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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Relationship Between Environmental Meteorological Factors and the Incidence of Epistaxis in Different Age Groups in Yangzhou

Ear Nose Throat J. 2024 Aug 30:1455613241271680. doi: 10.1177/01455613241271680. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the relationship between environmental and meteorological factors and the incidence of epistaxis in different age groups in Yangzhou, as well as to provide a reference and theoretical basis for epistaxis prevention and treatment. Methods: The patients with epistaxis who were treated in Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital of Jiangsu Province from January 2016 to December 2020 were reviewed, and the relationship between the local environmental meteorological factors at the time of onset and the incidence of epistaxis in different age groups was analyzed, and the potential environmental meteorological risk factors of epistaxis in each age group were determined by Stepwise logistic regression. Results: From 2016 to 2020, there were 24,407 cases of epistaxis, mostly males and children. The effects of O3 concentration, average humidity, average temperature, NO2 concentration, sunshine duration, average wind speed, CO concentration, and temperature difference on the study population were statistically significant (P < .05). Analysis by age group showed that there were differences in environmental and meteorological factors related to epistaxis in different age groups. Conclusions: In Yangzhou, epistaxis is more prevalent among males and children. The environmental meteorological factors are related to the incidence of epistaxis in Yangzhou, among which the average humidity and temperature difference are negatively correlated with the incidence of epistaxis. In contrast O3 concentration, average temperature, NO2 concentration, sunshine duration, average wind speed, and CO concentration are positively correlated with epistaxis occurrence. However, the impact of these environmental and meteorological factors varies in different age groups.

PMID:39215480 | DOI:10.1177/01455613241271680

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Exploring the Association of Serum Uric Acid Levels with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Ear Nose Throat J. 2024 Aug 30:1455613241272455. doi: 10.1177/01455613241272455. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Objectives: The role of uric acid in pathogenesis of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is not fully understood. It is aimed to assess the serum uric acid levels in BPPV patients compared to healthy controls. Study design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: Web of science, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Embase, Medline, and Cochrane library were systematically searched. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) and Problem/Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome (PICO) guidelines were used. Results: In total, 20 studies including 3967 participants met the inclusion criteria. Ten studies (50%) reported higher uric acid (UA) levels in BPPV patients, 4 studies (20%) indicated lower UA levels in BPPV patients, while 6 studies (30%) found no significant difference in UA levels between BPPV patients and healthy controls. The overall mean serum levels of UA (SMD: 0.265, [-0.163 to 0.693]) were higher in BPPV patients than control group. However, this difference was not statistically significant (P-value: .225). Conclusion: There is no significant difference in serum level of UA between BPPV patients and healthy controls. It means that serum level of UA (whether low or high) is not likely the underlying factor of development of BPPV.

PMID:39215477 | DOI:10.1177/01455613241272455

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

15th Annual University of Pennsylvania conference on statistical issues in clinical trial/advances in time to event analyses in clinical trials (morning panel discussion)

Clin Trials. 2024 Aug 30:17407745241272012. doi: 10.1177/17407745241272012. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:39215469 | DOI:10.1177/17407745241272012

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Changes in School-Age Children’s Well-being and School-Related Needs Post COVID-19 Pandemic

Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2024 Aug 30:99228241273343. doi: 10.1177/00099228241273343. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

COVID-19 highlighted the importance of schools for child health, as emerging data suggest that pandemic-related school closures may have led to worsening child health and exacerbated health disparities. This study examines school-aged children’s well-being, and characterizes changes in school-related needs, from 2021 to 2022. This is a secondary analysis of a longitudinal cohort study, where a nationally representative sample of parents of school-aged children were surveyed in June 2021 and 2022. The percentage of children with deficits in total difficulties, hyperactivity, and prosocial behavior decreased at follow-up, while a high percentage of children continued to experience peer problems. At least one school-related need remained for most parents. Highest priority needs were academic enrichment, socialization, physical activity, tutoring, and coping with stress. Academic support and social-emotional well-being remained major parental concerns, with social development showing significant deficit. Improvements in child well-being were experienced unequally across demographic groups.

