First Palmar Intermetacarpal Flap for Congenital First Web Contracture: A Case Series.

Background: Pediatric first web space contractures of the hand can lead to disability in hand function. Several techniques have been proposed for treating this condition. Recently, a new technique involving the first palmar cutaneous flap was described in a cadaveric study.

Development and preliminary validation of a health-related family quality of life instrument.

The researchers' aims for this preliminary study was to develop an instrument, guided by the Theory of Health-related Family Quality of Life, to measure health-related family quality of life (HR-FQoL) as perceived by women with cancer. The researchers used a two phase design for instrument development: (1) establishing face validity of a 38-item instrument with an expert panel and patient review, and (2) focusing on the internal structure and construct validity of the instrument with responses from female patients ( = 236) with a cancer diagnosis (breast, gynecologic). The researchers identified a final 25-item HR-FQoL instrument with four sub-scales that each captured multiple concepts within the Theory of HR-FQoL.

Characteristics, management and outcome of a large necrotising otitis externa case series: need for standardised case definition.

Background: Necrotising otitis externa is a severe ear infection for which there are no established diagnostic or treatment guidelines.

Method: This study described clinical characteristics, management and outcomes for patients managed as necrotising otitis externa cases at a UK tertiary referral centre.

Results: A total of 58 (63 per cent) patients were classified as definite necrotising otitis externa cases, 31 (34 per cent) as probable cases and 3 (3 per cent) as possible cases.

Silent sinus syndrome: potentially misleading features that should be recognized.

Objective: Silent sinus syndrome (SSS) usually manifests clinically as hypoglobus and enophthalmos. Patients may experience different symptoms and may present to an assortment of specialties and delay diagnosis and management. The objective of this article was to describe the different and sometimes misleading signs and symptoms of SSS to improve the level of suspicion and reduce time to diagnosis.

COVID-19 presenting with spontaneous massive pneumomediastinum in a three-month-old child.

A three-month-old child presented to our district general hospital with acute respiratory distress. He was found to have massive spontaneous pneumomediastinum and extensive surgical emphysema overlying the neck. Tracheal intubation using the GlideScope® was difficult, and the patient's trachea was ultimately intubated with a direct laryngoscope.

Associations between changes in resilient coping and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.

The pervasive, damaging nature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) presents enormous clinical challenges. Understanding the relationship between patients' perceptions of PTSD symptoms and resilient coping strategies may prompt investigation of clinical interventions that improve adaptive, resilient coping skills. In this study, we examined whether changes in resilient coping were related to changes over time in the PTSD symptoms of intrusion and avoidance.

A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing the Impact of a Web-Based Multimedia Intervention Versus an Educational Pamphlet on Patient Outcomes in Breast Cancer Survivors with Chronic Secondary Lymphedema.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a Web-based Multimedia Intervention (WBMI) for breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) patients on symptom burden, function, psychological well-being, costs, and arm volume. Women with BCRL were randomized to intervention ( = 80) or control ( = 80) groups. The WBMI offered 12 modules, each of which took about 30 minutes to complete.

Ankle fractures: Getting it right first time.

Introduction: Ankle fractures are common injuries presenting to trauma departments and ankle open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) is one of the first procedures targeted in early orthopaedic training. Failure to address the fracture pattern with the appropriate surgical technique and hardware may lead to early failure, resulting in revision procedures or premature degenerative change. Patients undergoing revision ORIF are known to be at much greater risk of complications and many of these secondary procedures may be preventable.

Theoretical Approaches to Enhancing Motivation for Adherence to Antidepressant Medications.

Problem: Adherence to antidepressants is a major challenge in our health care system, with a high percentage of patients discontinuing their medications within six months.

Aims: The purpose of this position paper is to discuss theoretical frameworks that address the psychological beliefs, benefits and barriers and feelings of autonomy that affect a person's willingness and motivation to take anti-depressant medications within a therapeutic relationship with a nurse practitioner.

Methods: Three theoretical frameworks were selected to highlight particular perspectives relevant to enhancing patient motivation for medication adherence.

Two replications of an investigation on empathy and utilitarian judgement across socioeconomic status.

Research by Côté, Piff, and Willer (2013) found that through the induction of empathy in an experimental condition, the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and utilitarian moral judgment was diminished. Participant self-reported income interacted with experimental condition such that high SES participants who empathized with a disadvantaged group member redistributed fewer experimental dollars during an online task at the losing member's expense. This suggests that lower levels of empathy could help explain utilitarian decision-making in high SES individuals.

Measurement properties of the brief resilient coping scale in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus using rasch analysis.

