scholarly journals CT Scan in Subaxial Cervical Facet Injury: Is It Enough for Decision-Making

2021 ◽  
pp. 219256822199549
Author(s):  
Juan P. Cabrera ◽  
Ratko Yurac ◽  
Andrei F. Joaquim ◽  
Alfredo Guiroy ◽  
Charles A. Carazzo ◽  
...  

Study Design: Cross-sectional survey. Objectives: Assessment of subaxial cervical facet injuries using the AO Spine Subaxial Cervical Spine Injury Classification System is based on CT scan findings. However, additional radiological evaluations are not directly considered. The aim of this study is to determine situations in which spine surgeons request additional radiological exams after a facet fracture. Methods: A survey was sent to AO Spine members from Latin America. The evaluation considered demographic variables, routine use of the Classification, as well as the timepoint at which surgeons requested a cervical MRI, a vascular study, and/ or dynamic radiographs before treatment of facet fractures. Results: There was 229 participants, mean age 42.9 ± 10.2 years; 93.4% were men. Orthopedic surgeons 57.6% with 10.7 ± 8.7 years of experience in spine surgery. A total of 86% used the Classification in daily practice. An additional study (MRI/vascular study/and dynamic radiographs) was requested in 53.3%/9.6%/43.7% in F1 facet injuries; 76.0%/20.1%/50.2% in F2; 89.1%/65.1%/28.4% in F3; and 94.8%/66.4%/16.6% in F4. An additional study was frequently required: F1 72.5%, F2 86.9%, F3 94.7%, and F4 96.1%. Conclusions: Spine surgeons generally requested additional radiological evaluations in facet injuries, and MRI was the most common. Dynamic radiographs had a higher prevalence for F1/F2 fractures; vascular studies were more common for F3/F4 especially among surgeons with fewer years of experience. Private hospitals had a lower spine trauma cases/year and requested more MRI and more dynamic radiographs in F1/F2. Neurosurgeons had more vascular studies and dynamic radiographs than orthopedic surgeons in all facet fractures.

2020 ◽  
pp. 219256822097433
Author(s):  
Jose A. Canseco ◽  
Gregory D. Schroeder ◽  
Taylor M. Paziuk ◽  
Brian A. Karamian ◽  
Frank Kandziora ◽  
...  

Study Design: Global cross-sectional survey. Objective: To develop an injury score for the AO Spine Subaxial Cervical Spine Injury Classification System. Methods: Respondents numerically graded each variable within the classification system for severity. Based on the results, and with input from the AO Spine Trauma Knowledge Forum, the Subaxial Cervical AO Spine Injury Score was developed. Results: An A0 injury was assigned an injury score of 0, A1 a score of 1, and A2 a score of 2. Given the significant increase in severity, A3 was given a score of 4. Based on equal severity assessment, A4 and B1 were both assigned a score of 5. B2 and B3 injuries were assigned a score of 6. Unstable C-type injuries were given a score of 7. Stable F1 injuries were assigned a score of 2, with a 2-point increase for F2 injuries. Likewise, F3 injuries received a score of 5, whereas more unstable F4 injuries a score of 7. Neurologic status severity rating scores increased stepwise, with scores of 0 for N0, 1 for N1, and 2 for N2. Consistent with the Thoracolumbar AO Spine Injury Score, N3 (incomplete) and N4 (complete) injuries were given a score of 4. Finally, case-specific modifiers M1 (PLC injury) received a score of 1, while M2 (critical disc herniation) and M3 (spine stiffening disease) received a score of 4. Conclusions: The Subaxial Cervical AO Spine Injury Score is an easy-to-use metric that can help develop a surgical algorithm to supplement the AO Spine Subaxial Cervical Spine Injury Classification System.


2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manal Maslamani ◽  
Faraj Sedeqi

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine prescription patterns of antibiotics and analgesics among dentists in the management of dental pain and infection for medically healthy patients undergoing endodontic management. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional survey was based on a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire collected data on age, gender, years of experience, and the qualifications of dentists. Feedback on prescription patterns for antibiotics and analgesics was collected for a number of clinical scenarios. Participants' choices regarding the type, dose, and duration of antibiotics/analgesics were recorded. Completed questionnaires were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS; version 24) to determine relationships between prescription patterns, age, gender, and educational qualification. Results: Of the 227 participants surveyed, 190 (83.7%) did not prescribe antibiotics for patients complaining of severe pain. There were significant associations between age and years of experience and antibiotic prescription for pain management (p = 0.035 and 0.04, respectively). Of the participants, 199 (87.7%) never prescribed antibiotics for reversible pulpitis with normal periapical area; there was a statistical significance in relation to gender (p = 0.044). Amoxicillin 500 mg was prescribed most of the time (51.5%). Diclofenac K (50 mg) was prescribed by 41% of the participants, while 39.2% of the participants very often prescribed ibuprofen (600 mg). Conclusion: Most dentists prescribed analgesics and antibiotics as recommended, but more education on the proper use of these medicines is needed for dentists and patients.


