Spinal Disorders

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Rainville

Physicians of many disciplines encounter patients complaining of neck pain, back pain, and radicular symptoms. Although the prognoses for spinal problems are generally favorable and most patients recover quickly, in many cases, symptoms recur or persist over time. Sharing information with patients can help health care providers develop a rationale for treatment that stresses the role of patients in their recovery. This chapter discusses spine anatomy and function, age-related degeneration of spine structures, the epidemiology and natural history of degenerative spine disorders, the basic neurology of pain, and treatment choices that may optimize recovery. A table describes common patterns of symptoms and signs of radiculopathies. A graph illustrates pain scores for leg pain from acute lumbar radiculopathies. This chapter contains 1 highly rendered figure, 1 table, 323 references, and 5 MCQs.

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 33-33
Author(s):  
Susan Howlett

Abstract People age at different rates. This heterogeneity in aging has led to the concept of “frailty”, a state of heightened vulnerability to adverse health outcomes at any age. Frailty challenges health care providers, as frail patients are more likely than non-frail patients to experience diseases, hospitalization, and death. We showed that frailty occurs not only in humans, but also in aging rodents. It can be measured with a “frailty index” (FI) based on age-related health deficit accumulation as originally established in humans. We found that maladaptive changes in heart structure and function in late life are correlated more so with frailty than age and are closely graded by FI score, especially in male mice. Adverse effects of frailty originate at cellular/subcellular levels and scale up to organ and system levels, predisposing towards cardiovascular disease. Poor overall health, quantified with an FI, may drive maladaptive cardiac remodeling, especially in older males.


Author(s):  
Lara Freidenfelds

The Myth of the Perfect Pregnancy is a history of why Americans came to have the unrealistic expectation of perfect pregnancies and to mourn even very early miscarriages. The introduction explains that miscarriage is a common phenomenon and a natural part of healthy women’s childbearing: approximately 20 percent of confirmed pregnancies spontaneously miscarry, mostly in the first months of gestation. Eight topical chapters describe childbearing and pregnancy loss in colonial America; the rise of birth control from the late eighteenth century to the present; changes in parenting from the early nineteenth century to the present that increasingly focused attention on the emotional relationship between parent and child; the twentieth-century rise of prenatal care and maternal education about embryonic growth; the twentieth-century blossoming of a consumer culture that marketed baby items to pregnant women; the abortion debates from the mid-twentieth century to the present; the late twentieth-century introduction of obstetric ultrasound and its evolution into a pregnancy ritual of “meeting the baby” as early as eight weeks’ gestation; and the late twentieth-century introduction of home pregnancy testing and the identification of pregnancy as early as several days before a missed period. The conclusion offers suggestions for how women and their families, health-care providers, and the maternity care industry can better handle pregnancy and address miscarriage.


2018 ◽  
Vol 09 (04) ◽  
pp. 772-781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghan Reading ◽  
Dawon Baik ◽  
Melissa Beauchemin ◽  
Kathleen Hickey ◽  
Jacqueline Merrill

Background Patient-generated health data (PGHD) collected digitally with mobile health (mHealth) technology has garnered recent excitement for its potential to improve precision management of chronic conditions such as atrial fibrillation (AF), a common cardiac arrhythmia. However, sustained engagement is a major barrier to collection of PGHD. Little is known about barriers to sustained engagement or strategies to intervene upon engagement through application design. Objective This article investigates individual patient differences in sustained engagement among individuals with a history of AF who are self-monitoring using mHealth technology. Methods This qualitative study involved patients, health care providers, and research coordinators previously involved in a randomized, controlled trial involving electrocardiogram (ECG) self-monitoring of AF. Patients were adults with a history of AF randomized to the intervention arm of this trial who self-monitored using ECG mHealth technology for 6 months. Semistructured interviews and focus groups were conducted separately with health care providers and research coordinators, engaged patients, and unengaged patients. A validated model of sustained engagement, an adapted unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), guided data collection, and analysis through directed content analysis. Results We interviewed 13 patients (7 engaged, 6 unengaged), 6 providers, and 2 research coordinators. In addition to finding differences between engaged and unengaged patients within each predictor in the adapted UTAUT model (perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, facilitating conditions), four additional factors were identified as being related to sustained engagement in this population. These are: (1) internal motivation to manage health, (2) relationship with health care provider, (3) supportive environments, and (4) feedback and guidance. Conclusion Although it required some modification, the adapted UTAUT model was useful in understanding of the parameters of sustained engagement. The findings of this study provide initial requirement specifications for the design of applications that engage patients in this unique population of adults with AF.


