Search

1) Gain insight into PA prescription by United States-based physical therapists treating patients 50 years and older, and 2) Explore the contextual factors that impact PA prescription. We integrated ethnographic study data, including a questionnaire, observations, and semi-structured interviews. Our nine participants with 24.7 years (SD= 11.6) of clinical experience completed frequent PA assessments, but PA prescription was inconsistent. The following themes helped explain the participants' clinical decisions: 1) treatment prioritization; 2) physical therapists' intentions of addressing PA; and 3) contextual factors that impact treatment and treatment prioritization (e.g., experience, beliefs, concerns related to PA prescription, and work environment). Most participants did not address PA among adults 50 years and older. Due to the importance of performing regular PA, it is vital for physical therapists to reflect on their PA prescription. Organizations and health service researchers need to implement strategies that address the PA prescription barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim and objectives: This scoping review presents an exploration of literature on the relationship between treatment attitudes and adherence in adults experiencing schizophrenia. Background: Strategies to address adherence and improve treatment outcomes are described in literature. However, adherence remains a challenge for people experiencing mental illness in practice. Transformational frameworks, evidence‐based practice and patient‐centred approaches have been established and implemented but non‐adherence incidence rates continue to rise among people with schizophrenia. Moreover, the relationship between treatment attitudes and adherence in adults diagnosed with schizophrenia remains unclear. Design: A scoping review using the framework offered by Implementation Science, 5, 2010, 1. The PRISMA‐ScR checklist was used to ensure integrity of the review. Methods: Four databases PsychINFO, Medline, Cochrane and CINAHL databases were searched for literature along with the reference lists of eligible sources. Original research, peer‐reviewed articles published between 2010 and 2020 in English language were included. Articles were included if study participants were adults with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or related psychosis. Methodological quality was evaluated using a quality assessment checklist, the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. Results: Ten articles were included in the study. Five main themes about treatment adherence emerged from the literature: (i) severity of symptoms, (ii) side effects, (iii) beliefs and attitudes, (iv) insight and (v) support and relationships. Conclusions: This scoping review concluded that attitude influenced adherence to medication in people with schizophrenia. The five main themes reported directly influenced attitude, impacting on treatment adherence in people experiencing schizophrenia. This review makes recommendations for a person‐centred and recovery framework that aims to improve adherence. Relevance to clinical practice: Nurses in all healthcare settings could use evidence‐based strategies to enhance treatment adherence in people with a range of physical and mental health conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An entrenched assumption in the mental health field is that if left "untreated" the aftermath of sexual assault will inevitably lead to some diagnosable form of emotional distress. This assumption has focused the search for pathology on individual survivors rather than systems and led to societal pressure for medical or psychotherapeutic treatment following unwanted sexual experiences in the United States and globally. Humanistic psychology is grounded in an existential phenomenological approach that privileges agency and a sociopolitical context of lived experience. As such, it has great overlap with the social justice mission of liberation psychology and is well equipped to respond to sexual assault survivors and the oppressive and patriarchal systems that perpetuate gender-based violence. This article explores the rising use of neoliberal medicalized frameworks to respond to sexual assault in therapy, analyzing both positive and negative aspects of medicalization. Implications for responses to the global prevalence of sexual violence are discussed. Suggestions for alternative epistemic and therapeutic approaches that can be used by humanistic psychologists and that aim to enhance an appreciation for the context of survivor's experiences are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addiction is best described as a disorder of maladaptive neuroplasticity involving the simultaneous strengthening of reward circuitry that drives compulsive drug seeking and weakening of circuits involved in executive control over harmful behaviors. Psychedelics have shown great promise for treating addiction, with many people attributing their therapeutic effects to insights gained while under the influence of the drug. However, psychedelics are also potent psychoplastogens—molecules capable of rapidly re-wiring the adult brain. The advent of non-hallucinogenic psychoplastogens with anti-addictive properties raises the intriguing possibility that hallucinations might not be necessary for all therapeutic effects of psychedelic-based medicines, so long as the underlying pathological neural circuitry can be remedied. One of these non-hallucinogenic psychoplastogens, tabernanthalog (TBG), appears to have long-lasting therapeutic effects in preclinical models relevant to alcohol and opioid addiction. Here, we discuss the implications of these results for the development of addiction treatments, as well as the next steps for advancing TBG and related non-hallucinogenic psychoplastogens as addiction therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reslizumab, an anti-IL-5 monoclonal antibody, is indicated as add-on maintenance treatment for adults with severe eosinophilic asthma.Research Question: What are the real-world outcomes associated with reslizumab use in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma in a US clinical practice?Study Design and Methods: In this retrospective study, patient-level data from adults treated with reslizumab were obtained from center- and panel-based medical chart reviews. Eligible patients had available medical records and treatment history for ≥ 6 months before initiation of reslizumab treatment (index date) to ≥ 7 months after reslizumab initiation. The primary outcome was response to reslizumab treatment, based on clinical expert predefined definitions of response. Other outcomes included clinical asthma exacerbations (CAEs), use of maintenance oral corticosteroids (OCS), FEV1 percent predicted, Asthma Control Test (ACT) score, and health-care resource use (HRU).Results: Medical charts were obtained for 215 patients. Most patients (58.6%) showed an excellent response, 16.3% showed a clinically meaningful response, 21.9% showed a partial response, and 3.3% were nonresponders or treatment failures. A significant reduction was observed in the proportion of patients experiencing a CAE in a 6-month period (from 86.0% to 40.5%; P < .001) and in the mean number of CAEs per patient (2.84 [SD, 2.41] vs 0.94 [SD, 1.86]) after reslizumab initiation. Improvements were observed in FEV1 percent predicted (65.1% [SD, 20.5%] vs 73.1% [SD, 23.1%]; P < .001) and in ACT scores (13.8 [SD, 4.2] vs 18.6 [SD, 4.0]; P < .001) before to after reslizumab initiation. Among patients using maintenance OCS at baseline, more than half discontinued use of these by approximately 10 months after reslizumab initiation. Significant reductions in asthma-related HRU were observed after reslizumab initiation.Interpretation: In clinical practice, reslizumab may have been initiated in response to heavy symptom burden and CAEs. Reslizumab was associated with improved clinical and patient-reported outcomes and significant reductions in asthma-related HRU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People believe that treatments for illnesses are effective when they target the cause of the illness. Prior work suggests that biological essentialist explanations of mental illness lead people to prefer medications or other pharmacological treatments. However, prior work has not distinguished between biological and essentialist explanations. In three studies (total n = 517), we presented adults with vignettes about an individual with an artificial mental illness and manipulated the descriptions to emphasize or de-emphasize essentialist characteristics. Critically, none of the vignettes made reference to a biological basis for the disorder. Participants rated their willingness to interact with the person described in the vignettes and how effective they believed drug treatment and talk therapy would be on the mental illness. Across the three studies, describing mental illness with an essentialist framing led participants to think drug treatments would be more effective, but there was no effect for stigma or perceived effectiveness of talk therapy. This effect appears to be mediated by how much participants essentialized individuals with the disorder. The first framing that participants encountered seemed to shape their reasoning for the remainder of the study, even if they saw conflicting framing later on. The framing manipulation had similar effects for individuals with and without a mental illness. Results suggest that it is important to consider how mental illness is framed to the general public as it might impact people's