Short-term Visits Research Articles

The association between fracture and short-term adverse health outcomes among children with cerebral palsy

BackgroundChildren with cerebral palsy (CP) have a high risk of fracture; yet, little is known about their post-fracture health outcomes. A fracture is an unplanned event in contrast to surgeries or procedures where there is a pre-operative period to optimize body composition and health and planned post-operative follow-up care. Fractures may be associated with significant outcomes due to the unplannable nature and reactionary care. The objective of this study was to determine if fractures were associated with an increased rate of short-term adverse health outcomes among children with CP, and if these associations were dependent on age. MethodsThis retrospective cohort study used commercial claims from 01/01/2001–12/31/2018. The primary cohort was children 2–18 years old with CP and an incident fracture (CP + Fx). Comparison cohorts were propensity score matched 1:1 to CP + Fx on demographic and health-related indicators: CP without fractures (CPw/oFx); without CP with (w/oCP + Fx) or without (w/oCPw/oFx) a fracture. The incidence rate (IR) and IR ratios (IRR) of 30-day and 31–90-day pneumonia and 90-day emergency department (ED) visit were estimated. Cox regression tested for effect modification by age and sex. ResultsThe CP + Fx cohort (n = 1670) had higher IRs of 30-day pneumonia (IRR range, 1.53–4.54) and 90-day ED visit (IRR range, 1.45–2.37) (all P < 0.05), and higher IRs of 31–90-day pneumonia but this did not reach statistical significance (IRR, 1.41 to 2.32, all P > 0.05). Notably, there was evidence of effect modification by age. The rate of 30-day pneumonia became more problematic for CP + Fx with older age relative to comparison cohorts and for 90-day ED visit compared to CPw/oFx. The rate of 90-day ED visit for CP + Fx was more problematic at younger ages compared to w/oCP + Fx. ConclusionsFractures among children with CP were associated with an increased rate of short-term pneumonia and ED visit, which was more problematic with older age.

Short-term and Long-term Stability of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) Calibrated Comparison Scores (CCS) and Classification Scores in Youth with Down Syndrome or Fragile X Syndrome with Intellectual Disability

AbstractAutism diagnosis in individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS) or Down syndrome (DS) with co-occurring intellectual disability is complex since clinicians often must consider other co-occurring behavioral features. Understanding how best to assess the features of autism in individuals with these conditions is crucial. In this study, we consider the short-term and long-term psychometric consistency of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 (ADOS-2) calibrated comparison scores (CCSs) and ASD classifications in individuals with FXS or DS. 76 individuals with DS (39 males; Mage = 15.27) and 90 individuals with FXS (71 males; Mage = 14.52 years) completed an assessment battery (ADOS-2, abbreviated IQ assessment and semi-structured language sample) at three timepoints (initial visit, short-term stability visit, long-term stability visit). All CCSs were found to have short-and long-term consistency for both groups, with lowest reliability scores for the repetitive behaviors (RRB) CCSs. Decreased reliability of RRB CCSs was found in the DS group than the FXS group. Variable short- and long-term ASD classifications were observed in both groups, with significantly higher variability in the DS group. Across groups, participants with variable classifications had lower ADOS-2 CCSs and higher language scores than those with stable ASD classifications. In the FXS group, those with variable classifications earned higher cognitive scores than did participants with stable ASD classifications. These findings highlight the high incidence of autism symptomatology in individuals with DS or FXS and co-occurring intellectual disability, while elucidating the short- and long-term variability of symptom expression in the context of structured observational tasks such as the ADOS-2.

Unravelling key environmental factors influencing urban park visits: Thermal comfort and air quality

Urban parks play a vital role in shaping physical and mental health. Walking and cycling to local urban parks have become increasingly popular since the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas the climate change and air pollution continue to spur health risks for outdoor activities. Existing literature have focused on measuring the impact of temperature on park attendance, mainly using incomplete or short-term park visit data from field investigations. However, there is a lack of research on how thermal comfort factors (e.g., heat and humidity) and air quality indices – individually and synergistically – enhance or reduce visits to urban parks, particularly with quality official daily park visit data spanning an entire year. In response to the research gap, this study conducted a comparative case study of two urban parks in Shanghai, covering descriptive, correlation, and regression analyses of how weather and air quality mediate daily park attendance from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021. This study identifies that temperature, humidity, and the ‘Heat Index’ combining heat and humidity are strong parameters influencing the number of park visits, while the impacts of air quality indices are mostly trivial. Urban humid heat, a weather condition becoming more frequent with the rise of extreme heat events in Shanghai's recent summers, received much less attention than the sheer degree of temperature, threatening healthy outdoor activities in parks. These findings provide timely and important implications for better urban park planning, design, and management for promoting outdoor activities while reducing health risks.

