Work stress and satisfaction in relation to personality profiles in a sample of Dutch anaesthesiologists: A questionnaire survey.

Background: Working in anaesthesia is stressful, but also satisfying. Work-related stress can have a negative impact on mental health, whereas work-related satisfaction protects against these harmful effects.

Objective(s): How work stress and satisfaction are experienced may be related to personality.

Clinically applied procedures for human ovarian tissue cryopreservation result in different levels of efficacy and efficiency.

Purpose: Different protocols are being used worldwide for the cryopreservation of human ovarian tissue for fertility preservation purposes. The efficiency and efficacy of the majority of these protocols has not been extensively evaluated, possibly resulting in sub-optimally cryopreserved ovarian tissue. To address the impact of this issue, we assessed the effects of two clinically successful human ovarian tissue slow-freezing cryopreservation procedures on the quality of the cryopreserved tissue.

Diagnosis of Basal Cell Carcinoma by Reflectance Confocal Microscopy: Study Design and Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Multicenter Trial.

Background: Skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma (BCC), has become a major health care problem. The limitations of a punch biopsy (at present the gold standard) as diagnostic method together with the increasing incidence of skin cancer point out the need for more accurate, cost-effective, and patient friendly diagnostic tools. In vivo reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a noninvasive imaging technique that has great potential for skin cancer diagnosis.

Palliative care consultations in primary care: a cross-sectional survey among Dutch general practitioners.

Background: Expert consultation supports general practitioners (GPs) in delivering adequate palliative homecare. Insight into consultation practices from a GP's perspective is needed in order to shape consultation services to their wishes and needs.

Aim: To explore palliative care consultation practices from a GP's perspective.

Variables associated with upper extremity function in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Preserving upper extremity (UE) function in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is extremely important as it is related to independence and quality of life. For clinical decision making, knowledge of variables associated with UE function is necessary. This knowledge is, however, limited.

International Paediatric Mitochondrial Disease Scale.

Objective: There is an urgent need for reliable and universally applicable outcome measures for children with mitochondrial diseases. In this study, we aimed to adapt the currently available Newcastle Paediatric Mitochondrial Disease Scale (NPMDS) to the International Paediatric Mitochondrial Disease Scale (IPMDS) during a Delphi-based process with input from international collaborators, patients and caretakers, as well as a pilot reliability study in eight patients. Subsequently, we aimed to test the feasibility, construct validity and reliability of the IPMDS in a multicentre study.

Toward Worldwide Hepcidin Assay Harmonization: Identification of a Commutable Secondary Reference Material.

Background: Absolute plasma hepcidin concentrations measured by various procedures differ substantially, complicating interpretation of results and rendering reference intervals method dependent. We investigated the degree of equivalence achievable by harmonization and the identification of a commutable secondary reference material to accomplish this goal.

Methods: We applied technical procedures to achieve harmonization developed by the Consortium for Harmonization of Clinical Laboratory Results.

Predictive value of sperm morphology and progressively motile sperm count for pregnancy outcomes in intrauterine insemination.

Objective: To investigate the value of sperm parameters to predict an ongoing pregnancy outcome in couples treated with intrauterine insemination (IUI), during a methodologically stable period of time.

Design: Retrospective, observational study with logistic regression analyses.

Setting: University hospital.

Subcutaneous Stimulation as ADD-ON Therapy to Spinal Cord Stimulation Is Effective in Treating Low Back Pain in Patients With Failed Back Surgery Syndrome: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: Suppression of back pain with traditional spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in failed back surgery syndrome patients is often insufficient. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of subcutaneous stimulation (SubQ) as ADD-ON therapy to SCS in treating back pain in failed back surgery syndrome patients.

Materials And Methods: Patients with a minimal pain score of 50 on a 100 mm visual analog scale for both leg and back pain were eligible.

Psychological distress, burnout and personality traits in Dutch anaesthesiologists: A survey.

Background: The practice of anaesthesia comes with stress. If the demands of a stressful job exceed the resources of an individual, that person may develop burnout. Burnout poses a threat to the mental and physical health of the anaesthesiologist and therefore also to patient safety.

Second international round robin for the quantification of serum non-transferrin-bound iron and labile plasma iron in patients with iron-overload disorders.

Non-transferrin-bound iron and its labile (redox active) plasma iron component are thought to be potentially toxic forms of iron originally identified in the serum of patients with iron overload. We compared ten worldwide leading assays (6 for non-transferrin-bound iron and 4 for labile plasma iron) as part of an international inter-laboratory study. Serum samples from 60 patients with four different iron-overload disorders in various treatment phases were coded and sent in duplicate for analysis to five different laboratories worldwide.