treatment preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Review of the classification, clinical presentation, etiologic agents, and treatment of bacterial osteomyelitis in animals. • Provides additional species-specific information on osteomyelitis in cats and dogs, horses and a selection of other species. • Presents new treatments emerging from research and human medicine, and their potential application in veterinary medicine. Bacterial osteomyelitis in veterinary patients can be challenging to diagnose and treat, given limited therapeutic options and reported success rates. Osteomyelitis is frequently associated with surgical implant devices, including those required to optimise stability and healing of fractures. However, management of osteomyelitis sometimes necessitates the removal of these surgical implant devices in order to eradicate infection or limit implant-related osteolysis. The goal of this article is to provide a general and species-specific review of bacterial osteomyelitis in a selection of domestic veterinary species, including cats, dogs, horses, cattle and camelids, with a focus on classification, clinical presentation, aetiologic agents, and common therapeutic interventions reported in the literature. New treatment options emerging from research and human medicine will be also discussed, as they also apply to current or future care of veterinary patients with osteomyelitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intensive Care Medicine set us the task of outlining a global clinical research agenda for paediatric intensive care (PIC). In line with the clinical focus of this journal, we have limited this to research that may directly influence patient care.Methods: Clinician researchers from PIC research networks of varying degrees of formality from around the world were invited to answer two main questions: (1) What have been the major recent advances in paediatric critical care research? (2) What are the top 10 studies for the next 10 years?Results: (1) Inclusive databases are well established in many countries. These registries allow detailed observational studies and feasibility testing of clinical trial protocols. Recent trials are larger and more valuable, and (2) most common interventions in PIC are not evidenced-based. Clinical studies for the next 10 years should address this deficit, including: ventilation techniques and interfaces; fluid, transfusion and feeding strategies; optimal targets for vital signs; multiple organ failure definitions, mechanisms and treatments; trauma, prevention and treatment; improving safety; comfort of the patient and their family; appropriate care in the face of medical complexity; defining post-PICU outcomes; and improving knowledge generation and adoption, with novel trial design and implementation strategies. The group specifically highlighted the need for research in resource-limited environments wherein mortality remains often tenfold higher than in well-resourced settings.Conclusion: Paediatric intensive care research has never been healthier, but many gaps in knowledge remain. We need to close these urgently. The impact of new knowledge will be greatest in resource-limited environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This post hoc analysis of an 18‐week randomized trial explored the utility of calculating baseline glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), postprandial glucose (PPG) increments and nocturnal glucose change in predicting efficacy and safety outcomes in response to bolus insulin intensification in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Analyses were conducted on 236 participants with T2D receiving metformin: 116 received fast‐acting insulin aspart (faster aspart) basal–bolus therapy and 120 received basal‐only insulin. Participants were grouped according to baseline HbA1c, PPG increments and nocturnal glucose change variables; analyses were performed on the end‐of‐trial treatment differences between "high" and "low" baseline values. The change from baseline in end‐of‐trial mean HbA1c and mean PPG increments was in favour of faster aspart across all subgroups. Significantly greater treatment differences were observed in participants with high (vs. low) baseline nocturnal glucose change and PPG increments. For baseline HbA1c, significantly greater treatment differences were observed for change in end‐of‐trial PPG increments, but not end‐of‐trial HbA1c. In conclusion, both nocturnal glucose change and PPG increments may be more useful than HbA1c for identifying subgroups of people with T2D who would most benefit from bolus intensification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) in endometrial cancer (EC) is an important prognostic variable impacting on a patient's individual recurrence risk and adjuvant treatment recommendations. Recent work has shown that grading the extent of LVSI further improves its prognostic strength in patients with stage I endometrioid EC. Despite this, there is little information on the reproducibility of LVSI assessment in EC. Therefore, we designed a study to evaluate interobserver agreement in discriminating true LVSI from LVSI mimics (Phase I) and reproducibility of grading extent of LVSI (Phase II). Methods and results: Scanned haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) slides of endometrioid EC (EEC) with a predefined possible LVSI focus were hosted on a website and assessed by a panel of six European gynaecological pathologists. In Phase I, 48 H&E slides were included for LVSI assessment and in Phase II, 42 H&E slides for LVSI grading. Each observer was instructed to apply the criteria for LVSI used in daily practice. The degree of agreement was measured using the two‐way absolute agreement average‐measures intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Reproducibility of LVSI assessment (ICC = 0.64, P < 0.001) and LVSI grading (ICC = 0.62, P < 0.001) in EEC was substantial among the observers. Conclusions: Given the good reproducibility of LVSI, this study further supports the important role of LVSI in decision algorithms for adjuvant treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To describe and compare treatments and outcomes of patients with malignant bowel obstructions (MBO) due to uterine or ovarian cancer. Retrospective chart review from two institutions of women admitted 1/1/2005–12/31/2016 with a MBO from recurrent/progressive uterine or ovarian cancer. Data collected includes patient characteristics, cancer-directed treatments before and after MBO, MBO management strategies, and survival after MBO. Women with MBO from uterine cancer (n = 46) and ovarian cancer (n = 130) underwent similar inpatient interventions such as inpatient chemotherapy and surgery. Median overall survival (OS) after admission for MBO for all patients was 105 days and was shorter for uterine cancer patients (57 vs 131 days, p = 0.0013). Uterine and ovarian cancer patients who had surgery had similar survival (182 vs 210 days, p = 0.6), as did those discharged on hospice from their first admission for MBO (26 vs 38 days, p = 0.1). Uterine and ovarian cancer patients had similar rates of post-discharge chemotherapy (37% vs 50%, p = 0.12), but uterine cancer patients who had chemotherapy still had shorter survival (151 vs 225 days, p = 0.03). MBO has a relatively poor prognosis. Ovarian and uterine cancer patients whose interventions included surgery or hospice had similar outcomes. Among patients managed medically without hospice, uterine cancer patients experienced worse survival, even when candidates for subsequent chemotherapy. Patient counseling regarding goals of care at this difficult juncture can be informed by these findings and will be enhanced by patient-reported and qualitative data on the patient experience with MBO. • Survival after MBO diagnosis is 105 days. • MBO associated with uterine cancers have worse prognosis than those from ovarian cancers. • Surgery may mitigate differences between ovarian and uterine cancer patients with MBO. • Palliative care consultations are associated with fewer readmissions for MBO • Discussions at the time of MBO should include expected survival with different interventions for uterine vs ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purulent pericarditis is a rare condition in the modern antibiotic era. The diagnosis should be suspected in patients with pericardial effusions and radiographic and laboratory investigations consistent with infection. Pericardial fluid culture is the gold standard. Early source control, in addition to antibiotics, is a cornerstone of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The etiology, course, and most appropriate management of borderline congenital hypothyroidism (CH) are poorly defined, such that the optimal threshold for diagnosis with bloodspot screening thyrotropin (bsTSH) measurement remains controversial. Dual oxidase 2 (DUOX2) mutations may initially cause borderline elevation of bsTSH, which later evolves into significant hypothyroidism on venous blood measurement. It was hypothesized that mutations in both DUOX2 and its accessory protein DUOXA2 may occur frequently, even in patients with borderline bsTSH elevation, such that higher diagnostic thresholds in bsTSH screening may fail to detect such cases, with consequent risk of undiagnosed neonatal hypothyroidism of sufficient magnitude to require thyroxine therapy. This study aimed to investigate the frequency and characteristics of DUOX2 and DUOXA2 mutations in a borderline CH cohort. Methods: A cross-sectional study of patients with borderline CH was undertaken at Great Ormond