Conservative Therapy of Patient with Dyspareunia in a Post-menopausal State with Co-morbidities Including Previous Breast Cancer and Valve Replacement: A Case Report

Dyspareunia is defined as persistent pain in the vaginal area before, during, or after sexual intercourse.1,2 The etiology is uncertain in the medical literature, but evidence proposes that pain and dysfunction of pelvic floor muscles (PFM) can contribute to dyspareunia and other forms of chronic pelvic pain.1,2 The information contained in this case report is clinically relevant because it presents evidence that dyspareunia can be treated safely with physical therapy techniques on a patient with a complex medical history.https://soar.usa.edu/casmfall2018/1003/thumbnail.jp

Attitudes and Beliefs Regarding Pain in Interprofessional Education: A Multifaceted Dilemma

Purpose: To evaluate entry-level physical and occupational therapy student attitudes and beliefs toward treating a person with pain, at various levels of their didactic learning. Description: Across health professions, pain education varies considerably with its curricula of pain definitions, management principles, and interprofessional collaboration. The result of this discord has led to a broad range of behaviors and attitudes among health professions and their students, which can ultimately affect a person’s participation in society. Literature supports the importance of a curriculum that addresses students’ attitudes and beliefs toward treating people in pain in an attempt to preclude the formation of negative attitudes during clinical practice. Summary of Use: A modified open-ended sentence stem format was used to gather the qualitative data of 241 graduate students enrolled in occupational and physical therapy entry-level programs to assess their knowledge and attitudes toward pain. Students completed a questionnaire including two open-ended sentence stems. Verbatim transcripts of the students’ responses were thematically analyzed by five-blinded faculty, who constructed nine themes that reflected students’ responses. Interrater reliability was strong with an average of 89.4% agreement rating (range 68.1-97.6%). Analysis of the responses to the first stem, “People in pain are…” yielded four themes: 1) negative mood sate (suffering/unhappy); 2) negative trait or characteristic (wimpy/uncooperative); 3) needy; and 4) having real problems. The percentages of the students’ attitudes reflected in each theme were 28.8%, 5.1%, 42.7%, 23.4% respectively. Responses were dominated by themes related to a negative mood state and being needy. Negative attitudes toward treatment of persons in pain have been shown to contribute to disparities in pain care. Analysis of responses to the second stem question, “Working with patients in pain will be …” yielded five themes: 1) intellectually stimulating; 2) worthwhile/rewarding; 3) unpleasant/difficult; 4) challenging/complex; and 5) routine in practice. The frequency of responses were 8.3%, 33%, 19.8%, 38.9%, and 12.6% respectively and were dominated by themes suggesting that working with people in pain will be challenging yet rewarding. Importance to Member: Despite the frequency of pain problems in society, pain and the treatment of people in pain have not been major components of healthcare education. The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) provides a guideline for knowledge of pain management for entry-level physical and occupational therapists. Knowing what preconceived attitudes and beliefs students have in treating persons with pain can help drive the development of a pain curriculum that is both academically inclusive and behaviorally influential. As educators, we have the opportunity to address this multifaceted dilemma to meet the IASP guidelines and bridge the gap between interprofessional pain education and the optimal treatment of those in pain

Body weight -supported gait training in poststroke hemiparetic patients undergoing treatment with serotonin reuptake inhibitors: A pilot study

Background and purpose . This pilot study examined SSRI\u27s in association with partial body weight treadmill training (PBWTT) to improve locomotion post stroke. Serotonin is thought to play a role in recovery of motor function such as locomotion on a treadmill eliciting the central pattern generators (CPG\u27s) identified from animal models. There would be benefits in knowing if serotonin combined with PBWTT influenced motor recovery. The purpose of the study was to determine if patients undergoing treatment with an SSRI would improve in locomotor function to a greater degree than patients not receiving an SSRI. Subjects and methods . Non clinically depressed post stroke patients (N = 4) and clinically depressed post stroke patients on SSRI\u27s (N = 4) were assigned to two groups of convenience. Initial baseline performance was established at two evaluation points using functional gait tests, balance tests, and electomyographical analysis during performance of locomotion over an eight week period (Pre 1 & Pre 2). Intervention of PBWTT was introduced for eight weeks and subjects were evaluated again (Post 1). Subjects returned four weeks later for a follow up evaluation (Post 2). The intervention included training three days a week for eight weeks utilizing PBWTT. Data was analyzed using non parametric statistics. Results . All subjects improved in gait velocity, distance covered and assistance needs as it relates to the PBWTT. Functional gait, balance and gait characteristic improved in both groups with significant differences noted in the “timed up and go test” and Tinetti Assessment in the group undergoing treatment with SSRI\u27s. Weight bearing squat scores improved in both groups with a greater significance at 0 and 30 degrees of knee flexion in the subjects under the influence of SSRI\u27s. The limits of stability scores (LOS) and sensory organization test (SOT) improved in both groups without significant differences. Electromyographical data supported visual observations for improvement of gait deviations and improved on-off timing during the gait cycle in both groups. Conclusion . This study would indicate comparing SSRI therapy and specific functional movement learning for further study

