Anastasia Topalidou

Bio: Anastasia Topalidou is an academic researcher from University of Central Lancashire. The author has contributed to research in topics: Medicine & Sagittal plane. The author has an hindex of 7, co-authored 24 publications receiving 189 citations. Previous affiliations of Anastasia Topalidou include University of Crete & Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Is the ASA Score in Geriatric Hip Fractures a Predictive Factor for Complications and Readmission

Abstract: Hip fractures are the second cause of hospitalization in geriatric patients. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification scheme is a scoring system for the evaluation of the patients' health and comorbidities before an operative procedure. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the ASA score is a predictive factor for perioperative and postoperative complications and a cause of readmission of geriatric patients with hip fractures. The study included 198 elderly patients. The mean values of hospitalization were 6.4 ± 2.1 days for the patients with ASA II, 10.4 ± 3.4 days for the patients with ASA III, and 13.5 ± 4.4 days for the patients with ASA IV. The patients with ASA II exhibited minor complications, while patients with ASA III presented cutaneous ulcer and respiratory dysfunction. Five patients with ASA IV had pulmonary embolism, two patients had myocardial infarction, and three patients died. The ASA score seems to have direct correlation with multiple factors, such as the hospitalization days, the severity of the complications, and the total hospitalization costs. The treatment of geriatrics hip fractures in patients with a high ASA score requires a multidisciplinary approach and a special assessment in order to decrease postoperative morbidity and mortality and offer optimal functionality.

COVID-19 and maternal mental health: Are we getting the balance right?

Abstract: This paper presents a rapid evidence review into the clinical and psychological impacts of COVID-19 on perinatal women and their infants. Literature search revealed that there is very little formal evidence on the impact of COVID-19 on pregnant, labouring and postnatal women or their babies. The clinical evidence to date suggests that pregnant and childbearing women, and their babies are not at increased risk of either getting infected, or of having severe symptoms or consequences than the population as a whole. There is no evidence on the short- and longer-term psychological impacts of restrictive practices or social and personal constraints for childbearing women during COVID-19 in particular, or infection pandemics in general. The potential for adverse mental health consequences of the pandemic should be recognised as a critical public health concern, together with appropriate care and support to prevent and ameliorate any negative impacts.

Limb salvage after gas gangrene: a case report and review of the literature

Abstract: Gas gangrene is a necrotic infection of soft tissue associated with high mortality, often necessitating amputation in order to control the infection. Herein we present a case of gas gangrene of the arm in an intravenous drug user with a history of intramuscular injections with normal saline in the shoulder used to provoke pain for recovery after drug induced coma. The patient was early treated with surgery and antibiotics rendering possible the preservation of the limb and some of its function. Additionally, a review of the literature regarding case reports of limb salvage after gas gangrene is presented.

Evaluation of the reliability of a new non-invasive method for assessing the functionality and mobility of the spine.

Abstract: For the evaluation of the functionality and mobility of the spine, several methods have been developed. The purpose of this study was to estimate the test-retest reliability of the Spinal Mouse, a new, non-invasive, computer-assisted wireless telemetry device for the assessment of the curvatures, the mobility and the functionality of the spine. Materials and methods: the test-retest reliability was evaluated in 50 adults with back or low back pain. Twenty four parameters were studied in the sagittal and frontal plane. For the characterization of the precision, the intraclass correlation coefficient and the standard error of measurement were used. Results: in the sagittal plane, 22 of the 24 parameters showed high and good reliability, while only two fair and poor. In the frontal plane, 17 parameters showed high and good reliability, five fair and two poor. Discussion: the Spinal Mouse showed excellent test-retest reliability in the sagittal plane, while a slightly inferior performance in the frontal plane, for the evaluation of curvatures, deformation and mobility of the spine.

Thermal imaging applications in neonatal care: a scoping review.

