Day-case device implantation-A prospective single-center experience including patient satisfaction data.

PURPOSE: Many centers perform day-case cardiac rhythm management (CRM) device implantation. However, there is a paucity of prospective data concerning this approach. We performed a prospective single-center study of day-case device implantation, including data on patient satisfaction. METHODS: All patients scheduled for a new elective device were considered for a day-case procedure. Exclusion criteria were living alone or without a suitable carer, advancing age/frailty, a metallic valve, and persistent complete heart block. Following discharge, patients were reviewed in device clinic at 6 weeks with an anonymized questionnaire. RESULTS: During the study period (May 2014-August 2016), 797 new CRM devices were implanted. Of these, 232 were elective and included in the analysis; 101 were planned to be day-case and 131 scheduled for overnight stay. Of the 101 day-case patients, 52 had a pacemaker, 28 an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), 16 a cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemaker/defibrillator, and five a subcutaneous-ICD. Complications were similar in the day-case (n  =  12, 12%) and overnight stay (n  =  15, 11%) groups (P  =  0.92). In the day-case group, 93 (92%) patients went home the same day. An estimated 111 overnight bed days were saved, translating to a cost saving of £61,912 (euro 70,767, $79,211). Note that 99% (n  =  100) of patients returned the questionnaire. Patient satisfaction was universally high. The majority (n  =  98, 98%) felt ready to go home on discharge; only a minority (n  =  5, 5%) would have preferred an overnight stay. CONCLUSIONS: A significant proportion of elective new CRM device implants can be performed as day-case procedures. With appropriate selection patient acceptability of same-day discharge is high.

Recognising and managing atrial fibrillation in the community.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and has greater prevalence in the increasing ageing population, with an estimated 10% of those over 80 years having AF. Symptoms associated with AF include palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath and fatigue. Those presenting with these symptoms need to be investigated and the appropriate treatment should be initiated if AF is detected. For those with AF, there is a significant risk of stroke if patients are not adequately anti-coagulated. This article outlines methods for detecting AF in the community and provides an overview of current treatment options, including the newer anti-coagulant agents. The importance of assessing stroke risk and conveying this risk to those with AF is essential. Community health professionals play an important role in monitoring, treating and managing AF within the community setting and supporting and educating the patient in minimising the risk of serious thromboembolic complications such as stroke.

A review of family intervention guidelines for pediatric acquired brain injuries.

Pediatric acquired brain injury (BI) not only affects the child with the injury, but also greatly impacts their family. Studies suggest there are higher rates of caregiver and sibling psychological distress after a child in the family has sustained a BI. Also, family functioning after BI impacts the child's recovery. In reviewing the literature, we identified seven theoretical clinical guidelines for working with families of children and adolescents with BI. These clinical guidelines are as follows: (1) select developmentally appropriate interventions, (2) match the intervention to the family, (3) provide advocacy, (4) provide injury education, (5) focus on family realignment, (6) appropriately adjust the child's environment, and (7) provide skills training to the family and child. The existing research on family interventions for BI is reviewed within the context of these theoretical guidelines, and the empirical support for each guideline is subsequently evaluated using specific criteria for empirically supported treatments. Unfortunately, very few randomized controlled studies exist, and continued research is needed to classify all clinical guidelines as "efficacious." In addition, continued research will aid in informing professionals of specific approaches to utilize when working with a family of a child with BI. Currently, clinicians and researchers can turn to the existing clinical guidelines to help address the numerous barriers posed by implementing and studying family interventions for pediatric BI.

Reliability concerns in the repeated computerized assessment of attention in children.

Assessment of attentional processes via computerized assessment is frequently used to quantify intra-individual cognitive improvement or decline in response to treatment. However, assessment of intra-individual change is highly dependent on sufficient test reliability. We examined the test-retest reliability of selected variables from one popular computerized continuous performance test (CPT)-i.e., the Conners' CPT - Second Edition (CPT-II). Participants were 39 healthy children (20 girls) ages 6-18 without intellectual impairment (mean PPVT-III SS = 102.6), LD, or psychiatric disorders (DICA-IV). Test-retest reliability over the 3-8 month interval (mean = 6 months) was acceptable (Intraclass Correlations [ICC] =.82 to.92) on comparison measures (Beery Test of Visual Perception, WISC-IV Block Design, PPVT-III). In contrast, test-retest reliability was only modest for CPT-II raw scores (ICCs ranging from.62 to.82) and T-scores (ICCs ranging from.33 to.65) for variables of interest (Omissions, Commissions, Variability, Hit Reaction Time, and Attentiveness). Using test-retest reliability information published in the CPT-II manual, 90% confidence intervals based on reliable change index (RCI) methodology were constructed to examine the significance of test-retest difference/change scores. Of the participants in this sample of typically developing youth, 30% generated intra-individual changes in T-scores on the Omissions and Attentiveness variables that exceeded the 90% confidence intervals and qualified as "statistically rare" changes in score. These results suggest a considerable degree of normal variability in CPT-II test scores over extended test-retest intervals, and suggest a need for caution when interpreting test score changes in neurologically unstable clinical populations.

