| 1. |
- Khoshnood, Ardavan
(författare)
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Prehospital Diagnosis and Oxygen Treatment in ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- IntroductionPaper I: An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was constructed to identify ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) and predict the need for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI). Paper II, III and IV: Studies suggest that O2 therapy may be harmful in STEMI patients. We therefore conducted the SOCCER study to evaluate the effects of O2 therapy in STEMI patients.MethodsPaper I: 560 ambulance ECGs sent to the Cardiac Care Unit (CCU), was together with the CCU physicians interpretation and decision of conducting an acute PCI or not collected, and compared with the interpretation and PCI decision of the ANN. Paper II, III, IV: Normoxic (≥94%) STEMI patients accepted for acute PCI were in the ambulance randomized to standard care with 10 L/min O2 or room air. A subset of the patients underwent echocardiography for determination of the Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) and the Wall Motion Score Index (WMSI). All patients had a Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (CMRI) to evaluate Myocardial area at Risk (MaR), Infarct Size (IS) and Myocardial Salvage Index (MSI).ResultsPaper I: The area under the ANN’s receiver operating characteristics curve for STEMI detection as well as predicting the need of acute PCI were very good.Paper II, III, IV: No significant differences could be shown in discussing MaR, MSI or IS between the O2 group (n=46) and the air group (n=49). Neither could any differences be shown for LVEF and WMSI at the index visit as well after six months between the O2 group (n=46) and the air group (n=41)ConclusionsPaper I: The results indicate that the number of ECGs sent to the CCU could be reduced with 2/3 as the ANN would safely identify ECGs not being STEMI.Paper II, III, IV: The results suggest that it is safe to withhold O2 therapy in normoxic, stable STEMI patients.
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| 2. |
- Sundell, Anna Lena, 1970-
(författare)
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Children with orofacial clefts : dental caries and health-related quality of life
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background. The current understanding on caries and enamel developmental defects prevalence and frequency, caries risk, health-related quality life (HRQoL) and stress response in young children with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) are sparse. In this thesis these aspects were investigated in 5- and 10- year-old children with CL/P in comparison to non-cleft children in the same ages.Design. The studies in this thesis have a cross-sectional case-control design. Participants. The study group consisted of 139 children with CL/P (80 children aged 5 years and 59 aged 10 years) and 313 non-cleft controls (144 children aged 5 years and 169 aged 10 years).Method. Caries was scored according to International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS II) and developmental enamel defects were measured as presence and frequency of hypoplasia and hypomineralization. Oral hygiene was assessed using Quigley-Hein plaque index. Stimulated saliva samples were analyzed for mutans streptococci, lactobacilli, buffering capacity and secretion rates. Information regarding children’s oral hygiene routines, dietary habits and fluoride exposure were collected with questionnaires. Caries risk was evaluated with algorithm-based software, Cariogram while HRQoL was perceived with KIDSCREEN-52. Stress response was analyzed with cortisol concentration in saliva at three different time points using a commercial competitive radioimmunoassay.Results. Caries prevalence (36% versus 18%) and caries frequency (1.2 dmfs versus 0.9 dmfs) was significantly higher in 5-year-old children with CL/P in comparison to non-cleft controls. In 10-yearolds no significant difference was found between children with CL/P and non-cleft controls in caries prevalence (47% versus 38%) or in caries frequency (0.7 DMFS versus 0.5 DMFS). Children with CL/P had significantly higher prevalence of enamel defects, higher counts of salivary lactobacilli and less good oral hygiene. The odds of being categorized with high caries risk were elevated in children with CL/P. Children with CL/P had similar HRQoL and salivary cortisol concentrations as non-cleft controls. However, 10-year-old boys with CL/P had significantly higher cortisol concentrations in the evening than non-cleft boys.Conclusions. Preschool children with CL/P seem to have more caries in the primary dentition than non-cleft controls. Children with CL/P had increased odds of being categorized as high caries risk individuals compared to controls. Some of the contributing factors seem to be higher prevalence of enamel defects, impaired oral hygiene and elevated salivary lactobacilli. Furthermore, as measured with the help of cortisol concentrations in saliva, children with CL/P were not more stressed than noncleft controls and their HRQoL was comparable to a European norm population. It appears that regular comprehensive preventive oral care in children with CL/P is effective in preventing caries development in permanent teeth. However, children with CL/P are at risk of caries development and preventive oral care should be implemented and started earlier than today.
