Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

The Appalachia Mind Health Initiative (AMHI): a pragmatic randomized clinical trial of adjunctive internet-based cognitive behavior therapy for treating major depressive disorder among primary care patients

Trials. 2022 Jun 20;23(1):520. doi: 10.1186/s13063-022-06438-y.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disease morbidity. Combined treatment with antidepressant medication (ADM) plus psychotherapy yields a much higher MDD remission rate than ADM only. But 77% of US MDD patients are nonetheless treated with ADM only despite strong patient preferences for psychotherapy. This mismatch is due at least in part to a combination of cost considerations and limited availability of psychotherapists, although stigma and reluctance of PCPs to refer patients for psychotherapy are also involved. Internet-based cognitive behaviorial therapy (i-CBT) addresses all of these problems.

METHODS: Enrolled patients (n = 3360) will be those who are beginning ADM-only treatment of MDD in primary care facilities throughout West Virginia, one of the poorest and most rural states in the country. Participating treatment providers and study staff at West Virginia University School of Medicine (WVU) will recruit patients and, after obtaining informed consent, administer a baseline self-report questionnaire (SRQ) and then randomize patients to 1 of 3 treatment arms with equal allocation: ADM only, ADM + self-guided i-CBT, and ADM + guided i-CBT. Follow-up SRQs will be administered 2, 4, 8, 13, 16, 26, 39, and 52 weeks after randomization. The trial has two primary objectives: to evaluate aggregate comparative treatment effects across the 3 arms and to estimate heterogeneity of treatment effects (HTE). The primary outcome will be episode remission based on a modified version of the patient-centered Remission from Depression Questionnaire (RDQ). The sample was powered to detect predictors of HTE that would increase the proportional remission rate by 20% by optimally assigning individuals as opposed to randomly assigning them into three treatment groups of equal size. Aggregate comparative treatment effects will be estimated using intent-to-treat analysis methods. Cumulative inverse probability weights will be used to deal with loss to follow-up. A wide range of self-report predictors of MDD heterogeneity of treatment effects based on previous studies will be included in the baseline SRQ. A state-of-the-art ensemble machine learning method will be used to estimate HTE.

DISCUSSION: The study is innovative in using a rich baseline assessment and in having a sample large enough to carry out a well-powered analysis of heterogeneity of treatment effects. We anticipate finding that self-guided and guided i-CBT will both improve outcomes compared to ADM only. We also anticipate finding that the comparative advantages of adding i-CBT to ADM will vary significantly across patients. We hope to develop a stable individualized treatment rule that will allow patients and treatment providers to improve aggregate treatment outcomes by deciding collaboratively when ADM treatment should be augmented with i-CBT.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04120285 . Registered on October 19, 2019.

PMID:35725644 | DOI:10.1186/s13063-022-06438-y

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Evaluating long-term outcomes of three approaches to retroperitoneal staging in endometrial cancer

Gynecol Oncol. 2022 Jun 17:S0090-8258(22)00407-3. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2022.06.007. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Sentinel lymph node mapping (SNM) has gained popularity in managing apparent early-stage endometrial cancer (EC). Here, we evaluated the long-term survival of three different approaches of nodal assessment.

METHODS: This is a multi-institutional retrospective study evaluating long-term outcomes of EC patients having nodal assessment between 01/01/2006 and 12/31/2016. In order to reduce possible confounding factors, we applied a propensity-matched algorithm.

RESULTS: Overall, 940 patients meeting inclusion criteria were included in the study, of which 174 (18.5%), 187 (19.9%), and 579 (61.6%) underwent SNM, SNM followed by backup lymphadenectomy (LND) and LND alone, respectively. Applying a propensity score matching algorithm (1:1:2) we selected 500 patients, including 125 SNM, 125 SNM/backup LND, and 250 LND. Baseline characteristics of the study population were similar between groups. The prevalence of nodal disease was 14%, 16%, and 12% in patients having SNM, SNM/backup LND and LND, respectively. Overall, 19 (7.6%) patients were diagnosed with low volume nodal disease. The survival analysis comparing the three techniques did not show statistical differences in terms of disease-free (p = 0.750) and overall survival (p = 0.899). Similarly, the type of nodal assessment did not impact survival outcomes after stratification based on uterine risk factors.

