Comparison Of Outcomes Research Articles

Risk factors for anteroposterior laxity increase over time in double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using hamstring autografts.

An anteroposterior (AP) laxity can increase over time after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) using hamstring tendons; however, the associated risk factors remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors of this phenomenon. Overall, 151 patients who underwent ACLR using hamstring autografts were recruited. AP laxity was evaluated using Knee Lax 3 arthrometer at 5 months, 1 and 2 years postsurgery. Patients were categorised into groups I (>1 mm increase) and C (<1 mm increase) based on whether they experienced an irreversible increase in AP laxity after 1 or 2 years compared with 5 months. Patient demographics and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) at 2 years postsurgery were compared between groups. Group I (n = 33, 21%) showed a side-to-side difference of 4.6 (3.0-7.2) mm in AP laxity preoperatively and 0.3 (-0.7 to 1.3), 1.1 (0.2-1.9) and 2.4 (1.7-3.2) mm at 5 months, 1 and 2 years postoperatively, while group C (n = 119, 79%) showed 4.3 (2.8-5.7) mm preoperatively and 1.3 (0-1.9), 0.9 (0.1-1.8) and 0.6 (-0.3 to 1.5) mm, respectively. No significant differences were observed in the overall KOOS at 2 years (n.s.). However, group I was older (36 [22-46] vs. 28 [19-39] years; p = 0.044), had longer surgical waiting periods (122 [69-341] vs. 81 [52-136] days; p = 0.041) and lower preoperative Tegner activity scale scores (6 [5-7] vs. 7 [6,7]; p = 0.002). While 33 patients (21%) experienced AP laxity increase over time, they had comparable clinical outcomes with group C. Level III.

Age of First Exposure to Contact Sports Is Not Associated With Worse Later-In-Life Brain Health in a Cohort of Community-Dwelling Older Men.

To evaluate whether early age of first exposure to contact sports (AFE-CS) is associated with worse long-term brain health outcomes. A cross-sectional, survey study of older men with a history of contact sport participation was completed. Tertiary care facility. A cohort of community-dwelling older men dichotomized by using AFE-CS (<12 years vs ≥12 years). Independent variables included a dichotomized group of AFE-CS (<12 years vs ≥12 years). Brain health outcomes measured by depression, anxiety, cognitive difficulties, and neurobehavioral symptoms. Endorsements of general health problems, motor symptoms, and psychiatric history were also collected. Age of first exposure groups was compared using t tests, χ2 tests, and multivariable linear regressions, which included the following covariates: age, number of prior concussions, and total years of contact sport. Of 69 men aged 70.5 ± 8.0 years, approximately one-third of the sample (34.8%) reported AFE-CS before age 12 years. That group had more years of contact sports (10.8 ± 9.2 years) compared with those with AFE-CS ≥12 (5.6 ± 4.5 years; P = 0.02). No differences were found after univariate testing between AFE-CS groups on all outcomes (P-values >0.05). Multivariable models suggest that AFE-CS is not a predictor of depression or anxiety. Those in the AFE-CS <12 group had fewer cognitive difficulties (P = 0.03) and fewer neurobehavioral symptoms (P = 0.03). Those with AFE-CS <12 to contact sports did not have worse long-term brain health outcomes compared with those with AFE-CS ≥12. Individuals with AFE-CS <12 had significantly lower British Columbia Cognitive Complaints Inventory and Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory scores compared with those with AFE-CS ≥12. The benefits of earlier AFE-CS may outweigh the risks of head strikes and result in comparable long-term brain health outcomes.

