
Southern New Hampshire Medical Center
Hospital / health systemNashua, United States
Research output, citation impact, and the most-cited recent papers from Southern New Hampshire Medical Center (United States). Aggregated across the NobleBlocks index of 300M+ scholarly works.
Top-cited papers from Southern New Hampshire Medical Center
Abstract Objective: To estimate the miscarriage rate in a cohort of pregnant women and the final outcome of pregnancy. Design: Two year prospective community study. Setting: Women registered with four semirural practices at one health centre. Subjects: 626 pregnant women from a population 21 448, 5140 of whom were women aged 15-44 years. Main outcome measures: Vaginal bleeding and outcome of pregnancy. Results: 76 of the 89 women with an unwanted pregnancy requested a termination. In the 550 ongoing pregnancies bleeding occurred before the 20th week in 117 (21%), and 67 (12%) ended in miscarriage. The risk of miscarriage was not significantly increased after a miscarriage in the previous pregnancy (11 (15%) women had miscarriage v 55 (12%) women who had not had miscarriage) who had previously had a live birth). Of the 117 women with bleeding, 64 were not admitted to hospital by the general practitioner; 42 of these women had an ultrasound examination at the health centre and 19 subsequently miscarried at home. In hospital 41 of 46 women who miscarried had evacuation of the uterus. Conclusions: Bleeding occurred in one fifth of recognised pregnancies before the 20th week and over half of these miscarried. Treatment of women with miscarriage at home means current statistics on miscarriage in Britain are missing many cases. Key messages No national statistics for Britain are published on miscarriages Extrapolations from this survey indicate that in 1993 there may have been 70 000-90 000 miscarriages in England and Wales Bleeding in early pregnancy is followed by a live birth in about half the affected pregnancies At least a quarter of all miscarriages were treated at home by general practitioners and would therefore not be recorded in any published statistics Women who had had a miscarriage did not have a significantly higher chance of a second consecutive miscarriage
OBJECTIVES: Chronic subacute inflammation is implicated in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Salicylates were shown years ago to lower glucose and more recently to inhibit NF-kappaB activity. Salsalate, a prodrug form of salicylate, has seen extensive clinical use and has a favorable safety profile. We studied the efficacy of salsalate in reducing glycemia and insulin resistance and potential mechanisms of action to validate NF-kappaB as a potential pharmacologic target in diabetes. METHODS AND RESULTS: In open label studies, both high (4.5 g/d) and standard (3.0 g/d) doses of salsalate reduced fasting and postchallenge glucose levels after 2 weeks of treatment. Salsalate increased glucose utilization during euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamps, by approximately 50% and 15% at the high and standard doses, respectively, and insulin clearance was decreased. Dose-limiting tinnitus occurred only at the higher dose. In a third, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial, 1 month of salsalate at maximum tolerable dose (no tinnitus) improved fasting and postchallenge glucose levels. Circulating free fatty acids were reduced and adiponectin increased in all treated subjects. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that salsalate improves in vivo glucose and lipid homeostasis, and support targeting of inflammation and NF-kappaB as a therapeutic approach in type 2 diabetes.
