Karen Myrick

Appropriate Use Criteria for Hyaluronic Acid in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis in the United States

Objective: A workgroup of clinical experts has developed an Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for the use of hyaluronic acid (HA) in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. The increasingly broad and varied use of HA injections, lack of published clinical guidance, and limited coverage for their use has created the imperative to establish appropriateness criteria. Methods: The experts of this workgroup represent rheumatology, orthopedic surgery, physiatry, sports medicine, and nursing clinicians with substantive knowledge of intra-articular HA therapy. This workgroup utilized the results of a systematic review of evidence, expert clinical opinion, and current evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to develop appropriateness criteria for the use of intra-articular HA for knee OA in 17 real-world clinical scenarios. Results: The workgroup scored the appropriateness of treatment of each patient scenario using a 9-point scale to designate a treatment as appropriate (7-9), uncertain (4-6), or inappropriate (1-3). Six scenarios were scored as appropriate, 10 scenarios were scored as uncertain, and 1 scenario was scored as inappropriate. Conclusion: This article can assist clinicians in shared decision-making by providing best practices in considering HA injections for knee OA treatment. Moreover, this AUC article can aid payers and policy makers in determining reimbursement and preauthorization policies and more appropriately managing health care resources. It is clear that further research is still necessary—particularly in patient populations differentiated by OA severity—that may benefit the greatest from the use of HA injections for the treatment of knee OA.

Morel-Lavallee injury a case study

Morel‐Lavallee lesions are post‐traumatic, soft‐tissue degloving injuries commonly misdiagnosed as hematomas or ruptured bursa. The clinician needs to be aware of this injury, in order to provide appropriate patient care and treatment. If not treated early, risks include superinfection, continued expansion, overlying tissue necrosis, and suboptimal patient outcomes.

Head Injuries in Soccer

Abstract Soccer is currently the most popular and fastest growing sport worldwide, with approximately 265 million registered soccer players existing around the world. The popularity of the sport, coupled with the high incidence of 18.8–21.5 head injuries per 1,000 player hours reported, make it essential that clinicians, coaches, and the athletes, have a solid understanding of head injuries. The successful rehabilitation of athletes with head injuries relies upon early and accurate identification strategies and implementation of appropriate return to play measures across all areas in the continuum of care. Clinical Relevance: Soccer is a frequently played sport, and head injuries are common. Therefore, it is imperative that clinicians, coaches, and the athletes themselves have a solid understanding of head injury prevention, diagnosis, and treatment options. The purpose of this article was to provide rehabilitation nurses with current information regarding frequently occurring head injuries in the widespread sport of soccer.

Common electrocardiogram variations pre- and post-marathon

Electrocardiographic changes can be present in marathon runners. These findings may be misinterpreted as malignant by healthcare providers. For example, incomplete right bundle branch block, early ventricular repolarization, and left ventricular hypertrophy by voltage criteria alone are quite common in athletes, yet considered benign.