Integrating obstetrical simulation into the medical curriculum: one more gap in women's health for low-income countries.

Low-income countries do not have well-established simulation centers; introduction of simulation-based learning in obstetrics faces many cost-associated difficulties. Simulation-based learning yield many benefits that are reported in many studies such as improved maternal and neonatal outcomes, social stature of medical teachers, and better management of difficult situations. Though low-income countries do not have established surgical simulations, centralization, and cooperation amongst the educational institutions and local and regional hospitals for maintenance of medical educational practices and financial supplementation through both established and newly created entities will provide the potential for improved patient outcomes and maintenance of quality of education, that is, comparable to the medical education found in higher income countries.

[Patterns of prescription of opioid analgesics in Hôtel-Dieu de France of Beyrouth]. / Les modalités de prescription d'analgésiques opiacés par les médecins de l'Hôtel-Dieu de France de Beyrouth.

OBJECTIVES: Use of chronic opioid therapy has increased substantially over the past few years, even though opioid therapy is associated with potentially serious harms, including opioid-related adverse effects and outcomes. Prescription of opioids for chronic pain, particularly nonmalignant chronic pain, remains controversial. In the midst of this controversy, patterns of actual prescription and influences on these patterns are not well understood. This study aims to describe the frequency of prescription of opioid analgesics in a university hospital, the attitudes of doctors towards this category of drugs, and the follow-up modalities of patients taking these drugs. The study also explores the association between the practitioners' characteristics and the modalities of prescription. DESIGN AND METHODS: A survey was delivered to 112 doctors and surgeons in the hospital during the four months between August and December 2013 and it was returned by 55 (49.0%). The survey consists of three parts. The first part addresses the frequency and reluctance of doctors' prescription of opioids and other analgesics for acute and chronic pain. The second part studies the doctors' attitudes and concerns towards opioids. It explores the belief of the doctors in the efficacy of this category of drugs, their confidence in prescribing such medications and the eventual side effects they might worry about. The third part of the survey studies the modalities of evaluation prior to the prescription and the modalities of follow-up of the patients receiving a long-term opioid treatment. RESULTS: Overall, 76.4% of doctors reported they sometimes, frequently, or always, prescribe opioids, which, using the Wilcoxon test, proved to be a significantly lower frequency than for prescribing of minor analgesics or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). Similarly, 60.1% reported a reluctance to prescribe opioids for chronic nonmalignant pain, which was a significantly greater reluctance than for cancer pain. The age and sex of the participants were unrelated to prescribing, but those with specialty training and use of practice guidelines were more likely to prescribe opioids and were less reluctant to do so. A majority of practitioners felt that opioids are effective for the treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain and that they have the sufficient training to prescribe them adequately; however, they still worry about the long-term prescription of opioids, particularly fearing the psychological dependence this treatment might cause. Using a series of Spearman correlation tests, we found that practitioners who thought they were adequately trained and who believed in the efficacy of long-term opioid treatment were more likely to prescribe them but that the worries about side effects decreased the frequency of prescription. A significant proportion of practitioners do not evaluate addiction risk factors of patients before prescribing opioids. The results concerning the modalities of follow-up of prescription were very heterogeneous with 87% of practitioners not explaining and 65% not screening for adverse effects. We similarly found that the frequency of follow-up and the management of patients who were exhibiting signs of dependence were very diverse. CONCLUSION: The results of this study were compatible with those of other recent studies about opioid prescription. The doctors practicing in the university hospital Hôtel-Dieu de France de Beyrouth present comparable prescription patterns, independent of their personal or professional characteristics, and they are more confident in their prescription when professionally trained for it. However, they exhibit a notable heterogeneity in their attitudes towards opioids and in their modalities of evaluating patients receiving long-term treatment. These results suggest a need for additional training in the management of this category of drugs.

Ketamine and magnesium association reduces morphine consumption after scoliosis surgery: prospective randomised double-blind study.

