and aseptic femoral head fracture (3). Given the hazards associated with long-term corticosteroid use in treating MG, researchers and healthcare professionals should investigate alternative MG treatments. By doing so, new and safer treatment options can be identified, which could contribute to improved treatment and substantially enhance the quality of life for MG-affected populations. Numerous nonsteroidal medications, including mycophenolate mofetil, methotrexate, and azathioprine, have demonstrated success in clinical trials for kidney transplantation, rheumatoid arthritis, and myasthenia gravis, respectively. To confirm the efficacy of these pharmaceuticals in the treatment of MG, urgent research and trials based on in vitro and animal models are required. Based on well-designed clinical trials, these also require human testing (4). The tapering of prednisone is an alternative option. Prednisone tapering is still a problem in the therapeutic management of patients with generalized MG because, although it is a useful treatment, it has a number of adverse effects that make it necessary to find the lowest possible effective dose as quickly as feasible. Rituximab and azathioprine enable quick tapering. It is necessary to evaluate and contrast the corticosteroid-sparing effect of novel treatments with that of azathioprine and rituximab. Given their impact on MG status, it's possible that these novel therapies will make it possible to drastically cut back on corticosteroids or possibly stop taking them entirely(5) The abnormal immune responses in MG can be managed and resolved with the new drugs that specifically target them. These agents include chimeric antigen receptor T [CART-T] cell therapy, autologous stem cell transplantation, B cell depleting agents (anti-CD 19 and 20, and B cell activating factor [BAFF] inhibitors), proteosome inhibitors, terminal complement C5 inhibitors, Fc receptor inhibitors, T cells, and cytokine-based therapies (subcutaneous immunoglobulin [SCIG]). ---Continue

Antitrypsin deficiency; still more to learn about the lung after 60 years

The past 60 years has seen multiple publications related to lung disease in Alph-1 Antitrypsin deficiency largelyreflectingthe pathophysiology, biochemical effect and outcomes of augmentation therapy. However, the complexity of disease phenotype and the impact of the natural history presents problems of patient management, study design and hence interpretation of outcome. Although many National and some International registries exist the lack of consistent in-depth assessment and importantly, the impact of augmentation therapylikelyinfluences our perception of the true natural history.Development of new therapeutic strategies, and even assessment of the role and efficacy of augmentation remain a challenge as powering such studies for conventional COPD outcomes is impractical due to relative rarity of the genetic condition and the presence ofclinicalphenotypic variation.The current review approaches these issues, discusses the nature and complexity of assessing patient variability, and provides guidance on further studies required to address them.

Patient-management problem in the evaluation of intensive medicine.

In intensive care medicine (ICM), the use of Patient-Management Problem (PMP) remains limited and no feedback from students is available. To compare the feasibility of employing PMP referring to clinical cases (CC) as assessment tools for appraising the knowledge and competencies in ICM students; and to gather the students' perception regarding this experience. it was a cross-sectional randomized trial. Were included, external students in the 3rd year of the 2nd cycle of medical studies (3rd-SCMS) during their ICM externship. All the participants underwent two random draws (the 1st one for assessment tool to be started (PMP or CC) and the 2nd for the passage order for PMP. Two PMPs versus two grouped QCMs-CC were prepared and a satisfaction questionnaire was distributed. The main judgment criterion was the effect of each assessment tool on the students' decision-making process. This focused on the relevance of the elements provided by each technique, the implication and the difficulty felt. The secondary endpoint was the scores taken for each tool tested. 20 students were included. All participants had previous experience with PMPs and only nine were familiar with grouped MCQs-CC. PMP scores were 14.9 for the 1st theme and 15.8 for the 2nd theme. The median of the grouped MCQs-CC scores was 14 [12-16] for both. The scores didn't differ between the two techniques. For the 1st theme: the scores were negatively correlated (r=-0.58 and p=0.007). Students felt a better satisfaction for PMP evaluation (p<10-3), the elements provided by PMP were more relevant for decision-making process (p<10-3), the involvement was more felt with PMP (p<10-3) and difficulty was more felt with CCs (p<10-3). The effect of PMP was found to be significant on clinical reasoning (n=36), self-assessment (n=38), problem solving (n=40) and decision making (n=39). Students recommended strongly PMP as a tool of evaluation in ICM (p<10-3). scores were comparable between the two tested techniques. The positive perception of students regarding PMP encourages its generalization and teacher training must be strengthened.

