Knowledge expectations of surgical orthopaedic patients: a European survey

Ageing population entails a growing international problem of osteoarthritis. Best practices for education of these patients are lacking. This study focused on empowering education in Northern (Finland, Iceland, Lithuania and Sweden) and Southern Europe (Cyprus, Greece and Spain). The aim was to analyse associations between expected knowledge and background factors. The data were collected from European arthroplasty patients with the Knowledge Expectations of hospital patients- scale, (KE(hp) - scale), including bio-physiological, functional, experiential, ethical, social and financial dimensions. Patients had essential bio-physiological and functional knowledge expectations. Women expected more than men, employed less than retired, unemployed or who worked at home. Generally, patients in Northern countries expected more than in Southern countries. However, highest expectations were found in Sweden and Greece, lowest in Spain and Cyprus. There are differences in knowledge expectations based on patients' backgrounds. Development of common standards in European patient education needs further research

Body composition in older acute stroke patients after treatment with individualized, nutritional supplementation while in hospital

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Individualized, nutritional support reduced undernutrition among older stroke patients and improved quality of life in our recent randomized, controlled trial. Weight control thus seems to be important after stroke, and methods for monitoring nutritional status need to be simple and non-invasive. Here we aimed to assess if the nutritional intervention altered body composition in men and women in this study cohort, and also to examine the correlation between the methods for assessing body-, fat- and fat-free mass.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Acute stroke patients > 65 years at nutritional risk were randomized to either individualized, nutritional treatment with energy- and protein rich supplementation (intervention, n = 58) or routine, nutritional care (control, n = 66) while in hospital. Body composition was assessed with anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance. The follow-up period was three months.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>During the first week while in hospital, weight loss was smaller in the intervention group compared with the controls (P = 0.013). After three months weight- and fat loss were significant in both men and women. Whereas no significant differences were found in changes in body composition between the male study groups, in the women both weight loss (P = 0.022) and fat loss (P = 0.005) was smaller in the intervention group compared with the controls. A high correlation (r = 0.87) between mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) and body mass index (BMI) was found.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Individualized nutritional support to older stroke patients in hospital was beneficial for maintaining an adequate body mass and body composition the first week and seemed to have a preventive effect on fat loss among women, but not among men after three months. Measurement of MUAC may be used in the assessment of nutritional status when BMI cannot be obtained.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00163007.</p

A trial assessing N-3 as treatment for injury-induced cachexia (ATLANTIC trial): does a moderate dose fish oil intervention improve outcomes in older adults recovering from hip fracture?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Proximal femoral fractures are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Pre-existing malnutrition and weight loss amongst this patient group is of primary concern, with conventional nutrition support being largely ineffective. The inflammatory response post proximal femoral fracture surgery and the subsequent risk of cachexia may explain the inability of conventional high energy high protein management to produce an anabolic response amongst these patients. Omega-3 fatty acids derived from fish oils have been extensively studied for their anti-inflammatory benefits. Due to their anti-inflammatory properties, the benefit of fish oil combined with individualized nutrition support amongst proximal femoral fracture patients post surgery is an attractive potential therapeutic strategy. The aim of the ATLANTIC trial is to assess the potential benefits of an anti-inflammatory dose of fish oil within the context of a 12 week individualised nutrition program, commencing seven days post proximal femoral fracture surgery.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>This randomized controlled, double blinded trial, will recruit 150 community dwelling elderly patients aged ≥65 years, within seven days of surgery for proximal femoral fracture. Participants will be randomly allocated to receive either a 12 week individualized nutrition support program complemented with 20 ml/day anti-inflammatory dose fish oil (~3.6 g eicosapentaenoic acid, ~2.4 g docosahexanoic acid; intervention), or, a 12 week individualized nutrition support program complemented with 20 ml/day low dose fish oil (~0.36 g eicosapentaenoic acid, ~0.24 g docosahexanoic acid; control).</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The ATLANTIC trial is the first of its kind to provide fish oil combined with individualized nutrition therapy as an intervention to address the inflammatory response experienced post proximal femoral fracture surgery amongst elderly patients. The final outcomes of this trial will assist clinicians in the development of effective and alternative treatment methods post proximal femoral fracture surgery which may ultimately result in a reduction in systemic inflammation, loss of weight and lean muscle and improvements in nutritional status, mobility, independence and quality of life among elderly patients.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ACTRN12609000241235</p

Symptoms and impact of symptoms on function and health in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic heart failure in primary health care

