Reducing preventable adverse events in obstetrics by improving interprofessional communication skills - Results of an intervention study.

BACKGROUND: Progress in medicine involves the structured analysis and communication of errors. Comparability between the individual disciplines is only possible to a limited extent and obstetrics plays a special role: the expectation of a self-determined and joyful event meets with possibly serious complications in highly complex care situations. This must be managed by an interdisciplinary team with an increasingly condensed workload. Adverse events cannot be completely controlled. However, taking controllable risk factors into account and with a focused communication a reduction of preventable adverse events is possible. In the present study, the effect of interprofessional team training on preventable adverse events in an obstetric department was investigated. METHODS: The training consisted of a 4-h interdisciplinary training session based on psychological theories. Preventable adverse events were defined in six categories according to potential patterns of causation. 2,865 case records of a refence year (2018) and 2,846 case records of the year after the intervention (2020) were retrospectively evaluated. To determine the communication training effect, the identified preventable adverse events of 2018 and 2020 were compared according to categories and analyzed for obstetrically relevant controllable and uncontrollable risk factors. Questionnaires were used to identify improvements in self-reported perceptions and behaviors. RESULTS: The results show that preventable adverse events in obstetrics were significantly reduced after the intervention compared to the reference year before the intervention (13.35% in the year 2018 vs. 8.83% in 2020, p < 0.005). Moreover, obstetrically controllable risk factors show a significant reduction in the year after the communication training. The questionnaires revealed an increase in perceived patient safety (t(28) = 4.09, p < .001), perceived communication behavior (t(30) = -2.95, p = .006), and self-efficacy to cope with difficult situations (t(28) = -2.64, p = .013). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the communication training was able to reduce preventable adverse events and thus increase patient safety. In the future, regular trainings should be implemented alongside medical emergency trainings in obstetrics to improve patient safety. Additionally, this leads to the strengthening of human factors and ultimately also to the prevention of second victims. Further research should follow up implementing active control groups and a randomized-controlled trail study design. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of University Hospital  (protocol code 114/19-FSt/Sta, date of approval 29 May 2019), study registration: NCT03855735

In situ Caching of a Large Mammal Carcass by a Fisher, Martes pennanti

We document what is apparently the first reported instance of in situ caching of a large mammal carcass by a Fisher (Martes pennanti)

Assessment of the relationship between Vitamin D level and non-specific musculoskeletal system pain: A Multicenter Retrospective Study (Stroke Study Group) [Vitamin D Düzeyi ile Non-spesifik Kas İskelet Sistemi Ağrıları Arasındaki İlişkinin Değerlendirilmesi: Çok Merkezli Retrospektif Bir Çalışma (İnme Çalışma Grubu)]

Objective: In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the relationship between vitamin D level and pain severity, localization and duration in atients with non-specific musculoskeletal pain.Materials and Methods: Patients who applied to physical medicine and rehabilitation outpatient clinics due to non-specific muscle pain in 19centers in Turkey were retrospectively screened. Three thousand four hundred fourpatients were included in the study, whose pain level wasdetermined by visual analog scale (VAS) and the painful region, duration of pain and vitamin D level were reached. D group was found to beD deficient (group 1) when 25 (OH)D level was 20 ng/mL or less and group D 2 (vitamin D deficiency) was higher than 30 ng/mL (group 3).The groups were compared in terms of pain duration, localization and severity. In addition, the correlations of pain localization, severity andduration with vitamin D levels were examined.Results: D vitamin deficiency was detected in 2202 (70.9%) of 3 thousand four hundred and four registered patients, and it was foundthat vitamin D deficiency in 516 (16.6%) and normal vitamin D in 386 (12.4%). The groups were similar in terms of age, body mass index,income level, duration of complaint, education level, family type and working status between groups in terms of VAS, pain localization and duration scores (p>0.05). Conclusion: Our study shows that vitamin D deficiency in patients with nonspecific musculoskeletal pain is not associated with the severity and duration of pain. © Copyright 2017 by the Turkish Osteoporosis Society