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| 3. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, 1979-
(författare)
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Spectral Mammography with X-Ray Optics and a Photon-Counting Detector
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Early detection is vital to successfully treating breast cancer, and mammography screening is the most efficient and wide-spread method to reach this goal. Imaging low-contrast targets, while minimizing the radiation exposure to a large population is, however, a major challenge. Optimizing the image quality per unit radiation dose is therefore essential. In this thesis, two optimization schemes with respect to x-ray photon energy have been investigated: filtering the incident spectrum with refractive x-ray optics (spectral shaping), and utilizing the transmitted spectrum with energy-resolved photon-counting detectors (spectral imaging). Two types of x-ray lenses were experimentally characterized, and modeled using ray tracing, field propagation, and geometrical optics. Spectral shaping reduced dose approximately 20% compared to an absorption-filtered reference system with the same signal-to-noise ratio, scan time, and spatial resolution. In addition, a focusing pre-object collimator based on the same type of optics reduced divergence of the radiation and improved photon economy by about 50%. A photon-counting silicon detector was investigated in terms of energy resolution and its feasibility for spectral imaging. Contrast-enhanced tumor imaging with a system based on the detector was characterized and optimized with a model that took anatomical noise into account. Improvement in an ideal-observer detectability index by a factor of 2 to 8 over that obtained by conventional absorption imaging was found for different levels of anatomical noise and breast density. Increased conspicuity was confirmed by experiment. Further, the model was extended to include imaging of unenhanced lesions. Detectability of microcalcifications increased no more than a few percent, whereas the ability to detect large tumors might improve on the order of 50% despite the low attenuation difference between glandular and cancerous tissue. It is clear that inclusion of anatomical noise and imaging task in spectral optimization may yield completely different results than an analysis based solely on quantum noise.
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| 4. |
- Sylwander, Charlotte, 1992-
(författare)
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Multiple perspectives on health promotion in individuals with knee pain
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Chronic musculoskeletal pain impacts the individual in multiple aspects of life (biological, psychological, and social). Individuals with knee pain have a higher risk of developingchronic widespread pain and knee osteoarthritis, compared to the general population, and the prevalence of chronic pain is estimated to rise. As a result, there is a global call for more health-promotive research in chronic pain. Hence, this thesis aimed to investigate multiple perspectives on health promotion by studying early factors associated with chronic pain and pain development as well as experiences of health-promoting activities and health literacy in individuals with knee pain. The studies are part of the Halland osteoarthritis (HALLOA) cohort, where 306 individuals with knee pain aged 30-65 years were included. Study I was a cross-sectional descriptive study (n=280), which aimed to investigate pain sensitivity and associations with radiographic knee osteoarthritis, chronic widespread pain, and overweight/obesity. Pain sensitivity was measured with pressure pain thresholds, and overweight was assessed using body mass index, visceral fat area and body fat percentage. Study II was a longitudinal study (n=251), aiming to examine whether or not health status and lifestyle habits have an impact on reporting chronic pain after two years. Lifestyle-related habits were overweight, physical activity, diet, alcohol intake, and tobacco use. Study III was an explorative qualitative study including 22 semi-structured interviews. The study aimed to explore health-promotive activities and was analysed with qualitative content analysis. Study IV had a convergent parallel mixed-methods design (n=221), including 19 interviews, and aimed to understand health literacy among individuals with knee pain. Quantitative variables were health literacy, health status, lifestyle habits, and pain distribution. The findings showed that higher pain sensitivity was associated with being female, having more pain sites, chronic widespread pain, higher body fat and visceral fat area (study I). Additionally, overweight/obesity and lower health status were associated with reporting chronic widespread pain after two years. Conversely, being normal-weighted and reporting better health status was associated with no chronic pain (study II). Striving for balance in everyday life was important to experiencing health among individuals with knee pain, and it was achieved by taking care of the body and managing life stressors (study III). Many reported sufficient health literacy, which was also associated with reporting better general health and less pain. How individuals found or received information, processed it, and took a stand based on trust and motivation, affected their decision-making processes (study IV). This thesis concludes that overweight/obesity and lower health status play an essential role in chronic pain. Health literacy and the everyday life of an individual are important when it comes to health promotion; and it is vital to consider what individuals with knee pain need in a given situation in order to prevent chronic pain.
