Patient safety

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic started in Alberta in March 2020 and significantly increased telehealth service use and provision reducing the risk of virus transmission. We examined the change in the number and proportion of virtual visits by physician specialty and condition (chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases [COPD], heart failure [HF], colorectal and lung cancers), as well as associated changes in physician compensation. Methods: A population-based design was used to analyze all processed physician claims comparing the number and proportion of virtual visits and associated physician billings relative to in-person between pre- (2019/2020) and intra-pandemic (2020/2021)...

Background: Telemedicine has increasingly widespread to improve the monitoring of patients with chronic diseases. Secondary prevention of fragility fractures is an urgent matter to be addressed by means of available technology, although supported by little evidence so far. We investigated the feasibility, efficacy, and satisfaction of managing older adults at high risk of fragility fractures during the COVID-19 lockdown. Methods: During the period January to July 2021, a prospective observational study for safety and adherence purposes was conducted among older adults (n = 407) with ongoing treatments for secondary prevention of fragility fractures...

BACKGROUND: We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the novel distal approach of ultrasound (US)-guided glossopharyngeal nerve (GPN) block at the pharyngeal wall for enhancing the quality of analgesia in patients undergoing tonsillectomy. METHODS: Fifty patients, both male and female, between the ages of 21 and 65, categorized as ASA I-II by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and who were scheduled for tonsillectomy, were enrolled in the study...

OBJECTIVE: To identify the factors associated with the omission of nursing care and patient safety climate. METHOD: A cross-sectional study developed at a university hospital in the Brazilian Center-West, between September and December 2022. The MISSCARE-Brazil and the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire were applied to a convenience sample of 164 nursing professionals. RESULTS: The most omitted care was walking three times a day or as prescribed (66...

Introduction: [177 Lu]Lutetium (Lu)-oxodotreotide is a radiopharmaceutical drug used as peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) for somatostatin receptor-expressing neuroendocrine neoplasms. It provides an additional effective alternative treatment for these rare cancers. Although well tolerated, its safety profile must continue to be characterized to support its use as a first-line treatment or for additional cycles. This study aims to evaluate factors associated with the occurrence of [177 Lu]Lu-oxodotreotide induced short-term toxicity...

Cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) has variable clinical symptoms, including potentially fatal hemorrhagic stroke. Treatment options are very limited, presenting a large unmet need. REC-994 (also known as tempol), identified as a potential treatment through an unbiased drug discovery platform, is hypothesized to treat CCMs through a reduction in superoxide, a reactive oxygen species. We investigated the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic profile of REC-994 in healthy volunteers. Single- and multiple-ascending dose (SAD and MAD, respectively) studies were conducted in adult volunteers (ages 18-55)...

BACKGROUND: We previously presented the safety and early efficacy of inspIRE study (Pulsed-Field Ablation (PFA) System for the Treatment of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation by Irreversible Electroporation). With the study's conclusion, we report the outcomes of the full pivotal study cohort, with an additional analysis of predictors of success. METHODS: InspIRE was a prospective, multicenter, single-arm clinical trial of drug-refractory paroxysmal atrial fibrillation...

OBJECTIVE: This study (CRD42023464989) aimed to explore the effects of pre-operation immunonutrition on safety and immune related factors in colorectal cancer patients undergoing surgery. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and Wanfang databases to collect all clinical randomized controlled trials of the application of pre-operation immunonutrition for patients with colorectal cancer, published until July 2023. The primary outcomes were safety and immune related factors...

Bimekizumab is the latest monoclonal antibody approved for the management of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Currently, data investigating its use in real-life setting are limited. Therefore, we performed a short term [(16 weeks (W)] real-life, monocentric, prospective study aiming to assess the efficacy and safety of bimekizumab, also comparing bio-naïve vs bio-experienced patients. Globally, 56 patients were included. At baseline, mean PASI and DLQI were 16.9±7.8 and 22.6±5.9, respectively...

OBJECTIVE: This scoping review will aim to map the existing academic literature on simulation-based activities that are designed with and delivered for health professionals in geographically rural and remote contexts in high-income countries. INTRODUCTION: Simulation-based health care activities are implemented in health services to increase patient safety because they allow health professionals to prepare, learn, practice, rehearse, and improve clinical performance and teamwork...

