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(FPPFC) was developed to assess quality of physician-family end-of-life communication in nursing homes. However, its validity has been tested only in the USA and the Netherlands. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the FPPFC construct validity and its reliability, as well as the psychometric characteristics of the items comprising the scale. Data were collected in cross-sectional study in Belgium, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland. The factorial structure was tested in confirmatory factor analysis. Item parameters were obtained using an item response theory model. Participants were 737 relatives of nursing home residents who died up to 3 months prior to the study. In general, the FPPFC scale proved to be a unidimensional and reliable measure of the perceived quality of physician-family communication in nursing home settings in all five countries. Nevertheless, we found unsatisfactory fit to the data with a confirmatory model. An item that referred to advance care planning performed less well in Poland and Italy than in the Northern European countries. In the item analysis, we found that with no loss of reliability and with increased coherency of the item content across countries, the full 7-item version can be shortened to a 4-item version, which may be more appropriate for international studies. Therefore, we recommend use of the brief 4-item FPPFC version by nursing home managers and professionals as an evaluation tool, and by researchers for their studies as these four items confer the same meaning across countries.

Migraine with aura (MA) accounts for up to 10% of "stroke mimics" and can present cerebral perfusion abnormalities. We aimed to compare perfusion-CT (PCT) findings in acute-onset MA mimicking an ischemic stroke with those observed in transient ischemic attack (TIA).

Cooking and heating with gas is common in Australian homes and is a risk factor for several important health problems; however, there is little awareness of these risks among doctors or the public. Gas stove use is estimated to cause 12% of childhood asthma in Australia.

Oxycodone is a frequently used opioid in cancer. Opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is common. Oxycodone/Naloxone Prolonged Release (OXN PR) contains naloxone, which mitigates OIC. Trials have either focused on non-cancer pain, or conducted before significant experience of using OXN PR. This trial aims to: demonstrate (1) analgesic equivalence between OXN PR and Oxycodone Prolonged Release (Oxy PR), and (2) superiority of constipation outcomes in OXN PR compared to Oxy PR in cancer pain. Unlike other trials, it will only include patients with at least moderate pain scores (≥4/10), allow usual laxatives, and exclude potential liver dysfunction.

Veratramine may have a potential therapeutic effect for diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).

Ankylosing spondylitis is a common inflammatory rheumatic disease with a prevalence of 0.1 %-1.4 %. The most common vertebral fractures associated with ankylosing spondylitis are cervical spine injuries due to low-energy trauma, whereas pelvic fractures are rare. Conversely, fragility fracture of the pelvis is a fracture of the pelvic ring caused by low-energy trauma with a background of bone fragility. In recent years, minimally invasive surgery for early mobilization of displaced fragility fracture of the pelvis has been reported. We report herein a case of a 91-year-old male with ankylosing spondylitis who underwent internal fixation for fragility fracture of his pelvis. He was brought to the emergency room with a complaint of pain in the right hip after a fall from a standing position at home. Computed tomography showed a fracture of the right pubis and a fracture, which crossed the sacrum from the ilium with a maximum dislocation. There was also extensive ossification of the anterior longitudinal ligament in the thoracolumbar spine and bony ankylosis of both sacroiliac joints. The diagnosis after the injury was fragility fracture of the pelvis, which complicated by ankylosing spondylitis. The fracture type did not match the Rommens and Hofmann classification criteria. Iliac intramedullary stabilization was performed in accordance with the treatment of Rommens and Hofmann classification type IIIa. The patient's pain reduced a day after the surgery, and he was able to use a wheelchair. He was able to walk with a cane two months after the surgery, and bone union was achieved four months postsurgery. Iliac intramedullary stabilization was useful in patients with atypical fractures a) that did not fit the Rommens and Hofmann classification criteria owing to the presence of ankylosing spondylitis, and b) in cases wherein strong fixation was considered necessary.

Dexpanthenol is an ingredient in multiple topical pharmaceutical preparations thanks to its high penetration and localized concentration. It is included in many ointments or lotions for dermatological use, assisting in healing and reducing pruritus. Vaseline is a synthetic product obtained by distilling crude oil. It is commercially available in several grades. The study presented here examined how topically applied agents (dexpanthenol or vaseline) affect nasal epithelial cells in culture. In particular, the study aimed to identify any alterations to epithelial cells which might indicate toxicity.

Many countries are administering a third dose of some coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, but the evaluation of vaccine-induced immunity after boosting in East Asia is insufficient. This study aimed to evaluate anti-spike immunoglobulin G [IgG(S)] titers after the third BNT162b2 vaccination.

Livid Fingers after Respiratory Infection A 53-year-old patient fell ill with SARS-CoV-2. She suffered from cough, headache and slight exertional dyspnoea. She was hospitalized for a short time as the dyspnoea increased. Two weeks after the first respiratory symptoms, the patient developed painful livid discoloration of the left terminal phalanges I-III. An occlusion of the arteria princeps pollicis and the arteria digitalis communis/propria of the left fingers II and III could be documented in the angiography. In addition to short-term lysis therapy with alteplase, the patient was therapeutically anticoagulated and received aspirin. An ilomedin (iloprost) therapy was carried out.

The overdose crisis in North America has prompted system-level efforts to restrict opioid prescribing for chronic pain. However, little is known about how discontinuing or tapering prescribed opioids for chronic pain shapes overdose risk, including possible differential effects among people with and without concurrent opioid use disorder (OUD). We examined associations between discontinuation and tapering of prescribed opioids and risk of overdose among people on long-term opioid therapy for pain, stratified by diagnosed OUD and prescribed opioid agonist therapy (OAT) status.