Screw Configuration Does Not Significantly Alter Neck Shortening Following Valgus Impacted Femoral Neck Fracture (OTA Type 31B1.1)

OBJECTIVES: To compare three different cancellous screw configurations used for Garden 1 femoral neck fractures (FNF). METHODS: Design: Retrospective review. Setting: A large urban academic medical center. Patient Selection Criteria: All patients with OTA 31B1.1 FNF that underwent in situ fixation with cancellous screws between 2012 and 2021 were included. Patients were divided into three groups: two screws placed in a parallel fashion, three screws placed in an inverted triangle configuration, and three-screw fixation with placement of one “out of plane” (OOP) screw perpendicular to the long axis of the femur. Outcome Measures and Comparisons: Post operative femoral neck shortening (mm) was the primary outcome, which was compared amongst the three groups of different screw configurations. RESULTS: Sixty-one patients with a median follow-up of 1 year (IQR 0.6-1.8 years) and an average age of 72 years (IQR 65.0-83.0 years) were included. All fractures united. Overall, 68.9% of the cohort had ≤ 2 mm of femoral neck shortening. There was no difference between groups in the proportion of patients who experienced greater than 2 mm of shortening (p = 0.839) or in the amount (mm) of femoral neck shortening (Kruskal-Wallis χ2 = 0.517, p = 0.772). CONCLUSIONS: While most patients with valgus impacted femoral neck fractures treated with screw fixation do not experience further femoral neck shortening, some patients demonstrated continued radiographic shortening during the healing process. The development of further femoral neck shortening and the amount of shortening that occurs do not differ based on implant configuration. Multiple different screw configurations appear to be acceptable with regards to achieving healing and minimizing further femoral neck impaction. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Femoral versus radial access for middle meningeal artery embolization for chronic subdural hematomas: multicenter propensity score matched study

BackgroundWith transradial access (TRA) being more progressively used in neuroendovascular procedures, we compared TRA with transfemoral access (TFA) in middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) for chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH).MethodsConsecutive patients...

Morphological Change in Optical Coherence Tomography and Functional Outcomes in Epiretinal Membrane Peeling with or without SF6 Tamponade.

The present study compares the anatomical and functional outcomes (best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT)) among membrane peeling with or without SF6 tamponade in patients with epiretinal membrane. We retrospectively reviewed patients diagnosed with macular pucker who underwent pars plana vitrectomy and membrane peeling in a tertiary center in Taiwan from January 2021 to December 2022. Subjects were categorized into with or without SF6 tamponade groups (SF6 group and BSS group). Postoperative intraocular pressure and complications were documented. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the prognostic factors during follow-up. A total of 89 eyes were enrolled, including 34 eyes in the BSS group and 55 eyes in the SF6 group. The mean age was 66 years old, and a female predilection was demonstrated. Both groups possessed statistically significant improvement in BCVA and CMT after the operation. There was no significant difference in CMT between the groups at any time of observation, yet we observed significant differences in baseline BCVA and BCVA at last follow-up among the two groups. Both groups yielded an approximate enhancement of LogMAR 0.3 in BCVA postoperatively. There was no significant difference noted in postoperative IOP between the two groups. Membrane peeling with or without SF6 tamponade yields comparable outcomes anatomically and functionally. This may indicate that SF6 tamponade for idiopathic macular pucker surgery may not provide extra benefit, and therefore warrants reconsideration as standard procedure.

Long-Term Comparative Effectiveness of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) Versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement (SAVR) in High-Risk Aortic Stenosis Patients: A Meta-Analysis

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become an alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) for high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). This meta-analysis aims to compare the long-term outcomes of TAVR and SAVR in this population. A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library was conducted up to December 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies comparing TAVR and SAVR with a minimum follow-up of one year were included. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included cardiovascular mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), and rehospitalization. Twenty-three studies involving 15,482 patients (TAVR=7,785, SAVR=7,697) were included. The mean follow-up period was 3.2 years (range 1-5 years). There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality between TAVR and SAVR (Hazard Ratio [HR] 1.02, 95% CI 0.95-1.09, p=0.63). Similarly, there were no differences in cardiovascular mortality (HR 1.05, 95% CI 0.96-1.15, p=0.28), stroke (HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.87-1.10, p=0.75), or MI (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.82-1.08, p=0.39). However, TAVR was associated with a lower rate of rehospitalization (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.78-0.93, p=0.001). TAVR is a viable alternative to SAVR in high-risk patients with AS, demonstrating comparable long-term survival and safety outcomes. The reduced rehospitalization rate associated with TAVR may be an important consideration for these patients.

Survival and pulmonary function in stage IA non-small cell lung cancer after sublobar resection versuslobectomy: An updated meta-analysis.

