Practical management course. Module 5: productivity management: a one to one approach.
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Prevailing theories on the causation of choanal atresia are presented, with emphasis on some of the embryologic and anatomic abnormalities that are consistently found. The teleologic significance of nose breathing has been emphasized. This neonatal characteristic leads to a tongue-palate seal that can be rapidly fatal. Treatment of these patients has been divided into two phases. Phase I deals with immediate establishment of an airway, and phase II deals with the definitive surgical management in these patients. Our preference is for the transpalatine approach. Representative cases highlight our technique. A wire-reinforced double-barreled Elastomer stent has been developed and is described. Successful use in five patients is reported.
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Clinical toxicology is undergoing a change in its previously perceived unscientific image. As in other medical disciplines, there is an effort to ensure that its treatments are evidence based. A successful outcome seems likely not only to rationalize the management of poisoned patients but to simplify it.
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Vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) is characterized by paradoxical adduction of the vocal folds during inhalation, and occasionally upon exhalation, resulting in extrathoracic airflow obstruction. Sports medicine professionals must have a high index of suspicion for VCD when acute respiratory symptoms occur so that prompt evaluation and use of appropriate specialists results in an accurate and timely diagnosis. Many factors have been implicated in the pathophysiology of VCD, including laryngeal irritants, psychogenic and neurogenic causes. The diagnosis and management of VCD involves a variety of specialties including pulmonology, otolaryngology, speech-language pathology, allergy and immunology, and psychologic management as appropriate. The mainstay of treatment remains behavioral management guided by a medical speech-language pathologist, as well as pharmacologic management for VCD triggers.
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OBJECTIVES: Describe the pattern of utilization and effectiveness of outpatient fracture pain medication. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of caregivers of children with an isolated extremity fracture at a hospital-based pediatric orthopedic clinic during initial follow-up. RESULTS: Surveys were completed by 98 (79.2%) of 125 caregivers. Mean age of children was 9 years (range, 1-18 years). Fracture sites include arm (36%), wrist (24%), hand (6%), leg (14%), ankle (9%), and foot (6%). Pain was reported "worst" at the time of injury in 45.3% patients (95% confidence interval [CI], 35.0%-55.8%) and in the first 48 hours of injury in 30.5% patients (95% CI, 21.5%-40.8%). The most commonly used medications were ibuprofen 43.5% (95% CI, 34.4%-52.5%) and acetaminophen with codeine 26.1% (95% CI, 18.1%-34.1%). Mean duration of medication use was 3.2 days (95% CI, 2.8-3.6 days). The mean duration of functional limitations included 4.2 days (95% CI, 2.8-5.5 days) for playing, 2.6 days (95% CI, 1.7-3.4 days) for performing at school, 2.4 days (95% CI, 1.8-3.0 days) for sleeping, and 2.0 days (95% CI, 1.0-3.0 days) for eating. Mean days of work missed by caregivers was 1.6 (95% CI, 1.1-2.0 days), and days of school missed by children was 2.0 (95% CI, 1.6-2.3 days). Significantly more children with lower extremity fractures had functional limitation (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Most children with fractures have the "worst" pain in the first 48 hours after injury and used analgesia for 3 days after injury. There are noteworthy functional limitations for both children and their caregivers. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen with codeine are the analgesics most commonly used, with no clear superiority.