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| 5. |
- Nordin, Elise, 1985
(författare)
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Effects of FODMAPs and gluten on irritable bowel syndrome- from self-reported symptoms to molecular profiling
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a complex disorder of gut-brain interactions. The diagnosis of IBS is based on subjective reporting of abdominal pain and altered bowel habits in the absence of any clinical alterations of the gut or other pathological conditions. Dietary regimens for symptom management include a low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs) diet and a gluten-free diet. However, scientific evidence supporting these dietary recommendations for managing IBS symptoms is weak: trials have been non-blinded and underpowered. While mechanistic understanding and objective markers of response remain scarce. Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to conduct a large double-blind study to investigate the effect of FODMAPs and gluten on symptomatic and molecular data including 16S rRNA analysis of the gut microbiota and metabolomics analyses, both at a group and subgroup (differential response) level. The resulting data served also to assess the accuracy of the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS) used in IBS subtype diagnosis, and thus overcome the lack of objective evaluation of IBS symptoms. Trial data revealed that gluten caused no symptoms and FODMAPs triggered only modest symptoms of IBS, albeit with large inter-individual differences. Subjective reporting according to the BSFS conformed only modestly with stool water content in IBS, warranting caution towards IBS subtyping. FODMAPs increased saccharolytic microbial genera, phenolic-derived metabolites and 3-indolepropionate, but decreased bile acids. The genera Agathobacter, Anaerostipes, Fusicatenibacter, and Bifidobacterium correlated with increased plasma concentrations of phenolic-derived metabolites and 3-indolepropionate, i.e, metabolites related to decreased risk of incident type 2 diabetes and inflammation. Indeed, among FODMAP-related metabolites, only weak correlations to IBS symptoms were detected, as in the case of 3-indolepropionate to abdominal pain and interference with quality of life, warranting further investigation. Gluten displayed a modest effect on metabolites involved in lipid metabolism, including carnitine derivates, an acyl-CoA derivate, a medium-chain fatty acid, and an unknown lipid, but with no interpretable link to health. No molecular markers of a differential response were found, despite a comprehensive exploration with multiple analytical approaches. This could be explained by the absence of baseline variables, such as other omics layers or psychological factors, that could have determined the difference. In summary, the results indicate that gluten does not cause IBS symptoms. Moreover, the minor effect of FODMAPs on IBS symptoms must be weighed against their potential beneficial health effects. While the complexity of IBS likely explains the absence of molecular evidence for differential responses, such data analytical approach has potential where clear benefits of dietary interventions exist. Finally, the use of BSFS should include training for self-assessment, as a tool for subtyping IBS.
