‘Singing is no longer forbidden to me – it’s like part of my human dignity has been restored.’ Adult non-singers learning to sing : An explorative intervention study

Peer reviewe

Employment status of young otorhinolaryngologists in Finland during a 10-year period

We determined the employment status of recently graduated otorhinolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons (ENT doctors) in Finland during the past 10 years. We also investigated the job vacancy rate of the Departments of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Department of ORL-HNS). An electronic questionnaire was sent to all ENT doctors who had graduated during 2007-2017 and to chief physicians of all Departments of ORL-HNS. Chi-square and Fisher's test were used in the analyses. Altogether 129 ENT doctors had graduated and 125 (96.9%) responded. Thirty (24%) physicians had been employed in a position that did not correspond to their ENT doctor training. All 30 chief physicians responded and a total of 306 physicians were working at their departments (215 ENT doctors, 91 residents). However, there were only 241 available positions (197 for ENT doctors, 44 for residents). It was estimated that 65 ENT doctors would retire within 10 years. At the moment there does not seem to be a significant shortage of ENT doctors in Finland. The current national volume of resident intake in the ENT training programme is twofold in comparison with the estimated retirement rate in the public sector.Peer reviewe

Satisfaction of young ENT surgeons with their work. A Finnish national study

The objective was to investigate work satisfaction among recently graduated otorhinolaryngologist - head and neck surgeons - (ENT surgeons). An electronic questionnaire was sent to all ENT surgeons graduated in Finland during a ten-year period. Answers about work satisfaction were analyzed in detail with regards to age, gender, university of specialist training, experience, place of work and further education.Altogether 125/129 (96.9%) responded. The majority (87.8%) of the respondents enjoyed their current main occupation. The older age group (>= 40 vsPeer reviewe

Screening Sleep Disordered Breathing in Stroke Unit

In acute stroke, OSA has been found to impair rehabilitation and increase mortality but the effect of central apnea is more unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility of using limited ambulatory recording system (sleep mattress to evaluate nocturnal breathing and EOG-electrodes for sleep staging) in sleep disordered breathing (SDB) diagnostics in mild acute cerebral ischemia patients and to discover the prevalence of various SDB-patterns among these patients. 42 patients with mild ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack were studied. OSA was found in 22 patients (52.4%). Central apnea was found in two patients (4.8%) and sustained partial obstruction in only one patient (2.4%). Sleep staging with EOG-electrodes only yielded a similar outcome as scoring with standard rules. OSA was found to be common even after mild stroke. Its early diagnosis and treatment would be favourable in order to improve recovery and reduce mortality. Our results suggest that OSA can be assessed by a limited recording setting with EOG-electrodes, sleep mattress, and pulse oximetry

CT Perfusion ASPECTS in the Evaluation of Acute Ischemic Stroke: Thrombolytic Therapy Perspective

Background and Purpose: Advances in the management of acute ischemic stroke and medical imaging are creating pressure to replace the rigid one-third middle cerebral artery (MCA) and non-contrast-enhanced CT (NCCT) Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) thresholds used for the selection of patients eligible for intravenous thrombolytic therapy. The identification of potentially salvageable ischemic brain tissue lies at the core of this issue. In this study, the role of CT perfusion ASPECTS in the detection of reversible ischemia was analyzed. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and imaging data of 92 consecutive patients who received intravenous thrombolytic therapy for acute (duration Results: A perfusion defect could be detected in 50% of the patients. ASPECTS correlated inversely with the clinical outcome in the following order: follow-up NCCT > cerebral blood volume (CBV) > mean transit time (MTT) > admission NCCT. The follow-up NCCT and the CBV displayed a statistically significant difference from the admission NCCT, while the MTT did not reach statistical significance. The threshold that best differentiated between good and bad clinical outcome on admission was CBV ASPECTS ≧7. In patients with CT perfusion ASPECTS mismatch, MTT and CBV ASPECTS essentially provided the lower and upper limits for the follow-up NCCT ASPECTS, thus defining the spectrum of possible outcomes. Furthermore, CT perfusion ASPECTS mismatch strongly correlated (r = 0.83) with the mismatch between the tissue at risk and the final infarct, i.e. the amount of salvaged tissue. This finding suggests that the CT perfusion ASPECTS mismatch adequately identifies the amount of potentially salvageable ischemic brain tissue. Conclusions: Parameters derived from the use of CT perfusion ASPECTS can detect reversible ischemia and are correlated with clinical outcome

