Comparison of WIFi, University of Texas and Wagner Classification Systems as Major Amputation Predictors for Admitted Diabetic Foot Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study

@#Introduction: Classifications systems are powerful tools that could reduce the length of hospital stay and economic burden. The Would, Ischemia, and Foot Infection (WIFi) classification system was created as a comprehensive system for predicting major amputation but is yet to be compared with other systems. Thus, the objective of this study is to compare the predictive abilities for major lower limb amputation of WIFi, Wagner and the University of Texas Classification Systems among diabetic foot patients admitted in a tertiary hospital through a prospective cohort design. Materials and Methods: Sixty-three diabetic foot patients admitted from June 15, 2019 to February 15, 2020. Methods included one-on-one interview for clinico-demographic data, physical examination to determine the classification. Patients were followed-up and outcomes were determined. Pearson Chi-square or Fisher’s Exact determined association between clinico-demographic data, the classifications, and outcomes. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve determined predictive abilities of classification systems and paired analysis compared the curves. Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUC) values used to compare the prediction accuracy. Analysis was set at 95% CI. Results: Results showed hypertension, duration of diabetes, and ambulation status were significantly associated with major amputation. WIFi showed the highest AUC of 0.899 (p = 0.000). However, paired analysis showed AUC differences between WIFi, Wagner, and University of Texas classifications by grade were not significantly different from each other. Conclusion: The WIFi, Wagner, and University of Texas classification systems are good predictors of major amputation with WIFi as the most predictive.

Binational utilization and barriers to care among Mexican American border residents with diabetes / Utilización binacional y barreras a la atención en las personas con diabetes que residen en la frontera mexicano-estadounidense

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether U.S.-Mexico border residents with diabetes 1) experience greater barriers to medical care in the United States of America versus Mexico and 2) are more likely to seek care and medication in Mexico compared to border residents without diabetes. METHODS: A stratified two-stage randomized cross-sectional health survey was conducted in 2009 - 2010 among 1 002 Mexican American households. RESULTS: Diabetes rates were high (15.4%). Of those that had diabetes, most (86%) reported comorbidities. Compared to participants without diabetes, participants with diabetes had slightly greater difficulty paying US$ 25 (P = 0.002) or US$ 100 (P = 0.016) for medical care, and experienced greater transportation and language barriers (P = 0.011 and 0.014 respectively) to care in the United States, but were more likely to have a person/place to go for medical care and receive screenings. About one quarter of participants sought care or medications in Mexico. Younger age and having lived in Mexico were associated with seeking care in Mexico, but having diabetes was not. Multiple financial barriers were independently associated with approximately threefold-increased odds of going to Mexico for medical care or medication. Language barriers were associated with seeking care in Mexico. Being confused about arrangements for medical care and the perception of not always being treated with respect by medical care providers in the United States were both associated with seeking care and medication in Mexico (odds ratios ranging from 1.70 - 2.76). CONCLUSIONS: Reporting modifiable barriers to medical care was common among all participants and slightly more common among 1) those with diabetes and 2) those who sought care in Mexico. However, these are statistically independent phenomena; persons with diabetes were not more likely to use services in Mexico. Each set of issues (barriers facing those with diabetes, barriers related to use of services in Mexico) may occur side by side, and both present opportunities for improving access to care and disease management.

