OBJECTIVE:: The incidence of injury during elite-level football tournaments has been well documented, but the incidence of illness and medical conditions has not been well studied. The main objective was to analyze the incidence and nature of medical illnesses and injuries in football players. DESIGN:: Prospective cohort study. SETTING:: 2009 ...

Anemia, either chronic or newly developed in the hospital as a result of underlying disease and/or phlebotomy, is seen commonly among general medical inpatients, and its impact on the quality and efficiency of care is unknown. This study investigated the relation among hemoglobin level, length of stay, and 30-day unplanned ...

Despite the availability of effective therapies, heart failure (HF) remains a highly prevalent disease and the leading cause of hospitalizations in the U.S. Few data are available, however, describing changing trends in the use of various cardiac medications to treat patients with HF and factors associated with treatment. The objectives ...

BACKGROUND: Although data fully support the use of serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), investigations on pharmacotherapy discontinuation during the course of OCD are lacking. This 5-year prospective study sought to better understand the long-term course of SRI utilization among individuals with OCD. METHODS: A ...

Hypertension affects one third of adults in the United States and is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. A previous report found differences in the prevalence of hypertension among racial/ethnic populations in the United States; blacks had a higher prevalence of hypertension, and Hispanics had the lowest ...

BACKGROUND: In this study we describe (1) the implementation of a novel web-based injury and illness surveillance system (WEB-IISS) for use by a team of physicians at multisport events and (2) the incidence and characteristics of injuries and illness in athletes during the London 2012 Paralympic Games. METHODS: Overall, 3565 ...

BACKGROUND: Our aim was to compare trends in retention of academic surgeons by reviewing surgical faculty attrition rates (leaving academic surgery for any reason) of 3 cohorts at 5-year intervals between 1996 and 2011. STUDY DESIGN: The Association of American Medical Colleges' Faculty Administrative Management On-Line User System database was queried ...

Background: Researchers often use pharmacy records to calculate adherence to antiretrovirals. Variability in the findings may be due to inconsistent methods of calculating adherence. Objective: Determine the impact on adherence rates of 6 different calculations that include accounting for whether filled antiretroviral prescriptions were picked up and whether the patient ...

A critical discussion of the recent First Section and Grand Chamber judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of S.H. and Others v. Austria, which upheld an Austrian ban on in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) using donor gametes (ova and sperm). The author argues that the regulatory regime ...

BACKGROUND: In Taiwan, nearly all medical dispute cases were reviewed by an official Medical Review Committee (MRC). AIMS: The aim of this study is to investigate the time trends of assessment reports by the MRC to estimate the changing trends of medical malpractice litigation. METHODS: All assessment reports of the ...

PURPOSE: We examined how the choice of historic medication use criteria for identifying prevalent users may bias estimated adherence changes associated with a medication copayment increase. METHODS: From pharmacy claims data in a retrospective cohort study, we identified 6,383 prevalent users of oral diabetes medications from four VA Medical Centers. ...

OBJECTIVE: To examine the methods used to calculate the reported medication initiation rates in secondary fracture prevention programs. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: A systematic review was conducted on postfracture interventions that aimed to improve osteoporosis management in an orthopedic environment. Two authors independently reviewed eligible articles to determine the numerator ...

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incidence of medication errors in Spanish intensive care units. DESIGN: Post hoc study of the SYREC trial. A longitudinal observational study carried out during 24hours in patients admitted to the ICU. SETTING: Spanish intensive care units. PATIENTS: Patients admitted to the intensive care unit participating in ...

This study examined the regional inequity in the New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) financing in Jiangsu, China. Counties were classified into three categories according to socio-economic development level: South Jiangsu, Middle Jiangsu and North Jiangsu. Five counties (Changshu, Danyang, Gaoyou, Jiangyan and Ganyu) were selected on the basis of the ...

A 6-year-old girl without any medical history experienced a drowning incident for a duration of 2 min, according to witnesses. This was followed by cardiopulmonary resuscitation, during which the automatic external defibrillator (AED) detected a shockable rhythm and subsequently delivered a single electroshock. At the time of admission, her medical ...

Patient incidents involving medical equipment are fairly common, but it is unclear how many of them are actually caused by maintenance omissions, i.e., improper or lack of scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. This question is important because hospitals have been allowed by The Joint Commission (TJC) to develop their own maintenance ...

