Hemodynamic monitoring in heart failure and pulmonary hypertension: From analog tracings to the digital age

Hemodynamic monitoring has long formed the cornerstone of heart failure (HF) and pulmonary hypertension diagnosis and management. We review the long history of invasive hemodynamic monitors initially using pulmonary artery (PA) pressure catheters in the hospital setting, to evaluating the utility of a number of implantable devices that can allow for ambulatory determination of intracardiac pressures. Although the use of indwelling PA catheters has fallen out of favor in a number of settings, implantable devices have afforded clinicians an opportunity for objective determination of a patient’s volume status and pulmonary pressures. Some devices, such as the CardioMEMS and thoracic impedance monitors present as part of implantable cardiac defibrillators, are supported by a body of evidence which show the potential to reduce HF related morbidity and have received regulatory approval, whereas other devices have failed to show benefit and, in some cases, harm. Clearly these devices can convey a considerable amount of information and clinicians should start to familiarize themselves with their use and expect further development and refinement in the future.     

Similar functional outcome using single anterior portal and standard two portalstechnique in recurrent dislocation of shoulder

Purpose:Recurrent dislocation of shoulder(RDS)is a common injury in high demand professionals,like athletes and military personnel.The treatment for the patients with Bankart lesion is the arthroscopic repair.This present study compares the outcomes of two different techniques of arthroscopic Bankart repair i.e.a standard two anterior portals technique and a single anterior portal technique in patients with RDS.Methods:Patients with traumatic RDS met the inclusion criteria were managed with Bankart repair using either two anterior portals(Group A)or a single anterior portal(Group B)technique.Patients were evaluated before the intervention and at the mean follow-up of approximately two years using Rowe score,Oxford shoulder score and Tegner activity scale.Results:The mean age of the patients in Groups A(n=34)and B(n=37)was 29.64 years and 29.05 years respectively(p=0.66).The dominant shoulder was involved in 27 patients in Group A and 22 patients in Group B(p=0.069).The operative time in Group A and B was 68.52 min and 46.35 min,respectively(p<0.001).The complications at follow-up,the mean Rowe score and Oxford score improved significantly in both groups compared with the pre-operative values.However,the final outcome scores were not significantly different between the both groups.The median Tegner's score preoperatively and at follow-up was 7 and 6,respectively in Groups A and B.Conclusions:Single anterior portal technique is an effective treatment modality,yielding a similar outcome as two anterior portals technique in the management of RDS.     

What Is the Value of Adding Medicare Data in Estimating VA Hospital Readmission Rates?

Objective

To determine the effects of including diagnostic and utilization data from a secondary payer on readmission rates and hospital profiles.

Data Sources/Study Setting

Veterans Health Administration (VA) and Medicare inpatient and outpatient administrative data for veterans discharged from 153 VA hospitals during FY 2008–2010 with a principal diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, or pneumonia.

Study Design

We estimated hospital-level risk-standardized readmission rates derived using VA data only. We then used data from both VA and Medicare to reestimate readmission rates and compared hospital profiles using two methods: Hospital Compare and the CMS implementation of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP).

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

Retrospective data analysis using VA hospital discharge and outpatient data matched with Medicare fee-for-service claims by scrambled Social Security numbers.

Principal Findings

Less than 2 percent of hospitals in any cohort were classified discordantly by the Hospital Compare method when using VA-only compared with VA/Medicare data. In contrast, using the HRRP method, 13 percent of hospitals had differences in whether they were flagged as having excessive readmission rates in at least one cohort.

Conclusions

Inclusion of secondary payer data may cause changes in hospital profiles, depending on the methodology used. An assessment of readmission rates should include, to the extent possible, all available information about patients'' utilization of care.     

Protective effect of ethyl acetate fraction of Rhododendron arboreum flowers against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in experimental models

Objective:

To evaluate the hepatoprotective potential of ethyl acetate fraction of Rhododendron arboreum (Family: Ericaceae) in Wistar rats against carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced liver damage in preventive and curative models.

Materials and Methods:

Fraction at a dose of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg was administered orally once daily for 14 days in CCl₄-treated groups (II, III, IV, V and VI). The serum levels of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), alkaline phosphatase (SALP), γ-glutamyltransferase (γ -GT), and bilirubin were estimated along with activities of glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase, hepatic malondialdehyde formation, and glutathione content.

Result and Discussion:

The substantially elevated serum enzymatic activities of SGOT, SGPT, SALP, γ-GT, and bilirubin due to CCl₄ treatment were restored toward normal in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, the decreased activities of GST and glutathione reductase were also restored toward normal. In addition, ethyl acetate fraction also significantly prevented the elevation of hepatic malondialdehyde formation and depletion of reduced glutathione content in the liver of CCl₄-intoxicated rats in a dose-dependent manner. Silymarin used as standard reference also exhibited significant hepatoprotective activity on post-treatment against CCl₄-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. The biochemical observations were supplemented with histopathological examination of rat liver sections. The results of this study strongly indicate that ethyl acetate fraction has a potent hepatoprotective action against CCl₄-induced hepatic damage in rats.     

Validation of self-reported epilepsy for purposes of community surveillance

We evaluated the validity of questions designed to identify lifetime and active epilepsy, medication use, and seizure occurrence on population-based surveys. Subjects were interviewed by telephone, and responses were compared with information in their medical records. Prevalence, sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) were calculated. The prevalence of ever having been diagnosed with epilepsy was 3.1% by self-report and 2.7% by medical record review. Sensitivity was 84.2%, specificity was 99.2%, and PPV was 73.5% for self-reported lifetime epilepsy, and values were similar for active epilepsy. By comparison, sensitivity was higher and specificity was lower for epilepsy medication use and seizure occurrence. The PPV for seizure occurrence was substantially higher for a recall period of 12 months than for 3 months. These results compare favorably with results for other chronic conditions, such as diabetes and arthritis, and indicate that questionnaires can be used to identify epilepsy at a population level.