OBJETIVO: Evaluar si las personas con diabetes que residen en la frontera mexicano-estadounidense 1) encuentran mayores barreras para obtener atención médica en los Estados Unidos de América que en México; y 2) acuden a México en busca de atención y medicación con mayor probabilidad que las personas no diabéticas que residen en la frontera. MÉTODOS: Durante el 2009 y el 2010, en una muestra de 1 002 hogares mexicano-estadounidenses, se llevó a cabo una encuesta transversal de salud en dos etapas, estratificada y aleatorizada. RESULTADOS: Las tasas de diabetes eran elevadas (15,4%). La mayor parte de las personas con diabetes (86%) notificaron comorbilidades. En comparación con los participantes no diabéticos, los afectados de diabetes experimentaban dificultades algo mayores para pagar US$ 25 (P = 0,002) o US$ 100 (P = 0,016) por recibir atención médica, y encontraban mayores barreras en materia de transporte e idioma (P = 0,011 y 0,014, respectivamente) para ser atendidos en los Estados Unidos, aunque era más probable que contaran con una persona o lugar adonde acudir en busca de atención médica y para ser sometidos a tamizaje. Una cuarta parte de los participantes acudían a México en busca de atención o medicamentos. Una edad menor y el haber vivido en México se asociaban con la búsqueda de atención en México, pero no el padecer diabetes. La presencia de múltiples barreras financieras se asociaba independientemente con una probabilidad aproximadamente tres veces mayor de acudir a México en busca de atención médica o medicación. Las barreras idiomáticas se asociaban con la búsqueda de atención en México. La confusión acerca de los trámites para recibir atención médica y la percepción de no recibir siempre un trato respetuoso por parte de los proveedores de atención médica en los Estados Unidos se asociaban con la búsqueda de atención y medicación en México (odds ratio, 1,70 - 2,76). CONCLUSIONES: La notificación de barreras modificables a la atención médica fue frecuente entre los participantes y algo más frecuente entre 1) las personas con diabetes; y 2) los que buscaban se atendidos en México. Sin embargo, estos fenómenos son estadísticamente independientes; no era más probable que las personas con diabetes utilizaran servicios en México. Ambos conjuntos de problemas (las barreras que deben afrontar las personas con diabetes, las barreras relacionadas con el uso de servicios en México) pueden coexistir, y proporcionan oportunidades para mejorar el acceso a la atención y el tratamiento de las enfermedades.

Prevalence of Antibody to Trypanosoma cruzi in Women Delivering Infants at Parkland Health and Hospital System, Dallas, Texas, USA.

Recent increases in the immigration of persons from Latin America into North America, particularly from regions endemic for Chagas disease, suggest the possibility that pregnant women may be latently infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. This study was undertaken to assess the magnitude of seropositivity in parturient women in our institution. Umbilical cord blood was collected from Hispanic surnamed women delivering infants at Parkland Health and Hospital System (PHHS), the public hospital serving Dallas County, Texas, and affiliated with UT Southwestern. When possible the specimens were collected from consecutive deliveries. Serum was tested for antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi by commercial systems. Two hundred delivering women were tested as described. Of those tested, 4 were found to be positive for T. cruzi antibody (2%). This confirms a potential risk for transplacental transmission of T. cruzi in populations residing outside the traditional endemic zone, such as those seeking medical care at PHHS.

The Emergence of the North Texas Korean American Nurses Society and its Contributions to Korean Immigrant Societies in the U.S / 간호행정학회지

PURPOSE: To describe the emergence of the North Texas Korean American Nurses Society (NTKANS) and to examine its sociocultural contributions to Korean immigrant societies in the U.S. for the last half century. METHODS: The study used retrospective historical analysis to explore the first North Texas Korean immigrant nurses' footsteps. Using Christy's historical research methodology, this study explored themes found in the NTKANS Minutes, the directories, and newspapers, and compared them with historical nursing contexts found in documents, immigrant nurse's pictures, and letters. Interviews with twenty first immigrant Korean nurses, the members, were also used as main data. RESULTS: Since its emergence in 1969, the NTKANS have contributed to local Korean societies through community medical services, financial supports to local Korean associations, local publications, and opening Korean school. In addition, the society has contributed to the other Korean immigrant nursing societies in the U.S. CONCLUSION: The sociocultural contributions NTKANS had made to Korean immigrant societies were not possible without its members' enormous efforts, personal struggles, and altruistic dedications. The trials and tribulations these immigrant nurses have overcome and the achievements they made for last half century would greatly inspire students and nurses in Korea who may seek international leadership and scholarship.

