Validity, reliability and clinical feasibility of a Needs Assessment Tool for people with progressive cancer.

Background: Needs assessment is a valuable approach for determining the way health and social services allocate resources to people with cancer and their caregivers.

Aim: To assess the reliability, validity and acceptability of a Needs Assessment Tool (NAT) in a palliative care clinical setting.

Methods: Psychometric properties of the NAT were initially explored in a pilot study involving filmed simulated advanced cancer patient and caregiver consultations.

Is there a learning curve for subureteric injection of dextranomer/hyaluronic acid in the treatment of vesicoureteral reflux?

Objective: To answer the question: 'Is there a learning curve associated with a subureteric injection of Deflux(®)?'

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed charts of patients who received subureteric injection of dextranomer/hyaluronic acid (Deflux(®){AQ2}) (225 procedures) for treatment of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) by four surgeons. The study included 55 patients, 82 ureters, who had postoperative follow-up with a voiding cystogram or nuclear medicine cystogram. Exclusion criteria were prior anti-refluxing procedures, duplicated collecting systems, and non-achievement of a negative intraoperative cystogram.

Endoscopic subureteral injection is not less expensive than outpatient open reimplantation for unilateral vesicoureteral reflux.

Purpose: Extravesical ureteral reimplantation and subureteral Deflux injection are used to correct vesicoureteral reflux with success rates of 94% to 99% and up to 89%, respectively. It was reported that unilateral extravesical reimplantation may be performed safely in an outpatient setting. Given that, we analyzed total system reimbursement to compare planned outpatient unilateral extravesical reimplantation to subureteral Deflux injection in patients with unilateral vesicoureteral reflux.

Examining the influence of short-term implantation on oxidative degradation in retrieved highly crosslinked polyethylene tibial components.

Concerns remain regarding the oxidative resistance of highly crosslinked polyethylene (PE). The study investigated the in vivo performance of Durasul highly crosslinked PE by comparing the oxidation index, density, and percent crystallinity in the weightbearing and nonweightbearing region of retrieved components with unused time zero tibial components. Retrieved and unused Sulene conventional PE tibial components were examined for comparison and the effects of shelf age, in vivo duration, and ex vivo duration were also investigated.

Surface damage analysis of retrieved highly crosslinked polyethylene tibial components after short-term implantation.

The use of highly crosslinked polyethylene (PE) in the knee remains controversial, because of reduced fatigue fracture properties of the material. The current study investigated postmelt surface damage as well as potential contributors to this damage in retrieved highly crosslinked PE tibial components, after short-term in vivo durations. Retrieved conventional PE tibial components were examined for comparison, as well as unused time zero highly crosslinked and conventional PE tibial components for inherent manufacturing surface characterization.