A number of long-distance running events are held each year in the United States; the Army Ten Miler (ATM) is one such race held annually in Washington, DC. The purpose of the present study was to retrospectively analyze medical encounters for runners participating in the ATM from 1998 to 2004. ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Timely decisions concerning mobilization and allocation of resources and distribution of casualties are crucial in medical management of major incidents. The aim of this study was to evaluate documented initial regional medical responses to major incidents by applying a set of 11 measurable performance indicators for regional medical ...

To introduce atraumatic (Sprotte) lumbar puncture needles and compare complication rates with traumatic (Quincke) needles. Complication rates associated with traumatic needle use were retrospectively analysed over a four-week period. Atraumatic needles were then implemented and a prospective analysis of the complication rates was undertaken for a further six weeks. A ...

The user-managed inventory (UMI) is an emerging idea for enhancing the current distribution and maintenance system for emergency medical countermeasures (MCMs). It increases current capabilities for the dispensing and distribution of MCMs and enhances local/regional preparedness and resilience. In the UMI, critical MCMs, especially those in routine medical use ("dual ...

To report a correlation between the increased number of medical marijuana licenses and marijuana toxicosis in dogs in a state with legalized marijuana for medical use. Retrospective case series from January 1, 2005 to October 1, 2010. Private specialty referral hospital and a university teaching hospital. A total of 125 ...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the performance of international medical graduates in the MRCOG Part 1 and Part 2 written examinations. STUDY DESIGN: Using the database of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, a retrospective analysis was performed of the performance of overseas candidates who appeared for the first time in ...

Objective:This study examined longitudinal trends in the dispensing of psychotropic medications in Australia from January 2000 to December 2011.Method:Dispensing data for the major classes of psychotropic medications (antidepressants, anxiolytics, sedatives, antipsychotics, mood stabilisers and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications) were obtained from the Drug Utilisation Sub-Committee of the Australian Department ...

The incidence of tattoos has been increased markedly during the last 20 years. To analyze the patient files for severe adverse medical reactions related to tattooing. Academic Teaching Hospital in South-East Germany. Retrospective investigation from March 2001 to May 2012. The incidence of severe adverse medical reactions has been estimated ...

This retrospective review of an Israeli computerized medical data base assessed visits to emergency departments in the 48h following the commencement of the Jewish Yom Kippur fast in the years 1999-2009, and showed that fasting does not seem to be associated with an increased rate of visits.

BACKGROUND: Medication errors are a significant global concern and can cause serious medical consequences for patients. Little is known about medication errors in Middle Eastern countries. The objectives of this systematic review were to review studies of the incidence and types of medication errors in Middle Eastern countries and to ...

In the fast-paced environment of a cardiac and thoracic surgery telemetry unit, nurses are interrupted hundreds of times per day. These interruptions can have a detrimental effect on patient safety during medication administration. This article describes a bundle of safety interventions that reduced the average number of interruptions during medication ...

BACKGROUND: Immunomodulator medications (IMM) play a vital role in the care of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD practice guidelines recommend myelosuppression monitoring after initiation of IMM. AIM: To identify adherence rates and predictors of myelosuppression monitoring after IMM initiation in a large practice setting. METHODS: We identified a ...

Critically ill patients are a high risk population for medication errors and neonates represent a more vulnerable group. Errors can occur in each step of the path from prescription to administration and their rate varies widely due to the error definition and identification methods used in the different studies. Identifying ...

This article examines an autonomous virtual patient (AVP) system for identifying differences between novices and experts in dentistry. The two groups in the study were ten boarded or board-eligible experts (seven males, three females; mean±sd age 40±11) and twenty-six fourth-year dental students (fifteen males, eleven females; mean±sd age 27±3), who ...

Objective. The study examined whether reductions in the use of pro re nata (p.r.n.) psychotropic medications could be achieved in a large public-sector psychiatric hospital, without adverse behavioral consequences, by disseminating a database that tracks p.r.n. use to clinical teams. Methods. A performance improvement project was implemented over 28 months, ...

One in every 10 000 to 40 000 passengers on commercial aircraft will have a medical incident while on board. Many physicians are unaware of the special features of the cabin atmosphere, the medical equipment available on airplanes, and the resulting opportunities for medical intervention. A selective literature search was ...

Objectives: To describe how the types of healthcare expenditures for patients with asthma have changed over the past decade. Study Design: Cross-sectional comparison between individuals from 1996 to 1998 and 2004 to 2006. Methods: Expenditures among US individuals (aged 5 to 56 years) with asthma were compared using the 1996 ...