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| 6. |
- Liljeroos, Maria
(författare)
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Caring needs in patient-partner dyads affected by heart failure : An evaluation of the long-term effects of a dyadic psycho-educational intervention
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Introduction: As medical treatment has improved, patients with heart failure (HF) now live longer and care mostly takes place at home with partners providing the main assistance. Taking care of an ill or disabled individual imposes a well-documented burden on the partner’s healthrelated quality of life. The awareness of partners’ burdensome situation is increasing, but few interventions have targeted the needs of patientpartner dyads with HF. The results have been inconclusive and give no clear guidance on how interventional programmes should be designed to improve both patient and partner outcomes.Aim: The overall aim of this thesis was to evaluate the effects of a psychoeducational intervention delivered to patient-partner dyads with HF during long-term follow-up, and to explore the dyads’ perceived caring needs.Methods: The thesis is based on four papers that used both quantitative and qualitative data. Study I and II used a randomized controlled design with a follow-up assessment after 24 months including 155 patientpartner dyads. The control group received care as usual. The intervention group received care as usual, and in addition they participated in the nurse-led psycho-educational intervention. Data was collected using questionnaires before and 24 months after the intervention, in order to determine the long-term effects on patients and partners regarding health related quality of life, perceived control, symptoms of depression and partners’ caregiver burden (I, II). A conceptual health promotion model inspired the intervention. To describe how the model was applied, a qualitative approach analysing nurses’ documentation of the sessions with 71 dyads in the intervention group (III) was used. Study IV has an explorative design. To further explore the dyads’ perceived caring needs, focus groups interviews with 19 patient-partner dyads with heart failure (IV) were performed.Results: The intervention did not have any significant effect on physical or mental health- related quality of life, depressive symptoms, or perceived control over the heart failure among the dyads (I) or caregiver burden in the partners (II) after 24 months. Furthermore, time to first event did not differ significantly between the dyads in the intervention group and the control group (I, II). As for the partners, both the intervention and control group reported decreased physical health between the baseline assessment and the 24-month follow-up (I). The intervention was composed of three components; 1) cognitive 2) supportive, and 3) behavioural component. The analysis of the nurses’ documentation confirmed the coverage of all the components and the analysis revealed a vide range of caring needs among the dyads (III). The dyads described a need to learn about HF to be able to manage everyday life. Regular outpatient clinic visits and access to telephone support were vital and both the patient and the partner need to be present at the clinic visits. Meeting others who are in the same situation and sharing the burden in nurse-led group sessions was proposed as an opportunity to support each other and others (IV).Conclusions: Over the 24-month follow-up period, the intervention had a neutral effect on health- related quality of life, depressive symptoms and perceived control over the HF among the dyads, and on partners’ caregiver burden. Considering the fact that partners serve as a critical extension of the formal healthcare system, and that both patients and partners ask for more support, it will become crucial to find new ways to support dyads affected by heart failure. This thesis may be viewed as a first step in trying to understand dyads’ perceived caring needs, and it can serve as a guide in clinical work and when designing new dyadic interventions.
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| 7. |
- Lundin, Anna-Carin
(författare)
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Tendinosis in Trigger Finger
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Trigger finger is one of the most common hand conditions, with a prevalence of almost 3%. The aetiology remains unclear even though many causes have been suggested. The prevailing paradigm is that the pathogenesis of trigger finger is ascribed to primary changes in the first fibrous condensation of the tendon sheath (A1-pulley). Several studies have investigated pathology in the pulley, but few have investigated the tendon. The general aim of this thesis was to find out if there is pathology in the trigger finger tendon and to define it.We first looked at trigger finger tendon biopsies in a light microscope, and found that they were histologically different from healthy tendons. They showed signs of micro-ruptures, collagen degradation, increased amounts of ground substance, both hyper- and hypo-cellular areas, round active cell nuclei and absence of inflammatory cells, all similar to tendinosis. The histological picture was further assessed by using a scoring system for Achilles tendinosis. The trigger finger tendons scored high, suggesting a similar histopathology.Next, we performed a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) on trigger finger tendons. We assessed the mRNA expression of 10 genes, which have been described to be differently expressed in Achilles tendinosis (collagen 1 and 3, versican, decorin, biglycan, aggrecan, MMP-2, MMP-3, ADAMTS-5, and TIMP-3). The overall expression pattern agreed with previous studies on Achilles tendinosis, suggesting that the cellular function in trigger finger tendons is disturbed in a similar way as in Achilles tendinosis.Recent experimental and observational research has suggested potential side effects of statin treatment on tendons, but firm evidence was lacking. We performed an epidemiological study on two large population-based cohorts. Statin use was found to increase the risk of both trigger finger and tendinosis in the shoulder and Achilles tendons, especially among men. This suggests a similar pathology in trigger finger and tendinosis.We have also studied the time to treatment effect after a single injection of glucocorticoid in trigger finger. Our results suggest that 60-80% of patients can expect resolution of the triggering within 14 days, and half of them within seven days. This result allows correct information to be given to the patient and proper planning of follow-ups.In conclusion, the pathology in trigger finger tendons is similar to tendinosis in other tendons.