Traditionally, lobectomy was standard for stage IA non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Recent RCTs suggest sublobar resection's comparable outcomes. Our meta-analysis, incorporating 30 studies (including fourRCTs), assessed sublobar resection's efficacy. Employing a random-effects model and I2 statistics for heterogeneity, we found sublobar resection reduced DFS (HR 1.31, p < 0.01) and OS (HR 1.27, p < 0.01) overall. However, RCT subgroup analysis showed no significant differences in DFS (p = 0.28) or OS (p = 0.62). Sublobar resection is a viable option for well-selected patients.

Comparative Outcome Following Introduction Of Chest Physiotherapy At Hospital Setting After Major Abdominal Surgery

Background: Postoperative respiratory complications are still a matter of ‘folds in forehead’ for surgeons. Though optimum pre-operative preparation and good surgical technique, we always observe that there are some sorts of post-operative chest complications after major abdominal surgery. Now-a-days, chest physiotherapy is usually advised by the surgeons in the immediate postoperative period. But still it is not in a constructive way. There is no well-documented study regarding the effectiveness of chest physiotherapy in an immediate post-operative period of major upper abdominal surgery. So, this is a time demanding study in this regard. Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of chest physiotherapy during the immediate postoperative period among patients undergoing elective major abdominal surgery. Methods: All patients who underwent major abdominal surgery were selected by purposive sampling. Thereafter, they were scrutinized according to eligibility criteria and 100 patients were finalized. Among them, 50 were enrolled under control group and rest 50 were enrolled under study group. This experimental study was conducted in department of Surgery, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, from March 2017 to December 2017. Results: The mean age of the participants in control and study groups were 49.73±15.91 year and 53.77±12.21 year respectively. The female to male ratio in these groups was 1:2.13 and 1:3.17 respectively. Two groups presented similar levels of pain before and after surgery. The group receiving chest physiotherapy presented a lower pain score on the immediate postoperative day. The preoperative spirometry values (expressed as a percentage of the predicted values) were almost similar in two groups and presented average decreases of 20% in FVC, FEV, and PEF on the 14th post-operative day. It was observed that the measurements of oxygen-hemoglobin saturations were different for the control (96.7±1.6 vs 95.2±1.8; p=0.005) and study group (97.3±1.8 vs 94.6±2.5; p=0.03). Respiratory distress was not significantly higher in control group but interestingly there were statistically significant differences observed between the control and study group regarding fever, Surgical site infection (SSI) and mean hospital stay. Conclusion: Chest physiotherapy in major abdominal surgery shows an excellent outcome that accelerates the overall recovery. J Dhaka Med Coll. 2022; 31(2) : 177-181

Cytomorphological patterns and clinical features of presumptive tubercular lymphadenitis patients and their comparison with bacteriological detection methods: a cross-sectional study

IntroductionTuberculous lymphadenitis (TBLN) is an infection of the lymph node caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Histological diagnoses of presumptive patients are often accompanied by cytomorphological features. However, the sensitivities of these features are often precluded by the variable degrees of narrative similarities compared to other diagnostic modalities.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate and compare the cytomorphological and clinical features of presumptive TBLN patients with bacteriological detection methods.MethodsA similar cohort of TBLN patients from our previous study who were enrolled prospectively from the ALERT Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was considered for this analysis. SPSS version 26 was used for data analysis. Descriptive analysis was conducted to characterize the study population using the independent variable and presented with frequency tables. The chi-square test was used to measure the association. A P-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsUsing FNAC, 60/126 (47.6%) of the participants were reported to have features consistent with TB. Of the total FNAC-positive cases, many (30/60 and 27/60) showed pattern B (caseous necrosis only) and pattern C (epithelioid granuloma with caseous necrosis), respectively. Strong concordance was observed in Pattern A (abundant caseous necrosis with few epithelioid macrophages) followed by patterns B and C with GeneXpert and MGIT culture (P value < 0.001). Night sweats and alcohol intake were shown to correlate with positive cases as reported by FNAC (P value = 0.008 respectively), GeneXpert (P value = 0.02 & 0.001), and culture methods (P-value = < 0.001 & 0.002).ConclusionCytomorphological features, particularly patterns A, B, and C, could be considered in the diagnosis of TBLN given their comparable outcomes with bacteriological detection methods. On another note, we recommend that due care and attention be given when treating TBLN patients based solely on clinical presentation, as these diagnostics may be prone to false results, leading to inappropriate administration of anti-TB drugs and other consequences.

