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Refraining from closed reduction of displaced distal radius fractures in the emergency department – in short: the RECORDED trial

Abstract • Background With roughly 45.000 adult patients each year, distal radius fractures are one of the most common fractures in the emergency department. Approximately 60% of all these fractures are displaced and require surgery. The current guidelines advise to perform closed reduction of these fractures awaiting surgery, as it may lead to post-reduction pain relief and release tension of the surrounding neurovascular structures. Recent studies have shown that successful reduction does not warrant conservative treatment, while patients find it painful or even traumatizing. The aim of this study is to determine whether closed reduction can be safely abandoned in these patients. • Methods In this multicenter randomized clinical trial, we will randomize between closed reduction followed by plaster casting and only plaster casting. Patients aged 18 to 75 years, presenting at the emergency department with a displaced distal radial fracture and requiring surgery according to the attending surgeon, are eligible for inclusion. Primary outcome is pain assessed with daily VAS scores from the visit to the emergency department until surgery. Secondary outcomes are function assessed by PRWHE, length of stay at the emergency department, length of surgery, return to work, patient satisfaction and complications. A total of 134 patients will be included in this study with follow up of one year. • Discussion If our study shows that patients who did not receive closed reduction experience no significant drawbacks, we might be able to reorganize the initial care for distal radial fractures in the emergency department. If surgery is warranted, the patient can be send home with a plaster cast to await the call for admission, decreasing the time spend in the emergency room drastically. Trial registration This trial was registered in January of.

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Long-term mortality in treated-to-target RA and UA: results of the BeSt and IMPROVED cohort

ObjectivesTo study long-term (up to 20-year) mortality of two treat-to-target trial cohorts in undifferentiated arthritis (UA) and early rheumatoid arthritis (RA).MethodsThe BeSt (BehandelStrategieën) study (n=508, early RA) was performed between 2000 and 2012. For 10 years, patients were treated-to-target disease activity score (DAS)≤2.4.The Induction therapy with Methotrexate and Prednisone in Rheumatoid Or Very Early arthritic Disease (IMPROVED) study (n=610, early RA/UA) was performed between 2007 and 2015. For 5 years, patients were treated-to-target DAS<1.6.Vital status of BeSt/IMPROVED participants was assessed up to and including 31 December 2021. Standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated. Stratified analyses for anticitrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) and smoking status were performed. Death causes and the potential effect of disease activity during the trial period on late mortality were assessed.ResultsExcess mortality was found in both BeSt (SMR 1.32, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.53) and IMPROVED (SMR 1.33, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.63) and became manifest after 10 years. Excess mortality was statistically significant in ACPA+ patients who smoked (BeSt: SMR 2.80, 95% CI 2.16 to 3.64; IMPROVED: 2.14, 95% CI 1.33 to 3.45). Mean survival time was 10 (95% CI 5 to 16) months shorter than expected in BeSt and 13 (95% CI 11 to 16) months in IMPROVED. The HR for mortality was 1.34 (95% CI 0.96 to 1.86; BeSt)/1.13 (95% CI 0.67 to 1.91; IMPROVED) per 1 point increase in mean DAS during the trial. The main cause of death was malignancy.ConclusionsAfter long-term treatment-to-target, excess mortality occurred in patients with RA after>10 years since treatment start, with smoking as an important risk factor.

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Nationwide Use and Outcome of Surgery for Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Following Induction Chemotherapy.

