Saint Francis University

About: Saint Francis University is a education organization based out in Loretto, Pennsylvania, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Osteoblast. The organization has 1694 authors who have published 2038 publications receiving 87149 citations.

Behind the wheel safety in palliative care: a literature review.

Abstract: Background Driving is a complex activity that requires physical abilities and adequate executive and cognitive functioning. There is concern among specialist palliative care services about patients continuing to drive despite having progressive incurable illnesses, comorbidities and medications to manage their symptoms. Objectives To determine the quality of literature available about driving that would apply to palliative care patients, specifically in relation to road test or simulated driving scores and neurocognitive testing. Method A literature search based on systematic principles was conducted on the Ovid Medline, PsycINFO, Embase and CINAHL database up to 14 October 2018. Patient populations with life-limiting illness such as cancer, cardiorespiratory and neurological diagnoses were included. Results 37,546 articles were screened. 14 articles satisfied the search criteria. Six studies focused on patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Four studies investigated driving ability in patients with Huntington’s disease. The remaining four articles studied heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease and patients with cancer. In the road test studies, 19%–47% of patients with MS and Huntington’s failed the behind-the-wheel assessment. The simulated driving scores in seven studies demonstrated statistically significant differences in errors made between study participants and controls. Divided attention was found in seven studies to be associated with poorer road-test or simulated driving ability. Conclusions This review highlights the scarcity of studies available for patients who would be known to palliative care services. For most patient groups, a battery of neurocognitive tests combined with a road-test or simulated driving assessment is still considered the best practice in determining driving safety.

What Procedures Are Rural General Surgeons Performing and Are They Prepared to Perform Specialty Procedures in Practice

Abstract: Rural surgeons are performing operations typically performed by "specialists." This study describes specialty procedures performed by general surgeons operating in a rural state and how prepared the surgeons felt starting their rural practice after residency A survey was sent to all exclusively rural surgeons actively practicing in the state, inquiring about their perception of preparedness for rural practice and specialty procedures performed. The survey had a 65.2 per cent response rate. Responders felt well prepared for rural practice after residency (mean response 4.6 ± 0.8 on a Likert scale from 1 to 5; 5 = "well prepared"). Noteworthy, specialty procedures performed by rural surgeons included hysterectomies (51.2%), thyroidectomies (81.4%), parathyroidectomies (60.5%), carotid endarterectomies (11.6%), video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (37.2%), and lobectomies (23.3%). Prominent write-ins included nephrectomies (n = 1), ileal conduits (n = 1), open and endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (n = 1), Whipples (n = 3), and liver resections (n = 2). Rural general surgeons perform many major operations usually performed by specialists. These surgeons felt well prepared for these operations out of residency.

Bevacizumab in lung cancer: Lackluster performance and unjustified expense?

Abstract: A recent retrospective analysis of a large cohort of patients aged 65 and older with advanced non-small cell lung cancer failed to demonstrate any improvement in survival with the addition of bevacizumab to the platinum doublet in the first-line therapy. A few points have to be made: 1) a vast majority of patients with lung cancer are 65 and older; 2) important including fatal toxicity can occur with the use of bevacizumab; and 3) costs of bevacizumab are significant. Integrating the conclusions of this study into clinical practice and further analysis of underlying physical, psychosocial, and economic hurdles of bevacizumab use in lung cancer patients are certainly justified.