Practices in the Field of Disciplinary Liability of Convicts While Serving a Sentence of Imprisonment: Analysis of International Experience

The article examines the issue of international experience of disciplinary liability of persons sentenced to imprisonment on the example of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules), the European Prison Rules and other international acts, and also examines the experience of individual countries. The purpose of the study is to identify the main standards and "good practices" of applying disciplinary sanctions to persons sentenced to imprisonment. The relevance of the study is stipulated by the need to implement international standards in the penitentiary system of Azerbaijan, taking into account the latest monitoring data on the practice of applying disciplinary sanctions to prisoners. The study was carried out within the framework of comparative penology using the methodology of an integrated interdisciplinary approach to the issue under study. Based on the results of the study, the author identified the main prohibited practices: corporal punishment, placement in an unlit cell, deprivation or restriction of food and drink, forced labour, collective punishment of prisoners, any cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment; and permitted practices: warnings, reprimands, telephone access, prohibition of short-term visits, prohibition of shopping, prohibition of receiving parcels and correspondence, solitary confinement or solitary confinement as a last resort. The author also emphasises the rights of prisoners to information on the rules of conduct in the penitentiary institution, to participate in a disciplinary hearing and to appeal against a decision to impose a disciplinary sanction, which constitutes the scientific novelty of the study and areas for further research.

Evaluation of metabolic changes in clinic attendees with therapeutic carbohydrate restriction

Background: Obesity and related metabolic health disorders are major clinical problems that have become increasingly prevalent worldwide.Aim: This before-after study examined the impact of therapeutic carbohydrate restriction (TCR) in managing metabolic health and promoting weight loss in a clinical setting using indirect calorimetry (IC).Setting: Data were collected from medical records obtained from a specialised allied health clinic focusing on metabolic health.Methods: The study analysed retrospective data from 202 overweight or obese participants (77% female, mean age 47.3) who received TCR as part of a behavioural modification programme involving multiple visits where their lifestyle, body composition and respiratory quotient (RQ), a key indicator of fat oxidation were recorded.Results: The study found that TCR improved fat oxidation in 84% of participants at short term visit (around 2 weeks), with an average weight loss of 1.8 kg. At medium term visit (around 12 weeks), 82% of participants maintained an increase in fat oxidation rate, with an average weight loss of 3.9 kg. In addition, among those with recorded body composition and waist circumference, 71% of weight lost was from fat, with an average reduction of 4.9 cm in waist measurements.Conclusion: This real-world study suggests that personalised TCR guided by IC can be an effective strategy for improving metabolic flexibility to help manage excess weight and related co-morbidities in a free-living population. Further research is needed to examine the long-term effects of TCR using this approach.Contribution: The utilisation of IC allows for the examination of individual shifts and improvements in metabolism among patients undergoing TCR.

Short-Term Telehealth Follow-up in Complex Gynecologic Conditions [ID 2683660

INTRODUCTION: Studies show up to 50% of patients leave health care appointments not understanding or remembering important information, instructions, or correct use of medications. The Rutgers Center for Vulvovaginal Health treats women referred for complex vulvovaginal or pain disorders and sexual dysfunctions. Despite receiving written instructions and diagrams at initial visit, many returned without having started or having discontinued treatment. We initiated a nurse practitioner telehealth visit 2–3 weeks after initial encounter to evaluate acceptance and benefit in this population. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review of 50 telehealth visits for new patients seen at the center. Outcome measures were determined from questions presented to all women regarding understanding of condition, and adherence to medication and treatment plan. RESULTS: Overall, 98% of women found the telehealth visit helpful, and 46% had questions related to their first visit. Of the 43 prescribed medications, 37 initiated treatment (86%) and only 2 (4.7%) had not attempted to fill the prescription. Medication was changed in 10%, mostly because of side effects. Pelvic floor physical therapy and imaging studies were initiated in 75% and 67%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Women with complicated gynecologic problems viewed a short-term follow-up telehealth visit positively. This communication presents an opportunity for another point of contact that can be incorporated into a busy practitioner schedule without the requirement of an in-person visit, and allow convenience and reinforcement for women, as well as necessary treatment alterations. Further studies are needed to see if this short-term follow-up enhances long-term compliance or outcomes.