Chinese expert consensus on the follow-up management of patients with prostate cancer receiving medical castration therapy（2024 edition）

With the advancement of prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis and treatment technology, the 5-year survival rate has remarkably increased, and PCa has entered the era of chronic disease management. Medical castration therapy remains the cornerstone treatment option for PCa patients, and run throughout the various stages of patient treatment. The disease progression, treatment-related adverse reactions and related complications of PCa patients after medical castration have become a major problem in the long-term management of PCa patients, affecting the survival and quality of life of patients. In addition to focus on the disease management of prostate patients during diagnosis and treatment, patients should be closely followed up after medical castration, especially for those at the critical stage of disease treatment. Testosterone or other indicators should be monitored at important nodes of the disease (the point of initiation disease phase and the point of treatment switch) to avoid missing the optimal treatment window. Follow-up management of PCa should take into account the characteristics of the treatment stage of the disease (disease stage, previous symptoms, prognostic factors and treatment strategy) and patients' own demands, and personalized follow-up strategies should be recommended to better increase patients' treatment compliance and improve patients' prognosis. Currently, there is a lack of guidelines or consensus on the management on the follow-up and quality of life of PCa patients after medical castration in China. Therefore, the Chinese Prostate Cancer Consortium has organized domestic experts to formulate this consensus, with the aim of providing a reference for the management on the follow-up and quality of life of PCa patients receiving medical castration therapy, and to further improve the prognosis and quality of life of PCa patients in China.

Prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases producing isolates obtained from patients of pediatric critical care unit in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Over the past decades, antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria commonly Enterobacteriaceae such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae have increased significantly. These microorganisms have great clinical importance because they increase hospital stay of the patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) leading to high morbidity and mortality. Because of their role in increasing morbidity and mortality, this study was performed to isolate extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing Gram-negative bacilli screened by phenotypical method and further projected into molecular characterization by polymerase chain reaction. Aims and Objectives: The aims and objectives are to isolate the Gram-negative multidrug-resistant strains from clinically suspected bacterial infections in patients of neonatal, sick newborn, and pediatric ICU and to study antibiotic sensitivity pattern of isolated Gram-negative multidrug-resistant strains with special reference to molecular characterization. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 Gram-negative bacilli were isolated. Screening of ESBL positivity was done by double-disk synergy test (combined disc test method). Their antibiogram profile was interpreted. With the use of designed primers, 26 ESBL isolates each of E. coli and Klebsiella spp. were processed for molecular analysis of beta-lactamase family genes TEM and CTX-M. Results: Within the 100 samples, majority of the isolates (45%) were Klebsiella spp. and 40% was E. coli isolates. Highest ESBL-producing organisms were observed within E. coli (65%). Prevalence bla-TEM gene was highest followed by bla-CTX-M. These ESBL-producing organisms were found to be resistant to multiple classes of antibiotics. With extensive ESBL surveillance and proper usage of antibiotics, this threatening rise of antibiotic resistance can be mitigated. Conclusion: Gram-negative isolates showed high resistance to commonly used antibiotics. Significant proportions of them were MDR strains. Such high antibiotic resistance is associated with significant morbidity and mortality among pediatric population. MDR along with possession of ESBL associated resistance genes among Gram-negative bacilli pose a serious problem in therapeutic management of patients. Our study signifies that there is a high probability of Gram- negative bacilli to be multi-drug resistant and ESBL positive and earliest detection of such cases should be made.

Promoting Awareness Among New Generations of Dental Instructors about Essential Knowledge and Expertise for Recognizing and Managing Dental Patients with Somatic Symptom Disorder in Undergraduate Dental Clinics - A Review

Dental instructors are equipped with the fundamental dental knowledge and expertise to efficiently supervise dental students for managing their patients in the undergraduate dental school clinics. However, they do not have the basic knowledge for identifying and managing patients with Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) at chairside prior to initiating the dental treatment. Lack of such knowledge is a major reason for problems in diagnosis and management of these dental patients which could result in repeated, ineffective dental treatments, such as dental filling, root canal, or even extraction. The aim of this review is to promote awareness among new generations of dental instructors of the need to acquire the basic knowledge about SSD. Several recommendations are made to assist dental instructors in gaining the essential knowledge for assisting dental students at chairside in identifying and managing dental patients with such psychiatric disorder.

