Accelerated bone loss,but not low periosteal expansion,is associated with higher all-cause mortality in older men – prospective MINOS study

BackgroundLow bone mineral density (BMD), high bone resorption, fragility fractures and, possibly, accelerated bone loss are associated with higher mortality. However, it is not known if the higher mortality is related to lower volumetric BMD or lower bone width, to faster bone loss on endosteal surfaces (inside bone) or to slower periosteal apposition (formation of bone on the outer bone surface).MethodsWe assessed the association of 10-year mortality with bone width and bone loss in 782 men aged 50–85 years.ResultsLow bone width and slow periosteal apposition at the femoral neck, distal radius and distal ulna were not associated with higher mortality. Accelerated apparent bone loss (decrease in BMD), net bone loss (decrease in bone mineral content) and estimated endosteal bone loss were associated with a higher 10-year all-cause mortality after adjustment for age and other confounders. Accelerated apparent bone loss at the total hip (lowest quartile) was associated with a two-fold higher mortality (Hazard Ratio (HR)=1.96, 95% Confidence interval (CI): 1.33, 2.89, p<0.001).ConclusionLack of association between bone size and mortality shows that periosteal expansion is not an artifact induced by the selective mortality of men with narrow bones. We confirmed that poor bone status reflects poor health. These data should be interpreted with caution because of the study limitations, especially the lack of representativity of the cohort and dropout of older and sick men. However, they suggest that older men with low BMD or accelerated bone loss should obtain detailed diagnostic assessment to establish general factors that can contribute to their poor bone status.     

A high fraction of inspired oxygen may increase mortality in intubated trauma patients – A retrospective cohort study

BackgroundMechanical ventilation of trauma patients is common, and many will require a higher than normal fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO₂) to avoid hypoxaemia. The primary objective of this study was to assess the association between FiO₂ and all-cause, one-year mortality in intubated trauma patients.MethodsAdult trauma patients intubated in the initial phase post-trauma between 2015 and 2017 were retrospectively identified. Information on FiO₂ during the first 24 hours of hospitalisation and mortality was registered. For each patient the number of hours of the first 24 hours exposed to an FiO₂ ≥ 80%, ≥ 60%, and ≥ 40%, respectively, were determined and categorised into exposure durations. The associations of these FiO₂ exposures with mortality were evaluated using Cox regression adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), Injury Severity Score (ISS), prehospital Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, and presence of thoracic injuries.ResultsWe included 218 intubated trauma patients. The median prehospital GCS score was 6 and the median ISS was 25. One-year mortality was significantly increased when patients had received an FiO₂ above 80% for 3-4 hours compared to <2 hours (hazard ratio (95% CI) 2.7 (1.3-6.0), p= 0.011). When an FiO₂ above 80% had been administered for more than 4 hours, there was a trend towards a higher mortality as well, but this was not statistically significant. There was a significant, time-dependent increase in mortality for patients who had received an FiO₂ ≥ 60%. There was no significant relationship observed between mortality and the duration of FiO₂ ≥ 40%.ConclusionA fraction of inspired oxygen above 60% for more than 2 hours during the first 24 hours of admission was associated with increased mortality in intubated trauma patients in a duration-dependent manner. However, given the limitations of this retrospective study, the findings need to be confirmed in a larger, randomized set-up.     

Adherence to protocol in pregnant trauma patients? A 12-year retrospective study

Purpose

We investigated whether the standard (ATLS) trauma protocol was adhered to in cases of suspected multi-traumatized pregnant patients and if serious injuries were overlooked. We hypothesized that radiographic studies would be less frequent in pregnant trauma patients.

Methods

Forty-eight pregnant trauma patients were received in the observational period from January 2000 until May 2012; median age 30 years (range 16–40) and median stage of pregnancy 22 weeks (range 4–40). A retrospective review of patient files was performed.

