Category: Nevin Manimala

Updates Surg. 2023 Jul 9. doi: 10.1007/s13304-023-01579-4. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

International guidelines exclude from surgery patients with peritoneal carcinosis of colorectal origin and a peritoneal cancer index (PCI) ≥ 16. This study aims to analyze the outcomes of patients with colorectal peritoneal carcinosis and PCI greater or equal to 16 treated with cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) (CRS + HIPEC). We retrospectively performed a multicenter observational study involving three Italian institutions, namely the IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo in Pavia, the M. Bufalini Hospital in Cesena, and the ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo. The study included all patients undergoing CRS + HIPEC for peritoneal carcinosis from colorectal origin from November 2011 to June 2022. The study included 71 patients: 56 with PCI < 16 and 15 with PCI ≥ 16. Patients with higher PCI had longer operative times and a statistically significant higher rate of not complete cytoreduction, with a Completeness of Cytoreduction score (CC) 1 (microscopical disease) of 30.8% (p = 0.004). The 2-year OS was 81% for PCI < 16 and 37% for PCI ≥ 16 (p < 0.001). The 2-years DFS was 29% for PCI < 16 and 0% for PCI ≥ 16 (p < 0.001). The 2-year peritoneal DFS for patients with PCI < 16 was 48%, and for patients with PCI ≥ 16 was 57% (p = 0.783). CRS and HIPEC provide reasonable local disease control for patients with carcinosis of colorectal origin and PCI ≥ 16. Such results form the basis for new studies to reassess the exclusion of these patients, as set out in the current guidelines, from CRS and HIPEC. This therapy, combined with new therapeutical strategies, i.e., pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC), could offer reasonable local control of the disease, preventing local complications. As a result, it increases the patient’s chances of receiving chemotherapy to improve the systemic control of the disease.

PMID:37423956 | DOI:10.1007/s13304-023-01579-4

J Math Biol. 2023 Jul 10;87(2):25. doi: 10.1007/s00285-023-01955-z.

ABSTRACT

Genome rearrangements are evolutionary events that shuffle genomic architectures. The number of genome rearrangements that happened between two genomes is often used as the evolutionary distance between these species. This number is often estimated as the minimum number of genome rearrangements required to transform one genome into another which are only reliable for closely-related genomes. These estimations often underestimate the evolutionary distance for genomes that have substantially evolved from each other, and advanced statistical methods can be used to improve accuracy. Several statistical estimators have been developed, under various evolutionary models, of which the most complete one, INFER, takes into account different degrees of genome fragility. We present TruEst-an efficient tool that estimates the evolutionary distance between the genomes under the INFER model of genome rearrangements. We apply our method to both simulated and real data. It shows high accuracy on the simulated data. On the real datasets of mammal genomes the method found several pairs of genomes for which the estimated distances are in high consistency with the previous ancestral reconstruction studies.

PMID:37423919 | DOI:10.1007/s00285-023-01955-z

Rural Remote Health. 2023 Jul;23(3):7553. doi: 10.22605/RRH7553. Epub 2023 Jul 10.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: In this study, a psychosocial support-based (PSSB) psychoeducation program was provided to pregnant adolescents for improving their mental health and providing them with knowledge and skills to make positive behavioral changes. This study aimed to determine the effect of PSSB psychoeducation on anxiety, depression and perceived social support.

METHODS: This study was conducted using a pre-test-post-test randomized controlled design. The population of the study included pregnant adolescents presenting to the obstetrics and gynecology outpatient clinic of a state hospital located in eastern Turkey. The sample size, determined using power analysis, included 105 pregnant adolescents (experimental group n=50, control group n=55). The participants in the experimental group were given PSSB psychoeducation. The control group did not receive any intervention. The data were collected using an introductory characteristics form, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. SPSS v24.0 was used to analyze the data, and p-values less than 0.05 were accepted as statistically significant.