Several international high-volume centers have reported good outcomes after resection of locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) following chemo(radio)therapy, but it is unclear how this translates to nationwide clinical practice and outcome. This study aims to assess the nationwide use and outcome of resection of LAPC following induction chemo(radio)therapy. A multicenter retrospective study including all patients who underwent resection for LAPC following chemo(radio)therapy in all 16 Dutch pancreatic surgery centers (2014-2020), registered in the mandatory Dutch Pancreatic Cancer Audit. LAPC is defined as arterial involvement > 90° and/or portomesenteric venous > 270° involvement or occlusion. Overall, 142 patients underwent resection for LAPC, of whom 34.5% met the 2022 National Comprehensive Cancer Network criteria. FOLFIRINOX was the most commonly (93.7%) used chemotherapy [median 5 cycles (IQR 4-8)]. Venous and arterial resections were performed in 51.4% and 14.8% of patients. Most resections (73.9%) were performed in high-volume centers (i.e., ≥ 60 pancreatoduodenectomies/year). Overall median volume of LAPC resections/center was 4 (IQR 1-7). In-hospital/30-day major morbidity was 37.3% and 90-day mortality was 4.2%. Median OS from diagnosis was 26 months (95% CI 23-28) and 5-year OS 18%. Surgery in high-volume centers [HR = 0.542 (95% CI 0.318-0.923)], ypN1-2 [HR = 3.141 (95% CI 1.886-5.234)], and major morbidity [HR = 2.031 (95% CI 1.272-3.244)] were associated with OS. Resection of LAPC following chemo(radio)therapy is infrequently performed in the Netherlands, albeit with acceptable morbidity, mortality, and OS. Given these findings, a structured nationwide approach involving international centers of excellence would be needed to improve selection of patients with LAPC for surgical resection following induction therapy.

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Capturing Patient Value in an Economic Evaluation.

Economic evaluations predominantly use generic outcomes, such as the Euro Quality of Life-5 Dimension (EQ-5D), to assess health status. However, because of the generic nature, they are less suitable to capture the quality of life of patients with specific conditions. Given the transition to patient-centered (remote) care delivery, this study aims to evaluate the possibility of using disease-specific measures in a cost-effectiveness analysis. A real-life cohort from Maasstad Hospital (2020-2021) in the Netherlands, with 772 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), was used to assess the cost-effectiveness of electronic consultations (e-consultations) compared with face-to-face consultations. The Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER), based on the generic EQ-5D, was compared with ICER's based on RA-specific measures: the Rheumatoid Arthritis Impact of Disease (RAID) and Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI). To compare the cost-effectiveness of these different measures, HAQ-DI and RAID were expressed in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) via estimated conversion equations. Disease-specific patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) offer a promising alternative for traditional measures in economic evaluations, capturing patient-relevant domains more comprehensively. Because PROMs are increasingly applied in clinical practice, the next step entails modeling of an RA patient-wide conversion equation to implement PROMs in economic evaluations. The conventional ICER (eg, EQ-5D) indicates that e-consultations are cost-effective with cost savings of -€161,000 per QALY gained for a prevalent RA cohort treated in a secondary trainee hospital. RA-specific measures show similar results, with ICERs of -€163,000 per HAQ-DI (QALY) and -€223,000 per RAID (QALY) gained. RA-specific measures capture patient-relevant domains and offer the opportunity to improve the assessment and treatment of the disease impact.

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Nationwide Outcome after Pancreatoduodenectomy in Patients at very High Risk (ISGPS-D) for Postoperative Pancreatic Fistula.

To assess nationwide surgical outcome after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) in patients at very high risk for postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF), categorized as ISGPS-D. Morbidity and mortality after ISGPS-D PD is perceived so high that a recent randomized trial advocated prophylactic total pancreatectomy (TP) as alternative aiming to lower this risk. However, current outcomes of ISGPS-D PD remain unknown as large nationwide series are lacking. Nationwide retrospective analysis including consecutive patients undergoing ISGPS-D PD (i.e., soft texture and pancreatic duct ≤3 mm), using the mandatory Dutch Pancreatic Cancer Audit (2014-2021). Primary outcome was in-hospital mortality and secondary outcomes included major morbidity (i.e., Clavien-Dindo grade ≥IIIa) and POPF (ISGPS grade B/C). The use of prophylactic TP to avoid POPF during the study period was assessed. Overall, 1402 patients were included. In-hospital mortality was 4.1% (n=57), which decreased to 3.7% (n=20/536) in the last 2 years. Major morbidity occurred in 642 patients (45.9%) and POPF in 410 (30.0%), which corresponded with failure to rescue in 8.9% (n=57/642). Patients with POPF had increased rates of major morbidity (88.0% vs. 28.3%; P<0.001) and mortality (6.3% vs. 3.5%; P=0.016), compared to patients without POPF. Among 190 patients undergoing TP, prophylactic TP to prevent POPF was performed in 4 (2.1%). This nationwide series found a 4.1% in-hospital mortality after ISGPS-D PD with 45.9% major morbidity, leaving little room for improvement through prophylactic TP. Nevertheless, given the outcomes in 30% of patients who develop POPF, future randomized trials should aim to prevent and mitigate POPF in this high-risk category.

