Group visits

Objective: Substance use disorders (SUDs) commonly co-occur with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Understanding PTSD clinics that serve higher percentages of patients with PTSD/SUD is crucial for improving SUD care in clinics with lower percentages of such patients. This study examined the differences between Veterans Affairs (VA) PTSD treatment sites with higher percentages ("High%") and lower percentages ("Low%") of patients with PTSD/SUD as well as exploring the roles of the PTSD/SUD specialists. Methods: The study collected quantitative and qualitative data from 18 clinic directors and 21 specialists from 33 VA PTSD specialty outpatient clinics from 2014 to 2016...

BACKGROUND: Garadacimab is a fully human immunoglobulin G4 monoclonal antibody targeting activated factor XII. This study evaluated long-term efficacy, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and safety data for garadacimab in adults with hereditary angioedema. METHODS: This global phase 2 study comprised a treatment period 1 (TP1: 12 weeks, double-blind, placebo-controlled) and a treatment period 2 (TP2: ≥44-week open-label extension). Patients aged 18-65 years with clinically confirmed hereditary angioedema were eligible...

INTRODUCTION: The objectives of this study were: 1) to describe the socio-demographics and classify the chief complaints and reasons to encounter facilities of patients presenting to public healthcare facilities; 2) to explore differences in these complaints and: International Classification of Primary Care-3 (ICPC-3) groups across socio-demographic and health system levels. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in three districts of Odisha, India. Within each district, the district hospital (DH), one Sub-district hospital (SDH) (if available), two Community health centers (CHCs), and two Primary health care centers (PHCs) were selected...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Most evidence about difficult-to-treat and severe asthma (DTTA) comes from clinical trials and registries. We aimed to identify people with DTTA from a large nationally representative asthma population and describe their characteristics and healthcare utilization compared with people whose asthma was not 'difficult-to-treat'. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of Australians aged ≥18 years with current asthma from large web-based survey panels...

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use prevents HIV transmission, and may lead to changes in sexual behavior. We aimed to explore sexual behavior over time, and identify predictors of behavior change in men who have sex with men (MSM) using PrEP at sexual health centers (SHC) in the Netherlands. We used longitudinal data from the national STI surveillance database (January 2018-June 2021) of HIV-negative MSM who first initiated PrEP in the national PrEP pilot. We modelled behavior change after PrEP initiation, and identified predictors of behavior change using multi-state Markov models...

Especially for pediatric patients, proxies of mucosal inflammation are needed. The Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index (PUCAI) has been established to predict clinical and endoscopic disease activity. However, histologic inflammation might persist. We applied a special variable selection technique to predict histologic healing in pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC) as parsimoniously (but still as precisely) as possible. The retrospective analysis included data from two study cohorts, comprising 91 visits from 59 pediatric patients with UC...

OBJECTIVE: To compare maternal vascular indices and hemodynamic parameters at 35-37 weeks' gestation, in pregnancies complicated by small for gestational age (SGA) fetuses and those with fetal growth restriction (FGR). METHODS: This was a prospective observational non-intervention study in women with singleton pregnancies attending for a routine hospital visit at 35+0 to 36+6 weeks' gestation. The visit included recording of maternal demographic characteristics and medical history, vascular indices and hemodynamic parameters obtained by a non-invasive operator independent device, including pulse wave velocity, augmention index, cardiac output, stroke volume, central systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total peripheral resistance and fetal heart rate...

BACKGROUND: Clostridioides difficile is a leading cause of infectious diarrhea in both humans and livestock. In particular, C. difficile strains belonging to sequence type (ST) 11 are common enteropathogens. The aim of this study was to determine the presence and genetic relatedness of C. difficile types in dairy cattle and calves. METHOD: Dutch dairy farms were visited between February and December 2021. Feces was collected from adult dairy cattle and calves of two age categories (<4 weeks and 4 weeks-4 months)...

INTRODUCTION: and hypothesis.We evaluated different bladder parameters using Transperineal Ultrasound (TPUS) in patients with apical pelvic organ prolapse undergoing lateral suspension or sacropexy. METHODS: We included 73 cases with 37 cases in lateral suspension (LS) group and 36 cases in sacropexy group. We enrolled cases with apical prolapse stage 2 or higher according to Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification system (POP-Q). Evaluation done of all cases using TPUS preoperatively and at 6, 12 and 18 months follow-up visits...