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| 8. |
- Backman, Ellen, MSc, 1981-
(författare)
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Ordinary mealtimes under extraordinary circumstances : Routines and rituals of nutrition, feeding and eating in children with a gastrostomy and their families
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of this thesis is to explore routines and rituals related to feeding, eating, and mealtimes in families that have a child with a gastrostomy tube (G-tube), from the perspectives of healthcare professionals, the children, and their parents. The thesis is based on four empirical studies. Study I is a longitudinal, quantitative study with the aim to describe children with developmental or acquired disorders receiving a G-tube, and to compare characteristics, contacts with healthcare professionals, and longitudinal eating outcomes. Findings from Study I demonstrated that children with developmental disorders needed G-tube feeding for longer than children with acquired disorders. Children with developmental disorders were also younger at G-tube placement, and had more multidisciplinary healthcare. These findings led to the subsequent studies focused specifically on children with developmental disorders. Study II applies mixed methods and explores everyday life, health care, and intervention goals during the first year following G-tube placement through the documentation in medical records. In Studies III and IV, the experiences of family mealtimes for children with a G-tube and their parents are collected through individual interviews that are analysed qualitatively. Triangulation of methods, participants, researchers, and data across the four studies is applied to search for confirmation between findings, as well as to identify areas of discrepancy. Ecocultural theory, the WHO framework ICF, and the concept of participation form the conceptual framework of the thesis. Taken together, findings from the studies describe how the main experiences of feeding, eating, and mealtime relate to specific impairments of the child, the collective value attached to family mealtimes, and the parental responsibility to harmonise competing interests and conflicts among family members and/or healthcare professionals. This thesis extends previous research by focusing on the ecocultural context of the child in combination with a dimensional understanding of health. The findings shed light on measures taken by the families themselves to adjust to and handle their daily lives, as well as spell out areas where more support is needed. Furthermore, this thesis suggests that an expanded focus on children’s participation in everyday mealtimes, and in the healthcare follow-up of G-tube feeding, is important in enhancing intervention outcomes.