Immunosuppressive Agents-Effects on the Cardiovascular System and Selected Metabolic Aspects: A Review.

The widespread use of immunosuppressive drugs makes it possible to reduce inflammation in autoimmune diseases, as well as prevent transplant rejection in organ recipients. Despite their key action in blocking the body's immune response, these drugs have many side effects. These actions primarily affect the cardiovascular system, and the incidence of complications in patients using immunosuppressive drugs is significant, being associated with a higher incidence of cardiovascular incidents such as myocardial infarction and stroke. This paper analyzes the mechanisms of action of commonly used immunosuppressive drugs and their impact on the cardiovascular system. The adverse effect of immunosuppressive drugs is associated with toxicity within the cardiovascular system, which may be a problem in the clinical management of patients after transplantation. Immunosuppressants act on the cardiovascular system in a variety of ways, including fibrosis and myocardial remodeling, endothelium disfunction, hypertension, atherosclerosis, dyslipidemia or hyperglycaemia, metabolic syndrome, and hyperuricemia. The use of multidrug protocols makes it possible to develop regimens that can reduce the incidence of cardiovascular events. A better understanding of their mechanism of action and the range of complications could enable physicians to select the appropriate therapy for a given patient, as well as to reduce complications and prolong life.

Metamorphosis of a herniated lumbar disc

Compression of nerve roots by herniated intervertebral discs (IVD) is a major cause of lumbosacral radiculopathy and often causes problems in patient management. We present a case report of a patient whose initial pain was axial discogenic in nature, probably due to a fissure of the annulus fibrosus, and who later developed LIII–IV radiculopathy. The timing of formation of a sequestered IVD hernia was recorded on MRI. There was no prolonged gradual formation of IVD hernia (bulging, fissure, protrusion, extrusion/sequestration), an acute formation of disc herniation occurred. Conservative treatment, including nonpharmacological (McKenzie gymnastics, educational program) and drug treatment (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anticonvulsants), as well as minimally invasive measures (epidural administration of local anesthetics and glucorticoids), allowed rapid regression of clinical symptoms and improvement of functional and emotional status. MRI of the lumbar spine performed six months after onset showed complete resorption of the IVD hernia. The patient follows ergonomic recommendations and performs therapeutic exercises (Nordic walking); no deterioration was observed within 9 months.

Topic Modeling-Based Analysis of News Keywords Related to Patients with Diabetes during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study analyzed major issues related to diabetes during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic by using topic modeling analysis of online news articles provided by BIGKind dating from 20 January 2020, the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in Korea, to 17 April 2022, the lifting of the social distancing restrictions. We selected 226 articles and conducted topic modeling analysis to identify the main agenda of news related to patients with diabetes in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic; both latent Dirichlet allocation and visualization were conducted by generating keywords extracted from news text as a matrix using Python 3.0. Four main topics were extracted from the news articles related to "COVID-19" and "diabetes" during the COVID-19 pandemic, including "COVID-19 high-risk group," "health management through digital healthcare," "risk of metabolic disease related to quarantine policy," and "child and adolescent obesity and diabetes." This study is significant because it uses big data related to diabetes that was reported in the mass media during the new epidemic to identify problems in the health management of patients with diabetes during a new epidemic and discuss areas that should be considered for future interventions.

Diagnostic Reasoning Outcomes in Nurse Practitioner Education: A Scoping Review.

Diagnostic reasoning is the process of collecting, considering, and analyzing information to determine a diagnosis. Educational strategies that structure diagnostic reasoning exposure, experience, and evaluation are hypothesized to improve diagnostic safety. However, few studies measure diagnostic reasoning outcomes in nurse practitioner education. This review sought to identify the educational interventions intended to improve diagnostic reasoning competency, determine which components of reasoning are evaluated, and examine how they are measured. Four databases were searched, and 12 studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria. Simulation was the most common intervention. The most frequently measured diagnostic reasoning components were information gathering, differential diagnosis, and leading diagnosis. Checklists and patient management problems were the most used assessment method. More studies are needed to assess the reasoning processes of hypothesis generation, problem representation, and diagnostic justification. Within simulation, methods capable of capturing these components include think-aloud, global assessments, checklists, and note evaluation. [J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(10):579-586.].

