Überregionale Public-Health-Akteure in Deutschland – eine Bestandsaufnahme und Kategorisierung

Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz - Akteure der öffentlichen Gesundheit (Public Health) tragen wesentlich zu Gesundheitsschutz, -förderung und...     

Adherence to Chronic Kidney Disease Screening Guidelines Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in a US Administrative Claims Database

ObjectiveTo examine the screening rates for kidney damage and function among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and chronic kidney disease stage at diabetes diagnosis using a US administrative claims database.Patients and MethodsThis cohort study used a claims database enriched with laboratory results data. Patients with T2D (defined as 1 inpatient or 2 outpatient claims for diabetes), aged 18 years or older, and with at least 1 year of follow-up enrollment were identified. Patients with type 1 diabetes, kidney disease, or other related conditions at baseline were excluded. We estimated screening rates using laboratory orders for serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) measurement and urine albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR). Chronic kidney disease severity was reported using the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes classification based on laboratory results.ResultsA total of 1,881,447 patients with T2D were eligible for analysis. Mean ± SD age was 63.1±13.1 years; 947,150 patients (50.3%) were male. Serum creatinine tests were ordered within 14 days of the index date among 290,722 patients of 622,915 (46.7%) patients with newly-recognized T2D. Overall, 1,595,964 patients (84.8%) had at least one serum creatinine test ordered during the 1-year follow-up period. Fewer patients received a UACR test during follow-up (814,897 [43.3%]). Less than half of all patients with T2D received a laboratory test order for both serum creatinine and urine albumin measurements during the follow-up period.ConclusionPhysicians treating patients with diabetes are selectively adhering to chronic kidney disease screening guidelines, as indicated by high rates of eGFR testing, but less frequent UACR testing. Despite recommendations to monitor both eGFR and UACR, less than half of patients were screened for albuminuria during the 1-year follow-up.     

The impact of cytogenetic risk on the outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia: On behalf of the acute leukemia working party (ALWP) of the European group for blood and marrow transplantation (EBMT)

Karyotypic analysis at time of diagnosis has an important value in determining initial response to treatment, remission duration and overall survival (OS) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Less is known about its value before allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo‐HCT) in patients transplanted with active disease, either relapsed or primary refractory (Rel‐Ref) AML. We explored the impact of cytogenetic risk (stratification according to MRC‐UK) in 2089 patients with either Ref (n = 972) or Rel AML (n = 1117) transplanted during the period 2000‐2017. Overall, 154 patients had a favorable risk, 1283 had an intermediate risk and 652 had an adverse cytogenetic risk. Median follow‐up was 49 months. Compared to the favorable risk group, intermediate and adverse risk patients were associated with worse leukemia‐free survival and OS and also with a higher incidence of relapse. In a subgroup analysis of patients in the intermediate risk group harboring Fms‐like tyrosine kinase 3‐internal tandem duplication (FLT3‐ITD), this remained an important prognostic factor, being associated with worse outcomes. When analyzing patients according to the intensity of the conditioning regimen, no differences were observed for the main transplant outcomes. In conclusion, in patients diagnosed with AML and transplanted with active disease, karyotype remains an important prognostic factor, allowing splitting patients into different risk groups according to their cytogenetics. Similarly, FLT3‐ITD mutation also remains a negative prognostic factor in this population.     

Education in people with venous leg ulcers based on a brochure about compression therapy: A quasi‐randomised controlled trial

Brochures are a useful supplement to patient education. There is increasing evidence that they are an effective medium to support patient satisfaction, adherence, and empowerment. This study aims to produce reliable data on how much patients with venous leg ulcer (VLU) may profit from a brochure that focuses on VLU and on measures and aims of the related compression therapy. The evaluation took part from October 2018 until March 2019 and included 136 patients with VLU and related compression therapy. They were randomly sorted into a case group and a control group of 68 patients each. The case group received a brochure about venous disease and compression therapy and filled in a questionnaire after reading. The questions ranged from basic knowledge about VLU and compression therapy to aspects of self‐care. The control group answered the same questions without previous reading of the brochure. The results show that in almost every aspect, the patients in the case group were better informed about their diseases, the compression therapy, and how they may support the measures adequately. This study suggests that patients with VLU may profit from a brochure that explains their disease and the related compression therapy. Better knowledge and understanding may strengthen their empowerment and adherence.     

Energy needs in the treatment of uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition: Secondary analysis to optimize delivery of ready‐to‐use therapeutic foods

Outpatient therapeutic feeding protocols for the treatment of uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition in children were initially based on weight gain data from inpatient settings and expert knowledge of the physiological requirements during recovery. However, weight gain and energy requirements from historic inpatient settings may differ from modern outpatient settings and therefore may not be appropriate to guide current therapeutic feeding protocols. We calculated the weight gain and average estimated total daily energy requirement of children successfully treated for uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition as outpatients in Niger (n = 790). Mean energy provided by six therapeutic feeding protocols was calculated and compared with average estimated energy requirements in the study population. Overall weight gain was 5.5 g·kg^?1·day^?1 among recovered children. Average energy requirements ranged from 92 to 110 kcal·kg^?1·day^?1 depending on the estimation approach. Two current therapeutic feeding protocols were found to provide an excess of energy after the first week of treatment in our study population, whereas four research protocols tended to provide less energy than the estimated requirement after the first week of treatment. Alternative feeding protocols have the potential to simplify and lead to important savings for programmes but should be evaluated to show adequacy to meet the energy needs of children under treatment, as well as feasibility and cost efficiency. Our findings rely on theoretical calculations based on several assumptions and should be confirmed in field studies.     

Interleukin-6 serum levels predict surgical intervention in infants with necrotizing enterocolitis

Background

Symptoms at suspicion of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) are often nonspecific and several biomarkers have been evaluated for their discriminative power to both diagnose and predict the course from NEC suspicion to complicated disease requiring surgical intervention. Thus, we aimed to assess the utility of interleukin-6 (IL-6) to predict surgical intervention in infants suffering from NEC and, furthermore, to discriminate infants with starting NEC or late-onset sepsis (LOS).

Sonidegib for the treatment of advanced basal cell carcinoma

Introduction: Advanced and metastatic basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) are rare but still present a severe medical problem. These tumors are often disfiguring and impact the quality of life by pain or bleeding. Based on discovery of the hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway and its role in the pathogenesis of BCCs, smoothened (SMO) inhibitors have been developed with Sonidegib being the 2nd in class. It is the only Hh pathway inhibitor investigated in a randomized trial accompanied by pharmacodynamic investigations. Also, the disease assessment criteria applied were more stringent than those used in trials of 1st developed SMO inhibitor – vismodegib, and required annotated photographs, MRI as well as multiple biopsies in case of regression.

Areas covered: All available papers from Medline and the abstracts of the most important dermato-oncology meetings were included.

Expert opinion: Sonidegib is a promising medication for advanced BCC and other malignancies, driven by Hh signaling. It presents favorable pharmacokinetic properties and causes class specific toxicity with dose dependent adverse events in muscular and taste bud homeostasis, gastrointestinal symptoms and hair growth. Early after treatment initiation, it impacts the immunesusceptibility of the tumor lesions. Sonidegib deserves further development in combination with other drugs or antibodies, or alternative dosing schedules.