All 50 US states allow medical exemptions from school entry immunization requirements. The extent to which medical exemptions are granted and the relationship with ease of obtaining these exemptions has not previously been examined in detail. We evaluated counts and rates of state-level medical exemptions to kindergarten entry requirements over ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether seclusion and coercive incidents would be reduced in extent and number if involuntary medication was the first choice of intervention. METHODS: Patients admitted to an acute psychiatric ward were randomly allocated to two groups. In Group 1, involuntary medication was the intervention of first choice for ...

Monitoring sales of medications is a potential candidate for an early signal of a seasonal influenza epidemic. To test this theory, the data from a traditional, consultation-oriented influenza surveillance system were compared to medication sales and a predictive model was developed. Weekly influenza-like incidence rates from the National Influenza Sentinel ...

To ascertain frequency and pattern of primary headaches among young Nigerians as represented by medical students in the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, South East Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional descriptive interview-based study using structured headache questionnaire. Consent was obtained and the results interpreted following the guidelines of the International ...

Barefoot running, which was how people ran for millions of years, provides an opportunity to study how natural selection adapted the human body to run. Because humans evolved to run barefoot, a barefoot running style that minimizes impact peaks and provides increased proprioception and foot strength, is hypothesized to help ...

The purpose of this case report is to describe a 56-year old female patient with a bizarre pattern of cervicobrachial symptoms. The patient was managed according to the McKenzie "Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy" principles and the physical examination alongside the movement testing showed inconsistent findings. Due to the patient's cancer-related ...

Bar coded medication administration (BCMA), the automated electronic verification of medications by nurses at the patient bedside, provides an additional layer of safety to the process of medication administration in the hospital setting. We performed a retrospective, descriptive study of BCMA alerts for elevated potassium (>5.5 mg/dL) in place within ...

Alexandre Yersin, the great French discoverer of yersinia pestis, was a keen explorer of unknown lands. At the age of 30, a member of the French Colonial Health service, he set off to fulfil his intimate dream and explore other continents. For almost two years and three long expeditions, he ...

Minocycline can cause palpebral conjunctival greyish deposits in which autofluorescence can be readily demonstrated. We believe that this is a first report of the demonstration of in-vivo conjunctival autofluorescence of palpebral conjunctival minocycline deposit. In conclusion, minocycline deposit can be shown clinically without the need of an invasive biopsy procedure ...

Integration is an important educational strategy in medical education. Considering this idea, the goal of the present study was to design and implementation of longitudinal and vertical integrated education of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, neurology and neuropsychiatry subjects of brain's basal ganglia by a multidisciplinary team. Kern's approach to curriculum development ...

Doctors are increasingly seen as key to embedding health service improvements and there has been much international debate over how best this can be achieved. This article takes an international perspective on medical leadership and leadership development through discussion of case study examples and initiatives from around the world.

This article examines the links between medical professionalism and medical leadership and discusses how the values that are required to be a 'good doctor' are the same as a 'good leader'. The potential of this overlap to inform the debate on developing and assessing both medical leadership and professionalism is ...

<span style="font-weight: bold"> <⁄span> There are public concerns regarding OxyContin (Purdue Pharma, Canada) and charges within the pain medicine community that media coverage of the drug has been biased. <span style="font-weight: bold"> <⁄span> To analyze and compare representations of OxyContin in medical journals and North American newspapers in an attempt ...

As leadership and management are increasingly seen as a vital part of the doctor's daily repertoire, medical schools are starting to implement leadership development programmes as a routine part of the curriculum with opportunities for some students to take extended study in leadership.

OBJECTIVE: Existing investigations on medical error disclosures have neglected the fact that a disproportionately large amount of the meaning in messages is derived from nonverbal cues. This study provides an empirical assessment of the verbal and nonverbal messages physicians communicate when disclosing medical errors to standardized patients. METHODS: Sixty hypothetical ...

Medical leadership is now becoming embedded at all stages of medical education and training. This article summarizes key policy and practice drivers, highlights some of the debates around what constitutes medical leadership and provides examples of leadership development initiatives.

This paper introduces a new algorithm for losslessly compressing voxel-based 3D CT medical images. Firstly, medical data is segmented according to selected ranges of the Hounsfield scale. The data is then arranged into two data streams. The first stream identifies the positions of the remaining data after segmentation. This information ...