Ethnic and health correlates of diabetes-related amputations at the Texas-Mexico border / Correlatos étnicos y de salud de las amputaciones relacionadas con la diabetes en la frontera entre Texas y México

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between diabetes-related lower-extremity amputation (LEA) and ethnicity, age, source of payment, geographic location, diabetes severity, and health condition in adults with diabetes mellitus type 2 living in border and non-border counties in Texas, United States of America, and to assess intra-border region geographic differences in post-LEA treatment. METHODS: This correlational study was based on secondary data from the 2003 Texas Inpatient Hospital Discharge Data. The sample consisted of individuals 45 years of age and older with type 2 diabetes who had undergone a nontraumatic LEA (n = 5 865). Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were applied. RESULTS: The following characteristics were predictors of LEA: being Hispanic or African American, male, > 55 years old, and a Medicare or Medicaid user, and living in a border county. Persons with moderate diabetes and those who suffered from cardiovascular disease or stroke also had higher odds of undergoing an LEA. Post-LEA occupational therapy was significantly less prevalent among border residents (9.5 percent) than non-border residents (15.3 percent) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Understanding the factors that influence diabetes-related LEA may lead to early detection and effective treatment of this disabling consequence of diabetes along the U.S.-Mexico border.

OBJETIVO: Analizar la asociación entre las amputaciones de extremidades inferiores (AEI) relacionadas con la diabetes y el grupo étnico, la edad, la procedencia del pago, la ubicación geográfica, la gravedad de la diabetes y el estado de salud de los adultos que padecen diabetes tipo 2 residentes en los condados fronterizos y no fronterizos de Texas (Estados Unidos de América), y evaluar la diferencias geográficas dentro de la zona fronteriza en cuanto al tratamiento posterior a la amputación. MÉTODOS: Este estudio correlacional se basó en datos secundarios procedentes de la información de egreso de pacientes hospitalizados en Texas durante el año 2003. La muestra estuvo integrada por personas de 45 años o mayores con diabetes tipo 2, que habían sido sometidas a la amputación no traumática de una extremidad inferior (n = 5 865). Se aplicaron estadística descriptiva y análisis de regresión logística. RESULTADOS: Las siguientes características constituyeron factores predictivos de AEI: ser hispano o afroestadounidense, hombre, de 55 años o mayor, beneficiario de Medicare o Medicaid, y residente en un condado fronterizo. Las personas con diabetes moderada que padecían enfermedades cardiovasculares o habían sufrido un accidente cerebrovascular también tenían una mayor probabilidad de ser sometidas a una AEI. La terapia ocupacional posterior a la amputación fue significativamente menos prevalente entre los residentes fronterizos (9,5 por ciento) que entre los no fronterizos (15,3 por ciento) (P < 0,001). CONCLUSIONES: La comprensión de los factores que influyen en las AEI relacionadas con la diabetes puede conducir a la detección temprana y el tratamiento eficaz de esta secuela discapacitante en la zona fronteriza entre los Estados Unidos y México.

Health-related quality of life in a binational population with diabetes at the Texas-Mexico border

OBJECTIVES: To examine physical and mental health domains of health-related quality of life (HRQL) in a binational adult population with type 2 diabetes at the Texas-Mexico border, and to explore individual and social correlates to physical and mental health status. METHODS: Adults 18 years and older with type 2 diabetes residing in the South Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley and in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, were recruited using a convenience sampling technique and interviewed face-to-face with a structured survey. HRQL was measured using physical and mental health summary components of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form. HRQL correlates included demographic characteristics, health factors, access to healthcare, and family support. Samples characteristics were compared using the Student’s t-test or Mann-Whitney U test. Associations between dependent and independent variables were examined using unadjusted and adjusted (multiple variable) logistic regression models. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between Valley and Reynosa respondents in physical or mental health status scores. Valley participants with lower socioeconomic status and those perceiving their supportive relative’s level of diabetes-related knowledge as "low" were more likely to report worse physical health than those lacking those characteristics. In the Reynosa group, lower physical health status was associated with duration of diabetes and insulin use. Both sample populations with clinical depressive symptoms were more likely to have worse physical and mental health than those without such symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: HRQL is an important outcome in monitoring health status. Understanding the levels and influences of HRQL in U.S.-Mexico border residents with diabetes may help improve diabetes management programs.

