Tuesday, August 18, 2015

High-Flow Nasal Therapy Effective As NIV In Preterm Infants


Medscape (8/18) reports that an analysis published in the journal Pediatrics found that high-flow nasal cannula therapy “is as safe and efficacious as conventional modes of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in preterm infants.” The study, which compared high-flow therapy with nasal continuous positive airway pressure, found “no significant differences between groups with respect to a variety of secondary outcomes,” such as the duration of time in the neonatal unit or respiratory support.

COPD Patients With Comorbid Mental Issue Have Higher Readmission Risk

According to Lung Disease News (8/18, Semedo), a recent study in the journal CHEST found that psychological conditions such as depression anxiety, or psychosis were associated with a higher risk of hospital readmission for COPD complications. “These psychological disorders are more likely to predict early readmission than other significant factors,” said Gurinder Singh of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. “This is likely related to the limited ability of these patients to handle the COPD, poor social support or community resources and non-adherence with treatment,” Singh added.

Monday, August 17, 2015

E-Cigarettes Not Gateway Drug Among British Youth, Survey Says

The Guardian (UK) (8/17, Meikle) reports that an online survey by the British anti-tobacco group Action On Smoking and Health found that “experimentation with e-cigarettes is rising among 11- to 18-year-olds in Britain but is most common among those who already smoke or who have done in the past.” The group suggests that the results show it is “unlikely” that e-cigarettes are being used as a gateway drug to tobacco. Also covering the story are the Daily Mail (UK) (8/17, Duell) and the Independent (UK). (8/17, Connor)

Helicobacter Pylori May Be Common In Patients With COPD

The Daily Mail (UK) (8/16) reported that “the bacteria helicobacter pylori” may “be common in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).” Research has “found that levels of the bacteria are up to three times higher in people with COPD, and one theory is that infection in childhood may affect the growth of the lungs, making them more vulnerable to disease.”

Researcher Identify Factors That May Put COPD Patients At Higher Risk For Falls

Reuters (8/15, Rapaport) reported that research suggests that older individuals with COPD may have a higher likelihood of experiencing falls if they have additional medical conditions, prior falls, or a lengthier smoking history. The findings were published in Respirology.

Regular consumption of sugary drinks associated with type 2 diabetes


Sugar sweetened drinks may give rise to nearly 2 million diabetes cases over 10 years in the US and 80,000 in the UK
Regular consumption of sugar sweetened drinks is positively associated with type 2 diabetes independent of obesity status, finds a study published in The BMJ this week.
Artificially sweetened drinks and fruit juice also showed a positive association with type 2 diabetes, but the quality of evidence was limited. None the less, the authors warn that neither artificially sweetened drinks nor fruit juice are suitable alternatives to sugar sweetened drinks for the prevention of type 2 diabetes.
Artificially sweetened beverages have been seen as possible alternatives to sugar sweetened beverages to reduce intake of sugars and energy, and fruit juice has been considered a healthier alternative. However, evidence was not available to clarify whether or not consumption of each of sugar sweetened beverages, artificially sweetened beverages, and fruit juice is associated with risk of diabetes after taking account of obesity status.
To address this question, an international team of researchers led by the MRC Epidemiology Unit at Cambridge University set out to assess whether or not habitual consumption of sugar sweetened drinks, artificially sweetened drinks, or fruit juice was associated with the incidence of type 2 diabetes, and to estimate the 10-year risk attributable to sugar sweetened drinks in the USA and UK.
They analysed the results of 17 observational studies. Design and quality were taken into account to minimise bias. None of these was funded by industry.
They found that habitual consumption of sugar sweetened drinks was positively associated with incidence of type 2 diabetes, independently of obesity status.
The association between artificially sweetened drinks or fruit juice and incident type 2 diabetes was less evident. Yet, the researchers found little evidence for benefits of these beverages, and therefore concluded these drinks are unlikely to be healthy alternatives to sugar sweetened drinks for preventing type 2 diabetes.
They point out that the studies analysed were observational, so no definitive conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect.
However, assuming a causal association, they estimate that two million new-onset type 2 diabetes events in the USA and 80,000 in the UK from 2010 to 2020 would be related to consumption of sugar sweetened beverages.
“Although more research on cause and effect needs to be carried out, this study indicates the potential health gains that may be achieved by reducing the consumption of sugar sweetened drinks,” they conclude.
Link to article

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Miscellaneous Mnemonics


Miscellaneous Mnemonics


Resistor colour codes "Bad Boys Rape 
O
ur Young Girls But Violet Gives Willingly
Get Some Now":
· In ascending resistor value order:
Black: 0
Brown: 1
Red: 2
Orange: 3
Yellow: 4
Green: 5
Blue: 6
Violet: 7
Grey: 8
White: 9
Gold: 5%
Silver: 10%
None: 20%


Visible spectrum colors in order ROY G. BIV
· In order from low end of spectrum:
Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Indigo
Violet
Alternatively: "Richard OYork Gained Battles
IVain" (Richard III was an English king defeated in 1485).


Ohm's Law "Virgins Are Rare":
Volts = Amps x Resistance
· Note: can then rearrange to more common form Resistance = Volts / Amps.


Ideal gas law "Pure Virgins Never Really
Tire":
PV=nRT


Electric units "Vaulting John Says: 'Ann
Can Sing OVA'. What Just Sing? And
Vault.":
Volts = Joules/Sec
Amps = Coulombs/Sec
Ohms = Volts/Amp
Watts = Joules/Sec=Amps x Volts


Ideal gas law [for All My Children fans] "Pine Valley
is Not Real Time"
PV=nRt


Work: formula "Lots of Work gets me Mad!":
Work = Mad:
M=Mass
a=acceleration
d=distance


Syncope (fainting) treatment If the face is red,
raise the head.
If the face is pale, raise the tail.


Hospice facets HOSPICE:
Home
Outpatient
Support groups
Pain medication/ Physical needs
Inpatient
Counseling
End-stage (terminal) illness/ Emotional needs


Healthy lifestyle modification DRAINS:
Diet
Reduce weight
Alcohol reduced
Improve circulation (exercise)
No other disease
Smoking stopped


Clinical essay plan "During Exams Please
Say Silently I Must Prepare F***ing 
W
ell":
Definition
Epidemiology
Pathology
Signs and Symptoms
Investigations
Management
Prognosis
Further Work


Safety factors SETUP:
Stop
Environment
Traffic
Unknown hazards
Protect yourself, patient, bystanders


Admission orders: general ADA VAN DISSEL:
· In order of writing on the hospital admission form:
Admit (to which ward)
Diagnosis
Allergies
Vital signs
Activities
Nursing orders (wind, wound, and water)
Diet
Intravenous
Sedation
Sleep
Elimination
Lab work


Quality of life measurement in patients FIDOH:
Functional status
Impairment
Death/ Duration of life
Opportunity
Health perception
· Functional status: Social function (limitations in usual roles, degree of
social interaction, sexual function); psychological function (affective and
cognitive); physical function.
· Impairment: Symptoms, signs, self reported disease, physiological changes.
· Death/ Duration of life: Mortality, life expectancy, disease adjusted years of
life lost
· Opportunity: How the disease has influenced the patient's ability to
participate in society as well as their psychological resilience
· Health perception: Satisfaction with health; general feeling on a day to day
basis.
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