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| 9. |
- Ingadóttir, Brynja
(författare)
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Learning as a patient : What and how individuals want to learn when preparing for surgery, and the potential use of serious games in their education
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Introduction: Surgical patients need knowledge to participate in their own care and to engage in self-care behaviour in the perioperative period which is important for their recovery. Patient education facilitates such knowledge acquisition and several methods can be used to facilitate it, for example, face-to-face education and brochures or using information technology such as website or computer games. Healthcare professionals have been slow to seize the possibilities that information technology has to offer within the field, including the use of serious games. To optimise patient education, the information is needed on the patients’ needs and preferences and what they think about the idea of using a serious game to learn about self-care.Aim: The overall aims of this thesis were to describe the knowledge expectations of surgical patients, to describe how surgical patients want to learn, and to explore the potential use of serious games in patient education.Methods: This thesis includes four studies that used both quantitative and qualitative data to describe aspects of patient learning in relation to surgery. Study I has a prospective and comparative design with survey data collected before surgery and before hospital discharge from 290 patients with osteoarthritis undergoing knee arthroplasty. Data was collected on fulfilment of knowledge expectations and related factors. Study II is a cross-‐sectional study in 104 patients with heart failure who had been scheduled for cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) device implantation. Data was collected on knowledge expectations and related factors. In Study III the perceptions of 13 surgical patients towards novel and traditional methods to learn about post-operative pain management are explored in a qualitative interview study using content analysis. Study IV describes the development and evaluation of a serious game to learn about pain management with the participation of 20 persons recruited from the public. The game was developed by an interdisciplinary team following a structured approach. Data on the efficacy and usability of the game was collected in one session with questionnaires, observations and interviews.Results: Participants reported high knowledge expectations. Knowledge expectations were highest within the bio-physiological knowledge dimension on disease, treatment and complications and the functional dimension on how daily activities are affected, both of which include items on self-care. Most participants wanted to know about the possible complications related to the surgery procedure. In none of the knowledge dimensions the expectations of participants were fulfilled. Participants received most knowledge on the physical and functional issues and received least on the financial and social aspects of their illness. The main predictor of fulfilment of knowledge expectations was having access to knowledge in the hospital from doctors and nurses. Trust in the information source and own motivation to learn shaped how the participants thought about different learning methods. Although the participants were open to using novel learning methods such as websites or games they were also doubtful about their use and called for advice by healthcare professionals. To develop a serious game with the goal to learn about pain management, theories of self-care and adult learning, evidence on the educational needs of patients about pain management and principles of gamification were found useful. The game character is a surgical patient just discharged home from hospital who needs to attend to daily activities while simultaneously managing post-operative pain with different strategies. Participants who evaluated a first version of the serious game improved their knowledge and described usability of the game as high. They were positive towards this new learning method and found it suitable for learning about pain management after surgery in spite of some technical obstacles.Conclusions: Surgical patients have high knowledge expectations about all aspects of their upcoming surgery and although they prefer direct communication with healthcare professionals as a source for knowledge they might be open to try using more novel methods such as games. Preliminary short-‐term results demonstrate that a serious game can help individuals to learn about pain management, and has the potential to improve knowledge. A careful introduction, recommendation, and support from healthcare professionals is needed for implementation of such a novel method in patient education.
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| 10. |
- Handlin, Linda
(författare)
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Human-Human and Human-Animal Interaction : Some Common Physiological and Psychological Effects
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of the present thesis was to investigate hormonal and physiological effects in mothers during a breastfeeding session and in dogs and their owners in response to short-term interaction. In study one, sixty-six mothers receiving either exogenous oxytocin infusion and/or epidural analgesia (EDA) during labor or intramuscular oxytocin injection post partum were studied. Oxytocin, prolactin, adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol levels, as well as blood pressure were measured during a breastfeeding session two days after birth. In response to breastfeeding two days after birth, the mothers displayed a pulsatile release of oxytocin and increasing prolactin levels. In addition, the activity in the HPA-axis was reduced and maternal blood pressure decreased. The results also show that EDA administration in combination with oxytocin during labor resulted insignificantly lower oxytocin levels and higher cortisol levels, as well as higher bloodpressure in response to breastfeeding two days after birth, compared to EDA administration alone. In addition, oxytocin infusions dose-dependently lowered the mothers’ endogenous oxytocin levels two days after birth. In study two, ten female dog owners and their male Labrador dogs participated, together with ten controls. Their levels of oxytocin, cortisol and insulin, as well as their heart rate, were measured. The connection between the quality of the dogowner relationship and hormone levels was also explored. Short-term interaction between dogs and their owners resulted in oxytocin release in both species and their cortisol levels and heart rate were also affected. Oxytocin levels and positive attitudes regarding the dog-owner relationship were positively correlated. In conclusion, both human-human and human-animal interactions induce oxytocin release and promote oxytocin mediated effects, such as decreasing cortisol levels and blood pressure. In addition, social interaction and oxytocin levels arepositively related.
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