INTRODUCTION: Although the landscape of migraine symptomatic treatment has been enriched by novel effective drugs, it is mandatory to critically reappraise older molecules to ascertain whether they could still represent reliable alternatives in specific endophenotypes of patients or migraine attacks. Among these, dihydroergotamine (DHE) nasal spray has been shown to be effective and is characterized by greater tolerability and manageability than the parenteral DHE formulation. AREAS COVERED: In this narrative review, the authors describe the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of DHE nasal spray and explore the results of the trials which explored its efficacy, safety and tolerability as migraine symptomatic treatment...

INTRODUCTION: Ward Clerks are an essential part of the healthcare team, as they provide administrative and organizational support in healthcare institutions. The aim of this study is to determine the training impact of a basic one-hour online course on patient safety for this staff. METHOD: A quasi-experimental before/after study carried out on a population of 170 administrative staff working in the centers of an Occupational Mutual Insurance Company (MC Mutual) who took the patient safety course...

OBJECTIVE: Return to work and permanence in employment of women who survive breast cancer are topics that become important as incidence and survival rates increase. Self-efficacy as a modifiable element is of special interest in this process. The objective of this study is to measure the level of self-efficacy in female breast cancer survivors, according to sociodemographic, work and treatment characteristics and their relationship with return to work. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study, based on a survey of breast cancer patients about their demographic and work characteristics, the return to work process, permanence in the same job and the level of work self-efficacy...

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have mandated that hospitals implement measures to screen social determinants of health (SDoH). We sought to report on available SDoH screening tools. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, as well as the grey literature were searched (1980 to November 2023). The included studies were US-based, written in English, and examined a screening tool to assess SDoH. Thirty studies were included in the analytic cohort. The number of questions in any given SDoH assessment tool varied considerably and ranged from 5 to 50 (mean: 16...

Chronic subdural hematoma (c-SDH) is a frequent and serious neurological disease. It develops due to hemorrhage to the subdural space, mainly caused by head trauma. The middle meningeal artery (MMA) plays a critical role in the supply of blood to c-SDH. The decision on the type of treatment for c-SDH depends mainly on clinical and imaging evaluation. In cases in which patients are critically ill, the hematoma must be evacuated immediately. For this purpose, surgery is generally accepted as the mainstay of treatment...

Complex intracranial aneurysms pose significant challenges in the realm of neurointervention, necessitating meticulous planning and execution. This article highlights the crucial roles played by anesthetists in these procedures, including patient assessment, anesthesia planning, and continuous monitoring and maintaining hemodynamic stability, which are pivotal in optimizing patient safety. Understanding these complex procedures and their complications will aid the anesthetist in delivering optimal care and in foreseeing and managing the potential associated complications...

BACKGROUND: Marburg virus (MARV), a close relative of Ebola virus, could induce hemorrhagic fevers in humans with high mortality rate. In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to this highly lethal virus due to sporadic outbreaks observed in various African nations. This bibliometric analysis endeavors to elucidate the trends, dynamics, and focal points of knowledge that have delineated the landscape of research concerning MARV. METHODS: Relevant literature on MARV from 1968 to 2023 was extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection database...

BACKGROUND: Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is still the only treatment that may affect the natural cause of allergic disease. This study is to investigate whether an accelerated up-dosing scheme for subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy (SCIT) using a native house dust mite (HDM) allergen extract is as safe as the standard 3-strengths dose-escalation scheme in children with moderate to severe allergic rhinitis or rhinoconjunctivitis with or without asthma in China. METHODS: In this multicenter, open label, randomized controlled trial, the children aged 5-14 years were randomized 1:1 either to One Strength group or the Standard group...

BACKGROUND: The importance of enhancing education to promote nursing students' patient safety competency is increasing. Hence, implementing diverse educational programs and assessing their outcomes is essential. OBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of flipped learning and gamification on nursing students' patient safety education. DESIGN: A mixed-method design employing a quasi-experimental design with a pre-post control group design and qualitative thematic analysis...

OBJECTIVE: Spirulina ( arthrospira platensis ) is a cyanobacterium proven to have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antioxidant effects. However, the effect of high-dose Spirulina supplementation on hospitalized adults with COVID-19 is currently unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of high-dose Spirulina platensis for SARS-CoV-2 infection. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a randomized, controlled, open-label trial involving 189 patients with COVID-19 who were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to an experimental group that received 15...