Large calculi within malpositioned and malformed kidneys, is percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) feasible? A Single Center’s Experience over 10 Years

Background and Purpose: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) for large calculi within malpositioned and malformed kidneys is a challenging problem for urologist because of the abnormal anatomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate and to review our experience with PCNLin malpositioned and malformed kidneys with large calculi.Patients and Methods: Between January 2000 and December 2009, we performed PCNL in 36 patients with large calculi in malpositioned and malformed kidneys, including 16 patients with horseshoe kidneys, 11 patients with rotational anomalous, three patients with transplanted kidneyand six patients with ectopic pelvic kidneys. After appropriate preoperative evaluation, the procedure was performed by choosing anterior,posterior or laparoscopic assisted approaches under fluoroscopic and ultrasound guidance. PCNL access was made in the upper pole of the kidney in 21 (58.3%) patients, in the midpole in 14 (38.9%) patients, and in the lower pole in one patient (2.8%).Results: The mean age of the patients was 37.5 years (range 21- 57) with male: female ratio 2.7: 1, the mean stone size was 2.9 cm (range 2.1- 4.9). Complete stone removal was achieved in 26 (72.2%) patients. A second-look procedure for residual stone removal was required in nine patients (25%), five of them via the same tract and three patients required another access, four of them became stone free, four patients required adjuvant ESWL sessions for the residual stones, and onepatient converted to open surgery due to difficulty in creating an access.The mean operating time for PCNL was 95 minutes (range 45-120), and the mean hospital stay was 3.7 days (range 3-8 days). Blood transfusion was required for three (8.3%) patients, transient postoperativepyrexia encountered in six (16.7%) patients and one patient had persistent urine leak (2.8%). Serious complications were encountered, small bowel perforation was occurred in two (5.6%) patients, and both were treated by laparatomy with primary repair of injury with uneventfuloutcome.Conclusion: Patients with malposition and malformed kidneys and large calculi can be managed safely and effectively with PCNL when they are properly selected and appropriately assessed before operation. Stone management in malformed and malposition kidneys is challenging, andestablishing percutaneous renal access is the most crucial step in the procedure

The ​Role of ​Psychological ​Flexibility in ​Heart ​Failure: Structural ​Equation ​Model ​Analysis

Background With psychological flexibility as a central concept, the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Model has gained empirical support with a broad range of behavioral and emotional issues across various populations. The role of psychological flexibility in health-related behavioral and emotional problems in heart failure is still limited.  Objectives  To examine the role of psychological flexibility in persons with heart failure. Methods Observational, cross‐sectional study. A total of 172 persons with heart failure aged 31 to 87 years from three major referral hospitals. To achieve the current study goal, a proposed model guide by the acceptance and commitment therapy model was tested using structural equation modeling using AMOS. Results The results showed that the path between psychological flexibility and emotional outcomes is statistically significant. The R2 value of the emotional outcomes construct was .52, meaning that psychological flexibility explains 52% of the predicted variance. On the other hand, the path between psychological flexibility and behavioral outcomes was not significant. Psychological flexibility explained half of the variance of stress and depression combined.  Conclusion This study suggests that psychological flexibility plays a significant role in determining emotional outcomes (i.e., stress and depression levels) in persons with heart failure. It also suggests that emotional outcomes may be improved by targeting psychological flexibility.  Implications to Nursing Nurses need to assess persons with compromised psychological flexibility as a predictor of adverse emotional outcomes, which inturn has been associated with various negative health outcomes. Nurses need to target these persons through specific interventions to promote psychological flexibility

Interpersonal Communication Model for Children with Special Needs

The emphasis of this study is on how children who have special needs communicate with one another (deaf). Participant observation, interviews, and documentation are among the methods that are used throughout the data-gathering process. According to the findings of the research, the interpersonal communication model for deaf children is made up of two different models, one of which is the dyadic communication model. This kind of dyadic communication does not take place during the teaching and learning process; rather, it takes place outside of regular class hours. The whole communication model comes in at number two. Throughout the teaching and learning process, as well as outside of regular class hours, total communication is used. employing both symbolic interaction theory and ethnography theory as analytic frameworks. This demonstrates that the process of the interpersonal communication model is carried out face to face and at close distances, which makes it simpler to speak with deaf children since they are more accessible

Iatrogenic vesicovaginal fistula repair-experience at Prince Hussein Urology and Organ Transplant Center

Background: Despite the advances in technology in urology practice, and the surgical approach in dealing with iatrogenic vesicovaginal fistula repair, the most important is to achieve continent rate with minimum morbidity.Methods: From January 2006 to December 2017, the medical records and operative notes of 52 female (mean age 37 year) who had undergone transabdominal transvesical operative repair of their vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) at this institution were reviewed retrospectively. CT urography and diagnostic cystourethroscopy were the modalities of diagnostic tools. Trans-abdominal, transvesical repair with omental flap interposition were performed within 4-6 months in all cases. Patients were evaluated at two to three weeks initially, then at three months interval and later annually.Results: In present study, the most common presentation of VVF was urine leakage through vagina. In two third of the patients the etiology was due to hysterectomy procedure, regarding the location of the fistula, 94.2% of the fistulas located high in the posterior wall of the urinary bladder (supratrigonal), with the mean size of 2.2cm (range 5-25mm). 49 patients had single fistula (94.2%). The mean operative time was 110 minutes (range 60-130 minutes) and the mean post-operative urethral catheterization was 21 days (range 17-24 days). Almost all patients were continent after a mean of five months.Conclusions: Iatrogenic VVF is one of the distressing complications of gynecological procedure; delayed transabdominal transvesical approach with omental flap interposition is associated with excellent and durable results with minor morbidity. Standardization of the technique is a key success in the outcome of the repair

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Background: Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. // Methods: We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung's disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. // Findings: We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung's disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middle-income countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in low-income countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. // Interpretation: Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Stability of the space identification problem for the elliptic-telegraph differential equation

The present paper is devoted to study the space identification problem for the elliptic-telegraph differential equation in Hilbert spaces with the self-adjoint positive definite operator. The main theorem on the stability of the space identification problem for the elliptic-telegraph differential equation is proved. In applications, theorems on the stability of three source identification problems for one dimensional with nonlocal conditions and multidimensional elliptic-telegraph differential equations are established. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

A note on the elliptic-telegraph identification problem with non-local condition

In the present paper, a source identification problem for elliptic-telegraph equation with non-local condition is studied. Stability estimates for the differential equations of the source identification problem are established. Furthermore, stability estimates for the difference schemes of the source identification problem are presented. © 2021 American Institute of Physics Inc.. All rights reserved

A numerical algorithm for a source identification problem for the elliptic-telegraph equation

In the present paper, a space-dependent identification problem for elliptic-telegraph equations is studied. Stability estimates for the solution of the source identification problem are established. Furthermore, the first and second order of accuracy difference schemes for the numerical solution of the source identification problem for one dimensional elliptic-telegraph equations are presented. Some numerical results are discussed. © 2019 Author(s)