Comparison study of patient demographics and patient-related risk factors for peri-prosthetic joint infections following primary total shoulder arthroplasty

BackgroundWhile studies have demonstrated favorable outcomes in utilization of primary total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) for the treatment of glenohumeral osteoarthritis (OA), adverse events such as infections can still occur. Periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are associated with worse outcomes and patient morbidity. The purpose of this study was to: (1) compare patient demographics amongst TSA patients with and without PJIs following primary TSA; and (2) identify patient-related risk factors for PJIs following primary TSA.MethodsPatients undergoing primary TSA for the treatment of glenohumeral OA were identified using the Mariner administrative claims database by CPT code 23,472. Laterality modifiers were utilized to ensure PJIs were developing in the correct laterality as those patients undergoing primary TSA. Inclusion for the study group consisted of patients who developed PJIs within 2-years after the index procedure, whereas patients who did not develop PJIs served as the comparison cohort. Primary outcomes analyzed included patient demographics and patient-related risk factors for PJIs following primary TSA. A stepwise backwards elimination multivariate binomial logistic regression analyses was performed to determine the odds (OR) of PJIs in patients undergoing primary TSA. A P value less than .05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe query yielded 15,396 patients who underwent primary TSA for glenohumeral OA, of which 191 patients developed PJIs and 15,205 did not develop PJIs. The study found statistically significant differences amongst patients who did and did not develop PJIs following primary TSA with respect to age, sex, and presence of comorbid conditions. Risk factors associated with developing PJIs following primary TSA included: pathologic weight loss (OR: 2.06, P < .0001), obesity (OR: 1.56, P = .0001), male sex (OR: 1.52, P = .007), and peripheral vascular disease (OR: 1.46, P = .022).ConclusionAs the number of primary TSAs for the treatment of glenohumeral OA increase worldwide, identifying modifiable risk-factors to reduce the incidence of infection is critical. The study found various modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors associated with developing PJIs following primary TSA. This study is valuable to orthopedists in order to identify and risk-stratify patients with regard to PJI in the setting of primary TSA for OA.Level of EvidenceLevel III; Case-Control Study     

Prosthetic choice in mitral valve replacement for severe chronic ischemic mitral regurgitation: Long-term follow-up

BackgroundProsthetic choice for mitral valve replacement is generally driven by patient age and patient and surgeon preference, and current guidelines do not discriminate between different etiologies of mitral valve disease. Our objective was to assess and compare short- and long-term outcomes after mitral valve replacement among patients with biological or mechanical prostheses in the setting of severe ischemic mitral regurgitation.MethodsBetween 2000 and 2016, 424 patients underwent mitral valve replacement for severe ischemic mitral regurgitation at our institution, using biological prosthesis in 188 (44%) and mechanical prosthesis in 236 (56%). A 1:1 propensity score match (n = 126 per group) and inverse probability of treatment weighting were used to compare groups. Short-term outcomes included in-hospital mortality and other cardiovascular adverse events. Long-term outcomes included survival and hospital readmission for cardiovascular causes, stroke, and major bleeding.ResultsIn-hospital mortality and early postoperative adverse events were similar between groups in the propensity score match and inverse probability of treatment weighting cohorts. Overall long-term survival was similar at 5 and 9 years, but mechanical prosthesis recipients were more frequently readmitted to hospital for cardiovascular causes, including stroke and non-neurological bleeding in propensity score matching and inverse probability of treatment weighting analyses (all P values < .004). Type of prosthesis did not independently influence all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.01; 95% confidence interval, 0.71-1.43; P = .959), but placement of a mechanical prosthesis was associated with increased risk of readmission for cardiovascular events (hazard ratio, 1.65; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-2.32; P = .004) among matched patients.ConclusionsThe type of prosthesis has no influence on long-term survival among patients with severe ischemic mitral regurgitation undergoing mitral valve replacement. There may be an increased risk of neurologic events and serious bleeding associated with mechanical prostheses.     

An economic analysis of the cost of survival of micro preemies: A systematic review

ObjectiveThis study aimed to systematically review the current literature on the economic costs of micro preemie as well as evidence on the cost-effectiveness of interventions to improve outcomes for micro preemie babies with a birth weight of ≤500 g.MethodWe searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, ECONLIT, Business Source Premier and Cochrane Library for studies reporting costs of micro preemie from January 2000. Costs were inflated to 2019 United States dollars (US$). All full-text articles were assessed for eligibility and a quality assessment of included articles was conducted using the Drummond and the Larg and Moss checklists.ResultsThe search identified three studies that met the inclusion criteria; two cost-of-illness studies and one cost-effectiveness study. Across studies, the mean healthcare spending per micro preemie survivor (in 2019 US$) ranged from US$61,310 (birth admission) to US$263,958 (inpatient and outpatient for the first six months of life). One modelling study reported exclusive human milk diet for micro preemies at birth was more cost-effective compared to the standard approach with cow milk diet from the third-party payer and societal perspectives.ConclusionDespite significant advances in perinatal care and expanded access to life-saving equipment to improve survival outcomes of micro preemie, there remains a paucity of research on economic costs associated with these babies. No study has utilised quality-adjusted life-years as an outcome measure. Given the chronic conditions and long-term neurologic disability associated with micro preemie survivors, an estimate of the lifetime cost to the individual, healthcare providers and society would provide a benchmark of the potential cost-savings that could accrue from cost-effective interventions to improve the survival rate of micro preemies.     