EVALUATING THE CHANGING TRENDS IN EMERGENCE OF MULTIDRUG RESISTANCE AMONG GRAM POSITIVE ORGANISMS ISOLATED FROM SKIN AND SOFT TISSUE INFECTIONS FROM A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL, JHARKHAND

Drug resistance among gram positive aerobic cocci poses a significant problem in management of patients with skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI's). S. aureus is the most common organism that causes mild skin and soft tissue infections to serious infections such as sepsis and toxic shock syndrome. Enterococcus and Streptococcus species have also emerged as a cause of skin and soft tissue infections and health care associated infections (HAI's). SSTI's is an inflammatory microbial invasion of epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue. It is classified according to the layer of infection, severity of infection and microbiologic etiology. The practice guidelines of the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) for the diagnosis and management of skin and soft tissue infection classifies SSTI's into five categories comprising superficial and complicated infections which include impetigo, erysipelas, cellulitis, necrotizing fasciitis, surgical site infection. Risk factors associated with development of SSTI's include poor hygiene, overcrowding, co- morbidities like diabetes, immunocompromised state, overuse of antibiotics, prolonged hospital stay, burn patients etc. Prompt recognition, timely surgical debridement or drainage with appropriate antibiotic therapy is the mainstay treatment for SSTI's. Empirical therapy includes penicillin, cephalosporins, clindamycin and cotrimoxazole. Multi-Drug resistance is of major concern commonly caused by MRSA (Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus) which includes CA-MRSA (Community acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus), HA-MRSA (hospital acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus), VRSA (vancomycin resistant staphylococcus aureus) &amp; VRE (vancomycin resistant Enterococci). HA-MRSA is generally susceptible to clindamycin, vancomycin, Linezolid &amp; trimethoprim- sulfamethoxazole. In contrast, CA-MRSA is usually sensitive to these former antibiotics as well as broader range of oral antimicrobial agents like clindamycin, linezolid, quinolones, daptomycin, tigecycline etc. These empirical therapeutic agents provide coverage for both S. aureus, Streptococcus species and Enterococcus species. Therefore, demographic knowledge of antimicrobial agents and their resistance pattern plays a significant role in management of SSTI's.

Cardiotoxicity of anthracyclines and targeted anti-HER2/neu therapy in treatment of oncological patients

Adverse events affecting the cardiovascular system are one of the most serious problems in the general management of patients with oncological diseases, since they can jeopardize the success in the treatment of malignant neoplasms. Despite modern methods of treatment, some chemotherapeutic drugs, such as anthracyclines, HER2 /ErbB2 inhibitors can have a pronounced effect on the cardiovascular system. These toxic effects lead to cardiac arrhythmia, heart failure, vascular toxicity and even death. It is important for oncologists and cardiologists to understand the basic diagnostic and treatment strategies that should be used in the event of toxicity of this kind.

Commentary: Why “tri” to repair the valve if it will just “lead” to recurrent regurgitation?

Life-threatening arrhythmias after congenital heart surgery that require cardiac rhythm devices remain a challenging management problem for many patients. In this report from Huang and colleagues,1 the authors examine mid-term results of the surgical management of transvenous lead-induced tricuspid regurgitation. The authors determine that there are similar rates of survival and reintervention on the tricuspid valve between the valve repair and valve replacement cohorts during their follow-up period.

Design for a Virtual Peer-to-Peer Knowledge to Action Platform for Type 2 Diabetes.

Many patients with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) have difficulty in controlling their disease despite wide-spread availability of high-quality guidelines, T2D education programs and primary care follow-up programs. Current diabetes education and treatment programs translate knowledge from bench to bedside well, but underperform on the 'last-mile' of converting that knowledge into action (KTA). Two innovations to the last-mile problem in management of patients with T2D are introduced. 1) Design of a platform for peer-to-peer groups where patients can solve KTA problems together in a structured and psychologically safe environment using all the elements of the Action Cycle phase of the KTA framework. The platform uses Self-Determination Theory as the behavior change theory. 2) A novel patient segmentation method to enable the formation of groups of patients who have similar behavioral characteristics and therefore who are more likely to find common cause in the fight against diabetes.