Satisfaction of young ENT surgeons with their work. A Finnish national study

The objective was to investigate work satisfaction among recently graduated otorhinolaryngologist - head and neck surgeons - (ENT surgeons). An electronic questionnaire was sent to all ENT surgeons graduated in Finland during a ten-year period. Answers about work satisfaction were analyzed in detail with regards to age, gender, university of specialist training, experience, place of work and further education.Altogether 125/129 (96.9%) responded. The majority (87.8%) of the respondents enjoyed their current main occupation. The older age group (>= 40 vs <40 years) was more satisfied (93.7% vs. 81.7%; p=0.042). Consultation opportunities and workplace atmosphere were reported as good by 85.6% and 90.4% of the respondents, respectively. Training opportunities were considered good by 82.4%, albeit by only 60% of the private physicians (p=0.047). Private sector practitioners were also less satisfied with the versatility of their work (p<0.001). Work at a university hospital was considered more strenuous (p<0.001). Over half (54.8%) felt insecure about continuation of their employment status. Most of the recently graduated Finnish ENT surgeons are satisfied with their current occupation, consultation opportunities and workplace atmosphere. However, work at university hospitals in particular was considered often strenuous and over half of the respondents felt insecure about the continuity of their employment

Employment status of young otorhinolaryngologists in Finland during a 10-year period

We determined the employment status of recently graduated otorhinolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons (ENT doctors) in Finland during the past 10 years. We also investigated the job vacancy rate of the Departments of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Department of ORL-HNS). An electronic questionnaire was sent to all ENT doctors who had graduated during 2007-2017 and to chief physicians of all Departments of ORL-HNS. Chi-square and Fisher's test were used in the analyses. Altogether 129 ENT doctors had graduated and 125 (96.9%) responded. Thirty (24%) physicians had been employed in a position that did not correspond to their ENT doctor training. All 30 chief physicians responded and a total of 306 physicians were working at their departments (215 ENT doctors, 91 residents). However, there were only 241 available positions (197 for ENT doctors, 44 for residents). It was estimated that 65 ENT doctors would retire within 10 years. At the moment there does not seem to be a significant shortage of ENT doctors in Finland. The current national volume of resident intake in the ENT training programme is twofold in comparison with the estimated retirement rate in the public sector

Screening Sleep Disordered Breathing in Stroke Unit

In acute stroke, OSA has been found to impair rehabilitation and increase mortality but the effect of central apnea is more unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility of using limited ambulatory recording system (sleep mattress to evaluate nocturnal breathing and EOG-electrodes for sleep staging) in sleep disordered breathing (SDB) diagnostics in mild acute cerebral ischemia patients and to discover the prevalence of various SDB-patterns among these patients. 42 patients with mild ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack were studied. OSA was found in 22 patients (52.4%). Central apnea was found in two patients (4.8%) and sustained partial obstruction in only one patient (2.4%). Sleep staging with EOG-electrodes only yielded a similar outcome as scoring with standard rules. OSA was found to be common even after mild stroke. Its early diagnosis and treatment would be favourable in order to improve recovery and reduce mortality. Our results suggest that OSA can be assessed by a limited recording setting with EOG-electrodes, sleep mattress, and pulse oximetry

Aivoinfarkti ja TIA : KÄYPÄ HOITO -SUOSITUS (Päivitystiivistelmä)

Teema : Akuuttilääketiede. Käypä hoito -suositus. Päivitystiivistelmä. English summar

Searching for Explanations for Cryptogenic Stroke in the Young: Revealing the Triggers, Causes, and Outcome (SECRETO): Rationale and design

Background: Worldwide, about 1.3 million annual ischaemic strokes (IS) occur in adults aged <50 years. Of these early-onset strokes, up to 50% can be regarded as cryptogenic or associated with conditions with poorly documented causality like patent foramen ovale and coagulopathies. Key hypotheses/aims: (1) Investigate transient triggers and clinical/sub-clinical chronic risk factors associated with cryptogenic IS in the young; (2) use cardiac imaging methods exceeding state-of-the-art to reveal novel sources for embolism; (3) search for covert thrombosis and haemostasis abnormalities; (4) discover new disease pathways using next-generation sequencing and RNA gene expression studies; (5) determine patient prognosis by use of phenotypic and genetic data; and (6) adapt systems medicine approach to investigate complex risk-factor interactions. Design: Searching for Explanations for Cryptogenic Stroke in the Young: Revealing the Etiology, Triggers, and Outcome (SECRETO; NCT01934725) is a prospective multi-centre case–control study enrolling patients aged 18–49 years hospitalised due to first-ever imaging-proven IS of undetermined etiology. Patients are examined according to a standardised protocol and followed up for 10 years. Patients are 1:1 age- and sex-matched to stroke-free controls. Key study elements include centralised reading of echocardiography, electrocardiography, and neurovascular imaging, as well as blood samples for genetic, gene-expression, thrombosis and haemostasis and biomarker analysis. We aim to have 600 patient– control pairs enrolled by the end of 2018. Summary: SECRETO is aiming to establish novel mechanisms and prognosis of cryptogenic IS in the young and will provide new directions for therapy development for these patients. First results are anticipated in 2019