Reducing inter-observer variability in embryo evaluation by means of training courses

Purpose  

To study the utility of a training session offered to junior embryologists, comparing the results obtained with those reported by a group of senior embryologists.     

强脉冲光治疗睑板腺功能障碍及其相关干眼专家共识(2022)

强脉冲光(IPL)疗法是临床上治疗睑板腺功能障碍(MGD)及MGD相关性干眼的物理疗法之一,近来日益受到临床医生的广泛关注。IPL治疗MGD及其相关干眼的原理主要是利用宽谱非相干光的光热效应、热辐射效应、杀菌、抗炎、光调节和恢复局部低氧环境等作用改善睑板腺及眼表的微环境,降低眼表组织中炎性因子水平,进而改善泪膜稳态、减轻睑缘炎症状态,达到治疗MGD及MGD相关干眼和减轻眼表疾病的眼部症状和体征的目的。作为近年来一种全新的MGD及其相关干眼的治疗方式,IPL的临床疗效及安全性逐步得到了认可。然而,目前由于IPL临床应用实践相对缺乏,产品种类较多,治疗过程中患者的个体影响因素较多以及治疗参数需要进行个性化选择,IPL治疗MGD相关干眼的临床适应证、治疗参数调节、治疗的操作流程、治疗时机和疗程的选择、疗效的评价及治疗方案的确定等均尚无规范化指导意见。干眼IPL临床应用专家共识专家组在广泛调查研究、认真讨论,并基于IPL在眼科的应用进展和作用原理对IPL的规范化操作流程制定本共识,为IPL的规范化临床应用提供推荐意见,并为我国干眼诊疗中心诊疗模式的规范提供依据。     

Agreement and meaning: rethinking consensus analysis

This study provides a critical perspective on "informant agreement (consensus) analysis" as it is used in ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology. It recasts the concept at a higher cultural level, and it describes the cultural agreement about reported medicinal plant use for the native peoples of North America. It examines some plant use categories around which there is significant cross cultural agreement, and some categories which lack such agreement. The study then proposes a theoretical approach to understanding the efficacy of plants lacking significant consensus in their usage. The study considers the implications of this second form of efficacy defined here as the "meaning response", but often referred to as the "placebo effect".     

单片复方制剂降压治疗中国专家共识

与单药治疗或传统的阶梯治疗、序贯治疗等方法相比,近年来出现的各种组方简单(通常使用两种指南推荐的降压药物)的单片复方制剂可更有效地控制血压。多个高血压指南均建议使用这些单片复方制剂。现阶段,一方面,我国高血压的控制率仍较低,另一方面,单片复方制剂在降压药中的使用比例却不高。因此,中华医学会心血管病学分会组织了有关单片复方制剂降压治疗的学术讨论,并制定本共识文件,系统分析使用单片复方制剂降压治疗的必要性和有效性,并提出明确的治疗建议。     

Development of a national protocol to screen Dutch cancer survivors on late cancer treatment effects

PURPOSES: The development of a national protocol to formalize the screening of Dutch cancer survivors on potential late cancer treatment effects and the medical terminology used in describing the patient follow up procedures. METHODS: A combined evidence-based and qualitative approach, the Glaser's State of the Art Strategy, was used to reach consensus on how to screen Dutch cancer survivors on late cancer treatment effects. A core working group set up a first proposal of a screening protocol and a handbook of medical term definitions by incorporating available research evidence (1980-2003), clinical expertise and definitions from Dutch medical dictionaries and textbooks. External experts reviewed this proposal in a cycle of two postal and two discussion rounds. The follow-up procedures and medical term definitions described in the draft screening protocol were to be accepted if consensus among external experts was > or =50%. RESULTS: A protocol for screening cancer survivors on late cancer treatment effects was developed describing the follow-up procedures for cancer survivors according to previous therapeutic exposures. Four hundred and twenty one medical terms were used in describing these follow-up procedures. One hundred and fifteen of these terms were classified as multi-interpretable and 101 of these terms were defined. No definitions could be found for the remaining 14 medical terms. CONCLUSIONS: We succeeded in reaching consensus throughout The Netherlands on a protocol to screen cancer survivors on late cancer treatment effects. This protocol is now in use by all Dutch outpatient clinics and warrants that the screening of cancer survivors is consistent across The Netherlands. The screening protocol specifies in detail how screening of cancer survivors should take place and can therefore be used by clinicians who were not involved in the consensus study.     

Critical overview of the management of neonatal jaundice in the UK

AIM: To determine the current management of early neonatal jaundice in the UK and to evaluate whether the current practices are evidence based. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was carried out among identified lead paediatricians of neonatal intensive care units. RESULTS: The survey found markedly differing practices for the recognition, investigation and treatment of neonatal jaundice. This applies particularly to confirmation of the clinical suspicion of jaundice; use of invasive and non-invasive technologies for diagnosis; preferred wavelength and intensity of light used for treatment; and whether birth weight, gestational age and postnatal age should influence treatment. CONCLUSION: The study found a lack of consistency in the management of jaundiced infants in the UK. The evidence-based practice currently available does not appear to have been incorporated into treatment protocols.     

