Similar levels of disease activity and remission rates in patients with psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis-results from the Finnish quality register.

Objectives: To compare the current disease activity and remission rates, and their regional variation in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Finland.

Methods: Data of patients' most recent visit in 1/2020-9/2021 were extracted from the Finnish Rheumatology Quality Register. Measures for disease activity and remission included joint counts, DAS28, cDAPSA, CDAI, the Boolean definition, and physician assessment.

Outliers in diffusion-weighted MRI: Exploring detection models and mitigation strategies.

Diffusion-weighted MRI (dMRI) is a medical imaging method that can be used to investigate the brain microstructure and structural connections between different brain regions. The method, however, requires relatively complex data processing frameworks and analysis pipelines. Many of these approaches are vulnerable to signal dropout artefacts that can originate from subjects moving their head during the scan.

Real-world treatment outcomes and safety of natalizumab in Finnish multiple sclerosis patients.

Objectives: The primary objective was to evaluate long-term treatment persistence and safety of natalizumab in Finnish multiple sclerosis patients. The secondary objectives were to assess patient characteristics, use of natalizumab-related safety protocol, and treatment persistence in patients with different anti-John Cunningham virus antibody statuses (John Cunningham virus status).

Materials & Methods: All adult multiple sclerosis patients in the Finnish multiple sclerosis register who started natalizumab between 1/2006 and 12/2018 were included in this study and followed retrospectively until treatment discontinuation or end of follow-up (12/2019).

Altered corpus callosum structure in adolescents with cerebral palsy: connection to gait and balance.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disorder in childhood. Recent studies in children with CP have associated weakened sensorimotor performance with impairments in the major brain white-matter (WM) structure, corpus callosum (CC). However, the relationship between CC structure and lower extremity performance, specifically gait and balance, remains unknown.

Emergency department crowding increases 10-day mortality for non-critical patients: a retrospective observational study.

The current evidence suggests that higher levels of crowding in the Emergency Department (ED) have a negative impact on patient outcomes, including mortality. However, only limited data are available about the association between crowding and mortality, especially for patients discharged from the ED. The primary objective of this study was to establish the association between ED crowding and overall 10-day mortality for non-critical patients.

Adverse Events After Surgical Treatment of Adult Diaphyseal Forearm Fractures: a Retrospective Analysis of 470 Patients.

Background: The incidence of and risk factors for adverse events after internal fixation of diaphyseal forearm fractures have not been well defined in the current literature. The objective of this study was to estimate the incidence of adverse events after diaphyseal forearm fracture surgery in adults and explore potential risk factors for adverse events.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, multicenter, cohort study in which we evaluated all diaphyseal forearm fractures between 2009 and 2019 in patients presenting to 4 trauma hospitals in southern Finland.

Initial presentation of early rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: To study the joint distribution and clinical picture of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at the initial presentation in seropositive (anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) and/or rheumatoid factor (RF) positive) and negative patients and the effect of duration of symptoms on the clinical picture.

Methods: Data of patients who received reimbursement for DMARDs for newly diagnosed RA in 1/2019 to 9/2021 were extracted from the national databases. Joint counts, presence of symmetrical swelling, other disease activity measures, and patient reported outcomes (PROs) were compared in seropositive and negative patients.

Medical Device Safety Training by Using Quick Response Codes and Extended Reality-Based Technologies.

This article describes the results of three different study settings where the use of QR codes and XR technologies were tested for medical device training among 132 social and health care professionals. Data from three types of learning events and different contents of training indicated that the professionals considered these novel technologies both beneficial for learning and useful in their working environments for training safe use of medical devices. Based on the collected data, these technologies can be considered prospective options for medical device training.

Current postgraduate training in emergency medicine in the Nordic countries.

Background: Emergency Medicine (EM) is an independent specialty in all five Nordic countries. This study aims to evaluate the structure of post-graduate EM training in the area.

Methods: A leading hospital or hospitals in EM training in each country were identified.

Resectability, Resections, Survival Outcomes, and Quality of Life in Older Adult Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (the RAXO-Study).

Older adults are underrepresented in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) studies and thus may not receive optimal treatment, especially not metastasectomies. The prospective Finnish real-life RAXO-study included 1086 any organ mCRC patients. We assessed repeated centralized resectability, overall survival (OS), and quality of life (QoL) using 15D and EORTC QLQ-C30/CR29.

Early Warning Software for Emergency Department Crowding.

Emergency department (ED) crowding is a well-recognized threat to patient safety and it has been repeatedly associated with increased mortality. Accurate forecasts of future service demand could lead to better resource management and has the potential to improve treatment outcomes. This logic has motivated an increasing number of research articles but there has been little to no effort to move these findings from theory to practice.

Extended Reality Is Underutilized in Medical Device Training: A Descriptive Literature Review.