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Description of a nationwide structure for monitoring nosocomial outbreaks of (highly resistant) microorganisms in the Netherlands: characteristics of outbreaks in 2012–2021

BackgroundBefore 2012, established national surveillance systems in the Netherlands were not able to provide a timely, comprehensive epidemiological view on nosocomial outbreaks. The Healthcare-associated Infections and AntiMicrobial Resistance Monitoring Group (SO-ZI/AMR) was initiated in 2012 for timely national nosocomial outbreak monitoring and risk assessment. This paper aims to describe the achievements of the SO-ZI/AMR by presenting characteristics of outbreaks reported in 2012–2021.MethodsHospitals and, since 2015, long-term care facilities (LTCF) were requested to report outbreaks when (1) continuity of care was threatened, or (2) transmission continued despite control measures. A multi-disciplinary expert panel (re-)assessed the public health risk of outbreaks during monthly meetings, using 5 severity phases and based on data collected via standardised questionnaires. We descriptively studied the panel’s consensus-based severity classification, distribution of (highly resistant) microorganisms, and duration and size of outbreaks between April 2012 and December 2021.ResultsIn total, 353 hospital outbreaks and 110 LTCF outbreaks were reported. Most outbreaks (hospitals: n = 309 (88%), LTCF: n = 103 (94%)) did not progress beyond phase 1 (no public health implications, outbreak expected to be controlled within two months), one hospital outbreak reached phase 4 (insufficient/ineffective response: possible public health threat, support offered). Highly resistant microorganisms (HRMO) were involved in 269 (76%) hospital and 103 (94%) LTCF outbreaks. Most outbreaks were caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA; n = 93 (26%) in hospitals, n = 80 (72%) in LTCF), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE; n = 116 (33%) in hospitals, n = 2 (2%) in LTCF) and highly resistant Enterobacterales (n = 41 (12%) in hospitals, n = 20 (18%) in LTCF). Carbapenemase-producing gram-negative bacteria were involved in 32 (9.1%) hospital and five (4.5%) LTCF outbreaks. In hospitals, VRE outbreaks had the longest duration (median 2.3; range 0.0-22.8 months) and widest range of affected patients (median 9; range 2-483).ConclusionsThe SO-ZI/AMR provided national insight into the characteristics of nosocomial outbreaks over the past decade. HRMO outbreaks – mostly caused by MRSA, VRE (in hospitals) and highly resistant Enterobacterales – occurred regularly, but most of them were controlled quickly and did not develop into a public health threat. The SO-ZI/AMR has become a solid monitoring body, essential to assess risks and raise awareness of potential HRMO threats.

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Targeted therapy with a localised abluminal groove, low-dose sirolimus-eluting, biodegradable-polymer coronary stent - five-year results of the TARGET All Comers randomised clinical trial.

In the prospective, multicentre, randomised TARGET All Comers study, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with the FIREHAWK biodegradable-polymer sirolimus-eluting stent (BP-SES) was non-inferior to the durable-polymer everolimus-eluting stent (DP-EES) for the primary endpoint of target lesion failure (TLF) at 12 months. We aimed to report the final study outcomes at 5 years. Patients referred for PCI were randomised to receive either a BP-SES or DP-EES in a 1:1 ratio in 10 European countries. Randomisation was stratified by centre and ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) presentation, and clinical follow-up extended to 5 years. The primary endpoint was TLF (composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction [MI], or ischaemia-driven target lesion revascularisation). Secondary endpoints included patient-oriented composite events (POCE; composite of all-cause death, all MI, or any revascularisation and its components). From December 2015 to October 2016, 1,653 patients were randomly assigned to the BP-SES or DP-EES groups, of which 93.8% completed 5-year clinical follow-up or were deceased. At 5 years, TLF occurred in 17.1% of the BP-SES group and in 16.3% of the DP-EES group (p=0.68). POCE occurred in 34.0% of the BP-SES group and 32.7% of the DP-EES group (p=0.58). Revascularisation was the most common POCE, occurring in 19.3% of patients receiving BP-SES and 19.2% receiving DP-EES, of which less than one-third was ischaemia-driven target lesion-related. In the landmark analysis, there were no differences in the rates of TLF and POCE between groups from 1 to 5 years, and these results were consistent across all subgroups. In an all-comers population requiring stent implantation for myocardial ischaemia, the BP-SES was non-inferior to the DP-EES for the primary endpoint of TLF at 12 months, and results were sustained at 5 years, confirming the long-term safety and efficacy of the FIREHAWK BP-SES.

