INTRODUCTION: A previous prospective, randomised controlled trial showed that animated videos shown to children before magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan reduced the proportion of children needing repeated MRI sequences and improved confidence of the children staying still for at least 30 min. Children preferred the interactive video. We hypothesised that the interactive video is non-inferior to showing two videos (regular and interactive) in improving children's cooperativeness during MRI scans. METHODS: In this Institutional Review Board-approved prospective, randomised, non-inferiority trial, 558 children aged 3-20 years scheduled for elective MRI scan from June 2017 to March 2019 were randomised into the interactive video only group and combined (regular and interactive) videos group. Children were shown the videos before their scan. Repeated MRI sequences, general anaesthesia (GA) requirement and improvement in confidence of staying still for at least 30 min were assessed. RESULTS: In the interactive video group ( n = 277), 86 (31.0%) children needed repeated MRI sequences, two (0.7%) needed GA and the proportion of children who had confidence in staying still for more than 30 min increased by 22.1% after the video. In the combined videos group ( n = 281), 102 (36.3%) children needed repeated MRI sequences, six (2.1%) needed GA and the proportion of children who had confidence in staying still for more than 30 min increased by 23.2% after the videos; the results were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSION The interactive video group demonstrated non-inferiority to the combined videos group.
Child ; Humans ; Anesthesia, General ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prospective Studies ; Simulation Training ; Child, Preschool ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Video Recording

INTRODUCTION: The use of periarticular (PA) tranexamic acid (TXA) and its efficacy in comparison with intra-articular (IA) TXA have not been well explored in the literature. This retrospective cohort study aimed to compare the effects of IA and PA TXA with analgesic components in reducing blood loss and improving immediate postoperative pain relief and functional outcomes in patients after unilateral primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS: A total of 63 patients underwent TKA, and they were divided into the IA TXA delivery group ( n = 42) and PA TXA delivery group ( n = 21). All patients were administered 1 g of TXA. They also received pericapsular infiltration consisting of 0.5 mL of adrenaline, 0.4 mL of morphine, 1 g of vancomycin, 1 mL of ketorolac and 15 mL of ropivacaine. Outcomes for blood loss and surrogate markers for immediate functional recovery were measured. RESULTS: Of the 63 patients, 54% were female and 46% male. The mean drop in postoperative haemoglobin levels in the PA and IA groups was 2.0 g/dL and 1.6 g/dL, respectively, and this was not statistically significant ( P = 0.10). The mean haematocrit drop in the PA and IA groups was 6.1% and 5.3%, respectively, and this was also not statistically significant ( P = 0.58). The postoperative day (POD) 1 and discharge day flexion angles, POD 1 and POD 2 visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, gait distance on discharge and length of hospitalisation stay were largely similar in the two groups. CONCLUSION Our study showed that both IA and PA TXA with analgesic components were equally efficient in reducing blood loss and improving immediate postoperative pain relief and functional outcomes.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Tranexamic Acid/adverse effects* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/adverse effects* ; Antifibrinolytic Agents/adverse effects* ; Retrospective Studies ; Postoperative Hemorrhage ; Blood Loss, Surgical/prevention & control* ; Administration, Intravenous ; Analgesia ; Analgesics/therapeutic use* ; Pain, Postoperative/drug therapy* ; Injections, Intra-Articular