Fast Friends: The Impact of Short-Term Visits on Firms’ Invention Outcomes

We examine how employees’ short-term visits between research and development (R&amp;D) centers across different countries can enhance a firm’s invention outcomes through enhancing intraorganizational knowledge flows and mutual trust between scientists. We utilize the staggered introduction of the U.S. visa waiver program (VWP) to 41 countries in 1988–2023, which substantially increased short-term visits to the United States. Following the introduction of the VWP, global pharmaceutical companies with R&amp;D centers in VWP countries showed a significant increase in invention quantity and scope compared with those without R&amp;D centers in VWP countries. Notably, we find that the benefits of short-term visits are greater when there is an intermediate knowledge distance between firms’ R&amp;D centers in the United States and VWP countries. If R&amp;D centers have similar knowledge bases, efficient knowledge flows can occur even without visits. For centers with very different knowledge bases, short-term visits do not provide enough time for sufficient knowledge flows. Benefits of short-term visits are also magnified when the cultural distance is greater between firms’ R&amp;D centers. Our findings highlight that even short-term face-to-face interactions can enhance the sharing of tacit knowledge and subsequent invention, thereby offering important managerial and policy implications. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2021.16081 .

Quality assurance via telephone interviews after cataract surgery: An explorative study.

Cataract surgery is a relatively safe procedure with satisfactory postoperative results in most patients. However, in rare cases severe complications can occur shortly after the intervention. Therefore, patients are advised to undergo an ophthalmological examination postoperatively, which should be performed as soon as possible in case of emergencies. However, exactly when these follow-up visits should take place is still discussed. A time- and cost-saving alternative to this could be short-term postoperative telemedical approaches. The aim of this study was to analyze patient complaints as well as satisfaction with and the best timepoint to perform telephone calls after cataract surgery. Patients scheduled for cataract surgery received a telephone call on the surgery day or the day after (study group) during which they were asked about complaints or additional examination visits. Patients without telephone calls served as control group. All patients had a follow-up visit one week after the intervention during which a questionnaire was filled out and the study group was asked about their satisfaction with the telephone calls. 181 patients were recruited in this study. Ocular surface problems were the most common postoperative symptom. More than 80% of the patients were very satisfied with the telephone calls, with patients being contacted on the day of surgery being more calmed than those called on the next day. No difference in additional and planned follow-up visits was found between the study and the control group (P > .40). Postoperative patient complaints (Phi 0.372, P < .001) and additional prescribed therapy (Phi 0.480, P < .001) were moderately associated with additional visits. Satisfaction with telephone reviews shortly after cataract surgery was very high and contacting patients on the evening of the day of the procedure could be a time- and cost-saving alternative to short-term in-house follow-up visits.

Fast Friends: The Impact of Short-Term Visits on Firms' Invention Outcomes

Fast Friends: The Impact of Short-Term Visits on Firms' Invention Outcomes

Implementation and evaluation of visitation procedures for patients hospitalised with COVID-19