RESULTS: It was established that there was a significant decrease in the anxiety and depression levels and a significant increase in the perceived social support levels in the experimental group in comparison to the control group after the PSSB psychoeducation intervention (p<0.05). In the intragroup comparisons, the difference between the pre-test and post-test scores for anxiety, depression and perceived social support was statistically significant in the experimental group (p<0.05), whereas this difference was insignificant in the control group (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION: The PSSB psychoeducation program reduced anxiety and depression and increased perceived social support levels of the pregnant adolescents. The PSSB psychoeducation program is a useful practical intervention for the mental health of pregnant adolescents. Thus, we recommend that psychiatric nurses take an active role in planning and implementing psychosocial interventions for pregnant adolescents and develop culture-specific interventions.

PMID:37423899 | DOI:10.22605/RRH7553

Clin Genitourin Cancer. 2023 Jun 28:S1558-7673(23)00155-6. doi: 10.1016/j.clgc.2023.06.016. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The interaction between lymph node dissection (LND) during radical cystectomy (RC) and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the role of LND in patients undergoing RC after NAC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 259 patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who underwent RC following NAC at Fujita Health University Hospital and Fujita Health University Okazaki Medical Center between 2010 and 2022. Baseline characteristics, pathological outcomes, recurrence-free survival (RFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS) were compared between propensity score (PS)-matched cohorts.

RESULTS: PS matching analysis resulted in 94 matched pairs from the adequate (standard or extended template) and inadequate (limited template or unilateral- or no-LND) LND groups. The median number of dissected nodes was significantly higher in the adequate LND group than in the inadequate LND group (19 vs. 5, P < .001). Similarly, a higher pathological node-positive rate (ypN+) was observed in the adequate group than in the inadequate group (18.1% vs. 7.4%, P = .03). The adequate LND group identified more ypN+ with ≤ ypT1 cases than the inadequate group (4 vs. 1). There were no statistically significant differences between the adequate and inadequate groups in RFS (P = .94), CSS (P = .54), and OS (P = .65). Subgroup analysis also showed comparable survival rates, even in patients with ≥ pT3 or cN+ disease. ypN+ was an independent predictor of OS in the Cox regression analysis, while adequate LND and the number of lymph nodes removed (≥10 or ≥15) were not associated with survival.

CONCLUSIONS: Although adequate LND did not show a significant therapeutic effect in RC after NAC, adequate LND may have an important diagnostic role in detecting ypN+, which is a robust predictor, and is a useful biomarker to perform appropriate adjuvant immunotherapy especially in ≤ ypT1 cases.

PMID:37423863 | DOI:10.1016/j.clgc.2023.06.016

HPB (Oxford). 2023 Jun 14:S1365-182X(23)00558-0. doi: 10.1016/j.hpb.2023.06.006. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The 2022 incoming fellows’ expectations for their robotics training, as well as their perceptions of the utility of the surgical robot, are not well defined.

METHODS: Cross-sectional survey of 24 AHPBA fellows in 2022, analyzed with descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rho.

RESULTS: Of 33 current AHPBA fellows, 22 completed the survey (66.7%). Study participants had limited-to-moderate experience with robotics prior to fellowship (mean 2.5 ± SD 1.1; range 1-4). Most participants agreed that robotics influenced their fellowship choice (mean 4.14 ± SD 0.87; range 1-5), would make then more marketable (mean 4.77 ± SD 0.52; range 1-5) and improve job prospects (mean 4.68 ± SD 0.87; range 1-5). Of the study participants, 55% responded that robotics training is “essential” in fellowship, while 64% responded that it is “essential” for their careers. Fellows were only slightly satisfied with overall robotics training within their respective programs (mean 3.44 ± SD 1.17; range 1-5) The majority (73.7%) expect that robotics will comprise <25% of their training. Notably, the majority (75%) have no formal robotics training curriculum.

DISCUSSION: This survey identifies potential gaps where robotics training could be improved for future incoming AHPBA fellows.

PMID:37423851 | DOI:10.1016/j.hpb.2023.06.006

Chin J Traumatol. 2023 Jun 14:S1008-1275(23)00050-0. doi: 10.1016/j.cjtee.2023.06.002. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The incidence of heatstroke (HS) is not particularly high; however, once it occurs, the consequences are serious. It is reported that calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is protective against brain injury in HS rats, but detailed molecular mechanisms need to be further investigated. In this study, we further explored whether CGRP inhibited neuronal apoptosis in HS rats via protein kinase A (PKA)/p-cAMP response element-binding protein (p-CREB) pathway.