Street Hospital, a tertiary British pediatric center. DUOX2 was sequenced in 52 patients with a bsTSH of 6–19.9 mIU/L, venous TSH of >25 mIU/L, and eutopic thyroid gland in situ. DUOXA2 was sequenced in DUOX2 mutation-negative cases, and novel DUOXA2 mutations were functionally characterized. Results: A total of 26 (50%) patients harbored likely pathogenic mutations in DUOX2 (n = 20; 38%) or DUOXA2 (n = 6; 12%), including novel gene variants (DUOX2, n = 3; DUOXA2, n = 7). Two recurrent DUOX2 mutations (p.Q570L, p.F966Sfs*29) occurred frequently in population databases (MAF ≥0.01). Despite bsTSH being <10 mIU/L in 46% of DUOX2 and DUOXA2 mutation-positive cases, venous free thyroxine levels in these patients were in the moderate CH range (M = 9.3 pmol/L, range <3.9–15.8 pmol/L), Conclusions: Targeted DUOX2 and DUOXA2 sequencing in a borderline CH cohort has a high diagnostic yield. These findings might argue for a lowering of bsTSH thresholds, but follow-up studies are required to assess whether cases with borderline bsTSH harboring DUOX2/DUOXA2 mutations will benefit from an early diagnosis and subsequent levothyroxine treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article present a case study of a 56 years old women who was diagnosed with hormone-positive early-stage breast cancer. It mentions a computed tomography scan of the brain demonstrated subarachnoid hemorrhage without obvious underlying mass lesion and cortical edema in the poster superior left parietal lobe; and also mentions magnetic resonance image demonstrated a nonspecific region of vasogenic edema in the left frontal parietal region with overlying trace subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Purpose. The effect of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) on antifactor Xa activity in a patient treated with enoxaparin and levetiracetam is reported. Summary. A 52-year-old woman was treated with levetiracetam and prophylactic enoxaparin while receiving TPE to manage respiratory failure due to anti-MDA5 antibody-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD) with dermatomyositis. Due to a scant amount of evidence regarding the management of these medications in TPE, therapeutic monitoring principles were used to assess the effect TPE had on these medications. A pre-TPE antifactor Xa activity level and levetiracetam serum assay, a post-TPE antifactor Xa activity level and levetiracetam serum assay, levetiracetam serum assays at 1 and 6 hours after the patient received her next dose, and a levetiracetam assay of the waste plasma from the TPE were collected for therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacokinetic calculations. Utilizing standard population pharmacokinetic data, the expected antifactor Xa activity without TPE was 0.14 IU/mL. This concentration was significantly higher than the undetectable concentration (<0.1 IU/mL) that was drawn immediately after TPE, suggesting significant removal of antifactor Xa activity. The measured levetiracetam level did not significantly differ from the expected post-TPE levetiracetam level that was calculated using patientspecific pharmacokinetic data. Conclusion. In a patient receiving TPE to manage anti-MDA5 antibody ILD associated with dermatomyositis and a prior seizure, TPE significantly altered enoxaparin antifactor Xa activity as evidenced by the undetectable antifactor Xa activity level drawn after TPE. Alternatively, TPE had a minimal effect on the clearance of levetiracetam as evidenced by the post-TPE level and fraction elimination of only 5% of total body stores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain–computer interface (BCI) is a promising technology for restoring communication in individuals with locked-in syndrome (LIS). BCI technology offers a potential tool for individuals with impaired or absent means of effective communication to use brain activity to control an output device such as a computer keyboard. Exploratory studies of BCI devices for communication in people with LIS are underway. Research with individuals with LIS presents not only technological challenges, but ethical challenges as well. Whereas recent attention has been focused on ethical issues that arise at the initiation of studies, such as how to obtain valid consent, relatively little attention has been given to issues at the conclusion of studies. BCI research in LIS highlights one such challenge: How to decide when an exploratory BCI research study should end. In this article, we present the case of an individual with presumed LIS enrolled in an exploratory BCI study. We consider whether two common ethical frameworks for stopping randomized clinical trials—equipoise and nonexploitation—can be usefully applied to elucidating researcher obligations to end exploratory BCI research. We argue that neither framework is a good fit for exploratory BCI research. Instead, we apply recent work on clinician-researcher fiduciary obligations and in turn offer some preliminary recommendations for BCI researchers on how to end exploratory BCI studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To investigate the relationship between serum adiponectin, ADIPOQ variants and haplotypes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in type 2 diabetes (T2D).Methods: Baseline data including serum total adiponectin and 21 ADIPOQ polymorphisms were available for 1076 participants (mean age 64.0 years, 49.4% males) in a community-based cohort followed for an average of 12 years.Results: During 8843 patient-years of follow-up for coronary heart disease (CHD), 13,494 patient-years for ischaemic stroke (IS) and 12,028 patient-years for heart failure (HF), 40.4%, 11.8% and 31.9% of patients experienced a first episode of CHD, IS or HF, respectively. In Cox regression after adjustment for the most parsimonious models, loge(serum adiponectin) and the ADIPOQ variant rs12495941 were inversely associated with incident CHD (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] 0.79 [0.65-0.98] and 0.64 [0.44-0.94], respectively), while rs1648707 was positively associated with incident IS (2.05 [1.37-3.06]; all P ≤ 0.028). In males, rs9860747 and rs17366568 predicted CHD (0.22 [0.05-0.92] and 1.50 [1.01-2.20]; P ≤ 0.042), while rs1648707 and rs1063537 predicted IS (2.36 [1.32-4.23] and 2.09 [1.17-3.72]; P ≤ 0.012). In females, rs10937273 predicted CHD via an interaction with serum adiponectin (0.43 [0.21-0.91]; P = 0.027), while rs864265 predicted IS (0.43 [0.21-0.88], P = 0.021). The associations between ADIPOQ variants and outcomes were supported by haplotype block analysis. Neither serum adiponectin nor ADIPOQ variants predicted HF.Conclusions: Serum total adiponectin and gender-specific ADIPOQ variants predict CHD and IS, but not HF, independently of other risk factors in community-based patients with T2D. In contrast to some previous studies, there was no relationship between a high serum total adiponectin and CVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What We Already Know About This Topic: WHAT THIS ARTICLE TELLS US THAT IS NEW: BACKGROUND:: Traumatic brain injury induces cellular proliferation in the hippocampus, which generates new neurons and glial cells during recovery. This process is regulated by N-methyl-D-aspartate-type glutamate receptors, which are inhibited by ketamine. The authors hypothesized that ketamine treatment after traumatic brain injury would reduce hippocampal cell proliferation, leading to worse behavioral outcomes in mice.Methods: Traumatic brain injury was induced in mice using a controlled cortical impact injury, after which mice (N = 118) received either ketamine or vehicle systemically for 1 week. The authors utilized immunohistochemical assays to evaluate neuronal, astroglial, and microglial cell proliferation and survival 3 days, 2 weeks, and 6 weeks postintervention. The Morris water maze reversal task was used to assess cognitive recovery.Results: Ketamine dramatically increased microglial proliferation in the granule cell layer of the hippocampus 3 days after injury (injury + vehicle, 2,800 ± 2,700 cells/mm, n = 4; injury + ketamine, 11,200 ± 6,600 cells/mm, n = 6; P = 0.012). Ketamine treatment also prevented the production of astrocytes 2 weeks after injury (sham + vehicle, 2,400 ± 3,200 cells/mm, n = 13; injury + vehicle, 10,500 ± 11,300 cells/mm, n = 12; P = 0.013 vs. sham + vehicle; sham + ketamine, 3,500 ± 4,900 cells/mm, n = 14; injury + ketamine, 4,800 ± 3,000 cells/mm, n = 13; P = 0.955 vs. sham + ketamine). Independent of injury, ketamine temporarily reduced neurogenesis (vehicle-exposed, 105,100 ± 66,700, cells/mm, n = 25; ketamine-exposed, 74,300 ± 29,200 cells/mm, n = 27; P = 0.031). Ketamine administration improved performance in the Morris water maze reversal test after injury, but had no effect on performance in sham-treated mice.Conclusions: Ketamine alters hippocampal cell proliferation after traumatic brain injury. Surprisingly, these changes were associated with improvement in a neurogenesis-related behavioral recall task, suggesting a possible benefit from ketamine administration after traumatic brain injury in mice. Future studies are needed to determine generalizability and mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on medication-related pruritis in adult patients with long-term conditions. Topics discussed include causative factors for pruritis and how it contributes to general health deterioration leading to diminished quality of life. Also mentioned are medications that cause pruritis side effects such as ACE inhibitors, beta blockers and hydroxychloroquine and treatment considerations for the condition.