Results

Twenty-one percent of the pregnant trauma patients received a full trauma CT (T-CT) scan (head to pelvis), which was significantly lower than the percentage (62 %) of all primarily referred trauma patients in the same period. In the last four years of observation, the use of radiographic studies among pregnant trauma patients increased considerably. Along with this increase in the tendency to use T-CT over time during the observational period, there was also a rise in the median ISS. In addition, radiographic studies of the pelvis and abdominal area were performed only half as frequently as studies of the neck and chest.

Conclusions

Adherence to the ATLS protocol in pregnant trauma patients was low in relation to radiographic studies but, in spite of this, no known significant injuries were missed. We found that a pelvic fracture seems to be predictive of a high risk of obstetric complications, such as intrauterine death or the need for cesarean section, but we were not able to relate trauma in general to a higher risk of cesarean section or premature birth.     

Liver transplantation versus watchful waiting in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with complete response to bridging therapy – a retrospective observational study

Bridging therapy to prevent progression on the waiting list can result in a sustained complete response (sCR). In some patients, the liver transplantation (LT) risk might exceed those of tumor recurrence. We thus evaluated whether a watchful waiting (CR-WW) strategy could be a feasible alternative to transplantation (CR-LT). We performed a retrospective analysis of overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) of patients with a sCR (CR > 6 months). Permitted bridging included thermoablation, resection, and combinations of either with transarterial chemoembolization. Patients were divided into the intended treatment strategies CR-WW and CR-LT. 39 (18.40%) sCR patients from 212 were investigated. 22 patients were treated with a CR-LT and 17 patients a CR-WW strategy. Five-year RFS was lower in the CR-WW than in the CR-LT group [53.3% (22.1%; 77.0%) and 84.0% (57.6%; 94.7%)]. 29.4% (5/17) CR-WW patients received salvage transplantation because of recurrence. OS (5-year) was 83.9% [56.8%; 94.7%] after LT and 75.4% [39.8%; 91.7%] after WW. Our analysis shows that the intuitive decision made by our patients in agreement with their treating physicians for a watchful waiting strategy in sCR can be justified. Applied on a larger scale, this strategy could help to reduce the pressure on the donor pool.     

Molecular-level HLA mismatch is associated with rejection and worsened graft survival in heart transplant recipients – a retrospective study

The aim was to evaluate the association of molecular-level human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mismatching with post-transplant graft survival, rejection, and cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV). We retrospectively analyzed all primary cardiac transplant recipients between 01/1984-06/2016. 1167 patients fulfilled inclusion criteria and had HLA typing information available. In 312 donor-recipient pairs, typing at serological split antigen level was available. We used the Epitope MisMatch Algorithm to calculate the number of amino acid differences in antibody-verified HLA eplets (amino acid mismatch load (AAMM)) between donor and recipient. Patients with a higher HLA-DR AAMM load had inferior 1-year graft survival (hazard ratio [HR], 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01–1.28). The HLA-AB AAMM load showed no impact on graft survival. In the subgroup with available split-level information, we observed an inferior graft survival for a higher HLA-DR AAMM load 3 months after transplantation (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.04–1.44) and a higher risk for rejection for an increasing HLA-AB (HR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.29–2.24) and HLA-DR (HR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.09–1.61) AAMM load. No impact on the development of CAV was found. Molecular-level HLA mismatch analysis could serve as a tool for risk stratification after heart transplantation and might take us one step further into precision medicine.     

