The country’s cardiology centers have been producing subspecialists in the field of Invasive and Interventional Cardiology. To date, 11 hospitals and/or medical centers are involved in training these subspecialists in a 1 to 2-year program. And to this date, there have been no uniform standards and guidelines as to what comprises the basic and/or acceptable training outcomes for the interventionalist in training. This paper describes the development of the core curriculum for an interventional cardiovascular training program to prepare its trainees to be competent in performing invasive diagnostic and interventional cardiovascular procedures as part of comprehensive patient care. The task force for the core curriculum of the interventional training program gathered several officers and leaders of the PSCCI, the training heads of the various interventional programs in the country, as well as experts in the field of cardiology education. Through a series of meetings, consultations, and workshops, the task force laid out the template on which all the training programs would be based. Such a framework considered the international standards regarding minimum caseloads for interventional training and the peculiar situation of each training institution. International standards like the Core Cardiovascular Training Statement (COCATS 4) Task Force 10: Training in Cardiac Catheterizations and the 2020 EAPCI Core Curriculum for Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions served as the reference framework for key recommendations. A consensus was achieved that upheld the highest standards of competence without disenfranchising certain institutions due to intricacies and uniqueness of hospital set-up and training situation.

Training ; Education ; Curriculum

INTRODUCTION: Cast immobilisation remains the mainstay of treatment for various fractures in paediatric patients, yet patients commonly complain of skin irritation and discomfort. This study aimed to perform a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the effects of cast immobilisation on the skin of children and adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients aged 6-17 years of age with a fracture treated in a fiberglass short-arm or short-leg cast were recruited. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL), stratum corneum (SC) hydration, hair density and presence of any skin signs were assessed before and after cast. Patients were required to complete a weekly questionnaire to rate itch, malodour, warmth, and dampness of the skin under the cast. RESULTS: A total of 60 subjects completed the study. Thirty-six patients received a short-arm cast; 24 received a short-leg cast. Upon cast removal, TEWL was significantly increased on the volar surface of the arms and legs ( <0.05), and the dorsal surface of the arm ( <0.05). Likewise, SC hydration was significantly increased at most sites ( <0.05), except the volar surface of the leg ( = 0.513). There was no change in hair density. Throughout the duration of casting, there was an increase in itch and malodour scores. CONCLUSION Moderate but significant changes in TEWL, SC hydration and subjective symptoms were observed during the duration of cast immobilisation, demonstrating that cast immobilisation for up to 4 weeks exerts moderate adverse impact on patients' skin. Further studies to explore the use of better materials for cast immobilisation to improve skin barrier function and overall patient satisfaction are warranted.

A patient with known prostatic cancer presented with left supraorbital swelling with proptosis and restricted eye movements on left eye. Contrast enhanced computed tomography scan revealed dural and bone metastases with soft tissue component extending to the left orbit. Serum prostate specific antigen was markedly elevated at >100 ng/ml. Incision biopsy of the orbital tumor revealed only lymphocytic inflammatory cells within the fibrous stroma attributed mainly to the deeper location of the tumor or shallow locus of the biopsy. Incisional biopsy of the frontal bone revealed atypical looking cells in sheet cluster with nuclear enlargement, hyperchromatic in irregularity confirming the diagnosis of orbital metastasis of prostate carcinoma.

Metastasis of prostate cancer to the orbit is rare. One should have a high index of suspicion of orbital metastasis when presented with an elderly patient with ocular symptoms and a history of prostate adenocarcinoma. A thorough clinical, radiological and histological evaluation is necessary to establish the diagnosis.

Human ; Male ; Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Adenocarcinoma ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; prostate-biopsy ; eye ; Tomography Scanners, X-Ray Computed

Methods: This is an experimental study of 12 rabbits implanted with ostrich eggshell (6 rabbits with 5mm- and 6 rabbits with 10mm-diameter grafts) subperiosteally in the right orbital floor. The right orbit was harvested en bloc 1, 2, and 3 months after onlay. Radiographic studies were done one day after implantation and prior to harvest. The specimens were submitted for gross and microscopic studies. Results: All animals showed normal wound healing. The grafts were stable and no foreign body reaction was observed 1, 2 and 3 months postimplantation. The size of the ostrich eggshell implants remained the same. There was no change in radiodensity at 3 months observation. Conclusion: The results of this study support the potential application of ostrich eggshell as bone substitute for orbital floor fractures.
Animal ; STRUTHIONIFORMES ; BONE TRANSPLANTATION ; TRANSPLANTS ; RABBITS ; ORBIT ; ORBITAL FRACTURES