Abstract: Researchers have documented psychiatry's crisis of credibility and called for transparency and reform, yet current solutions do not go beyond timid acceptance. The conceptual and normative framework of institutional corruption highlights the various economies of influence (e.g., industry's capture of regulatory bodies and medical journals) that need to be mitigated. Case analyses of (a) the process by which the latest antidepressant, vortioxetine, came to market, and (b) the promotion of a heavily conflicted guideline for “mixed depression” illustrate how industry is shaping the scientific evidence base and practice in psychiatry, and why systemic, policy‐oriented solutions are needed. We offer solutions for reform that intend to go beyond simple transparency and address the root causes and systemic nature of the problems in the field. These include developing rating systems for clinical practice guidelines and medical journals, a stepped‐care, contextual approach to diagnosis and treatment, addressing perverse incentive structures within universities, and a shift towards a rights‐based paradigm of care with genuine stakeholder involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate whether the administration of desmopressin alters the risk for renal biopsy complications. Methods: A multicenter registry containing 576 native kidney biopsies (NKb) with a serum creatinine above 150 µmol/L in 527 patients (372 men and 155 women, median age 61 years) was used. Most of the data were prospective. At one of the hospitals all biopsies with creatinine above 150 µmol/L received desmopressin before biopsies (NKb 204). These were compared to outcome of biopsy complications against other centres where desmopressin was not given (NKb 372). Fisher's exact test, x² analyses, univariate and multiple binary logistic regression were used. Data were given as odds ratio (OR) and confidence interval (CI). A two sided P-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results: In NKb with creatinine >150 µmol/L, those with desmopressin had less overall (3.4% vs 8.4%, OR 0.39, CI 0.17-0.90) whereas major or minor complications were not different. While desmopressin did not exhibit difference in complications in men, women received less major (0% vs 8.6%, P = 0.03) and overall complications (0% vs 12.1%, P = 0.006). A multiple logistic regression revealed that, after adjusting for BMI, age and sex, prophylaxis with desmopressin showed less major (OR 0.38, CI 0.15-0.96) and overall complications (OR 0.36, CI 0.15-0.85). Conclusion: Desmopressin given before a native kidney biopsy in patientswith impaired renal function can reduce the risk for complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persons with incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI) face ongoing struggles with walking, including reduced speed and increased reliance on assistive devices (ADs). The forces underlying body weight support and gait, as measured by ground reaction forces (GRFs), are likely altered after iSCI because of weakness and AD dependence but have not been studied. The purpose of this study was to examine GRF production during overground walking after iSCI, because greater insight into GRF constraints is important for refining therapeutic interventions. Because of reduced and discoordinated motor output after iSCI, we hypothesized that persons with iSCI would exert smaller GRFs and altered GRF modifications to increased cadence compared with able-bodied (AB) persons, especially when using an AD. Fifteen persons with chronic iSCI, stratified into no AD ( n = 7) and AD ( n = 8) groups, walked across an instrumented walkway at self-selected and fast (115% self-selected) cadences. Fifteen age-matched AB controls walked at their own cadences and iSCI-matched conditions (cadence and AD). Results showed fore-aft GRFs are reduced in persons with iSCI compared with AB controls, with reductions greatest in persons dependent on an AD. When controlling for cadence and AD, propulsive forces were still lower in persons with iSCI. Compared with AB controls, persons with iSCI demonstrated altered GRF modifications to increased cadence. Persons with iSCI exhibit different stance-phase forces compared with AB controls, which are impacted further by AD use and slower walking speed. Minimizing AD use and/or providing propulsive biofeedback during walking could enhance GRF production after iSCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives:To investigate, whether renal denervation (RDN) improves arterial stiffness, central blood pressure (C-BP) and heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with treatment resistant hypertension. Methods:ReSET was a randomized, sham-controlled, double-blinded trial (NCT01459900). RDN was performed by a single experienced operator using the Medtronic unipolar Symplicity FlexTMcatheter. C-BP, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), and HRV were obtained at baseline and after six months with the SphygmoCor®-device. Results:Fifty-three patients (77% of the ReSET-cohort) were included in this substudy. The groups were similar at baseline (SHAM/RDN):n = 27/n = 26; 78/65% males; age 59 ± 9/54 ± 8 years (mean ± SD); systolic brachial BP 158 ± 18/154 ± 17 mmHg; systolic 24-hour ambulatory BP 153 ± 14/151 ± 13 mmHg. Changes in PWV (0.1 ± 1.9 (SHAM) vs. −0.6 ± 1.3 (RDN) m/s), systolic C-BP (−2 ± 17 (SHAM) vs. −8 ± 16 (RDN) mmHg), diastolic C-BP (−2 ± 9 (SHAM) vs. −5 ± 9 (RDN) mmHg), and augmentation index (0.7 ± 7.0 (SHAM) vs. 1.0 ± 7.4 (RDN) %) were not significantly different after six months. Changes in HRV-parameters were also not significantly different. Baseline HRV or PWV did not predict BP-response after RDN. Conclusions:In a sham-controlled setting, there were no significant effects of RDN on arterial stiffness, C-BP and HRV. Thus, the idea of BP-independent effects of RDN on large arteries and cardiac autonomic activity is not supported. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between patient and tumor characteristics and pain response in patients with metastatic bone disease, and construct and internally validate a clinical prediction model for pain response to guide individualized treatment decision making.Material and Methods: A total of 965 patients with painful bone metastases undergoing palliative radiation therapy at a tertiary referral center between 1999 and 2007 were identified. Pain scores were measured at 1, 2, and 3 months after radiation therapy. Pain response was defined as at least a 2-point decrease on a pain score scale of 0-10, without increase in analgesics, or an analgesic decrease of at least 25% without an increase in pain score. Thirteen candidate predictors were identified from the literature and expert experience. After multiple imputation, final predictors were selected using stepwise regression and collapsed into a prediction model. Model performance was evaluated by calibration and discrimination and corrected for optimism.Results: Overall 462 patients (47.9%) showed a response. Primary tumor site, performance status, and baseline pain score were predictive for pain response, with a corrected c-statistic of 0.63. The predicted response rates after radiation therapy increased from 37.5% for patients with the highest risk score to 79.8% for patients with the lowest risk score and were in good agreement with the observed response rates.Conclusions: A prediction score for pain response after palliative radiation therapy was developed. The model performance was moderate, showing that prediction of pain response is difficult. New biomarkers and predictors may lead to improved identification of the large group of patients who are unlikely to respond and who may benefit from other or innovative treatment options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurotoxicity is a relevant side effect of bortezomib treatment. Previous reports have shown that the development of peripheral neuropathy caused by anti-neoplastic agents may be a result of reduced axonal transport. Based on evidence from prior studies that the kinesin-5 inhibitor monastrol enhances axonal transport and improves neuronal regeneration, we focused on the neuroprotective role of monastrol during the chemotherapeutic treatment with bortezomib. Prolonged treatment of C57BL/6 mice with bortezomib induced a length-dependent small-fiber neuropathy with axonal atrophy and loss of sensory nerve fibers. The administration of monastrol substantially alleviated morphological features of axonal injury and functional measures of sensory neuropathy. Cytotoxicity studies in leukemia and multiple myeloma cell lines showed no interference of monastrol with the cytostatic effects of bortezomib. Our