ABSTRACT
BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has forced a change in the teaching approach when educating physicians. Several training programs have been digitally transformed, including complex procedures such as ultrasound [1]. Recent studies have suggested the possibilities for practicing theoretical and practical ultrasound skills using online platforms, e.g., e-learning [2]. Even though the effect of e-learning on theoretical knowledge is unquestionable, the impact on practical skills is unknown. Thus, it is essential to examine the effect of e-learning on the development of practical skills.ObjectivesTo examine the effect of pre-course e-learning on residents' practical performance in musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS). Moreover, to examine the effect of pre-course e-learning on residents' satisfaction with the following face-to-face MSUS course.MethodsWe designed a multi-center randomized controlled study following the CONSORT statement. Residents with no or little MSUS experience were randomized to either an e-learning group or a traditional group. One week before a 2-day face-to-face MSUS course, the e-learning group received access to an interactive platform consisting of online lectures, assignments, and practical instruction videos aligned with the content of the following course. The traditional group only received standard pre-course information (program, venue, and time). All participants performed a pre- and post-course practical MSUS examination and were assessed by two individual raters, blinded to the group allocation, using the validated Objective Structured Assessment of Ultrasound skills (OSAUS) tool. Finally, the participants filled out a subjective satisfaction questionnaire, the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI).ResultsTwenty-eight participants completed the study. There were no statistically significant differences in the pre- or post-course practical MSUS performance between the e-learning group and the traditional group;the mean pre-course OSAUS score (±SD) in the e-learning group was 5.4±3.7 compared to 5.2±2.4 in the traditional group, p=0.8, whereas the post-course OSAUS score in the e-learning group was 11.1±2.8 compared to 10.9±2.4 in the traditional group, p=0.8 (Figure 1). There was a significant difference between the mean pre- and post-course scores (p<0.001) for both groups. The OSAUS assessment tool demonstrated excellent inter-rater reliability (ICC=0.84). There were no significant differences between the groups regarding their subjective satisfaction with the course measured by the IMI score.ConclusionWe found no significant impact of pre-course e-learning on novices' acquisition of practical MSUS skills or on trainees' satisfaction with the course. Hands-on training is of utmost importance and improves MSUS performance significantly. The OSAUS assessment tool is an applicable tool for the assessment of trainees' MSUS competences and demonstrated excellent interrater reliability.References[1]Strobel D et al. Ultraschall Med 2022;43:428-434.[2]Kan TL et al. Adv Med Educ Pract 2015;6:171-175AcknowledgementsWe would like to express our appreciation to the residents, healthy volunteers, and raters who donated their time to participate in this study. Moreover, the authors thank Søren Grimstrup for statistical assistance. We would like to thank the TOYOTA foundation for financial support for the purchase of an ultrasound machine.Disclosure of InterestsNone Declared.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for contemporary society, generating fear. We aimed to validate a fear scale to identify and assess the severity of fear related to SARS-CoV-2. METHOD(S): This was a cross-sectional study conducted through an online survey and applied to the general Brazilian population. Participants were randomly recruited via social networking platforms during the pandemic (N.=1332). A self-reported fear scale (SARS-CoV-2 Fear Scale [SCoV-2-FS]) comprising 11 questions addressing the fear of contracting SARS-CoV-2 infection during essential daily activities was validated. RESULT(S): The reliability and validity of the SCoV-2-FS were psychometrically evaluated using reliability measures and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Cronbach's alpha was 0.9, indicating excellent internal reliability. CONCLUSION(S): The results of the CFA showed that the unidimensional factor structure of the SCoV-2-FS fitted well with the data. The SCoV-2-FS is a valid and reliable tool with robust psychometric properties and is thus useful for assessing fear associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Copyright © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Background The translatability of the dual-endothelin1/VEGFsp receptor (DEspR) in human was first described in 2016 and its functionality is largely unknown since DEspR is not expressed in healthy human tissues except for kidney tissue and certain tumors. Recently, DEspR expression was reported on human neutrophil subsets of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and COVID19-ADRS patients. DEspR+ neutrophil levels correlated with disease severity and mortality which may root in their delayed apoptosis and facilitated formation of neutrophil extracellular traps. Neutrophils play a major role in inflammation of chronic respiratory diseases and altered levels of DEspR ligands ET-1 and VEGF are found in COPD and asthma phenotypes. Here, we investigated the DEspR expression on human leukocyte populations of asthmatics, COPD patients and healthy smokers as well as on the human promyelocytic leucaemic cell line HL-60. Methods DEspR expression was measured on undifferentiated, promyelocytic HL-60 cells and after differentiation towards a neutrophilic phenotype using 1.25% DMSO. Expression was also measured after stimulation with 50 μg/mL poly I:C or 100 ng/mL LPS. Whole blood cells of COPD patients (step III, IV), healthy smokers and asthmatics (step III) were stained directly after blood draw or after stimulation with 50 μg/mL poly I:C or 100 ng/mL LPS. HL-60 and whole blood leukocytes were stained with Annexin V, 7AAD, DEspR (rhIgG4, clone 6g8), CD11b, CD14 and CD16a. Results Undifferentiated CD11b-, CD14- CD16a- and differentiated CD11b+, CD14-, CD16a- HL-60 cells did not express DEspR, neither with or without inflammatory stimulation. DespR was not expressed on whole blood leukocytes at baseline level (mean±SD: 0.15±0.26 to 0.91±0.60%) but poly I:C induced DEspR expression on neutrophils (34.10±18.52%), monocytes (29.16±20.00%), lymphocytes (9.67±6.11%) and eosinophils (6.14±4.39%). The distribution of DEspR+ cells upon poly I:C stimulation was not significantly altered among different disease types, however, healthy smokers showed a trend to higher DEspR levels. The median fluorescence intensity was not significantly altered among disease types but among the cell populations. Conclusion First experiments demonstrated that DEspR expression can be induced on leukocytes upon inflammatory stimulation. In contrast to previous results of us, LPS did not induce DEspR expression which might be related to differences in the age and disease severity of investigated patients. Interestingly, poly I:C induced a strong DEspR expression indicating a toll-like receptor 3 related mechanism. The sample size needs to be increased to confirm these first results and to investigate the underlying mechanism in detail.