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Lymphoceles after pelvic lymph node dissection during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

Lymphoceles, lymph fluid-filled collections within the body lacking epithelial lining, are a common complication after pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). In this study, we investigate the incidence of imaging confirmed symptomatic lymphoceles (SLC) in a centralized high-volume operating centre and assess predictive factors and treatment. We retrospectively analysed the incidence, risk factors and treatment of a consecutive series of patients who underwent PLND during RARP between September 2018 and January 2021 in a specialised operation clinic. We compared baseline patients' characteristics and pathological data between men who developed an SLC and those who did not. A multivariable model for the occurrence of an SLC was created using predetermined, clinically relevant variables to investigate predictive factors. We analysed the records of 404 patients. The median follow-up length was 29 months. A total of 30 (7.4%) patients with an SLC were identified. The median time until SLC presentation was 12 weeks [interquartile range (IQR), 4-31 weeks], one-third of SLCs presented after 180 days. Percutaneous drainage was performed in 17 patients (57%). On multivariable analysis, only body mass index (BMI) significantly increased the odds of an SLC [per 5 odds ratio (OR) =1.7; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.0-3.0, P=0.04]. SLCs present significant consequences, as more than half of patients with an SLC were treated with percutaneous drainage. Many patients presented later than the centralized surgeons' postoperative follow-up, a drawback of centralized care. An increased BMI was a significant predictor for SLC.

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DA-EPOCH-R for High Grade B-Cell Lymphoma Patients with MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 Rearrangements: Clinical Results of the Induction Phase of the HOVON-152 Trial

