Incomplete humeral condylar fracture in two English Pointer dogs

Incomplete humeral condylar fracture was diagnosed by means of radiology, CT, scintigraphy, arthroscopy and bone biopsy in two English Pointer dogs. In both cases an acute thoracic limb lameness, unrelated to a known episode of major trauma, was observed. Incomplete humeral condylar fracture, mainly described in the Spaniel breeds, has been recently diagnosed in Labrador retrievers, Rottweiler, German Wachtel and other breeds. The pathogenesis of the condition is still unknown, but incomplete ossification of the humeral condyle and mechanical stress, alone or associated, have to be considered. However, our clinical and histopathological data lead us to believe that in Pointers, high performance dogs, the mechanical stress can assume a critical ethiopathogenetic role.

Difficulties and practices regarding information provision among Korean and Italian nurses

AIM

To investigate nurses' opinions and practices of providing information in a global context through cultural comparison.

BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION

Providing sufficient information to patients about nursing interventions and plans is essential for patient-centred care. While many countries have specific legislation making information delivery to patients a legal duty of nurses, no such legislation exists in both the Republic of Korea and Italy; nurses' only guidance is the deontological code.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional survey study involving a convenience sample of 174 Korean nurses and 121 Italian nurses working in internal medicine and surgery at university hospitals. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire between February and November 2014. The questionnaire assessed demographic and professional characteristics, and difficulties and practices regarding information provision.

RESULTS

Korean and Italian nurses significantly differed in all demographic and professional characteristics. More Korean than Italian participants reported that their role in providing information was well explained within their teams, but both groups reported the same level and type of difficulties in delivering information. Nurses in both countries regularly informed patients about medications and nursing procedures, but provided information about nursing care plans less frequently. Few nurses frequently provided information to relatives instead of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite cultural, demographic and professional differences between Korean and Italian nurses, their difficulties and practices in information delivery to patient were similar.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY

Hospital managers and policymakers should be aware that nurse-patient communication can be impaired by organizational factors, patient characteristics or the interaction among providers. Educational interventions and strategies are needed to increase information provision to patients about nursing care plans.

Relaxation dynamics of a polymer network modeled by a multihierarchical structure

We numerically analyze the scaling behavior of experimentally accessible dynamical relaxation forms for polymer networks modeled by a finite multihierarchical structure. In the framework of generalized Gaussian structures, by making use of the eigenvalue spectrum of the connectivity matrix, we determine the averaged monomer displacement under local external forces as well as the mechanical relaxation quantities (storage and loss moduli). Hence we generalize the known analysis for both classes of fractals to the case of multihierarchical structure, for which even though we have a mixed growth algorithm, the above cited observables still give information about the two different underlying topologies. For very large lattices, reached via an algebraic procedure that avoids the numerical diagonalizations of the corresponding connectivity matrices, we depict the scaling of both component fractals in the intermediate time (frequency) domain, which manifests two different slopes.

Disseminated histoplasmosis in a cat in Europe

A cat was presented with a history of vomiting, decreased appetite and weight loss. Abnormal findings were poor body condition, pale mucous membranes, dehydration and a palpable abdominal mass. Abdominal ultrasound showed lymph node enlargement, a mass of uncertain origin, thickening of the muscularis layer of the small bowel, focal thickening of the ileum with loss of layering and free peritoneal fluid. Cytology revealed a piogranulomatous infiltrate and numerous macrophages containing oval or round yeast‐like cells 2 to 5 µm diameter with a central, spherical, lightly basophilic body surrounded by a clear halo, compatible with Histoplasma capsulatum, within the cytoplasm. Post‐mortem examination revealed cavity effusions, granulomatous nodules in lungs, intestine and omentum, thickened intestinal walls and intestinal perforation. Staining with Grocott and immunohistochemistry (IHC) revealed numerous organisms within the granulomatous reaction. H. capsulatum has a worldwide distribution in temperate and subtropical climates. To the author’s knowledge, this is the first report of feline histoplasmosis in Europe.

Incomplete humeral condylar fracture in two English Pointer dogs

Incomplete humeral condylar fracture was diagnosed by means of radiology, CT, scintigraphy, arthroscopy and bone biopsy in two English Pointer dogs. In both cases an acute thoracic limb lameness, unrelated to a known episode of major trauma, was observed. Incomplete humeral condylar fracture, mainly described in the Spaniel breeds, has been recently diagnosed in Labrador retrievers, Rottweiler, German Wachtel and other breeds. The pathogenesis of the condition is still unknown, but incomplete ossification of the humeral condyle and mechanical stress, alone or associated, have to be considered. However, our clinical and histopathological data lead us to believe that in Pointers, high performance dogs, the mechanical stress can assume a critical ethiopathogenetic role.

[High frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) in the newborn. Study of 10 cases]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate clinical effectiveness of high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) with a high-volume strategy in severe neonatal respiratory failure from different causes.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Infants with respiratory failure with oxygenation index (O.I.) > 10, independently from weight, gestation age, kind of respiratory disease, previous treatment with conventional mechanical ventilation (IPPV). Patients were treated with respirator Sensormedics 3100 A. Values of O.I. were recorded at start of HFOV and after 1/2, 6 and 24 hours. Also blood gases, arterial blood pressure and vital data were monitored. If HFOV failed infants were allowed to be shifted to IPPV.

RESULTS

10 infants were selected whose gestation age was comprised between 25-38 weeks and birth weight between 640-2620 grams. Mean value of O.I. at the beginning of HFOV was 31.5 +/- 25.1. In all cases but one O.I. decreased rapidly after HFOV and improvement was significant after 6 hours (10.7 +/- 6.3; p < 0.003) still improving after 24 hours (9.5 +/- 5; p < 0.002). The neonate that did not respond to HFOV had severe congenital valvular aortic stenosis and weighted 930 grams. Four infants died: 3 after response of respiratory failure to HFOV and 1 for cardiopathy. Side-effects were: i) edema in all infants that was treated with furosemide, and ii) transient decrease of sistemic blood pressure after start of HFOV in 6 infants that was treated easily with low-dosage dopamine infusion. No significant increase of the rate of complicating disease was observed in survived patients.

CONCLUSION

HFOV with high-volume strategy was able to improve rapidly and significantly O.I. in severe neonatal respiratory failure without increasing complications in survivors. Edema was present in all infants and this might depend on the relatively tardy use of HFOV that required higher mean airway pressures. A more precocious intervention has to be considered in clinical practice.