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Abstract Background Cardiac sonographers frequently have work-related muscular discomfort. We aimed to assess the feasibility of having sonographers receive massages during working hours in an area adjacent to an echocardiography laboratory and to assess relief of discomfort with use of the massages with or without stretching exercises. Methods A group of 45 full-time sonographers was randomly assigned to receive weekly 30-minute massage sessions, massages plus stretching exercises to be performed twice a day, or no intervention. Outcome measures were scores of the QuickDASH instrument and its associated work module at baseline and at 10 weeks of intervention. Data were analyzed with standard descriptive statistics and the separation test for early-phase comparative trials. Results Forty-four participants completed the study: 15 in the control group, 14 in the massage group, and 15 in the massage plus stretches group. Some improvement was seen in work-related discomfort by the QuickDASH scores and work module scores in the 2 intervention groups. The separation test showed separation in favor of the 2 interventions. Conclusion On the basis of the results of this pilot study, larger trials are warranted to evaluate the effect of massages with or without stretching on work-related discomfort in cardiac sonographers. Trial Registration NCT00975026 ClinicalTrials.gov

Background: The cancellation of elective surgeries is a major problem that increases wait times, exacerbates costs and can negatively affect patients, both psychologically and physically. Our objectives were to investigate the reasons for cancellations across specialties at a single centre, to compare these reasons with previous data from the same centre between 2005 and 2009 and to examine how cancellations affected patients' lives and views of the medical system in cases when the cancellations were potentially preventable., Methods: Cancellation records of all elective surgeries scheduled between June 1, 2012, and Jan. 31, 2016, at a medium-sized, tertiary care, academic centre were retrospectively reviewed. We evaluated the rates and reasons for cancellation and interviewed a subset of patients whose surgery was cancelled for a potentially preventable reason (i.e., operating room running late, bed shortage, emergency case took place of scheduled surgery)., Results: Across 11 surgical specialties, 2933 of 20 881 surgeries (14.0%) were cancelled and of these, 2448 (83.5%) were for administrative or structural reasons. Compared with the data collected previously for general, gynecological and urological procedures, cancellation rates increased from 8.1% to 11.8%. Although patients reported inconvenience, they were generally satisfied with the availability and the quality of the health care they received., Conclusion: Consistent with the previous study, our data suggest that most cancellations occur because of administrative or structural processes that are potentially preventable. Targeting these processes may help to reduce cancellations for elective surgeries and thereby improve economic efficiency and patient outcomes., Competing Interests: None declared., (© 2021 Joule Inc. or its licensors.)

Background and Objectives: Focused Cardiac Ultrasound (FoCUS) has proven instrumental in guiding anesthesiologists' clinical decision-making process. Training residents to perform and interpret FoCUS is both feasible and effective. However, the degree of knowledge retention after FoCUS training remains a subject of debate. We sought to provide a description of our 4-week FoCUS curriculum, and to assess the knowledge retention among anesthesia residents at 6 months after FoCUS rotation., Methods: A prospective analysis involving eleven senior anesthesia residents was carried out. At end of FoCUS Rotation (EOR) participants completed a questionnaire (evaluating the number of scans completed and residents' self-rated knowledge and comfort level with FoCUS), and a multiple-choice FoCUS exam comprised of written- and video-based questions. Six months later, participants completed a follow-up questionnaire and a similar exam. Self-rated knowledge and exam scores were compared at EOR and after 6 months. Spearman correlations were conducted to test the relationship between number of scans completed and exam scores, perceived knowledge and exam scores, and number of scans and perceived knowledge., Results: Mean exam scores (out of 50) were 44.1 at EOR and 43 at the 6-month follow-up. Residents had significantly higher perceived knowledge (out of 10) at EOR (8.0) than at the 6-month follow-up (5.5), p=0.003. At the EOR, all trainees felt comfortable using FoCUS, and at 6 months 10/11 still felt comfortable. All the trainees had used FoCUS in their clinical practice after EOR, and the most cited reason for not using FoCUS more frequently was the lack of perceived clinical need. A strong and statistically significant (rho=0.804, p=0.005) correlation between number of scans completed during the FoCUS rotation and 6-month follow-up perceived knowledge was observed., Conclusion: Four weeks of intensive FoCUS training results in adequate knowledge acquisition and 6-month knowledge retention., (Copyright © 2018 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

