ACTRN12612001089820.

Study design:A retrospective cohort study.Objectives:To review demographic trends in traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) and non-traumatic spinal cord injury (NTSCI).Setting:The Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit (QENSIU), sole provider of treatment for TSCI in Scotland; a devolved region of the UK National Health Service.Methods:A retrospective review of the QENSIU database was performed between 1994 and 2013. This database includes demographic and clinical data from all new TSCI patients in Scotland, as well as patients with severe NTSCI.Results:Over this 20-year period there were 1638 new cases of TSCI in Scotland; 75.2% occurring in males. TSCI incidence increased non-significantly (13.3 per million population to 17.0), while there were significant increases in mean age at time of TSCI (44.1–52.6 years), the proportion of TSCIs caused by falls (41–60%), the proportion of TSCIs resulting in an American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale score of C and D on admission (19.7–28.6% and 34.5–39.5%, respectively) and the proportion of cervical TSCIs (58.4–66.3%). The increase in cervical TSCI was specifically due to an increase in C1–C4 lesions (21.7–31.2%). NTSCI patients (n=292) were 5 years older at injury, more likely to be female (68.1% male) and had a range of diagnoses.Conclusion:This study supports the suggestion that demographic profiles in SCI are subject to change. In this population, of particular concern is the increasing number of older patients and those with high level tetraplegia, due to their increased care needs. Prevention programmes, treatment pathways and service provision need to be adjusted for optimum impact, improved outcome and long-term care for their target population.

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In order for organizations to become learning organizations, they must make sense of their environment and learn from safety events. Sensemaking, as described by Weick (1995), literally means making sense of events. The ultimate goal of sensemaking is to build the understanding that can inform and direct actions to eliminate risk and hazards that are a threat to patient safety. True sensemaking in patient safety must use both retrospective and prospective approach to learning. Sensemaking is as an essential part of the design process leading to risk informed design. Sensemaking serves as a conceptual framework to bring together well established approaches to assessment of risk and hazards: (1) at the single event level using root cause analysis (RCA), (2) at the processes level using failure modes effects analysis (FMEA) and (3) at the system level using probabilistic risk assessment (PRA). The results of these separate or combined approaches are most effective when end users in conversation-based meetings add their expertise and knowledge to the data produced by the RCA, FMEA, and/or PRA in order to make sense of the risks and hazards. Without ownership engendered by such conversations, the possibility of effective action to eliminate or minimize them is greatly reduced.

Background Clostridium difficile is one of the most common and important nosocomial pathogens, causing severe gastrointestinal disease in hospitalized patients. Although "bundled" interventions have been proposed and promoted, optimal control strategies remain unknown.MethodsWe designed an agent-based computer simulation of nosocomial C. difficile transmission and infection, which included components such as: patients and health care workers, and their interactions; room contamination via C. difficile shedding; C. difficile hand carriage and removal via hand hygiene; patient acquisition of C. difficile via contact with contaminated rooms or health care workers; and patient antimicrobial use. We then introduced six interventions, alone and "bundled" together: aggressive C. difficile testing; empiric isolation and treatment of symptomatic patients; improved adherence to hand hygiene and contact precautions; improved use of soap and water for hand hygiene; and improved environmental cleaning. All interventions were tested using values representing base-case, typical intervention, and optimal intervention scenarios.FindingsIn the base-case scenario, C. difficile infection rates ranged from 8–21 cases/10,000 patient-days, with a case detection fraction between 32%–50%. Implementing the "bundle" at typical intervention levels had a large impact on C. difficile acquisition and infection rates, although intensifying the intervention to optimal levels had much less additional impact. Most of the impact came from improved hand hygiene and empiric isolation and treatment of suspected C. difficile cases.ConclusionA "bundled" intervention is likely to reduce nosocomial C. difficile infection rates, even under typical implementation conditions. Real-world implementation of the "bundle" should focus on those components of the intervention that are likely to produce the greatest impact on C. difficile infection rates, such as hand hygiene and empiric isolation and treatment of suspected cases.

We sought to determine the efficacy of 12 weeks high-intensity interval training (HIIT), compared to moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on glucose control, cardiometabolic risk and microvascular complication markers in men living with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Both modalities were combined with resistance training (RT). Additionally, the study aimed to determine the medium-term durability of effects. After a 12-week, thrice weekly, training intervention incorporating either MICT+RT (n = 11) or HIIT+RT (n = 12), the study concluded with a 6-month follow-up analysis. The middle-aged study participants were obese, had moderate duration T2D and were taking multiple medications including insulin, statins and beta-blockers. Participants, randomized via the method of minimization, performed MICT (progressing to 26-min at 55% maximum estimated workload [eWLmax]) or HIIT (progressing to two variations in which twelve 1-min bouts at 95% eWLmax interspersed with 1-min recovery bouts, alternated with eight 30-s bouts at 120% eWLmax interspersed with 2:15 min recovery bouts) under supervision at an exercise physiology facility. To account for fixed and random effects within the study sample, mixed-effect models were used to determine the significance of change following the intervention and follow-up phases and to evaluate group*time interactions. Beyond improvements in aerobic capacity (P < 0.001) for both groups, both training modalities elicited similar group*time interactions (P > 0.05) while experiencing benefits for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c; P = 0.01), subcutaneous adiposity (P < 0.001), and heart rate variability (P = 0.02) during the 12-week intervention. Adiposity (P < 0.001) and aerobic capacity (P < 0.001) were significantly maintained in both groups at the 6-month follow-up. In addition, during the intervention, participants in both MICT+RT and HIIT+RT experienced favorable reductions in their medication usage. The study reported the inter-individual variability of change within both groups, the exaggerated acute physiological responses (using exercise termination indicators) that occurred during the interventions as well as the incidence of precautionary respite afforded in such a study sample. To reduce hyperglycaemia, and prevent further deterioration of cardiometabolic risk and microvascular complication markers (in both the short- and medium-term), future strategies that integrate the adoption and maintenance of physical activity as a cornerstone in the treatment of T2M for men should (cognisant of appropriate supervision) include either structured MICT+RT, or HIIT+RT.Clinical Trials Registration Number: ACTRN12617000582358 http://www.anzctr.org.au/default.aspx

Background Bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) has enabled the early identification of breast cancer‐related lymphedema. In this study, differences in health service metrics and in the incidence of breast cancer‐related lymphedema are evaluated in an early surveillance model of care compared with a traditional referral model of care. Methods In a retrospective analysis of data from 753 women who underwent BIS measures between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2016, 188 women were assigned to the “early surveillance” group if they began lymphedema monitoring presurgery (n = 121) or within 90 days postsurgery (n = 67), and 285 women were assigned to the “traditional referral” group if they began monitoring after 90 days postsurgery. Health service metrics were calculated as the time to the first BIS measure after 90 days postsurgery, the median follow‐up, and the number of health care visits. Lymphedema was diagnosed based on BIS measures. Results Women in the early surveillance group received lymphedema care significantly earlier than those in the traditional referral group. However, there was no difference in the number of visits per year to the clinic between groups. Significantly more women in the traditional referral group were diagnosed with clinical lymphedema (stage I‐III, 39 % vs 14%; P < .001) and with greater severity (stage II‐III, 24%) compared with those in the early surveillance group (4%). Conclusions The current findings support the adoption of an early prospective surveillance model of care using BIS for the early detection and management of breast cancer–related lymphedema.

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