Design and development of a miniaturised flow-through measuring device for the in vivo monitoring of glucose and lactate

The aim of this thesis was to develop a (portable) miniaturized device for long-term continuous real time in vivo monitoring of analytes, such as glucose and lactate. Both glucose and lactate are markers for energy metabolism, as glucose is the major energy substrate for the body and lactate is released during oxygen deficiency. Glucose and lactate can be monitored in a wide variety of settings, such as during athletic performance and pathological situations like brain trauma, diabetes and heart failure. Because an interruption in the energy supply to organs, such as the brain and the heart, can quickly lead to lifethreatening situations, the need and potential of these devices have been long recognized in clinical diagnostics. By means of real time continuous in vivo monitoring rapid clinical intervention can be established and, as a consequence, may prevent further damage. Additionally, for large patient groups, such as patients suffering from diabetes mellitus, the quality of life will be improved when frequent finger pricking to control their blood glucose level can be significantly reduced.

The non-displaced scaphoid fracture : evaluation of diagnostic modalities & conservative treatment

__The non-displaced scaphoid fracture: evaluation of diagnostic modalities & conservative treatment__ Over de diagnostiek en de behandeling van scafo_dfracturen bestaat nog veel verschil van mening. Een onjuiste of vertraagd ingestelde behandeling kan leiden tot ernstige complicaties. R_ntgenfoto mist een groot deel van de scafo_dfracturen. De botscintigrafie kan gebruikt worden om deze fracturen zichtbaar te maken. Een botscintigrafie is echter invasief en maakt gebruik van radioactief materiaal. Een MRI of CT zou wellicht de botscintigrafie kunnen vervangen. Dit proefschrift beschrijft twee prospectieve studies, waarbij in de eerste studie de botscintigrafie werd vergeleken met de MRI. In de tweede studie werd de botscintigrafie vergeleken met de CT. Beide onderzoeken konden niet aantonen dat de MRI en CT de botscintigrafie kan vervangen. Het probleem is dat beide onderzoeken scafo_dfracturen missen. Ook is onderzocht of een zogenaamde 'clinical prediction rule' te ontwikkelen was, om de a priori kans op een ware fractuur bij een pati_nt met de verdenking op een scafo_dfractuur te verhogen. Analyse liet zien dat er drie voorspellers significant waren: extensie < 50%, supinatiekracht < 10% en het hebben van een fractuur in de voorgeschiedenis. Tenslotte is de behandeling van scafo_dfracturen geanalyseerd. Gekeken is of een kortere behandeling mogelijk was. Normaal wordt een scafo_dfractuur 12 weken ge_mmobiliseerd met een gips. Lange immobilisatie kan klachten veroorzaken. Wij hebben onderzocht of de scafo_dfractuur ook te behandelen is middels een gipsimmobilisatie van 6 weken. Hiervoor werden 98 pati_nten geanalyseerd en na 6 weken bleek 80% te zijn genezen. Wat ook bleek is dat de localisatie met name invloed had op de functionele uitkomst van de behandeling. Om deze functionele uitkomst in beeld te brengen gebruikten we een DASH-score (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score). De gemiddelde DASH-score was 6 voor 13 distale pool en 5 voor 44 middenpool fracturen. Concluderend kunnen wij stellen dat voor het opsporen van scafo_dfracturen bij pati_nten met een klinische verdenking hierop, de botscintigrafie nog steeds de gouden standaard is. Niet gedisloceerde scafo_dfracturen van de distale middenpool dienen conservatief behandeld te worden middels gipsimmobilisatie gedurende 6 weken.Traumacentrum West Nederlandse Vereniging voor Traumatologie Raad van Bestuur MCHUBL - phd migration 201

Characteristics of polytrauma patients with posttraumatic stress disorder in a level 1 trauma center

Aims: The aims of this study were to determine if the severity of injury is related to the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in polytrauma patients and to review the personality traits of patients with PTSD. Methods: During 2006 and 2007, 252 polytrauma patients were treated at the Medical Centre Haaglanden in The Hague, The Netherlands. Of the 174 survivors, 53 adult patients were traced and sent questionnaires. They were screened for PTSD and personality traits, coping styles, and negative cognitions, and their level of social support were assessed. Results: PTSD was demonstrated in 22. 6% of the patients. Conclusions: An increased level of neuroticism, negative cognitions regarding themselves, and active dealing were found to be significant predictors of PTSD. However, we found no relation between the injury severity score and the prevalence of PTS

Current methods of diagnosis and treatment of scaphoid fractures

Fractures of the scaphoid bone mainly occur in young adults and constitute 2-7% of all fractures. The specific blood supply in combination with the demanding functional requirements can easily lead to disturbed fracture healing. Displaced scaphoid fractures are seen on radiographs. The diagnostic strategy of suspected scaphoid fractures, however, is surrounded by controversy. Bone scintigraphy, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography have their shortcomings. Early treatment leads to a better outcome. Scaphoid fractures can be treated conservatively and operatively. Proximal scaphoid fractures and displaced scaphoid fractures have a worse outcome and might be better off with an open or closed reduction and internal fixation. The incidence of scaphoid non-unions has been reported to be between 5 and 15%. Non-unions are mostly treated operatively by restoring the anatomy to avoid degenerative wrist arthritis

Fracture prevalence during an unusual period of snow and ice in the Netherlands

Background: The objective of the current study was to assess the effect of an unusual 10-day snow and ice period on the prevalence of fractures in an emergency department (ED) in the Netherlands. Furthermore, patients with fractures during the snow and ice period were compared to those in the control period with respect to gender, age, location of accident, length of stay, disposition, and anatomical site of the injury. Methods: Fracture prevalence during a 10-day study period with snow and ice (January 14, 2013 until January 23, 2013) was compared to a similar 10-day control period without snow or ice (January 16, 2012 until January 25, 2012). The records of all patients with a fracture were manually selected. Besides this, basic demographics, type of fracture, and location of the accident (inside or outside) were compared. Results: A total of 1,785 patients visited the ED during the study period and 1,974 during the control period. A fracture was found in 224 patients during the study period and in 109 patients during the control period (P <0.01). More fractures sustained outside account for this difference. No differences were found in gender, mean age, and length of ED stay. However, during the snow and ice period the percentage of fractures in the middle-aged (31-60 yrs) was significantly higher than in the control period (P <0.01). Conclusions: The number of fractures sustained more than doubled during a period with snow and ice as compared to the control period. In contrast to other studies outside the Netherlands, not the elderly, but the middle-aged were most affected by the slippery conditions. © 2014 van den Brand et al.; licensee Springer

Endometriosis centers of expertise in the Netherlands:Development toward regional networks of multidisciplinary care

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