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BACKGROUND: Families are introduced as new partners in interprofessional communication and collaboration during hospitalisation of an adult patient. Their introduction into the healthcare team has consequences for the roles and responsibilities of all healthcare professionals. Role clarification is thus needed to create optimal communication and collaboration with families. AIM: To gain insight into how physicians and nurses view their own roles and each other's roles in communication and collaboration with families in the care of adult patients. METHODS: A qualitative interpretive interview design was used. Fourteen semi-structured interviews, with seven physicians and seven nurses, were conducted. Data were analysed according to the steps of thematic analysis. For the study design and analysis of the results, the guidelines of the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies (COREQ) were followed. The ethical committee of the University Medical Center Groningen approved the study protocol (research number 202100640). FINDINGS: Thematic analysis resulted in three themes, each consisting of two or three code groups. Two themes "building a relationship" and "sharing information" were described as roles that both nurses and physicians share regarding communication and collaboration with families. The role expectations differed between physicians and nurses, but these differences were not discussed with each other. The theme "providing support to family" was regarded a nurse-specific role by both professions. CONCLUSION: Physicians and nurses see a role for themselves and each other in communication and collaboration with families. However, the division of roles and expectations thereof are different, overlapping, and unclear. To optimise the role and position of family during hospital care, clarification and division of the roles between physicians and nurses in this partnership is necessary.

Additional file 3: Table S2. Underlying cause of death according to NCHS definitions. Summarizes the underlying causes of death as registered in the NHANES linked National Death Index public-access files through December 31, 2015.

Additional file 2: Table S1. Statistical analysis: confounders used in the Cox proportional hazards analysis. Describes the important confounders which have been used in the adjusted cox proportional hazard models, and the use of the specific sampling weights that NHANES has created to account for its complex survey design (including oversampling), survey non-response, and post-stratification.

Additional file 4: Table S3. Serum B12 concentrations and mortality. Describes the percentage of participants who died due to cardiovascular, cancer and other causes stratified for serum b12 concentration 700 pmol/l.

Additional file 1: Figure S1. Flow chart of the study population. Describes how the present sample of participants was composed.

Additional file 6: Table S5. Summary of the most important literature on the association of serum B12 concentrations and disease or mortality

Errors in the diagnostic process contribute substantially to medical errors and adverse events in the health care system. Research into ways to reduce diagnostic errors is still in its infancy. In this article, it is argued that checklists and time-outs for a brief moment of diagnostic reflection may be advisable.

Aims/hypothesis Oxidative stress plays a key role in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. We previously showed that the circulating antioxidant peroxiredoxin 4 (Prx4) is associated with cardiometabolic risk factors. We aimed to evaluate the association of Prx4 with type 2 diabetes risk in the general population. Methods We analysed data on 7,972 individuals from the Prevention of Renal and Vascular End-stage Disease (PREVEND) study (49% men, aged 28–75 years) with no diabetes at baseline. Logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, smoking, waist circumference, hypertension and family history of diabetes were used to estimate the ORs for type 2 diabetes. Results During a median follow up of 7.7 years, 496 individuals (288 men; 58%) developed type 2 diabetes. The median (Q1–Q3) Prx4 level was 0.84 (0.53–1.40) U/l in individuals who developed type 2 diabetes and 0.68 (0.43–1.08) U/l in individuals who did not develop type 2 diabetes. For every doubling of Prx4 levels, the adjusted OR (95% CI) for type 2 diabetes was 1.16 (1.05–1.29) in the whole population; by sex, it was 1.31 (1.14–1.50) for men and 1.03 (0.87–1.21) for women. Further adjustment for other clinical measures did not materially change the results. The addition of Prx4 to a validated diabetes risk score significantly improved the prediction of type 2 diabetes in men (p = 0.002 for reclassification improvement). Conclusions/interpretation Our findings suggest that elevated serum Prx4 levels are associated with a higher risk of incident type 2 diabetes. For men, taking Prx4 into consideration can improve type 2 diabetes prediction over a validated diabetes risk score; in contrast, there is no improvement in risk prediction for women. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00125-014-3278-9) contains peer-reviewed but unedited supplementary material, which is available to authorised users.

De Bruin and colleagues recently analysed the performance of the CTPA scan in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism. Their study shows that in a significant number of patients no abnormalities were found on a CTPA scan, a troubling finding given the radiation exposure. Young patients and ambulatory patients, in particular, often had a completely normal CTPA scan. Better stratification of patients with a high suspicion of pulmonary embolism is required, including evaluation of the value of clinical decision rules in ambulatory patients with suspected pulmonary embolism. In addition, the use of perfusion scanning, which involves significantly less radiation exposure, deserves further research in young people. Principally, a diagnostic strategy for pulmonary embolism comprising a clinical decision rule, followed by a D-dimer test if necessary, should be applied in clinical practice. This strategy will significantly reduce the number of CTPA scans showing no pulmonary embolism.