OBJETIVOS: Analizar los dominios de salud física y mental de la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud (CVRS) en una población binacional de adultos con diabetes tipo 2 en la frontera Texas-México y explorar los factores individuales y sociales relacionados con el estado de la salud física y mental. MÉTODOS: Se realizó un muestreo de conveniencia de personas de 18 años de edad o más con diabetes tipo 2 que vivían en Lower Rio Grande Valley, al sur de Texas, y en Reynosa, Tamaulipas, México, y se les realizó una entrevista estructurada presencial. La CVRS se midió mediante los componentes abreviados de salud física y mental del MOS-SF8 (Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 8). Entre los factores relacionados con la CVRS estaban las características demográficas, los factores de salud, el acceso a la atención sanitaria y el apoyo familiar. Se compararon las características de las muestras mediante la prueba de la t de Student o la prueba de la U de Mann-Whitney. Las asociaciones entre las variables independientes y la dependiente se analizaron mediante modelos de regresión logística múltiple, ajustados y sin ajustar. RESULTADOS: No se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los entrevistados de Valley y de Reynosa en cuanto a la puntuación del estado de salud física y mental. Los participantes de Valley con menor estatus socioeconómico y los que consideraban que los parientes que los apoyaban tenían un "bajo" nivel de conocimiento sobre la diabetes presentaron una mayor probabilidad de informar un peor estado de salud física que los que no tenían esas características. En el grupo de Reynosa, el peor estado de salud física se asoció con la duración de la diabetes y el uso de insulina. En ambos grupos, las personas con síntomas clínicos de depresión tuvieron una mayor probabilidad de informar una peor salud física y mental que los que no presentaban esos síntomas. CONCLUSIONES: La CVRS es un importante criterio en el análisis del estado...

Clinical Experiences of Spinal Surgery using TSRH Instrument / 대한정형외과학회잡지

The main goal of spinal surgery using implant is a rigid fixation to provide the stability until solid fusion will occur. Recently, various implant fixation devices have been introduced and transpedicular screw fixation is the usual method. In the past, we obtained the implant-related complications like screw failure and rod breakage after using the modified Harrington rod. However, we obtained good results after follow up over one year using TSRH instrument. We experienced spinal surgery using TSRH instrument in 42 cases since 1991 and followed from one year to 28 months with average 16 months. We analyzed the 28 cases and evaluated the implant-related problems. The results were as follows: 1. Among 28 patients, 10 patients were operated due to fracture and 9 patients operated due to spinal stenosis. 2. The male patients were 16 cases and the female were 12 cases. 3. The TSRH instruments provided the rigid fixation with three points clamping mechanism. 4. The cross-linking plate of TSRH was found to increase stiffness and strength. 5. There were no case of screw breakage. 6. In functional results by Kirkaldy-Willis; foriteria the excellent cases were 15, and the good were 2 cases.

Application of TSRH Instrumentation In Degenerative Lumbar Surgery

The patients with degenerative lumbar spine disease were treated using TSRH(Texas Scottish Rite Hospital) universal instrumentation system. The patient population consisted of 6 men and 4 women with a mean age of 56 years(43 to 65 years). All patients suffered chronic back pain with other neurological symptoms and signs. Neurological improvement was obtained in all cases postoperatively. Complication include pneumonia in 1 case, deep vein thrombosis in 1 case, flaccid neurogenic bladder in 1 case. Autogenous bone graft, obtained from iliac bone, between transverse process provided excellent bony fusion in 7 cases on radiologic evaluation between 9 months to 12 months after operation. TSRH universal instrumentation system have several advantages compared with other pedicle screw rod systems ; easy to handle, low morbidity, shorter operative time and easier relieval of root compression.