Kersti Theander,1,2 Mikael Hasselgren,2,3 Kristina Luhr,4 Jeanette Eckerblad,5 Mitra Unosson,5 Ingela Karlsson1 1Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Science and Technology, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden; 2Primary Care Research Unit, County Council of V&auml;rmland, Karlstad, Sweden; 3Department of Medicine, &Ouml;rebro University, &Ouml;rebro, Sweden; 4Family Medicine Research Centre, &Ouml;rebro County Council, &Ouml;rebro, Sweden; 5Department of Social and Welfare Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Link&ouml;ping University, Link&ouml;ping, Sweden Background: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic heart failure (CHF) seem to have several symptoms in common that impact health. However, methodological differences make this difficult to compare. Aim: Comparisons of symptoms, impact of symptoms on function and health between patients with COPD and CHF in primary health care (PHC). Method: The study is cross sectional, including patients with COPD (n=437) and CHF (n=388), registered in the patient administrative systems of PHC. The patients received specific questionnaires &ndash; the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, the Medical Research Council dyspnea scale, and the Fatigue Impact Scale &ndash; by mail and additional questions about psychological and physical health. Results: The mean age was 70&plusmn;10 years and 78&plusmn;10 years for patients with COPD and CHF respectively (P=0.001). Patients with COPD (n=273) experienced more symptoms (11&plusmn;7.5) than the CHF patients (n=211) (10&plusmn;7.6). The most prevalent symptoms for patients with COPD were dyspnea, cough, and lack of energy. For patients with CHF, the most prevalent symptoms were dyspnea, lack of energy, and difficulty sleeping. Experience of dyspnea, cough, dry mouth, feeling irritable, worrying, and problems with sexual interest or activity were more common in patients with COPD while the experience of swelling of arms or legs was more common among patients with CHF. When controlling for background characteristics, there were no differences regarding feeling irritable, worrying, and sexual problems. There were no differences in impact of symptoms or health. Conclusion: Patients with COPD and CHF seem to experience similar symptoms. There were no differences in how the patients perceived their functioning according to their cardinal symptoms; dyspnea and fatigue, and health. An intervention for both groups of patients to optimize the management of symptoms and improve function is probably more relevant in PHC than focusing on separate diagnosis groups. Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic heart failure, symptom, function, healt

Two-dimensional fast evanescent wave algorithm

A new fast evanescent wave algorithm (FEWA) is introduced in the two-dimensional (2-D) case. It expands the Green's function into propagating waves and directional evanescent waves. Applying the evanescent wave correction technique, a procedure similar to the traditional MLFMA can be expedited. No buffer region is necessary anymore, and fewer translators are needed. Numerical examples are given to show the features of this method.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Symptom burden in stable COPD patients with moderate or severe airflow limitation

OBJECTIVES: To describe a multidimensional symptom profile in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and determine whether symptom experience differed between patients with moderate or severe airflow limitations. BACKGROUND: Patients with severe airflow limitation experience numerous symptoms, but little is known regarding patients with moderate airflow limitation. METHODS: A multidimensional symptom profile (Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale) was assessed in 42 outpatients with moderate and 49 with severe airflow limitations. RESULTS: The mean number of symptoms in the total sample was 7.9 (±4.3) with no difference between patients with moderate and severe airflow limitations. The most prevalent symptoms with the highest MSAS symptom burden scores were shortness of breath, dry mouth, cough, sleep problems, and lack of energy in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with moderate or severe airflow limitations experience multiple symptoms with high severity and distress. An assessment of their multidimensional symptom profile might contribute to better symptom management

Experience of fatigue, and its relationship to physical capacity and disease severity in men and women with COPD

Kristina T&ouml;dt,1,2 Elisabeth Skargren,3 Magnus Kentson,4 Kersti Theander,5,6 Per Jakobsson,2 Mitra Unosson1 1Department of Social and Welfare Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Link&ouml;ping University, Norrk&ouml;ping, Sweden; 2Department of Pulmonary Medicine, University Hospital, 3Department of Medicine and Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Link&ouml;ping University, Link&ouml;ping, Sweden; 4Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Ryhov Hospital, J&ouml;nk&ouml;ping, Sweden; 5Department of Nursing, Faculty of Social and Life Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden; 6Primary Care Research Unit, County Council of V&auml;rmland, Sweden Introduction: Several differences have been reported in the clinical characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) between men and women. Differences have been found in the association between respiratory symptoms and lung function, and in the factors associated with dyspnea. This raises the question of whether there are differences between the sexes in the relationship between fatigue, the second most prevalent symptom, and the variables of physical capacity and disease severity. Objectives: To examine the experience of fatigue and its relationship to physical capacity and disease severity in men and women with COPD. Methods: In a cross-sectional study 121 patients with COPD (54 men and 67 women), the experience of fatigue (frequency, duration, and severity) and physical capacity (lung function, 6-minute walk distance [6MWD], grip strength, and timed-stand test) were assessed. Disease severity was graded according to the Body mass index, airway Obstruction, Dyspnoea and Exercise capacity (BODE) index. Two multiple logistic regression models were tested, both of which were performed separately in men and women, to examine the association between the experience of fatigue and variables of physical capacity and the BODE index. Results: Eighty-nine (73.6%) patients experienced fatigue, with similar proportions in men and women. The men with fatigue had worse physical capacity and more severe disease than did the men without fatigue: for men with and without fatigue, respectively, the percent of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) (mean [standard deviation]) was 47 (14) vs 64 (17); the 6MWD (mean [standard deviation]) was 398 (138) vs 539 (105) m; and the BODE index (median [quartile 1-3]) was 3 (2&ndash;5) vs 1 (0&ndash;1) (P&lt;0.01). In women, only higher leg fatigue post-6MWD was seen among those experiencing fatigue compared with women without fatigue: for women with and without fatigue, respectively, leg fatigue (median [quartile 1-3]) was 4 (3&ndash;5) vs 2 (0&ndash;3) (P&lt;0.001). The regression models showed that the 6MWD and the BODE index were associated with fatigue in both men and women, but in women, leg fatigue remained an independent associate in both models. Conclusion: Exercise capacity and disease severity were associated with fatigue in both men and women. In women, leg fatigue was strongly associated with fatigue, which warrants further investigation. Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, disease state, functional capacity, sex differences, symptom experience, leg fatigu

The fulfilment of knowledge expectations during the perioperative period of patients undergoing knee arthroplasty -- a Nordic perspective.