Abstract: In neonatal care, assessment of the temperature of the neonate is essential to confirm on-going health, and as an early signal of potential pathology. However, some methods of temperature assessment involve disturbing the baby, disrupting essential sleep patterns, and interrupting maternal/infant interaction. Thermal imaging is a completely non-invasive and non-contact method of assessing emitted temperature, but it is not a standard method for neonatal thermal monitoring. To examine the potential utility of using thermal imaging in neonatal care, we conducted a comprehensive systematic scoping review of thermal imaging applications in this context. We searched EMBASE, MEDLINE and MIDIRS. From 442 hits, 21 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. A significant number (n = 9) were published in the last 8 years. All the studies were observational studies, with 20 out of 21 undertaken in North America or Europe. Most of them had small cohorts (range 4–29 participants). The findings were analysed narratively, to establish the issues identified in the included studies. Five broad themes emerged for future examination. These were: general thermal physiology; heat loss and respiratory monitoring; identification of internal pathologies, including necrotising enterocolitis; other uses of thermal imaging; and technical concerns. The findings suggest that thermal imaging is a reliable and non-invasive method for continuous monitoring of the emitted temperature of the neonates, with potential for contributing to the assurance of wellbeing, and to the diagnosis of pathologies, including internal abnormalities. However, the introduction of thermal imaging into everyday neonatology practice has several methodological challenges, including environmental parameters, especially when infants are placed in incubators or open radiant warmers. In conclusion, although the first attempt at using thermal imaging in neonatal care started in the early-1970s, with promising results, and subsequent small cohort studies have recently reinforced this potential, there have not been any large prospective studies in this area that examine both the benefits and the barriers to its use in practice.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

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2016 SOSORT guidelines: orthopaedic and rehabilitation treatment of idiopathic scoliosis during growth.

Abstract: The International Scientific Society on Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT) produced its first guidelines in 2005 and renewed them in 2011. Recently published high-quality clinical trials on the effect of conservative treatment approaches (braces and exercises) for idiopathic scoliosis prompted us to update the last guidelines’ version. The objective was to align the guidelines with the new scientific evidence to assure faster knowledge transfer into clinical practice of conservative treatment for idiopathic scoliosis (CTIS). Physicians, researchers and allied health practitioners working in the area of CTIS were involved in the development of the 2016 guidelines. Multiple literature reviews reviewing the evidence on CTIS (assessment, bracing, physiotherapy, physiotherapeutic scoliosis-specific exercises (PSSE) and other CTIS) were conducted. Documents, recommendations and practical approach flow charts were developed using a Delphi procedure. The process was completed with the Consensus Session held during the first combined SOSORT/IRSSD Meeting held in Banff, Canada, in May 2016. The contents of the new 2016 guidelines include the following: background on idiopathic scoliosis, description of CTIS approaches for various populations with flow-charts for clinical practice, as well as literature reviews and recommendations on assessment, bracing, PSSE and other CTIS. The present guidelines include a total of 68 recommendations divided into following topics: bracing (n = 25), PSSE to prevent scoliosis progression during growth (n = 12), PSSE during brace treatment and surgical therapy (n = 6), other conservative treatments (n = 2), respiratory function and exercises (n = 3), general sport activities (n = 6); and assessment (n = 14). According to the agreed strength and level of evidence rating scale, there were 2 recommendations on bracing and 1 recommendation on PSSE that reached level of recommendation “I” and level of evidence “II”. Three recommendations reached strength of recommendation A based on the level of evidence I (2 for bracing and one for assessment); 39 recommendations reached strength of recommendation B (20 for bracing, 13 for PSSE, and 6 for assessment).The number of paper for each level of evidence for each treatment is shown in Table 8. The 2016 SOSORT guidelines were developed based on the current evidence on CTIS. Over the last 5 years, high-quality evidence has started to emerge, particularly in the areas of efficacy of bracing (one large multicentre trial) and PSSE (three single-centre randomized controlled trials). Several grade A recommendations were presented. Despite the growing high-quality evidence, the heterogeneity of the study protocols limits generalizability of the recommendations. There is a need for standardization of research methods of conservative treatment effectiveness, as recognized by SOSORT and the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) non-operative management Committee.

Further Evidence of Relation Between Prenatal Famine and Major Affective Disorder

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: In a previous study, the authors demonstrated an association between prenatal famine in middle to late gestation and major affective disorders requiring hospitalization. In this study, they sought to examine the association by using newly identified cases from the Dutch birth cohort used previously to examine the gender specificity of the association and to assess whether this relation is present for both unipolar and bipolar affective disorders. METHOD: The authors compared the risk of major affective disorder requiring hospitalization in birth cohorts who were and were not exposed, in each trimester of gestation, to famine during the Dutch Hunger Winter of 1944–1945. These cases of major affective disorder requiring hospitalization were newly ascertained from a national psychiatric registry. A larger data set from this registry was used for analysis by gender and diagnostic subtype. RESULTS: For the newly ascertained cases, the risk of developing major affective disorder requiring hospitaliza...