Despite the apparent association of nasal airway obstruction with septal deviation and/or inferior turbinate hypertrophy, increasing clinical evidence suggests that incompetence of the internal or external nasal valves may also affect airflow. But how much? What is the relative importance of the valves and septum in causing nasal airway obstruction? One-hundred and sixty consecutive patients (88 primary rhinoplasty, 72 secondary rhinoplasty) without turbinate hypertrophy or septal perforation and operated on for correctable nasal airway obstruction were evaluated prospectively by anterior active mask rhinomanometry preoperatively and from 1 to 43 months (mean 8.4 months) postoperatively after 1% phenylephrine decongestion to eliminate mucosal factors. Patients were stratified according to the site(s) of preoperative obstruction at the internal valves, the external valves, the septum, or any combination of the three. Geometric mean nasal airflow was calculated from independent measurements of each nasal airway. Surgical treatment consisted of submucous septal resection, internal valvular reconstruction with dorsal or spreader grafts, and external valvular reconstruction with cartilage or bone grafts; inferior turbinectomy was not performed. All procedures were performed endonasally. In the entire 160 patient study group, septal and/or valvular surgery corrected the airway in 152 patients (95 percent); 8 patients had partial residual obstruction. Our data support the prior rhinologic data in showing only a modest (and statistically insignificant, p < 0.4, n = 25) improvement in (geometric) mean nasal airflow following septal surgery alone. However, external valvular reconstruction alone increased airflow 2.6 times over preoperative values (n = 10). Internal valvular reconstruction alone by dorsal grafts (n = 17) or spreader grafts (n = 29) increased nasal airflow 2.0 times; spreader grafts and dorsal grafts were equally effective in supporting the internal valves. The largest improvement in postoperative airflow was seen in the patients with septal plus internal and external valvular incompetence (n = 21), in which flow increased 4.9 times over preoperative values (p < 0.0003). Patients in whom valvular incompetence alone was corrected experienced as much relative improvement as patients in whom valvular plus septal obstruction was corrected. Finally, valvular reconstruction in 54 secondary rhinoplasty patients who had previously undergone septoplasty corrected the airway obstruction in 49 patients (91 percent). Notably, 110 of 160 patients (69 percent) had a lateralized preoperative obstruction; however, the septum was deviated toward the clinically obstructed side in only 51 of these patients (46 percent); in the other 54 percent, the subjectively obstructed side was contralateral to the side toward which the septum was deviated. Nasal valvular function should be assessed in all preoperative rhinoplasty patients with airway obstruction; in many individuals, valvular effects may equal or surpass septal deviation as the primary cause of nasal airflow obstruction.
Although nucleated red blood cells (nRBCs) are rarely found circulating in older children, 1 they are commonly seen in the blood of newborns. They are primarily produced in the fetal bone marrow in response to erythropoietin and are stored in the marrow as precursors to reticulocytes and mature erythrocytes. Many acute and chronic stimuli cause increases in the number of circulating nRBCs from either increased erythropoietic activity or a sudden release from the marrow storage pools. This paper reviews the various pathological processes associated with increased production and release of nRBCs. It emphasises the eVects of acute, subacute, and chronic asphyxia on nRBC counts.
BACKGROUND: It is thought that a reduction in the frequency of basal insulin injections might facilitate treatment acceptance and adherence among patients with type 2 diabetes. Insulin icodec is a basal insulin analogue designed for once-weekly administration that is in development for the treatment of diabetes. METHODS: We conducted a 26-week, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, phase 2 trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of once-weekly insulin icodec as compared with once-daily insulin glargine U100 in patients who had not previously received long-term insulin treatment and whose type 2 diabetes was inadequately controlled (glycated hemoglobin level, 7.0 to 9.5%) while taking metformin with or without a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor. The primary end point was the change in glycated hemoglobin level from baseline to week 26. Safety end points, including episodes of hypoglycemia and insulin-related adverse events, were also evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 247 participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive icodec or glargine. Baseline characteristics were similar in the two groups; the mean baseline glycated hemoglobin level was 8.09% in the icodec group and 7.96% in the glargine group. The estimated mean change from baseline in the glycated hemoglobin level was -1.33 percentage points in the icodec group and -1.15 percentage points in the glargine group, to estimated means of 6.69% and 6.87%, respectively, at week 26; the estimated between-group difference in the change from baseline was -0.18 percentage points (95% CI, -0.38 to 0.02, P = 0.08). The observed rates of hypoglycemia with severity of level 2 (blood glucose level, <54 mg per deciliter) or level 3 (severe cognitive impairment) were low (icodec group, 0.53 events per patient-year; glargine group, 0.46 events per patient-year; estimated rate ratio, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.45 to 2.65). There was no between-group difference in insulin-related key adverse events, and rates of hypersensitivity and injection-site reactions were low. Most adverse events were mild, and no serious events were deemed to be related to the trial medications. CONCLUSIONS: Once-weekly treatment with insulin icodec had glucose-lowering efficacy and a safety profile similar to those of once-daily insulin glargine U100 in patients with type 2 diabetes. (Funded by Novo Nordisk; NN1436-4383 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03751657.).