The infant health effects of starting universal child benefits in pregnancy: Evidence from England and Wales

Child benefits are typically paid from birth. This paper asks whether starting universal child benefits in pregnancy leads to improvements in infant health. Leveraging administrative birth registry and hospital microdata from England and Wales, I study the effects of the Health in Pregnancy Grant, a universal conditional cash transfer equivalent to three months of child benefit (190 GBP) as a lump sum to pregnant mothers from 2009 to 2011. I exploit quasi-experimental variation in eligibility with a regression discontinuity design in the date of birth of the baby. I find that the policy increased birth weight by 8–12 grams on average, reduced low birth weight ($<$2500 g) by 3-6 percent and decreased prematurity by 9–11 percent. Younger mothers, particularly those living in deprived areas, benefit the most. I present evidence that the mechanisms are unlikely to be antenatal care, nutrition or smoking, with reductions in stress remaining a possible explanation.     

Dietary citrus and/or its extracts intake contributed to weight control: Evidence from a systematic review and meta‐analysis of 13 randomized clinical trials

Randomized controlled trials, being published in English and investigating the associations of at least 4 weeks intervention of citrus and/or its extracts on weight loss among adults, were searched from PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane by June 2019 to conduct a meta‐analysis. Thirteen articles, including 921 participants, were selected and evaluated by modified Jadad scale. Pooled results by the random‐effects model showed that citrus and/or its extracts administration significantly reduced 1.280 kg body weight (95% CI: ?1.818 to ?0.741, p = 0.000, I² = 81.4%), 0.322 kg/m² BMI (95% CI: ?0.599 to ?0.046, p = 0.022, I² = 87.0%), 2.185 cm WC (95% CI: ?3.804 to ?0.566, p = 0.008, I² = 98.3%), and 2.137 cm HC (95% CI: ?3.775 to ?0.500, p = 0.011, I² = 96.2%), respectively, but no significantly decreased effects on WHR and body fat were observed. Subgroup analysis deduced the different effects of study location, intervention duration on body weight associated indices. No publication bias was observed. Our meta‐analysis supported the beneficial effects of citrus and/or its extracts supplement on body weight control, and future well‐designed studies are required to firmly establish the clinical efficacy of citrus and/or its extracts intervention on body weight.     

苓桂术甘汤中多糖结构组成及其抗氧化活性考察

目的:研究苓桂术甘汤中多糖的结构,包括单糖组成以及官能团检测,并对其抗氧化能力进行评估,为体外生物测定法运用于苓桂术甘汤的质量评价提供基础。方法:利用高效凝胶色谱对全方多糖分子量进行研究;进一步采用气相色谱-质谱(GC-MS)柱前衍生化法及红外光谱扫描分析全方多糖结构组成;采用1,1-二苯基-2-三硝基苯肼(DPPH)及羟基自由基测定全方粗多糖及精多糖的抗氧化能力。结果:全方多糖由单一峰组成,且相对分子质量为3 689 Da,主要由阿拉伯糖、甘露糖、葡萄糖、半乳糖、果糖组成,摩尔比为6. 85∶1. 00∶109. 21∶1. 04∶21. 82,其中葡萄糖和果糖为主要组成成分;红外结果显示聚糖结构中存在吡喃糖及糖醛酸,并且糖苷键存在2种立体异构(α-糖苷键及β-糖苷键);抗氧化研究发现全方多糖有一定清除DPPH自由基及羟基自由基的能力,粗多糖的活性优于精多糖。进一步采用LC-Q-TOF-MS对粗多糖中的其他成分进行定性分析,提示这与甘草中五环三萜类成分的吸附有关。结论:苓桂术甘汤中多糖及五环三萜类物质均是苓桂术甘汤抗氧化作用的物质基础,利用体外生物测定法测定抗氧化活性可作为全面控制苓桂术甘汤质量的评价指标。     

中西医结合治疗肺栓塞的临床疗效观察

目的:探析中西医结合治疗肺栓塞的临床疗效。方法:选取2017年3月-2019年3月期间我院收治的92例肺栓塞患者,按信封法分为联合组与对照组,每组46例。两组患者均接受常规溶栓、抗凝治疗,对照组在常规治疗基础上增加低分子肝素治疗,联合组在对照组基础上增加疏血通注射液治疗,对比两组治疗效果、不良反应,并对比两组患者治疗前后血气指标[氧分压(Partial Pressure of Oxygen,PaO2)、二氧化碳分压(Partial Pressure of Carbon Dioxide,PaCO2)]及D-二聚体水平的变化情况。结果:对照组治疗总有效率较联合组更低;治疗后,两组患者PaO2、PaCO2均显著上升,其中联合组PaO2上升幅度大,而两组患者D-二聚体水平均显著下降,其中联合组下降幅度大,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);而两组患者治疗后PaCO2相比,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);对照组不良反应发生率略低于联合组,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论:在常规溶栓、抗凝治疗基础上增加低分子肝素结合疏血通注射液治疗肺栓塞的效果显著,可有效改善血气功能,降低机体D-二聚体水平,且不增加不良反应。