INTRODUCTION. Injury-related pain and anxiety are common among children in the emergency department (ED) and often inadequately treated despite existing guidelines. This study aimed to assess the proportion of children who received adequate pain and anxiety relief in a Danish ED. METHODS. We conducted a prospective study of 184 children (0-17 years) presenting with injuries at a level 1 trauma centre in Denmark (September–October 2025). Pain and anxiety were assessed during observation in the clinic using the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) Scale (≤ 5 years) and the Wong-Baker visual analogue scale (VAS) (> 5 years). Adequate relief was defined as a FLACC Scale score ≤ 3 or a Wong-Baker VAS in the 1-3 range. We collected data on treatments, non-pharmacological interventions, senior anaesthesiologist involvement, satisfaction and adverse effects during the visit and through follow-up calls. RESULTS. In the study, 50% (92 children, 95% CI: 43-57%) received adequate pain and anxiety relief. Non-pharmacological interventions were rarely used (not used in 57% of children ≤ 5 years and in 97% of children > 5 years). Although a senior paediatric anaesthesiologist was always available for phone consultation, this was used in only 1.7% of cases (n = 3). Adverse effects of medication were observed in 16.2% of children during the ED visit (6/37 treated with medications). CONCLUSIONS. Half of paediatric patients did not receive adequate pain and/or anxiety relief in the ED. Protocolled non-pharmacological strategies and consultations with the available senior anaesthesiologist were rarely used. FUNDING. None. TRIAL REGISTRATION. Not relevant.
INTRODUCTION. The Danish Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme has achieved a high adherence, in the 88-90% range, to diagnostic colonoscopy following a positive immunochemical faecal occult blood test (iFOBT). However, a small subgroup does not proceed to colonoscopy. This study investigated factors associated with non-adherence to diagnostic colonoscopy in the North Denmark Region (NDR). METHODS. & In 2020, 278 had a positive iFOBT in the NDR and did not undergo subsequent colonoscopy. We conducted a two-part study consisting of 1) a journal audit assessing comorbidity, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), hospitalisations and colonoscopy history, and 2) a questionnaire exploring self-reported reasonsfor non-adherence. Among 256 eligible individuals, 169 (66%) completed the questionnaire. RESULTS. The journal audit revealed that 25% of non-adherent individuals had an ASA score >= 3, 65% had a Charlson Comorbidity Index score >= 2 and 10% had known IBD. Furthermore, 20% had undergone a colonoscopy within the preceding two years. Questionnaire responses identified recent colonoscopy (n = 29) and haemorrhoids (n = 30) as frequent reasons for non-adherence. Many respondents reported non-medical reasons, including perceiving themselves as healthy, lacking understanding of the programme or finding colonoscopy unpleasant. CONCLUSIONS. Non-adherence to diagnostic colonoscopy after positive iFOBT is often not medically justified. The findings indicate a need for improved patient education. Enhanced general practitioner involvement may help address logistical and informational barriers.
INTRODUCTION. Orthopaedic surgery and post-operative immobilisation can impair the ability to remain safe in traffic and potentially increase the risk of traffic-related incidents. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of traffic-related injuries during the first year after orthopaedic surgery. METHODS. This cohort study included patients who underwent orthopaedic surgery at Odense University Hospitals, Denmark, from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2024 with a 12-month follow-up. Traffic-related injuries were identified from emergency department records. Descriptive statistics summarised patient characteristics, surgical types, and outcomes. We analysed time to traffic incident and mode of transportation to assess temporal patterns. RESULTS. A total of 17,526 orthopaedic patients were included; 53.7% were women. Only 117 patients (0.7%), 55.6% male, were treated for traffic-related injuries. The proportion of traffic-related injuries was highest among younger patients, with 2.3% aged 18-24 years. Most injuries involved cyclists (44.4%), followed by motorised transport (30.8%), and were mainly solo incidents (60.7%). No clear clustering by transportation mode was observed. Fewer incidents occurred in the early post-operative period, with a gradual increase being observed over time. CONCLUSIONS. Within the first year after surgery, 0.7% experienced a traffic incident requiring emergency department contact. This proportion appeared comparable to the background rate of traffic-related emergency department contacts in Denmark. FUNDING. None. TRIAL REGISTRATION. Not relevant.
INTRODUCTION. Preterm prelabour rupture of foetal membranes (PPROM), a subtype of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB), affects 2-4% of all pregnancies and precedes 40-50% of preterm births. So far, only symptomatic treatment is available, underscoring the need for early identification to enable prophylactic intervention. The primary aim of this study was to explore the possibility of developing an early prediction model for PPROM, and secondarily sPTB, in nulliparous women. METHODS. The risk of PPROM and sPTB (< 37 and < 34 gestational weeks) was assessed before 16 weeks of gestation using a discrete SuperLearner model applied to a large dataset (n = 36,269) obtained from the Copenhagen Pregnancy Cohort and national health registries. Predictor variables were selected based on research literature and hypothesised risks. RESULTS. The prediction models proved clinically inadequate across all outcomes, reflected in low detection rates. For nulliparous women, discrimination of PPROM yielded a detection rate of 26.8% with a false positive rate (FPR) of 20%. For sPTB (< 37 and < 34 gestational weeks), the detection rates were 30.2% and 24.1%, respectively, using the same fixed FPR (20%). CONCLUSIONS. The discrimination of PPROM and sPTB was clinically insufficient; however, these models could potentially be optimised by incorporating first-trimester biochemical and biophysical markers. FUNDING. Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet’s Research Fund. TRIAL REGISTRATION. Not relevant.
INTRODUCTION. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology and further evaluate the risk of malignancy (ROM) in patients with salivary gland neoplasms in a five-year period in Region Zealand, Denmark. METHODS. Retrospectively, we identified all patients with an FNA from a salivary gland neoplasm who underwent surgery from 1 January 2020 through 31 December 2024. Descriptive statistics were performed, and sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and ROM were estimated. RESULTS. We identified 435 patients who had a preoperative FNA and underwent surgical excision within the study period. The cohort had a small female preponderance, a mean age of 59.2 years and involvement of the parotid gland in 84.6% of cases. An assessment of the diagnostic efficacy of the FNA between benign and malignant cases reported a sensitivity of 50.0%, a specificity of 97.9%, a positive predictive value of 78.4%, a negative predictive value of 92.7% and an accuracy of 92.0%. The risk of malignancy was low in benign FNAs (0-0.6%) and high in FNAs with malignancy or suspicion hereof (75.0-100%). CONCLUSIONS. With an accuracy of 91.5% in distinguishing benign from malignant neoplasms, FNA plays a crucial role in both diagnosis and patient counselling. The inherent uncertainty must be considered when recommending and planning surgical interventions or follow-up, especially in unresolved cases. FUNDING. None. TRIAL REGISTRATION. Not relevant.