A retrospective study was conducted of 150 consecutive secondary rhinoplasty patients operated on by the author before February of 1999, to test the hypothesis that four anatomic variants (low radix/low dorsum, narrow middle vault, inadequate tip projection, and alar cartilage malposition) strongly predispose to unfavorable rhinoplasty results. The incidences of each variant were compared with those in 50 consecutive primary rhinoplasty patients. Photographs before any surgery were available in 61 percent of the secondary patients; diagnosis in the remaining individuals was made from operative reports, physical diagnosis, or patient history. Low radix/low dorsum was present in 93 percent of the secondary patients and 32 percent of the primary patients; narrow middle vault was present in 87 percent of the secondary patients and 38 percent of the primary patients; inadequate tip projection was present in 80 percent of the secondary patients and 31 percent of the primary patients; and alar cartilage malposition was present in 42 percent of the secondary patients and 18 percent of the primary patients. In the 150-patient secondary group, the most common combination was the triad of low radix, narrow middle vault, and inadequate tip projection (40 percent of patients). The second largest group (27 percent) had shared all four anatomic points before their primary rhinoplasties. Seventy-eight percent of the secondary patients had three or all four anatomic variants in some combination; each secondary patient had at least one of the four traits; 99 percent had two or more. Seventy-eight percent of the primary patients had at least two variants, and 58 percent had three or more. Twenty-two percent of the primary patients had none of the variants and therefore would presumably not be predisposed to unfavorable results following traditional reduction rhinoplasty. This study supports the contention that four common anatomic variants, if unrecognized, are strongly associated with unfavorable results following primary rhinoplasty. It is important for all surgeons performing rhinoplasty to recognize these anatomic variants to avoid the unsatisfactory functional and aesthetic sequelae that they may produce by making their correction a deliberate part of each preoperative surgical plan. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 105: 316, 2000.)
IMPORTANCE: Severe renal injuries after blunt trauma cause diagnostic and therapeutic challenges for the treating clinicians. The need for an operative vs a nonoperative approach is debated. OBJECTIVE: To determine the rate, causes, predictors, and consequences of failure of nonoperative management (NOM) in grade IV and grade V blunt renal injuries (BRIs). DESIGN: Retrospective case series. SETTING: Twelve level I and II trauma centers in New England. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 206 adult patients with a grade IV or V BRI who were admitted between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2011. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Failure of NOM, defined as the need for a delayed operation or death due to renal-related complications during NOM. RESULTS: Of 206 patients, 52 (25.2%) were operated on immediately, and 154 (74.8%) were managed nonoperatively (with the assistance of angiographic embolization for 25 patients). Nonoperative management failed for 12 of the 154 patients (7.8%) and was related to kidney injury in 10 (6.5%). None of these 10 patients had complications because of the delay in BRI management. The mean (SD) time from admission to failure was 17.6 (27.4) hours (median time, 7.5 hours; range, 4.5-102 hours), and the cause was hemodynamic instability in 10 of the 12 patients (83.3%). Multivariate analysis identified 2 independent predictors of NOM failure: older than 55 years of age and a road traffic crash as the mechanism of injury. When both risk factors were present, NOM failure occurred for 27.3% of the patients; when both were absent, there were no NOM failures. Of the 142 patients successfully managed nonoperatively, 46 (32.4%) developed renal-related complications, including hematuria (24 patients), urinoma (15 patients), urinary tract infection (8 patients), renal failure (7 patients), and abscess (2 patients). These patients were managed successfully with no loss of renal units (ie, kidneys). The renal salvage rate was 76.2% for the entire population and 90.3% among patients selected for NOM. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Hemodynamically stable patients with a grade IV or V BRI were safely managed nonoperatively. Nonoperative management failed for only 6.5% of patients owing to renal-related injuries, and three-fourths of the entire population retained their kidneys.
OBJECTIVE Insulin icodec (icodec) is a novel once-weekly basal insulin analog. This trial investigated two approaches for switching to icodec versus once-daily insulin glargine 100 units/mL (IGlar U100) in people with type 2 diabetes receiving daily basal insulin and one or more oral glucose-lowering medications. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This multicenter, open-label, treat-to-target phase 2 trial randomized (1:1:1) eligible basal insulin–treated (total daily dose 10–50 units) people with type 2 diabetes (HbA1c 7.0–10.0% [53.0–85.8 mmol/mol]) to icodec with an initial 100% loading dose (in which only the first dose was doubled [icodec LD]), icodec with no loading dose (icodec NLD), or IGlar U100 for 16 weeks. Primary end point was percent time in range (TIR; 3.9–10.0 mmol/L [70–180 mg/dL]) during weeks 15 and 16, measured using continuous glucose monitoring. Key secondary end points included HbA1c, adverse events (AEs), and hypoglycemia. RESULTS Estimated mean TIR during weeks 15 and 16 was 72.9% (icodec LD; n = 54), 66.0% (icodec NLD; n = 50), and 65.0% (IGlar U100; n = 50), with a statistically significant difference favoring icodec LD versus IGlar U100 (7.9%-points [95% CI 1.8–13.9]). Mean HbA1c reduced from 7.9% (62.8 mmol/mol) at baseline to 7.1% (54.4 mmol/mol icodec LD) and 7.4% (57.6 mmol/mol icodec NLD and IGlar U100); incidences and rates of AEs and hypoglycemic episodes were comparable. CONCLUSIONS Switching from daily basal insulin to once-weekly icodec was well tolerated and provided effective glycemic control. Loading dose use when switching to once-weekly icodec significantly increased percent TIR during weeks 15 and 16 versus once-daily IGlar U100, without increasing hypoglycemia risk.