CONCLUSION: Our study highlighted that SNM provides similar long-term oncologic outcomes than LND.

PMID:35725656 | DOI:10.1016/j.ygyno.2022.06.007

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

The primary surgical therapy of a synchronous sigmoid, rectal and vulvar cancer

Magy Onkol. 2022 Jun 20;66(2):153-156. Epub 2021 Apr 27.

ABSTRACT

Malignant tumors were the leading cause of death in Hungary between 1990 and 2018 according to the central statistical office (www.ksh.hu). While the mortality of cerebrovascular diseases is decreasing, cancer-related mortality is getting worse, despite the improvement of both diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities. The exact number of synchronous double and triple cancers in Hungary is unknown, and their therapeutic pathways are unclear. Currently there is no data available regarding these questions in the National Cancer Registry. In this case report we present the diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm of a patient with a triple malignancy.

PMID:35724393

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Hungarian situation of melanoma incidence and mortality in the first two decades of 21st century

Magy Onkol. 2022 Jun 20;66(2):94-99. Epub 2022 May 16.

ABSTRACT

Skin melanoma is not among malignancies with the highest incidences and mortalities worldwide; however, the observed constant increase in newly diagnosed cases is troublesome. According to the database of the Hungarian Cancer Registry, the number of newly reported cases doubled between 2001 and 2019, which is consistent with international data. Notwithstanding, within the same interval, Hungarian mortality did not change significantly according to the database of the Hungarian Statistical Office, which is in contrast to international trends. The increasing incidence together with unchanging mortality resulted in better survival rates and hence more favorable follow-up data in our country. Advancements in secondary prevention programs and better efficacy of modern therapeutic interventions in the last decade may have contributed to the observed improvement in the survival rates of Hungarian melanoma patients.

PMID:35724385

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Concussion Assessment and Management Practices Among Irish and Canadian Athletic Therapists: An International Perspective

J Athl Train. 2022 Jun 20. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-0097.22. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT: Certified athletic therapists in Ireland and Canada serve essential concussion assessment and management roles, but their healthcare practices and concussion knowledge are unestablished.

OBJECTIVE: To examine Irish and Canadian athletic therapist cohorts: 1) concussion knowledge, 2) current concussion assessment and management techniques across all job settings, and 3) concussion assessment and management practices associations with years of clinical experience and highest degree attained.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional cohort.

SETTING: Online survey.

PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Licensed Irish (49.7%;n=91/183) and Canadian (10.1%;n=211/2,090) athletic therapists.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Athletic therapists completed an online survey assessing their demographics, concussion knowledge (symptom recognition, patient-clinician scenarios), annual concussions assessed, and assessment and return-to-play (RTP) measures using a modified, previously validated survey. Symptom recognition consisted of 20 (8 true, 12 false) signs and symptoms recognition questions scored as total correct. Descriptive statistics and odds ratios (OR) were used to examine survey responses where appropriate.

RESULTS: Irish (86.8%;n=46/53) and Canadian (93.4%;n=155/166) athletic therapists indicated RTP guidelines as the most common method for determining RTP. Symptom recognition was 72.8±17.0% among Irish and 76.6±17.0% among Canadian athletic therapists. Irish (91.2%;n=52/57) and Canadian (95.3%;n=161/178) athletic therapists reported standardized sideline assessments as the most common concussion assessment method. Irish and Canadian athletic therapists’ two-domain (Irish:38.6%[n=22/57]; Canadian:73.6%[n=131/178]) and three-domain (Irish:3.5%[n=2/57]; Canadian:19.7%[n=35/178]) minimum assessments (i.e. symptoms, balance, and/or neurocognitive) were not associated with education or clinical experience (p≥0.068), except for Canadian athletic therapists with Master’s degrees having greater odds of completing two-domain assessments at initial evaluation than those with Bachelor’s degrees (OR[95%CI]=1.8[1.41-1.95]).