First Surgical National Consensus Conference of the Italian Breast Surgeons association (ANISC) on breast cancer management in neoadjuvant setting: Results and summary

RationaleOn October 15th, 2020, the first Surgical National Consensus Conference on neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) was promoted by the Italian Association of Breast Surgeons (ANISC).MethodThe Consensus Conference was entirely held online due to anti-Covid-19 restrictions and after an introductory four lectures held by national and international experts in the field, a total of nine questions were presented and a digital “real-time” voting system was obtained. A consensus was reached if 75% or more of all panelists agreed on a given question.ResultsA total of 202 physicians, from 76 different Italian Breast Centers homogeneously distributed throughout the Italian country, participated to the Conference. Most participants were surgeons (75%). Consensus was reached for seven out of the nine considered topics, including management of margins and lymph nodes at surgery, and there was good correspondence between the 32 “Expert Panelists” and the “Participants” to the Conference. Consensus was not achieved regarding the indications to NACT for high-grade luminal-like breast tumors, and the need to perform an axillary lymph node dissection in case of micrometastases in the sentinel lymph node after NACT.ConclusionsNACT is a topic of major interest among surgeons, and there is need to develop shared guidelines. While a Consensus was obtained for most issues presented at this Conference, controversies still exist regarding indications to NACT in luminal B-like tumors and management of lymph node micrometastases. There is need for clinical studies and analysis of large databases to improve our knowledge on this subject.     

A Comparative Study of Treatment Interventions for Patellar Tendinopathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ObjectivesTo determine the additional effect of dry needling (DN) or percutaneous needle electrolysis (PNE) combined with eccentric exercise (EE) and determine which is the most effective for patients with patellar tendinopathy (PT).DesignBlinded, randomized controlled trial, with follow-up at 10 and 22 weeks.SettingsRecruitment was performed in sport clubs. Diagnosis and intervention were conducted at San Jorge University.ParticipantsPatients (N=48) with PT with pain for at least 3 months between the ages of 18 and 45 years.InterventionsThree interventions were carried out: DN and EE, PNE and EE, and EE with sham needle as the control group.Main Outcome MeasuresDisability was measured using the Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment Questionnaire, patellar tendon. Visual analog scale was used to measure pain over time, the Short Form-36 was used to measure quality of life, and ultrasound was used to measure structural abnormalities.ResultsA total of 48 participants (42 men, 6 women; average age, 32.46y; SD, 7.14y) were enrolled. The improvement in disability and pain in each group between baseline and post-treatment and baseline and follow-up was significant (P≤.05), without differences among groups.ConclusionDN or PNE combined with an EE program has not shown to be more effective than a program of only EE to improve disability and pain in patients with PT in the short (10wk) and medium (22wk) terms. Clinical improvements were not associated with structural changes in the tendon.     

Investigating Characteristics of Quality Peer Mentors With Spinal Cord Injury

ObjectiveTo identify characteristics (1) of high- and low-quality spinal cord injury (SCI) peer mentors; (2) that should be used to match SCI peer mentors and mentees.DesignThe study was conducted in partnership with three Canadian provincial SCI organizations using an integrated knowledge translation approach. The Delphi exercise was completed in three rounds. In Round 1, people with SCI completed a thought-listing exercise to identify characteristics of high- and low-quality peer mentors and for matching. In Rounds 2 and 3, people with SCI and community organization staff rated characteristics from the previous round on an 11-point scale. After the final round, the remaining characteristics were thematically analyzed.SettingCommunity-based peer mentorship programs in three Canadian provinces.ParticipantsPeople with SCI and SCI community organization staff (Round 1, n=45; Round 2, n=27; Round 3, n=25).InterventionsNot applicable.Main Outcome MeasuresConsensus-based list of characteristics.ResultsParticipants reached consensus on 215 characteristics of quality peer mentors and 11 characteristics for peer mentor-mentee matching (ICC=0.96). A consensus-based characterization of high- and low-quality peer mentorship was created and included six overarching themes: competencies, personality characteristics, emotional state, mentor outlook, reason for mentoring, and role model.ConclusionA consensus-based characterization of quality peer mentorship was co-developed with input from over 50 members of the SCI community. Findings highlight that peers have both interpersonal and intrapersonal characteristics that contribute to quality mentorship. The findings highlighted the importance of matching mentors on lived experience and shared interests. Findings will inform future research and SCI peer mentorship programs.     

15-Year Patency and Life Expectancy After Primary Stenting Guided by Intravascular Ultrasound for Iliac Artery Lesions in Peripheral Arterial Disease

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to evaluate 15-year patency and life expectancy after endovascular treatment (EVT) with primary stenting guided by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) for iliac artery lesions.BackgroundFifteen-year patency, factors causing restenosis, and survival after IVUS-guided EVT are unclear based on the TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus II (TASC-II) classification in peripheral arterial disease (PAD).MethodsEVT was performed for 507 lesions in 455 patients with PAD. The 15-year endpoints were primary, primary-assisted, and secondary patency; overall survival; freedom from major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE); and freedom from major adverse cardiovascular and limb events (MACLE).ResultsThe 5-, 10-, and 15-year primary and secondary patencies were 89%, 83%, and 75%, respectively, and 92%, 91%, and 91%, respectively. There were no significant differences among TASC-II categories.ConclusionsIVUS-guided stenting for the iliac artery had favorable 15-year patency in all TASC categories. Life expectancy after EVT was poor, but stenting is feasible for patients with PAD.