Predictors of Complications after Sheath Removal Post Transfemoral Percutaneous Coronary Interventions

Background: Complications post percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) are more threatening than it was previously thought so that necessary measures should be taken to minimize those risks. Objective: To identify the risk factors related to patient and procedure which could be used as predictors of complications after sheath removal post PCI. Methods: The study used a prospective non-experimental correlational descriptive. Design: The sample was chosen conveniently from three different hospitals and included 118 patients who were subjected to PCI. Results: Three models were used to predict complications. In the first model, none of the baseline variables were predictive of complications. In the second model, the only type of procedure (diagnostic, stent or balloon) was predictive of complications. In the third model, compression time was found to be a risk factor and a predictor of complications after sheath removal. Conclusion: Nurses and medical professionals are in a vital position to prevent, detect and manage PCI complications at the earliest possible opportunity. It is a must to assess and categorize patients in accordance with their risk level to develop post PCI and post sheath removal complications, in order to plan management strategies to decrease the health costs and the suffering.

Barriers of Asthma Care among Asthmatic Children in Saudi Arabia: Maternal Perspectives

Background Bronchial asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions among children. Despite the improvement in asthma treatment regimens, its prevalence and related morbidity are increasing, especially among underserved, minority children. There are barriers in the management of asthma, which may impact the quality of outcomes. The goal of this study is to explore these barriers. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on interview data collected through 2019 from mothers of children (aged 6 - 12 years) with asthma visiting, for convenience, a public shopping mall. The interviewees were randomly selected, because they met the inclusion criteria. Participants were considered if the mother answered “yes” to the following questions: Has your child had physician-diagnosed asthma? Is your child currently taking asthma medications of asthma? Two community nurses conducted the interviews. Data was obtained using administrative questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.0 (IBM Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Descriptive statistics of percentage, mean, frequency and standard deviation were applied for categorical and continuous variables. Results Three hundred mothers participated in this study. Their average age was 36.8 years, 55% were housekeepers by profession, and 34% had obtained less than high school education. The majority of children (61%) were males, 45% had moderate asthma, and 42% had mild asthma. The most frequent types of barriers identified by parents were environmental factors (67.7%), followed by health care providers (63%), the health care system (48%), and patient or family characteristics (43%). Mothers were specifically concerned about the use, safety, and long-term complications of medications, the impact of exercise limitation on their child’s quality of life, and their own quality of life. Conclusion This study showed several barriers against asthma care in Saudi Arabia, which mainly related to environmental or personal characteristics. This highlights the need to enhance current policies within the health care system in Saudi Arabia to overcome these barriers.

Robust Non-Coherent Demodulation Scheme for Bluetooth Voice Transmission Using Linear, Extended, and Unscented Kalman Filtering

This paper presents a novel and cost effective method to be used in the optimization of the Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying (GFSK) at the receiver of the Bluetooth communication system. The proposed method enhances the performance of the noncoherent demodulation schemes by improving the Bit Error Rate (BER) and Frame Error Rate (FER) outcomes. Linear, Extended, and Unscented Kalman Filters are utilized in this technique. A simulation model, using Simulink, has been created to simulate the Bluetooth voice transmission system with the integrated filters. Results have shown improvements in the BER and FER, and that the Unscented Kalman Filters (UKF) have shown superior performance in comparison to the linear Kalman Filter (KF) and the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF). To the best of our knowledge, this research is the first to propose the usage of the UKF in the optimization of the Bluetooth System receivers in the presence of additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN), as well as interferences.

Transmesosigmoid hernia:Case report and review of literature

Transmesosigmoid hernia has previously been considered as a rare condition.The clinical symptoms can be nonspecific.Here,we report a case of acute intestinal obstruction because of transmesosigmoid hernia.In addition,after a comprehensive review of PubMed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure,we present a review of 22 cases of transmesosigmoid hernia.We summarize several valuable clinical features that help early recognition of transmesosigmoid hernia.As a result of easy strangulation,in patients without a history of surgery or abdominal inflammation who present with symptoms of progressive or persistent small bowel obstruction(SBO),surgeons should consider the possibility of transmesosigmoid hernia.In addition,based on our data,in patients with SBO because of transmesosigmoid hernia,the defect is usually 2-5 cm in diameter.Furthermore,because of the high risk of strangulation with transmesosigmoid hernia,it is mandatory to reassess the condition timely and periodically when patients receive conservative treatment.