Danish Medical Journal

INTRODUCTION: Outpatient (OPT) thyroid surgery is increasing, with patient selection being pivotal for safety. While numerous studies exist, most are retrospective and encompass both benign and malignant cases. METHODS: We conducted a randomised clinical trial on patients undergoing hemithyroidectomy for benign thyroid disease. Participants were assigned to OPT or inpatient groups. We collected data on complications, failure to discharge on surgery day, post-operative pain, nausea, sleep quality and patient satisfaction...

INTRODUCTION: Tibial shaft fractures are among the most common lower extremity fractures. Treatment of tibial shaft fractures with intramedullary nailing has become the treatment of choice in adults. However, commonly reported outcomes include knee pain, limitations in activities of daily living and reduction in quality of life (QOL). The literature lacks high-quality studies to document superiority of intramedullary nailing versus other surgical treatment methods. The present study aims to compare the 12-month Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) - sport and recreation activities (sport/rec) after standard intramedullary nailing with external ring fixation for adult patients with isolated tibial shaft fractures...

INTRODUCTION: Artificial intelligence has started to become a part of scientific studies and may help researchers with a wide range of tasks. However, no scientific studies have been published on its ussefulness in writing cover letters for scientific articles. This study aimed to determine whether Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (GPT)-4 is as good as humans in writing cover letters for scientific papers. METHODS: In this randomised non-inferiority study, we included two parallel arms consisting of cover letters written by humans and by GPT-4...

INTRODUCTION: Approximately 7,000 tonsillectomies are performed annually in Denmark on a benign basis. The cold steel surgical technique is the gold standard. The risk of post tonsillectomy bleeding (PTH) in a centre in Jutland is 7.9%. A new impedance-dependent tissue sealer (IDTS) device has been developed, with preliminary results showing a reduction in operation time, perioperative bleeding and post-operative risk of bleeding of 4.5%. METHODS: A randomised, controlled, double-blinded multicentre trial of cold steel tonsillectomy versus IDTS will be performed on 1,250 patients...

INTRODUCTION: Complicated appendicitis is a severe condition, requiring early diagnosis and intervention to prevent complications. We aimed to investigate how resident surgeons distinguish and manage complicated appendicitis and their perspectives on preoperative diagnostic markers. METHODS: The electronic survey was face validated. It contained questions about demographics, resident surgeons' considerations on the preoperative diagnosis of complicated appendicitis, and views on the need for and relevance of preoperative diagnostic markers...

The history of the Greenlandic population has contributed to a unique genetic composition in which high-impact and often novel genetic variants segregate at a high frequency. As a result, research in smaller populations like the Greenlandic has the potential to reveal genetic variation and associations that are not present or discoverable in other populations. In this review, we provide a summary of our research in Greenlanders and our findings of genetic variants with high impact on metabolic health, and outline the implications that this research has for the equitable distribution of genomic precision medicine...

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INTRODUCTION: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a widespread neurodegenerative disorder characterised by wide range of symptoms. Freezing of gait (FoG), a transient feeling that the patient's feet are nailed to the floor, resulting in an inability to move, is a particularly distressful symptom. The assessment of FoG can be challenging. Often, clinicians are reliant on patients' subjective experiences and patient questionnaires such as the Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FOGQ) and its updated version, the New FOGQ (NFOGQ)...

INTRODUCTION: The diagnosis and management of subacute thyroiditis (SAT) may be challenging, and more evidence on patient and disease characteristics is warranted. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of all patients in the North Denmark Region with a SAT diagnosis in the Danish National Patient Registry, 2016-2018. The medical records and biochemical results prior to the diagnosis and during a two-year follow-up period were reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 71 patients with a SAT diagnosis were identified, and the diagnosis was verified in 44 (62...

INTRODUCTION: Weight-screening children in schools is an ingrained part of preventive health programmes worldwide. Even though there is no evidence that weight monitoring in the context of preventive health work prevents weight gain, evidence indicates that a focus on weight among children may negatively impact mental health. We aimed to review the existing literature on potential psychosocial consequences of routine weighing and weight feedback in school-aged children. METHODS: A comprehensive search was performed in four databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts and CINAHL) and included all original studies investigating psychological or social consequences of routine weighing or weight feedback in school-aged children...