Author(s):  
Clement Kevin Edet ◽  
Anthony Ike Wegbom ◽  
Victor Alangibi Kiri

Introduction: The primary healthcare workers (PHCWs) may be faced with a higher risk of infection of COVID-19, due to inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE) and lack of training on the disease control and prevention. This study was designated to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of PHCWs about COVID-19 in Rivers State, Nigeria. Methods: A facility cross-sectional survey was conducted involving the primary healthcare workers in Rivers State, Nigeria. The association between the KAP and demographic characteristics were tested with the Chi-square test, while the association existing among KAP were evaluated with Pearson correlation coefficient. Statistical significance was evaluated at P<0.05. Results: The proportion of respondents with good scores in knowledge, attitude, and COVID-19 related practices are 86.4% (10.66 ± 2.40), 85.0% (8.28 ± 1.94), and 97.3% (8.34 ± 1.39) respectively. Gender, occupation, and years of experience are associated with knowledge, whilst years of experience and marital status are associated with the attitude and level preventive practices; knowledge score also has significant positive linear associations with both attitude  and practices (  scores towards COVID-19. Conclusion: Based on these findings, we suggest that public health education programs should be sustained, and staff should be expose to more training and workshop regarding COVID-19 preventive practices. Furthermore, adequate personnel preventive equipment should be deployed at the primary healthcare facilities, as this will instill the right attitude and confidence in carrying out their duties without the fear of contracting the disease.


Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (9) ◽  
pp. 990
Author(s):  
Shahd Alnasser ◽  
Fatima AlHussain ◽  
Hassan Asiri ◽  
Abdullah Almutairi ◽  
Hisham Alsanawi ◽  
...  

Multiple hyaluronic acid (HA) products were approved and marketed to manage osteoarthritis (OA). Although these products are widely prescribed by orthopedic surgeons to manage OA, especially knee OA, the therapeutic value of these products is highly uncertain. Few studies with significant limitations in their designs have indicated positive outcomes among OA patients treated with HA; however, their results were inconclusive. Thus, we aimed to explore the therapeutic value of different HA products in alleviating knee OA pain and improving patients’ physical function from the orthopedic surgeons’ perspective. Methods: This was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study in which practicing orthopedic surgeons in two countries (e.g., Saudi Arabia and Jordan) were invited to participate. The 10-item, newly developed questionnaire inquired about the respondents’ sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, country, years of experience), and their opinions regarding the efficacy of HA products in the management of OA (e.g., efficacy in improving mobility and alleviating pain). Results: Out of the 200 orthopedic surgeons who were invited to participate, 122 (61%) filled out the questionnaire. Most of the respondents were from Saudi Arabia (58%), aged 35 to 55 years (68%), had at least 10 years of experience (69%), and male (98%). About 80% of the respondents reported prescribing HA, such as Hyalgan®, Orthovisc®, Hyalubrix®, and Crespine Gel®. About 66% of the respondents believed that HA was moderately to highly effective in managing knee OA, and 34% believed that HA was either ineffective or mildly effective. Pain at the site of injection (44.3%) and rash or local skin reactions (22.1%) were the most commonly reported adverse events. Conclusions: The variations in the formulation of different HA brands (e.g., molecular weight and cross-linking) did not seem to offer any therapeutic advantage. HA might have value in the management of knee OA; however, its value is highly uncertain and necessitates more well-designed studies to further examine its therapeutic value.


Author(s):  
Felor Javadi Bashar

Evidence-based practice provides the most effective care that is available with the aim of improving clients’ outcome. However, despite existing policies related to encouragement to or requirement of evidence-based practice (EBP), results of reviewed studies show nurses do not generally incorporate research evidence in their daily practice. This study aimed to assess nurses’ attitudes towards knowledge and use of EBP in a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur. This study used descriptive cross-sectional survey among 265 nurses (out of 851), working in the different adult medical-surgical wards, who were selected through the quota sampling. Participants in this study, reported positive attitudes towards EBP, good knowledge of EBP, but poor utilization of evidence in their practice. Results of this study affirmed the findings of previous researches, showed despite having positive attitude and perception of good knowledge/skill regarding EBP; nurses did not incorporate evidence into practice. Application of EBP in clinical setting increases the quality of patient care, clients’ outcome and nurses’ job satisfaction and retention. In this regard, nursing managers and authorities have an important role in providing supports, facilities and persuading environment to focus nurses on evidence-based practice. It is recommended that the effect of personal and professional agents on actual EBP activities among nurses should be assessed through the observational studies rather than self-report questionnaire.


