The treatment of disc-herniation-induced sciatica with infliximab: one-year follow-up results of FIRST II, a randomized controlled trial.

Study Design: A randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: To evaluate the long-term efficacy of infliximab, a monoclonal antibody against tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), in patients with acute/subacute sciatica secondary to herniated disc.

Summary Of Background Data: The results of experimental studies and our open-label trial support the use of infliximab in sciatica.

Managing urgent surgery as a process: Case study of a trauma center.

Objectives: Industrial management principles could be used to improve the quality and efficiency of health care. In this study, we have evaluated the effects of a process management approach to trauma patient care. The major objective was to reduce the waiting times and increase the efficiency of the hospital.

Time accuracy of a radio frequency identification patient tracking system for recording operating room timestamps.

A patient tracking system is a promising tool for managing patient flow and improving efficiency in the operating room. Wireless location systems, using infrared or radio frequency transmitters, can automatically timestamp key events, thereby decreasing the need for manual data input. In this study, we measured the accuracy and precision of automatically documented timestamps compared with manual recording.

Use of anesthesia induction rooms can increase the number of urgent orthopedic cases completed within 7 hours.

Background: Mean turnover times and the time spent in the operating room (OR) can be reduced by concurrent induction of anesthesia. Previous studies of anesthesia induction outside the OR have concentrated either on anesthesia-controlled time or turnover time. The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of an induction room model on the whole surgical process, its phases and delays between the phases, and the number of cases performed during the 7-h working day.

Hallux valgus: immediate operation versus 1 year of waiting with or without orthoses: a randomized controlled trial of 209 patients.

Hallux valgus operations can not always be done immediately because of long waiting lists. In this study, 209 consecutive patients (mean age 48 years, 93% female) with a painful hallux valgus were randomized into 3 groups: immediate operation or 1 year waiting with or without foot orthoses. The follow-up period was 2 years.

How to report and monitor the performance of waiting list management.

Objectives: Potential problems concerning waiting list management are often monitored using mean waiting times based on empirical samples. However, the appropriateness of mean waiting time as an indicator of access can be questioned if a waiting list is not managed well, e.g.

Individually fitted sports shoes for overuse injuries among newspaper carriers.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of new, individually fitted sports shoes against overuse injuries to the lower limb among newspaper carriers.

Methods: Patients (N = 176) with lower-limb overuse injuries were randomly assigned to use new, individually adjusted footwear with good shock absorbing properties (test group = 86) or the subjects' own, used footwear (control group = 90). The main outcome measurements were lower-limb pain intensity during walking, as rated on a visual analogue scale (0-100), number of painful days, subjective assessment of global improvement, foot fatigue, number of hyperkeratotic skin lesions and diagnosed overuse injuries, and costs of foot care as compared between the treatment groups.