BACKGROUND: The Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are a group of inherited connective tissue disorders characterized by disruptions in collagen synthesis and processing. These disorders lead to various symptoms, including hypermobility, musculoskeletal conditions, and chronic pain that can significantly limit patients' daily living. In the absence of a curative treatment, an EDS specific disability index that tracks changes in patient-reported outcomes can facilitate the investigation of new treatment options and enhance the quality of life for EDS patients...

BACKGROUND: Postnatal care supports healthy transitions to parenthood, mother-infant relationships, and breastfeeding establishment. Highly valued by women and families, it is often an area where parents report low satisfaction compared with other areas of maternity care. Most research about postnatal care is hospital-focused. Little is known about postnatal services provided by midwifery units, and any changes to this provision since the COVID-19 pandemic. AIM: To describe postnatal care services provided by UK midwifery units and examine the extent to which provision was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic...

BACKGROUND: Providing optimal care for patients with bleeding disorders according to national standards remains a challenge at designated Hemophilia Treatment Centers (HTCs). Improved care may reduce bleeds and costs. OBJECTIVES: To improve care and demonstrate cost savings by 1) reducing preventable hospitalizations and emergency room visits (PHER) for bleeding, 2) increasing use of prophylaxis in severe hemophilia, and 3) improving patient-HTC communication and primary care engagement...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of sodium perborate mixed with distilled water and sodium perborate mixed with 30% hydrogen peroxide as non-vital bleaching agent of anterior discolored teeth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was undertaken among 61 patients who presented with 70 discolored anterior teeth at the Conservative and Family Dentistry Clinics of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. The 70 teeth were randomly allocated into two groups of treatments...

OBJECTIVE: Although pediatric otolaryngology providers are reported to garner lower patient satisfaction than adults, this difference is not well characterized. This study investigates whether patient satisfaction differences exist in providers who treat both pediatric and adult patients. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: Tertiary medical center. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, Press Ganey surveys (PGS) completed by patients or parents on their first-time visit with 5 general otolaryngology providers from July 2014 to March 2022 were analyzed...

BACKGROUND: The primary criteria for diagnosing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's Disease (AD) or probable mild AD dementia rely partly on cognitive assessments and the presence of amyloid plaques. Although these criteria exhibit high sensitivity in predicting AD among cognitively impaired patients, their specificity remains limited. Notably, up to 25% of non-demented patients with amyloid plaques may be misdiagnosed with MCI due to AD, when in fact they suffer from a different brain disorder...

AIM: To identify diabetic patients with a potential risk of developing diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in community pharmacies in Slovakia using a modified Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument questionnaire (MNSIq-12). METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 703 patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus who had not been diagnosed with DPN. The study took place in selected community pharmacies across Slovakia in October 2019. The MNSIq-12 was administered by pharmacy students, and a Michigan score <1...

BACKGROUND: Military personnel suffer from stress-induced temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD). No previous studies have evaluated the oral habits and TMD in military personnel based on their stress levels. OBJECTIVES: To examine the correlation between oral habits and TMD based on stress levels. In addition, we assessed the relationship between stress levels and TMD by military rank as well as the impact of oral habits on TMD. METHOD: This cross-sectional survey included 89 military personnel who visited the Armed Forces Medical Center in Korea with discomfort in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) discomfort...

Objective: To compare the medium-term therapeutic effects of Kahook Dual Blade (KDB) goniotomy and Trabectome surgery in the treatment of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Methods: This study was a non-randomized prospective interventional controlled clinical study. POAG patients who underwent KDB goniotomy or Trabectome surgery at Beijing Tongren Hospital from May 2017 to April 2022 were enrolled. The definition of successful surgery was postoperative average intraocular pressure (IOP)≤21 mmHg (1 mmHg=0...

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate orthodontists' utilization and perceptions of tele-orthodontics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 30-item online survey was distributed to members of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO). The questionnaire encompassed topics concerning the orthodontists' utilization, perceptions, clinical applications, limitations, and concerns regarding tele-orthodontics. Descriptive statistics were employed, and comparisons between responses from users and non-users were conducted  using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests and Fisher's exact tests...

PURPOSE: To evaluate clinical features, treatment protocol, outcomes, and complications that developed in this case series of 24 patients who had consecutive sterile endophthalmitis after intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injection. METHODS: In this retrospective case series, IVB was repackaged in individual aliquots from the three batches that were used on the same day. IVB was injected into 26 eyes of 26 patients due to diabetic macular edema, age-related macular degeneration, and branch retinal vein occlusion...