Tag: nevin manimala

Int Ophthalmol. 2023 May 17. doi: 10.1007/s10792-023-02715-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of Repeated CXL (Re-CXL) and determine probable risk factors that lead to Re-CXL in patients with progressive keratoconus.

METHOD: In this retrospective study, the medical records of patients who had been re-operated in our center between 2014 to 2020 due to progressive keratoconus were evaluated; seven eyes of seven patients had undergone Re-CXL procedure. Pre- and post-treatment variables were recorded and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics software.

RESULTS: The mean interval between the 1st and 2nd CXL was 49.71 months (range 12-72 months). Out of 7 patients for whom Re-CXL was considered necessary, eye rubbing was detected in 6 patients. Six patients were very young with a mean age of 13 years at primary CXL and 16.83 years at Re-CXL. Visual acuity and astigmatism did not change significantly after the Re-CXL procedure (p-values = 0.18, 0.91, respectively). When measurements of these indices prior to Re-CXL and post Re-CXL were compared, K1 (p-value = 0.01), K2 (p-value = 0.01), Kmean (p-value = 0.01), and Kmax (p-value = 0.008) changed significantly. As to pachymetry (p-value = 0.46), it did not change significantly. Kmax value regressed in all eyes after Re-CXL.

CONCLUSION: Re-CXL procedure was effective in halting the progression of disease. As to the risk factors, eye rubbed-related mechanism like eye rubbing and VKC, lower age, and pre-operative Kmax value > 58 D are the risk factors of Re-CXL procedure.

PMID:37195564 | DOI:10.1007/s10792-023-02715-0

Rev Esp Salud Publica. 2023 May 17;97:e202305038.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Field hospitals, also known as alternative care sites, have been an important healthcare reinforcement during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic worldwide. In the Valencian Community, three of these hospitals were opened, one for each province. Our study aimed to make a comprehensive analysis of this resource in Castellon.

METHODS: A retrospective observational study was carried out with an analytical and statistical component of 3 aspects: infrastructure, satisfaction and clinical data from COVID-positive hospitalized patients. The sources of information were primary, institutional for the infrastructure and personal for the satisfaction surveys and clinical data.

RESULTS: A set of 6×3 metres polyvalent tents was chosen, which joined formed a single-floor area of about 3.500 m². Although hospital opened for approximately a year and a half with multiple uses, most in relation to the COVID pandemic (vaccination center, emergency room observation, hospital assistance, warehouse…), reception of positive patients for the virus began during the third wave of the pandemic, remaining active for eleven days. A total of thirty-one patients with a mean age of 56 years were admitted. 41.9% did not have any comorbidity and 54.8% needed treatment with oxygen therapy. Furthermore, the length of stay was three days, finding a significant relationship between this one, the oxygen flow required during admission and the age. Satisfaction was measured by a survey of seventeen questions where an average satisfaction of 8.33/10.

CONCLUSIONS: This is one of the few studies in the literature in which a field hospital is analyzed from such different points of view. After this analysis, it is concluded that it is an extraordinary and temporary resource whose use is useful without reflecting an increase of morbidity/mortality among our patients and with a very favorable subjective assessment.

PMID:37194648

J Magn Reson Imaging. 2023 May 17. doi: 10.1002/jmri.28773. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) stromal disposition is thought to influence chemotherapy efficacy and increase tissue stiffness, which could be quantified noninvasively via MR elastography (MRE). Current methods cause position-based errors in pancreas location over time, hampering accuracy. It would be beneficial to have a single breath-hold acquisition.

PURPOSE: To develop and test a single breath-hold three-dimensional MRE technique utilizing prospective undersampling and a compressed sensing reconstruction (CS-MRE).

STUDY TYPE: Prospective.

POPULATION: A total of 30 healthy volunteers (HV) (31 ± 9 years; 33% male) and five patients with PDAC (69 ± 5 years; 80% male).

FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3-T, GRE Ristretto MRE.