data indicate that the novel approach of targeting microtubule turnover by monastrol provides protection against bortezomib-induced neurotoxicity. The favorable cytotoxic profile of monastrol makes it an interesting candidate as neuroprotective agent in combined chemotherapy regimens that warrants further consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The initial treatment of haemodynamically stable patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) has dramatically changed since the introduction of low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs). With the recent discovery of the direct oral anticoagulant drugs (DOACs), initial treatment of PE will be simplified even further. In several large clinical trials it has been demonstrated that DOACs are not inferior to standard therapy for the initial treatment of PE, and because of their practicability they are becoming the agents of first choice. However, many relative contraindications to DOACs were exclusion criteria in the clinical trials. Therefore, LMWHs will continue to play an important role in initial PE treatment and in some cases there still is a role for unfractionated heparin (UFH). In this review we will give an overview of the biophysical, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of anticoagulants currently available for the initial management of PE. In addition, we will provide a comprehensive overview of the indications for the use of UFH, LMWHs and DOACs in the initial management of PE from a pharmacokinetic/-dynamic point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Untreated HIV-positive (HIV-1+) individuals frequently suffer from HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), with about 30% of AIDS patients suffering severe HIV-associated dementias (HADs). Antiretroviral therapy has greatly reduced the incidence of HAND and HAD. However, there is a continuing problem of milder neurocognitive impairments in treated HIV+ patients that may be increasing with long-term therapy. In the present study, we investigated whether envelope (env) genes could be amplified from proviral DNA or RNA derived from brain tissue of 12 individuals with normal neurology or minor neurological conditions (N/MC individuals). The tropism and characteristics of the brain-derived Envs were then investigated and compared to those of Envs derived from immune tissue. We showed that (i) macrophage-tropic R5 Envs could be detected in the brain tissue of 4/12 N/MC individuals, (ii) macrophage-tropic Envs in brain tissue formed compartmentalized clusters distinct from non-macrophage-tropic (non-mac-tropic) Envs recovered from the spleen or brain, (iii) the evidence was consistent with active viral expression by macrophage-tropic variants in the brain tissue of some individuals, and (iv) Envs from immune tissue of the N/MC individuals were nearly all tightly non-mac-tropic, contrasting with previous data for neuro-AIDS patients where immune tissue Envs mediated a range of macrophage infectivities, from background levels to modest infection, with a small number of Envs from some patients mediating high macrophage infection levels. In summary, the data presented here show that compartmentalized and active macrophage-tropic HIV-1 variants are present in the brain tissue of individuals before neurological disease becomes overt or serious. IMPORTANCE The detection of highly compartmentalized macrophage-tropic R5 Envs in the brain tissue of HIV patients without serious neurological disease is consistent with their emergence from a viral population already established there, perhaps from early disease. The detection of active macrophage-tropic virus expression, and probably replication, indicates that antiretroviral drugs with optimal penetration through the blood-brain barrier should be considered even for patients without neurological disease (neuro-disease). Finally, our data are consistent with the brain forming a sanctuary site for latent virus and low-level viral replication in the absence of neuro-disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alectinib, a highly selective inhibitor of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), has shown systemic and central nervous system (CNS) efficacy in the treatment of ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We investigated alectinib as compared with crizotinib in patients with previously untreated, advanced ALK-positive NSCLC, including those with asymptomatic CNS disease.Methods: In a randomized, open-label, phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned 303 patients with previously untreated, advanced ALK-positive NSCLC to receive either alectinib (600 mg twice daily) or crizotinib (250 mg twice daily). The primary end point was investigator-assessed progression-free survival. Secondary end points were independent review committee-assessed progression-free survival, time to CNS progression, objective response rate, and overall survival.Results: During a median follow-up of 17.6 months (crizotinib) and 18.6 months (alectinib), an event of disease progression or death occurred in 62 of 152 patients (41%) in the alectinib group and 102 of 151 patients (68%) in the crizotinib group. The rate of investigator-assessed progression-free survival was significantly higher with alectinib than with crizotinib (12-month event-free survival rate, 68.4% [95% confidence interval (CI), 61.0 to 75.9] with alectinib vs. 48.7% [95% CI, 40.4 to 56.9] with crizotinib; hazard ratio for disease progression or death, 0.47 [95% CI, 0.34 to 0.65]; P<0.001); the median progression-free survival with alectinib was not reached. The results for independent review committee-assessed progression-free survival were consistent with those for the primary end point. A total of 18 patients (12%) in the alectinib group had an event of CNS progression, as compared with 68 patients (45%) in the crizotinib group (cause-specific hazard ratio, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.10 to 0.28; P<0.001). A response occurred in 126 patients in the alectinib group (response rate, 82.9%; 95% CI, 76.0 to 88.5) and in 114 patients in the crizotinib group (response rate, 75.5%; 95% CI, 67.8 to 82.1) (P=0.09). Grade 3 to 5 adverse events were less frequent with alectinib (41% vs. 50% with crizotinib).Conclusions: As compared with crizotinib, alectinib showed superior efficacy and lower toxicity in primary treatment of ALK-positive NSCLC. (Funded by F. Hoffmann-La Roche; ALEX ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02075840 .). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Attention biases figure prominently in CBT models of social anxiety and are thought to maintain symptoms of social anxiety disorder (SAD). Studies have shown that individual differences in pre-treatment attention biases predict cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) outcome. However, these findings have been inconsistent as to whether vigilance towards threat predicts better or poorer treatment outcome. Adult attachment style is an individual characteristic that may influence the relationship between attention bias and SAD. This study investigates the relationship between attention biases and CBT treatment outcome for SAD. Furthermore, we examined the influence of adult attachment style on this relationship.Method: Participants with a primary diagnosis of SAD completed a passive viewing (measuring vigilance towards threat) and a novel difficulty to disengage (measuring difficulty to disengage attention) eye-tracking task prior to attending 12 CBT group sessions targeting SAD. Symptom severity was measured at pre- and post-treatment. Regression analyses were conducted on a sample of 50 participants.Results: Greater vigilance for threat than avoidance of threat at pre-treatment predicted poorer treatment outcomes. Greater difficulty disengaging from happy faces, compared to neutral faces, predicted poorer treatment outcomes. Attachment style did not moderate these relationships.Limitations: The associations between attention biases and specific components of CBT treatment were not examined. The novel findings regarding difficulty to disengage attention require replication.Conclusions: The findings have implications for the theoretical models of SAD and for the treatment of SAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on estimating the liver fat through CT density (CTD). Topics discussed include correlation between equation relating CTD and standardized uptake value (SUV). Particular focus is presented to the assessment of the validity of the published equations, in vivo quantitative assessment of fat content in human liver, and hepatic glucose utilization in hepatic steatosis and obesity.