CONCLUSIONS: Irish and Canadian athletic therapists demonstrated similar concussion knowledge to prior research; however, the majority did not fully adhere to international consensus concussion assessment guidelines as evidenced by low two- and three- domain assessment use. Athletic therapists should aim to implement multidimensional concussion assessments to ensure optimal healthcare practices and patient safety.

PMID:35724361 | DOI:10.4085/1062-6050-0097.22

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Spring football concussion rates mimic the preseason: Findings from the CARE Consortium

J Athl Train. 2022 Jun 20. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-0132.22. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Increasing attention is directed on identifying aspects of football participation for targeted policy change that reduces concussion risk. Prior work evaluated concussion risk during the pre- and regular-seasons, leaving the spring season largely unexplored. This nationally representative observational investigation of 19 Division I collegiate football programs evaluated concussion rates and head impact exposure during the pre-season, regular season, and spring practices from 2014-2019. All participating programs recorded incidence concussions and a subset (n=6) also measured head impact exposure. Analyses by time of year and session type indicated concussion rates and head impact exposure during all practice sessions and contact only practices were significantly higher in the spring and pre-season compared to the regular season (p’s<0.05). Concussion rates during the spring season and pre-season were statistically similar. This investigation identified comparable concussion risk between the spring and pre-seasons, highlighting the need for targeted policy intervention to protect athlete health and safety.

PMID:35724362 | DOI:10.4085/1062-6050-0132.22

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Culprit plaque location within left circumflex coronary artery predicts clinical outcome in patients experiencing acute coronary syndromes with percutaneous coronary intervention – data from ORPKI registry

Kardiol Pol. 2022 Jun 20. doi: 10.33963/KP.a2022.0150. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The left circumflex (Cx) artery is the most challenging of coronary branches in terms of diagnostics because the clinical presentation and electrocardiography (ECG) results do not always suggest critical occlusion despite its presence. Therefore, it is important to determine the factors contributing to the clinical manifestation and outcome, such as culprit location.

AIMS: To determine the relation between the location of the culprit plaque and clinical outcomes in the LCx artery.

METHODS: Data from the Polish Registry of Invasive Cardiology Procedures (ORPKI) concerning percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures have been extracted and analyzed using appropriate statistical tests.

RESULTS: Patients with proximal occlusion received a worse grade using the Killip score. Patients with thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) score 0 presented worse clinical presentation in each of the occlusion locations. Periprocedural cardiac arrest and death rate was the highest among patients with proximal Cx occlusion. Death rate among patients with proximal occlusion and non ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) was greater than among patients with distal occlusion and ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with proximal occlusions of the Cx artery and TIMI 0 grade flow in initial angiogram, a STEMI-like approach should be undertaken apart from initial ECG findings. This is driven by a higher rate of critical and fatal complications such as cardiac arrest and periprocedural death. Fatal complications occur more often in patients with proximal occlusion of Cx than in medial or distal occlusion. Grade IV according to the Killip score can suggest proximal culprit location.

PMID:35724333 | DOI:10.33963/KP.a2022.0150

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Crisis, ethical leadership and moral courage: Ethical climate during COVID-19

Nurs Ethics. 2022 Jun 20:9697330221105636. doi: 10.1177/09697330221105636. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The global COVID-19 pandemic has challenged nurse leaders in ways that one could not imagine. Along with ongoing priorities of providing high quality, cost-effective and safe care, nurse leaders are also committed to promote an ethical climate that support nurses’ moral courage for sustaining excellence in patient and family care.

AIM: This study is directed to develop a structure equation model of crisis, ethical leadership and nurses’ moral courage: mediating effect of ethical climate during COVID-19.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATION: Approval was obtained from Ethics Committee at Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University, Egypt.

METHODS: A cross-sectional design was used to conduct this study using validated scales to measure the study variables. It was conducted in all units of two isolated hospitals in Damanhur, Egypt. A convenient sample of 235 nurses was recruited to be involved in this study.