Dental Anxiety Scales Used in Pediatric Dentistry: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

To assess various dental anxiety scales used in children and to know the effectiveness of different projective dental anxiety scales used in pediatric dentistry. Dental anxiety poses a significant problem in child patient management and is considered to be the main barrier for successful completion of the dental treatment. This systematic review and meta-analysis has been registered at the International prospective register of systematic reviews-PROSPERO-CRD42021247586. The systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items in Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Electronic databases [PubMed (MEDLINE), COCHRANE Library, EMBASE, EBSCO host, and Google Scholar database] were searched for corresponding references up to 2021. Observational cross-sectional studies comparing two different dental anxiety scales were selected for this systematic review. Search strategy generated 500 articles out of which 13 studies included in qualitative synthesis and only 7 studies were taken for quantitative synthesis. Among these seven studies, five studies compared FIS and VPT scales, two studies compared RMS, FIS, and VPT scales. Results of meta-analysis showed that an overall mean difference of dental anxiety between VPT and FIS scales was 0.11 (95% CI: 0.26-0.48), RMS and FIS scales was 0.05 (95% CI: 0.40-0.50), RMS and VPT was 0.27 (95% CI: 0.80-0.27) in the investigated population. No statistically significant difference was noted in all comparisons suggesting that all these scales are at par in assessing anxiety levels in pediatric population. The projective scales Raghavendra, madhuriu, sujata pictorial scale (RMS), Facial image scale (FIS), and Venham's picture test (VPT) can be a pragmatic tool in assessing children's dental anxiety.

HIV Patients’ Tracer for Clinical Assistance and Research during the COVID-19 Epidemic (INTERFACE): A Paradigm for Chronic Conditions

The health emergency linked to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted problems in the health management of chronic patients due to their risk of infection, suggesting the need of new methods to monitor patients. People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) represent a paradigm of chronic patients where an e-health-based remote monitoring could have a significant impact in maintaining an adequate standard of care. The key objective of the study is to provide both an efficient operating model to “follow” the patient, capture the evolution of their disease, and establish proximity and relief through a remote collaborative model. These dimensions are collected through a dedicated mobile application that triggers questionnaires on the basis of decision-making algorithms, tagging patients and sending alerts to staff in order to tailor interventions. All outcomes and alerts are monitored and processed through an innovative e-Clinical platform. The processing of the collected data aims into learning and evaluating predictive models for the possible upcoming alerts on the basis of past data, using machine learning algorithms. The models will be clinically validated as the study collects more data, and, if successful, the resulting multidimensional vector of past attributes will act as a digital composite biomarker capable of predicting HIV-related alerts. Design: All PLWH &gt; 18 sears old and stable disease followed at the outpatient services of a university hospital (n = 1500) will be enrolled in the interventional study. The study is ongoing, and patients are currently being recruited. Preliminary results are yielding monthly data to facilitate learning of predictive models for the alerts of interest. Such models are learnt for one or two months of history of the questionnaire data. In this manuscript, the protocol—including the rationale, detailed technical aspects underlying the study, and some preliminary results—are described. Conclusions: The management of HIV-infected patients in the pandemic era represents a challenge for future patient management beyond the pandemic period. The application of artificial intelligence and machine learning systems as described in this study could enable remote patient management that takes into account the real needs of the patient and the monitoring of the most relevant aspects of PLWH management today.

Towards a better treatment of patients with vascular malformations: certified interdisciplinary centers are mandatory

BackgroundVascular anomalies are orphan diseases that occur in all age groups and range from purely aesthetic to potentially life-threatening conditions. This thesis paper outlines the typical conferring problems in patient management and possible structural solutions for a better patient treatment in the future. MethodsA multi-perspective author panel consisting of key stakeholders from the German Interdisciplinary Society of Vascular Anomalies and the German Society for Surgery defined problem areas and possible solutions including quality indicators as criteria for certified interdisciplinary Vascular Anomalies Centers (VAC). ResultsAccording to the literature available, clearly defined nomenclature and nosological entities often remain unused in this field, and consented diagnostic and therapeutic evidence is rare. Expert opinions dominate and in some cases lead to disparate recommendations. Typical patient problems arise from this situation, exemplified in patient vignettes. Centralized and standardized patient treatment in interdisciplinary VAC may be a solution to this problem. These centers should agree on a set of general principles and quality indicators with an additional minimum set of structural and procedural criteria. DiscussionThe present position paper outlines perspectives for implementing certified interdisciplinary VAC. There is a need for a comprehensive nomenclature, access to interdisciplinary treatment centers, more scientific evidence, and further education in this rare group of diseases. ConclusionUse of scientifically sound and patient-relevant criteria for certifying the interdisciplinary quality of VAC is expected to improve health care in Germany.