METHODS: We established a HS rat model in a pre-warmed artificial climate chamber with a temperature of (35.5 ± 0.5) °C and a relative humidity of 60% ± 5%. Heatstress was stopped once core body temperature reaches above 41 °C. A total of 25 rats were randomly divided into 5 groups with 5 animals each: control group, HS group, HS+CGRP group, HS+ CGRP antagonist (CGRP8-37) group and HS+CGRP+PKA/p-CREB pathway blocker (H89) group. A bolus injection of CGRP was administered to each rat in HS+CGRP group, CGRP8-37 (antagonist of CGRP) in HS+CGRP8-37 group, and CGRP with H89 in HS+CGRP+H89 group. Electroencephalograms were recorded and the serum concentration of S100B, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), neuron apoptosis, activated caspase-3 and CGRP expression, as well as pathological morphology of brain tissue were detected at 2 h, 6 h, and 24 h after HS in vivo. The expression of PKA, p-CREB, and Bcl-2 in rat neurons were also detected at 2 h after HS in vitro. Exogenous CGRP, CGRP8-37, or H89 were used to determine whether CGRP plays a protective role in brain injury via PKA/p-CREB pathway. The unpaired t-test was used between the two samples, and the mean ± SD was used for multiple samples. Double-tailed p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS: Electroencephalogram showed significant alteration of θ (54.50 ± 11.51 vs. 31.30 ± 8.71, F = 6.790, p = 0.005) and α wave (16.60 ± 3.21 vs. 35.40 ± 11.28, F = 4.549, p = 0.020) in HS group compared to the control group 2 h after HS. The results of triphosphate gap terminal labeling (TUNEL) showed that the neuronal apoptosis of HS rats was increased in the cortex (9.67 ± 3.16 vs. 1.80 ± 1.10, F = 11.002, p = 0.001) and hippocampus (15.73 ± 8.92 vs. 2.00 ± 1.00, F = 4.089, p = 0.028), the expression of activated caspase-3 was increased in the cortex (61.76 ± 25.13 vs. 19.57 ± 17.88, F = 5.695, p = 0.009) and hippocampus (58.60 ± 23.30 vs. 17.80 ± 17.62, F = 4.628, p = 0.019); meanwhile the expression of serum NSE (5.77 ± 1.78 vs. 2.35 ± 0.56, F = 5.174, p = 0.013) and S100B (2.86 ± 0.69 vs. 1.35 ± 0.34, F = 10.982, p = 0.001) were increased significantly under HS. Exogenous CGRP decreased the concentrations of NSE and S100B, and activated the expression of caspase-3 (0.41 ± 0.09 vs. 0.23 ± 0.04, F = 32.387, p < 0.001) under HS; while CGRP8-37 increased NSE (3.99 ± 0.47 vs. 2.40 ± 0.50, F = 11.991, p = 0.000) and S100B (2.19 ± 0.43 vs. 1.42 ± 0.30, F = 4.078, p = 0.025), and activated the expression caspase-3 (0.79 ± 0.10 vs. 0.23 ± 0.04, F = 32.387, p < 0.001). For the cell experiment, CGRP increased Bcl-2 (2.01 ± 0.73 vs. 2.15 ± 0.74, F = 8.993, p < 0.001), PKA (0.88 ± 0.08 vs. 0.37 ± 0.14, F = 20.370, p < 0.001), and p-CREB (0.87 ± 0.13 vs. 0.29 ± 0.10, F = 16.759, p < 0.001) levels; while H89, a blocker of the PKA/p-CREB pathway reversed the expression.

CONCLUSIONS: CGRP can protect against HS-induced neuron apoptosis via PKA/p-CREB pathway and reduce activation of caspase-3 by regulating Bcl-2. Thus CGRP may be a new target for the treatment of brain injury in HS.

PMID:37423838 | DOI:10.1016/j.cjtee.2023.06.002

J Tissue Viability. 2023 Jun 27:S0965-206X(23)00074-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jtv.2023.06.009. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To determine the monetary costs identified in economic evaluations of treatment with compression bandages among adults with venous leg ulcers (VLU).

METHOD: A scoping review of existing publications was conducted in February 2023. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used.