Background/Aims Visits from loved ones can be highly beneficial to the wellbeing of hospital inpatients, but this can be difficult to facilitate if the patient has a highly contagious disease such as COVID-19. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to implement and evaluate a set of visitation procedures for patients hospitalised with COVID-19. Methods A set of visitation procedures was developed by a panel of professionals from a range of healthcare disciplines, then implemented in a hospital in Spain. The procedures established three types of visitation options: virtual visits, short-term in-person visits and long-term in-person visits. Patients and visitors were asked to rate their likelihood of recommending their visitation method to a family member or colleague on a scale of 1–10, with results used to generate a net promoter score. Participants were also asked for qualitative information on what they would improve about the visitation procedures. Results A total of 20 patients and 51 visitors took part in the study. Among patient participants, the net promoter score was 90/100, with an individual score range of 8–10, indicating high satisfaction. Among visitors, individual scores ranged from 0–10, with a net promoter score of 41/100. There was little difference in scores between those who experienced a virtual and in-person visit. Suggestions for improvement included increasing the frequency of visits and providing technological support for virtual visits. Conclusions The visitation procedures used in this study could serve as a useful basis for other hospitals looking to implement safe visiting policies for patients with highly infectious diseases such as COVID-19.

Examination of the effects of value creation, intellectual property and organizational creativity on artificial intelligence focused enterprises

PurposeAritificial intelligence (AI)-focused enterprises purpose to provide value-creating and differentiated products and services using innovative technologies. For this reason, it is aimed to examine the effects of value creation, intellectual property and organizational creativity variables to make evaluations to increase the success of such enterprises.Design/methodology/approachRandom sampling method was used in the research. The population of the research consists of AI-oriented enterprises in technoparks. On the specified days, short-term visits and surveys were conducted face-to-face. Name and similar personal information was not taken in the research and participation was made on a voluntary basis. A sample size of 500 units is a sufficient size at the 0.05 significance level. SmartPLS (4.0.8.4) licensed software was used in the research.FindingsAs a result of the collected data, it has been supported by hypotheses that value creation, intellectual property and organizational creativity have positive effects so that artificial intelligence-oriented enterprises can be successful in performance criteria.Research limitations/implicationsSince the research was conducted by collecting data from artificial intelligence-oriented enterprises in technoparks in Istanbul, it would not be correct to evaluate the analysis results by making generalizations. For this reason, it is recommended that similar studies planned to be conducted in the future should contribute to the literature by developing the research model, taking into account the limited situation in the sample.Practical implicationsAccording to the results of the analysis of the effects of value creation, intellectual property and organizational creativity in artificial intelligence-oriented enterprises, in order to increase the success of such enterprises, they should offer more value to their customers, protect their technologies and increase their innovation capacity.Originality/valueValue creation, intellectual property, and organizational creativity in AI-focused enterprises are important topics in a rapidly growing industry such as AI-focused enterprises. Therefore, a research investigating these variables together offers a different perspective than previous studies.

Immigrants, health, and the impact of COVID-19: A narrative review.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has gravely challenged health systems globally, countries that host a large number of refugees are finding themselves even more burdened as providing preventive and curative services to refugees, and, migrants has proved to be a challenging task. The aim of this narrative review is to discuss the impact COVID-19 pandemic on immigrants, and seek to understand how COVID-19 affects provision of health services, access to health care and the socioeconomic situation. Like any other health challenge, COVID-19 has also left migrants susceptible to adverse outcomes, both directly and indirectly. Several factors limit their ability to avoid infections, access healthcare, and cope with socio-psychological impacts. In addition, undocumented immigrants or people living on short-term visit visas do not have full access to healthcare services in most countries. It is evident that COVID-19 has also influenced these workers leaving them jobless or receiving low wages or no pay, hence, this has hugely impacted the remittance and economic situation in their country. Extending access to healthcare to the entire immigrant population, irrespective of their legal status, is the cornerstone of an effective response to counter the COVID-19 pandemic.

Exploring Associations Between Short-Term Air Pollution and Daily Outpatient Visits for Allergic Rhinitis.

Many studies have reported that exposure to air pollution increases the likelihood of acquiring allergic rhinitis (AR). This study investigated associations between short-term air pollution exposure and AR outpatient visits. The Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University provided AR outpatient data from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021. Daily air quality information for that period was gathered from the Hangzhou Air Quality Inspection Station. We used the Poisson's generalized additive model (GAM) to investigate relationships between daily outpatient AR visits and air pollution, and investigated lag-exposure relationships across days. Subgroup analyses were performed by age (adult (>18 years) and non-adult (<18 years)) and sex (male and female). We recorded 20,653 instances of AR during the study period. Each 10 g/m3 increase in fine particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations was associated with significant increases in AR outpatient Visits. The relative risks (RR) were: 1.007 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.001-1.013), 1.026 (95% CI: 1.008-1.413), and 1.019 (95% CI: 1.008-1.047). AR visits were more likely due to elevated PM2.5, PM10, and CO levels. Additionally, children were more affected than adults. To better understand the possible effects of air pollution on AR, short-term exposure to ambient air pollution (PM2.5, PM10, and CO) may be linked to increased daily outpatient AR visits.

