Utilization of and Outcomes Associated with Intravascular Ultrasound during Deep Venous Stent Placement among Medicare Beneficiaries

PurposeTo evaluate temporal trends, practice variation, and associated outcomes with the use of intravascular ultrasound (US) during deep venous stent placement among Medicare beneficiaries.Materials and MethodsAll lower extremity deep venous stent placement procedures performed between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2019 among Medicare beneficiaries were included. Temporal trends in intravascular US use were stratified by procedural setting and physician specialty. The primary outcome was a composite of 12-month all-cause mortality, all-cause hospitalization, or repeat target vessel intervention. The secondary outcome was a composite of 12-month stent thrombosis, embolization, or restenosis.ResultsAmong the 20,984 deep venous interventions performed during the study period, 15,184 (72.4%) utilized intravascular US. Moderate growth in intravascular US use was observed during the study period in all clinical settings. There was a variation in the use of intravascular US among all operators (median, 77.3% of cases; interquartile range, 20.0%–99.2%). In weighted analyses, intravascular US use during deep venous stent placement was associated with a lower risk of both the primary (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69–0.76; P < .001) and secondary (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.27–0.39; P < .001) composite end points.ConclusionsIntravascular US is frequently used during deep venous stent placement among Medicare beneficiaries, with further increase in use from 2017 to 2019. The utilization of intravascular US as part of a procedural strategy was associated with a lower cumulative incidence of adverse outcomes after the procedure, including venous stent thrombosis and embolization.     

Survival analysis of crown margin repair: A retrospective study in a dental school setting

BackgroundRepairing crowns with defective margins is minimally invasive and cost-effective compared with replacement. The authors’ objectives were to examine the survival trajectory of crown margin repairs and to determine the factors associated with survival.MethodsRecords of adult patients from January 2008 through August 2019 were reviewed for crown margin repairs completed at University of Iowa College of Dentistry. A total of 1,002 crown margin repairs were found. Each repair was followed through the end of study in 2019 or until an event (for example, additional repair, endodontic treatment, crown replacement, or extraction). A Cox proportional hazards model was used to study the relationship between selected covariates and time to event.ResultsDuring the follow-up period, 32.8% of the repairs needed reintervention. In the final model, repair material was the only significant covariate. No difference was found between the survival of repairs done with resin-modified glass ionomer and amalgam. However, the repairs done with resin-based composite and conventional glass ionomer were more likely (1.5 times: 95% CI, 1.02 to 2.10 times; and 2 times: 95% CI, 1.40 to 2.73 times, respectively) to need reintervention than were those done with amalgam.ConclusionsMedian survival time of crown margin repairs was 5.1 years (95% CI, 4.48 to 5.72 years). Median survival times for amalgam, resin-modified glass ionomer, resin-based composite, and glass ionomer repair materials were 5.7 years (95% CI, 4.80 to 6.25 years), 5.3 years (95% CI, 4.73 to 6.34 years), 3.2 years (95% CI, 2.51 to 6.19 years), and 3.0 years (95% CI, 2.53 to 3.62 years), respectively.Practical ImplicationsWhen considering crown margin repairs, resin-modified glass ionomer or amalgam is preferable to resin-based composite or glass ionomer.     

Focal hole versus screw stimulation to prevent false negative results in detecting pedicle breaches during spinal instrumentation

ObjectiveWe describe a stimulus-evoked EMG approach to minimize false negative results in detecting pedicle breaches during lumbosacral spinal instrumentation.MethodsIn 36 patients receiving 176 lumbosacral pedicle screws, EMG threshold to nerve root activation was determined using a focal probe inserted into the pilot hole at a depth, customized to the individual patients, suitable to position the stimulating tip at the point closest to the tested nerve root. Threshold to screw stimulation was also determined.ResultsMean EMG thresholds in 161 correctly fashioned pedicle instrumentations were 7.5 mA ± 2.46 after focal hole stimulation and 21.8 mA ± 6.8 after screw stimulation. Direct comparison between both thresholds in individual pedicles showed that screw stimulation was always biased by an unpredictable leakage of the stimulating current ranging from 10 to 90%. False negative results were never observed with hole stimulation but this was not true with screw stimulation.ConclusionsFocal hole stimulation, unlike screw stimulation, approaches absolute EMG threshold as shown by the lower normal limit (2.6 mA; p < 0.05) that borders the upper limit of threshold to direct activation of the exposed root.SignificanceThe technique provides an early warning of a possible pedicle breakthrough before insertion of the more harmful, larger and threaded screw.     

教育信息化2.0背景下网络教育的现状及对策思考——以陕西省为例

《教育信息化2.0行动计划》发布以来,全国各地积极推动教育信息化的发展,网络教育变得越来越普及。虽然网络教育在发展的过程中也越来越完善,但是还存在着一些问题。文章通过分析陕西省网络教育的现状,总结目前存在的问题并提出相应的对策,有助于更好地发展和完善网络教育,为教育信息化的发展提供借鉴。     

社区获得性肺炎的中西医治疗研究进展

社区获得性肺炎(Community Acquired Pneumonia,CAP)是比较常见的院外肺部炎性疾病之一,随着细菌、支原体、衣原体等多种病原体的耐药率的上升,以及病患梯度的范围增加,CAP的发病率呈逐年上升的趋势,死亡率日益增高,导致医疗资源消耗巨大。目前临床上CAP的患者主要依靠经验性治疗。正确选择抗生素、减少病原体的耐药率,优化肺部炎症疾病的医疗方案,提高CAP临床治愈率已经成为临床医生当前面临的一项重大挑战。中药制剂具有广谱抗菌、调节免疫、不易耐药、简便价廉等特点,是解决上述难题的一个很好途径。     

