Category: Nevin Manimala

JMIR Res Protoc. 2023 Dec 22;12:e50677. doi: 10.2196/50677.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The effects of reinforcement are still controversial in bariatric surgery, and variations may exist in using this technique.

OBJECTIVE: This protocol describes a study that aims to survey the views of bariatric surgeons on reinforcement techniques and evaluate the effects of applying reinforcement techniques in sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB).

METHODS: This study is composed of 2 parts. Part 1 will investigate the differences of using reinforcement techniques among surgeons worldwide who perform SG or RYGB through a survey. The survey will be conducted by email and social media. Part 2 will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of using omentopexy or staple line reinforcement in SG and RYGB by systematic review and meta-analysis. In this part, literature searches will be performed in English databases, including CENTRAL, EMBASE CINAHL, Web of Science, and PubMed, and Chinese databases, including Wanfang, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Database of Chinese Technical Periodicals, and Chinese Biological Medicine, from their establishment to November 2023. Randomized controlled trials and case-control studies will be included. The primary outcomes are rates of postoperative bleeding and gastric leakage. The secondary outcomes include anastomotic stenosis, surgical site infection, reoperation, estimated intraoperative blood loss, operative time (minutes), length of hospital stay (days), overall complications, and 30-day mortality. The meta-analysis will be conducted using RevMan 5.4 under the random-effects model, as well as through extensive subgroup and sensitivity analyses. P values <0.05 will be considered statistically significant. This study was registered with PROSPERO (Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews) in accordance with the PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols).

RESULTS: The results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. The web-based survey and initial title or abstract review of papers identified by the search strategy will be completed in November 2023. The second round of title or abstract review and downloading of the papers for full-text inclusion will be completed in January 2024. We aim to complete data extraction and meta-analysis by February 2024 and expect to publish the findings by the end of March 2024.

CONCLUSIONS: This study aims to investigate the impact of reinforcement techniques on reducing the incidence of postoperative complications in SG and RYGB procedures and provide assistance for standardizing the procedures of SG and RYGB operations for bariatric surgeons.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42022376438; https://tinyurl.com/2d53uf8n.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/50677.

PMID:38133924 | DOI:10.2196/50677

J Med Internet Res. 2023 Dec 22;25:e48244. doi: 10.2196/48244.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Cardiac arrest (CA) is the leading cause of death in critically ill patients. Clinical research has shown that early identification of CA reduces mortality. Algorithms capable of predicting CA with high sensitivity have been developed using multivariate time series data. However, these algorithms suffer from a high rate of false alarms, and their results are not clinically interpretable.

OBJECTIVE: We propose an ensemble approach using multiresolution statistical features and cosine similarity-based features for the timely prediction of CA. Furthermore, this approach provides clinically interpretable results that can be adopted by clinicians.

METHODS: Patients were retrospectively analyzed using data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-IV database and the eICU Collaborative Research Database. Based on the multivariate vital signs of a 24-hour time window for adults diagnosed with heart failure, we extracted multiresolution statistical and cosine similarity-based features. These features were used to construct and develop gradient boosting decision trees. Therefore, we adopted cost-sensitive learning as a solution. Then, 10-fold cross-validation was performed to check the consistency of the model performance, and the Shapley additive explanation algorithm was used to capture the overall interpretability of the proposed model. Next, external validation using the eICU Collaborative Research Database was performed to check the generalization ability.

RESULTS: The proposed method yielded an overall area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.86 and area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC) of 0.58. In terms of the timely prediction of CA, the proposed model achieved an AUROC above 0.80 for predicting CA events up to 6 hours in advance. The proposed method simultaneously improved precision and sensitivity to increase the AUPRC, which reduced the number of false alarms while maintaining high sensitivity. This result indicates that the predictive performance of the proposed model is superior to the performances of the models reported in previous studies. Next, we demonstrated the effect of feature importance on the clinical interpretability of the proposed method and inferred the effect between the non-CA and CA groups. Finally, external validation was performed using the eICU Collaborative Research Database, and an AUROC of 0.74 and AUPRC of 0.44 were obtained in a general intensive care unit population.

CONCLUSIONS: The proposed framework can provide clinicians with more accurate CA prediction results and reduce false alarm rates through internal and external validation. In addition, clinically interpretable prediction results can facilitate clinician understanding. Furthermore, the similarity of vital sign changes can provide insights into temporal pattern changes in CA prediction in patients with heart failure-related diagnoses. Therefore, our system is sufficiently feasible for routine clinical use. In addition, regarding the proposed CA prediction system, a clinically mature application has been developed and verified in the future digital health field.