Cytomorphological patterns and clinical features of presumptive tubercular lymphadenitis patients and their comparison with bacteriological detection methods: a cross-sectional study

IntroductionTuberculous lymphadenitis (TBLN) is an infection of the lymph node caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Histological diagnoses of presumptive patients are often accompanied by cytomorphological features. However, the sensitivities of these features are often precluded by the variable degrees of narrative similarities compared to other diagnostic modalities.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate and compare the cytomorphological and clinical features of presumptive TBLN patients with bacteriological detection methods.MethodsA similar cohort of TBLN patients from our previous study who were enrolled prospectively from the ALERT Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was considered for this analysis. SPSS version 26 was used for data analysis. Descriptive analysis was conducted to characterize the study population using the independent variable and presented with frequency tables. The chi-square test was used to measure the association. A P-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsUsing FNAC, 60/126 (47.6%) of the participants were reported to have features consistent with TB. Of the total FNAC-positive cases, many (30/60 and 27/60) showed pattern B (caseous necrosis only) and pattern C (epithelioid granuloma with caseous necrosis), respectively. Strong concordance was observed in Pattern A (abundant caseous necrosis with few epithelioid macrophages) followed by patterns B and C with GeneXpert and MGIT culture (P value < 0.001). Night sweats and alcohol intake were shown to correlate with positive cases as reported by FNAC (P value = 0.008 respectively), GeneXpert (P value = 0.02 & 0.001), and culture methods (P-value = < 0.001 & 0.002).ConclusionCytomorphological features, particularly patterns A, B, and C, could be considered in the diagnosis of TBLN given their comparable outcomes with bacteriological detection methods. On another note, we recommend that due care and attention be given when treating TBLN patients based solely on clinical presentation, as these diagnostics may be prone to false results, leading to inappropriate administration of anti-TB drugs and other consequences.

A Matched Comparison of Implant and Functional Outcomes of Cemented and Cementless Unicompartmental Knee Replacements: A Study from the National Joint Registry for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man and the Hospital Episode Statistics Patient Reported Outcome Measures Database.

Unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR) is an effective treatment for end-stage medial compartment osteoarthritis, but there can be problems with fixation. The cementless UKR was introduced to address this issue. It is unknown how its functional outcomes compare with those of the cemented version on a national scale. We performed a matched comparison of the clinical and functional outcomes of cementless and cemented UKRs. Using the National Joint Registry for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man (NJR), 14,764 Oxford UKRs with linked data regarding patient-reported outcomes were identified. A total of 6,906 UKRs (3,453 cemented and 3,453 cementless) were propensity score matched on the basis of patient, surgical, and implant factors. The 10-year cumulative implant survival rate was 93.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 90.0% to 95.1%) for cementless UKRs and 91.3% (95% CI, 89.0% to 93.0%) for cemented UKRs. The cementless UKR group had a significantly lower revision risk (hazard ratio [HR], 0.74; p = 0.02). Subgroup analyses showed a stronger effect size (HR, 0.66) among UKRs performed by high-caseload surgeons (i.e., surgeons performing ≥30 UKRs/year). In the overall cohort, the postoperative Oxford Knee Score (OKS) in the cementless group (mean and standard deviation, 39.1 ± 8.7) was significantly higher (p = 0.001) than that in the cemented group (38.5 ± 8.6). The cementless group gained a mean of 17.6 ± 9.3 points in the OKS postoperatively and the cemented group gained 16.5 ± 9.6 points, with a difference of 1.1 points between the groups (p < 0.001). The difference in OKS points gained postoperatively was highest among UKRs performed by high-caseload surgeons, with the cementless group gaining 1.8 points more (p < 0.001) than the cemented group. The cementless UKR demonstrated better 10-year implant survival and postoperative functional outcomes than the cemented UKR. The difference was largest among UKRs performed by high-caseload surgeons, with the cementless fixation group having an HR for revision of 0.66 and an approximately 2-point greater improvement in the OKS compared with the cemented fixation group. Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Utilization and outcomes of transcranial magnetic stimulation and usual care for MDD in a large group psychiatric practice