Introduction Patients (pts) with high grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBL) with MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 gene rearrangements (double hit and triple hit (DH/TH)) have poor outcomes to standard R-CHOP. Retrospective studies reported improved disease-free survival (DFS) through intensification with dose-adjusted etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and rituximab (DA-EPOCH-R). This regimen was studied in a small prospective trial including 24 DH/TH and 19 single MYC rearranged (SH) lymphomas (Dunleavy, Lancet Haematol 2019). No prospective studies evaluating DA-EPOCH-R exclusively for pts with DH/TH HGBL have been reported. The HOVON-152 trial aimed to improve outcomes in untreated DH/TH HGBL pts by investigating the efficacy of the immune checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab as consolidation treatment in pts achieving complete metabolic response (CMR) after DA-EPOCH-R induction. Here, we present the efficacy and safety profile of the induction phase with DA-EPOCH-R. Methods HOVON-152 is a prospective, multi-center, single arm phase II trial. Inclusion criteria were pts with newly diagnosed HGBL-DH/TH (according to the WHO 2016 classification), age ≥ 18 years, WHO performance status (PS) 0-3 and Ann Arbor stage II-IV. During the screening period for rearrangement status, pts could receive 1 cycle of R-CHOP or DA-EPOCH-R, followed by 5 cycles of DA-EPOCH-R. All pts received intrathecal CNS prophylaxis. All diagnostic lymphoma samples were centrally reviewed. PET-CT scans were performed at diagnosis, after 3 cycles and at end-of-induction (local review, central review will be reported at the conference). Pts in CMR after induction treatment (Deauville 1-3 or a negative lymphoma biopsy in case of Deauville 4) proceeded to nivolumab consolidation (480 mg every 4 weeks for one year). The HOVON-152 aimed to improve 12 months DFS of pts in CMR after induction from an expected 70% to 85% with nivolumab consolidation. Secondary objectives included evaluation of response rates, overall survival (OS) and safety. With a power of 0.90 a sample size of 97 pts was calculated. Here, we report efficacy (CMR rate) and safety of DA-EPOCH-R induction treatment. Logistic univariate analysis is used to analyze baseline characteristics associated with response. Adverse events (AEs) were defined according to the common terminology criteria for adverse events (CTC AE 5.0), counted by the highest grade per system organ class per patient. Results From August 2018 - March 2022, 97 pts have been enrolled (study inclusion completed). One patient was excluded due to CNS localization. The median age was 62 years (range 35-79); 90 (83%) pts had stage III-IV disease and 52 (54%) had (intermediate-)high international prognostic index (IPI) (Table 1). Central pathology review confirmed DH/TH in all pts. 65 pts (67%) had a BCL2 DH, 11 (12%) a BCL6 DH and 16 (17%) a TH. Dose adjustments were performed conform protocol. The maximum dose-level (DL) achieved was DL1 in 41 (43%), DL2 in 22 (23%), DL3 in 25 (25%), DL4 in 7 (7%) and DL5 in 1 (1%) of the pts. Vincristine dose was reduced in 28/81 (35%) pts. After DA-EPOCH-R induction, 63/96 (66%, 95% CI 55-75%) pts achieved CMR. WHO PS 2-3 (odds ratio (OR) 0.15, 95% CI 0.03-0.85, p=0.03), elevated LDH (OR 0.24, 95%CI 0.10-0.59, p=0.002) and bulky disease defined as ≥10 cm mass (OR 0.23, 95%CI 0.09-0.56, p=0.001), were significantly associated with a lower chance of achieving CMR. During treatment, 7 (7%) pts experienced a grade 5 AE (ileus, intestinal perforation, multi-organ failure/sepsis). Thereof, 4 patients died during DA-EPOCH-R and 3 patients died after DA-EPOCH-R. 31 (32%) experienced a grade 4 AE (e.g. sepsis, perforation, hemorrhage, thrombocytopenia and neutropenia), 21 (22%) a grade 3 AE (e.g. anemia, mucositis, infections and electrolyte disturbances) and 16 (17%) pts a grade 2 AE. Conclusion We report the largest prospective series of DH/TH HGBL patients treated with DA-EPOCH-R. DA-EPOCH-R induction was feasible, with toxicity and dose adjustments as previously described. The observed CMR rate of 66% was lower than previously reported in a prospective cohort of mixed DH/TH and SH patients (74%). For patients achieving CMR, the nivolumab consolidation phase is ongoing. Translational side studies investigating predictive factors to identify patients not achieving CMR are ongoing. For these patients, novel strategies to improve first-line treatment are warranted.

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Management of Postthyroidectomy Hypoparathyroidism and Its Effect on Hypocalcemia-Related Complications: A Meta-Analysis.

The aim of this Meta-analysis is to evaluate the impact of different treatment strategies for early postoperative hypoparathyroidism on hypocalcemia-related complications and long-term hypoparathyroidism. Embase.com, MEDLINE, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the top 100 references of Google Scholar were searched to September 20, 2022. Articles reporting on adult patients who underwent total thyroidectomy which specified a treatment strategy for postthyroidectomy hypoparathyroidism were included. Random effect models were applied to obtain pooled proportions and 95% confidence intervals. Primary outcome was the occurrence of major hypocalcemia-related complications. Secondary outcome was long-term hypoparathyroidism. Sixty-six studies comprising 67 treatment protocols and 51,096 patients were included in this Meta-analysis. In 8 protocols (3806 patients), routine calcium and/or active vitamin D medication was given to all patients directly after thyroidectomy. In 49 protocols (44,012 patients), calcium and/or active vitamin D medication was only given to patients with biochemically proven postthyroidectomy hypoparathyroidism. In 10 protocols (3278 patients), calcium and/or active vitamin D supplementation was only initiated in case of clinical symptoms of hypocalcemia. No patient had a major complication due to postoperative hypocalcemia. The pooled proportion of long-term hypoparathyroidism was 2.4% (95% confidence interval, 1.9-3.0). There was no significant difference in the incidence of long-term hypoparathyroidism between the 3 supplementation groups. All treatment strategies for postoperative hypocalcemia prevent major complications of hypocalcemia. The early postoperative treatment protocol for postthyroidectomy hypoparathyroidism does not seem to influence recovery of parathyroid function in the long term.

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