A Case of Thoracic Spondylosis Deformans and Multilevel Instrumented Spinal Fusion in an 84-Year-Old Male.

Spondylosis deformans is a type of spinal claw osteophytosis which can be found on the anterolateral vertebral bodies of any region, and which consists of protrusions of intervertebral disc tissue covered by a bony shell. We report here a case of thoracic spondylosis deformans and multilevel instrumented fusion found during routine dissection of a cadaver. Theories of the etiology of this condition are reviewed in general, and with respect to this specific case and the potential interaction of the presenting comorbidities.

Proximity of the Carotid Bifurcation to the Laryngeal Prominence: Results of a Cadaver Study and Recommendations for Safe Pulse Palpation.

Background/purpose: The carotid bifurcation (CB) is the location of the carotid sinus and the baroreceptors and is also a major site for atherosclerotic plaque formation. Health care providers have therefore been cautioned to avoid the CB during carotid pulse palpation (CPP) to prevent triggering the baroreflex, occluding an artery, or propagating a thrombus. Potential risks of adverse events during CPP may be greater for older adults due to age-related vascular changes and increased risk of baroreceptor hypersensitivity.

Consumers of Mental Health Services: Their Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices About High Energy Drinks and Drugs.

To date, whether individuals with mental illness use high energy drinks (HED) to offset their symptoms, or whether their use began after diagnosis or psychoactive drugs were prescribed is unknown. Their degree of knowledge regarding their symptoms, diagnosis, or what strategies they have used to feel better is also undetermined. A search of the literature yielded no studies about these areas or domains.

Women's strategies to achieve access to healthcare in Ontario, Canada: a meta-synthesis.

As part of a mixed methods study on women's access to the healthcare system in Ontario, Canada, we undertook a qualitative meta-synthesis to better understand the contextual conditions under which women access healthcare. An earlier phase of the synthesis demonstrated a series of factors that complicate women's access to healthcare in Ontario. Here, we consider women's agency in responding to these factors.

Beyond barriers in studying disparities in women's access to health services in Ontario, Canada: a qualitative metasynthesis.

Women live within complex and differing social, economic, and environmental circumstances that influence options to seek health care. In this article we report on a metasynthesis of qualitative research concerning access disparities for women in the Canadian province of Ontario, where there is a publicly funded health care system. We took a metastudy approach to analysis of results from 35 relevant qualitative articles to understand the conditions and conceptualizations of women's inequitable access to health care.

Thinking about "Think Again" in Canada: assessing a social marketing HIV/AIDS prevention campaign.

The Canadian "Think Again" social marketing HIV/AIDS prevention campaign, adapted from an American effort, encourages gay men to rethink their assumptions about their partners' HIV statuses and the risks of unsafe sex with them. To improve future efforts, existing HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives require critical reflection. While a formal evaluation of this campaign has been carried out elsewhere, here we use the campaign as a social marketing case study to illustrate its strengths and weaknesses, as a learning tool for other campaigns.

Triptans and the incidence of epithelial defects during laser in situ keratomileusis.

Purpose: To investigate whether the incidence of epithelial defects during laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) was different in patients who were taking sumatriptan (Imitrex, Glaxo Smith Kline, Pittsburgh, Pa) for migraine headaches than in those who were not.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on 54 eyes of 28 patients who had been identified as taking sumatriptan and had undergone LASIK at Minnesota Eye Consultants between 1999 and 2001. These patients were compared with 54 gender- and age-matched control eyes operated on with the same microkeratome at the same location during the same period of time.

Changes in contrast sensitivity after Artisan lens implantation for high myopia.

Purpose: To determine the effects of Artisan lens implantation on contrast sensitivity.

Design: Prospective consecutive interventional case series.

Participants And Controls: Forty-nine eyes of 30 patients with myopia and myopia with astigmatism, who underwent implantation of the Artisan iris-fixated phakic intraocular lens.