Thrombosis ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hani N. Mufti ◽  
Roger J. F. Baskett ◽  
Rakesh C. Arora ◽  
Jean-Francois Légaré

Background. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the third leading cause of cardiovascular death in patients undergoing surgery. However, VTE prophylaxis practices in cardiac surgery are based on noncardiac surgical literature. The objective of our study was to extract current patterns of VTE prophylaxis practices in cardiac surgery patients. We also aimed to identify health care professionals knowledge of available evidence supporting VTE prophylaxis in adult cardiac surgery patients. Methods. A web-based survey was developed and sent to all Canadian cardiac surgery centers with the intent to have the survey distributed to all personnel involved in the perioperative care of adult cardiac surgery patients. Participation in the questionnaire was voluntary and anonymized. Results. Thirty-five responses were obtained. Sixty-nine percent reported having an established protocol for VTE prophylaxis. However, 83% reported using VTE prophylaxis in their daily practice despite lack of protocol. The majority (60%) believed that the class of recommendation was high despite the lack of evidence. Conclusions. Our survey demonstrated the following. (a) Majority of Canadian centers employ VTE prophylaxis, with considerable variability. (b) There is a misconception among health care professionals about the strength of evidence supporting VTE prophylaxis in cardiac surgery. Our findings highlight the need for appropriately designed studies to fill this knowledge gap.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Murri ◽  
Francesco Vladimiro Segala ◽  
Pierluigi Del Vecchio ◽  
Antonella Cingolani ◽  
Eleonora Taddei ◽  
...  

AbstractIn the face of the rapid evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare professionals on the frontline are in urgent need of frequent updates in the accomplishment of their practice. Hence, clinicians started to search for prompt, valid information on sources parallel to academic journals publications. Aim of this work is to investigate the extent of this phenomenon.We administered an anonymous online cross-sectional survey to 645 Italian clinicians. 369 questionnaires were returned. 19,5% (n=72) of respondents were younger than 30 years-old; 49,3% (n=182) worked in Infectious Diseases, Internal Medicine or Respiratory Medicine departments, 11.5% (n=42) in Intensive Care Unit and 7.4% (n=27) were general practitioner. 70% (n=261) of respondents reported that their use of social media to seek medical information increased during the pandemic. 39.3% (n = 145) consistently consulted Facebook groups and 53.1% (n = 196) Whatsapp chats. 47% (n = 174) of respondents reported that information shared on social media had a consistent impact on their daily practice. In the present study, we found no difference in social media usage between age groups or medical specialties.Given the urgent need for scientific update in face of the present health emergency, these findings may help understanding how clinicians access new evidences and implement them in their daily practice.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Ignacio Güemes Heras ◽  
Alicia Santamaría-Orleans ◽  
José F. Colinas Herrero ◽  
Pilar Gómez Sorrigueta ◽  
Luis Ortiz González ◽  
...  

A cross-sectional survey study was designed to gather information on the use of dietary supplements by Spanish pediatricians. The study questionnaire was completed by 433 pediatricians (62% men, mean age 52.5 years) throughout the country. They also provided data on 10 of their patients (n = 4304) in which synbiotics, immune stimulants, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) had been prescribed. Synbiotics were used by 92% of pediatricians, immune stimulants by 80.4%, and omega-3 PUFAs by 75.1%. Synbiotics were mainly used combined with antibiotics (92.6%) and for gastrointestinal disorders (91.2%), immune stimulants to enhance defenses and cold prevention (87.1%), and omega-3 PUFAs to improve symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (84.8%) and concentration (80.1%). Confidence and previous experience with the product (51.6%), composition and indications of the product (43.1%), and tolerability (39.9%) were main factors involved in decision-making. Children treated with omega-3 supplements were significantly older (mean age 7.6 (3.0) years) than those treated with synbiotics (3.9 (3.9) years) or immune stimulants (3.4 (2.8) years) (P<0.001). Short duration of treatment (<1 month) was significantly more common in the synbiotics group (90.5%), whereas longer duration of treatment (>3 months) was more frequent in the omega-3 group (79.1%). In the immune stimulants group, 60.4% of patients were treated for a period between 1 and 3 months. Clinical improvement was rated by participants as “a lot” in 39% of cases and as “quite” improvement in 50.6%. The overall level of satisfaction was rated as “very satisfied” by 52.1% of participants and as “quite satisfied” by 40.9%. The results show that the use of dietary supplements to improve different conditions, particularly minor disorders, is a widespread clinical practice among Spanish pediatricians. Administration regimens for the three types of supplements, synbiotics, immune stimulants, and omega-3 PUFAs, were consistent with guideline recommendations.


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