ASSESSMENT: First, optimization of multi breath-hold MRE was done in 10 HV using four combinations of vibration frequency, number of measured wave-phase offsets, and TE and looking at MRE quality measures in the pancreas head. Second, viscoelastic parameters delineated in the pancreas head or tumor of CS-MRE were compared against (I) 2D and (II) 3D four breath-hold acquisitions in HV (N = 20) and PDAC patients. Intrasession repeatability was assessed for CS-MRE in a subgroup of healthy volunteers (N = 15).

STATISTICAL TESTS: Tests include repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), Bland-Altman analysis, and coefficients of variation (CoVs). A P-value <.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS: Optimization of the four breath-hold acquisitions resulted in 40 Hz vibration frequency, five wave-phases, and echo time (TE) = 6.9 msec as the preferred method (4BH-MRE). CS-MRE quantitative results did not differ from 4BH-MRE. Shear wave speed (SWS) and phase angle differed significantly between HV and PDAC patients using 4BH-MRE or CS-MRE. The limits of agreement for SWS were [-0.09, 0.10] m/second and the within-subject CoV was 4.8% for CS-MRE.

DATA CONCLUSION: CS-MRE might allow a single breath-hold MRE acquisition with comparable SWS and phase angle as 4BH-MRE, and it may still enable to differentiate between HV and PDAC.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2 Technical Efficacy Stage: 2.

PMID:37194646 | DOI:10.1002/jmri.28773

Crisis. 2023 May 17. doi: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000908. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Abstract Background: Socioeconomic factors such as financial stress and unemployment are known predictors of suicide. However, no large-scale meta-analyses exist. Aims: Determine the suicide risk following unemployment or financial stress. Method: Literature searched through July 31, 2021. Robust meta-analysis and metaregression of the risk of suicide following financial stress (23 studies) or unemployment (43 studies), from 20 nations. Subgroup meta-analyses by sex, age, year, country, and methodology. Results: The suicide risk following financial stress or unemployment was not significantly elevated among those with diagnosed mental illness. In the general population, we found significantly elevated suicide risks for financial stress (RR: 1.742; 95% CI: 1.339, -2.266) and unemployment (RR: 1.874; CI: 1.501, -2.341). However, neither was significant among studies controlling for physical/mental health (perhaps partially due to lower statistical power). We observed no significant differences by sex, age, or by GDP. We observed a higher suicide risk following unemployment in more recent years. Limitations: Publication bias was evident. We could not examine some individual-level characteristics, most notably the severity/duration of unemployment/financial stress. Heterogeneity was high for some meta-analyses. Studies from non-OECD countries are under-represented. Conclusion: After accounting for physical/mental health, financial stress and unemployment weakly associated with suicide, and the associations may be nonsignificant.

PMID:37194640 | DOI:10.1027/0227-5910/a000908

Med Phys. 2023 May 17. doi: 10.1002/mp.16455. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To provide the first clinical test case for commissioning of ¹⁹² Ir brachytherapy model-based dose calculation algorithms (MBDCAs) according to the AAPM TG-186 report workflow.

ACQUISITION AND VALIDATION METHODS: A computational patient phantom model was generated from a clinical multi-catheter ¹⁹² Ir HDR breast brachytherapy case. Regions of interest (ROIs) were contoured and digitized on the patient CT images and the model was written to a series of DICOM CT images using MATLAB. The model was imported into two commercial treatment planning systems (TPSs) currently incorporating an MBDCA. Identical treatment plans were prepared using a generic ¹⁹² Ir HDR source and the TG-43-based algorithm of each TPS. This was followed by dose to medium in medium calculations using the MBDCA option of each TPS. Monte Carlo (MC) simulation was performed in the model using three different codes and information parsed from the treatment plan exported in DICOM radiation therapy (RT) format. Results were found to agree within statistical uncertainty and the dataset with the lowest uncertainty was assigned as the reference MC dose distribution.

