Quality of life following Shouldice Repair: a prospective cohort study among inguinal hernia patients.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate quality of life from the preoperative time to six months after surgery of patients who underwent a Shouldice Repair for primary inguinal hernia.

Methods: After ethical approval, consent was obtained, and data collected from surveys and chart review. The study population was composed of male and female patients aged 16-90 years of age, who had a Shouldice Repair of a primary unilateral inguinal hernia.

Ultrasound-guided ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric nerve block with local anesthesia and fentanyl analgesia versus local anesthesia and fentanyl analgesia prior to Shouldice inguinal hernia repair in adults: a retrospective matched-pair analysis among 100 individuals.

Purpose: There is limited research on the impact of an ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric nerve block on intraoperative opioid consumption when conducting groin hernia repair in adults. Thus, the aim was to evaluate ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric nerve block for groin hernia patients at Shouldice Hospital.

Methods: The study was a pilot retrospective chart review on patients who underwent a Shouldice Repair from November 2023 to December 2023.

Predicting Outcomes in Frail Older Community-Dwellers in Western Australia: Results from the Community Assessment of Risk Screening and Treatment Strategies (CARTS) Programme.

Understanding risk factors for frailty, functional decline and incidence of adverse healthcare outcomes amongst community-dwelling older adults is important to plan population-level health and social care services. We examined variables associated with one-year risk of institutionalisation, hospitalisation and death among patients assessed in their own home by a community-based Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) in Western Australia. Frailty and risk were measured using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and Risk Instrument for Screening in the Community (RISC), respectively.

Matching males and females undergoing non mesh primary unilateral inguinal hernia repair: evaluating sex differences in preoperative and acute postoperative pain.

Purpose: The objective was to compare pain and related psychological factors during the preoperative and acute postoperative period between male and female patients, who underwent non mesh primary unilateral inguinal hernia repair.

Methods: After ethics approval, informed consent was obtained, and data were collected. Male and female participants were compared by manually matching one-to-one on 10 variables.

Cultural adaptation and validation of the mental illness associated stigma scale for Arabic-speaking population in Saudi Arabia.

Objective: This research aimed to culturally adapt and validate the MIAS scale for Arabic-speaking individuals within the Saudi Arabian general population, with an emphasis on cultural, societal, and individual nuances.

Methods: An initial pilot testing with a small group ensured the scale's clarity. Subsequently, two cross-sectional studies involving 189 participants to assess structural validity of the Arabic MIAS scale, and 38 participants to assess the test-retest reliability.

Temporal patterns for inguinal hernia recurrence operations after Shouldice Repair.

Purpose: Shouldice Repair for inguinal hernias results in a low recurrence rate; however, little is known about the risk factors for these relapses. In the present study, we reviewed all patient's undergoing a reoperation for recurrence after a primary Shouldice Repair.

Methods: Patients undergoing recurrent inguinal hernia repair from 2013 to 2017 were identified.

Validation and psychometric testing of the Arabic version of the mental health literacy scale among the Saudi Arabian general population.

Objective: This study aimed to validate the Arabic Version of the Mental Health Literacy Scale (Arabic-MHLS) among the Saudi Arabian general population, assessing its internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and structural validity.

Methods: A total of 700 Arabic-speaking Saudi adults were randomly selected to complete the electronic questionnaire in May 2023, which generated 544 participants. Data were coded and stored in the ZdataCloud research data collection system database.

QTc Interval Prolongation Is Independently Associated with FGF23 and Predicts Mortality in Predialysis Chronic Kidney Disease.

Introduction: QTc interval prolongation is increasingly frequent as chronic kidney disease (CKD) advances and predicts death in dialysis. However, predictors and mortality risk in predialysis CKD are understudied. FGF23 induces left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) which is associated with QTc interval prolongation and death, suggesting a possible pathway from FGF23 to death that entails LVH and QTc prolongation.

Incidence of opioid use and early postoperative pain intensity after primary unilateral inguinal hernia repair at a single-center specialty hospital.