Mogamulizumab efficacy is underscored by its associated rash that mimics cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: a retrospective single-centre case series.

Mogamulizumab is a humanized antibody against chemokine receptor type 4. It was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for relapsed or refractory mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS). The most commonly reported adverse event in the phase III licensing trial was drug eruption (28%), now termed mogamulizumab-associated rash (MAR). Clinical recommendations about MAR and its treatment differ between the current package insert and postapproval insights reported from two single-centre studies that focused on its characterization, but less so on outcomes and clinicopathological differentiation from cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). To describe our experience in the diagnosis of MAR and treatment of patients with CTCL with mogamulizumab. This is a single-centre retrospective case series study. We found a higher incidence of MAR in patients with CTCL (17 of 24, 68%) than previously reported. MAR development is associated with complete (11 of 17) or partial (four of 17) responses, with an overall response rate of 88%, compared with 29% (two of seven) in patients without MAR. Diagnosis of MAR may be obscured by its ability to mimic key CTCL features both clinically and histologically, but an absence of T-cell-receptor clonality and relatively decreased CD4 : CD8 ratio compared with baseline lesions strongly favour MAR over recurrent disease. MAR has the potential to create a significant management problem for patients on mogamulizumab. Misidentification of MAR as recurrent CTCL may detrimentally result in the premature discontinuation of mogamulizumab in patients whose disease is historically hard to treat. Thorough clinicopathological investigation of new lesions during treatment with mogamulizumab is required to inform ideal treatment decisions and achieve better outcomes.

Sleep Medicine Evaluation in the Annual Patient Management Problem (PMP) Exam for Otolaryngology Residents.

The sleep medicine has not been previously included in the patient management problem (PMP) exam for otolaryngology residents at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The aim of this study, is to evaluate the results of this first implementation. This was a cross-sectional study. The examinees included all 62 residents from the 1st to 4th years of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences otolaryngology department. The resident scores obtained in this exam were evaluated and compared by residency year. The overall participant score was low for this part of the PMP. There was no score difference between years 1 and 3, but there was a significant positive change in year 4 (p = 0.007). This score pattern was not evident in other parts of the exam. Otolaryngology residents have insufficient knowledge toward the sleep medicine. The reasons for such scoring patterns may be due to the structure of sleep medicine training within the department which may lead to undesirable consequences.

Integrating patient management, reflective practice, and ethical decision-making in an emergency medicine intern boot camp

BackgroundIntegration of clinical skills, ethical decision-making, and reflection skills have emerged as cornerstones of clinical teaching in medical schools. This study aimed to detect whether a multimodal learning environment approach consisting of lectures, a drill, post-drill video debriefing, and written reflection in an emergency medicine rotation boot camp improves interns’ patient management skills, ethical decision-making, and reflection skills.MethodsA multimodal learning environment was created by the collaboration of emergency medicine, ethics, and medical education specialists. Multiple educational techniques involving lectures, case discussions, and role-playing a crisis scenario were applied. Pre-test and post-test, debriefing on performances on video records, video-recorded performance assessment, and reflective essays about their own and group’s performances were used to assess various aspects of the student performances. Additionally, a meeting was organized with the presence of the authors to create qualitative data obtained through the program evaluation meeting conducted on three themes: influences of teaching methods, students’ performances, and common achievements and mistakes of students.Results133 students participated. Post-test multiple-choice question (MCQ) test scores were slightly higher than pre-test. A low and medium correlation was detected among pre-test and post-test patient management problem (PMP) and reflection scores, which was more prominent for female students. Multiple linear regression showed that pre-test and post-test PMP scores significantly contributed to reflection scores. These results might support that better patient management predicts more robust reflective practice. Teachers observed that students appreciated being inspired by well-performing peers, particularly noting the empathic needs of patients, companions, and other health professionals. However, students overlooked summoning forensic or social services and were inhibited by the pressure of the contextual traits of the drill.ConclusionThe multimodal learning environment created by multidisciplinary collaboration contributed to the improvement of components of situational awareness of the interns: patient management skills, ethical decision-making, and reflective practice. During this research, we created a toolbox better to capture the richness and diversity of student interactions. Considering the scarcity of context-specific assessment methods and widespread use of MCQs or generic scales for higher-order thinking skills in medicine, this study might be regarded as a step forward in that context.