BACKGROUND: Although "boxy" and "ball" nasal tips have received considerable attention in the rhinoplasty literature, their association with cephalic rotation of the alar cartilage lateral crura ("malposition") has not been emphasized. The thesis of this article is that most boxy and ball tips are not unique entities but rather constitute anatomical variants of alar cartilage malposition. METHODS: Data were generated from a review of 100 consecutive primary and 100 consecutive secondary rhinoplasty patients on whom the author had operated before February of 1999. RESULTS: The majority of the patients (68 percent of primary rhinoplasty patients and 87 percent of secondary patients) studied had alar cartilage malposition (axes toward the medial rather than the lateral canthi) (p < 0.001). Orthotopic lateral crura were significantly more common than malpositioned lateral crura among primary patients (p < 0.001); conversely, the frequency of malpositioned crura was significantly higher in secondary patients than in primary patients (p < 0.001). Most of the primary and secondary patients with malposition (74 percent and 72 percent, respectively) had boxy or ball tips. Among patients with alar cartilage malposition, ball tips were most common (31 percent of primary patients and 36 percent of secondary patients); boxy tips were second-most common (19 percent of primary patients and 27 percent of secondary patients); the remaining patients had lateral crura that were considered to be "flat" (18 percent and 24 percent, respectively). The most common configuration among primary patients was the malpositioned boxy or ball tip with inadequate projection (54 percent). All primary and secondary rhinoplasty patients with alar cartilage malposition, regardless of tip lobular configuration, had incompetence at their external nasal valves; valvular reconstruction at least doubled the geometric mean nasal airflow in most patients. In primary patients, treatment for each variant was identical: lateral crural resection, crushing, and replacement along the alar rim. Some secondary patients also required composite grafts. CONCLUSIONS: The morphological and functional results of this study indicate that the surgeon seeing a patient with a boxy or ball tip can predict that the patient has seven times the likelihood of having malpositioned, rather than orthotopic, lateral crura. The importance of most boxy and ball tips is therefore not only the lobular deformity itself but also the functional deficit associated with it.
AIMS: To assess the cardiovascular (CV) safety of oral semaglutide, the first tablet formulation of a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PIONEER 6 is a multinational, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial in patients with type 2 diabetes at high risk of CV events (defined as being aged ≥50 years and having established CV disease [CVD] or moderate [stage 3] chronic kidney disease [CKD], or being aged ≥60 years with ≥1 other CV risk factor). Patients were randomized to once-daily oral semaglutide (up to 14 mg) or placebo added to standard of care. The primary composite endpoint is time to first occurrence of CV death or non-fatal myocardial infarction or non-fatal stroke. The primary hypothesis was to exclude an excess in CV risk with oral semaglutide by assessing non-inferiority versus placebo for the primary endpoint (non-inferiority margin of 1.8 for the upper boundary of the 95% confidence interval of the hazard ratio). PIONEER 6 is event-driven, with follow-up continuing until accrual of at least 122 primary outcome events. There is no pre-defined minimal duration. RESULTS: Overall, 3183 patients have been enrolled (mean age 66.1 years, 31.6% females) in 214 sites across 21 countries. At baseline, the mean duration of diabetes was 14.9 years, mean glycated haemoglobin concentration was 66 mmol/mol (8.2%), and 84.6% of patients had established CVD/moderate CKD. CONCLUSIONS: PIONEER 6 will provide evidence regarding the CV safety of oral semaglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes and high CV risk.