A High Rate of Return to Running Is Seen After Both Arthroscopic and Open Shoulder Surgery

To determine the percentage of patients who report the ability to run 1 mile at various time points after arthroscopic and open shoulder surgery. We performed a retrospective review of prospectively collected data for all active-duty military patients aged 18 to 45 years who underwent shoulder surgery at a single institution over a 2-year period. The rehabilitation protocol discouraged running before 3 months, but all patients were able to return to unrestricted running at 3 months postoperatively. Patients were excluded if they lacked 1-year follow-up data. Parameters collected included demographic information and validated patient-reported outcome measures at the preoperative and short-term postoperative visits, as well as patients' ability to run at least 1 mile postoperatively. A total of 126patients were identified who underwent shoulder surgery with return-to-running data. Compared with baseline, significant improvements in patient-reported outcomes were shown at 1 and 2 years postoperatively (P= .001). The percentage of patients reporting the ability to run 1 mile postoperatively was 59% at 3 months, 74% at 4.5 months, 79% at 6 months, 83% at 12 months, and 91% at 24 months. There was no significant difference in patients undergoing shoulder surgery for instability versus non-instability diagnoses or in patients undergoing open versus arthroscopic anterior stabilization. All 11 patients unable to return to running at final follow-up had chronic lower-extremity diagnoses limiting their running ability. Young military athletes undergoing arthroscopic and open shoulder surgery have a high rate of early return to running. Approximately 60% of patients report the ability to run 1 mile at 3 months postoperatively, and three-quarters of patients do so at 4.5 months. Age, sex, military occupation, underlying diagnosis or type of surgery did not influence the rate of return to running after shoulder surgery. Level IV, therapeutic case series.

Policy-Driven Post-Acute Care Program Lowers Mortality Rate and Medical Expenditures After Hospitalization for Acute Heart Failure: A Nationwide Propensity Score-Matched Study.

The beneficial effects of multidisciplinary disease management programs have been demonstrated. The present study investigated the effects of a policy-driven, health insurance-reimbursed, heart failure (HF) post-acute care (PAC) program on mortality, health care service utilization, and readmission expenses for patients following hospitalization for HF. This was a retrospective propensity score-matched cohort study using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. In total, 4346 patients (2173 receiving HF-PAC and 2173 controls) with left ventricular ejection fraction of ≤40% who were discharged following hospitalization for HF were included for analysis. All patients were followed up after discharge for all-cause mortality, emergency visits within 30days, and length of stay and medical expenses for readmission within 180days after discharge. After propensity score matching, baseline characteristics of the HF-PAC and control groups were similar. During a mean follow-up period of 1.59 ± 0.92years, according to the Cox multivariable analysis, HF-PAC reduced mortality by 48% compared with the control group, independent of traditional risk factors (hazard ratio= 0.520, 95% CI= 0.452-0.597, P < .001). Kaplan-Meier curves revealed that HF-PAC was associated with a higher cumulative survival rate (log-rank= 96.43, P < .001). HF-PAC also decreased the frequency of emergency visits after discharge by 23% in the 30days post discharge and decreased length of stay and medical expenses related to readmission by 61% and 63%, respectively, in the 180days post discharge (all P < .001). HF-PAC reduces short-term all-cause emergency visits, length of stay, and medical expenses for all-cause readmission and all-cause mortality in patients discharged following hospitalization for HF. Our findings suggest that PAC should include care continuity, optimal adaptation of transitional care components, and HF cardiologist engagement with multidisciplinary coordination.

Patient perspectives on post-bariatric surgery nutritional supplementation.