Purpose: This research examined opioid use, pain intensity, and pain management after primary unilateral inguinal hernia repair (PUIHR) at a single-center specialty hospital.

Methods: After research, ethics board approval, and informed consent, pain scores (0-10 numerical rating scale [NRS]) were obtained from survey-based questionnaires administered at the pre- and 3-day postoperative timepoints. Descriptive results are presented as frequency, mean, standard deviation, range, median, and interquartile ranges, as appropriate.

Surgical aspects and early morbidity of patients undergoing open recurrent inguinal hernia repair.

Purpose: This study aims to characterize the patterns of recurrence associated with specific types of primary inguinal hernia repair techniques used for and their respective correlations with early morbidity, in patients undergoing open repair for their first hernia recurrence.

Methods: After ethics approval was obtained, a retrospective review of charts from patients who underwent open surgery for repair of a first recurrence after a previous inguinal hernia repair during 2013-2017 was completed. Statistical analyses were performed and p-values < .

Single-Centre Retrospective Cohort Study of Demographic Characteristics and Perinatal Outcomes in Pregnant Refugee Patients in Toronto, Canada.

Pregnant refugee patients are especially vulnerable to adverse perinatal outcomes. Detailed characterization of this heterogenous population will identify risk factors and thus guide contextualized initiatives for improved patient care. A retrospective cohort study of obstetrical refugee patients at a tertiary-care hospital in Toronto, Ontario.

Predictive Validity and Patterns of Change Over Time of the Sensitivity to Pain Traumatization Scale: A Trajectory Analysis of Patients Seen by the Transitional Pain Service Up to Two Years After Surgery.

Purpose: The Sensitivity to Pain Traumatization Scale (SPTS-12) was developed to assess the propensity to develop a traumatic stress response to pain. The SPTS-12 is a reliable and valid scale with a one-factor structure. The aim of the present study is to further examine the psychometric properties of the SPTS-12 by evaluating its criterion validity and how scores change over time in a sample of postsurgical patients at the Toronto General Hospital Transitional Pain Service.

Democratizing Flexible Endoscopy Training: Noninferiority Randomized Trial Comparing a Box-Trainer vs a Virtual Reality Simulator to Prepare for the Fundamental of Endoscopic Surgery Exam.

Background: A considerable number of surgical residents fail the mandated endoscopy exam despite having completed the required clinical cases. Low-cost endoscopy box trainers (BTs) could democratize training; however, their effectiveness has never been compared with higher-cost virtual reality simulators (VRSs).

Study Design: In this randomized noninferiority trial, endoscopy novices trained either on the VRS used in the Fundamental of Endoscopic Surgery manual skills (FESms) exam or a validated BT-the Basic Endoscopic Skills Training (BEST) box.

Pain Among an Inpatient Complex Chronic Care Population of Residents with and without Missing Limbs.

Purpose: Limb loss occurs for various reasons (trauma, infection, vascular diseases, tumors, congenital absence). Limb loss is known to result in several types of pain. Little is known about pain in residents with missing limbs admitted to complex chronic care (CCC) facilities.

Hypertensive Hypoalgesia in a Complex Chronic Disease Population.

Hypertension-related hypoalgesia, defined as lower pain sensitivity in individuals with high blood pressure, has yet to be examined in a large-scale study of complex care residents. Here, the Continuing Care Reporting System database, which contains health information on residents of Canadian complex chronic care facilities, was used for assessment. Hypertension was reported among 77,323 residents (55.

Association Between Multimorbid Disease Patterns and Pain Outcomes Among a Complex Chronic Care Population in Canada.

Purpose: Disease multimorbidity and pain is a complex, yet common, problem for the aging population, and a significant burden on the health-care systems around the world. Despite this, disease comorbidity and the association with pain in a complex chronic care population is not well understood. This study examined the most prevalent disease combinations and their association with pain.

Development and prospective validation of a scoring system for the Basic Endoscopic Skills Training (BEST) box.

Aims: The increased use of endoscopy as a minimally invasive therapeutic technique has created a great demand for endoscopic training. The Basic Endoscopic Skills Training (BEST) box provides a low-cost solution by adapting the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) box for flexible endoscopic simulation. The BEST box consists of six endoscopic tasks with a 5-min time limit per task.

