Nevin Manimala

Cureus. 2024 Mar 5;16(3):e55599. doi: 10.7759/cureus.55599. eCollection 2024 Mar.

ABSTRACT

Objectives An observational, retrospective, longitudinal, and analytical study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the erector spinae plane (ESP) block in managing pain in patients with vertebral fractures secondary to tumoral activity. This study included patients treated at the Pain Clinic who underwent ESP block. The objectives were to describe demographic characteristics, oncological diagnosis, vertebral fracture features, imaging techniques, medications used, and the level of ESP block. Additionally, pain levels were assessed using a numerical analog scale, and the consumption of opioid analgesic medications before and after the ESP block, during follow-up consultations, along with patient satisfaction. Methodology This retrospective, observational, and analytical study was conducted at the Pain Clinic of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico. Patients with vertebral fractures secondary to tumor activity were included, with data collected from March 2020 to September 2023. A consecutive non-probabilistic sampling method was employed, and specific inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for quantitative variables, with a significance level of p ≤ 0.05. IBM SPSS Statistics v. 26.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) software was utilized. Results A sample comprising 16 individuals was obtained, with an equal distribution between males and females. Fracture levels displayed variation, with L3 (12.5%) and T6 (12.5%) being the most prevalent. The ESP approach was primarily conducted using ultrasound (68.8%), while fluoroscopy and computed tomography were utilized in 25.0% and 6.3% of cases, respectively. Predominantly, methylprednisolone and ropivacaine (75.0%) were administered, with phenol used in 18.8% and a combination of methylprednisolone and bupivacaine in 6.3%. Patient satisfaction levels were reported at 81.3% (satisfied or very satisfied). Statistically significant disparities were noted between baseline and incidental pain reduction and oral opioid equivalent dosage in milligrams of morphine per day (MME/day) before and after ESP block (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions This research provides promising preliminary evidence supporting the effectiveness of ESP block for pain management in vertebral fractures secondary to tumoral activity, enhancing the quality and safety of care for oncology patients. The absence of complications, significant improvement in pain, and reduction in opioid dependence underscore the clinical relevance of this therapeutic approach. An observational, retrospective, longitudinal, and analytical study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the ESP block in managing pain in patients with vertebral fractures secondary to tumoral activity. This study included patients treated at the Pain Clinic who underwent ESP block. The objectives were to describe demographic characteristics, oncological diagnosis, vertebral fracture features, imaging techniques, medications used, and the level of ESP block. Additionally, pain levels were assessed using a numerical analogue scale, and the consumption of opioid analgesic medications before and after the ESP block, during follow-up consultations, along with patient satisfaction.

PMID:38586726 | PMC:PMC10994863 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.55599

Dent Mater J. 2024 Apr 5. doi: 10.4012/dmj.2023-275. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

To assess color and translucency change (∆E₀₀ and ∆TP) of 3D-printed (Varseosmile crown plus, VS) and milled resin-ceramic hybrid material (Cerasmart, CS) compared to enamel (E) when immersed in distilled water (DW) and coffee (C). Sixty VS, CS, and E specimens were immersed in DW and C for 30 days. Statistics analysis using t-test and one-way ANOVA at p≤0.05. ∆E₀₀ of VS, CS, and E significantly increased when immersed in coffee (p<0.001, p<0.001 and p=0.01, respectively). E has more ∆E₀₀ than VS and CS (p<0.001). The translucency of VS and CS was reduced after water and coffee immersion. The translucency of E was increased after immersion in water and coffee. ∆TP of VS, CS, and E were not different between immersion in water and coffee at p=0.08, p=0.43 and p=0.72, respectively. Therefore, DW and C have distinct effects on the ∆E₀₀ and ∆TP among VS, CS and E.

PMID:38583992 | DOI:10.4012/dmj.2023-275

J Epidemiol. 2024 Apr 6. doi: 10.2188/jea.JE20230323. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The influence of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on dental care utilization may have differed according to individual characteristics or type of dental care provision. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in dental care utilization and per-attendance costs by age group and type of dental care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.

