Ann Acad Med Singap
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Ann Acad Med Singap · Feb 2024
Defining breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) prevalence and risk factors: A pragmatic approach to lymphedema surveillance.
We presented the key findings from Singapore's Changi General Hospital Breast Centre's lymphedema surveillance strategy that used patients' reported symptoms, standard arm circumference measurements and clinical assessment in the diagnosis of breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). Our secondary aim was to highlight and discuss important elements of a surveillance strategy that can be implemented to track this outcome measure of breast cancer treatment for future research. ⋯ Our study showed that our rates of BCRL were comparable to international rates and highlighted similar patient profiles who were at risk of developing the disease. Having a comprehensive lymphedema surveillance strategy is paramount in paving the way for future studies.
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Ann Acad Med Singap · Feb 2024
Frailty-aware surgical care: Validation of Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) in older surgical patients.
Frailty has an important impact on the health outcomes of older patients, and frailty screening is recommended as part of perioperative evaluation. The Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) is a validated tool that highlights frailty risk using 109 International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) codes. In this study, we aim to compare HFRS to the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and validate HFRS as a predictor of adverse outcomes in Asian patients admitted to surgical services. ⋯ To our knowledge, this is the first validation of HFRS in Singapore in surgical patients and confirms that high-risk HFRS predicts long LOS (≥7days), increased unplanned hospital readmissions (both 30-day and 270-day) and increased mortality (inpatient, 10-day, 30-day, 90-day, 270-day) compared with those at low risk of frailty.
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Ann Acad Med Singap · Feb 2024
Review Practice GuidelineConsensus statements and guideline for the diagnosis and management of plantar fasciitis in Singapore.
Plantar fasciitis (PF) is a common cause of heel pain among the general population. The lack of standard practice guideline in Singapore presents challenges in education and clinical practice for this painful condition. These consensus statements and guideline were developed to streamline and improve the management of PF, covering key aspects such as diagnosis, investigations, risk factors, treatment modalities, monitoring and return to work/play. ⋯ The SDSC consensus statements and guideline provide concise recommendations for the management of PF in Singapore.