3 beta-Tetrahydropyranyloxy-5 alpha-cholesta-20(21),24-diene: C32H52O2, Mr = 468.77, orthorhombic, P2(1)2(1)2(1), a = 6.710 (4), b = 11.361 (4), c = 37.812 (11) A, V = 2882 (2) A3, Z = 4, Dx = 1.08 g cm-3, lambda(Cu K alpha) = 1.54178 A, mu = 4.60 cm-1, F(000) = 1040, T = 224 K, final R = 0.088 for 1729 unique observed reflections. 3 beta-Tetrahydropyranyloxy-21-nor-5 alpha-ergost- 24-en-20-one: C32H52O3, Mr = 484.77, triclinic, P1, a = 6.640 (2), b = 9.589 (2), c = 12.202 (3) A, alpha = 111.33 (2), beta = 101.22, gamma = 90.27 (2) degrees, V = 707.4 (3) A3, Z = 1, Dx = 1.14 g cm-3, lambda(Mo K alpha) = 0.71069 A, mu = 0.8 cm-1, F(000) = 268, T = 225 K, final R = 0.058 for 2208 unique observed reflections. The configuration at C(17) of these synthetic sterol derivatives, which had been uncertain, is unambiguously established to be 'normal' (possessing a 17 alpha-H).

Spontaneous rupture of the renal parenchyma or renal pelvis during pregnancy has been previously reported in 16 cases. In the case we describe in this report, the patient initially had right flank pain and nausea for 48 hours, which progressed to severe abdominal symptoms that necessitated exploratory laparotomy. Cystoscopic placement of a ureteral stent relieved the obstruction and allowed spontaneous healing of the renal pelvis. Dilatation of the urinary collecting system commonly occurs during pregnancy. Spontaneous rupture of the renal parenchyma or renal pelvis, however, is unusual and often associated with diseased kidneys. Our case is the 8th one of spontaneous rupture of the renal collecting system with no identifiable underlying pathologic condition and the 17th case of spontaneous renal rupture overall.

Better perioperative and operative management techniques have contributed to an improvement in the success rate of pancreas transplantation. Because of a shortage of donor organs, the criteria for acceptability of the allograft have been liberalized, and the development of techniques such as combined liver and pancreas procurement has increased allograft availability. Major advances have been made in organ preservation. Currently, pancreas allografts can routinely be stored for 18 to 24 hours. The technique of pancreaticoduodenal transplantation with a duodenocystostomy for the exocrine drainage is widely used. Experience with anesthetic and intensive-care unit management of these patients is accumulating. With the evolution of pancreas transplantation and with the help of the excellent transplant centers in our area, we developed a pancreas transplantation protocol and performed transplantation based on this protocol in 16 recipients at the Mayo Clinic from October 1987 through December 1988.

During a 10-year period, 33 patients underwent in situ enucleation, in situ partial nephrectomy, or an extracorporeal operation for low-grade (1 or 2), low-stage (I or II), bilateral or solitary renal cell carcinoma. Only one patient (3%) (who had undergone in situ partial nephrectomy) had local recurrence; the projected 5-year rates of nonprogression of disease and survival from death due to cancer only were 76% and 87%, respectively. A group of patients who were closely matched for grade and stage of renal cell cancer underwent traditional transabdominal radical nephrectomy during the same time interval and had rates of nonprogression and survival similar to those of the conservative surgical group. Thus, in selected patients with low-grade, low-stage renal cell cancer, conservative surgical treatment (that is, renal parenchyma-saving procedures) can produce favorable results without the side effects (such as renal failure) associated with ablative renal operations.

During the course of 3 decades, and particularly during the past 5 years, clinical renal transplantation has improved to become a safe mode of therapy for end-stage renal disease. Currently, more than 95% 1-year survival can be expected, both in patients who receive allografts from living-related donors and in those who receive cadaver kidneys. One-year living-related donor graft survival is 98%, and 1-year cadaver graft survival is 87%. Cyclosporine has been an important adjunctive immunosuppressive agent not only because of improved results but also because it has shortened hospitalization time.