Evaluation of an interprofessional educational program in nursing home practice: a mixed methods multiple-case study.

Research has shown that interprofessional collaboration (IPC) and education (IPE) may potentially lead to better care for residents in nursing homes, but their implementation is challenging. This study evaluates the implementation of a co-designed IPE program and investigates what and how healthcare students learn and what factors influence their learning. A mixed-methods approach was used to evaluate three cases, with student participation in the IPE ( = 72).

Radiation dose reduction of 50% in dynamic myocardial CT perfusion with skipped beat acquisition: a retrospective study.

Background: Dynamic myocardial computed tomography perfusion (CTP) is a novel imaging technique that increases the applicability of CT for cardiac imaging; however, the scanning requires a substantial radiation dose.

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of dose reduction in dynamic CTP by comparing all-heartbeat acquisitions to periodic skipping of heartbeats.

Material And Methods: We retrieved imaging data of 38 dynamic CTP patients and created new datasets with every fourth, third or second beat (Skip1:4, Skip1:3, Skip1:2, respectively) removed.

Peripheral microvascular function is linked to cardiac involvement on cardiovascular magnetic resonance in systemic sclerosis-related pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Aims: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by vasculopathy, inflammation, and fibrosis, and carries one of the worst prognoses if patients also develop pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Although PAH is a known prognosticator, patients with SSc-PAH demonstrate disproportionately high mortality, presumably due to cardiac involvement. In this cross-sectional study, the relationship between cardiac involvement revealed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and systemic microvascular disease severity measured with nailfold capillaromicroscopy (NCM) in patients with SSc-PAH is evaluated and compared with patients with idiopathic PAH (IPAH).

Multireader image quality evaluation of dynamic myocardial computed tomography perfusion imaging with a novel four-dimensional noise reduction filter.

Background: Dynamic myocardial computed tomography perfusion (CTP) is a novel technique able to depict cardiac ischemia.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of a four-dimensional noise reduction filter (similarity filter [4D-SF]) on image quality in dynamic CTP imaging, allowing for substantial radiation dose reduction.

Material And Methods: Dynamic CTP datasets of 30 patients (16 women) with suspected coronary artery disease, acquired with a 320-slice CT system, were retrieved, reconstructed with the deep learning-based algorithm of the system (DLR), and filtered with the 4D-SF.

Aortic dilation and growth in women with Turner syndrome.

Objective: Women with Turner syndrome (TS) are at increased risk of aortic dissection, which is a life-threatening event associated with aortic dilation. Knowledge on the development of aortic dilation over time remains limited. This study aims to describe the prevalence of aortic dilation, to find associated factors and to study aortic growth in women with TS.

Evaluation of left cardiac chamber function with cardiac magnetic resonance and association with outcome in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Objective: This study aimed to determine whether lower values of feature-tracking cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR)-derived left atrial reservoir strain (LARS) and impaired left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (GLS) were associated with the presence of symptoms and long-term prognosis in patients with SSc.

Methods: A total of 100 patients {54 [interquartile range (IQR) 46-64] years, 42% male} with SSc who underwent CMR imaging at two tertiary referral centres were included. All patients underwent analysis of LARS and LV GLS using feature-tracking on CMR and were followed-up for the occurrence of all-cause mortality.

The Prognostic Value of Right Atrial and Right Ventricular Functional Parameters in Systemic Sclerosis.

Introduction: Right ventricular (RV) function is of particular importance in systemic sclerosis (SSc), since common SSc complications, such as interstitial lung disease and pulmonary hypertension may affect RV afterload. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is the gold standard for measuring RV function. CMR-derived RV and right atrial (RA) strain is a promising tool to detect subtle changes in RV function, and might have incremental value, however, prognostic data is lacking.

Right atrial and ventricular strain detects subclinical changes in right ventricular function in precapillary pulmonary hypertension.

Right ventricular (RV) ejection fraction (EF) by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) correlates to outcome in precapillary pulmonary hypertension (pPH) patients, but is insensitive to early changes. Strain might provide incremental information. In this study, we compare right atrial (RA) and RV strain in pPH patients to healthy controls, and evaluate the prognostic value of strain in pPH.

The potential for learning within hospital learning communities: the interplay between nursing practice and education to support research ability.

Objectives Nurses must contribute to the development of professional practice and thereby improve quality of care by using their research abilities. Therefore, learning communities comprised of nurses, students and teachers were created in a hospital. Methods A qualitative descriptive methodology was used.

Predictive factors for treatment-related mortality and major adverse events after autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for systemic sclerosis: results of a long-term follow-up multicentre study.

Background: Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) improves survival in systemic sclerosis (SSc) with poor prognosis, but is hampered by treatment-related mortality (TRM).

Objective: To evaluate event-free survival (EFS), TRM, response to treatment, disease progression and patient characteristics associated with events.

Methods: All patients treated with HSCT for SSc in The Netherlands until 2017 (n=92) were included.

Progressive Pulmonary Artery Dilatation is Associated with Type B Aortic Dissection in Patients with Marfan Syndrome.

