A qualitative study of factors in nurses' and physicians' decision-making related to family presence during resuscitation.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore the similarities and differences in factors that influence nurses' and physicians' decision-making related to family presence during resuscitation. BACKGROUND: Despite the growing acceptance of family presence during resuscitation worldwide, healthcare professionals continue to debate the risks and benefits of family presence. As many hospitals lack a policy to guide family presence during resuscitation, decisions are negotiated by resuscitation teams, families and patients in crisis situations. Research has not clarified the factors that influence the decision-making processes of nurses and physicians related to inviting family presence. This is the first study to elicit written data from healthcare professionals to explicate factors in decision-making about family presence. DESIGN: Qualitative exploratory-descriptive. METHODS: Convenience samples of registered nurses (n = 325) and acute care physicians (n = 193) from a Midwestern hospital in the United States of America handwrote responses to open-ended questions about family presence. Through thematic analysis, decision-making factors for physicians and nurses were identified and compared. RESULTS: Physicians and nurses evaluated three similar factors and four differing factors when deciding to invite family presence during resuscitation. Furthermore, nurses and physicians weighted the factors differently. Physicians weighted most heavily the family's potential to disrupt life-saving efforts and compromise patient care and then the family's knowledge about resuscitations. Nurses heavily weighted the potential for the family to be traumatised, the potential for the family to disrupt the resuscitation, and possible family benefit. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses and physicians considered both similar and different factors when deciding to invite family presence. Physicians focused on the patient primarily, while nurses focused on the patient, family and resuscitation team. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Knowledge of factors that influence the decision-making of interprofessional colleagues can improve collaboration and communication in crisis events of family presence during resuscitation.

A call to promote healthcare justice: A summary of integrated outpatient clinics exemplifying principles of Catholic social teaching.

There is an urgent need to promote healthcare justice for patients as well as members of the healthcare team including physicians. In this article, we explain how principles of Catholic social teaching (i.e., dignity of the individual, common good, destination of goods, solidarity, and subsidiarity) are applied to health care, by featuring various types of outpatient clinics including free, charitable-direct primary care, hybrid, federally qualified health center, and rural health clinic. We describe how attempts have been made to improve the quality and access of health care by creating new medical schools (i.e., Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine) and training programs as well as allocating government funding to alleviate the cost of training new healthcare providers through the National Health Service Corps. Finally, we suggest a few approaches (i.e., adopting new clinic models to include volunteer healthcare professionals and cross-training members of the healthcare team) to fill in current gaps in health care. Summary : There is a need to promote justice in healthcare. In this article, we explain how principles of Catholic social teaching are applied to health care. To illustrate this, we feature various types of outpatient clinics. We also describe how attempts have been made to improve the quality and access of health care. Finally, we suggest further ways to improve healthcare reform based upon Catholic social teaching.

Biomarkers Affected by Impact Severity during Osteochondral Injury.

Osteochondral injury elevates the risk for developing posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Therefore, our objective was to evaluate the relationship between impact severity during injury to cell viability and biomarkers possibly involved in PTOA. Osteochondral explants (6 mm, n = 72) were harvested from cadaveric femoral condyles (N = 6). Using a test machine, each explant (except for No Impact) was subjected to mechanical impact at a velocity of 100 mm/s to 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, or 1.25 mm maximum compression corresponding to Low, Low-Moderate, Moderate, Moderate-High, or High impact groups. Cartilage cell viability, collagen content, and proteoglycan content were assessed at either day 0 or after 12 days of culture. Culture media were assessed for prostaglandin E2 (PGE2); nitric oxide; granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF); interferon gamma (IFNγ); interleukin (IL)-2, -4, -6, -7, -8, -10, -15, -18; interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10); keratinocyte-derived chemoattractant (KC); monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1); tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα); and matrix metalloproteinase-2, -3, -8, -9, -13. There was increased impact energy absorbed for the High group compared with the Moderate-High group, Moderate group, and Low-Moderate group (p = 0.011, 0.048, 0.008, respectively). At day 0, there was decreased area cell viability for the High group compared with the Low-Moderate group (p = 0.035). At day 1, PGE2 was increased for the High group compared with the Moderate, Low-Moderate, Low, and No Impact groups (p ≤ 0.01). Cumulative PGE2 was increased for the Moderate-High and High groups compared with the Moderate, Low-Moderate, Low, and No Impact groups (p ≤ 0.036). At day 1, MCP-1 was increased for the Moderate-High and High groups compared with the Low and No Impact groups (p ≤ 0.032). Impact to osteochondral explants resulted in multiple levels of severity. PGE2 was sensitive to impact severity which may justify its use as a clinically measurable biomarker after joint injury for monitoring early PTOA.