Body weight -supported gait training in poststroke hemiparetic patients undergoing treatment with serotonin reuptake inhibitors: A pilot study

Background and purpose . This pilot study examined SSRI\u27s in association with partial body weight treadmill training (PBWTT) to improve locomotion post stroke. Serotonin is thought to play a role in recovery of motor function such as locomotion on a treadmill eliciting the central pattern generators (CPG\u27s) identified from animal models. There would be benefits in knowing if serotonin combined with PBWTT influenced motor recovery. The purpose of the study was to determine if patients undergoing treatment with an SSRI would improve in locomotor function to a greater degree than patients not receiving an SSRI. Subjects and methods . Non clinically depressed post stroke patients (N = 4) and clinically depressed post stroke patients on SSRI\u27s (N = 4) were assigned to two groups of convenience. Initial baseline performance was established at two evaluation points using functional gait tests, balance tests, and electomyographical analysis during performance of locomotion over an eight week period (Pre 1 & Pre 2). Intervention of PBWTT was introduced for eight weeks and subjects were evaluated again (Post 1). Subjects returned four weeks later for a follow up evaluation (Post 2). The intervention included training three days a week for eight weeks utilizing PBWTT. Data was analyzed using non parametric statistics. Results . All subjects improved in gait velocity, distance covered and assistance needs as it relates to the PBWTT. Functional gait, balance and gait characteristic improved in both groups with significant differences noted in the “timed up and go test” and Tinetti Assessment in the group undergoing treatment with SSRI\u27s. Weight bearing squat scores improved in both groups with a greater significance at 0 and 30 degrees of knee flexion in the subjects under the influence of SSRI\u27s. The limits of stability scores (LOS) and sensory organization test (SOT) improved in both groups without significant differences. Electromyographical data supported visual observations for improvement of gait deviations and improved on-off timing during the gait cycle in both groups. Conclusion . This study would indicate comparing SSRI therapy and specific functional movement learning for further study

Global variation in postoperative mortality and complications after cancer surgery: a multicentre, prospective cohort study in 82 countries

© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licenseBackground: 80% of individuals with cancer will require a surgical procedure, yet little comparative data exist on early outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared postoperative outcomes in breast, colorectal, and gastric cancer surgery in hospitals worldwide, focusing on the effect of disease stage and complications on postoperative mortality. Methods: This was a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients undergoing surgery for primary breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer requiring a skin incision done under general or neuraxial anaesthesia. The primary outcome was death or major complication within 30 days of surgery. Multilevel logistic regression determined relationships within three-level nested models of patients within hospitals and countries. Hospital-level infrastructure effects were explored with three-way mediation analyses. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03471494. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and Jan 31, 2019, we enrolled 15 958 patients from 428 hospitals in 82 countries (high income 9106 patients, 31 countries; upper-middle income 2721 patients, 23 countries; or lower-middle income 4131 patients, 28 countries). Patients in LMICs presented with more advanced disease compared with patients in high-income countries. 30-day mortality was higher for gastric cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 3·72, 95% CI 1·70–8·16) and for colorectal cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (4·59, 2·39–8·80) and upper-middle-income countries (2·06, 1·11–3·83). No difference in 30-day mortality was seen in breast cancer. The proportion of patients who died after a major complication was greatest in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (6·15, 3·26–11·59) and upper-middle-income countries (3·89, 2·08–7·29). Postoperative death after complications was partly explained by patient factors (60%) and partly by hospital or country (40%). The absence of consistently available postoperative care facilities was associated with seven to 10 more deaths per 100 major complications in LMICs. Cancer stage alone explained little of the early variation in mortality or postoperative complications. Interpretation: Higher levels of mortality after cancer surgery in LMICs was not fully explained by later presentation of disease. The capacity to rescue patients from surgical complications is a tangible opportunity for meaningful intervention. Early death after cancer surgery might be reduced by policies focusing on strengthening perioperative care systems to detect and intervene in common complications. Funding: National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit

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

© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licenseBackground: 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. Funding: National Institute for Health and Care Research