Medicine
-
Airway management is a crucial skill essential to paramedics and personnel working in Emergency Medical Services and Emergency Departments: Lack of practice, a difficult airway, or a trauma situation may limit the ability of paramedics to perform direct laryngoscopy during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Videoscope devices are alternatives for airway management in these situations. The ETView VivaSight SL (ETView; ETView Ltd., Misgav, Israel) is a new, single-lumen airway tube with an integrated high-resolution imaging camera. To assess if the ETView VivaSight SL can be a superior alternative to a standard endotracheal tube for intubation in an adult cadaver model, both during and without simulated CPR. ⋯ In normal airways and situations with continuous chest compressions, the success rate for intubation of cadavers and the time to ventilation were improved with the ETView. The time to glottis view, tube insertion, and cuff block were all found to be shorter with the ETView.
-
Observational Study
Long-term outcomes of percutaneous radiofrequency thermocoagulation for glossopharyngeal neuralgia: A retrospective observational study.
The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term results of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous radiofrequency thermocoagulation (PRT) for glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GPN). A retrospective review of medical records for patients with GPN who were treated with CT-guided PRT between 2003 and 2014 was performed to investigate baseline characteristics and immediate outcomes during the hospitalization. Long-term pain relief outcomes and complications were obtained via telephone survey. ⋯ Postprocedure complication included dysesthesias, dysphagia, and diminished gag reflex. No mortality was observed during or after PRT procedures. This study indicates that CT-guided PRT is a safe and effective method for patients with GPN and should be considered as an alternative treatment for these patients.
-
Observational Study
Influence of oral health behavior and sociodemographic factors on remaining teeth in Korean adults: 2010-2012 Korea national health and nutrition examination survey.
In this study, the number and location of remaining teeth were analyzed according to sociodemographic variables, anthropometric measurements, and oral health behavior patterns. The hypothesis was that the number and location of remaining teeth would be affected by oral health behavior and by sociodemographic factors, such as education levels, household income, and urban/rural residency. This nationwide cross-sectional study was performed with a total of 36,026 representative Korean adults aged 19 and older. ⋯ The participants who brushed their teeth fewer times per day, those with low household incomes and/or education levels, and those who lived in rural districts had significantly higher prevalence of tooth loss than did other groups in Korean adults. Participants had more anterior and premolar teeth on mandible, but they had more molars on maxilla. In addition, participants with high socioeconomic status were more likely to lose their molar teeth than anterior teeth compared to those with low socioeconomic status.
-
Comparative Study
Combination of 125I brachytherapy and chemotherapy for unresectable recurrent breast cancer: A retrospective control study.
Recurrent breast cancer remains an incurable malignancy and cannot be removed by surgery in the majority of cases. This study aimed to explore the feasibility and efficacy of the combination of I brachytherapy and chemotherapy for the treatment of unresectable recurrent breast cancer. Patients with unresectable recurrent breast cancer treated between January 2011 and December 2014 with a combination of I brachytherapy and capecitabine or gemcitabine were evaluated and outcomes were compared with those of women treated with capecitabine or gemcitabine in conventional dose as a monotherapy. ⋯ There were no serious complications detected during the follow-up period, any grade toxicities were comparable between treatment arms. In conclusion, the combination of I brachytherapy and second-line chemotherapy is superior to chemotherapy alone and is an effective and safe therapy for unresectable recurrent breast cancer. However, further investigation and much larger scale randomized controlled trials with long-term follow-up are needed.
-
Laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with extracorporeal anastomosis is a widely used procedure; several authors have published their approach to intracorporeal anastomosis. In this paper, we present an approach developed by us and compare short-term outcomes with those of extracorporeal anastomosis in colon cancer patients. Retrospective review of colon cancer patients treated with laparoscopic right hemicolectomy either with intracorporeal anastomosis (TLG group) or extracorporeal anastomosis (LG group) at the Zhangjiagang Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University between January 2011 and October 2015. ⋯ Complications in the LG group included wound infection (4 patients), obstruction (1), and postoperative bleeding complications (1); however, only 1 patient developed complication (wound infection) in the TLG group. Total laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with 3-step stapled intracorporeal anastomosis for colon cancer is a safe and reliable procedure. Its advantages include short anastomosis time, less intraoperative blood loss, less postoperative pain, and early bowel function recovery.