Virtual reality to foster empathy in disability workers: A feasibility study during COVID-19.

Background: Empathy is a critical skill required by disability workers. Virtual reality may increase access to staff training to foster empathy.

Method: A mixed methods feasibility study investigated a custom-built virtual reality program, IMercyVE, which aimed to immerse a disability worker in a first-person perspective of having intellectual disability.

Investigation of current infection-control practices for ultrasound coupling gel: a survey, microbiological analysis, and examination of practice patterns.

Background And Objectives: Ultrasound coupling gel may serve as a vector for the spread of bacteria and has been the causative agent for significant health care-associated infections. The purpose of this study was to document existing infection-control procedures and level of contamination present within nonsterile ultrasound gel from several clinical departments at a single institution. A second purpose was to examine the effectiveness of clinician education and manufacturer-based ultrasound additives on ultrasound gel contamination and in vitro bacterial proliferation, respectively.

Increasing the NaCl concentration of the preinjected solution enhances monopolar radiofrequency lesion size.

Background: The effect of altering the sodium chloride (NaCl) concentration of the preinjected solution on monopolar radiofrequency (RF) lesion characteristics has not been investigated with conventional pain medicine equipment. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of increasing NaCl concentration on lesion dimensions.

Methods: Monopolar RF was performed with ex vivo chicken samples.

The effects of fluid injection on lesion size during bipolar radiofrequency treatment.

Background: The effect of preinjected fluid on bipolar radiofrequency (RF) lesion characteristics has not been investigated with conventional pain medicine equipment. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of preinjected fluid composition on lesion parameters.

Methods: Bipolar RF lesioning was performed in ex vivo chicken samples without fluid preinjection or with 0.

ASHP national survey of pharmacy practice in hospital settings: dispensing and administration--2011.

Purpose: Results of the 2011 ASHP national survey of pharmacy practice in hospital settings that pertain to dispensing and administration are presented.

Methods: A stratified random sample of pharmacy directors at 1401 general and children's medical-surgical hospitals in the United States were surveyed by mail.

Results: In this national probability sample survey, the response rate was 40.

Diagnostic discography: what is the clinical utility?

The diagnosis and treatment of discogenic back pain is challenging. Provocation discography, an invasive spinal procedure, has been suggested as a diagnostic test for internal disc disruption to provide information on disc morphology and reproduction of symptoms. Current applications consist of the evaluation of persistent spinal pain in individuals, including postoperative patients, as well as providing a guide for patient selection for spinal fusion surgery and minimally invasive interventional pain procedures.

Spinal cord stimulation utilization to treat the microcirculatory vascular insufficiency and ulcers associated with scleroderma: a case report and review of the literature.

Objective: To report a case of scleroderma with associated Raynaud's phenomenon and its successful treatment with spinal cord stimulation. To demonstrate the use of transcutaneous oxygen pressure monitoring to guide the progression from trial to implantation and to assess post-implantation microcirculatory recovery.

Design: Case report and literature review.

The effect of fluid injection on lesion size during radiofrequency treatment.

Background And Objectives: Previous ex vivo studies on monopolar radiofrequency have not incorporated the preinjection of fluid before radiofrequency ablation into study design. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the preinjection of small volumes of different fluids on lesion dimensions.

Methods: Monopolar radiofrequency lesioning with temperature control at 80 degrees C for 90 secs in ex vivo chicken samples with 100-mm, 18-gauge cannulas and 10-mm active tips was performed with 1 reference group without fluid injection and 4 comparison groups with 0.

The utilization of transcutaneous oxygen pressures to guide decision-making for spinal cord stimulation implantation for inoperable peripheral vascular disease: a report of two cases.

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) may be helpful in treating pain and vascular insufficiency associated with inoperable peripheral vascular disease (PVD). Often decision-making regarding progression from trial to implantation is based on subjective measures. Transcutaneous oxygen pressure, a measure of microcirculation and tissue perfusion, provides information on changes that may occur in PVD patients that undergo SCS trials and may provide predictive information for patient outcomes.

Spread of contrast during L4 and L5 nerve root infiltration under fluoroscopic guidance.

Background: Lumbar selective nerve root blocks have been performed to establish the origin of lumbar radiculopathy in clinically difficult cases. The diagnostic ability of selective nerve root blocks remains controversial because of concern over potential spread of an injectate onto adjacent structures.

Objective: To investigate the spread of different volumes of water-soluble contrast during L4 and L5 selective nerve root blocks.

Creation of a safety culture: reducing workplace injuries in a rural hospital setting.

A newly organized employee safety program, with an 11-step design, has been introduced at Valley General Hospital in Monroe, Washington, with the intention of changing the "culture of safety." A 1-year report of the results indicates that the overall incidence of injury claims, lost-time injuries, and needlestick injuries were reduced after the program was implemented and timely reporting of claims within 24 hours was increased. The hypothesis, that by creating more visibility for the employee safety program a decrease in injury rates would occur, was confirmed.

A mental health nursing clinical experience with hospice patients.

The author describes a clinical experience with hospice patients developed for an 8-week mental health nursing course. The experience focused on the promotion of mental health in the patient and the therapeutic use of self with students. Students were assigned a hospice patient each of whom they visited once a week.

Teaching cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a developing country: using Nicaragua as a model.

This article discusses the experience of teaching cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) within a cross-cultural context. The purpose of the two CPR programs, to both the physicians and nurses at the Ministry of Health and the faculty at the UPOLI School of Nursing, were to "train the trainer" using these health professionals to become trainers in the area of CPR.

Laparoscopic hernia repair.

In this study, 101 consecutive laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal hernia repairs (LTPR) were performed in 62 patients by a single surgeon. The series began in April 1991 and involved repair of 49 direct, 41 indirect, 4 femoral, 3 umbilical, 3 sliding, and 1 incisional hernias. Twelve cases were bilateral, 11 hernias were incarcerated, and 15 hernias were recurrent.

Disposal of outdated anti-infective products.

After an unsuccessful search for guidelines to destroy outdated anti-infective products, a procedure was developed for pharmacy that uses currently available biohazardous materials. By using a blood/body-fluid absorbent, an inexpensive waste system was developed to avoid the negative public sentiment caused by use of public landfills and avoid the risk of disposing waste in hospital drainage systems.