This study examined the effects of an educative, self-regulation intervention on blood pressure self-efficacy, self-care outcomes, and blood pressure control in adults receiving hemodialysis. Simple randomization was done at the hemodialysis unit level. One hundred eighteen participants were randomized to usual care (n = 59) or intervention group (n = 59). The intervention group received blood pressure education sessions and 12 weeks of individual counseling on self-regulation of blood pressure, fluid, and salt intake. There was no significant increase in self-efficacy scores within (F = .55, p = .46) or between groups at 12 weeks (F = 2.76, p = .10). Although the intervention was not successful, results from the total sample (N = 118) revealed that self-efficacy was significantly related to a number of self-care outcomes including decreased salt intake, lower interdialytic weight gain, increased adherence to blood pressure medications, and fewer missed hemodialysis appointments. Increased blood pressure self-efficacy was also associated with lower diastolic blood pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Collagen cross-linking is an attractive therapeutic route aimed at supplementing natural collagen stabilisation. In this study the toxicity of the cross-linker genipin ( GP) was examined in avascular (tendon) and vascular (dermis) tissue. Methods High doses of GP were injected intratendinously into three yearling horses and evaluated at various time points up to 30 days. A second group of three yearlings were injected into the dermis and evaluated at various time points up to 1 year. Metrics used included lameness, circumferential swelling, ultrasound evaluation, microscopic morphology, collagen production and systemic effect on blood parameters. Results The tendon injection sites exhibited mild lameness and swelling with no apparent systemic toxicity or stabilisation defects. Treated tendons exhibited increased linear collagen microscopically. Dermal injections showed similar results, with mild swelling at the injection site. Microscopic morphology resulted in a decrease in dermal collagen at 30 days post-injection. Dermis injected at the high dose of 355 mmol/L examined 1 year post-treatment appeared similar to the untreated biopsies; however, there was an increase in mature collagen. Conclusion GP injection appeared to be well tolerated, with transient lameness and mild circumferential swelling when injected into the tendon and local tissue swelling when injected into the dermis. No systemic hypersensitivities or toxicities were observed. Microscopically, GP resulted in increased linear collagen in tendons at 30 days post-injection and overall increased collagen in dermal tissue when evaluated 1 year post-injection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aims of this study were to: (a) Identify tendon sheaths most commonly treated with steroid injections in a pediatric patient population with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA); (b) Describe technical aspects of the procedure; (c) Characterize sonographic appearance of tenosynovitis in JIA; (d) Assess agreement between clinical request and sites injected. Methods: This was a 10 year single-center retrospective study (May 2006-April 2016) of patients with JIA referred by Rheumatology for ultrasound-guided tendon sheath injections. Patient demographics, clinical referral information, sonographic appearance of the tendon sheaths and technical aspects of the procedure were analyzed. Results: There were 308 procedures of 244 patients (75% female, mean age 9.6 years) who underwent a total of 926 tendon sheath injections. Ankle tendons were most commonly injected (84.9%), specifically the tendon sheaths of tibialis posterior (22.3%), peroneus longus (20%) and brevis (19.7%). The majority of treated sites (91.9%) showed peritendinous fluid and sheath thickening on ultrasound. There were 2 minor intra-procedure complications without sequelae. A good agreement between clinical request and sites injected was observed. Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided tendon sheath injections with steroids are used frequently to treat patients with JIA. It is a safe intervention with a high technical success rate. The ankle region, specifically the medial compartment, is the site most commonly injected in this group of patients. The most common sonographic finding is peritendinous fluid and sheath thickening. These findings might assist clinicians and radiologists to characterize and more effectively manage tenosynovitis in patients with JIA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with nonmetastatic esophageal cancer not suitable for surgery can be treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy with curative intent. The purpose of this retrospective study is to evaluate the clinical outcomes of definitive chemoradiotherapy using carboplatin and paclitaxel. Medical records were reviewed of patients treated for nonmetastatic squamous cell or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus between January 2009 and December 2013 in two collaborating institutes. Treatment consisted of external beam radiotherapy (28 fractions of 1.8 Gy) and 6 weekly courses of carboplatin (AUC = 2) and paclitaxel (50 mg/m2). Data on survival, progression, toxicity, and effect on dysphagia were recorded. Sixty-six patients were included. Median overall survival (OS) was 13.1 months (95% CI 4.7-21.5 months) and a 2-year OS was 30% (95% CI 18%-42%). At 2 years, 26% of patients developed local progression (95% CI 15%-37%) and 49% developed distant metastases (95% CI 36%-64%). Acute toxicity grade ≥3 was observed in 47% of patients. Late adverse events grade ≥3 were seen in 20%, mostly esophageal stenoses.Of patients with available data 3 months after treatment, 70% had relief of dysphagia. Definitive chemoradiotherapy led to a median OS of 13 months. Toxicity was common, mostly due to hematological toxicity. Given the relatively short median survival, an adequate selection of patients for this intensive treatment is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( NSAIDs) play an important role in multimodal pain management. In patients with a contraindication for NSAIDs, pain management is challenging. A recent Dutch anesthesiology guideline propagates the use of metamizole (dipyrone) in these patients. Metamizole is a controversial drug, its use being previously discouraged because of the risk for agranulocytosis. We discuss whether metamizole could be an alternative to classical NSAIDs and opioids in postoperative pain management despite this drawback. Method Literature review and pharmacovigilance research based on World Health Organization adverse effect registrations. Results Metamizole causes fewer gastric and duodenal ulcers than other nonselective NSAIDs, and the risk for bleeding is limited. It is unknown whether it is safer than a nonselective NSAID combined with a proton pump inhibitor. Although the drug appears to be safe for renal function in healthy volunteers, data in high-risk patients (eg, those with heart or renal failure) are lacking. The incidence of metamizole-induced agranulocytosis is controversial, but the risk is likely to be limited with short-term postoperative use in this selected group of patients. Conclusion Although firm evidence is lacking, metamizole may be safer for the upper intestinal tract and kidneys than other NSAIDs, and could alternatively be used in patients with an increased risk for stomach or renal problems. Hereby, improved postoperative pain relief can potentially be achieved. The risk for metamizole-induced agranulocytosis is judged to be acceptable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 58-year-old man with nonerosive rheumatoid arthritis who was being treated with etanercept and methotrexate was presented to the emergency department with a two week history of fevers and drenching night sweats. Topics discussed include detection of cholelithiasis with trace pericholecystic fluid after abdominal ultrasonography, placing of tube in gallbladder with the cholecystostomy process, and treating the patient with doxycycline.