Comparison of the Accuracy of Short Cognitive Screens Among Adults With Cognitive Complaints in Turkey.

Background: Cutoff values of cognitive screen tests vary according to age and educational levels.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the accuracy and determine cutoffs for 3 short cognitive screening instruments: the Mini-Mental State Examination, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment Screen-Turkish version (Qmci-TR), in older adults with low literacy in Turkey.

Methods: In all 321 patients, 133 with subjective cognitive complaints (SCC), 88 amnestic-type mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and 100 with probable Alzheimer disease (AD) with a median of 5 years education were included.

Screening for Cognitive Frailty Using Short Cognitive Screening Instruments: Comparison of the Chinese Versions of the MoCA and Q Screen.

Background: Cognitive frailty describes cognitive impairment associated with physical decline. Few studies have explored whether short cognitive screens identify frailty. We examined the diagnostic accuracy of the Chinese versions of the Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment (Q-CN) screen and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-CN) in identifying cognitive frailty.

Comparison of dietary macronutrient patterns of 14 popular named dietary programmes for weight and cardiovascular risk factor reduction in adults: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised trials.

Objective: To determine the relative effectiveness of dietary macronutrient patterns and popular named diet programmes for weight loss and cardiovascular risk factor improvement among adults who are overweight or obese.

Design: Systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised trials.

Data Sources: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, AMED, and CENTRAL from database inception until September 2018, reference lists of eligible trials, and related reviews.

Associations between echocardiographic findings and prospective changes in residual renal function in patients new to peritoneal dialysis.

Although echocardiograms are often performed when peritoneal dialysis is started, associations between commonly reported findings and prospective changes in renal function remain understudied. Ninety-nine of 101 patients in the Trio Trial had transthoracic echocardiograms within 6 months of dialysis initiation, and measurements of residual renal function every six weeks for up to two years. Generalized mixed modelling linear regression in STATA was used to examine associations between left atrial size, left ventricular hypertrophy, left ventricular ejection fraction, right ventricular systolic pressure, and left valvular calcification with subsequent slopes in renal function.

The RAPid COmmunity COGnitive screening Programme (RAPCOG): Developing the Portuguese version of the Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment (Q-P) screen as part of the EIP on AHA Twinning Scheme.

As populations age and the prevalence of cognitive impairment increases, healthcare professionals and researchers require short, validated cognitive screening instruments (CSIs). As part the EIP-on-AHA Twinning Support Scheme (2016), four reference sites developed the RAPid COmmunity COGnitive screening Programme (RAPCOG) twinning project to validate translated versions of the Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment (Q) screen that could be adapted quickly for use with future eHealth screening and assessment programmes. Here we present the cultural adaption and translation of the Q-Portuguese (Q-P) screen as part of RAPCOG and explore its subsequent validation against two commonly-used CSIs (MMSE-P and MoCA-P) with 93 participants aged ≥65, attending ten day care centres or resident in two long-term care institutions; median age 74 (+/-15), 66% female.

Reducing inappropriate prescribing for older adults with advanced frailty: A review based on a survey of practice in four countries.

The management of medications in persons with frailty presents challenges. There is evidence of inappropriate prescribing and a lack of consensus among healthcare professionals on the judicious use of medications, particularly for patients with more severe frailty. This study reviews the evidence on the use of commonly prescribed pharmacological treatments in advanced frailty based on a questionnaire of prescribing practices and attitudes of healthcare professionals at different stages in their careers, in different countries.

Effect of Visit-to-Visit Blood Pressure Variability on Cognitive and Functional Decline in Mild to Moderate Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Visit-to-visit blood pressure (BP) variability (VVV) is increasingly recognized as a marker of cardiovascular risk. Although implicated in cognitive decline, few studies are currently available assessing its effects on established dementia.

Objective: To investigate if VVV is associated with one-year rate of decline in measures of cognition and function in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the Doxycycline And Rifampicin for Alzheimer's Disease study.