PMID:39215459 | DOI:10.1177/00099228241273343

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Prevalence and associated risk factors of hydatidosis in cattle slaughtered at Wolaita Sodo municipality abattoir

Vet Med Sci. 2024 Sep;10(5):e70008. doi: 10.1002/vms3.70008.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Hydatidosis, caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus, affect cattle by forming hydatid cyst in thier lungs, livers and pose great financial loss in animal production and country’s economy by both direct and indirect effect. Despite its great economic and health importance, there is an absence of current information on cystic echinococcosis in cattle slaughtered at Wolaita Sodo municipality abattoir in Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVES: Current investigation determines the prevalence, organ distribution and fertility of hydatid cysts in cattle slaughtered at the Wolaita Sodo municipality abattoir in Ethiopia.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from February, 2023, to October, 2023, at Wolaita Sodo municipality abattoir in southern Ethiopia, through regular meat examinations and cyst characterisation to determine the prevalence, organ distribution and fertility of hydatid cysts.

RESULTS: The overall prevalence of hydatidosis recorede in current study was 17.9% (69/384) and has shown a statistically significant association (p < 0.05) with the body condition of cattle. However, there was no statistically significant association (p > 0.05) between the prevalence of hydatidosis and other risk factors such as sex, breed, production system and origin of animals. This study showed that the lungs and liver were the most affected organs in cattle, followed by the spleen and kidneys. On cyst characterisation, the majority of hydatid cysts were found sterile (55.4%) followed by fertile (38.8%) and calcified (8.7%) cysts. Out of 125 fertile hydatid cysts tested for survival, 18.8% (58/321) were viable and 20% (67/321) were nonviable.

CONCLUSION: The finding of this study shows that cystic echinococcus was important health threat of the cattle and widespread in the internal organs of affected cattle causing significant economic loss by condemning edible organs that are not suitable for human consumption. Therefore, urgent and integreted preventive action is needed to disrupt the life cycle of cystic echinococcosis to tackle subsequent financial loss and risk of zoonosis to humans in the study area.

PMID:39215458 | DOI:10.1002/vms3.70008

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Müller Muscle Conjunctival Resection: A Prospective Multicenter Comparison of Eyelid Height at the Immediate, 1-Week, and 3-Month Postoperative Time Points

Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg. 2024 Aug 28. doi: 10.1097/IOP.0000000000002768. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The primary objective was to document change in postoperative marginal reflex distance-1 (MRD1) after Müller muscle conjunctival resection surgery. The secondary objective was to identify predictors of change in postoperative MRD1.

METHODS: A multicenter prospective cohort study was performed on patients consecutively recruited for Müller muscle conjunctival resection. MRD1 was measured immediately after Müller muscle conjunctival resection, at the 1-week postoperative visit, and the ≥3-month postoperative visit. MRD1 at the immediate and 1-week time points were compared with MRD1 ≥3 months using descriptive statistics. Predictors of change in MRD1 were analyzed using multivariate regression analysis.

RESULTS: A total of 150 patients (226 eyelids) were included. Regarding the immediate to ≥3-month interval, 53.8% of eyelids remained clinically similar (rise or fall ≤0.5 mm), 19.8% rose ≥1 mm, and 26.4% fell ≥1 mm. Regarding the 1-week to ≥3-month interval, 76.5% remained clinically similar, 17.3% rose ≥1 mm, and 6.2% fell ≥1 mm. No variable predicted change in MRD1 over either interval with both clinical and statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS: Immediate postoperative MRD1 is likely to reflect the late result in only 54% of cases. However, 1-week postoperative MRD1 is similar to the late result in 77% of cases and is highly unlikely (6%) to fall by the final visit. No variable significantly impacts change in postoperative MRD1.

PMID:39197179 | DOI:10.1097/IOP.0000000000002768

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Effect of Cannabis Usage on Thyroid Eye Disease

Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg. 2024 Aug 28. doi: 10.1097/IOP.0000000000002770. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between cannabis usage and thyroid eye disease (TED) in patients with autoimmune hyperthyroidism. While the association between cigarette smoking and TED is well established, the effect of cannabis on TED is unclear.

