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Radiation dose management of medical staff has become increasingly important. Particularly, based on the statement by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in 2011, a new lower equivalent dose limit for the eye lens is being established in each country. Although many reports have discussed the occupational radiation dose in interventional radiology (IR), few studies have examined the dose during computed tomography (CT) examinations. This study investigated the radiation dose exposure to medical staff present in the CT room during irradiation, with particular focus on the exposure to eye lens. The radiation dose exposure to those who assist patients during head, chest and upper abdomen CT examination was measured in a phantom study. The radiation dose exposure with scattered radiation was never negligible (i.e., high); Hp(3) was the highest in head CT examination, at 0.44 mSv per examination. Furthermore, the shielding effect of radiation protection glasses was large, and radiation protection glasses are useful tools for the medical staff who are involved in CT examinations. The justification and optimisation should be carefully considered in assistant actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of deaths of older adults in long-term care settings will increase with the aging population. Nurses and care workers in these settings face various challenges in providing end-of-life care, and interventions for quality end-of-life care may be useful. This feasibility study aims to explore the preliminary effect and acceptability of an intervention named the EOL Care Tool to improve end-of-life care in long-term-care facilities. We conducted a single-arm quasi-experimental study using mixed methods. This tool consisted of multiple components: professionalized lectures, newly developed structured documents, regular conferences regarding end-of-life care, and educational support from administrators. Twenty-four nurses and fifty-five care workers employed in a long-term care facility participated. For nurses, improvement in attitudes toward end-of-life care (p < 0.05) and interdisciplinary collaboration (p < 0.05) were shown quantitatively. Regarding acceptability, nurses and care workers evaluated the tool positively except for the difficulty of using the new documents. However, qualitative results showed that care workers felt the reluctance to address the work regarding end-of-life care. Therefore, a good preliminary effect and acceptability for nurses were indicated, while acceptability for care workers was only moderate. Revision to address the mentioned issues and evaluation of the revised tool with a more robust research design are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to clarify whether trans-abdominal ultrasound (TAUS) can reflect actual intestinal conditions in Crohn's disease (CD) as effectively as water-immersion ultrasound (WIUS) does. This retrospective study enrolled 29 CD patients with 113 intestinal lesions. Five ultrasound (US) parameters (distinct presence/indistinct presence/disappearance of wall stratification in the submucosal and mucosal layers; thickened submucosal layer; irregular mucosal surface; increased fat wrapping around the bowel wall; and fistula signs) that may indicate different states in CD were determined by TAUS and WIUS for the same lesion. Using WIUS as a reference standard, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of TAUS were calculated. The degree of agreement between TAUS and WIUS was evaluated by the kappa coefficient. All US parameters of TAUS had an accuracy >70% (72.6–92.7%). The highest efficacy of TAUS was obtained for fistula signs (sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy values were 63.6%, 96.0%, and 92.7%, respectively). All US parameters between TAUS and WIUS had a definitive (p ≤ 0.001) and moderate-to-substantial consistency (kappa value = 0.446–0.615). The images of TAUS showed substantial similarity to those of WIUS, suggesting that TAUS may function as a substitute to evaluate the actual intestinal conditions of CD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]