A Unique Clinical Tool for the Evaluation of Oral Feeding Skills in Infants.

Background. Occupational therapy practice for oral feeding assessment is based on clinical observation of infants' sucking, swallowing, and breathing ability, which is influenced by clinical experience and provides poor evidence on explanatory factors. Purpose. To test the clinical utility and safety of a nipple monitoring device for the quantitative evaluation of oral feeding skills. Method. Sixteen infants, with no severe medical complications, participated in a pre-experimental pilot study. Oral feeding performances (duration, intake volume, and rate of transfer), and occurrence of adverse events (apnea, bradycardia, and oxygen desaturations) were recorded to ensure the tool does not interfere with infant's feeding ability or does not create any adverse effects. Findings. There was no significant difference in duration, intake volume, rate of transfer between the two monitored sessions, and no occurrence in adverse events. Implications. The findings suggest that the nipple monitoring device may be used for quantitative assessment and intervention planning of oral feeding difficulties in infants.

Capturing interprofessional collaboration between physicians and nurses in an acute care setting. A validation study of the revised German version of the Collaborative Practice Scales.

The relevance of interprofessional collaboration (IPC) is widely acknowledged. Given the lack of a fully validated instrument in the German language for measuring the level of IPC, we built upon the current, albeit psychometrically weak, German-language version of the instrument to devise a new version with improved wording and for subsequent psychometric testing. In a tertiary hospital in German-speaking Switzerland, 160 physicians and 374 nurses completed the revised Collaborative Practice Scales in German (CPS-G) and additional scales regarding positive and negative activation at work and regarding job demands and job resources. A confirmatory factor analysis of the CPS-G was performed, and internal consistency estimates were computed. Partial correlations between the CPS-G and the additional scales were examined for criterion validity. The model fit of the CPS-G was good for physicians (χ2/df = 2.38, p < .001; CFI = .923; RMSEA = .051, 90%-CI (0.037-0.065)) and moderate for nurses (χ2/df = 5, p < .001; CFI = .919; RMSEA = .087, 90%-CI (0.072-0.102)) supporting the two-factor structure of the original English version. Reliability was acceptable in all sub-scales for physicians (inclusion, α = 0.79; consensus, α = 0.80) and nurses (assertiveness, α = 0.77; understanding α = 0.82). As expected, the CPS-G physicians' subscales correlated positively with positive activation and job resources and negatively with negative activation and job demands, albeit not always statistically significantly. Similar correlations were found with the CPS-G nurses' subscales other than in one instance. The CPS-G showed good construct and criterion validity and acceptable internal consistency. It consequently represents a valid instrument ready for application to measure the level of interprofessional collaboration between nurses and physicians in acute care settings.

Effect of the slice thickness and the size of region of interest on CT number / 대한구강악안면방사선학회지

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of the slice thickness and the size of region of interest (ROI) on CT number using quantitative CT phantom MATERIALS AND METHODS: The phantom containing 150 mg/cc, 75 mg/cc and 0 mg/cc calcium hydroxyapatite was scanned with 1, 3, 5 and 10mm slice thicknesses by single energy quantitative computed tomography (QCT). CT numbers were measured on center position of the phantom. Shape of ROI was circular and sizes were 1, 3, 5, 11, 16, 21, 26 and 33mm2 . ANOVA and Tukey's multiple comparison method were performed for statistical compari-son of CT numbers according to different slice thicknesses. Coefficient of variation of CT number measured in each size of ROI was evaluated in same slice thickness. RESULTS: CT numbers had statistically significant difference according to slice thicknesses (p<0.05). As the slice thickness increased, CT number also increased. As the density of phantom became lower and the size of ROI became smaller, the coefficient of variation of CT number increased. When the size of ROI was more than 11mm2 in 1mm slice thickness, 5mm2 in 3mm slice thickness and 3mm2 in 5mm slice thickness, the coefficient of variation became consistent. In 10mm slice thickness, the size of ROI had little effect on the coefficient of variation. CONCLUSION: CT number had variation according to the slice thickness and the size of ROI although the object was homogeneous. The slice thickness and the size of ROI are critical factors in precision of the CT number measurements.

Effect of the slice thickness and the size of region of interest on CT number / 대한구강악안면방사선학회지

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of the slice thickness and the size of region of interest (ROI) on CT number using quantitative CT phantom MATERIALS AND METHODS: The phantom containing 150 mg/cc, 75 mg/cc and 0 mg/cc calcium hydroxyapatite was scanned with 1, 3, 5 and 10mm slice thicknesses by single energy quantitative computed tomography (QCT). CT numbers were measured on center position of the phantom. Shape of ROI was circular and sizes were 1, 3, 5, 11, 16, 21, 26 and 33mm2 . ANOVA and Tukey's multiple comparison method were performed for statistical compari-son of CT numbers according to different slice thicknesses. Coefficient of variation of CT number measured in each size of ROI was evaluated in same slice thickness. RESULTS: CT numbers had statistically significant difference according to slice thicknesses (p<0.05). As the slice thickness increased, CT number also increased. As the density of phantom became lower and the size of ROI became smaller, the coefficient of variation of CT number increased. When the size of ROI was more than 11mm2 in 1mm slice thickness, 5mm2 in 3mm slice thickness and 3mm2 in 5mm slice thickness, the coefficient of variation became consistent. In 10mm slice thickness, the size of ROI had little effect on the coefficient of variation. CONCLUSION: CT number had variation according to the slice thickness and the size of ROI although the object was homogeneous. The slice thickness and the size of ROI are critical factors in precision of the CT number measurements.