METHODS: This cohort study examined data from TriNetX, an electronic health record platform, for patients with autoimmune hyperthyroidism between December 1, 2003, and December 1, 2023. Primary outcomes were TED presentation (exophthalmos, eyelid retraction, eyelid edema, orbital edema, strabismus, and optic neuropathy) and treatment (teprotumumab, methylprednisolone, tarsorrhaphy, and orbital decompression) in cannabis users, nicotine users, and control patients. Propensity matching was performed to control for characteristics such as age, sex, race, prior thyroidectomy, and/or radio ablation. Relative risk between cohorts was calculated for each outcome in 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year intervals following diagnosis of autoimmune hyperthyroidism.

RESULTS: Of 36,186 patients with autoimmune hyperthyroidism, 783 were cannabis users, 17,310 were nicotine users, and 18,093 were control patients without cannabis or nicotine usage. Compared with control patients, cannabis users were more likely to be younger, male, and Black/African American and have anxiety or depression. After propensity matching, cannabis users were 1.9 times more likely to develop exophthalmos (p = 0.03) and 1.6 times more likely to develop any TED presentation (p = 0.049) in the 1-year interval although these differences did not remain statistically significant in the 2-year interval.

CONCLUSIONS: Cannabis users had a significantly increased risk for TED outcomes in the 1-year interval. Further research is needed to inform TED management.

PMID:39197177 | DOI:10.1097/IOP.0000000000002770

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Communicating Information Regarding IBD Remission to Patients: Evidence From a Survey of Adult Patients in the United States

Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2024 Aug 28:izae201. doi: 10.1093/ibd/izae201. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Previous research suggests patients living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) understand IBD remission differently than healthcare professionals, which could influence patient expectations and clinical outcomes. We investigated 3 questions to better understand this: (1) How do patients currently understand remission; (2) Do patients currently face any barriers to communicating with their healthcare professional about remission; and (3) Can existing educational material be improved to help patients feel more prepared to discuss remission and treatment goals with their healthcare professional?

METHODS: We sent a web-based survey to adult patients with IBD in the United States. This survey included an educational experiment where patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 improved versions of existing educational material.

RESULTS: In total, 1495 patients with IBD completed the survey. The majority of patients (67%) agreed that remission is possible in IBD, but there was significant diversity in how they defined it with the most common being “my symptoms are reduced” (22%) and “I am no longer experiencing any symptoms” (14%). Patients reported being able to communicate openly with their healthcare professionals. Exposure to improved educational material did not have a statistically significant effect on patients’ feelings of preparedness for discussing different aspects of their care with their healthcare professionals.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms that patients tend to define remission in terms of resolving symptoms. We found little evidence of barriers preventing patients from discussing remission with their healthcare professionals. This suggests that educational material could be used to resolve this discrepancy in understanding.

PMID:39197162 | DOI:10.1093/ibd/izae201

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Patient-Reported Experiences of Persistent Post-COVID-19 Conditions After Hospital Discharge During the Second and Third Waves of the Pandemic in Switzerland: Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study

JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2024 Aug 28;10:e47465. doi: 10.2196/47465.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Hospitalized patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 should recover within a few weeks. However, even those with mild versions can experience symptoms lasting 4 weeks or longer. These post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) comprise various new, returning, or ongoing symptoms that can last for months or years and cause disability. Few studies have investigated PCC using self-reports from discharged patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 to complement clinical and biomarker studies.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate self-reported, persistent PCC among patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 who were discharged during the second and third waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: We designed, pretested, and posted an ad hoc paper questionnaire to all eligible inpatients discharged between October 2020 and April 2021. At 4 months post discharge, we collected data on PCC and scores for the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI), the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), a Brief Memory Screening Scale (Q3PC), and a posttraumatic stress disorder scale (PCL-5). Descriptive, inferential, and multivariate linear regression statistics assessed PCC symptomatology, associations, and differences regarding sociodemographic characteristics and hospital length of stay (LOS). We examined whether our variables of interest significantly predicted MFI scores.