METHODS: This time-series study used healthcare insurance claims data from 01/07/2019 to 09/27/2021 (143 weeks) from nine municipalities in Japan. Dental care utilization rate per week and average dental care cost per attendance by age groups (0-19y/20-64y/65-74y/≥ 75y) and types of dental care (outpatient/visiting) were used as outcome variables. COVID-19 pandemic waves in Japan were used as predictors: 1^st (03/23/2020-05/17/2020), 2^nd (06/22/2020-09/27/2020), 3^rd (10/26/2020-02/21/2021), 4^th (02/22/2021-06/07/2021), and 5^th (07/05/2021-09/13/2021) waves. Fixed effect models were employed to estimate the proportional changes.

RESULTS: In the fixed effect model, we observed large declines in dental care utilization during the 1^st (17.0-22.0%) and 2^nd waves (3.0-13.0%) compared to the non-pandemic wave period in all age groups. In contrast, the average dental care cost per attendance increased in all age groups by 5.2-8.6% during the 1^st wave.

CONCLUSIONS: During the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, dental care utilization decreased in all age groups, whereas the average dental care cost per attendance increased. The COVID-19 pandemic may have changed the dental care provision pattern towards less frequent and more concentrated dental care to avoid the risk of infection.

PMID:38583946 | DOI:10.2188/jea.JE20230323

Am J Epidemiol. 2024 Apr 6:kwae043. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwae043. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The rapid expansion of Uber System and e-hailing apps has been transforming the logistics network and urban mobility around the world. The present work aims at evaluating the impact of Uber System on the traffic injury mortality (TI) in implementation in Brazilian capitals. A quasi-experimental design of interrupted time series was used. The monthly mortality rates for TI standardized by age were analised. The date of availability of Uber app, specific to each capital, was considered as the start date. Data from the Brazilian Mortality Information System and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics were used. For the data analysis from interrupted time series design, ARIMA with transfer function were fitted. In 95,6% (n=25) of Brazilian capitals, there was no impact of Uber System implementation, twelve months after the start of its activities, on mortality from traffic injuries. A reduction in mortality from this cause was observed after the System was implemented in Belo Horizonte e Rio de Janeiro. The impact was progressive and continuous on TI mortality in both. More studies are needed to establish the factors associated with the inequalities observed in the impact of the Uber System implementation between different locations and the heterogeneity of effects.

PMID:38583944 | DOI:10.1093/aje/kwae043

Am J Epidemiol. 2024 Apr 6:kwae026. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwae026. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of methodological changes to the 2018 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) Score on associations with risk for all-cause mortality, cancer mortality, and cancer risk jointly among older adults in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Weights were incorporated for each Score component; a continuous point scale was developed in place of the Score’s fully discrete cut-points; and cut-point values were changed for physical activity and red meat based on evidence-based recommendations. Exploratory aims also examined the impact of separating components with more than one sub-component and whether all components were necessary to retain within this population utilizing a penalized scoring approach. Findings suggested weighting the original 2018 WCRF/AICR Score improved the score’s predictive performance in association with all-cause mortality and provided more precise estimates in relation to cancer risk and mortality outcomes. The importance of healthy weight, physically activity, and plant-based foods in relation to cancer and overall mortality risk were highlighted in this population of older adults. Further studies are needed to better understand the consistency and generalizability of these findings across other populations.

