Fifth metatarsal fractures - Is routine follow-up necessary?

BACKGROUND: Fifth metatarsal fractures are common, and the outcome with conservative treatment is generally very satisfactory. Operative treatment is only used for selected injuries, particularly stress fractures. Traditionally these patients are routinely reviewed at a fracture clinic, mainly due to the perceived risk of non-union with a Jones' fracture. In 2011 we introduced a standardised protocol to promote weight bearing as pain allowed with an elasticated support or a removable boot. Patients were discharged with structured advice and a help-line number to access care if required, but no further face-to-face review was arranged. More complex cases were reviewed at a "virtual clinic." Our hypothesis was that the introduction of this standardised protocol would be safe, patient-centred and significantly reduce unnecessary outpatient clinic review. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We audited fracture clinic attendance and outcomes 1 year before and 1 year after the protocol was introduced in 2011. All radiographs taken at the Emergency Department (ED) presentation were reviewed and classified independently for validation. RESULTS: From 2009 to 2010, 279 patients who presented to the ED with fifth metatarsal fractures were referred to a fracture clinic. Of these 279 patients, 267 (96%) attended the fracture clinic, resulting in an overall total of 491 outpatient attendances. Three (1%) were treated operatively for delayed/non-union. From 2011 to 2012, 339 patients presented to the ED with fifth metatarsal fractures - only 67 (20%) were referred to a fracture clinic. 62 (18%) attended clinic appointments with 102 appointments in total. Five (1%) required operative intervention. CONCLUSION: Our study showed no added clinical value for routine outpatient follow-up of fifth metatarsal fractures. Patients can be safely discharged and allowed to bear weight at the time of initial ED presentation if they are provided with appropriate information and ready access to experienced fracture clinic staff.

Components of the Risk Instrument for Screening in the Community (RISC) that Correlate with Public Health Nurses' Perception of Risk.

BACKGROUND: Functional decline and frailty are common in community-dwelling older adults, leading to an increased risk of adverse outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To examine the factors that public health nurses perceive to cause risk of three adverse outcomes: institutionalisation, hospitalisation, and death, in older adults, using the Risk Instrument for Screening in the Community (RISC). DESIGN: A quantitative, correlational, descriptive design was used. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A sample of 803 community-dwellers, aged over 65 years receiving regular follow-up by public health nurses. Procedure and Measurements: Public health nurses (n=15) scored the RISC and the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) on patients in their caseload. We examined and compared correlations between the severity of concern and ability of the caregiver network to manage these concerns with public health nurses' perception of risk of the three defined adverse outcomes. RESULTS: In total, 782 RISC scores were available. Concern was higher for the medical state domain (686/782,88%) compared with the mental state (306/782,39%) and activities of daily living (595/782,76%) domains. Concern was rated as severe for only a small percentage of patients. Perceived risk of institutionalisation had the strongest correlation with concern over patients mental state,(r=0.53), while risk of hospitalisation,(r=0.53) and death,(r=0.40) correlated most strongly with concern over the medical state. Weaker correlations were found for the other domains and RISC scores. The CFS most strongly correlated with the ADL domain,(r=0.78). CONCLUSION: Although the prevalence of concern was high, it was mostly rated as mild. Perceived risk of institutionalisation correlated most with concern over the ability of caregiver networks to manage patients' mental state, while risk of hospitalisation and death correlated with patients' medical state. The findings suggest the importance of including an assessment of the caregiver network when examining community-dwelling older adults. Validation of the RISC and public health nurses' ratings are now required.

Prenatal diagnosis of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation defects.

Amniocytes isolated from two pregnancies at risk for fatty acid oxidation defects were incubated with stable isotopically labelled palmitate, in the presence of L-carnitine, to probe that pathway. The labelled acylcarnitines were then quantitated using tandem mass spectrometry. Amniocytes from a pregnancy at risk for medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency produced a characteristic acylcarnitine profile with increased levels of octanoylcarnitine and decanoylcarnitine, indicative of MCAD deficiency. DNA analysis confirmed that the fetus was homozygous for the MCAD A985G mutation. Acylcarnitine and DNA analysis of the infant's blood obtained post-partum confirmed MCAD deficiency. Amniocytes from a pregnancy at risk for an unspecified fat oxidation defect produced increased levels of long-chain acylcarnitines consistent with a deficiency in very-long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (VLCAD). Measurements of the enzymatic activity confirmed VLCAD deficiency in amniocytes. Acylcarnitine profiles of the infant's blood obtained post-partum in addition to enzyme activities measured in fibroblasts confirmed VLCAD deficiency. The successful prenatal diagnosis of VLCAD and MCAD deficiencies using in vitro probes of fatty acid oxidation in fibroblasts suggests that this approach can potentially recognize many mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation defects even if no prior diagnosis is determined in the family at risk.

Pressure ulcers and wound healing: educating the spinal cord injured individual on the effects of cigarette smoking.

While it is well known that smoking causes an increased risk of lung cancer and cardiovascular problems, there is little information available about cigarette smoking and its adverse effects on pressure ulcers and wound healing in the individual with spinal cord injury (SCI). Due to SCI, circulation is already compromised. Smoking has a vasoconstrictive effect on the capillaries at the dermal level, which diminishes the amount of oxygenated blood reaching the tissues, further delaying the healing process of pressure ulcers and surgical wounds (Ting, 1991). A study was developed to focus on the knowledge of smoking among individuals with SCI. A video tape was prepared to provide comprehensive information about smoking. Twenty male patients with SCI were selected at random to view the videotape. A pre-test and post-test were given to evaluate the individual's knowledge of the effects of smoking on wound healing. The data collected demonstrated the effectiveness of the videotape as a teaching tool for increasing awareness of the adverse effects of cigarette smoking on pressure ulcer prevention and wound healing. Educating the individual with SCI on the effects of cigarette smoking is an important aspect of health education that needs to be addressed.

Arthrodesis of small joint of the hand: a rapid and effective technique.

Seventy-six patients underwent 103 arthrodeses of digital joints of the hand to treat deformity, pain, or instability. Each fusion was done by means of a surgical technique that allowed for proper positioning with minimal shortening. No bone graft was used. Only one joint failed to fuse. Bony union was present in 10 weeks or less in 86% of the digits. External immobilization was not used in one third of the joints, primarily low-demand patients with rheumatoid arthritis. There were two superficial pin tract infections that healed after pin removal and a course of oral antibiotics. This surgical technique proved to be technically simple and allowed for easily adjusted positioning of each joint without multiple osteotomies or excess shortening.