DATA FORMAT AND USAGE NOTES: The dataset is available online at http://irochouston.mdanderson.org/rpc/BrachySeeds/BrachySeeds/index.html,https://doi.org/10.52519/00005. Files include the treatment plan for each TPS in DICOM RT format, reference MC dose data in RT Dose format, as well as a guide for database users and all files necessary to repeat the MC simulations.

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS: The dataset facilitates the commissioning of brachytherapy MBDCAs using TPS embedded tools and establishes a methodology for the development of future clinical test cases. It is also useful to non-MBDCA adopters for intercomparing MBDCAs and exploring their benefits and limitations, as well as to brachytherapy researchers in need of a dosimetric and/or a DICOM RT information parsing benchmark. Limitations include specificity in terms of radionuclide, source model, clinical scenario, and MBDCA version used for its preparation.

PMID:37194638 | DOI:10.1002/mp.16455

Int J Lab Hematol. 2023 May 17. doi: 10.1111/ijlh.14090. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The objective of the present study was to evaluate and compare the validity and utility of two fully automated ADAMTS13 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13) activity assays for clinical diagnostic decision-making and to compare their performance.

METHODS: Two automated ADAMTS13 activity assays (Werfen HemosIL® AcuStar ADAMTS13 Activity, Technoclone Technofluor ADAMTS13 Activity) were compared with a manual FRET assay (BioMedica ACTIFLUOR ADAMTS13 Activity). The following samples were used: 13 acute phase TTP (thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura) samples from 11 different patients, one sample from a patient with congenital ADAMTS13 deficiency, 16 samples from control patients, three follow-up samples from TTP patients in long-term remission and one sample from a patient with stem cell transplantation related thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). The WHO 1st International Standard for ADAMTS13 and several dilutions of normal plasma with ADAMTS13-depleted normal plasma were also tested. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, sensitivity and specificity, Passing & Bablok regression and Bland-Altman plot.

RESULTS: The quantitative comparison between the HemosIL® (x) and Technofluor (y) methods showed a strong correlation (Pearson r = 0.98, n = 49). When considering an ADAMTS13 activity of <10% as a hallmark for the diagnosis of TTP, two fully automated assays were both able to identify all TTP- and non-TTP-samples correctly, resulting in sensitivities and specificities of 100%.

CONCLUSION: Both fully automated ADAMTS13 activity assays showed a good diagnostic performance and quantitative correlation among themselves, discriminating reliably between TTP- and non-TTP-patients.

PMID:37194625 | DOI:10.1111/ijlh.14090

Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2023 May 17:e30413. doi: 10.1002/pbc.30413. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a well-described cancer in Li-Fraumeni syndrome, resulting from germline TP53 pathogenic variants (PVs). RMS exhibiting anaplasia (anRMS) are associated with a high rate of germline TP53 PVs. This study provides updated estimates of the prevalence of TP53 germline PVs in RMS (3%) and anRMS (11%) from a large cohort (n = 239) enrolled in five Children’s Oncology Group (COG) clinical trials. Although the prevalence of germline TP53 PVs in patients with anRMS in this series is much lower than previously reported, this prevalence remains elevated. Germline evaluation for TP53 PVs should be strongly considered in patients with anRMS.

PMID:37194615 | DOI:10.1002/pbc.30413

J Rehabil Med. 2023 May 17;55:jrm00390. doi: 10.2340/jrm.v55.4529.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To appraise research evidence on the effects of balance training on balance and fall efficacy in patients with osteoporosis.

METHODS: Six electronic databases were searched from inception of the database to 1 August 2022, with no language restrictions, and randomized controlled trials of balance training in patients with osteoporosis were included in this meta-analysis. Two authors independently screened and reviewed the articles and assessed the methodological quality using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tools. Trial sequential analysis was conducted.