BackgroundGeneral psychiatrists’ practice standards vary regarding when to implement transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for care of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Furthermore, few studies have examined real-world utilization and clinical outcomes of TMS. This study analyzed data from a large, multi-site psychiatric practice to evaluate utilization and outcomes of TMS as well as usual care (UC) for patients with MDD.MethodsDepression outcomes for TMS and UC among adult patients at a multi-site psychiatric group practice were examined in this retrospective cohort analysis. Patients with a primary diagnosis of MDD, PHQ-9 ≥ 10, and a visit in November 2020 with 6-month follow-up were included and categorized into the TMS or UC cohorts.ResultsOf 1,011 patients with qualifying PHQ-9 at the baseline visit, 9% (89) received a full course of TMS, and 583 patients receiving UC met study inclusion criteria (339 patients were excluded due to lacking a 6-month follow-up visit or receiving esketamine during the study period). The TMS cohort had higher baseline PHQ-9 than UC (17.9 vs. 15.5, p < .001) and had failed more medication trials (≥ 4 vs. 3.1, p < .001). Mean PHQ-9 decreased by 5.7 points (SD = 6.7, p < .001) in the TMS cohort and by 4.2 points (SD = 6.4, p < .001) in the UC cohort over the study period. Among patients who had failed four or more antidepressant medications, PHQ-9 decreased by 5.8 points in the TMS cohort (SD = 6.7, p < .001) and by 3.2 points in the UC cohort (SD = 6.3, p < .001).ConclusionsTMS utilization was low, despite TMS showing significant real-world clinical benefits. Future research should examine and address barriers to wider adoption of TMS into routine patient care for patients with treatment-resistant MDD. Wider adoption including routine use of TMS in less treatment-resistant patients will allow statistical comparisons of outcomes between TMS and UC populations that are difficult to do when TMS is underutilized.

Low-Dose Prasugrel vs. Standard-Dose Clopidogrel for Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Low-dose prasugrel (3.75 mg) is used as maintenance therapy for percutaneous coronary intervention; however, data on long-term outcomes are scarce.Methods and Results: We analyzed 5,392 participants in the KiCS-PCI registry who were administered low-dose prasugrel or clopidogrel at discharge between 2008 and 2018 and for whom 2-year follow-up data were available. We adjusted for confounders using matching weight analyses and multiple imputations. Similarly, we used inverse probability- and propensity score-weighted analyses. We also performed instrumental variable analyses. The primary outcomes were acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and bleeding requiring readmission. Secondary outcomes were all-cause death and a composite outcome of ACS, bleeding, heart failure, stroke, coronary bypass requiring admission, and all-cause death. In this cohort, 12.2% of patients were discharged with low-dose prasugrel. Compared with clopidogrel, low-dose prasugrel was associated with a reduced risk of ACS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.58; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.39-0.85), bleeding (HR 0.62; 95% CI 0.40-0.97), and the composite outcome (HR 0.71; 95% CI 0.59-0.86). Inverse probability-weighted analysis yielded similar results; however, matching weight analysis without multiple imputations and propensity score-matched analyses showed similar outcomes in both groups. Instrumental variable analyses showed reduced risks of ACS and composite outcome for those on low-dose prasugrel. All-cause mortality did not differ in all analyses. Low-dose prasugrel demonstrates comparable outcomes to clopidogrel in terms of ACS and bleeding.

Optimizing Hospital Performance Evaluation in Total Weight Loss Outcomes After Bariatric Surgery: A Retrospective Analysis to Guide Further Improvement in Dutch Hospitals.