STUDY DESIGN: A cadaveric biomechanical experiment was conducted to assess the range of motion (ROM) and screw strain at S1 in a long instrumented spinal fusion construct to compare the effects of various surgical strategies for L5-S1 stabilization. OBJECTIVE: To directly quantify and compare S1 screw strains and lumbosacral ROM for 4 different L2-S1 posterior segmental instrumented fusion constructs: an L2-S1 pedicle screw (PS) construct alone and PS with each of 3 different augmentations, anterior lumbar intebody fusion (ALIF), anterior axial interbody threaded rod (AxiaLITR), or iliac screws. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Iliac screws and anterior interbody devices are commonly used as augmentation to reduce the incidence of S1 screw loosening in long fusion constructs. Alternatives, such as AxiaLITR, may provide similar biomechanical advantages without many of the same long-term limitations and morbidities. METHODS: Pure moment flexibility testing was performed in 6 cadaveric lumbosacral spines. Specimens were tested with 4 instrumentation constructs: (1) PS L2-S1, (2) PS with ALIF, (3) PS with AxiaLITR, and (4) PS with iliac screws. Bilateral S1 PS were instrumented with strain gauges, directly measuring screw loading while simultaneously measuring L5-S1 ROM with a noncontact camera system. RESULTS: Average S1 screw strains were the greatest with the PS group and were reduced by 38% with the ALIF group, 75% with the AxiaLITR group, and 78% with the iliac screw group in flexion-extension (P < 0.05). Similar trends were observed in torsion (P < 0.05). Strains in lateral bending were smaller in magnitude and were similar among all 4 constructs. The AxiaLITR and iliac screw groups demonstrated a similar ROM and significant reduction in ROM at L5-S1 compared with both the PS and ALIF groups (P ≤ 0.02 and P < 0.03). CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicated that iliac screws and AxiaLITR provide similar stability at L5-S1, while significantly reducing the strain on the S1 screws.
Nasal tip surgery has become significantly more complex since the introduction of tip grafting and the many suture designs that followed the resurgence of open rhinoplasty. Independent of the surgeon's technical approach, however, is the need to identify the critical anatomical characteristics that will make nasal tip surgery successful. It is the author's contention that only two such features require mandatory preoperative identification: (1) whether the tip is adequately projecting and (2) whether the alar cartilage lateral crura are orthotopic or cephalically rotated ("malpositioned"). Data were generated from a review of 100 consecutive primary rhinoplasty patients on whom the author had operated. The results indicate that only 33 percent of the entire group had adequate preoperative tip projection and only 54 percent had orthotopic lateral crura (axes toward the lateral canthi). Forty-six percent of the patients had lateral crura that were cephalically rotated (axes toward the medial canthi). Both inadequate tip projection and convex lateral crura were more common among patients with malpositioned lateral crura (78 percent and 61 percent) than in patients with orthotopic lateral crura (57 percent and 20 percent, respectively). Tip projection can be reliably assessed by the relationship of the tip lobule to the septal angle. Malposition is characterized by abnormal lateral crural axes, long alar creases that extend to the nostril rims, alar wall hollows, frequent nostril deformities, and associated external valvular incompetence. The data suggest that the surgeon treating the average spectrum of primary rhinoplasty patients will see a majority (61 percent) who need increased tip support and a significant number (46 percent) with an anatomical variant (alar cartilage malposition) that places these patients at special risk for postoperative functional impairment. Correction of external valvular incompetence doubles nasal airflow in most patients. As few as 23 percent of primary rhinoplasty patients (the number with orthotopic, projecting alar cartilages in this series) may be proper candidates for reduction-only tip procedures. When tip projection and lateral crural orientation are accurately determined before surgery, nasal tip surgery can proceed successfully and secondary deformities can be avoided.
The ability to collect and store data has grown at a dramatic rate in all disciplines over the past two decades. Healthcare has been no exception. The shift toward evidence-based practice and outcomes research presents significant opportunities and challenges to extract meaningful information from massive amounts of clinical data to transform it into the best available knowledge to guide nursing practice. Data mining, a step in the process of Knowledge Discovery in Databases, is a method of unearthing information from large data sets. Built upon statistical analysis, artificial intelligence, and machine learning technologies, data mining can analyze massive amounts of data and provide useful and interesting information about patterns and relationships that exist within the data that might otherwise be missed. As domain experts, nurse researchers are in ideal positions to use this proven technology to transform the information that is available in existing data repositories into useful and understandable knowledge to guide nursing practice and for active interdisciplinary collaboration and research.