This descriptive review provides a synthesis of existing literature about the use of extended reality (XR) including virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology solutions for competence assurance, training and orientation regarding digital skills and medical device training. From the literature, only few original studies were recognized with a study question or aim to assess medical device training as the target of virtual training modalities. XR methods could provide potential useful solutions to improve medical device competence.

Disease burden measured by patient-reported outcomes: does psoriatic arthritis feel worse than rheumatoid arthritis? A cross-sectional nationwide study.

Objectives: To study the subjective disease burden of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), using patient-reported outcomes (PROs) cross-sectionally.

Methods: Data of 3598 patients with PsA and 13913 with RA were extracted from the database. Measures included the VAS-values of pain, fatigue and patient global assessment (PGA), HAQ, and disease activity at the most recent visit/remote contact in the period 1.

Pre and postoperative diarrhoea associated with neuroblastoma resection - A systematic review of published studies.

Neuroblastoma is a malignant tumour affecting 10.5/1 million children annually. It arises from sympathetic nervous system precursor cells and is most frequently found in the adrenal gland and abdominal paravertebral ganglia.

The feasibility of existing JADAS10 cut-off values in clinical practice: a study of data from The Finnish Rheumatology Quality Register.

Background: The ten-joint juvenile arthritis disease activity score (JADAS10) is designed to measure the level of disease activity in non-systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis by providing a single numeric score. The clinical JADAS10 (cJADAS10) is a modification of the JADAS10 that excludes erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Three different sets of JADAS10/cJADAS10 cut-offs for disease activity states have been published, i.

Higher Soong grade predicts flexor tendon issues after volar plating of distal radius fractures - a retrospective cohort study.

Background And Purpose: Soong classification is used to estimate volar locking plate prominence and evaluate the risk for flexor tendon ruptures after surgical treatment of distal radius fractures (DRFs). However, the scientific community has questioned the Soong classification due to lacking evidence. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of Soong grading as a predictor for flexor tendon issues and plate removal.

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty vs. high tibial osteotomy for medial knee osteoarthritis (UNIKORN): a study protocol of a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Medial knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common health problem resulting in knee pain and limiting patients' physical activity. After failed conservative treatment, unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) and high tibial osteotomy (HTO) are possible surgical treatment options for this condition. There is a paucity of high-quality evidence in the literature comparing objective and subjective outcomes of these procedures.

Intraventricular conduction delays as a predictor of mortality in acute coronary syndromes.

Aims: Initial proof suggests that a non-specific intraventricular conduction delay (NIVCD) is a risk factor for mortality. We explored the prognosis of intraventricular conduction delays (IVCD)-right bundle branch block (RBBB), left bundle branch block (LBBB), and the lesser-known NIVCD-in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods And Results: This is a retrospective registry analysis of 9749 consecutive ACS patients undergoing coronary angiography and with an electrocardiographic (ECG) recording available for analysis (2007-18).

Management of acute mesenteric ischaemia: Results of a worldwide survey.

Background: Acute mesenteric ischaemia (AMI) is a condition with high mortality. This survey assesses current attitudes and practices to manage AMI worldwide.

Methods: A questionnaire survey about the practices of diagnosing and managing AMI, endorsed by several specialist societies, was sent to different medical specialists and hospitals worldwide.

Etanercept for patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: drug levels and influence of concomitant methotrexate: observational study.

Background: Etanercept (ETN) is widely used tumour necrosis factor (TNF) blocker in the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) when traditional synthetic disease modifying antirheumatic drug (sDMARD) therapy is not sufficient. There is limited information about the effects of methotrexate (MTX) on serum ETN concentration in children with JIA. We aimed to investigate whether ETN dose and concomitant MTX would effect ETN serum trough levels in JIA patients, and whether concomitant MTX have an influence on the clinical response in patients with JIA receiving ETN.

Self-reported skills and self-confidence in point-of-care ultrasound: a cross-sectional nationwide survey amongst Finnish emergency physicians.

Background: The use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is increasing. Numerous investigators have evaluated the learning curves in POCUS, but there are no published studies on how emergency physicians perceive their own competence level with this skill.

Methods: A nationwide survey amongst Finnish emergency physicians was conducted.

Indirect Rectus Femoris Injury Mechanisms in Professional Soccer Players: Video Analysis and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings.

Objective: To describe injury mechanisms and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in acute rectus femoris (RF) injuries of soccer players using a systematic video analysis.

Design: Descriptive case series study of consecutive RF injuries from November 2017 to July 2022.

Setting: Two specialized sports medicine hospitals.

Less is more - The Finnish Prehospital Stroke Scale prospective validation.

Objectives: The current bifurcation of the acute stroke care pathway requires prehospital separation of strokes caused by large vessel occlusion. The first four binary items of the Finnish Prehospital Stroke Scale (FPSS) identify stroke in general, while the fifth binary item alone identifies stroke due to large vessel occlusion. The straightforward design is both easy for paramedics and statistically beneficial.