Objective: Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a connective tissue disorder associated with severe cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. It is unknown if aorta complications in MFS are associated with progressive pulmonary artery (PA) dilatation.

Methods: We measured the PA diameter on routine magnetic resonance imaging in a population of MFS patients seen in our specialised centre with follow up of diameters as well as the outcome.

Ventricular response to dobutamine stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is associated with adverse outcome during 8-year follow-up in patients with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot.

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible value of dobutamine stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) to predict adverse outcome in Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) patients.

Methods And Results: In previous prospective multicentre studies, TOF patients underwent low-dose dobutamine stress CMR (7.5 µg/kg/min).

Iodine Maps from Subtraction CT or Dual-Energy CT to Detect Pulmonary Emboli with CT Angiography: A Multiple-Observer Study.

Background Dual-energy CT iodine maps are used to detect pulmonary embolism (PE) with CT angiography but require dedicated hardware. Subtraction CT, a software-only solution, results in iodine maps with high contrast-to-noise ratios. Purpose To compare the use of subtraction CT versus dual-energy CT iodine maps to CT angiography for PE detection.

Image Quality of Iodine Maps for Pulmonary Embolism: A Comparison of Subtraction CT and Dual-Energy CT.

The objective of this study was to compare the image quality of iodine maps derived from subtraction CT and from dual-energy CT (DECT) in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE). In this prospective study conducted between July 2016 and April 2017, consecutive patients with suspected PE underwent unenhanced CT at 100 kV and dual-energy pulmonary CT angiography at 100 and 140 kV on a dual-source scanner. The scanner was set to generate subtraction and DECT iodine maps at similar radiation doses.

Aortic dilatation and outcome in women with Turner syndrome.

Background: Women with Turner syndrome (TS) are at increased risk of aortic dissection, which is related to ascending aortic diameter. However, the relation between aortic diameter and outcome is not well determined. This study evaluates the prevalence of aortic dilatation, the growth rate of the aorta and the risk of aortic complications in adults with TS.

Malignancy risk estimation of pulmonary nodules in screening CTs: Comparison between a computer model and human observers.

Purpose: To compare human observers to a mathematically derived computer model for differentiation between malignant and benign pulmonary nodules detected on baseline screening computed tomography (CT) scans.

Methods: A case-cohort study design was chosen. The study group consisted of 300 chest CT scans from the Danish Lung Cancer Screening Trial (DLCST).

Validation, comparison, and combination of algorithms for automatic detection of pulmonary nodules in computed tomography images: The LUNA16 challenge.

Automatic detection of pulmonary nodules in thoracic computed tomography (CT) scans has been an active area of research for the last two decades. However, there have only been few studies that provide a comparative performance evaluation of different systems on a common database. We have therefore set up the LUNA16 challenge, an objective evaluation framework for automatic nodule detection algorithms using the largest publicly available reference database of chest CT scans, the LIDC-IDRI data set.

Nurturing Cultural Change in Care for Older People: Seeing the Cherry Tree Blossom.

There is a need for person-centred approaches and empowerment of staff within the residential care for older people; a movement called 'culture change'. There is however no single path for achieving culture change. With the aim of increasing understandings about cultural change processes and the promotion of cultural values and norms associated with person-centred practices, this article presents an action research project set on a unit in the Netherlands providing care for older people with dementia.

An evaluation of automatic coronary artery calcium scoring methods with cardiac CT using the orCaScore framework.

Purpose: The amount of coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a strong and independent predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. In clinical practice, CAC is manually identified and automatically quantified in cardiac CT using commercially available software. This is a tedious and time-consuming process in large-scale studies.

Long-Term Serial Follow-Up of Pulmonary Artery Size and Wall Shear Stress in Fontan Patients.

Pulmonary arterial (PA) flow is abnormal after the Fontan operation and is marked by a lack of pulsatility. We assessed the effects of this abnormal flow on the size and function of the PA's in Fontan patients in long-term serial follow-up. Twenty-three Fontan patients with serial follow-up were included.

Dutch care innovation units in elderly care: A qualitative study into students' perspectives and workplace conditions for learning.

To promote workplace learning for staff as well as students, a partnership was formed between a residential care organisation for older people and several nursing faculties in the Netherlands. This partnership took the form of two care innovation units; wards where qualified staff, students and nurse teachers collaborate to integrate care, education, innovation and research. In this article, the care innovation units as learning environments are studied from a student perspective to deepen understandings concerning the conditions that facilitate learning.

Observer Variability for Classification of Pulmonary Nodules on Low-Dose CT Images and Its Effect on Nodule Management.

Purpose: To examine the factors that affect inter- and intraobserver agreement for pulmonary nodule type classification on low-radiation-dose computed tomographic (CT) images, and their potential effect on patient management.

Materials And Methods: Nodules (n = 160) were randomly selected from the Dutch-Belgian Lung Cancer Screening Trial cohort, with equal numbers of nodule types and similar sizes. Nodules were scored by eight radiologists by using morphologic categories proposed by the Fleischner Society guidelines for management of pulmonary nodules as solid, part solid with a solid component smaller than 5 mm, part solid with a solid component 5 mm or larger, or pure ground glass.