Triage-Based Application of OFAR on the Number of Radiographs Ordered
Ankle InjuriesFoot InjuriesFoot and ankle injuries account for nearly two million visits to Emergency Departments (EDs) in the United States and Canada each year. Of these injured patients, only 15% are diagnosed with actual fractures of the ankle. Due to such a small percentage, the "Ottawa Ankle and Foot Rules" (OFAR) were developed, which are a set of clinical decision-making guidelines that have been shown to be effective in diagnosing ankle and foot fractures. These rules are internationally accepted by the medical community, but are inconsistently applied. At Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), the ED triage nurses are routinely trained in how to use the Ottawa Ankle and Foot Rules, but the rules are not always applied which may result in unnecessary X-rays. These guidelines are current network "standard of care" (usual, established care) that allow nurses to decide treatment for foot and ankle injury patients; in other words, whether to send these patients for an X-ray or not. The research staff is conducting this study in order to find out if using these nurse-directed guidelines--on a regular and consistent basis--can decrease the number of X-rays ordered, decrease patient waiting times/length of stay (LOS) and increase patient satisfaction with their care in the ED. STUDY PURPOSE: The two main goals of this study are to find out if use of the Ottawa Ankle and Foot Rules by triage nurses can decrease the amount of X-rays ordered in the ED, as well as LOS. Secondary study goals are to: 1) see how many X-rays are ordered by physicians and physicians' assistants after patients are evaluated by the Ottawa Ankle and Foot Rules as not having had a fracture; and 2) evaluate patient and provider satisfaction with the care provided both when the Ottawa Foot and Ankle Rules are used and when they are not.
ULD-E (Ultra Low Dose Extremities)
Wounds and InjuriesHands6 moreextremity trauma is a frequent reason for emergency room visits. There is an increase in the use of CT scanners in extremity trauma, due to a greater sensitivity of detection than X-rays, particularly for "occult fractures" and for the organization of treatment, particularly surgical treatment. As the number of CT scans increases, the reduction of the delivered dose has become a subject of interest. Among the many methods used, the use of iterative reconstruction has enabled a substantial reduction in the delivered dose without compromising image quality: low-dose and ultra-low-dose protocols (effective dose equivalent to the effective dose of the Diagnostic Reference Levels of radiographs from the same region of interest) have been developped, but have not yet been evaluated in extremity trauma. The subject of our feasibility study is to evaluate the diagnostic performance of ultra-low dose CT compared to radiographs in patients consulting for extremity trauma in the emergency room. The recent implementation in our department of a scanner dedicated to low-dose explorations as well as the optimization of protocols has allowed the realization of ultra-low-dose scans since June 2017.
Monster Screw System Post-Market Clinical Follow-Up Study
Ankle InjuriesFoot InjuryPost-market clinical follow-up study on the Monster Screw System
Influence of Walking Pilgrimage on Changes in Body Composition, Biochemical Parameters, Circulatory...
Cardiovascular DiseasesHealth Behavior2 moreThe aim of the study is to assess the health habits and changes in body composition and exercise capacity as well as blood biochemical parameters of people participating in 14-21-day walking pilgrimages. This type of physical activity can be classified as long-term and multi-stage hiking tours. Among the people participating in the pilgrimage, a significant part of the population are people aged> 50 years. Moderate physical activity is an important pro-health element, however, it has not been determined yet how long and accumulated activity may affect the health of pilgrims. Suddenly taking up activity and the challenge of walking several hundred kilometres may be a heavy burden for the body, and its effects may have a negative impact on the body. The evaluation of the processes taking place in the body under the influence of this type of physical activity, motivated by religious goals, will expand the scope of knowledge about safety as well as health indications and contraindications for this type of activity. It will also allow identifying adaptive changes and their effects
SCANLOAD: The Effect of Limb Loading on Lower Limb Geometry
Foot Injuries and DisordersOrthotists currently use a range of weight bearing conditions when casting or scanning a patient's limb during the Ankle foot orthosis (AFO) fitting process. This variability in clinical practice is the result of differing opinions regarding the best method for fitting, and a limited understanding of how weight bearing affects the resulting geometry. Few studies have been performed to determine the effect of weight bearing on resulting geometry, or the consistency of the geometry obtained. In this study we seek to evaluate the effect of foot loading on lower limb geometry and the consistency of measurements using low-cost 3D scanning technology, with implications for fitting AFOs.
Translation and Reliability of FAAM-U
Foot InjuriesAnkle InjuriesThis study is designed to translate and validate the FAAM questionnaire to the Urdu language, to interpret its psychometric properties, and to determine the reliability of scores obtained from the population of Pakistan. The translated version of the gold standard tool will be used by the local population as well as Urdu-speaking immigrants across the globe to better understand and report the severity of their symptoms. Hence, to improve quality of life across cultures, there is a need of standard outcome measures in Urdu language.