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Objectives: As the prevalence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) increases there is growing concern about the associated healthcare burden. This burden has not been well-characterized in high-risk patients with concurrent diabetes and/or acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The objective of this analysis was to assess comorbidities, medication use, outcomes, services and costs for 3 high-risk symptomatic PAD groups., Methods: This retrospective longitudinal analysis used the MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database (2005-2013). The 3 high-risk symptomatic PAD groups were (1) symptomatic PAD with/without diabetes, (2) symptomatic PAD with/without prior ACS, and (3) symptomatic PAD with/without diabetes and prior ACS. The study time frame was a period of 1-year before the earliest date of a symptomatic PAD record and 3 years post., Results: In all, 16,663 symptomatic PAD patients were identified across the three risk groups. Mean age ranged from 66.4-67.4 years; the majority (55.0%-63.3%) were men. At 3 years post index, patients with symptomatic PAD and a risk factor had significantly higher use of beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors and statins (P<0.0007), and higher rates of all-cause and symptomatic PAD-related medical services, diagnoses and procedures (P<0.05). Clopidogrel and statins were used by ≤ 41.2% and ≤ 66.7% of symptomatic PAD patients without risk, respectively, and ≤ 68.9% and ≤ 80.2% of patients with risks. All cause and symptomatic PAD-related treatment costs (P<0.0001) were higher for symptomatic PAD patients with risks versus patients without risks where annualized all-cause cost differences ranged from $7,482 to $13,504 and annualized PAD-related cost differences ranged from $605 to $1,997., Conclusions: Symptomatic PAD patients with diabetes and/or prior ACS have significantly higher medical resource use and costs compared to symptomatic PAD patients without these risk factors. The utilization rate of secondary prevention therapies is suboptimal; therefore, greater effort must be made to increase utilization and optimize treatment to minimize the impact of symptomatic PAD.

Objective: To explore the impact of nasal congestion alone relative to a full set of allergic rhinitis (AR) symptoms on sleep, fatigue, daytime somnolence, and work and school productivity in a 15-day prospective, naturalistic study., Research Design and Methods: Patients (N = 404) received a clinical exam to confirm congestion and assess its possible causes, including confirmed allergic rhinitis. They completed a battery of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) that assess the impact of nasal congestion and morning AR symptoms on patients' reports of sleep, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and work, school, and activity impairment. Data were analyzed using multiple regression. Each PRO was regressed separately on congestion and morning AR symptoms, controlling for patient demographics., Results: Nasal congestion has a significant (p < 0.05), negative impact on patients' lives. Nasal congestion alone had only a slightly smaller negative impact on sleep adequacy relative to AR symptoms more broadly (congestion: beta = 0.137-0.534; AR: beta = 0.123-0.642). Congestion increases the likelihood of sleep problems, fatigue, shortness of breath, headache, and daytime somnolence., Conclusions: A single congestion item by itself is a statistically and substantively significant predictor of patient-relevant outcomes. Although the sample was not randomly drawn from clinics or physician offices, the consistency and strength of the findings suggest the salience of this single symptom for patients' experiences.

This research examines whether self-reported information about drug use severity can be obtained as reliably using a paper/pencil format as the traditional interviewer format. A sample of 67 patients seeking treatment for substance use disorders was recruited from a Veterans Administration Medical Center. Subjects self-reported information related to drug use severity using both paper/pencil and interview formats. The results of comparisons of the two approaches indicate that method of test administration does not affect the test-retest reliability for most questions tested. Test-retest reliability estimates for these relatively brief indicators of drug use severity generally ranged from good to excellent. Although assessing drug use severity using a paper/pencil format is certainly not appropriate for all individuals with substance use disorders, for many individuals and situations it may prove to be a cost-effective alternative to the interview format. Further research is required to determine if parallel paper/pencil versions of widely used interviews can be developed.

This study sought to determine which Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition, Revised (DSM-III-R), symptoms of alcohol dependence were most sensitive to under-reporting by 78 inpatients from alcohol treatment programs. We hypothesized that patients would be more reluctant to report social/behavioral symptoms (lost time, hazardous behavior or major role interference, and reduced activities) than psychological or physiological symptoms. Patient endorsement of symptoms on a self-administered diagnostic questionnaire was compared with parallel items on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID) and clinician interview. Bias and Prevalence Adjusted Kappas for individual symptom agreement ranged from -.02 to .87. Subjects endorsed fewer symptoms per category than either the SCID or clinician interview. Using a Student-Newman-Kuels post-hoc analysis at the p < .05 level, we found that mean agreement for the social/behavioral category was significantly lower than mean agreement for the other categories.

High-resolution computed tomography (CT) has dramatically expanded the understanding of lumbar spine anatomy. The procedure provides accurate preoperative assessment of bony and soft tissue pathology; directly visualizes the pathologic processes affecting the spine; and furnishes direct evidence of nerve root involvement by bony stenosis, herniated disc, and postoperative perineural fibrosis. The bony spinal and intervertebral nerve root canals and soft tissues can be imaged, herniated and sequestered discs identified, and causes of postoperative pain syndrome differentiated. High-resolution CT defines nerve root entrapment more accurately than any other imaging method currently used in the study of lumbar spine disease. Because it can provide complete preoperative information regarding bone and soft tissue pathology, the procedure can reasonably be expected to significantly reduce the incidence of "failed back surgery syndrome."