INTRODUCTION: People living with HIV (PLWH) had a higher prevalence and incidence rate of bone fracture compared to general population. Although several studies have explored this phenomenon, the prevalence and incidence rate of fracture were varied. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to determine and analyze the pooled prevalence, incidence rate of fracture and fracture risk factors among people living with HIV (PLWH). METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL with full Text, and Medline databases for studies published up to August 2019 were searched. Studies reporting the prevalence or incidence of fracture among PLWH were included. Study quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) appraisal tool. A meta-analysis with random-effects model was performed to determine pooled estimates of prevalence and incidence rates of fracture. A meta-regression was performed to determine the source of heterogeneity. RESULTS: The pooled estimated prevalence of fracture among PLWH was 6.6% (95% CI: 3.8-11.1) with pooled odds ratio of 1.9 (95%CI: 1.1-3.2) compared to the general population. The pooled estimates of fracture incidence were 11.3 per 1000 person-years (95% CI: 7.9-14.5) with incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 1.5 (95% CI: 1.3-1.8) compared to the general population. Risk factors for fracture incidence were older age (aHR 1.4, 95% CI: 1.3-1.6), smoking (aHR 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1-1.5), HIV/HCV co-infection (aHR 1.6, 95% CI: 1.3-1.9), and osteoporosis (aHR 3.3, 95% CI: 2.2-5.1). CONCLUSIONS: Our finding highlights a higher risk of fracture among PLWH compared to the general population. Osteoporosis, smoking and HIV/HCV coinfection as the significant modifiable risk factors should be prioritized by the HIV health providers when care for PLWH.
The fragile alar rims are complex structures whose specialized and supportive skin ensures the competence of the external valves and the patency of the inlets to the nasal airways. A chart review was performed of 100 consecutive secondary or tertiary rhinoplasty patients in whom the author had placed composite grafts before February 1999. Follow-up continued for at least 12 months. In 94 percent of the patients, composite grafts were harvested from the cymba conchae by removing the cartilage with its adherent anterior skin. In 6 percent of the patients, independently indicated alar wedges supplied the grafts. Six patients required secondary procedures to thin the alar rims, but such revisions have not been necessary since primary contouring of the cartilaginous graft component was instituted. Three auricular donor-site complications (one keloid, two thickened graft contours) were successfully revised through office procedures. Prior cosmetic rhinoplasty in a patient with normal alar cartilage anatomy exceeded all other etiologies as the cause of the deformity for which composite grafts were indicated (50 percent). The second most common etiology was deformity from prior rhinoplasty in a patient with alar cartilage malposition (33 percent of patients). Congenital deformities (7 percent of patients), trauma (6 percent), and prior tumor ablation (4 percent) comprised the remaining etiologies. Composite grafts were used most frequently to correct alar notching or asymmetry in rim height (43 percent of patients) or to provide an increase in apparent or real nasal length (28 percent). External valvular incompetence (14 percent of patients), nostril or vestibular stenosis (11 percent), or combined vestibular stenosis and lateral alar wall collapse (4 percent) were less common indications. Most composite grafts were oriented in the coronal plane (parallel to the alar rims). However, nostril or vestibular stenosis was corrected by sagittally placed composite grafts, and a third orientation (axial plane), to the author's knowledge not described previously, was used in patients with combined nostril stenoses and flattening of the alar walls. In this secondary rhinoplasty series, iatrogenic alar rim deformities or stenoses following cosmetic rhinoplasty dominated other causes requiring composite graft reconstruction (83 percent of patients). Of these 83 patients, 39.7 percent had preexisting alar cartilage malpositions, further supporting the importance of making accurate anatomical diagnosis part of every preoperative rhinoplasty plan.
Questionnaires were sent to all 1432 general practitioners in the Wessex region to obtain information about their current management of bleeding in early pregnancy. A total of 1290 (90%) returned completed questionnaires. These showed widely varying views about the prognostic importance of particular symptoms and physical signs and about elements of management. Although 96% of the respondents prescribed bed rest more or less routinely for heavy bleeding in early pregnancy, only 17% felt it was mandatory, and 32% admitted that they did not believe it affected the outcome. Of the 13% of respondents who prescribed progestogens for threatened miscarriage, most did so on the advice of their local obstetrician. Seventeen per cent of the doctors always admitted women with apparently complete miscarriages to hospital. Twenty nine per cent of the respondents never gave anti-D immunoglobulin to rhesus negative women after a complete miscarriage. Bleeding in early pregnancy is a common problem and more research is required to improve management, particularly the assessment of fetal viability.