RESULTS: Ten studies met the inclusion criteria. To place the costs of treatment into context, these are reported in conjunction with the healing rates. Three comparisons were made: 1.4 layer compression versus no compression (3 studies). One study reported that 4 layer compression was more expensive than usual care (£804.03 vs £681.04, respectively), while the 2 other studies reported the converse (£145 vs £162, respectively) and all costs (£116.87 vs £240.28 respectively). Within the three studies, the odds of healing were statistically significantly greater with 4 layer bandaging (OR: 2.20; 95% CI: 1.54-3.15; p = 0.001).; 2.4 layer compression versus other compression (6 studies). For the three studies reporting the mean costs per patient associated with treatment (bandages alone), over the treatment period, analysis identified a mean difference (MD) in costs for 4 layer vs comparator 1 (2 layer compression, short-stretch compression, 2 layer compression hosiery, 2 layer cohesive compression, 2 layer compression) of -41.60 (95% CI: 91.40 to 8.20; p = 0.10). The OR of healing for 4 layer compression vs comparator 1 (2 layer compression, short-stretch compression, 2 layer compression hosiery, 2 layer cohesive compression, 2 layer compression) is: 0.70 (95% CI: 0.57-0.85; p = 0.004). For 4 layer vs comparator 2 (2 layer compression) the MD is: 14.00 (95% CI: 53.66 to -25.66; p < 0.49). The OR of healing for 4 layer compression vs comparator 2 (2 layer compression) is: 3.26 (95% CI: 2.54-4.18; p < 0.00001). For comparator 1 (2 layer compression, short-stretch compression, 2 layer compression hosiery, 2 layer cohesive compression, 2 layer compression) vs comparator 2 (2 layer compression) the MD in costs is: 55.60 (95% CI: 95.26 to -15.94; p = 0.006). The OR of healing with Comparator 1 (2 layer compression, short-stretch compression, 2 layer compression hosiery, 2 layer cohesive compression, 2 layer compression) is: 5.03 (95% CI:4.10-6.17; p < 0.00001). Three studies presented the mean annual costs per patient associated with treatment (all costs). The MD is 172 (150-194; p = 0.401), indicating no statistically significant difference in costs between the groups. All studies showed faster healing rates in the 4 layer study groups. 3. Compression wrap versus inelastic bandage (one study). Compression wrap was less expensive than inelastic bandage (£201 vs £335, respectively) with more wounds healing in the compression wrap group (78.8%, n = 26/33; 69.7%, n = 23/33).

CONCLUSION: The results for the analysis of costs varied across the included studies. As with the primary outcome, the results indicated that the costs of compression therapy are inconsistent. Given the methodological heterogeneity among studies, future studies in this area are needed and these should use specific methodological guidelines to generate high-quality health economic studies.

PMID:37423836 | DOI:10.1016/j.jtv.2023.06.009

Br J Anaesth. 2023 Jul 7:S0007-0912(23)00311-2. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2023.06.029. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a major problem after surgery. Even with double prophylactic therapy including dexamethasone and a 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 receptor antagonist, the incidence is still high in many at-risk patients. Fosaprepitant, a neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist, is an effective antiemetic, but its efficacy and safety in combination antiemetic therapy for preventing PONV remain unclear.

METHODS: In this randomised, controlled, double-blind trial, 1154 participants at high risk of PONV and undergoing laparoscopic gastrointestinal surgery were randomly assigned to either a fosaprepitant group (n=577) receiving fosaprepitant 150 mg i.v. dissolved in 0.9% saline 150 ml, or a placebo group (n=577) receiving 0.9% saline 150 ml before anaesthesia induction. Dexamethasone 5 mg i.v. and palonosetron 0.075 i.v. mg were each administered in both groups. The primary outcome was the incidence of PONV (defined as nausea, retching, or vomiting) during the first 24 postoperative hours.

RESULTS: The incidence of PONV during the first 24 postoperative hours was lower in the fosaprepitant group (32.4% vs 48.7%; adjusted risk difference -16.9% [95% confidence interval: -22.4 to -11.4%]; adjusted risk ratio 0.65 [95% CI: 0.57 to 0.76]; P<0.001). There were no differences in severe adverse events between groups, but the incidence of intraoperative hypotension was higher (38.0% vs 31.7%, P=0.026) and intraoperative hypertension (40.6% vs 49.2%, P=0.003) was lower in the fosaprepitant group.