Bariatric surgery aims for optimal patient outcomes, often evaluated through the percentage total weight loss (%TWL). Quality registries employ funnel plots for outcome comparisons between hospitals. However, funnel plots are traditionally used for dichotomous outcomes, requiring %TWL to be dichotomized, potentially limiting feedback quality. This study evaluates whether a funnel plot around the median %TWL has better discriminatory performance than binary funnel plots for achieving at least 20% and 25% TWL. All hospitals performing bariatric surgery were included from the Dutch Audit for Treatment of Obesity. A funnel plot around the median was constructed using 5-year %TWL data. Hospitals positioned above the 95% control limit were colored green and those below red. The same hospitals were plotted in the binary funnel plots for 20% and 25% TWL and colored according to their performance in the funnel plot around the median. We explored the hospital's procedural mix in relation to %TWL performance as possible explanatory factors. The median-based funnel plot identified four underperforming and four outperforming hospitals, while only one underperforming and no outperforming hospitals were found with the binary funnel plot for 20% TWL. The 25% TWL binary funnel plot identified two underperforming and three outperforming hospitals. The proportion of sleeve gastrectomies performed per hospital may explain part of these results as it was negatively associated with median %TWL (β = - 0.09, 95% confidence interval [- 0.13 to - 0.04]). The funnel plot around the median discriminated better between hospitals with significantly worse and better performance than funnel plots for dichotomized %TWL outcomes.

Optimizing Hospital Performance Evaluation in Total Weight Loss Outcomes After Bariatric Surgery: A Retrospective Analysis to Guide Further Improvement in Dutch Hospitals.

Bariatric surgery aims for optimal patient outcomes, often evaluated through the percentage total weight loss (%TWL). Quality registries employ funnel plots for outcome comparisons between hospitals. However, funnel plots are traditionally used for dichotomous outcomes, requiring %TWL to be dichotomized, potentially limiting feedback quality. This study evaluates whether a funnel plot around the median %TWL has better discriminatory performance than binary funnel plots for achieving at least 20% and 25% TWL. All hospitals performing bariatric surgery were included from the Dutch Audit for Treatment of Obesity. A funnel plot around the median was constructed using 5-year %TWL data. Hospitals positioned above the 95% control limit were colored green and those below red. The same hospitals were plotted in the binary funnel plots for 20% and 25% TWL and colored according to their performance in the funnel plot around the median. We explored the hospital's procedural mix in relation to %TWL performance as possible explanatory factors. The median-based funnel plot identified four underperforming and four outperforming hospitals, while only one underperforming and no outperforming hospitals were found with the binary funnel plot for 20% TWL. The 25% TWL binary funnel plot identified two underperforming and three outperforming hospitals. The proportion of sleeve gastrectomies performed per hospital may explain part of these results as it was negatively associated with median %TWL (β = - 0.09, 95% confidence interval [- 0.13 to - 0.04]). The funnel plot around the median discriminated better between hospitals with significantly worse and better performance than funnel plots for dichotomized %TWL outcomes.

Trends in Utilization and Cost of Nonpharmacological Pain Therapies in the United States Under Medicare Part B, 2000-2022.

Background: Many clinical practice guidelines for management of pain disorders now favor first-line use of nonpharmacological therapies (NPT). However, Medicare coverage of NPT is limited. Methods: Using a serial cross-sectional design, we examined temporal trends in the utilization and cost of NPT procedures commonly used to treat pain under Medicare. Results: Utilization and costs for physical therapy increased while those for spinal and osteopathic manipulation declined. Discussion: Future research on NPT under Medicare should focus on equity of patient access and comparative outcomes.

Comparison of Treatment Outcome of Ganciclovir Ophthalmic Gel and Moxifloxacin Eye Drop in Acute Adenoviral Keratoconjunctivitis