Bacground: Resilience has been defined as the capacity or the ability to rebound from and positively adapt to significant stressors, despite experiences of significant adversity or trauma. To capture to what extent an individual copes with stress in a resilient fashion the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) was developed. This tool was validated in people with chronic disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis using standard psychometric techniques of classical test theory, but not yet in patients with Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Resilient Coping Moderates the Effect of Trauma Exposure on Depression.

Posttraumatic depression rates are increasing in the United States, and there is a great need to identify malleable factors that could moderate posttraumatic depression levels. The purpose of this study was to examine whether resilient coping moderates the effects of trauma exposure on depression, while controlling for neuroticism-an established predictor of depressive symptoms. This study used data from 3,734 pairs of twins from the community-based University of Washington Twin Registry.

Breast cancer survivors' perspectives of critical lymphedema self-care support needs.

Purpose: To solicit breast cancer survivors' perspectives on the variety of issues they face related to lymphedema self-care and identify support needs perceived as critical for managing their chronic medical condition.

Methods: Twenty-one breast cancer survivors with lymphedema participated in audio-recorded focus groups about barriers and facilitators of self-care. Transcripts were analyzed using ATLAS.

A validation of the Oswestry Spinal Risk Index.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to validate the Oswestry Spinal Risk Index (OSRI) in an external population. The OSRI predicts survival in patients with metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC).

Methods: We analysed the data of 100 patients undergoing surgical intervention for MSCC at a tertiary spinal unit and recorded the primary tumour pathology and Karnofsky performance status to calculate the OSRI.

Evidence for validity of the brief resilient coping scale in a young Spanish sample.

The aim of the present study was to provide evidence of validity of the Brief Resilient Coping Scale for use in Spanish young population. A total of 365 university students responded to the Spanish version of the BRCS as well as to other tools for measuring personal perceived competence, life satisfaction, depression, anxiety, negative and positive affect, and coping strategies. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the unidimensional structure of the scale.

Assessment of accuracy of marker ball placement in pre-operative templating for total hip arthroplasty.

We report the accuracy of positioning of the calibration ball in the process of pre-operative templating for total hip arthroplasty (THA). The ball should be placed in the coronal plane of the hip to provide suitable accuracy. We reviewed 112 post-operative THA radiographs where a calibration ball had been placed.

Do health partnerships with organisations in lower income countries benefit the UK partner? A review of the literature.

Background: Health partnerships between institutions in the UK and Low or Lower- middle Income Countries are an increasingly important model of development, yet analysis of partnerships has focused on benefits and costs to the Low and Lower- Middle Income partner. We reviewed the evidence on benefits and costs of health partnerships to UK individuals, institutions & the NHS and sought to understand how volunteering within partnerships might impact on workforce development and service delivery.

Methods: A systematic review of both published literature and grey literature was conducted.

Outcomes of functional weight-bearing rehabilitation of Achilles tendon ruptures.

The introduction of functional rehabilitation for patients with Achilles tendon rupture has dramatically changed treatment programs for this condition. The authors introduced a functional weight-bearing protocol for patients with an acute Achilles tendon rupture treated operatively and nonoperatively in 2002. They hypothesized that no significant differences would exist in the rerupture rates and functional outcomes between the groups.

Breast cancer survivors with lymphedema: glimpses of their daily lives.

Breast cancer survivors with lymphedema experience physical, psychosocial, and quality-of-life difficulties. Cancer treatment-related lymphedema often is viewed as a disabling condition, and that assumption has fostered an environment in which oncology nurses are not actively involved in the care of patients with lymphedema. Little is known about how breast cancer survivors with lymphedema structure their daily lives.

Voices from the shadows: living with lymphedema.

Background: Breast cancer survivors with lymphedema face a lifetime of stressful physical and emotional symptoms and challenging self-care demands. An in-depth understanding of the perceptions and feelings surrounding life with lymphedema is critical to developing effective supportive care approaches.

Objective: The objective of the study was to explore perceptions and feelings related to lymphedema in breast cancer survivors.

Psychological vulnerability predicts increases in depressive symptoms in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Efficient measures are needed to identify individuals at risk for depression to optimize intervention efforts that can enhance health-related outcomes.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the six-item Psychological Vulnerability Scale (PVS) as a predictor of depressive symptoms and change in depressive symptoms while controlling for two established predictors of depression-arthritis helplessness (AHI) and functional impairment (FI).

Methods: Data from 125 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (73% women) were used in hierarchical regression analyses to examine whether the PVS could be used to predict unique variance in depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression [CES-D]) cross sectionally (N = 125) and change in depressive symptoms (N = 93).