National Priority Setting of Clinical Practice Guidelines Development for Chronic Disease Management

By November 2013, a total of 125 clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have been developed in Korea. However, despite the high burden of diseases and the clinical importance of CPGs, most chronic diseases do not have available CPGs. Merely 83 CPGs are related to chronic diseases, and only 40 guidelines had been developed in the last 5 yr. Considering the rate of the production of new evidence in medicine and the worsening burden from chronic diseases, the need for developing CPGs for more chronic diseases is becoming increasingly pressing. Since 2011, the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been jointly developing CPGs for chronic diseases. However, priorities have to be set and resources need to be allocated within the constraint of a limited funding. This study identifies the chronic diseases that should be prioritized for the development of CPGs in Korea. Through an objective assessment by using the analytic hierarchy process and a subjective assessment with a survey of expert opinion, high priorities were placed on ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular diseases, Alzheimer''s disease and other dementias, osteoarthritis, neck pain, chronic kidney disease, and cirrhosis of the liver.     

116例急性卒中患者院前流行病学特征

目的探讨镇江市急救中心救治的116例急性卒中患者的临床特征。 方法回顾性分析2019年1月1日至3月31日镇江市急救中心收治的116例脑卒中患者的病历资料，其中男性73例，女性43例；年龄23～96岁，平均(55.1±14.0)岁。分析内容包括患者基本特征、格拉斯哥昏迷量表(GCS)评分、美国国立卫生研究院卒中量表(NIHSS)评分、送达医院时的生命体征等。 结果青年脑卒中(年龄<45岁)占全部患者的22.4%，65岁以下患者占78.4%。卒中患者以男性居多(62.9%)，城市居多(72.4%)。从卒中症状开始到到达医院的时间平均为27 h(范围为0.5～72 h)。40例患者(34.5%)在症状出现后4.5 h内(窗口期)到达有溶栓能力的医院。患者总体NIHSS为(15.71±7.52)分，出血性卒中患者[(17.54±7.54)分]高于缺血性卒中患者[(14±7.15)分](P<0.05)。所有脑卒中患者入院平均GCS评分为(12.12±3.35)分，缺血性卒中为(13.07±2.56)分，出血性卒中为[(11.11±3.80)分](P<0.05)。 结论镇江市急救中心院前救治的卒中患者以65岁以下患者为主，男性居多，尽管患者意识水平尚可，但普遍病情较重，而且仅约1/3患者能短时间到达医院。因此，社会、媒体和医疗机构应积极的宣传，使人们提高对危险因素和卒中的认识。急救中心也应进一步提升相应的救治能力。     

Sleep and stereotypy in children with autism: effectiveness of function-based behavioral treatment

ObjectivesChildren with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience high rates of sleep problems, which exacerbate the core symptoms of ASD, including stereotypy (restricted and repetitive behaviors). Conversely, stereotypy can interfere with sleep by actively competing with sleep-facilitative behaviors (eg, lying down quietly). Behavioral interventions informed by functional behavioral assessment (FBA) significantly reduce sleep problems in children with ASD, however, their impact on sleep-interfering stereotypy is not clear. This study investigated the effectiveness of function-based behavioral treatments for sleep problems, including sleep-interfering stereotypy, in children with ASD, the maintenance of these effects, and parents’ satisfaction with the treatment process.MethodsA non-concurrent multiple baselines across participants design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of function-based, individualized treatments for sleep problems and sleep-interfering stereotypy in three children with ASD. For each participant, stereotypy was automatically maintained and interfered with the initiation and/or re-initiation of sleep. Parents implemented multi-component treatments that included a faded bedtime procedure.ResultsTreatment reduced sleep problems in 2/3 participants, and the duration of stereotypy was reduced in all participants. Treatment effects were largely maintained at follow-up, and parent-reported satisfaction was high.ConclusionThese results support prior research demonstrating the effectiveness of FBA-informed behavioral treatments for sleep problems in children with ASD. Further, this study shows that these treatments may be effective in reducing sleep-interfering stereotypy. Future research should more thoroughly investigate the bidirectional relationships between sleep and core symptoms of ASD, and address how these relationships are assessed and treated in the sleep context.     