PMID:38583943 | DOI:10.1093/aje/kwae026

Am J Epidemiol. 2024 Apr 6:kwae041. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwae041. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Hysterectomy protects against cervical cancer when the cervix is removed. However, measures of cervical cancer incidence often fail to exclude women with a hysterectomy from the population at risk denominator, underestimating and distorting disease burden. In this study, we estimated hysterectomy prevalence from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys to remove the women who were not at risk of cervical cancer from the denominator and combined these estimates with the United States Cancer Statistics data. From these data, we calculated age-specific and age-standardized incidence rates for women aged >30 years from 2001-2019, adjusted for hysterectomy prevalence. We calculated the difference between unadjusted and adjusted incidence rates and examined trends by histology, age, race and ethnicity, and geographic region using Joinpoint regression. The hysterectomy-adjusted cervical cancer incidence rate from 2001-2019 was 16.7 per 100,000 women-34.6% higher than the unadjusted rate. After adjustment, incidence rates were higher by approximately 55% among Black women, 56% among those living in the East South Central division, and 90% among women aged 70-79 and >80 years. These findings underscore the importance of adjusting for hysterectomy prevalence to avoid underestimating cervical cancer incidence rates and masking disparities by age, race, and geographic region.

PMID:38583940 | DOI:10.1093/aje/kwae041

J Gastrointest Surg. 2024 Apr;28(4):548-558. doi: 10.1016/j.gassur.2024.01.014. Epub 2024 Jan 23.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although several recent meta-analyses have investigated the clinical influence of the addition of lateral lymph node dissection (LLND) on oncologic outcomes in patients with mid-low rectal cancer (RC) undergoing mesorectal excision (ME), most studies included in such meta-analyses were retrospectively designed. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the clinical influence of prophylactic LLND on oncologic outcomes in patients with mid-low RC undergoing ME.

METHODS: A comprehensive electronic search of the literature up to July 2022 was performed to identify studies that compared oncologic outcomes between patients with mid-low RC undergoing ME who underwent LLND and patients with mid-low RC undergoing ME who did not undergo LLND. A meta-analysis was performed using fixed-effects models and the generic inverse variance method to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs, and heterogeneity was analyzed using I² statistics.

RESULTS: A total of 6 studies, consisting of 3 randomized and 3 propensity score matching studies, were included in this meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis of 2 randomized studies demonstrated no significant effect of prophylactic LLND on improving oncologic outcomes concerning overall survival (OS) (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.89-1.69; I² = 0%; P = .22) and relapse-free survival (RFS) (HR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.81-1.31; I² = 28%; P = .83).

CONCLUSION: The results of this meta-analysis revealed no significant influence of prophylactic LLND on oncologic outcomes-OS and RFS-in patients with mid-low RC who underwent ME.

PMID:38583909 | DOI:10.1016/j.gassur.2024.01.014

J Gastrointest Surg. 2024 Apr;28(4):474-482. doi: 10.1016/j.gassur.2024.01.006. Epub 2024 Jan 23.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The fistula risk score (FRS) is the widely acknowledged prediction model for clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF). In addition, the alternative FRS (a-FRS) and updated alternative FRS (ua-FRS) have been developed. This study performed external validation and comparison of these 3 models in patients who underwent laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) with Bing’s pancreaticojejunostomy.

METHODS: The FRS total points and predictive probabilities of a-FRS and ua-FRS were retrospectively calculated using patient data from a completed randomized controlled trial. Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) and CR-POPF were defined according to the 2016 International Study Group of Pancreatic Surgery criteria. The correlations of the 4 risk items of the FRS model with CR-POPF and POPF were analyzed and represented using the Cramer V coefficient. The performance of the 3 models was measured using the area under the curve (AUC) and calibration plot and compared using the DeLong test.

RESULTS: This study enrolled 200 patients. Pancreatic texture and pathology had discrimination for CR-POPF (Cramer V coefficient: 0.180 vs 0.167, respectively). Pancreatic duct diameter, pancreatic texture, and pathology had discrimination for POPF (Cramer V coefficient: 0.357 vs 0.322 vs 0.257, respectively). Only the calibration of a-FRS predicting CR-POPF was good. The differences among the AUC values of the FRS, a-FRS, and ua-FRS were not statistically significant (CR-POPF: 0.687 vs 0.701 vs 0.710, respectively; POPF: 0.733 vs 0.741 vs 0.750, respectively). After recalibrating, the ua-FRS got sufficient calibration, and the AUC was 0.713 for predicting CR-POPF.