Effects of fluency, oral language, and executive function on reading comprehension performance.

Reading disability (RD) typically consists of deficits in word reading accuracy and/or reading comprehension. While it is well known that word reading accuracy deficits lead to comprehension deficits (general reading disability, GRD), less is understood about neuropsychological profiles of children who exhibit adequate word reading accuracy but nevertheless develop specific reading comprehension deficits (S-RCD). Establishing the underlying neuropsychological processes associated with different RD types is essential for ultimately understanding core neurobiological bases of reading comprehension. To this end, the present study investigated isolated and contextual word fluency, oral language, and executive function on reading comprehension performance in 56 9- to 14-year-old children [21 typically developing (TD), 18 GRD, and 17 S-RCD]. Results indicated that TD and S-RCD participants read isolated words at a faster rate than participants with GRD; however, both RD groups had contextual word fluency and oral language weaknesses. Additionally, S-RCD participants showed prominent weaknesses in executive function. Implications for understanding the neuropsychological bases for reading comprehension are discussed.

An anti-adenoma antibody, Adnab-9, may reflect the risk for neoplastic progression in familial hamartomatous polyposis syndromes.

Patients with the hamartomatous polyposis Peutz-Jeghers and familial juvenile polyposis syndromes are predisposed to colorectal cancer but lack early genetic alterations found in adenomatous premalignant lesions. We studied hamartomatous polyps for the expression of an early preneoplastic colorectal neoplasia risk marker also found in familial adenomatous polyposis patients. Retrospective, genetic, and hospital archival tissue immunohistochemistry using Adnab-9, a premalignant marker often found in Paneth-like cells (PCs), was performed on sections of polyps from eight patients with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, eight patients with familial juvenile polyposis, and 36 hyperplastic polyp control sections. Anti-alpha-defensin 5 (AD5), a universal PC marker, was also used to label a subgroup of sections. Hamartomatous polyposis patients also underwent specific genetic analysis. Eighty-nine percent of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome polyps labeled with Adnab-9 compared with 63% for AD5; 88% of familial juvenile polyposis sections also labeled with Adnab-9. Of the 36 hyperplastic polyp sections, only four (11%) labeled with Adnab-9 and one (3%) with AD5. Adnab-9 labeling of PCs in the epithelial elements of hamartomatous colonic lesions of hereditary hamartomatous syndrome patients reflects the predisposition to colorectal cancer, further justifying early intervention strategies.

Ursodeoxycholate/Sulindac combination treatment effectively prevents intestinal adenomas in a mouse model of polyposis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Preclinical studies in animal models, human epidemiological data, and clinical trials in patients with adenomatous polyposis have consistently indicated that sulindac and other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs or cyclooxygenase inhibitors have the greatest potential efficacy among current candidates for colon tumor chemopreventive agents. However, at highly effective doses they all have some risk of toxicity, and their therapeutic profile might be improved by use at lower, more tolerable doses, in combination with a second agent acting via other mechanisms. METHODS: Sulindac was tested in combination with ursodeoxycholic acid (ursodiol), a naturally occurring 7-B-epimer of the bile component chenodeoxycholic acid, for prevention of adenomas in the Min mouse model of adenomatous polyposis. RESULTS: Ursodeoxycholic acid caused a dose-dependent decrease in the number of intestinal tumors. Unlike sulindac and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which are quite beneficial in the distal intestine but are somewhat less effective in the proximal small intestine (especially the clinically important periampullary duodenum), ursodeoxycholate had equal efficacy throughout the entire intestine, both proximal and distal. Combined treatment with low-dose sulindac was less toxic, with normal weight gain and fewer gastrointestinal ulcerations than high-dose sulindac. Combined treatment with sulindac and ursodeoxycholate was more effective than either agent alone for the prevention of tumors throughout the entire intestine. CONCLUSIONS: These experiments provide the first evidence that ursodeoxycholic acid is effective for preventing adenomas in an animal model. Cyclooxygenase inhibition, when combined with this naturally occurring bile component, may become a promising approach for colon cancer prevention.

Safeguards and the therapeutic window. A group treatment strategy for adult incest survivors.

A group treatment model for adult incest survivors is presented. It has been designed to take into account the traumatic nature and sequelae of abuse experiences. Based on the Stress Response Syndrome, the model emphasizes use of a "therapeutic window" as a clinical guide and includes protective interventions, clinical timing issues, and prominent themes relevant to these survivors.