RESULTS: A total of 10 randomized controlled trials with 684 patients were included. Three of the studies that were included had low risk of bias, 5 had moderate risk of bias, and 2 had high risk of bias. A meta-analysis demonstrated that balance training improves dynamic balance measured using the Timed Up and Go Test (mean difference (MD) = -1.86, 95% CI (-2.69, -1.02), Z = 4.38, p < 0.0001) and the Berg Balance Scale (MD = 5.31, 95% CI (0.65, 9.96), Z = 2.23, p < 0.03), static balance measured using One-Leg Standing Time (MD = 4.10, 95% CI (2.19, 6.01), Z = 4.21, p < 0.0001), and fall efficacy measured using the Falls Efficacy Scale International (MD = -4.60, 95% CI (-6.33, -2.87), Z = 5.20, p < 0.00001) were also significantly improved. Trial sequential analysis showed reliable evidence of the effects of balance training on dynamic and static balance improvement. The conclusions of this review are supported by the statistical and clinical significance of all outcomes in the meta-analysis, based on the advised minimal clinically significant differences and minimum detectable changes.

CONCLUSION: Balance training may be effective in improving balance ability and reducing fear of falling in patients with osteoporosis.

PMID:37194565 | DOI:10.2340/jrm.v55.4529

Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2023 May 17. doi: 10.1111/ppe.12984. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of fetal echocardiography in reducing the mortality from congenital heart disease (CHD) is largely unknown.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate whether the widespread use of fetal echocardiography owing to the initiation of insurance coverage in Japan was associated with a decreasing trend in the annual number of CHD-related deaths.

METHODS: Data regarding the number of deaths from CHD in infants aged <12 months were extracted from Japanese demographic statistics (2000-2018). Segmented regression analysis was performed on the interrupted time series data by stratifying the sample into CHD subgroups based on ICD-10 classification and sex.

RESULTS: After the initiation of insurance coverage for fetal echocardiography in 2010, a decrease was observed in the trends of annual deaths in patients with congenital malformations of aortic and mitral valves (ratio of trends before and after the initiation of insurance coverage for fetal echocardiography 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.93, 0.99). In this group, the decrease persisted after adjusting for annual total infant deaths and cardiac surgery mortality and in the analysis of trends in the proportion of deaths in this group per total CHD deaths. However, a decrease in trends was not observed in other patient groups with CHD. In the sex-stratified analysis, a decrease was noted only in male patients with congenital malformations of aortic and mitral valves.

CONCLUSIONS: The nationwide trend in annual CHD deaths decreased after the initiation of insurance coverage for fetal echocardiography only among patients with congenital malformation of aortic and mitral valves. These findings suggest that prenatal diagnosis with fetal echocardiography has led to improved mortality outcomes among these patients in Japan.

PMID:37194557 | DOI:10.1111/ppe.12984

Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2023 May 17. doi: 10.1111/opo.13164. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess accommodative function in non-presbyopic individuals diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) without any signs of retinopathy, to determine the existence of possible accommodative disorders related to this disease, and to determine the influence of T1D duration and glycosylated haemoglobin values on accommodative function.

METHODS: This comparative, cross-sectional study included 60 participants between 11 and 39 years old, 30 with T1D and 30 controls, with no previous eye surgery, ocular disease or medication that could affect the results of the visual examination. Amplitude of accommodation (AA), negative and positive relative accommodation (NRA and PRA), accommodative response (AR) and accommodative facility (AF) were assessed using the tests that showed the highest repeatability. Participants were classified based on normative values into ‘insufficiency, excess or normal results’, and a diagnosis of accommodative disorders (accommodative insufficiency, accommodative infacility and accommodative excess) was made.

RESULTS: Participants with T1D had statistically significant lower AA and AF and higher NRA values than the controls. Furthermore, AA was significantly and inversely correlated with age and the duration of diabetes; however, AF and NRA were only correlated with disease duration. In the classification by accommodative variables, a higher percentage of ‘insufficiency values’ was observed in the T1D group (50%) than in the control group (6%; p < 0.001). In terms of accommodative disorders, accommodative infacility was the most prevalent (15%), followed by accommodative insufficiency (10%).

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that T1D affects most accommodative parameters, with accommodative insufficiency being associated with this disease.

PMID:37194554 | DOI:10.1111/opo.13164