RESULTS: This study revealed that nurses perceived a moderate mean percent (55.49 ± 3.46) of overall crisis leadership, high mean percent (74.69 ± 6.15) of overall ethical leadership, high mean percent (72.09 ± 7.73) of their moral courage, and moderate mean percent of overall ethical climate (65.67 ± 12.04). Additionally, this study declared a strong positive statistical significant correlation between all study variables and indicated that the independent variable (crisis and ethical leadership) can predict a 0.96, 0.6, respectively, increasing in the dependent variable (nurses’ moral courage) through the mediating impact of ethical climate.

CONCLUSION: Nursing administrators should be conscious of the importance of crisis, ethical leadership competencies and the role of ethical climate to enhance nurses’ moral courage especially during pandemic. Therefore, these findings have significant contributions that support healthcare organizations to develop strategies that provide a supportive ethical climate. Develop ethical and crisis leadership competencies in order to improve nurses’ moral courage by holding meetings, workshops, and allowing open dialogue with nurses to assess their moral courage.

PMID:35724327 | DOI:10.1177/09697330221105636

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Comparison of outcomes and complications in conventional versus ultrasound-accelerated catheter directed thrombolysis for treatment of pulmonary embolism: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Perfusion. 2022 Jun 20:2676591221108811. doi: 10.1177/02676591221108811. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Acute submassive a massive pulmonary embolism are known as leading causes of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in emergency departments. Choosing the optimal type of catheter directed thrombolysis (CDT) for treatment of pulmonary embolism presents a quandary to the practitioners. To the best of our knowledge, there is no meta-analysis comparing superiority of conventional CDT and ultrasound-accelerated catheter directed thrombolysis (USACDT). Therefore, in this meta-analysis, we aimed to compare conventional CDT with USACDT regarding clinical outcomes and safety profile.

METHODS: A systematic literature search of previous published studies comparing conventional CDT with USACDT regarding clinical outcomes and safety profile was carried out in the electronic databases including MEDLINE, Scopus, EBSCO, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Cochrane from inception to December 2021. Data were analyzed by comprehensive meta-analysis software (CMA, version 3).

RESULTS: The meta-analysis included nine studies with a total of 705 patients. Our meta-analysis showed that there is no significant difference between two groups with respect to pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (SMD: -0.084; 95% CI: -0.287 to 0.12; p: 0.41), RV/LV (SMD: -0.003; 95% CI: -0.277 to 0.270; p: 0.98), and Miller score (SMD: -0.345; 95% CI: -1.376 to 0.686; p: 0.51). Similarly, we found no statistically significant differences between two groups regarding major and minor bleeding (p > .05).

CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis showed that when compared with USACDT, conventional CDT provides similar clinical and hemodynamic outcomes or safety for treatment of pulmonary embolism without the need for very expensive technologies. However, randomized clinical trials are required to further investigate cost-effectiveness of USACDT in comparison with conventional CDT.

PMID:35724310 | DOI:10.1177/02676591221108811

Categories
Nevin Manimala Statistics

Severity Assessment of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Based on Intelligent Video Analysis

IEEE J Biomed Health Inform. 2022 Jun 20;PP. doi: 10.1109/JBHI.2022.3184870. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) has a high incidence in the middle-aged and elderly people. According to clinical research, there is a connection between hand dexterity and cervical nerves. So the surgeon makes a preliminary assessment of the severity of CSM based on a 10-second grip and release (G&R) test. At present, the statistics of G&R test rely on the surgeon’s manual counting. When a patient’s hand motion speed is too fast, the surgeon’s manual counting is prone to error, leading to potential misdiagnosis. On the other hand, in recent years, artificial intelligence has been developed rapidly, where three-dimensional convolutional neural networks (3D-CNNs) have been widely used in video analysis. This work proposes a hand motion analysis model using a 3D-CNN combined with a de-jittering mechanism to assess the severity of CSM on 10-second G&R videos. We collect 1500 10-second G&R videos recorded by 750 subjects to establish a dataset. The proposed model using 3D-MobileNetV2 as the classifier obtains a Levenshtein accuracy of 97.40% and an average GPU inference time of 3.31 seconds for each 10-second G&R video. Such accuracy and inference speed ensure that the proposed model can be used as a screening examination tool for CSM and a medical assistance tool to help decision making during CSM treatment planning.

PMID:35724286 | DOI:10.1109/JBHI.2022.3184870