Biomarkers affected by impact velocity and maximum strain of cartilage during injury.

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common, debilitating, musculoskeletal diseases; 12% associated with traumatic injury resulting in post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Our objective was to develop a single impact model with cartilage "injury level" defined in terms of controlled combinations of strain rate to a maximum strain (both independent of cartilage load resistance) to study their sensitivity to articular cartilage cell viability and potential PTOA biomarkers. A servo-hydraulic test machine was used to measure canine humeral head cartilage explant thickness under repeatable pressure, then subject it (except sham and controls) to a single impact having controlled constant velocity V=1 or 100mm/s (strain rate 1.82 or 182/s) to maximum strain ε=10%, 30%, or 50%. Thereafter, explants were cultured in media for twelve days, with media changed at day 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12. Explant thickness was measured at day 0 (pre-injury), 6 and 12 (post-injury). Cell viability, and tissue collagen and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) were analyzed immediately post-injury and day 12. Culture media were tested for biomarkers: GAG, collagen II, chondroitin sulfate-846, nitric oxide, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Detrimental effects on cell viability, and release of GAG and PGE2 to the media were primarily strain-dependent, (PGE2 being more prolonged and sensitive at lower strains). The cartilage injury model appears to be useful (possibly superior) for investigating the relationship between impact severity of injury and the onset of PTOA, specifically for discovery of biomarkers to evaluate the risk of developing clinical PTOA, and to compare effective treatments for arthritis prevention.

What goes up must come down! A primary care approach to preventing injuries amongst highflying cheerleaders.

PURPOSE: This article provides information regarding the most common nonlife-threatening and catastrophic injuries that occur during cheerleading, and describes the role of the nurse practitioner (NP) in managing patients who participate in cheerleading. DATA SOURCES: Literature review of evidence-based research articles, epidemiological reports, and current guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: Cheerleading is one of the most popular sports among adolescent females, and participation has increased rapidly in recent years. Rates of injury have also increased as the difficulty of this activity reaches new heights. Several factors such as body changes during puberty, societal pressures affecting nutrition, and lack of safety regulations place cheerleaders at risk for injury. Sprains/strains are the most common injury, and concussions are the most common traumatic injury. Injuries occur as a result of tumbling, stunting, falling, spotting, and unsafe practice surfaces. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The role of the NP in injury prevention is to identify risk factors during preparticipation physicals, initiate conditioning and strength training routines, and implement safety measures during practices and competitions. The NP should also provide education and guidance to cheerleaders, parents, and coaches.

Comparison of a novel bone-tendon allograft with a human dermis-derived patch for repair of chronic large rotator cuff tears using a canine model.