A fiber-optic linear accelerometer based on intensity modulation produced by lateral displacement of a cantilevered fiber has been fabricated and tested. The model reported on is constructed with multimode fiber and has a displacement sensitivity of 6.4 x 10(-13) m. The device has general application as a linear accelerometer with the inherent advantages of remote optical fiber sensing. Particular attention is given to sono-buoy hydrophone applications in which the present model has a sensitivity limit corresponding to 75 dB relative to 1 microPa at 1 kHz. Means for substantially improving the accelerometer's sensitivity as a hydrophone are discussed.
Filipino Americans present with very low rates of mental health help‐seeking. Because of the colonial history between the Philippines and the United States, the authors examined how colonial mentality and internalized oppression, along with ethnic identity, acculturation, and social support, were related to mental health help‐seeking attitudes of Filipino Americans ( N = 410). Furthermore, the authors investigated how colonial mentality affects the ethnic identity of Filipino Americans. Major findings included that colonial mentality was negatively related to ethnic identity development and social support, and higher levels of colonial mentality significantly predicted negative mental health help‐seeking attitudes above and beyond ethnic identity, acculturation, social support, and demographic variables. Implications for the counseling profession are considered.
Despite improvements in representation of women in academic medicine, the rate of promotion and career advancement remains unequal. Compared with their male colleagues, women report lower rates of personal-organizational value alignment and higher rates of burnout. Particular challenges further exist for Black women, Indigenous women, women of color, and third gender or gender nonbinary faculty. Promoting the well-being of women physicians requires innovative approaches beyond the traditional scope of physician well-being efforts and careful attention to the unique barriers women face. Three wellness-oriented models are presented to promote the professional fulfillment and well-being of women physicians: (1) redefine productivity and create innovative work models, (2) promote equity through workplace redesign and burnout reduction, and (3) promote, measure, and improve diversity, equity, and inclusion. By engaging in innovative models for equitable advancement and retention, it is anticipated that diverse groups of women faculty will be better represented at higher levels of leadership and thus contribute to the creation of more equitable work climates, fostering well-being for women physicians.
BACKGROUND: Real-time ultrasound scanning has made it possible to ascertain whether the fetus is alive in women who have bleeding in early pregnancy. Portable ultrasound machines are capable of detecting fetal heart movement reliably after the ninth week of pregnancy, and can be used in a general practice setting. An ultrasound clinic was set up in a health centre and 22 general practitioners in the local area could refer women patients with bleeding in early pregnancy. AIM: A study was carried out among women with bleeding in early pregnancy to compare the presence of fetal heart movement detected at the initial ultrasound scan with subsequent fetal survival during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. METHOD: Data were collected during a three-year period on women referred opportunistically by their general practitioners. An abdominal scan was performed on the same day or the day after presentation and the presence or absence of fetal heart movement recorded. Diagnoses and outcome at 20 weeks were ascertained from patients' health centre records. RESULTS: A total of 240 women with bleeding in early pregnancy were scanned and at the first examination fetal heart movement was detected in 115 of the fetuses (48%). Three fetuses were subsequently miscarried spontaneously while 109 of the 115 continued to the 20th week (95%). Three fetuses had gross abnormalities and these pregnancies were subsequently terminated. No heart movement was detected in 117 fetuses (49%); all were subsequently miscarried. For eight women scanned it was not clear whether fetal heart movement was present. Three of these eight pregnancies survived to the 20th week. Predictive values of fetal survival to the 20th week of pregnancy from fetal heart movement detected by general practice ultrasound scan for women with bleeding in early pregnancy showed a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 98%. CONCLUSION: If fetal heart movement is detected at the initial scan, approximately 19 out of every 20 viable pregnancies (those in which the fetus appears normal) will not miscarry before the 20th week. Using ultrasound in general practice it was possible to identify promptly those women with bleeding whose fetus was alive. For those women found to have a non-viable pregnancy, appropriate arrangements could be made at an early stage in the knowledge that a miscarriage was inevitable, thus avoiding unnecessary bed rest for the patient. Where fetal heart movement was detected, there was a good prognosis and thus women could be given strong reassurance.