Bariatric procedures increase patient risk of long-term metabolic complications primarily due to nutrient deficiencies. The mainstay of prevention includes routine vitamin and mineral supplementation; however, patient-reported barriers to daily compliance are poorly understood. Post-bariatric surgery patients electively participated in an 11-point outpatient survey at a single academic institution. Surgical procedures included either laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or gastric bypass (GB). At the time of survey, patients ranged from 1-month to 15years from surgery. Survey items consisted of dichotomous (yes/no), multiple choice, and open-ended free response questions. Descriptive statistics were evaluated. Two hundred and fourteen responses were collected, 116 (54%) underwent SG and 98 (46%) underwent GB. Of these, 49% of samples were during short-term postoperative follow-up visits (0-3months), 34% intermediate follow-up (4-12months), and 17% long-term follow-up (> 1year). A total of 98% of patients reported that insurance did not cover their supplement cost. Most patients reported current vitamin use (95%), with 87% reporting daily compliance. Daily compliance was observed in 94%, 79%, and 73% of SG patients at short-, intermediate-, and long-term follow-up visits, respectively. While GB patients reported daily compliance in 84%, 100%, and 92% of short, intermediate, and long-term responses. Of those who were unable to take vitamins daily, non-compliance was attributed most to forgetting (54%), and less often to side effects (11%), or taste (11%). Patient-reported strategies for remembering to take vitamins included tying into daily routine (55%), use of a pill box (7%), and alarm reminders (7%). Daily compliance with post-bariatric surgery vitamin supplementation does not appear to vary based on postoperative time-period or surgical procedure. While a minority of patients struggle with daily compliance, factors associated with non-compliance include patient forgetting, side effects, and taste. Widespread utilization of patient-reported daily reminder strategies may lead to improved overall compliance and reduce incidence of nutritional deficiencies.

Continuity of care and advanced prostate cancer.

Continuity of care is an important element of advanced prostate cancer care due to the availability of multiple treatment options, and associated toxicity. However, the association between continuity of care and outcomes across different racial groups remains unclear. To assess the association of provider continuity of care with outcomes among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries with advanced prostate cancer and its variation by race. Retrospective cohort study using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data. African American and white Medicare beneficiaries aged 66 or older, and diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer between 2000 and 2011. At least 5 years of follow-up data for the cohort was used. Short-term outcomes were emergency room (ER) visits, hospitalizations, and cost during acute survivorship phase (2-year post-diagnosis), and mortality (all-cause and prostate cancer-specific) during the follow-up period. We calculated continuity of care using Continuity of Care Index (COCI) and Usual Provider Care Index (UPCI), for all visits, oncology visits, and primary care visits in acute survivorship phase. We used Poisson models for ER visits and hospitalizations, and log-link GLM for cost. Cox model and Fine-Gray competing risk models were used for survival analysis, weighted by propensity score. We performed similar analysis for continuity of care in the 2-year period following acute survivorship phase. One unit increase in COCI was associated with reduction in short-term ER visits (incidence rate ratio [IRR]=0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.64, 0.67), hospitalizations (IRR=0.65, 95% CI 0.64, 0.67), and cost (0.64, 95% CI 0.61, 0.66) and lower hazard of long-term mortality. Magnitude of these associations differed between African American and white patients. We observed comparable results for continuity of care in the follow-up period. Continuity of care was associated with improved outcomes. The benefits of higher continuity of care were greater for African Americans, compared to white patients. Advanced prostate cancer survivorship care must integrate appropriate strategies to promote continuity of care.

Is dorsal root entry zone lesioning effective and safe for managing continuous versus paroxysmal pains post-brachial plexus avulsion?