Author(s):  
Michael M.H. Yang ◽  
Godefroy Hardy St-Pierre ◽  
Stephan DuPlessis

AbstractBackgroundThe expansion of age-related degenerative spine pathologies has led to increased referrals to spine surgeons. However, the majority of patients referred for surgical consultation do not need surgery, leading to inefficient use of healthcare resources. This study aims to elucidate preoperative patient variables that are predictive of patients being offered spine surgery.MethodsWe conducted an observational cohort study on patients referred to our institution between May 2013 and January 2015. Patients completed a detailed preclinic questionnaire on items such as history of presenting illness, quality-of-life questionnaires, and past medical history. The primary end point was whether surgery was offered. A multivariable logistical regression using the random forest method was used to determine the odds of being offered surgery based on preoperative patient variables.ResultsAn analysis of 1194 patients found that preoperative patient variables that reduced the odds of surgery being offered include mild pain (odds ratio [OR] 0.37,p=0.008), normal walking distance (OR 0.51,p=0.007), and normal sitting tolerance (OR 0.58,p=0.01). Factors that increased the odds of surgery include radiculopathy (OR 2.0,p=0.001), patient’s belief that they should have surgery (OR 1.9,p=0.003), walking distance <50 ft (OR 1.9,p=0.01), relief of symptoms when bending forward (OR 1.7,p=0.008) and sitting (OR 1.6,p=0.009), works more slowly (OR 1.6p=0.01), aggravation of symptoms by Valsalva (OR 1.4,p=0.03), and pain affecting sitting/standing (OR 1.1,p=0.001).ConclusionsWe identified 11 preoperative variables that were predictive of whether patients were offered surgery, which are important factors to consider when screening outpatient spine referrals.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 369-374
Author(s):  
Mashael Alqahtani ◽  
Alla Nahhas ◽  
Lujain Malibari ◽  
Maryam Alghamdi ◽  
Sara Bazuhier ◽  
...  

Background: Oral Cancer (OC) is a serious health problem affecting the oral cavity, which may lead to death. Alcohol, tobacco, and chewing betel are the main risk factors. Early diagnosis and adequate knowledge of OC may improve the survival rate. Objective: This study aimed to assess the knowledge about oral cancer among dental patients in Mecca. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the dental clinics of Mecca. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were distributed to 416 respondents aged 18 or older, who spoke Arabic or English, had no history of OC, and participated voluntarily. The questionnaire consisted of three sections. The first regarded demographical data, the second measured knowledge about OC, and the third was concerned with education regarding OC provided by health-care providers. The interviewers also educated the participants by handing brochures with information about OC. Results: Knowledge about OC among dental patients in Mecca was found to be significantly low. Only 102 of the 416 participants (24.5%) had any knowledge. Only 3.4% of all participants had been educated about OC by their health-care providers. Conclusion: The results of this study show a considerable lack of general knowledge about OC among dental patients in Mecca. Health programs should be developed to raise the community’s awareness.


2020 ◽  
Vol 162 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-32
Author(s):  
David E. Tunkel ◽  
Sarah M. Holdsworth ◽  
Jacqueline D. Alikhaani ◽  
Taskin M. Monjur ◽  
Lisa Satterfield

This plain language summary explains nosebleeds, also known as epistaxis (pronounced ep-ih-stak-sis), to patients. The summary applies to any individual aged 3 years and older with a nosebleed or history of nosebleed who needs medical treatment or wants medical advice. It is based on the 2020 “Clinical Practice Guideline: Nosebleed (Epistaxis).” This guideline uses research to advise doctors and other health care providers on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of nosebleeds. The guideline includes recommendations that are explained in this summary. Recommendations may not apply to every patient but can be used to help patients ask questions and make decisions in their own care.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Harst ◽  
S Oswald ◽  
P Timpel

Abstract Background Telemedicine solutions providing patient-centered care over distance need to be integrated into the regional setting. The acceptance by both providers and patients hat to be continuously evaluated using methods of participatory implementation research. In controlled trials, often taking place in laboratory settings, these methods cannot be applied. In the following, research in progress is presented. Methods Based on socio-demographic data, epidemiology prevalence of age-related chronic diseases and data on the value of health care provision in Saxony, Germany a model region was chosen. Then, a focus group (n = 6) was conducted to differentiate the results and analyze the health networks of patients. For this, network maps putting the individual in the middle and his/her sources of information and support in case of illness in concentric circles around it, were used. The focus group was audiotaped, transcribed and analyzed by two researchers using MaxQDA. Results With a mean age of 47.8 years (n = 17,431), high prevalence of diabetes (&gt;15.85 %) and hypertension (&gt;39.1%) and an expected shortage of primary physicians in 2030, the town of Kamenz is a mirror image of the current health care challenges in rural areas of Saxony. Participants of the focus groups also stated problems in finding a primary physician or a dentist. Compensatory behavior, such as traveling large distances, relying on self-researched online diagnoses and immediately going to the emergency room for medical support was described. According to the network maps, primary sources of support in case of illness are partners and relatives, yet there is little connection between those and health care providers, as well as between different medical specialists. Conclusions The results will lead to potential use cases of telemedicine to be included into a standardized questionnaire for the assessment of telemedicine readiness in the model region. Key messages Telemedicine implementation in a rural area can be studied using a participatory approach. Focus groups and network maps are useful qualitative methods for participatory research and can inform the design of quantitative measurements.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen Choi ◽  
Julia S. Seng

BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects 8% of pregnant women, and the biggest risk factor for pregnancy PTSD is childhood maltreatment. The care they receive can lead to positive outcomes or to retraumatization and increased morbidity. The purpose of this study is to gather information from a range of clinicians about their continuing education needs to provide perinatal care to women with a maltreatment history and PTSD.METHOD: Maternity health care professionals were interviewed by telephone. Network sampling and purposive sampling were used to include physicians, nurse practitioners, midwives, nurses, and doulas (n = 20), and results were derived from content analysis.RESULTS: Most providers received little or no training on the issue of caring for women with a history of childhood maltreatment or PTSD during their original education but find working with this type of patient rewarding and wish to learn how to provide better care. Providers identified a range of educational needs and recommend offering a range of formats and time options for learning.CONCLUSIONS: Maternity health care providers desire to work effectively with survivor moms and want to learn best practices for doing so. Thus, educational programming addressing provider needs and preferences should be developed and tested to improve care experiences and pregnancy outcomes for women with a history of trauma or PTSD.


Rare Tumors ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 86-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary I. Huang ◽  
Robert L. DeBernardo ◽  
Mark Rodgers ◽  
David J. Hart

Endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) is typically associated with metastasis to the abdomen, pelvis, and lung. We found three case reports of ESS metastasis to the bone (two to the thoracic spine, and one to the parietal bone). Our objective is to review the literature on ESS spinal and intracranial metastases and, report the first case of ESS metastatic to the lumbar paraspinal region and sphenoid bone. A 53-year-old female with ESS status-post radiation, chemotherapy, and pelvic exenteration surgery presented with right hip weakness, back pain, and radicular leg pain that were explained by chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, radiation-induced lumbosacral plexopathy, and femoral nerve and obturator nerve injury during pelvic exenteration surgery. During routine positron emission tomography, we found metastasis to the L3 lumbar spinal region. L3 laminectomy and subtotal resection of the mass was performed with tumor residual in the neuroforamina and pedicles. One month later, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed for persistent headaches revealed a large lesion in the sphenoid bone that was biopsied transsphenoidally with the same diagnosis, but no further surgery was performed. She is intolerant of chemotherapy and currently undergoing whole brain radiation. Delay in the diagnosis and management of lumbar paraspinal and sphenoid bone metastasis of ESS likely occurred because of the uniqueness of the location and aggressiveness of ESS metastasis. Health care providers should be aware of potentially aggressive metastasis of ESS to bone, in particular the unusual locations of the lumbar paraspinal region and sphenoid bone.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niloufer Sultan Ali ◽  
Ali Khan Khuwaja ◽  
Adnan-ur-Rahman ◽  
Kashmira Nanji

Background. Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a major public health concern. Objective. The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of MetS, its components, and factors associated with MetS amongst apparently healthy individuals in Pakistan. Methods. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the executive Clinics of Aga Khan Hospital, Pakistan. Medical records of patients aged ≥18 years visiting the clinics from July 2011 to December 2011 were consecutively reviewed. Records in which either MetS components data or 10% of overall data was missing were excluded. A total of 1329 participants’ records was included in final analysis. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 19 and multivariable logistic regression was used to identify the factors associated with MetS. Results. A total of 847 (63.7%) participants had MetS; mean age of the participants were 47.6 ± 11.6 years. About 70.4% were males and 29.6% were females. Approximately 70% of participants had BMI ≥25 kg/m2. MetS was associated with male gender (AOR = 2.1; 95% C.I: 1.6–3.2) and history of diabetes among parents (AOR = 3.0; 95% C.I: 1.6–6.0). Conclusion. This study shows that a large proportion of population has MetS and is overweight or obese. This requires urgent interventions on part of health care providers’ especially family physicians. Educating masses about life style factors can make a difference. Further researches on this issue are warranted.


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