INTRODUCTION: Ultrasonography (US) is the current standard of care for imaging surveillance in patients at risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been explored as an alternative, given the higher sensitivity of MRI, although this comes at a higher cost. We performed a cost-effective analysis comparing US and dual-sequence non-contrast-enhanced MRI (NCEMRI) for HCC surveillance in the local setting. METHODS: Cost-effectiveness analysis of no surveillance, US surveillance and NCEMRI surveillance was performed using Markov modelling and microsimulation. At-risk patient cohort was simulated and followed up for 40 years to estimate the patients' disease status, direct medical costs and effectiveness. Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio were calculated. RESULTS: Exactly 482,000 patients with an average age of 40 years were simulated and followed up for 40 years. The average total costs and QALYs for the three scenarios - no surveillance, US surveillance and NCEMRI surveillance - were SGD 1,193/7.460 QALYs, SGD 8,099/11.195 QALYs and SGD 9,720/11.366 QALYs, respectively. CONCLUSION Despite NCEMRI having a superior diagnostic accuracy, it is a less cost-effective strategy than US for HCC surveillance in the general at-risk population. Future local cost-effectiveness analyses should include stratifying surveillance methods with a variety of imaging techniques (US, NCEMRI, contrast-enhanced MRI) based on patients' risk profiles.
Humans ; Adult ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/diagnostic imaging* ; Liver Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging* ; Cost-Effectiveness Analysis ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Quality-Adjusted Life Years ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods*

INTRODUCTION: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, multiple guidelines have recommended videolaryngoscope (VL) for tracheal intubation. However, there is no evidence that VL reduces time to tracheal intubation, and this is important for COVID-19 patients with respiratory failure. METHODS: To simulate intubation of COVID-19 patients, we randomly assigned 28 elective surgical patients to be intubated with either McGrath™ MAC VL or direct laryngoscope (DL) by specialist anaesthetists who donned 3M™ Jupiter™ powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR) and N95 masks. The primary outcome was time to intubation. RESULTS: The median time to intubation was 61 s (interquartile range [IQR] 37-63 s) and 41.5 s (IQR 37-56 s) in the VL and DL groups, respectively ( P = 0.35). The closest mean distance between the anaesthetist and patient during intubation was 21.6 ± 4.8 cm and 17.6 ± 5.3 cm in the VL and DL groups, respectively ( P = 0.045). There were no significant differences in the median intubation difficulty scale scores, proportion of successful intubations at the first laryngoscopic attempt and proportion of intubations requiring adjuncts. All the patients underwent successful intubation with no adverse event. CONCLUSION There was no significant difference in the time to intubation of elective surgical patients with either McGrath™ VL or DL by specialist anaesthetists who donned PAPR and N95 masks. The distance between the anaesthetist and patient was significantly greater with VL. When resources are limited or disrupted during a pandemic, DL could be a viable alternative to VL for specialist anaesthetists.
Humans ; COVID-19 ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Laryngoscopes ; Laryngoscopy ; Respiratory Protective Devices ; Video Recording

INTRODUCTION: This scoping review examined the number, types and characteristics of journal publications on ageing in Singapore from 2008 to 2018 to determine how ageing research in medical and social domains in Singapore has transformed over time. METHODS: Using relevant search terms, articles were extracted from multiple databases and then screened and reviewed for eligibility and inclusion by independent reviewers. Data such as article title, authors, year of publication, name of journal, type of journal, study design and the kind of data used were charted from the included articles for evidence synthesis. RESULTS: Since 2008, there has been a steady increase in the number of publications on ageing in medical and social domains in Singapore. In the medical domain, publications on Ophthalmology (22%) made up the largest proportion of the existing medical literature on ageing in Singapore, followed by Physical Functioning (17%), which involved physiological measurements of physical well-being, and Geriatrics (16%). Non-medical publications comprised 38% of all the included publications, with publications on the social aspects of ageing (43%) forming the largest group in this cluster, followed by publications on Prevention (19%) and Healthcare services (18%). The study design was mostly observational (82%), with only 3% of interventional studies. CONCLUSION While ageing research had expanded in Singapore in the last decade, it was predominantly discipline specific and observational in design. As ageing issues are complex, with biology intersecting with psychology and sociology, we call for greater interdisciplinary collaboration, the conduct of more interventional studies, as well as more research in understudied and emerging areas.
Humans ; Singapore ; Aging ; Geriatrics ; Research Design

Humans ; Aluminum/adverse effects* ; Pruritus/etiology* ; Skin Neoplasms ; Vaccination ; Hypersensitivity