PMID:38133922 | DOI:10.2196/48244

JMIR Form Res. 2023 Dec 22;7:e48958. doi: 10.2196/48958.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Computer-tailored health communication (CTHC), a widely used strategy to increase the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions, is focused on selecting the best messages for an individual. More recently, CTHC interventions have been tested using contextual information such as participants’ current stress or location to adapt message selection. However, mood has not yet been used in CTCH interventions and may increase their effectiveness.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the association of mood and smoking cessation message effectiveness among adults who currently smoke cigarettes.

METHODS: In January 2022, we recruited a web-based convenience sample of adults who smoke cigarettes (N=615; mean age 41.13 y). Participants were randomized to 1 of 3 mood conditions (positive, negative, or neutral) and viewed pictures selected from the International Affective Picture System to induce an emotional state within the assigned condition. Participants then viewed smoking cessation messages with topics covering five themes: (1) financial costs or rewards, (2) health, (3) quality of life, (4) challenges of quitting, and (5) motivation or reasons to quit. Following each message, participants completed questions on 3 constructs: message receptivity, perceived relevance, and their motivation to quit. The process was repeated 30 times. We used 1-way ANOVA to estimate the association of the mood condition on these constructs, controlling for demographics, cigarettes per day, and motivation to quit measured during the pretest. We also estimated the association between mood and outcomes for each of the 5 smoking message theme categories.

RESULTS: There was an overall statistically significant effect of the mood condition on the motivation to quit outcome (P=.02) but not on the message receptivity (P=.16) and perceived relevance (P=.86) outcomes. Participants in the positive mood condition reported significantly greater motivation to quit compared with those in the negative mood condition (P=.005). Participants in the positive mood condition reported higher motivation to quit after viewing smoking cessation messages in the financial (P=.03), health (P=.01), quality of life (P=.04), and challenges of quitting (P=.03) theme categories. We also compared each mood condition and found that participants in the positive mood condition reported significantly greater motivation to quit after seeing messages in the financial (P=.01), health (P=.003), quality of life (P=.01), and challenges of quitting (P=.01) theme categories than those in the negative mood condition.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that considering mood may be important for future CTHC interventions. Because those in the positive mood state at the time of message exposure were more likely to have greater quitting motivations, smoking cessation CTHC interventions may consider strategies to help improve participants’ mood when delivering these messages. For those in neutral and negative mood states, focusing on certain message themes (health and motivation to quit) may be more effective than other message themes.

PMID:38133916 | DOI:10.2196/48958

JMIR Med Educ. 2023 Dec 22;9:e51302. doi: 10.2196/51302.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize the way medicine is learned, taught, and practiced, and medical education must prepare learners for these inevitable changes. Academic medicine has, however, been slow to embrace recent AI advances. Since its launch in November 2022, ChatGPT has emerged as a fast and user-friendly large language model that can assist health care professionals, medical educators, students, trainees, and patients. While many studies focus on the technology’s capabilities, potential, and risks, there is a gap in studying the perspective of end users.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to gauge the experiences and perspectives of graduating medical students on ChatGPT and AI in their training and future careers.

METHODS: A cross-sectional web-based survey of recently graduated medical students was conducted in an international academic medical center between May 5, 2023, and June 13, 2023. Descriptive statistics were used to tabulate variable frequencies.

RESULTS: Of 325 applicants to the residency programs, 265 completed the survey (an 81.5% response rate). The vast majority of respondents denied using ChatGPT in medical school, with 20.4% (n=54) using it to help complete written assessments and only 9.4% using the technology in their clinical work (n=25). More students planned to use it during residency, primarily for exploring new medical topics and research (n=168, 63.4%) and exam preparation (n=151, 57%). Male students were significantly more likely to believe that AI will improve diagnostic accuracy (n=47, 51.7% vs n=69, 39.7%; P=.001), reduce medical error (n=53, 58.2% vs n=71, 40.8%; P=.002), and improve patient care (n=60, 65.9% vs n=95, 54.6%; P=.007). Previous experience with AI was significantly associated with positive AI perception in terms of improving patient care, decreasing medical errors and misdiagnoses, and increasing the accuracy of diagnoses (P=.001, P<.001, P=.008, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS: The surveyed medical students had minimal formal and informal experience with AI tools and limited perceptions of the potential uses of AI in health care but had overall positive views of ChatGPT and AI and were optimistic about the future of AI in medical education and health care. Structured curricula and formal policies and guidelines are needed to adequately prepare medical learners for the forthcoming integration of AI in medicine.

