This study is aimed at assessing the use of various types of urinary catheters, appropriateness of catheter placement and factors associated with antibiotic use in a population of chronically ...catheterized patients in Istria County.
This cross-sectional study, conducted between March and June 2017 in Istria County, Croatia, was initiated through a network of general family medicine offices. Data were collected from general practitioners (GPs) and from medical managers in nursing homes. Participants were asked to review medical records of their patients and to complete a 10-item questionnaire designed to retrieve information on patients with urinary catheter.
All GPs in the county were surveyed. We identified 309 patients with urinary catheter: 216 men (70%) and 93 women (30%). The overall prevalence of individuals with urinary catheters was 0.18%: 4.7% in nursing home population and 0.1% among non-institutionalized adult population. Most common indication for catheterization was chronic urinary retention (52%). One hundred eighty-six patients (60.4%) reported antibiotic usage in the previous 3 months for treating urinary infection.
In Istria County, the prevalence of indwelling urinary catheters is highest in males, especially among patients in nursing homes. There is a need for focused education among GPs regarding urinary catheter maintenance and antibiotic prescription for suspected urinary tract infections.
The primary objective was to assess whether transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy in the left lateral decubitus (LLD) position differed from the procedure in the lithotomy position ...regarding patients' pain perception. The secondary objective was to assess the analgesic effect of intrarectal 2% lidocaine gel in this setting.
This single-center, open-label trial enrolled 148 men undergoing prostate biopsy. Then men were randomly assigned to group 1 (LLD position, no lidocaine, n=50, "test"), group 2 (lithotomy position+lidocaine, n=50, "positive control"), and group 3 (lithotomy position, no lidocaine, n=48, "negative control"). Twelve-core samples were taken in each biopsy set. Pain was assessed by using a 10-point visual analogue scale (VAS).
Across the groups, patients were comparable regarding age, prostate-specific antigen levels, prostate volume, digital rectal examination findings, and pathohistological diagnosis. VAS scores were lower in group 1 (median, 2.95) than in group 2 (median, 4.95; p<0.001) or group 3 (median, 4.60; p<0.001). The difference between group 2 and group 3 was insignificant (p=0.268). The adjusted mean differences (with adjustment for the above covariates) were as follows: group 1 vs. group 2, -1.43 (95% confidence interval CI: -2.25 to -0.60; p<0.001); group 1 vs. group 3, -1.22 (95% CI: -2.04 to -0.41; p=0.001); group 2 vs. group 3, 0.20 (95% CI, -0.63 to 1.04; p=0.836); and group 1 vs. groups 2 and 3, -1.33 (95% CI, -1.92 to -0.73; p<0.001). The procedure was comparably well tolerated across the groups.
Pain perception during prostate biopsy was lower in the LLD position than in the lithotomy position. Intrarectal 2% lidocaine gel does not seem to affect pain perception.
Balneoterapija/hidroterapija neizostavni je dio rehabilitacije bolesnika s
upalnim reumatskim bolestima. Kako se njena učinkovitost često dovodi
u pitanje, cilj rada je bio utvrditi učinkovitost ...balneoterapije/hidroterapije
na funkcionalne sposobnosti, aktivnosti i kvalitetu života bolesnika s
reumatoidnim artritisom (RA). U kliničku studiju su uključena 113 bolesnika
s RA-om, 79 žena i 34 muškarca, koji su liječeni u Specijalnoj bolnici za
medicinsku rehabilitaciju Varaždinske Toplice, u prosječnom trajanju 14 dana.
Prije i poslije balneoterapije, pacijenti su ispunili upitnik o procjeni zdravlja
HAQ (Health assessment questionnaire) i upitnik o kvaliteti života bolesnika s
Izvorni znanstveni članak
Original scientific article
ISSN 1846-1867 reumatoidnim artritisom QoL-RA (Quality of life RA). Ocjena aktivnosti bolesti
DAS 28 korištena je za mjerenje djelovanja bolesti prije i poslije balneoterapije/
hidroterapije. Pronašli smo značajno poboljšanje funkcionalne sposobnosti u
bolesnika s RA-om. Prosječna ocjena HAQ-a prije balneoterapije/hidroterapije
je 1,07 + / - 0,61, i 0,84 + / - 0,55, nakon balneoterapije/hidroterapije, što je
statistički značajno niži (p <0,05). DAS 28 nakon balneoterapije/hidroterapije
je i statistički značajno niži od DAS 28 prije balneoterapije/hidroterapije:
srednja vrijednost DAS 28 prije balneoterapije/hidroterapije bila je 6,30 + / -
0,81 i nakon balneoterapije/hidroterapije 5,45 + / - 0,75 (p <0,01). Kvaliteta
života značajno je poboljšana nakon balneoterapije/hidroterapije: srednja
vrijednost QoL-RA prije balneoterapije/hidroterapije je bila 5,38 + / - 1,62
i nakon baleoterapije/hidroterapije 7,37 + / - 1,81 (p <0,05). Zaključno,
balneoterapija/hidroterapija, kada se pravilno dozira, učinkovita je terapija u
liječenju bolesnika s RA-om. Balneoterapija/hidroterapija ima pozitivan utjecaj
na funkcionalne sposobnosti, aktivnosti bolesti i kvalitetu života bolesnika s
reumatoidnim artritisom.
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