Humans ; Smoking Cessation ; Smoking/adverse effects* ; Primary Health Care

OBJECTIVES: To compare the clinical effect on Bell's facial palsy in the acute stage between the staging comprehensive treatment with acupuncture-moxibustion and western medication. METHODS: Sixty patients with Bell's facial palsy in the acute stage were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, with 30 cases in each one. The patients in the control group were administered orally with prednisone acetate tablets and methylcobalamin tablets until the 28th day of illness. In the observation group, the staging comprehensive treatment with acupuncture-moxibustion was adopted. On the affected side, Qianzheng (EX-HN 16), Yifeng (TE 17), Sibai (ST 2), Yangbai (GB 14), Jiache (ST 6), Dicang (ST 4) and Touwei (ST 8), etc. were stimulated. In the acute stage (Day 1 to 7 of illness), the routine acupuncture and the point-toward-point needle insertion were delivered, no any manipulation was exerted at acupoints, and the needles were retained for 30 min. In the subacute stage (Day 8 to 14 of illness), on the base of the treatment as the acute stage, the depth of needle insertion was adjusted at a part of acupoints and the even needling technique was operated by twisting needle. Besides, electroacupuncture (EA) was attached to Qianzheng (EX-HN 16) and Dicang (ST 4), with continuous wave of low intensity and high frequency, 100 Hz, for 20 min. In the recovery stage (Day 15 to 28 of illness), on the base of the treatment as the subacute stage, the heavy stimulation of acupuncture was given, in which, the sticking and lifting needle techniques were delivered after the needles were inserted from Sibai (ST 2) toward Dicang (ST 4), and from Dicang (ST 4) toward Jiache (ST 6), separately; warm needling was operated at Yifeng (TE 17), and EA changed to stimulate the acupoints with the intermittent wave of high intensity and low frequency, 2 Hz, for 30 min. Acupuncture-moxibustion was given once every other day until the end of the 28th day of illness. The level of House-Brackmann facial nerve function rating scale (H-B grade),the score of Sunnybrook facial nerve grading system (Sunnybrook), the score of facial disability index (FDI), the temperature difference in the infrared thermal imaging facial area and electromyogram (EMG) situation of the affected muscle group were observed before and after treatment in the two groups. Using musculoskeletal ultrasound,the facial nerve diameter was detected and the clinical effect was compared between the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment, the level of H-B grade, Sunnybrook score, the scores of physical function and social life function in FDI were improved when compared with those before treatment in the patients of either group (P<0.01, P<0.05), and the results of these evaluations in the observation group were better than those of the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the temperature difference of the frontal area, the eye area, the zygomatic area and the mouth corner was declined in comparison with that before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05), and the temperature difference in each area in the observation group was lower than that of the control group (P<0.05).The root mean square (RMS) of the frontal muscle group, the zygomatic muscle group and the orbicularis muscle group on the affected side increased in comparison with that before treatment in the two groups (P<0.01), and RMS of the observation group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05) after treatment. Before treatment, the diameter of the facial nerve on the affected side was larger than that on the healthy side (P<0.01), and after treatment, the diameter on the affected side was reduced when compared with that before treatment in the two groups (P<0.01); the diameter of the facial nerve on the affected side in the observation group was smaller than that of the control group (P<0.05), while, the diameter on the affected side was larger when compared with the healthy side in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate of the observation group was 93.3% (28/30), higher than that of the control group (83.3% [25/30], P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The staging comprehensive treatment with acupuncture-moxibustion is clearly effective on Bell's facial palsy in the acute stage, which affirms the effectiveness of acupuncture-moxibustion for the acute stage of Bell's facial palsy in comparison with conventional western medication.
Humans ; Facial Paralysis/therapy* ; Moxibustion ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Bell Palsy/therapy* ; Face

Humans ; Consanguinity ; Exome Sequencing ; Mutation/genetics* ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Ciliary Motility Disorders ; Axonemal Dyneins/genetics*

Humans ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 ; Hypoglycemia/chemically induced* ; Hypoglycemic Agents/adverse effects* ; China ; Blood Glucose ; Insulin