INTRODUCTION: In mass casualty incidents, insufficient triage may lead to increased morbidity and mortality due to delayed evacuation and treatment of the most critically injured patients. We report current litterature findings on accuracy of primary prehospital triage systems for mass casualty incidents in full-scale live simulations and map the challenges that lie ahead for finding the most accurate triage system. METHODS: This study was registered with PROSPERO ID: CRD42018091889...

INTRODUCTION: Ultrasound measures of subacromial structures are reliable in the hands of experienced sonographers, but it remains unknown if inexperienced clinicians can achieve a satisfactory level of interrater reliability. The aim was to investigate if standardised subacromial ultrasound measures are reliable in the hands of novice sonographers. METHODS: Two novice sonographers performed standardised ultrasound measures on patients diagnosed with subacromial pain syndrome and asymptomatic shoulders...

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to explore if and how urinary incontinence affects work capacity and work-related quality of life. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional questionnaire study using a Danish validated questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed to Danish municipal employees. RESULTS: The questionnaire was completed by 3,182 municipal workers 840 of whom experience urinary incontinence, which is equivalent to 26...

INTRODUCTION: Patients triaged as non-urgent in the emergency department constitute a diverse group with a low mortality rate assumed to be able to wait three hours for a physician. Little is known about the causes of death of non-urgent patients who die shortly after admission. We examined whether deaths among non-urgent patients were preventable. METHOD: Using data from the Copenhagen Triage Algorithm Study, we conducted a review of electronic medical records of all patients triaged as non-urgent who died within 30 days of presentation and constructed short summaries...

INTRODUCTION: High nurse turnover at hospitals is a major societal problem. Knowledge of how to decrease the turnover rate is important. The aim of this study was to explore nurses' perception of nurse turnover and retention. METHODS: An explorative study was designed with table-top simulations involving newly graduated nurses, experienced nurses and nurse supervisors in internal medicine departments. The simulations were audio-recorded and transcribed. The participants took notes, which were transcribed...

INTRODUCTION: Peyronie´s disease is the result of an acquired fibrotic plaque in the tunica albuginea. It remains unknown why the condition appears, but it seems to affect up to 9% of all men. It can result in a debilitating curvature of the erect penis, which has extensive impact on the quality of life for many men. Thus, the disease may result in low self-esteem, depression and impaired sexual performance. METHODS: This is a prospective pilot study investigating the feasibility and safety of stromal vascular fraction injection into the plaque of 22 men with Peyronie´s disease in the chronic phase...

INTRODUCTION: The epidemic increase in obesity is well documented and of intensive public health interest. Attention has almost entirely focused on a dichotomous measure of obesity such as how the prevalence of BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 has changed over time. Less consideration has been given to how the general distribution of BMI has evolved. METHODS: We used data from the National Health and Morbidity Surveys, which are surveys of the adult Danish population (16 years or above) conducted in 1987, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2021...

INTRODUCTION: To combat ethnic inequalities in health, medical students should be prepared to treat all patients. Denmark has become an increasingly diverse society and therefore needs a medical curriculum that reflects the change in population composition. This study aimed to assess if the dermatology curriculum in Denmark prepared medical students to diagnose dermatological diseases in patients with skin of colour (SoC). METHODS: From 20 September to 12 October 2022, a survey was distributed to medical students and junior doctors who had completed the dermatology curriculum at one of the medical schools in Denmark between 2010-2022...

INTRODUCTION: Development in infancy and early childhood affects mental and physical health later in life. Maternal mental health and attachment between mother and child are important for a healthy development. This qualitative study explored first-time mothers' experiences with a web-based intervention aimed at improving maternal mentalisation skills and mental health, thereby affecting child development. METHODS: Twelve first-time mothers were interviewed about their experiences using the website...

INTRODUCTION: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) causes approximately 9% of all blindness worldwide. The introduction of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) has revealed a potential for non-invasive diagnosis of neovascular AMD (nAMD), but has yet to be proven an accurate method for nAMD diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to map the clinical use of OCT-A in nAMD diagnosis and to investigate the agreement between two consultants in diagnosing nAMD. METHODS: A survey was administered to assess Danish ophthalmologists in nAMD diagnostic modalities...