CONCLUSIONS: Fosaprepitant added to dexamethasone and palonosetron reduced the incidence of PONV in patients at high risk of PONV undergoing laparoscopic gastrointestinal surgery. Notably, it increased the incidence of intraoperative hypotension.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04853147.

PMID:37423834 | DOI:10.1016/j.bja.2023.06.029

Urol Oncol. 2023 Jul 7:S1078-1439(23)00224-7. doi: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2023.06.010. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: While most small renal masses (SRM) < 4 cm have an excellent prognosis following resection, the impact of adverse T3a pathologic features on oncologic outcomes of SRMs remains unclear. We sought to compare clinical outcomes for surgically resected pT3a versus pT1a SRMs at our institution.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed records of patients who underwent radical or partial nephrectomy (RN, PN) for renal tumors <4 cm at our institution between 2010 and 2020. We compared features and outcomes of pT3a vs pT1a SRMs. Continuous and categorical variables were compared using Student’s t and Pearson’s chi-squared tests, respectively. Postoperative outcomes of interest including overall, cancer-specific, and recurrence-free survival (OS, CSS, and RFS) were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier method, Cox proportional hazard regression, and competing risk analysis. Analyses were performed using R statistical package (R Foundation, v4.0).

RESULTS: We identified 1,837 patients with malignant SRMs. Predictors of postoperative pT3a upstaging included higher renal score, larger tumor size, and presence of radiologic features concerning for T3a disease (odds ratio [OR] = 5.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.92-7.59, P < 0.001). On univariable modeling, pT3a SRMs had higher positive margin rates (9.6% vs 4.1%, P < 0.001), worse OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.9, 95% CI 1.6-5.3, P = 0.002), RFS (HR 9.32, 95% CI 2-40.1, P = 0.003), and CSS (HR = 3.6, 95% CI 1.5-8.2, P = 0.003). On multivariable modeling, pT3a status remained associated with worse RFS (HR = 2.7, 95% CI 1.04-7, P = 0.04), but not OS (HR 1.6, 95% CI = 0.83-3.1, P = 0.2); multivariable modeling was deferred for CSS due to low event rates.

CONCLUSIONS: Adverse T3a pathologic features portend worse outcomes for SRMs, highlighting the crucial role of pre-operative planning and case selection. These patients have relatively poor prognosis, and should be monitored more closely and counseled for consideration of adjuvant therapy or clinical trials.

PMID:37423816 | DOI:10.1016/j.urolonc.2023.06.010

J Surg Educ. 2023 Jul 7:S1931-7204(23)00217-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2023.06.012. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in a shift in communication of difficult, emotionally charged topics from almost entirely in-person to virtual mediated communication (VMC) methods due to restrictions on visitation for safety. The objective was to train residents in VMC and assess performance across multiple specialties and institutions.

DESIGN: The authors designed a teaching program including asynchronous preparation with videos, case simulation experiences with standardized patients (SPs), and coaching from a trained faculty member. Three topics were included – breaking bad news (BBN), goals of care / health care decision making (GOC), and disclosure of medical error (DOME). A performance evaluation was created and used by the coaches and standardized patients to assess the learners. Trends in performance between simulations and sessions were assessed.

SETTING: Four academic university hospitals – Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas and The University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio- participated.

PARTICIPANTS: Learners totaled 34 including 21 emergency medicine interns, 9 general surgery interns and 4 medical students entering surgical training. Learner participation was voluntary. Recruitment was done via emails sent by program directors and study coordinators.

RESULTS: A statistically significant improvement in mean performance on the second compared to the first simulation was observed for teaching communication skills for BBN using VMC. There was also a small but statistically significant mean improvement in performance from the first to the second simulation for the training overall.

CONCLUSIONS: This work suggests that a deliberate practice model can be effective for teaching VMC and that a performance evaluation can be used to measure improvement. Further study is needed to optimize the teaching and evaluation of these skills as well as to define minimal acceptable levels of competency.

PMID:37423804 | DOI:10.1016/j.jsurg.2023.06.012