PMID:38133911 | DOI:10.2196/51302

Updates Surg. 2023 Dec 22. doi: 10.1007/s13304-023-01724-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Endometriosis is a benign disease requiring surgery if medical treatment can not achieve symptom control. Laparoscopy remains the gold standard and robotic assistance can be beneficial in complex cases. Robot-assisted radical endometriosis excision using the Hugo™ RAS system is a novel approach. The aim of this study is to describe its setting and outcomes in a series of patients in a robotic surgery center. Endometriosis patients who consecutively underwent robot-assisted surgery with the Hugo™ RAS system (Medtronic, USA) were retrospectively enrolled. Disease-specific symptoms before and after surgery, endometriosis stage, as well as perioperative and intraoperative variables including system setup were collected. Early post-operative complications (< 30 days) and follow-up (up to 3 months) were reported. All procedures were completed robotically. Port placement followed the “bridge” configuration with a “compact” docking. The median operative time was 186.5 min (IQR 174-220), the median estimated blood loss 50 ml (IQR 0-100). An intraoperative complication occurred in one patient (6.6%), a bladder laceration with postoperative antibiotic treatment. The median lenght of hospital stay (LOS) was 3 days (IQR 3-4). Surgery achieved a statistically significant decrease in symptoms: mean dysmenorrhea (9.50 ± 0.83 versus 1.7 ± 2.26; p = 0.001), dyschezia (4.27 ± 3.61 versus 2.40 ± 2.92; p = 0.026), dysuria (2.73 ± 3.39 versus 1.87 ± 2.41; p = 0.358), dyspareunia (6.53 ± 3.15 versus 2.93 ± 2.89; p = 0.002) and chronic pelvic pain (8.8 ± 1.20 versus 3.20 ± 2.39; p = 0.001). The integration of this platform in the described configuration was safe with regular perioperative outcomes and significant improvement in symptoms. Prospective comparative studies with a larger cohort and longer follow-up are needed to assess potential advantages over the current gold standard.

PMID:38133880 | DOI:10.1007/s13304-023-01724-z

Matern Child Health J. 2023 Dec 22. doi: 10.1007/s10995-023-03861-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The quality and scope of perinatal bereavement care in the United States has been evaluated by surveying bereaved parents, but little is known about how care varies across hospitals. We sought to survey clinicians about stillbirth bereavement care practices at U.S. hospitals and to evaluate care by hospital birth volume.

METHODS: Using American Hospital Association data, we employed stratified random sampling to select 300 hospitals from all centers with at least 100 annual deliveries. Within each state, we divided all hospitals into size quartiles and randomly selected from each until we reached the goal number per state. We then identified a staff member knowledgeable about typical bereavement care on labor and delivery at each hospital and sent an on-line survey about care. We linked survey data with hospital characteristics and used summary statistics, Chi squared, and Fisher’s Exact test to compare care by hospital birth volume.

RESULTS: We reached an eligible respondent at 429/551 hospitals and 396 of the 429 (73%) agreed to participate. We received 289 usable surveys for an overall response rate of 67%. Only one third of hospitals (n = 96, 33%) reported staff protected time for perinatal bereavement care. Of 17 bereavement topics, just six were routinely offered by at least two-thirds of the hospitals. Financial limitations and staff shortages were the most commonly identified barriers to care and were most pronounced at small-volume hospitals.

CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: This study offers a snapshot in bereavement care and identified important gaps for both large and small hospitals.

PMID:38133867 | DOI:10.1007/s10995-023-03861-8

Surg Today. 2023 Dec 22. doi: 10.1007/s00595-023-02786-7. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The volume of surgical services has significantly reduced globally due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study evaluated the level of recovery in terms of the number of operations performed in Japan in 2021, based on nationwide periodic surveillance.

METHODS: Information on the weekly and annual volumes of 20 representative procedures in 6 surgical subspecialties in 2021 was extracted from the National Clinical Database. Statistical data for 2018 and 2019 (pre-pandemic era) were compared with those for 2020. Data on waves of infection, peak period, and high-prevalence areas (13 of 47 prefectures) were analyzed individually.

RESULTS: The volumes of the 10 procedures, including gastrectomy, hepatectomy, valve replacement and valve plasty, coronary artery bypass grafting, infrarenal abdominal aorta replacement, ventricular septal defect closure, lung lobectomy, inguinal hernia repair (age < 16 years old), and appendectomy (age < 16 years old), did not reach 95% of that in the pre-pandemic era. The most striking decline in the surgical volume of these 10 procedures was observed during the peak period of wave 5 in high-prevalence areas.

CONCLUSION: This near-complete enumeration survey identified the polarization of 20 representative procedures in terms of resumption of surgical service after the pandemic.