Effect of transspinal direct current stimulation on afferent pain signalling in humans

Anodal transspinal Direct Current Stimulation (tsDCS) has been suggested as a means to treat neuropathic pain by reducing pain signalling/processing and Laser Evoked Potentials (LEPs) likewise as a method to evaluate such reduction. However, results in previous studies are disagreeing. To evaluate these claims using rigorous methodology, LEPs were evoked from hands and feet in healthy volunteers. The N2 potential and three psychophysic parameters (general- and pinprick pain, warmth) were used to evaluate the signalling and appreciation of pain respectively. This was made at three time points; at baseline, directly- and 30 min after low thoracic tsDCS (20 min, 2.5 mA, cathode on shoulder). The study was randomized, cross over, double blinded and placebo controlled.At the group level, low thoracic anodal tsDCS produced reduced perceptions of all three tested pain qualities from the foot (p < 0.05 – p < 0.001). These reductions began during stimulation and became more pronounced during the 30 min after its cessation (p < 0.05 – p < 0.01). The LEP parameter alteration mirroring these changes was latency prolongation (p < 0.05 – p < 0.001) whereas amplitude reductions were in par with placebo stimulation. Similar but less pronounced and only transient (during stimulation, p < 0.05 – p < 0.001) changes, were seen for hand stimulation. The interindividual variation was large.The findings indicate that anodal tsDCS may become a technique to treat neuropathic pain by reducing pain signalling/processing and LEPs likewise a method to evaluate such reduction.     

Changes in the National Endovascular Management of Femoropopliteal Arterial Disease: An Analysis of the 2011–2019 Medicare Data

PurposeTo describe national trends in the utilization of endovascular approaches (including balloon angioplasty, atherectomy, and stent placement) for the management of femoropopliteal peripheral arterial disease (PAD).Materials and MethodsThe Medicare Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary dataset containing 100% of Part B claims was interrogated for years 2011–2019. The Current Procedural Terminology codes specific for femoropopliteal angioplasty, stent placement, and atherectomy were used to create summary statistics for utilization by year, place of service (hospital inpatient, hospital outpatient, and office-based laboratory), and provider specialty (cardiology, radiology, and surgery).ResultsThe use of atherectomy increased from 34,732 (33%) procedures in 2011 to 75,435 (53%) procedures in 2019, and atherectomy became the dominant treatment strategy for femoropopliteal PAD. The relative utilization of stent placement (36,793 [35%] to 28,899 [20%]) and angioplasty only (34,398 [32%] to 38,228 [27%]) decreased concomitantly from 2011 to 2019. By 2019, the use of atherectomy was twofold higher in office-based laboratories than in the outpatient hospital setting (44,767 and 20,901, respectively). Treatment strategy varied by provider specialty in 2011 when cardiologists used atherectomy most frequently (17,925 [43%]), whereas radiologists used angioplasty alone (5,928 [6%]) and surgeons stented (18,009 [37%]) most frequently. By 2019, all specialties utilized atherectomy most frequently (29,564 [59%] for cardiology, 10,912 [58%] radiology, and 33,649 [47%] surgery).ConclusionsThe national approach to endovascular management of femoropopliteal PAD has changed since 2011 toward an implant-free strategy, including a multifold increase in the use of atherectomy. Discordant rates of atherectomy use between the ambulatory hospital and office-based settings highlight the need for comparative effectiveness studies to guide management.     

ECFS standards of care on CFTR-related disorders: Updated diagnostic criteria

This paper is the first in a series providing updated guidance on the definition, evaluation and management of people with a Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator (CFTR)-Related Disorder (CFTR-RD). The need for this update relates to more precise characterisation of CFTR gene variants and improved assessment of CFTR protein dysfunction. The exercise is co-ordinated by the European CF Society Standards of Care Committee and Diagnostic Network Working Group and involves stakeholder engagement. This first paper was produced by a core group using an extensive literature review and papers graded for their quality. Subsequent wider stakeholder agreement was achieved.The definition of a CFTR-RD remains “a clinical condition with evidence of CFTR protein dysfunction that does not fulfil the diagnostic criteria for CF”. Clearer guidance on CFTR dysfunction and relevant CFTR variants will be provided. Thresholds for clinical presentations are presented and the paradigm that pathobiological processes may be evident in more than one organ is agreed. In this paper we reflect on the early patient journey, highlighting that CF specialists as well as other relevant specialists should be involved in the care of people with a CFTR-RD.     

大学生的人工流产现状、认知与态度调查分析

目的:了解大学生的人工流产现状、认知与态度。方法:采用随机抽样,对福建924名在校大学生进行无记名问卷调查。结果:有人工流产经历的占有过性经历的10.3%,其中有7人(25.9%)不是在正规医疗场所进行人工流产。大学生对负压吸引术(17.8%)、钳刮术(38.3%)的知晓率较低,知道人工流产可能引起宫颈和宫腔粘连、盆腔感染、宫外孕等疾病的人不到一半。有250人(27.0%)对朋友的人工流产经历表示不同程度的介意,对伴侣的人流经历有表示介意多达880人(95.2%),显示出大学生在思想上比较介意人流经历,并且对不同对象双重标准的矛盾心理。男生对人工流产的认知度和宽容度均低于女生,有性经历者对人工流产的认知度低于无性经历者,而宽容度却高于无性经历者。大学生渴望通过学校生殖健康课和社区教育得到相关知识。结论:大学生在人工流产方面的认知有较大欠缺,需要学校、社区、家庭进行系统科学的教育以降低大学生人工流产发生率。