Articles: middle-aged.
-
Cross-sectional studies in cancer have revealed the presence of clusters of symptoms (e.g., gastrointestinal, emotional) and of patients (e.g., low or high levels of symptoms), but not much is known about their longitudinal evolution. In addition, their relationships with medical factors (e.g., cancer sites, treatments) and possible consequences (e.g., functioning) have yet to be established. This prospective study assessed the presence of clusters of patients in 828 participants scheduled to undergo surgery for cancer. ⋯ This study revealed distinct clusters of patients that varied in number during cancer treatments. Findings also identified some clusters associated with lower quality of life and functioning, which should receive more clinical attention.
-
ABSTRACTSmall bowel obstruction (SBO) is a common cause of acute abdominal pain presenting to the emergency department (ED). Although the literature is limited, point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) has been found to have superior diagnostic accuracy for SBO compared to plain radiography; however, it is rarely used in North America for this. ⋯ The application of POCUS for SBO is easily learned and applied in the ED. POCUS for SBO may obviate the need for plain radiography and expedite patient care.
-
Comparative Study
Persistent racial disparity in stroke hospitalization and economic impact in young adults in the buckle of stroke belt.
Mounting evidence points to a decline in stroke incidence. However, little is known about recent patterns of stroke hospitalization within the buckle of the stroke belt. This study aims to investigate the age- and race-specific secular trends in stroke hospitalization rates, inpatient stroke mortality rates, and related hospitalization charges during the past decade in South Carolina. ⋯ The stroke hospitalization rate increased in the young blacks only, which results in a severe and persistent racial disparity. It highlights the urgent need for a racial disparity reduction in the younger population to alleviate the healthcare burden.
-
Pulse oximetry, a non-invasive method for accurate assessment of blood oxygen saturation (SPO2), is an important monitoring tool in health care facilities. However, it is often not available in many low-resource settings, due to expense, overly sophisticated design, a lack of organised procurement systems and inadequate medical device management and maintenance structures. Furthermore medical devices are often fragile and not designed to withstand the conditions of low-resource settings. ⋯ Improving the probe wiring would increase the life span of pulse oximeter probes. Increasing the life span of probes will make pulse oximetry more affordable and accessible. This is of high priority in low-resource settings where frequent repair or replacement of probes is unaffordable or impossible.