Traumatic stress symptoms in family caregivers of patients with acute leukaemia: protocol for a multisite mixed methods, longitudinal, observational study.

Introduction: The diagnosis, progression or recurrence of cancer is often highly traumatic for family caregivers (FCs), but systematic assessments of distress and approaches for its prevention and treatment are lacking. Acute leukaemia (AL) is a life-threatening cancer of the blood, which most often presents acutely, requires intensive treatment and is associated with severe physical symptoms. Consequently, traumatic stress may be common in the FCs of patients with AL.

Does fair play reduce concussions? A prospective, comparative analysis of competitive youth hockey tournaments.

Background/aim: To determine if Boys Bantam and Peewee and Girls U14 sustain fewer concussions, head hits, 'other injuries' and penalties in hockey tournaments governed by intensified fair play (IFP) than non-intensified fair play (NIFP).

Methods: A prospective comparison of IFP, a behaviour modification programme that promotes sportsmanship, versus control (non-intensified, NIFP) effects on numbers of diagnosed concussions, head hits without diagnosed concussion (HHWDC), 'other injuries', number of penalties and fair play points (FPPs). 1514 players, ages 11-14 years, in 6 IFP (N=950) and 5 NIFP (N=564) tournaments were studied.

Disseminated Strongyloides stercoralis infestation detected by sputum cytology.

This case report is of an immunosuppressed patient in whom a diagnosis of disseminated Strongyloides infestation was made by cytologic examination of sputum, bronchial washing and brushing although a negative bronchial biopsy was reported. For those patients receiving steroids or immunosuppressives, the important role of cytology in the diagnosis of Strongyloides stercoralis is emphasized. The morphologic characteristics of this adult intestinal nematode and the differential diagnosis are also described.

Cytologic diagnosis of echinococcosis.

An asymptomatic echinococcal cyst of the liver discovered during laparotomy was initially diagnosed by cytologic smears. The case probably represents an aseptic necrosis of the parasitic elements in which the cytologic diagnosis had to be based on the presence of the characteristic echinococcal hooklets alone. Subsequent histologic examination of the cyst revealed degenerated scolices, as well as detached hooklets.