Prediction model for recurrence probabilities after intravesical chemotherapy in patients with intermediate-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, including external validation.

Purpose: To develop a model to predict recurrence for patients with intermediate-risk (IR) non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) treated with intravesical chemotherapy which can be challenging because of the heterogeneous characteristics of these patients.

Methods: Data from three Dutch trials were combined. Patients treated with intravesical chemotherapy with characteristics according to the IR definition of the EAU guideline 2013 were included.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a self-management group program to improve social participation in patients with neuromuscular disease and chronic fatigue: protocol of the Energetic study.

Background: Chronic fatigue is present in more than 60% of the patients with a neuromuscular disease and can be their most disabling symptom. In combination with other impairments, fatigue often results in low levels of physical activity and decreased social participation, leading to high societal costs. 'Energetic' is a self-management group program aimed at improving social participation, physical endurance and alleviating fatigue in these patients.

Economic evaluation of occupational therapy in Parkinson's disease: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: A large randomized clinical trial (the Occupational Therapy in Parkinson's Disease [OTiP] study) recently demonstrated that home-based occupational therapy improves perceived performance in daily activities of people with Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of the current study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of this intervention.

Methods: We performed an economic evaluation over a 6-month period for both arms of the OTiP study.

Testing feasibility and reliability of a set of quality indicators to evaluate the organization of palliative care across Europe: a pilot study in 25 countries.

Background: A well-organized palliative care service is a prerequisite for offering good palliative care. Reliable and feasible quality indicators are needed to monitor the quality of their organization.

Aim: To test feasibility and reliability of a previously developed set of quality indicators in settings and services that provide palliative care across Europe.

Urinary cytokines in patients treated with intravesical mitomycin-C with and without hyperthermia.

Objectives: To explore whether urinary cytokine and chemokine (CK) levels differed between cold mitomycin-C (cold-MMC)-treated patients and chemohyperthermia (C-HT)-treated patients, to shed light on the possible molecular mechanisms that might explain the superior outcome of C-HT. Furthermore, CK-differences were explored between C-HT responders and C-HT non-responders.

Methods: Twelve NMIBC patients were included.

Status of sperm morphology assessment: an evaluation of methodology and clinical value.

Objective: To characterize methodological changes in sperm morphology assessment and to correlate sperm morphology with clinical outcome.

Design: In this observational study, sperm morphology profiles of patients were analyzed. The percentages of morphologically normal spermatozoa were evaluated with respect to changes in morphology assessment criteria; male aging; and prognostic value for outcomes after in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Efficacy of occupational therapy for patients with Parkinson's disease: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: There is insufficient evidence to support use of occupational therapy interventions for patients with Parkinson's disease. We aimed to assess the efficacy of occupational therapy in improving daily activities of patients with Parkinson's disease.

Methods: We did a multicentre, assessor-masked, randomised controlled clinical trial in ten hospitals in nine Dutch regional networks of specialised health-care professionals (ParkinsonNet), with assessment at 3 months and 6 months.

External validation of two tools for the clinical diagnosis of acute diverticulitis without imaging.

Aim: External validation and comparison of the diagnostic accuracy of two predictive tools, the emergency department triad and the clinical scoring tool in diagnosing acute diverticulitis.

Methods: Two derivation datasets were used crosswise for external validation. In addition, both tools were validated in a third independent cohort.

Stability of the unlinked Latitude total elbow prosthesis: a biomechanical in vitro analysis.

Background: The purpose of this study is to assess the valgus and varus laxity of the unlinked version of the Latitude total elbow prosthesis and the effects of radial head preservation or replacement.

Methods: Biomechanical analysis of the valgus and varus laxity of the unlinked Latitude was performed in fourteen upper limb specimens in the following conditions: (1) native elbow, (2) native elbow after the surgical approach and closing all layers again, (3) elbow with humeral and ulnar component implanted, unlinked, with the native radial head preserved, (4) elbow with humeral and ulnar component implanted, unlinked, with the native radial excised, (5) elbow with humeral, ulnar, and radial head component implanted.

Findings: After implantation of the Latitude total elbow prosthesis both the valgus and varus laxity slightly increase from mid to maximal flexion when compared to the native elbow after surgical approach.

Linking of total elbow prosthesis during surgery; a biomechanical analysis.

Background: Presently, 2 types of elbow prostheses are used: unlinked and linked. The Latitude total elbow prosthesis allows the surgeon to decide during the implantation whether the prosthesis is placed unlinked or linked, and whether the native radial head is retained, resected, or replaced. The purpose of this study is to assess and to compare the varus and valgus laxity of the unlinked and linked version of the latitude total elbow prosthesis with: (1) the native radial head preserved, (2) the native radial head excised, and (3) the native radial head replaced by a radial head component.