Investigating Osteomyelitis as a Rare Adverse Effect of Vaccination in the Pediatric Population.

Immunization is a preventive measure of crucial importance. As with any other medication, side effects are a possibility and include the rare occurrence of severe infections, such as osteomyelitis. We report an unusual case of pediatric osteomyelitis following vaccination and provide a review of similar reports submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Report System (VAERS), aiming to explore the association between the vaccination procedure and the occurrence of osteomyelitis in childhood.

An inventory of patient-image based risk/dose, image quality and body habitus/size metrics for adult abdomino-pelvic CT protocol optimisation.

Purpose: Patient-specific protocol optimisation in abdomino-pelvic Computed Tomography (CT) requires measurement of body habitus/size (BH), sensitivity-specificity (surrogates image quality (IQ) metrics) and risk (surrogates often dose quantities) (RD). This work provides an updated inventory of metrics available for each of these three categories of optimisation variables derivable directly from patient measurements or images. We consider objective IQ metrics mostly in the spatial domain (i.

"Could Patient Age and Gender, along with Mass Size, Be Predictive Factors for Benign Kidney Tumors?": A Retrospective Analysis of 307 Consecutive Single Renal Masses Treated with Partial or Radical Nephrectomy.

Due to the increased use of common and non-invasive abdominal imaging techniques over the last few decades, the diagnosis of about 60% of renal tumors is incidental. Contrast-enhancing renal nodules on computed tomography are diagnosed as malignant tumors, which are often removed surgically without first performing a biopsy. Most kidney nodules are renal cell carcinoma (RCC) after surgical treatment, but a non-negligible rate of these nodules may be benign on final pathology; as a result, patients undergo unnecessary surgery with an associated significant morbidity.

EFOMP Malaga Declaration 2023: An updated vision on Medical Physics in Europe.

In 2006, the European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics (EFOMP) adopted the "Malaga Declaration". The declaration asserted the fundamental role of Medical Physics professionals in the radiation protection of patients, workers, general public, carers and comforters and research participants in hospitals. However, since that time the Medical Physics profession has evolved in Europe and new regulations and documentation have been issued, such as directive 2013/59/Euratom and the "European Guidelines on Medical Physics Expert" (RP174).

EFOMP policy statement 18: Medical physics education for the non-physics healthcare professions.

Although Medical Physics educators have historically contributed to the education of the non-physics healthcare professions, their role was not studied in a systematic manner. In 2009, EFOMP set up a group to research the issue. In their first paper, the group carried out an extensive literature review regarding physics teaching for the non-physics healthcare professions.

Synchronous bladder and prostate cancer specimens obtained from radical cystoprostatectomy: A single‑center retrospective analysis.

The aim of the present study was to analyze incidence, histopathological features and clinical outcomes of patients undergoing radical cystoprostatectomy (RCP) for bladder cancer, in which incidental prostate cancer (PCa) was found. How these types of cancer impacted the patients' management and whether prostate-sparing cystectomy could be an option for these patients was determined. The current study retrospectively analyzed the data of a cohort of patients from 'Umberto I' Hospital of Nocera Inferiore who underwent RCP for bladder transitional cell carcinoma.

Postoperative complications and hospital costs following open radical cystectomy: A retrospective study.

Objectives: To evaluate primarily the relationship between postoperative complications and hospital costs, and secondarily the relationship between postoperative complications and mortality, following radical cystectomy.

Methods: Postoperative complications were retrospectively examined for 147 patients undergoing radical cystectomy at a university hospital between January 2012 and July 2021. Complications were defined and graded using the Clavien-Dindo classification system.

"To Be or Not to Be Benign" at Partial Nephrectomy for Presumed RCC Renal Masses: Single-Center Experience with 195 Consecutive Patients.

In daily medical practice, an increasing number of kidney masses are being incidentally detected using common imaging techniques, owing to the improved diagnostic accuracy and increasingly frequent use of these techniques. As a consequence, the rate of detection of smaller lesions is increasing considerably. According to certain studies, following surgical treatment, up to 27% of small enhancing renal masses are identified as benign tumors at the final pathological examination.

The Prognostic Significance of Red Cell Distribution Width in Cardiac Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

RED CELL DISTRIBUTION WIDTH (RDW) is a routinely available biomarker of likely erythropoietic dysfunction, which may be associated with adverse outcomes after cardiac surgery. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to clarify the prognostic value of RDW in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The authors searched MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from inception to May 10, 2022 for studies investigating the association between elevated RDW (as defined by the authors of included studies) and adverse outcomes after cardiac surgery.

CTContour: An open-source Python pipeline for automatic contouring and calculation of mean SSDE along the abdomino-pelvic region for CT images; validation on fifteen systems.

Purpose: Calculation of the Size Specific Dose Estimate (SSDE) requires accurate delineation of the skin boundary of patient CT slices. The AAPM recommendation for SSDE evaluation at every CT slice is too time intensive for manual contouring, prohibiting real-time or bulk processing; an automated approach is therefore desirable. Previous automated delineation studies either did not fully disclose the steps of the algorithm or did not always manage to fully isolate the patient.

Association between obesity and frequency of high-grade prostate cancer on biopsy in men: A single-center retrospective study.

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between BMI and the prostate cancer (PCa) risk at biopsy in Italian men. Retrospective analyses of the clinical data of 2,372 consecutive men undergoing ultrasound-guided multicore (≥10) prostate biopsy transrectally between May 2010 and December 2018 were performed. BMIs were categorized, according to Western countries' classification of obesity, as follows: <18.

Incidence rate and management of diaphragmatic injury during laparoscopic nephrectomies: single-center experience.