Chronic low-grade inflammation is involved in late renal transplant dysfunction. Recent studies suggest a role for hemopexin, an acute phase protein, in kidney damage. We investigated whether hemopexin activity (Hx) predicts graft failure in renal transplant recipients (RTRs). In 557 RTRs with functioning grafts for >= 1 year, Hx was measured in citrate-plasma. RTRs were divided according to Hx into two groups; A: sextile 1-5 (464 RTRs, 83%) and B: sextile 6 (92 RTRs, 17%). Hx [median (IQR) 11.1 (3.3-19.1) arbitrary units] was measured at 6.0 (2.6-11.5) years post-transplant. RTRs with high Hx (group B) had significantly higher urinary protein excretion (UP) and diastolic blood pressure than group A, despite significantly more prevalent use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors. After follow-up [4.6 (3.8-5.2) years], incidence of graft failure in group A was 25 (5%) and in group B 14 (15%, P = 0.0009). After adjustment for high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), UP and other potential confounders, Hx remained an independent predictor of graft failure [HR = 2.5 (95% CI 1.2-5.3), P = 0.01]. In conclusion, elevated Hx predicts late graft failure in RTRs, independent of hsCRP and UP. This suggests that Hx measurement, next to measurement of creatinine clearance and UP, could be of value for the identification of RTRs at risk for graft failure.

BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy is an effective treatment for painful bone metastases. Whether this applies also in patients with limited survival remains to be investigated. This study analyzed the effect of radiotherapy for painful bone metastases in patients with a survival

Cyclosporin A induces closure of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. We aimed to investigate whether this closure results in concomitant increases in mitochondrial membrane potential (Delta Psi(m)) and the production of reactive oxygen species. Fluorescent probes were used to assess Delta Psi(m) (JC-1, 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethyl-benzimidazolyl-carbocyanine iodide), reactive oxygen species [DCF, 5- (and 6)-chloromethyl-2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate, acetyl ester] and [Ca2+][Fluo-3, glycine N-[4-[6-[(acetyloxy)methoxy]-2,7-dichloro-3-oxo-3H-xanthen-9-yl]-2-[2-[2-[bis[2-[(acetyloxy)methoxy]-2-oxyethyl]amino]-5-methylphenoxy]ethoxy]phenyl]-N-[2-[(acetyloxy)methoxy]-2-oxyethyl]-(acetyloxy)methyl ester] in human kidney cells (HK-2 cells) and in a line of human small cell carcinoma cells (GLC4 cells), because these do not express cyclosporin A-sensitive P-glycoprotein. We used transfected GLC4 cells expressing P-glycoprotein as control for GLC4 cells. NIM811 (N-methyl-4-isoleucine-cyclosporin) and PSC833 (SDZ-PSC833) were applied as selective mitochondrial permeability transition pore and P-glycoprotein blockers, respectively. To study the effect of cyclosporin A on mitochondrial function, we isolated mitochondria from fresh pig livers. Cyclosporin A and PSC833 induced a more than two-fold increase in JC-1 fluorescence in HK-2 cells, whereas NIM811 had no effect. None of the three substances induced a significant increase in JC-1 fluorescence in GLC4 cells. Despite this, cyclosporin A, NIM811 and PSC833 induced a 1.5-fold increase in DCF fluorescence (P

OBJECTIVE - Chromium treatment has been reported to improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, concern exists about the possible toxic effects of chromium picolinate. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of chromium treatment in the form of chromium yeast on glycemic control in a Western population of patients with type 2 diabetes who were being treated with oral hypoglycemic agents. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - In this 6-month, double-blind study, patients with moderate glycemic control, being treated with oral hypoglycemic agents, were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or treatment with 400 mu g of chromium daily in the form of chromium yeast. The primary efficacy parameter was a change in A1C. Secondary end points were changes in lipid profile, BMI, blood pressure, body fat, and insulin resistance. RESULTS - No differences were found for the change in A1C between the intervention and placebo groups, nor were any differences found between the groups for the secondary end points. CONCLUSIONS - There is no evidence that chromium in the form of chromium yeast is effective in improving glycemic control in Western patients with type 2 diabetes who are taking oral hypoglycemic agents.

OBJECTIVE - Chromium treatment has been reported to improve glycemic control and insulin sensitivity in specific populations of patients with type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of chromium treatment on glycemic Control in -,I Western population of insulin-dependent patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - In this 6-month double-blind study, patients with an HbA(1c) (A1C) > 8% and insulin requirements of > 50 units/day were randomly assigned to receive treatment with placebo or 500 or 1,000 mu g chromium daily in the form of chromium picolinate. The primary efficacy parameter was a change in A1C. Secondary end points were changes in lipid profile, BMI, blood pressure, and insulin requirements. RESULTS - in this per-protocol analysis (n = 46), the decrease in A1C was approximately equal across the three groups (0.4%). All Patients had a BMI > 25 kg/m(2). No differences were found in the secondary end points. We found a weak relationship between an increasing serum chromium concentration and improvement of the lipid profile. CONCLUSIONS - There is no evidence that high-dose chromium treatment is effective in obese Western patients With type 2 diabetes.