Complications and functional outcome after fixation of distal tibia fractures with locking plate – A multicentre study

IntroductionThe aim of this study was to evaluate the proportion of complications and the functional outcome following ORIF with low-profile locking plates in patients with distal tibia fractures.MethodRetrospective data was retrieved using county databases, operation books, health record and X-ray images for 6 hospitals (1 level 1, 5 level 2) in the Region of Southern Denmark. Between January 2007 and April 2011 70 consecutive patients with 71 distal tibia fractures were treated with low-profile locking plate were included. The proportion of post-operative complications, classified as minor and major complications, was retrieved from electronic health records and patient interviews. Long-term functional outcome assessed by EuroQol EQ-5D-5L questionnaire, AOFAS Ankle-Hindfoot scale, and return to pre-injury job function through patient interview and examination.ResultsThere were 32 43A, 5 43B and 34 43C-fractures, 12 open and 10 high-energy fractures. Forty-nine cases (69%) experienced complications during the follow-up time, of which 34 were minor complications and 15 were major complications. Median EQ-5D-5L index value was 0.76, median EQ VAS-score was 80, and median AOFAS score was 73. Thirty-three percent of working patients had not returned to work as a result of the fracture.ConclusionsOur study suggest that treatment of distal tibia fractures with low-profile locking plates might have a higher proportion of complications and worse functional outcome than previously reported.Level of evidenceTherapeutic level IV Case Serie.     

Cytomegalovirus infection in kidney transplant patients: Prevalence,risk factors,and impact on outcome – A local multicentre experience

BackgroundCMV infection prevalence in kidney transplant recipients (KTR) is reported to be high in the literature, reaching rates of over 80%.ObjectivesThe primary endpoints were the evaluation of the prevalence, the risks factors, and the effects of CMV infection on graft function and survival, as well as patient survival at three years after kidney transplantation.Material and methodsWe retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 288 kidney transplant patients operated in three Lebanese transplant centers between 1998 and 2017 with three years of follow-up. The patients were divided into two groups: those free of any CMV infection (271 patients (94%); Group I) and those who suffered from CMV infection (17 patients (6%); Group II).ResultsBaseline demographics of the two groups were similar, including recipient and donor gender and age, cause of renal disease, recipient body mass index, pre-transplant fasting blood sugar and dialysis duration, HLA matching between donor and recipient, degree of sensitization in the recipient, type of CMV prophylaxis, maintenance immunosuppression and immunological characteristics. The prevalence of CMV infection is 5.9% among KTR. There were significant differences between the two groups concerning the type of induction therapy and the duration of anti-CMV prophylaxis. The rate of infected patients and infectious episodes were significantly higher in Group II. At 3-years, graft function and survival, patient survival, and the rate of new-onset diabetes were similar between the two groups.ConclusionThe present study is the first to explore the incidence and risk factors of CMV in kidney transplant patients in Lebanon. Comprehensive nationwide studies are therefore necessary to determine the epidemiology and risk factors of CMV infection after kidney transplantation in Lebanon.     

Prevalence of preoperative metabolic disturbances in elderly patients with hip fracture and their association with mortality – A retrospective cohort study

Study objectivesTo assess the prevalence of preoperative acidosis and lactatemia in elderly patients having hip fracture surgery and their association with post-operative mortality.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingSingle tertiary medical center.PatientsPatients ≥65 years having first traumatic hip fracture surgery between 2018 and 2021.Measurements90-day postoperative mortality.Main resultsIn total, 1267 patients were included in the primary analysis (mean (SD) age 83(8) years; 802 (69%) females; median [Interquartile Range (IQR)] American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical score 3 [2,3]). Of these, 1227 were available for the multivariable analyses. Median [IQR] time from hospitalization to surgery was 28 [20, 42] hours. All-cause 90-day mortality rate was 9% (N = 114). The incidence of preoperative acidosis (pH < 7.35) and lactatemia (>1.2 mmol/L) was significantly higher among non-survivors. Mortality was highest in patients with both acidosis and lactatemia (19.1% compared to 4.4% among patients with neither). In a multivariable model, pH <7.35 and lactate >1.2 mmol/L remained independent predictors of 90-day mortality, with adjusted odds ratio (aOR) (95%CI) of 1.99 (1.31 to 3.04) and 2.32 (1.44 to 3.74), respectively, p = 0.001 for both. Time from hospitalization to surgery was not associated with mortality after adjustment for metabolic indices, aOR 1.00 (0.99, 1.00).ConclusionsPreoperative acidosis and lactatemia are common among patients ≥65 years having hip fracture surgery and are associated with 90-day all-cause mortality. Time from hospital admission to surgery is not an independent risk factor, once adjusted for metabolic indices. Future studies should evaluate whether the increased risk associated with preoperative metabolic disturbances is modifiable.     