To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink at the bottom of the pageTo describe the possible differences between knowledge expectations and received knowledge of patients undergoing elective knee arthroplasty in Iceland, Sweden and Finland and also to determine the relationship between such a difference and both background factors and patient satisfaction with care.Knee arthroplasty is a fast-growing and a successful treatment for patients with osteoarthritis. Patient education can improve surgery outcomes, but it remains unknown what knowledge patients expect to receive and actually acquire during the perioperative period and what factors are related to that experience.Descriptive, prospective survey.In total, 290 patients answered questionnaires about their expectations (Knowledge Expectations of hospital patients - scale) before surgery and about received knowledge (Received Knowledge of hospital patients - scale) and satisfaction with hospital care (Patient Satisfaction Scale) at discharge. Sociodemographics, clinical information, accessibility to knowledge from healthcare providers (Access to Knowledge Scale), and preferences for information and behavioural control (Krantz Health Opinion Survey) were collected as background data.Patients' knowledge expectations were higher (mean 3·6, SD 0·4) than their perception of received knowledge (mean 3·0, SD 0·7). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that access to knowledge, information preferences and work experience within health- or social care explained 33% (R²) of the variation in the difference between received and expected knowledge. Patients reported high satisfaction with their care except regarding how their family was involved.Patients undergoing knee arthroplasty receive less knowledge than they expect, and individual factors and communication with healthcare providers during hospitalisation are related to their experience. The content of patient education and family involvement should be considered in future care.The results strengthen the knowledge base on the educational needs of knee arthroplasty patients and can be used to develop and test new interventions.University of Turku Academy of Finland Finnish Association of Nursing Research Finnish Foundation of Nursing, Finland Swedish Rheumatism Association County Council of Ostergotland Linkoping University, Sweden Landspitali Science Fund Akureyri Hospital Science Fund University of Akureyri Science Fund KEA fund Icelandic Nurses' Association Science Fund, Icelan

Comparison of Early and Mid-Term Outcomes After Fenestrated-Branched Endovascular Aortic Repair in Patients With or Without Prior Infrarenal Repair

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare short- and mid-term outcomes of fenestrated-branched endovascular repair (F-BEVAR) of pararenal (PRAA)/thoracoabdominal (TAAA) aortic aneurysms in patients with or without prior endovascular/open (EVAR/OAR) infrarenal aortic repair.Methods: Data from consecutive F-BEVAR (2010-2019) at two high-volume aortic centers were retrospectively reviewed. Primary endpoints were technical success, 30-day mortality, and overall survival. Secondary endpoints included 30-day major adverse events (MAE), freedom from type I/III endoleaks, reinterventions, sac expansion, and target vessel (TV) primary patency.Results: A total of 222 consecutive patients were included for analysis; of these 58 (26.1%) had prior infrarenal repair (EVAR=33, OAR=25) and 164 (73.9%) had native PRAA/TAAA. At baseline, patients with prior infrarenal repair were older (mean age=75.1 vs 71.6 years, p=.005) and the proportion of females was lower (8.6% vs 29.3%, p=.002). Technical success was 97.8% (n=217) in the entire cohort, without any significant differences between study groups (94.8% vs 98.8%, p=.08). At 30 days, there were no significant differences between patients with prior infrarenal repair as compared with those without in rate of MAE (44.8% vs 54.9%, p=.59). The 5-year estimate of survival for those who underwent native aortic repair was 61.6%, versus 61.3% for those who had a previous repair (p=.67). The 5-year freedom from endoleaks I/III estimates were significantly lower in patients who had prior infrarenal repair as compared with patients undergoing treatment of native aneurysms (57.1% vs 66.1%, p=.03), mainly owing to TV-related endoleaks (ie, type IC and/or IIIC endoleaks). No significant differences were found between study groups in rates of reinterventions and TV primary patency. Five-year estimates of freedom from sac increase &gt;5mm were significantly lower in patients who received F-BEVAR after previous infrarenal repair as compared with those who underwent treatment of native aneurysms (48.6% vs 77.5%, p=.002).Conclusions: F-BEVAR is equally safe and feasible for treatment of patients with prior infrarenal repair as compared with those undergoing treatment for native aneurysms. Increased rates of TV-related endoleaks were observed which could lead to lower freedom from aneurysm sac shrinkage during follow-up. Nevertheless, the 5-year rates of reinterventions and TV patency were similar, thereby indicating that overall effectiveness of treatment remained satisfactory at mid-term.</p