Adenoviral ophthalmic infection is a self-limiting, highly contagious, very frequent infectious process. It can present in three acute clinical forms: nonspecific acute follicular conjunctivitis, pharyngo-conjunctival fever and epidemic keratoconjunctivitis. This study aims to assess and compare the efficacy of 0.15% ganciclovir gel with Moxifloxacin eye drop in the treatment of acute adenoviral keratoconjunctivitis.This longitudinal prospective study was conducted among 40 patients of acute adenoviral keratoconjuctivitis attending in the cornea clinic of National Institute of Ophthalmology &amp; Hospital (NIOH), Dhaka, Bangladesh. They were randomly divided into two groups: group-I (study group) with 20 patients who used 0.15% ganciclovir gel and group-ii (control group) with 20 patients who used artificial tear and 0.5% moxifloxacin eye drop. Diagnosis was confirmed by expert cornea specialist by methodical ophthalmic examination. They were followed-up on 1,2,4 and 6 weekly. Mean score of symptoms and signs were calculated in every follow-up and compared between two groups. Unpaired t test and chi square test were done in applicable cases with statistical significance p&lt;0.05. This study showed that in study group mean age of the respondents were 36.4±9.59 years and in control group 37±11.02 years. Most of them were male (82.5%). In study group, mean score of symptoms at the beginning of the study was 1.4. It was 1.14, 0.64, 0.20 and 0.04 after1,2,4,6 weeks respectively after starting treatment and in control group mean score of symptoms at the beginning of the study was 1.48. It was 1.46, 1.125,0.59 and 0.23 after1,2,4,6weeks respectively after starting treatment. A trend towards better response was observed in the treatment group and the difference was statically significant. The mean score of signs after starting treatment in group-iwas 1.8.It was 1.35, 0.775, 0.30 and 0.175 after ,2,4,6weeks respectively and in group-ii, mean score of signs at the beginning of the study was 1.675. It was 1.725,1.35,0.725 and 0.300 after 1,2,4,6 weeks respectively after starting treatment. A trend towards improved sings were observed in the study group and the difference was statistically significant at 1 week (p=0.0283), 2 week (p= 0.0003), 4 week (p=0.0016) except 6 week (p=0.1524). At 6th week of treatment improvement of signs occur but not statistically significant because of persistence of some corneal lesion. The significant symptomatic relief and clinical improvement was found in the study group treated with Ganciclovir ophthalmic gel suggesting an effective method for treatment of acute adenoviral keratoconjunctivitis. Mugda Med Coll J. 2024; 7(1): 9-13

Comparison of fusion, arthroplasty and hybrid surgery outcomes in patients with two-level cervical disc disease

Comparison of fusion, arthroplasty and hybrid surgery outcomes in patients with two-level cervical disc disease

Comparison of fusion, arthroplasty and hybrid surgery outcomes in patients with two-level cervical disc disease

Comparison of fusion, arthroplasty and hybrid surgery outcomes in patients with two-level cervical disc disease

Management and outcomes of heart failure hospitalization among older adults in the United States and Japan.

Despite advances in therapies, the disease burden of heart failure (HF) has been rising globally. International comparisons of HF management and outcomes may reveal care patterns that improve outcomes. Accordingly, we examined clinical management and patient outcomes in older adults hospitalized for acute HF in the United States (US) and Japan. We identified patients aged >65 who were hospitalized for HF in 2013 using US Medicare data and the Japanese Registry of Acute Decompensated Heart Failure (JROADHF). We described patient characteristics, management, and healthcare utilization and compared outcomes using multivariable Cox regression during and after HF hospitalization. Among 11193 Japanese and 120289 US patients, age and sex distributions were similar, but US patients had higher comorbidity rates. The length of stay was longer in Japan (median 18 vs. 5days). While Medicare patients had higher use of implantable cardioverter defibrillator or cardiac resynchronization therapy during hospitalization (1.32% vs. 0.6%), Japanese patients were more likely to receive cardiovascular medications at discharge and to undergo cardiac rehabilitation within 3months of HF admission (31% vs. 1.6%). Physician follow-up within 30days was higher in Japan (77% vs. 57%). Cardiovascular readmission, cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality were 2.1-3.7 times higher in the US patients. The per-day cost of hospitalization was lower in Japan ($516 vs. $1323). We observed notable differences in the management, outcomes and costs of HF hospitalization between the USand Japan. Large differences in length of hospitalization, cardiac rehabilitation rate and outcomes warrant further research to determine the optimal length of stay and assess the benefits of inpatient cardiac rehabilitation to reduce rehospitalization and mortality.