Traumatic spinal cord injury in West Virginia: Disparities by insurance and discharge disposition from an acute care hospital

Context: Medicaid has been linked to worse outcomes in a variety of diagnoses such as lung cancer, uterine cancer, and cardiac valve procedures. It has furthermore been linked to the reduced health-related quality of life outcomes after traumatic injuries when compared to other insurance groups. In spinal cord injury (SCI), the care provided in the subacute setting may vary based upon payor status, which may have implications on outcomes and cost of care.

Design: A retrospective review utilizing the institutional trauma databank was performed for all adult patients with spinal cord injury since 2009. Pediatric patients were excluded. Insurance type, race, length of stay, discharge status (alive/dead), discharge disposition, injury severity score (ISS), and hospital charges billed were recorded.

Results: Two hundred patients were identified. Overall 27.5% of patients with SCI during the period of our review were Medicaid beneficiaries. ISS was similar between Medicaid and non-Medicaid patients, but the Medicaid beneficiaries were younger (37 vs 50 years of age; P?<?.001). Medicaid beneficiaries had a significantly longer length of stay (20.9 days; P?<?.001) when compared to all other patients. They furthermore were more likely to be discharged home or to a skilled nursing facility rather than an acute rehabilitation center. Inpatient charges billed for Medicaid beneficiaries were significantly higher than those of non-Medicaid patients (203,264 USD vs 140,114 USD; P?=?.015), likely reflecting the increased length of stay while awaiting appropriate disposition.

Conclusion: Medicaid patients with SCI in West Virginia had a longer hospital stay, higher charges billed, and were more likely to be discharged home or to a skilled nursing facility rather than an acute rehabilitation center, when compared to non-Medicaid patients. The lack of availability of rehabilitation facilities for Medicaid beneficiaries likely explains this difference.     

A benchmark dose study of prenatal exposure to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and behavioral problems in children

IntroductionPrenatal exposure to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) has been reported to be associated with adverse effects on neurodevelopment that yield behavior syndromes in young children with an estimated median exposure lower than the currently recommended tolerable daily intake (TDI) and reference dose (RfD).ObjectivesOur aim was to derive the benchmark dose for prenatal exposure to DEHP for the neurodevelopmental health in children.MethodsA total of 122 mother-child pairs from the Taiwan Maternal and Infant Cohort Study were analyzed for the dose-response relationship between maternal exposure to DEHP and children's behavioral syndromes evaluated at 8 years (n = 122, 2009), 11 years (n = 96, 2012), and 14 years (n = 78, 2015) of age. We employed a multivariate regression model to assess the statistical associations between the estimated maternal average daily intake of DEHP and child's individual CBCL scores for boys and girls at each separate age, followed by a mixed model for all the children across three ages accounting for individual variations. We then employed structural equation models by combining the children's specific behavioral problem scores at different ages and obtained a simulated overall latent score in relation to maternal exposure. Based on the established dose-response relationship, we derived the benchmark dose (BMD) and the lower limit (BMDL).ResultsAssociations of maternal DEHP exposure (median 4.54$\mu g/kg\_bw/day$) with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) scores were all significant, except for somatic complaints, adjusting for child's age, gender, IQ, and family income. The BMDL, given a benchmark response of 0.10 (0.05) and a background response of 0.05, was 6.01 (2.16) $\mu g/kg\_bw/day$for an integrated CBCL score.ConclusionsThe current TDI (RfD) of 50 (20) $\mu g/kg\_bw/day$ for DEHP might not protect pregnant women for their children from behavioral problems. There remains the lack of comparable toxicological data. Further investigations are needed.