BACKGROUND: Scoliosis repair is a major orthopaedic surgery associated with severe post-operative pain. Ketamine and magnesium have an established efficacy as morphine-sparing agents. Our purpose was to evaluate the morphine-sparing effect of both magnesium and ketamine given simultaneously compared with ketamine alone during scoliosis surgery. METHODS: Fifty patients scheduled for posterior instrumentation were randomised in a prospective double-blind study. The Gr (K + Mg) received, after induction, an intravenous (IV) bolus of ketamine 0.2 mg/kg and magnesium 50 mg/kg, followed by continuous infusion of ketamine (0.15 mg/kg/h) and magnesium (8 mg/kg/h) until extubation. The Gr (K) received the same dose of ketamine associated with bolus and continuous infusion of normal saline. All patients received multimodal analgesia associated with IV morphine administered via patient-controlled analgesia pump. Morphine consumption, visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores and occurrence of side effects were followed until 48 h post-operatively. Sleep quality and patient satisfaction were also followed. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The average cumulative morphine consumption was significantly lower in the Gr (K + Mg) compared with the Gr (K) at post-operative hours 4, 8, 12, 18, 30, 36 and 48. The relative difference in the post-operative morphine consumption was 29.5%: Gr (K + Mg) 51.53 mg vs. Gr (K) 73.16 mg. VAS scores were not statistically different between the two groups. However, qualities of sleep and satisfaction scores on the first night were significantly better in the Gr (K + Mg) (P = 0.027 and P = 0.016, respectively). CONCLUSION: Ketamine and magnesium association reduces the post-operative morphine consumption after scoliosis surgery. It seems to provide a better sleep quality and improves patient satisfaction.

[A national survey of postoperative pain management in Lebanon]. / Enquête nationale sur la prise en charge de la douleur aiguë postopératoire dans les hôpitaux libanais.

INTRODUCTION: Postoperative pain relief in Lebanon is a public health problem because its coverage is insufficient. STUDY DESIGN: A survey was performed with a questionnaire distributed to anaesthesiologists during the Lebanese national meeting of anaesthesia in May 2006. RESULTS: A total of 106 out of the 230 distributed questionnaires were collected. The coverage of the postoperative pain is different in the university hospitals and others. A preoperative information and postoperative evaluation of pain are only performed by 26% of anesthesiologists. A multimodal analgesia is begun in the operative room or in postanaesthesist care unit for 92% of the patients. Only 71% of the anaesthesiologists have pumps for patient-controlled analgesia. Written protocols for postoperative analgesia are available in only 58% of the centres. Among anaesthesiologists, only 36% have an initial and/or continuous formation to treat the postoperative pain. The major obstacle for improvement of postoperative pain is the cost of such treatments, which must be supported by the patients. CONCLUSION: Even if there is a good awareness of the importance to relieve the postoperative pain, important efforts must be done in this domain in Lebanon.

The role of the musculocutaneous and radial nerves in elbow flexion and forearm supination: a biomechanical study.

The intention of this prospective study was to evaluate the role of the musculocutaneous and radial nerves in elbow flexion and forearm supination. The study included 29 patients having loco-regional anaesthesia for minor hand surgery. Elbow flexion and forearm supination forces were evaluated before and after an isolated musculocutaneous nerve block in one group and an isolated radial nerve block in another group. The results showed that the biceps tendon is responsible for 47% of the forearm supination force and the combination of brachioradialis and the supinator for 64% of this force. It showed also that the musculocutaneous and radial nerves contribute by 42% and 27.5%, respectively, to the flexion force of the elbow. These results are intended to help surgeons in decision making when treating chronic biceps tendon rupture, in repair of traumatic brachial plexus neuropathy and in using tendon transfers, such as the Steindler transfer, around the elbow.

Prenatal diagnosis of 48,XYY, +21 ascertained through ultrasound anomalies.

During a routine ultrasound study on a fetus at 21 weeks, nuchal edema was noted. At 21 weeks, repeat ultrasound study at our unit showed scalp and neck edema and a femur length/biparietal diameter ratio below the mean. Transabdominal chorionic villus sampling identified a 48.XYY, +21 chromosome constitution. The fetus had normal internal/external genitalia and signs of Down syndrome.

Brief clinical report: duplication of distal 17q: report of an observation.

We describe a boy with the syndrome due to dup(17q) resulting from a paternal balanced t(12;17) (q24;q23). The comparison of the clinical findings in our patient with those previously reported shows that the dup(17q23----qter) is associated with a clinically recognizable syndrome. Anomalies present in greater than or equal to 75% of the patients were severe psychomotor retardation; short stature; microcephaly; frontal bossing and temporal retraction; widow's peak; narrow palpebral fissures; flat nasal bridge; thin upper lip overlapping thin lower lip; downturned corners of the mouth; apparently low-set, posteriorly angulated and malformed ears; low posterior hairline; widely spaced nipples; cryptorchidism; proximal limb shortness; and hyperlaxity of limb joints. The translocation carrier father of our patient had a Poland anomaly.