A Scoping Review for Debate-Style Journal Clubs in Health Professional Education.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this scoping review are to (1) describe the available literature regarding the utility of the debate-style journal club for health professional learners on literature evaluation skills and (2) report the themes found within debate-style journal club research and assessments in the context of professional education. FINDINGS: A total of 27 articles written in the English language were included in this scoping review. Published evaluations of debate-style journal clubs have been predominantly based in the pharmacy profession (48%, n = 13), but are reported in other health professions, such as medicine (22%, n = 6), dentistry (15%, n = 4), nursing (7%, n = 2), occupational therapy (4%, n = 1), and physical therapy (4%, n = 1), as well. The skills assessed in these studies often included critical literature evaluation, application of literature to patient care, critical thinking, knowledge retention, use of supporting literature, and debate-specific skills. Learners typically reported better understanding and application of the literature, and enjoying the experience more than traditional journal clubs, but note the increased assessor and learner time requirement for debating. Pharmacy learner-specific articles more often utilized a traditional, team-based debate format, incorporated grading rubrics for skill assessment and debate performance, and included a grading component for the debate in the course. SUMMARY: Debate-style journal clubs are well-received by learners but require an additional time commitment. Debate platforms, format, rubric use and validation, and outcome assessment vary across published reports.

Periprosthetic Distal Femur Fracture after Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review.

This study was designed to itemize and analyze the classification of fracture types and their corresponding outcomes in an attempt to provide a better understanding of the current treatment methods. Two PubMed searches were performed using the words "periprosthetic distal femur fracture" and "periprosthetic supracondylar femur fracture" in studies that were published in the previous 10 years (2004-2014). Data from 41 articlesthat met the general inclusion criteria, were collected and categorized into fracture type and treatment method groupings. Healing outcome and complications were the two parameters used to analyze the data. Treatment techniques were grouped in the following categories: locking plate, non-locking plate, intramedullary nail/rod, screw, blade plate, cerclage wires, allograft, external fixation, revision arthroplasty, non-operative, and other. Classification systems by Lewis and Rorabeck, the Association for Osteosynthesis/Orthopedic Trauma Association (AO/OTA), Su et al., Neer et al., Kim et al., Backstein et al., and the Société Française de Chirurgie Orthopédique et Traumatologique were reported. In total 448 fractures were identified, of which Rorabeck type II was the most common fracture studied. The two most successful treatment options for periprosthetic distal femur fractures were locking plate (87%) and intramedullary nail/rod (84%). The most frequent complications associated with periprosthetic distal femur fractures included non/mal/delayed union and the need for revision. Locking plates used to treat Rorabeck type II fractures had a complication rate of 35% and those treated with intramedullary nailing had a higher complication rate of 53%. In conclusion, the most frequent type of periprosthetic distal femur fracture after total knee arthroplasty was Rorabeck type II. The most common treatments for these types of fractures are locked plating and intramedullary nailing, with similar healing rates of 87% and 84%, respectively. However, the complication rate for locked plating was lower than for intramedullary nailing.

Effect of acetylsalicylic acid on aggregation of human platelets by Porphyromonas gingivalis.

This study investigated the effect of in vivo low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, aspirin) on human platelet aggregation induced in vitro by Porphyromonas gingivalis cells. Blood was collected from volunteers (n = 20), half of whom ingested 81 mg of aspirin 24 hours before donating blood. Low-dose aspirin inhibited P. gingivalis cell-induced platelet aggregation and produced an inverse correlation of inhibition to number of cells. At the higher concentration of cells used in this in vitro assay, aspirin inhibition was significant (P = 0.001); however, partial platelet activation was observed. The significance of partial platelet activation is discussed in this article, as is the relevance of platelet aggregation to the putative link between inflammatory periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease.