Prediction of Early Adverse Events in Emergency Department Patients With Acute Heart Failure: A Systematic Review

Background

Acute heart failure (AHF) accounts for a substantial proportion of Emergency Department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. Previous studies have shown that emergency physicians' clinical gestalt is not sufficient to stratify patients with AHF into severe and requiring hospitalization vs nonsevere and safe to be discharged. Various prognostic algorithms have been developed to risk-stratify patients with AHF, however there is no consensus as to the best-performing risk assessment tool in the ED.

Glutathione S-transferase P1 and lung function in patients with alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency and COPD

BACKGROUND: The glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) gene is involved in detoxification of electrophilic substances of tobacco smoke. A polymorphism at nucleotide 315 of this gene alters its enzymatic activity. OBJECTIVE: We analyzed the association between the variability in the GSTP1 gene and impairment in lung function in smokers with and without alpha(1)-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency and COPD.Population and method: The study population consisted of 99 patients with smoking-related COPD and 69 patients with AAT deficiency; 198 healthy volunteers provided the frequency of the different polymorphisms in the general population. GSTP1 genotyping was performed by a real-time polymerase chain reaction amplification assay. RESULTS: The frequency (0.28) of the 105Val polymorphism was identical in COPD patients and the general population. However, the frequency was significantly increased (0.44) in patients with AAT deficiency (odds ratio [OR], 2.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17 to 3.72 compared to control subjects; and OR, 2.41; 95% CI, 1.27 to 4.59 compared to COPD). FEV(1) percentage of predicted was significantly impaired in AAT-deficient carriers of 105Val. This effect was not observed in COPD patients. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the frequency of the GSTP1 105Val polymorphism is increased in patients with AAT deficiency. Globally, GSTP1 genotypes, age, and tobacco smoking explained 41% of total FEV(1) percentage of predicted variability in patients with AAT deficiency. The modulatory role of GSTP1 in lung disease has only been observed in smokers lacking AAT.     

Combining ibuprofen and acetaminophen for acute pain management after third-molar extractions: Translating clinical research to dental practice

BackgroundEffective and safe drug therapy for the management of acute postoperative pain has relied on orally administered analgesics such as ibuprofen, naproxen and acetaminophen, or N-acetyl-p-aminophenol (APAP), as well as combination formulations containing opioids such as hydrocodone with APAP. The combination of ibuprofen and APAP has been advocated in the last few years as an alternative therapy for postoperative pain management. The authors conducted a critical analysis to evaluate the scientific evidence for using the ibuprofen-APAP combination and propose clinical treatment recommendations for its use in managing acute postoperative pain in dentistry.Types of Studies ReviewedThe authors used quantitative evidence-based reviews published by the Cochrane Collaboration to determine the relative analgesic efficacy and safety of combining ibuprofen and APAP. They found additional articles by searching the Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed and http://ClinicalTrials.gov databases.ConclusionsThe results of the quantitative systematic reviews indicated that the ibuprofen-APAP combination may be a more effective analgesic, with fewer untoward effects, than are many of the currently available opioid-containing formulations. In addition, the authors found several randomized controlled trials that also indicated that the ibuprofen-APAP combination provided greater pain relief than did ibuprofen or APAP alone after third-molar extractions. The adverse effects associated with the combination were similar to those of the individual component drugs.Practical ImplicationsCombining ibuprofen with APAP provides dentists with an additional therapeutic strategy for managing acute postoperative dental pain. This combination has been reported to provide greater analgesia without significantly increasing the adverse effects that often are associated with opioid-containing analgesic combinations. When making stepwise recommendations for the management of acute postoperative dental pain, dentists should consider including ibuprofen-APAP combination therapy.     

Adverse drug and device reactions in the oral cavity: Surveillance and reporting

BackgroundAccording to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 48 percent of Americans (roughly 144 million people) used at least one prescribed medication in the preceding month; 11 percent used five or more. The authors describe the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) MedWatch program, the safety surveillance system for drugs and devices in the United States, and the dentist's role with regard to voluntary reporting of adverse effects (AEs). They also identify the most frequent AEs in the oral cavity as reported in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).MethodsThe authors reviewed the literature regarding MedWatch, and they mined data in the FAERS public database for the 100 most commonly prescribed medications and their associated AEs.ResultsPharyngitis was the most common AE. Cough, dysgeusia and dysphagia also were common.ConclusionThe MedWatch program and its related databases contain useful information about AEs of pharmaceuticals and devices manifested in the oral cavity. Increased participation in the reporting of suspected adverse reactions will improve the national surveillance system and ultimately will protect patients' safety.Practical ImplicationsAs pharmaceutical consumption increases exponentially for a growing segment of the population, and as innovation in dental technology and devices flourishes, dentists have a distinct role in safeguarding patients' well-being. Promptly reporting AEs in the oral cavity improves quality of care and protects patients' well-being.     

Environmental Factors Predictive of No-Show Visits in Radiology: Observations of Three Million Outpatient Imaging Visits Over 16 Years

PurposeTo evaluate the impact of environmental and socioeconomic factors on outpatient cancellations and “no-show visits” (NSVs) in radiology.Materials and MethodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis by collecting environmental factor data related to outpatient radiology visits occurring between 2000 and 2015 at our multihospital academic institution. Appointment attendance records were joined with daily weather observations from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and estimated median income from the US Census American Community Survey. A multivariate logistic regression model was built to examine relationships between NSV rate and median income, commute distance, maximum daily temperature, and daily snowfall.ResultsThere were 270,574 (8.0%) cancellations and 87,407 (2.6%) NSVs among 3,379,947 scheduled outpatient radiology appointments and 575,206 unique patients from 2000 to 2015. Overall cancellation rates decreased from 14% to 8%, and NSV rates decreased from 6% to 1% as median income increased from $20,000 to $120,000 per year. In a multivariate model, the odds of NSV decreased 10.7% per $10,000 increase in median income (95% confidence interval [CI]: 10.3%-11.1%) and 2.0% per 10°F increase in maximum daily temperature (95% CI: 1.3%-1.6%). The odds of NSV increased 1.4% per 10-mile increase in commute distance (95% CI: 1.3%-1.6%) and 4.5% per 1-inch increase in daily snowfall (95% CI: 3.6%-5.3%). Commute distance was more strongly associated with NSV for those in the two lower tertiles of income than the highest tertile (P < .001).ConclusionEnvironmental factors are strongly associated with patients’ attendance at scheduled outpatient radiology examinations. Modeling of appointment failure risk based on environmental features can help increase the attendance of outpatient radiology appointments.     

微RNA-196a和微RNA-210在胰腺癌中的表达及其与生存时间的关系

目的分析微RNA-196a(miR-196a)和miR-210在胰腺癌中的表达,及其与生存时间的关系。方法选择26例胰腺癌患者(A组)、20例良性胰腺病患者(B组)和24例健康受试者(C组)为研究对象。用实时定量荧光聚合酶链式反应法检测3组患者血清中miR-196a和miR-210表达水平。分析3组血清miR-196a和miR-210表达差异,miR-196a和miR-210水平与胰腺癌患者生存时间的关系。结果A,B,C组的miR-196a表达水平分别为(1.79±0.95),(1.24±0.92)和(0.71±0.68),miR-210表达水平(2.32±0.54),(1.25±0.36)和(0.98±0.22),A组的上述指标与B,C组比较,差异均统计学意义(均P<0.05)。在胰腺癌患者中,半年生存率为61.54%,1年生存率为46.15%,2年生存率为3.85%。在胰腺癌患者中,miR-196a高表达组和低表达组的生存时间分别为(7.58±3.43)和(12.38±5.17)个月,miR-210高表达组和低表达组的生存时间分别为(6.92±3.01)和(10.88±4.28)个月,差异均有统计学意义(均P<0.05)。miR-196a的敏感度、特异性及准确率分别为76.92%,93.18%和70.10%,miR-210的敏感度、特异性及准确率分别为68.00%,93.18%和61.18%,联合检测的敏感度、特异性及准确率分别为88.46%,95.45%和83.92%,联合检测的上述指标与miR-196a、miR-210单独检测比较,差异均有统计学意义(均P<0.01)。结论胰腺癌患者血清中特异性的表达miR-196a和miR-210,二者联合检测诊断胰腺癌可提高其诊断准确率,且miR-196a、miR-210表达水平与胰腺癌患者生存时间有一定关系。