CONCLUSION: For LPD cases with Bing’s pancreaticojejunostomy, the 3 models predicted POPF with better discrimination than predicting CR-POPF. The recalibrated ua-FRS had sufficient discrimination and calibration for predicting CR-POPF.

PMID:38583898 | DOI:10.1016/j.gassur.2024.01.006

J Gastrointest Surg. 2024 Apr;28(4):381-388. doi: 10.1016/j.gassur.2024.02.015.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Among bariatric techniques, sleeve gastrectomy (SG) stands out owing to its efficiency. The role of the stomach as a secretory organ of many substances, such as gastrin, related to insulin secretion is well known. Gastrin induces insulin release in isolated pancreatic islets, limiting somatostatin-14 intraislet release, and has been associated with blood glucose level improvement in diabetic models after SG. SG involves gastric resection along the greater curvature. This study aimed to determine the role of gastrin in glucose metabolism improvement after SG with the aid of the gastrin antagonist netazepide.

METHODS: In 12 sham-operated, 12 SG-operated, and 12 SG-operated/netazepide-treated Wistar rats, we compared medium- and long-term plasma insulin, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results, and plasma gastrin levels. In addition, gastrin expression was assessed in the gastric remnant, and the beta-cell mass was measured.

RESULTS: SG induced a medium-term elevation of the insulin response and plasma gastrin levels without modification of the OGTT results. However, long-term depletion of the insulin response with elevated OGTT areas under the curve and plasma gastrin levels appeared after SG. Netazepide prevented the SG effect on these parameters. Gastrin tissue expression was greater in SG animals than in SG/netazepide-treated or control animals. The beta-cell mass was lower in the SG group than in the control or SG/netazepide group.

CONCLUSION: Gastrin plays a central role in glucose improvement after SG. It stimulates a medium-term strong insulin response but also causes long-term beta-cell mass depletion and a loss of insulin response. These effects are prevented by gastrin antagonists such as netazepide.

PMID:38583887 | DOI:10.1016/j.gassur.2024.02.015

J Gastrointest Surg. 2024 Apr;28(4):375-380. doi: 10.1016/j.gassur.2024.01.025. Epub 2024 Feb 1.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between sarcopenia and adverse events (AEs) of postoperative imatinib therapy through computed tomography (CT) quantitative body composition for intermediate- and high-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs).

METHODS: The study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 208 patients with intermediate- and high-risk GIST treated surgically and treated with imatinib afterward at the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University between October 2011 and October 2021. Images of preoperative CT scans within 1 month were used to determine the body composition of the patients. On the basis of the L3 skeletal muscle index, patients were classified into sarcopenia and nonsarcopenia groups. In 2 groups, AEs related to imatinib were analyzed.

RESULTS: The proportion of AEs related to imatinib in the sarcopenia group was higher, and this disparity had a significant statistical significance (P = .013). Sarcopenia was significantly associated with hemoglobin reduction compared with nonsarcopenia (P = .015). There was a significant difference between the sarcopenia group and the nonsarcopenia group in the ratio of severe AEs (grades 3-4). Hemoglobin content (odds ratio [OR], 0.981; 95% CI, 0.963-1.000; P = .045), sex (OR, 0.416; 95% CI, 0.192-0.904; P = .027), and sarcopenia (OR, 5.631; 95% CI, 2.262-14.014; P < .001) were the influential factors of imatinib severe AEs in patients with intermediate- and high-risk GIST within 1 year after imatinib treatment.

CONCLUSION: Patients with preoperative sarcopenia have a higher incidence and severity of AEs during adjuvant imatinib therapy.

PMID:38583886 | DOI:10.1016/j.gassur.2024.01.025