PURPOSE: This study tested a bone-tendon allograft versus human dermis patch for reconstructing chronic rotator cuff repair by use of a canine model. METHODS: Mature research dogs (N = 15) were used. Radiopaque wire was placed in the infraspinatus tendon (IST) before its transection. Three weeks later, radiographs showed IST retraction. Each dog then underwent 1 IST treatment: debridement (D), direct repair of IST to bone with a suture bridge and human dermis patch augmentation (GJ), or bone-tendon allograft (BT) reconstruction. Outcome measures included lameness grading, radiographs, and ultrasonographic assessment. Dogs were killed 6 months after surgery and both shoulders assessed biomechanically and histologically. RESULTS: BT dogs were significantly (P = .01) less lame than the other groups. BT dogs had superior bone-tendon, tendon, and tendon-muscle integrity compared with D and GJ dogs. Biomechanical testing showed that the D group had significantly (P = .05) more elongation than the other groups whereas BT had stiffness and elongation characteristics that most closely matched normal controls. Radiographically, D and GJ dogs showed significantly more retraction than BT dogs (P = .003 and P = .045, respectively) Histologically, GJ dogs had lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates, tendon degeneration and hypocellularity, and poor tendon-bone integration. BT dogs showed complete incorporation of allograft bone into host bone, normal bone-tendon junctions, and well-integrated allograft tendon. CONCLUSIONS: The bone-tendon allograft technique re-establishes a functional IST bone-tendon-muscle unit and maintains integrity of repair in this model. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Clinical trials using this bone-tendon allograft technique are warranted.

Biomechanical analysis of pedicle screws in osteoporotic bone with bioactive cement augmentation using simulated in vivo multicomponent loading.

STUDY DESIGN: Biomechanical analysis of bioactive cements augmenting pedicle screw resistance to loosening in osteoporotic synthetic bone. OBJECTIVE: To simulate in vivo loading-loosening of pedicle screws in osteoporotic vertebrae; and to compare biomechanical efficacy of the following bioactive cements: calcium phosphate (CP), calcium sulfate (CS), and proprietary mixture (M). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Pedicle screw instrumentation in osteoporotic spines is limited by poor bone-screw interface strength, resulting in screw loosening fixation failure. Previous in vivo studies evaluated augmented pedicle screw resistance to pure pullout, not simulating in vivo loading/failure. METHODS: A pedicle screw-instrumented osteoporotic thoracic vertebra subjected to combined pullout, transverse, moment loading was simulated. Unconstrained 3-dimensional screw motion relative to vertebra was optically measured during quasi-static, and dynamic loading. RESULTS: Augmented groups (CP, CS, M) produced (P < 8.0E-07) higher quasi-static failure initiation force (61.2,45.6, 40.3 N) than those by the nonaugmented group (21.0 N), with no significant difference in small screw displacement up to these loads. Nonaugmented screw motion after failure initiation was primarily rotation (toggle-migration) with minimal pullout until the screw tip contacted the superior endplate, followed by more prominent screw pullout. Augmented screw motion (with cement remaining intact on screw) was similar, but with eventual bone fracture anterior to the pedicle region. Dynamic loading produced similar failure initiation force and screw motion. CONCLUSION: We believe our test protocol produced screw loosening failure similar to that observed clinically, and that it has the ability to detect differences in failure initiation force and failure modes to compare short-term efficacy of screw augmentation techniques. All cements improved screw resistance to failure. The CP > CS > M failure initiation force (P < 0.006) was because of differences in cement distribution. Animal studies may be required to characterize the remodeling activity of bioactive cements and their longer term efficacies.

Who gets a second chance? An investigation of Ohio's blended juvenile sentence.

Factors differentiating blended sentencing cases (Serious Youthful Offenders or SYOs) from conventional juvenile cases and cases transferred to the adult criminal court in Ohio were investigated using a two-stage probit. Conventional juvenile cases differed from cases selected for non-conventional processing (i.e., SYO or transfer) according to offense seriousness, number of prior Ohio Department of Youth Services placements, age and gender. Controlling for probability of selection for nonconventional processing, transfers differed from SYOs according to age, gender, and race. Minorities were significantly more likely than Whites to be transfers rather than SYOs, suggesting possible bias in the decision-making process. Objective risk and needs assessments should be used to identify the most suitable candidates for blended sentences and adult transfer and enhanced services should be provided to juvenile offenders given blended sentences.