Pneumothorax is a rare complication in laparoscopic renal surgery. However, due to the increasing renal pathologies managed by laparoscopic technique, this infrequent complication is a potential risk. We investigated the incidence rate of this complication in our experience of laparoscopic renal surgery, taking into account the laparoscopic approach, the type of intervention, the character of the pathology (neoplastic or other), the site of the intervention, as well as the localization of the lesion (in case of malignant pathology).

Early career medical physicist groups in Europe: An EFOMP survey.

Introduction: Training, educating, and fostering of young professionals are key requisites for the progress of any profession. The young medical physicists (MPs) of today are the medical physics professionals and leaders of tomorrow. It is, therefore, essential that they learn to work collectively and in a coordinated manner at both national and European levels at an early stage in their career.

Being an excellent scientist is not enough to succeed! Soft skills for medical physicists.

Purpose: To provide a review of the literature and commentary regarding soft skills for Medical Physicists.

Method: A comprehensive search in PubMed was carried out using the searchwords 'medical physics' coupled separately ('AND', both in Title) with each of the following terms: leadership, teamwork, communication, pedagog*, teach*, marketing, conflict resolution, negotiat*, qualitative research, organizational psychology.

Results: The total number of PubMed references was extremely low (total 6 relevant articles for all of leadership, communication, pedagog*, teach*, with the rest of the searchwords giving zero hits) which is quite disturbing.

Education, training and registration of Medical Physics Experts across Europe.

From its inception, EFOMP has pursued a policy to improve and coordinate education and training of medical physicists across all its participating European countries. Several EFOMP policy statements on education and training have been published and surveys have been held to get an overview of the actual situation. At the beginning of 2020 a new survey was distributed amongst the 36 National Member Organizations (NMOs), in which questions were based on recommendations published in the most recent policy statements.

A generic curriculum development model for the biomedical physics component of the educational and training programmes of the non-physics healthcare professions.

The objective of the study was the construction of a generic curriculum development model for the use of biomedical physics (BMP) educators teaching the non-physics healthcare professions (HCP) in Europe. A comprehensive, qualitative cross-sectional Europe-wide survey of the curricula delivered by BMP in Faculties of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) was carried out. Curricular content was collected from faculty web-sites, curricular documents and textbooks.

Duration of post-operative antibiotic treatment in acute complicated appendicitis: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Appendicitis is the most frequent aetiology of acute abdominal pain requiring surgical treatment, with an estimated lifetime risk between 7% and 8%. Antibiotics play a substantial role in treatment, and there is considerable debate regarding the duration of antibiotics in treating appendicitis.

Methods: We searched multiple databases from inception until June 2019 for peer-reviewed studies that compared different durations of antibiotic treatment after appendicectomy for acute complicated appendicitis in adults.

SARS-CoV-2 infection in acute pancreatitis increases disease severity and 30-day mortality: COVID PAN collaborative study.

Objective: There is emerging evidence that the pancreas may be a target organ of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This aim of this study was to investigate the outcome of patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) and coexistent SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Design: A prospective international multicentre cohort study including consecutive patients admitted with AP during the current pandemic was undertaken.

ESTABLISHING LOCAL AND NATIONAL DIAGNOSTIC AND INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY AND RADIOLOGY REFERENCE LEVELS IN A SMALL EUROPEAN STATE: THE CASE OF MALTA.

European Directive 2013/59/EURATOM requires the establishment and use of diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for diagnostic and interventional procedures. The purpose of this study was to establish local DRLs for a major tertiary public hospital. As the hospital is the only such hospital in Malta, the same data collected for setting local DRLs can also be used for setting national DRLs, making local DRLs de facto national DRLs.

Development of an inventory of biomedical imaging physics learning outcomes for MRI radiographers.

Introduction: MRI is highly physics based yet no research-based inventory of physics learning outcomes specific to MRI radiographers was found in the literature. The purpose of this study was the development of such an inventory using a multi-stakeholder, multi-disciplinary approach (as advised by the WHO) and which would support a previously published competence profile.

Methods: The inventory was developed in two phases: Phase 1: Development of an initial version of the learning outcomes inventory required to be able to deliver the competences via an analysis of textbooks and literature and validated by a small (n = 3) expert advisory group Phase 2: Final validation carried out via a bigger (n = 15) international group of subject matter experts (SMEs).

Undergraduate students' evaluation and reflections on a gerodontology programme.

Introduction: Many societies have observed a steady increase of many older adults living longer due to advancements in health and standard of living. The dental team requires specialised training in gerodontology to better prepare for the future needs of the elderly patients. It is the aim of this study to report the undergraduate students' activities and perspectives on their work experience in a geriatric residence.

EFOMP policy statement 16: The role and competences of medical physicists and medical physics experts under 2013/59/EURATOM.

On 5 December 2013 the European Council promulgated Directive 2013/59/EURATOM. This Directive is important for Medical Physicists and Medical Physics Experts as it puts the profession on solid foundations and describes it more comprehensively. Much commentary regarding the role and competences has been developed in the context of the European Commission project "European Guidelines on the Medical Physics Expert" published as Radiation Protection Report RP174.

Spontaneous Intramural Oesophageal Haematoma in a Patient with Uncontrolled Hypertension: An Unusual Chest Pain Aetiology.

. Spontaneous intramural oesophageal haematoma is a rare condition that usually occurs secondary to an acute or chronic coagulation disorder. The presenting complaint is often with retrosternal chest pain and most patients are initially investigated to exclude more common causes in the differential diagnosis, such as acute coronary syndromes.