PMID:38133829 | DOI:10.1007/s00595-023-02786-7

Eur J Pediatr. 2023 Dec 22. doi: 10.1007/s00431-023-05393-3. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Although hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis is active during mini-puberty, its relationship with somatic growth and the role on the development of external genitalia has not been fully elucidated. We aimed to evaluate the effects of somatic growth and reproductive hormones on the development of external genitalia during mini-puberty. Anthropometric data, pubertal assesment, serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), androstenedione (A4), sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG), estradiol (E2) and inhibin-B, testosterone (T), and anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) of healthy infants aged 1-4 months were evaluated. Free sex hormone index was calculated as T/SHBG for boys and E2/SHBG for girls. The mean age of 148 (74 female) infants included in the study was 2.31 ± 0.76 months. Tanner stage 2-3 sex steroid and gonadotropin levels were observed. A statistically significant difference was found between the weight, height, BMI, weight gain and serum FSH, LH, and A4 measurements of girls and boys (p < 0.05). Penile length was associated with weight (r = 0.24, p = 0.03), height (r = 0.25, p = 0.02), and AMH (r = 0.3, p = 0.01), but not with testosterone (p = 0.56 respectively). A negative correlation was found between weight and serum LH (r = – 0.26, p = 0.2) and T/SHBG levels in males (r = – 0.38, p = 0.015 respectively). Weight-SDS was negatively correlated with testosterone in males (r = – 0.25, p = 0.02). Testicular size and breast stage did not correlate with any of the hormonal and anthropometric parameters. Conclusions: External genitalia in males during mini-puberty is related more to somatic growth rather than reproductive hormones. Similar to pubertal developmental stages, both total and free testosterone are negatively associated with higher weight during mini-puberty. What is Known: • Mini-puberty allows early assessment of HPG axis function in infancy. • There is an inverse relationship between the amount of adipose tissue and circulating testosterone levels in males during puberty and adulthood. • The potential effect of somatic growth and reproductive hormones on external genital development during mini-puberty remains unclear. What is New: • During mini-puberty, males’ external genitalia is more related to somatic growth than to reproductive hormones, but this relationship is not observed in girls. • Both total and free testosterone are negatively associated with higher weight during mini-puberty, similar to the pubertal developmental stages.

PMID:38133811 | DOI:10.1007/s00431-023-05393-3

Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2023 Dec 22. doi: 10.1007/s00405-023-08406-x. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Prader-Willi syndrome is a serious genetic condition, capable of causing endocrinological imbalance, which has as one of its main treatments the growth hormone therapy. However, this therapy still causes some uncertainty concerning its effects on the respiratory parameters of those patients, especially in cases of obstructive sleep apnea, therefore, presenting a need for the analysis of the relationship between the therapy and the otolaryngologic condition.

METHODS: A systematic review following the PRISMA model was developed, with searches for keywords made in the databases PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus, and Web of Science and registration in the PROSPERO platform (CRD42023404250).

RESULTS: Three randomized controlled trials were considered eligible for inclusion in the review. None of the studies demonstrated statistically significant modifications in the obstructive sleep apnea parameters of Prader-Willi patients related to the growth hormone administration.

CONCLUSIONS: Growth hormone therapy is safe for Prader-Willi syndrome patients when analyzing their obstructive sleep apnea parameters.

PMID:38133808 | DOI:10.1007/s00405-023-08406-x

Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2023 Dec 22. doi: 10.1007/s00402-023-05165-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: While the efficacy of closed suction drains has been extensively studied in hip, knee, and shoulder surgery, it lacks scientific evidence in the foot and ankle domain, especially after total ankle arthroplasty (TAA). Thus, this study aims to compare the incidence of postoperative complications with and without the application of a closed suction drain following TAA.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective monocentric chart review of all patients who had undergone TAA with an anterior approach from January 2020 to March 2023 was performed. Data were analyzed to assess the effect of drain usage on postoperative complications.

RESULTS: A total of 110 patients were enrolled, 59 in the drain group and 51 without a drain. The mean age at surgery was 58.4 (range 28-81) years. No statistical differences were found between the two groups in the total complication rate (19.6% in no-drain group versus 20.3% in drain group, p = 0.227).

CONCLUSION: This study showed no effect of applying a closed suction drain after TAA in the incidence of postoperative complications. Since the use of a drain did not negatively affect the outcome, nor did it provide a significant benefit, it can be asserted that there is no evidence to support the routine use of closed suction drains in TAA.

PMID:38133803 | DOI:10.1007/s00402-023-05165-6