Using the ICECAP, the number of errors detected correlated well between two observers (Spearman rho = 0.984, p < 0.001). Both observers identified all moderate or severe errors similarly and categorised all but 4/139 (2.9%) of the total errors in an identical fashion.
Self-reporting of errors without prompting identified a mean of 24.4% (range 0-50%) of all recorded errors, whereas surgical teams reported a mean of 69.7% (range 50-100%) of errors when ICECAP error-category prompts were used.
Conclusion: The ICECAP tool may be useful for capturing and categorising errors that occur during vascular/endovascular procedures. ICECAP may also have a role as an error recall prompt for self-reporting selleckchem purposes by vascular surgical teams. (C) 2012 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Background. Percutaneous electrical TPX-0005 price nerve stimulation (PENS) is an electrical neuromodulation technique that has shown its therapeutic potential in various chronic pain conditions over the past few years, but well-blinded controlled studies are lacking.
Patients and Methods. A randomized double-blind sham-controlled crossover trial on 31 patients with chronic pain with surface hyperalgesia to investigate
the efficacy of PENS.
Results. For the active PENS therapies, the median numerical rating scale (NRS) for pain changed from 7.5 (standard deviation [SD] +/- 1) (range 6-10) before therapy to 0.5 (range 0-8.5) after therapy (Z = -4.206, P < 0.0005 [two-tailed]). The mean pain pressure threshold (PPT) measured with the
von Frey aesthesiometer HSP inhibition changed from 202 gm (SD +/- 137 gm) (range 55-800 gm) before therapy to 626 gm (SD +/- 228 gm) (range 45-800 gm) after therapy (Z = -4.373, P < 0.0005 [two-tailed]). There was a statistically significant difference between the changes in NRS for the active (3.9 [+/- 3.2] [0-8]) compared with the sham (0.1 [+/- 0.4] [0-1.5]) therapies, U = 40, Z = -3.484, P < 0.0001 (two-tailed). There was a statistically significant difference between the changes in PPT for the active (310 gm [+/- 267 gm] [0-670 gm]) compared with the sham (8 gm [+/- 4 gm] [0-15 gm]) therapies, U = 48.5, Z = -2.699, P = 0.007 (two-tailed).
Conclusion. PENS therapy appears to be effective in providing short-term pain relief in chronic pain conditions. Studies, involving larger sample sizes and longer follow-up are recommended.”
“Objectives: Thrombotic complications are common in vascular surgery patients. Non-O blood types are. associated with an increased risk of thrombo-embolic diseases. The aim of this study is to assess the prognostic implications of non-O vs. 0 blood type regarding 30-day cardiovascular events and long-term mortality after vascular surgery.