Glycine‐modified growth hormone secretagogues identified in seized doping material

A number of unknown pharmaceutical preparations seized by Danish customs authorities were submitted for liquid chromatography–high resolution mass spectrometry (LC–HRMS) analysis. Comparison with reference standards unequivocally identified the content of the powders as analogs of the growth hormone secretagogues GHRP‐2 (Pralmorelin), GHRP‐6, Ipamorelin, and modified growth hormone releasing factor (modified GRF 1–29), which can be used as performance‐enhancing substances in sports. In all cases, the detected modification involved the addition of an extra glycine amino acid at the N‐terminus, and analytical methods targeting growth hormone secretagogues should hence be updated accordingly.     

Hospital admission for neurologic disorders among 5-year survivors of noncentral nervous system tumors in childhood: A cohort study within the Adult Life after Childhood Cancer in Scandinavia study

Large, comprehensive studies of the risk for neurologic disorders among long-term survivors of noncentral nervous system (CNS) childhood cancers are lacking. Thus, the aim of our study was to assess the lifetime risk of Nordic non-CNS childhood cancer survivors for neurologic disorders. We identified 15,967 5-year survivors of non-CNS childhood cancer diagnosed in Denmark, Iceland, Finland and Sweden in 1943–2008, and 151,118 matched population comparison subjects. In-patient discharge diagnoses of neurologic disorders were used to calculate relative risks (RRs) and absolute excess risks (AERs). A neurologic disorder was diagnosed in 755 of the survivors while 370 were expected, yielding a RR of 2.0 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.9–2.2). The highest risks were found among survivors of neuroblastoma (4.1; 95% CI 3.2–5.3) and leukemia (2.8; 95% CI 2.4–3.2). The AER decreased from 331 (278–383) excess neurologic disorders per 100,000 person-years 5–9 years after diagnosis to 82 (46–118) ≥ 20 years after diagnosis. Epilepsy was the most common diagnosis (n = 229, 1.4% of all survivors), and significantly increased risks were seen among survivors of eight out of 12 types of childhood cancer. Survivors of neuroblastoma had remarkably high risks (RR ≥ 10) for hospitalization for paralytic syndromes and hydrocephalus, while survivors of leukemia had additional high risks for dementia and encephalopathy. In conclusion, survivors of non-CNS childhood cancer are at high risk for neurologic disorders, especially within the first decade after diagnosis. Therefore, intensive follow-up to identify those who require close management is needed.     

Why are patients still in hospital after fast-track,unilateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty

Background and purpose — Previous studies have investigated risk factors related to prolonged length of stay following total knee arthroplasty (TKA), but little is known about specific factors resulting in continued hospitalization within the 1st postoperative days after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). We investigated what specific factors prevent patients from being discharged on the day of surgery (DOS) and the first postoperative day (POD-1) following primary UKA in a fast-track setting.Patients and methods — We prospectively collected data on 100 consecutive and unselected medial UKA patients operated from December 2017 to May 2019. All patients were operated in a standardized fast-track setup with functional discharge criteria continuously evaluated from DOS and until discharge.Results — Median length of stay for the entire cohort was 1 day. 22% and 78% of all patients were discharged on DOS and POD-1, respectively. Lack of mobilization and pain separately delayed discharge in respectively 78% and 24% of patients on DOS. The main reasons for lack of mobilization were motor blockade (37%) and logistical factors (26%). For patients placed 1st or 2nd on the operating list, we estimate that the same-day discharge rate would increase to 55% and 40% respectively, assuming that pain and mobilization were successfully managed.Interpretation — One-fifth of unselected UKA patients operated in a standardized fast-track setup were discharged on DOS. Pain and lack of mobilization were the major reasons for continued hospitalization within the initial postoperative 24–48 hours. Strategies aimed at decreasing length of stay after UKA should strive to improve analgesia and postoperative mobilization.

The number of unicompartmental knee arthroplasties (UKAs) performed in patients suffering from osteoarthritis has steadily increased. UKA has the potential benefit of not only improving patient-reported outcomes, but also to reduce morbidity, complications, and cost (Liddle et al. 2014, Beard et al. 2019). In the United Kingdom, 9% of all primary knee arthroplasties performed in 2018 were UKAs while this number is as high as 20% in Denmark (Danish Knee Arthroplasty Register 2019, National Joint Registry for England 2019).UKA is effective and safe when performed in a fast-track setting and outpatient UKA in selected patients has been shown to be feasible and safe (Munk et al. 2012, Cross and Berger 2014, Bovonratwet et al. 2017, Kort et al. 2017). However, the number of patients actually being discharged on DOS that were scheduled for outpatient surgery differs between studies and ranges from 37% to 100% (Gondusky et al. 2014, Bradley et al. 2017, Jenkins et al. 2019, Rytter et al. 2019).Studies have shown an association between increased length of stay (LOS) and an increase in both complication and readmission rates (Otero et al. 2016). In order to reduce LOS and increase patient satisfaction, a focus on successfully managing well-defined discharge criteria in a multimodal approach is imperative (Husted et al. 2008, Cross and Berger 2014). In addition, decreased LOS and outpatient procedures are associated with financial benefits, which have further fueled interest in decreasing LOS and ensuring DOS discharged following UKA (Bradley et al. 2017). Finally, decreased LOS is also shown to increase patient satisfaction levels (Reilly et al. 2005, Richter and Diduch 2017).A study has been conducted to explore reasons for prolonged hospitalization in a fast-track setting following TKA (Husted et al. 2011). However, in spite of a growing number of UKAs performed each year, no study explicitly exploring reasons for prolonged hospitalization beyond DOS following UKA in a fast-track setting has been published at present.Therefore, we investigated reasons for continued hospitalization beyond DOS following UKA in a fast-track setting.