RESULTS: Of the 1993 valid questionnaires returned, 245 were from discharged patients with SARS-CoV-2 (median age 71, IQR 62.7-77 years). Only 28.2% (69/245) of respondents were symptom-free after 4 months. Women had significantly more persistent PCC symptoms than men (P≤.001). Patients with a hospital LOS ≥11 days had more PCC symptoms as well (P<.001)-women had more symptoms and longer LOS. No significant differences were found between age groups (18-64, 65-74, and ≥75 years old; P=.50) or between intensive care units and other hospitalization units (P=.09). Patients self-reported significantly higher PHQ-4 scores during their hospitalization than at 4 months later (P<.001). Three-fourth (187/245, 76.4%) of the respondents reported memory loss and concentration disorders (Q3PC). No significant differences in the median MFI score (56, IQR 1-3, range 50-60]) were associated with sociodemographic variables. Patients with a hospital LOS of ≥11 days had a significantly higher median PCL-5 score (P<.001). Multivariate linear regression allowed us to calculate that the combination of PHQ-4, Q3PC, and PCL-5 scores, adjusted for age, sex, and LOS (of either ≥11 days [median 2 symptoms, IQR 1-5] or <11 days), did not significantly predict MFI scores (R2=0.09; F4,7 =1.5; P=.22; adjusted R2=0.06).

CONCLUSIONS: The majority of inpatients infected with SARS-CoV-2 presented with PCC 4 months after discharge, with complex clinical pictures. Only one-third of them were symptom-free during that time. Based on our findings, MFI scores were not directly related to self-reported depression, anxiety, or posttraumatic scores adjusted for age, sex, or LOS. Further research is needed to explore PCC and fatigue based on self-reported health experiences of discharged inpatients infected with SARS-CoV-2.

PMID:39197160 | DOI:10.2196/47465

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Nevin Manimala Statistics

Fifteen-Year Results of a Comparative Analysis of Tendon Repair Versus Physiotherapy for Small-to-Medium-Sized Rotator Cuff Tears: A Concise Follow-up of Previous Reports

J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2024 Aug 23. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.24.00065. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT: The optimal treatment for small-to-medium-sized rotator cuff tears remains a topic of debate. While both tendon repair and physiotherapy have shown comparable short-term results, there are concerns about the long-term effectiveness of physiotherapy. In 2 previous reports presenting the 5 and 10-year results of this trial, significant and increasing differences were observed in favor of tendon repair. Further investigation of the unexplored time interval after 10 years is essential to fully understand the implications of our treatment approaches. A total of 103 patients with a full-thickness rotator cuff tear not exceeding 3 cm were randomly allocated to tendon repair or physiotherapy with optional secondary repair. Measurements of shoulder function were performed by a blinded assessor at 6 months and 1, 2, 5, 10, and 15 years. The outcome of primary interest was the 15-year result for the Constant score. Secondary outcome measures included the self-report section of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score; the Short Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey; assessments of pain, motion, and strength; and patient satisfaction. Tear-size increase in unrepaired tears was assessed by sonography. Statistical analysis was by mixed-model analysis for repeated measurements and by intention to treat. Eighty-three (81%) of 103 patients attended the 15-year follow-up. Fifteen of 51 patients in the physiotherapy group had crossed over to secondary surgery. Results from primary tendon repair were superior by a mean difference of 11.8 points for the Constant score (p = 0.001), 13.9 points for the ASES score (p < 0.001), 1.8 cm on a 10-cm visual analog scale for pain (p < 0.001), and 16.2° and 22.4°, respectively, for pain-free abduction and flexion (p = 0.04 and 0.001). On the SF-36, differences did not reach significance for any of the scoring scales. In 26 tears treated by physiotherapy only, the mean tear size had increased from 16.2 to 31.6 mm in the anterior-posterior direction. Long-term outcomes from primary tendon repair remained superior to physiotherapy up to 15 years of follow-up, supporting its use as the primary treatment for small-to-medium-sized rotator cuff tears.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

PMID:39197154 | DOI:10.2106/JBJS.24.00065