Patients with brachial plexus avulsion (BPA) experience chronic deafferentation pain characterized by two patterns: continuous background pain and electrical shooting paroxysmal attacks. The authors' aim was to report the effectiveness and safety of dorsal root entry zone (DREZ) lesioning in relieving the two forms of pain over short and long periods. All patients who underwent DREZ lesioning performed by the senior author for medically refractory BPA-related pain between July 1, 2016, and June 30, 2020, in Johns Hopkins Hospital were followed up. The intensity levels for continuous and paroxysmal pains were evaluated using the numeric rating scale (NRS) preoperatively and at 4 time points postsurgery, including the day of discharge, with a mean hospital stay of 5.6 ± 1.8 days; first postoperative clinic visit (33.0 ± 15.7 days); short-term follow-up (4.0 ± 1.4 months); and long-term follow-up (3.1 ± 1.3 years). The percent of pain relief according to the NRS was categorized into excellent (≥ 75%), fair (25%-74%), and poor (< 25%). A total of 19 patients were included, with 4 (21.1%) lost to long-term follow-up. The mean age was 52.7 ± 13.6 years; 16 (84.2%) were men, and 10 (52.6%) had left-sided injuries. A motor vehicle accident was the most common etiology of BPA (n = 16, 84.2%). Preoperatively, all patients had motor deficits, and 8 (42.1%) experienced somatosensory deficits. The greatest pain relief was observed at the first postoperative and short-term follow-up visits, with the lowest proportions of patients having continuous pain (26.3% and 23.5%, respectively) and paroxysmal pain (5.3% and 5.9%, respectively). Also, the highest reductions in mean NRS scores were observed for first postoperative and short-term follow-up visits (continuous 1.1 ± 2.1 and 1.1 ± 2.3; paroxysms 0.4 ± 1.4 and 0.5 ± 1.7, respectively) compared to the preoperative symptomatology (continuous 6.7 ± 3.0; paroxysms 7.9 ± 4.3) (p < 0.001). Most patients had excellent relief of continuous pain (82.4% and 81.3%) and of paroxysms (90.9% and 90.0%) at the first postoperative visit and short-term follow-up visit, respectively. The pain relief benefits had diminished by 3 years after surgery but remained significantly better than in the preoperative assessment. At the last evaluation, the proportion of patients achieving excellent relief of paroxysmal pain (66.7%) was double that for continuous pain (35.7%) (p < 0.001). New sensory phenomena were observed among 10 patients (52.6%), and 1 patient developed a motor deficit. DREZ lesioning is an effective and safe option for relieving BPA-associated pain, with good long-term outcomes and better benefits for paroxysmal pain than for the continuous pain component.

Immigrants, health, and the impact of COVID-19: A narrative review

While the COVID-19 pandemic has gravely challenged health systems globally, countries that host a large number of refugees are finding themselves even more burdened as providing preventive and curative services to refugees has proved to be a challenging task. The aim of this narrative review is to discuss the impact COVID-19 pandemic on immigrants, and seek to understand how COVID-19 affects provision of health services, access to health care and the socioeconomic situation. Like any other health challenge, COVID-19 has also left migrants susceptible to adverse outcomes, both directly and indirectly. Several factors limit their ability to avoid infections, access healthcare, and cope with socio-psychological impacts. In addition, undocumented immigrants or people living on short-term visit visas do not have full access to healthcare services in most countries. It is evident that COVID-19 has also influenced these workers leaving them jobless or receiving low wages or no pay, hence, this has hugely impacted the remittance and economic situation in their country. Extending access to healthcare to the entire immigrant population, irrespective of their legal status, is the cornerstone of an effective response to counter the COVID-19 pandemic.

Principles of penal law and problems of guaranteeing the rights of convicts

The article identifies and analyzes the problems of guaranteeing the rights of convicts in connection with the principles of penitentiary law. The author comes to the conclusion that not all general and special rights of convicts are guaranteed by the penitentiary legislation in accordance with the principles of penitentiary law. In order to implement the principle of humanism and prevent treatment that degrades human dignity, it is necessary to fix at the legislative level measures that prevent overcrowding of institutions of the penitentiary system. The article analyzes international and foreign experience in terms of developing communications of convicts sentenced to deprivation of liberty with the outside world. The necessity of increasing the number of long-term and short-term visits for persons serving sentences in ordinary and light conditions of correctional colonies is substantiated. Increasing the number of visits and telephone conversations for convicts with relatives will contribute to maintaining family ties and successful resocialization practices. It is proposed to include in the educational programs of the School for Preparation for Release in Correctional Institutions topics devoted to technologies for the restoration and development of socially useful ties of convicts. It is concluded that in the formation and implementation of the penitentiary policy, it is necessary to comply with the principles of national penitentiary law and the generally recognized principles of international law, as well as ensuring the compliance of penitentiary norms of the practice of their application with constitutional provisions.