Plos One
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Advances in virtual endoscopy simulators have paralleled an interest in medical simulation for gastrointestinal endoscopy training. ⋯ Virtual endoscopy simulator training might be effective for gastroscopy, but so far no data is available to support this for colonoscopy.
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Fibromyalgia patients had normal distraction related pain inhibition but cognitive impairment reflected in caudate nucleus and hippocampus during the Stroop Color Word Test.
The mechanisms causing cognitive problems in chronic pain patients are not well understood. We used the Stroop color word task (SCWT) to investigate distraction-induced analgesia, cognitive performance, and cerebral activation patterns in 29 fibromyalgia (FM) patients (mean age 49.8 years, range 25-64 years) and 31 healthy controls (HC) (mean age 46.3 years, range 20-63 years). In the first study, SCWT was used to investigate distraction-induced analgesia in FM patients. ⋯ This was reflected in a reduced activation of the caudate nucleus, lingual gyrus, temporal areas, and the hippocampus in FM patients compared to HC. In conclusion, we found normal pain inhibition during SWTC in FM patients. The cognitive difficulties seen in FM patients, reflected in longer RTs, were related to reduced activation of the caudate nucleus and hippocampus during incongruent SCWT, which most likely affected the mechanisms of cognitive learning in FM patients.
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The potential benefits of corticosteroids for septic shock may depend on initial mortality risk. ⋯ Risk stratified analysis failed to demonstrate any benefit from corticosteroids in this pediatric septic shock cohort.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Do post discharge phone calls improve care transitions? A cluster-randomized trial.
The transition from hospital to home can expose patients to adverse events during the post discharge period. Post discharge care including phone calls may provide support for patients returning home but the impact on care transitions is unknown. ⋯ A single post discharge phone call had a small impact on the quality of care transitions and no effect on hospital utilization. Higher intensity post discharge support may be required to improve the patient experience upon returning home.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A post-hospital home exercise program improved mobility but increased falls in older people: a randomised controlled trial.
Home exercise can prevent falls in the general older community but its impact in people recently discharged from hospital is not known. The study aimed to investigate the effects of a home-based exercise program on falls and mobility among people recently discharged from hospital. ⋯ An individualised home exercise prescription significantly improved performance-based mobility but significantly increased the rate of falls in older people recently discharged from hospital.