The gene mecA and its homologue mecC confer methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and other staphylococci. Methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) are considered resistant to all β-lactam antibiotics. To avoid the use of β-lactam antibiotics for the control of MRS infections, there is an urgent need for a fast and reliable screening assay for mecA and mecC that can easily be integrated in routine laboratory diagnostics. The aim of this study was the development of such a rapid detection method for methicillin resistance based on nucleic acid lateral flow immunoassay (NALFIA) technology. In NALFIA, the target sequences are PCR-amplified, immobilized via antigen-antibody interaction and finally visualized as distinct black bars resulting from neutravidin-labeled carbon particles via biotin-neutravidin interaction. A screening of 60 defined strains (MRS and non-target bacteria) and 28 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolates from clinical samples was performed with PCR-NALFIA in comparison to PCR with subsequent gel electrophoresis (PCR-GE) and real-time PCR. While all samples were correctly identified with all assays, PCR-NALFIA was superior with respect to limits of detection. Moreover, this assay allowed for differentiation between mecA and mecC by visualizing the two alleles at different positions on NALFIA test stripes. However, since this test system only targets the mecA and mecC genes, it does not allow to determine in which staphylococcal species the mec gene is included. Requiring only a fraction of the time needed for cultural methods (i.e. the gold standard), the PCR-NALFIA presented here is easy to handle and can be readily integrated into laboratory diagnostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transitioning from the critical care unit to the medical-surgical care area is vital to patients' recovery and resolution of critical illness. Such transitions are necessary to optimize use of available hospital resources to meet patient care needs. One in 10 patients discharged from the intensive care unit are readmitted to the unit during their hospitalization. Critical care readmission is associated with significant increases in illness acuity, overall length of stay, and health care costs as well as a potential 4-fold increased risk of mortality. Patients with complex illness, multiple comorbid conditions, and a prolonged initial stay in the critical care unit are at an increased risk of being readmitted to the critical care unit and experiencing poor outcomes. Implementing nurse-driven measures that support continuity of care and consistent communication practices such as critical care outreach services, transitional communication tools, discharge planning, and transitional care units improves transitions of patients from the critical care environment and reduces readmission rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To discriminate non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy ( NPDR) patients from healthy controls by fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscopy ( FLIO). Methods A prototype FLIO (Heidelberg-Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) was used to examine the retina of 33 patients and 28 controls. As increased fluorescence of the diabetic lens is known, the lenses of 34 patients and 24 controls were investigated as well. Time-resolved decay was detected in two spectral channels (ch1: 498-560 nm, ch2: 560-720 nm) and approximated by a series of three exponential functions yielding in lifetimes ( τ1, τ2, τ3), amplitudes ( α1, α2, α3) and their amplitude-weighted means ( τ m). Results Significant differences between patients and controls were found for all fundus lifetime components ( τ m, τ1- τ3) as for the amplitude α3 in both spectral channels. Channel 1 showed the largest differences: the average of mean fluorescence lifetime τ m in the macula was 259 ± 137 ps in the patients versus 147 ± 69 ps in the controls. A logistic regression model allowed discrimination between study and control group with a sensitivity of 90.09% and a specificity of 71.4% (area under the curve: 0.865). Significantly shorter τ m in the patients group than in the control group was detected in channel 2 in the crystalline lens (1587 ± 326 ps versus 1854 ± 384 ps, p = 0.006). Conclusions Fundus Fluorescence lifetimes are significantly increased in NPDR while lens lifetimes are shorter in the patient group. Lifetime changes might be indicative for the accumulation of advanced glycation end products ( AGEs) which enables detection of the disease with high sensitivity and specificity possibly bearing diagnostic merit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary purpose of preoperative dental screening of medical patients is to detect acute or chronic oral conditions that may require management prior to planned medical interventions. The aim of this communication is to discuss the background of preoperative dental screening and the link between dental pathologies and systemic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Low-grade chronic inflammation is common in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Previous studies suggest an anti-inflammatory effect of angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) treatment. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of ARB vs. placebo on plasma concentrations of inflammatory markers in HD patients. Methods: Adult HD patients were randomized for double-blind treatment with the ARB irbesartan 150-300 mg/day or placebo. At baseline, 1 week, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months plasma high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin (IL)−1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-18, and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) were measured using Luminex and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technology. Findings: Eighty-two patients were randomized (placebo/ARB: 41/41). The groups did not differ in initial levels of any of the inflammatory markers (placebo/ARB median(range)): hsCRP 3.3(0.2-23.4)/2.7(0.2-29.6) μg/mL; IL-1β 1.1(0.0-45.9)/1.1(0.0-7.2) pg/mL; IL-6 10(1-90)/12(1-84) pg/mL; IL-8 31(9-134)/34(5-192) pg/mL; IL-18 364(188-1343)/377(213-832) pg/mL; TGF-β 3.2(0.8-13.9)/3.6(1.3-3.8) ng/mL. Overall, there was no significant difference in hsCRP, IL-6, IL-8, and TGF-β between placebo and ARB-treated patients during the study period, and hsCRP, IL-6, IL-8, and TGF-β were relatively stable during the study period (P ≥ 0.18 in all tests for parallel curves, equal levels, and constant levels). The IL-1β level was slightly different in the two groups over time, but not significantly (P = 0.09 in test for parallel curves) and it was also relatively stable during the study period (P ≥ 0.49 in tests for equal levels and constant level). IL-18 was the only inflammatory marker which was not constant during the study period (P = 0.001 in test for constant level), but there was no significant difference between placebo and ARB-treated (P ≥ 0.51 in tests for parallel curves and equal levels). Discussion: Inflammatory biomarkers were neither acutely, nor in the long-term significantly affected by the ARB irbesartan. Our findings suggest that ARB treatment in HD patients does not offer protective anti-inflammatory effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Histological subtype influences both prognosis and patterns of treatment failure in retroperitoneal sarcoma. Previous studies on the efficacy of neoadjuvant radiotherapy (NRT) have incorporated multiple histological types with heterogeneous tumour biology. The survival impact of NRT specifically for patients with retroperitoneal liposarcoma is poorly defined. Methods: Patients who underwent resection with curative intent for retroperitoneal liposarcoma and who received NRT or surgery alone were identified in the US National Cancer Data Base (2004-2013). Cox regression was used to identify co-variables associated with overall survival. NRT and surgery-alone cohorts were matched 1 : 1 by propensity scores based on the survival hazard on Cox modelling. Overall survival was compared by Kaplan–Meier estimates. Results: A total of 2082 patients with retroperitoneal liposarcoma were identified; 1908 underwent surgery alone and 174 received NRT before surgical resection. Median tumour size was 22·0cmand 34·9 per cent of tumours were high grade. In the unmatched cohort, NRT was not associated with improved overall survival (훘2 =3·49, P = 0·062). In the propensity score-matched cohort, NRT was associated with an improvement in survival (median overall survival 129·2 versus 84·3months; P = 0·046; hazard ratio (HR) 1·54, 95 per cent c.i. 1·01 to 2·36). This effect appeared most pronounced for tumours with adjacent organ invasion (median overall survival not reached versus 63·8months; P = 0·044; HR 1·79, 1·01 to 3·19). Conclusion: NRT improved survival in patients undergoing surgery for retroperitoneal liposarcoma, particularly those with high-risk pathological features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obliterative bronchiolitis (OB) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Our objective was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the impact of azithromycin on change in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ). We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane CENTRAL and Scopus databases and included studies that compared azithromycin with placebo or no intervention in the treatment of OB or bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) in patients who had undergone allogeneic HSCT. Ninety-one unique publications were identified, and 4 studies met inclusion criteria, with a total of 90 patients. Changes in FEV 1 were measured between 12 and 24 weeks after initiation of treatment. The meta-analysis demonstrated a mean increase in FEV 1 of 30 mL (95% confidence interval, −260 to +330 mL; P  = .82) after initiation of azithromycin. One patient death was reported but not attributed to azithromycin therapy. In conclusion, current evidence can neither support nor refute the use of azithromycin in the treatment of patients who develop OB/BOS after HSCT. Further studies are needed to determine whether azithromycin is beneficial for the treatment of OB/BOS in this setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We sought to address how predictors and moderators of psychotherapy for bipolar depression - identified individually in prior analyses - can inform the development of a metric for prospectively classifying treatment outcome in intensive psychotherapy (IP) versus collaborative care (CC) adjunctive to pharmacotherapy in the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program (STEP-BD) study.Methods: We conducted post-hoc analyses on 135 STEP-BD participants using cluster analysis to identify subsets of participants with similar clinical profiles and investigated this combined metric as a moderator and predictor of response to IP. We used agglomerative hierarchical cluster analyses and k-means clustering to determine the content of the clinical profiles. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate whether the resulting clusters predicted or moderated likelihood of recovery or time until recovery.Results: The cluster analysis yielded a two-cluster solution: 1) "less-recurrent/severe" and 2) "chronic/recurrent." Rates of recovery in IP were similar for less-recurrent/severe and chronic/recurrent participants. Less-recurrent/severe patients were more likely than chronic/recurrent patients to achieve recovery in CC (p=.040, OR=4.56). IP yielded a faster recovery for chronic/recurrent participants, whereas CC led to recovery sooner in the less-recurrent/severe cluster (p=.034, OR=2.62).Limitations: Cluster analyses require list-wise deletion of cases with missing data so we were unable to conduct analyses on all STEP-BD participants.Conclusions: A well-powered, parametric approach can distinguish patients based on illness history and provide clinicians with symptom profiles of patients that confer differential prognosis in CC vs. IP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Chronic musculoskeletal pain is accompanied by central sensitization, which can be determined with quantitative sensory testing ( QST). In this study, we aim to investigate whether central sensitization, as measured by thermal QST, is detectable in community-dwelling elderly individuals suffering from self-reported chronic pain and identify determinants influencing thermal QST measurement analyses and interpretation. Methods In 3,936 participants of the Rotterdam Study, cold and warmth sensitivity and heat pain thresholds were determined using the thermo-sensory analyzer TSA II (Medoc Advanced Medical Systems, Durham, NC, U.S.A.). Using Cox regression, associations were studied with chronic pain and potential determinants (body mass index [ BMI], reaction speed, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, skin color, skin temperature, seasonal influence, depression, anxiety, atopic eczema, age at menarche, years since menopause, hormone replacement therapy ( HRT) use during menopause, and reproductive lifespan). Results In addition to the effect of age and gender on thermal sensitivity, darker skin color and the presence of atopic eczema were associated with higher sensitivity for heat pain. Cold sensitivity and warmth sensitivity thresholds were both influenced by BMI, reaction speed, skin temperature, season, depression, dark skin color, years since menopause, and reproductive lifespan. The presence of chronic pain was associated with 0.2 degrees lower heat pain threshold in all participants, and 0.3 degrees lower in individuals with chronic pain in more than 2 sites. Conclusion Higher sensitivity for heat pain, one feature of central sensitization, is present in community-dwelling elderly with chronic pain. Additional determinants should be considered when analyzing and interpreting QST measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To examine the effect of one standardized patient question on the length, number and type of new topics pharmacists addressed. To explore how community pharmacists counsel secret shoppers on two types of over-the-counter (OTC) medications-ibuprofen (IB) and emergency contraceptives (EC).Methods: 25 pharmacists from 7 independent, midwestern community pharmacies consented to have secret shoppers purchase an OTC medication and to have their consultations audio-recorded. Following standardized scenarios, 5 secret shoppers audio-recorded 73 encounters. At the end of 36 encounters secret shoppers asked one standard question, "What else should I know before taking this product?" Role Theory informed the study design with apriori hypotheses that topics assessed, topics discussed, and consultation length would vary by the OTC medication (IB or EC) and whether secret shoppers asked a question. Audio-recording coding had high inter-rater reliability (kappa=0.94).Results: Length of encounter was significantly associated with patients asking the question (p<0.05), but not type of OTC medication. On average 1.22 new topics were discussed with a patient question. New topics included information about safe and efficacious use of the OTC's.Conclusion: Results highlight the importance of encouraging patients to ask pharmacists their questions about OTC products for safe use and thorough consultations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A secondary aortoduodenal fistula is a rare but a severe late complication after prosthetic abdominal aortic surgery. Currently, there is little consensus regarding the right treatment due to high mortality and morbidity rates. We report the case of a haemodynamically unstable patient with haematemesis on the basis of a secondary aortoduodenal fistula. He was successfully treated by staged stent graft placement followed by surgical graft excision and autogenous deep vein reconstruction. In haemodynamically unstable patients or in patients where open repair is not feasible in the acute setting of secondary aortoduodenal fistula, we advocate the use of a 2-staged endovascular and surgical approach to improve short- and long-term outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To study the effect of different apical shapes in prepared simulated root canals on the application of a commercially prepared calcium hydroxide paste by a syringe or lentulo spiral. Methodology Three different types of root canal preparation were performed in 90 simulated canals: group A to an apical size 20 and a 0.10 taper using hand and rotary instruments, group B to an apical size 30 and a 0.08 taper using GT rotary instruments and group C to an apical size 40 and a 0.04 taper using ProFile 0.04 instruments. The insertion of calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2] paste was accomplished using either a lentulo spiral or a syringe. After 1 week of simulated fluid pressure applied to the apical end of the canal using physiological saline solution, the solution was evaluated for released Ca(OH)2. The specimens were weighed initially, after preparation, after insertion of Ca(OH)2 paste, after temporization with Cavit and after 1 week of simulated fluid pressure. Digital radiographs of the filled canals were taken and canal areas in mm2, gray values of the Ca(OH)2 dressings, total area of voids in mm2, as well as location of voids in the apical, middle or coronal thirds of the root canals were measured. Analyses of variance, with Scheffe's post-hoc tests, as well as chi-square tests were performed. Results Canals in group C had significantly fewer ( P < 0.01) radiographic voids than canals in groups A and B. Using a lentulo spiral resulted in significantly ( P < 0.05) fewer voids compared with the injection technique. More voids were detected coronally compared with middle and apical root canal thirds ( P < 0.05). Conclusions Canal shape and method of application had an impact on the amount and radiodensity of calcium hydroxide dressings in simulated root canals. Canals prepared to an apical size 40 and a taper of 0.04 had the least number of voids; Ca(OH)2 was placed with significantly fewer voids using a lentulo spiral compared with the injection technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]