BACKGROUND: Therapeutic practices for Cryptococcus neoformans infection in transplant recipients vary, particularly with regards to antifungal agent employed, and duration of therapy. The risk of relapse and time to recurrence is not known. We assessed antifungal treatment practices for cryptococcosis in a cohort of prospectively followed organ transplant recipients. METHODS: The patients comprised 83 transplant recipients with cryptococcosis followed for a median of 2.1 and up to 5.2 years. RESULTS: Patients with central nervous system infection (69% vs. 16%, P = 0.00001), disseminated infection (82.7% vs. 20%, P = 0.00001), and fungemia (29% vs. 8%, P = 0.046) were more likely to receive regimens containing amphotericin B than fluconazole as primary therapy. The use of fluconazole, on the other hand, was more likely for infection limited to the lungs (64% vs. 14%, P = 0.00002). Survival at 6 months tended to be lower in patients whose CSF cultures at 2 weeks were positive compared to those whose CSF cultures were negative (50% vs. 91%, P = 0.06). Maintenance therapy was employed in 68% (54/79) of the patients who survived >3 weeks. The median duration of maintenance therapy was 183 days; 55% received maintenance for > or = 6 months and 25% for >1 year. Relapse was documented in 1.3% (1/79) of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: A majority of the organ transplant recipients with cryptococcosis receive maintenance antifungal therapy for 6 months with low risk of relapse. These data can assist in trials to assess the optimal therapeutic approach and duration of therapy for cryptococcosis in transplant recipients.
During neonatal intensive care, blood components are often used in clinical situations where both their efficacy and safety lack solid justification. A practical system to continuously analyse actual transfusion practices is a prerequisite for improvements of quality in transfusion therapy. We hypothesized that such a system would reveal inappropriate variations in clinical decision making and offer a means for staff education and quality improvement and assurance. The study consisted of three 120-152-day periods (P I, P II and P III) between January 2000 and October 2001 and involved 543 new patient admissions (141 patients with birth weight < 1501 g) and 6227 days of patient care at a single tertiary level NICU. P I was a control with no intervention, P II was after technically introducing the computer system and, the last period, P III was after presenting and discussing the results of P I and P II at a staff meeting. Upon an order of platelet or fresh frozen plasma (FFP) unit from the blood bank, a computer-based audit system compared the last platelet count or prothrombin time [expressed as percentage of normal clotting activity, prothrombin time (PT-%)] to predefined criteria. In the case of exceeding the preset thresholds, the system required additional information and recorded the pretransfusion laboratory values for later analysis. Thirty-two per cent of platelet transfusions were given with pretransfusion platelet count >49 x 10(9) L(-1), and 60% of these transfusions (19% of all platelet transfusions) could not be clinically justified in retrospective chart review. There was no significant change in this practice from P II to P III. FFP transfusions were given with significantly different pretransfusion PT-% values during P II and P III. The proportions of FFP transfusions with pretransfusion PT-% > 49% were 7.8% and 0.9% during P II and P III, respectively (P < 0.0001). In chart review, none of the FFP transfusions with pretransfusion PT-% > 49% could be justified by clinical grounds. Inappropriate transfusions of both platelets and plasma remain a significant challenge for quality assurance of neonatal intensive care. Automated recording of pretransfusion platelet count and prothrombin time reliably identified the poorly justified transfusions and thus offered a practical resource-saving tool for quality assurance of transfusion in the NICU. A significant shift towards more appropriate use of plasma was demonstrated after implementation of the audit system.
A shortened small intestine may end at a stoma or be anastomosed to the colon. Patients with a jejunostomy, but not those with a colon, lose large amounts of sodium. The intake and absorption of sodium can be increased by sipping a sodium-glucose solution; stomal loss can be reduced by restricting water or low-sodium drinks. If a stoma is situated less than 100 cm along the jejunum, a constant negative sodium balance may necessitate parenteral saline supplements. Gastric anti-secretory drugs or a somatostatin analogue reduce jejunostomy losses in such patients but do not restore a positive sodium balance. Loperamide or codeine phosphate benefit some patients. Magnesium deficiency can usually be corrected by oral magnesium oxide supplements. An elemental or hydrolysed diet is not beneficial. Patients with a jejunostomy can maintain a normal diet without fat reduction. When the colon is present, unabsorbed carbohydrate is fermented to absorbable short chain fatty acids. Unabsorbed long chain fatty acids and bile salts cause watery diarrhoea and increased colonic oxalate absorption with hyperoxaluria. Such patients benefit from a high carbohydrate, low-fat and low-oxalate diet. Parenteral nutrition is needed only by the few patients unable to maintain health or avoid socially disabling diarrhoea despite these measures.