Early ultrasound in acute appendicitis avoids CT in most patients but delays surgery and increases complicated appendicitis if nondiagnostic – A retrospective study

BackgroundWe determined whether increasing early imaging (in the emergency department) was associated with earlier surgery and a decrease in complicated appendicitis.MethodsRetrospective study; 3013 operations between 12/2006–12/2016.ResultsEarly imaging increased from 13.1% to 74.1%, mostly due to increasing use of ultrasound. Negative appendectomies decreased from 10.7% to 5.1% (p < 0.001). Ultrasound was diagnostic in 80.5%. The false positive rate of ultrasound was 4%. Median time to surgery following positive ultrasound was 7.4 h (IQR 5.8–9.4), shorter compared to no early imaging (13.3 h, IQR 7.2–20.0; p < 0.001). However, median time to surgery following inconclusive and negative ultrasound was 11.5 h (IQR 8.7–16.1) and 17.0 h (IQR 10.3–26.7) respectively. The incidence of complicated appendicitis was 40% and 37.7%, higher than 21.5% in patients with positive US (p < 0.001).ConclusionsEarly imaging resulted in earlier surgery but did not reduce the incidence of complicated appendicitis. Ultrasound averted the need for CT in the majority of patients. When ultrasound was negative or inconclusive, time to surgery was delayed and the rate of complicated appendicitis higher.     

Effectiveness and safety of anakinra in gout patients with stage 4–5 chronic kidney disease or kidney transplantation: A multicentre,retrospective study

Objectives

Interleukin (IL)-1β blocking is effective for the treatment of gout flares and is recommended in patients with contraindications to the standard of care, such as stage 4–5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. However, efficacy and safety data regarding these agents are lacking in this population. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of anakinra for the treatment of gout flares in patients with stage 4–5 CKD or renal transplantation.

Liver transplantation in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients: procoagulant, but is antithrombotic prophylaxis required?

Liver transplantation (LT) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive recipients with end-stage liver disease has become an accepted practice. However, because these patients are increasingly being recognized as prothrombotic, we reviewed their posttransplant thrombotic complications. Because morphological changes might be responsible in part for this prothrombotic state, we also conducted a histopathological review of explants from HIV-positive patients. Between 1990 and 2010, 24 of 3502 recipients (including 23 adults) were HIV-positive at LT. These patients and their postoperative courses were reviewed with a particular focus on vascular complications, risk factors, and outcomes. Another patient in whom HIV was detected 12 years after LT was also examined. Among the 24 HIV-positive LT recipients (17 males and 22 whole liver grafts; median age = 40 years), 5 developed arterial complications [including 3 cases of hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT), 1 case of generalized arteriopathy (on angiography), and 1 case of endoarteritis (on histological analysis)]. Multiple arterial anastomoses were performed in 8 of the 24 recipients, and HAT occurred twice within this anastomosis group. The outcomes of the 3 patients with HAT included retransplantation, biliary stenting for ischemic cholangiopathy followed by retransplantation, and observation only. In addition, 5 separate venous thrombotic events were detected in the 24 recipients during this period. Moreover, the delayed-HIV recipient developed delayed HAT and subsequently ischemic cholangiopathy and was being assessed for retransplantation at the time of this writing. In conclusion, the prothrombotic state associated with combined HIV and liver disease is a cause of morbidity after LT: 8 of the 24 recipients (33%) in this series suffered vascular thrombotic complications. There is a potential increase in the risk of HAT: the rate for the HIV-positive cohort was higher than the rate for historical HIV-negative controls [12% versus 3.2%, P = 0.016 (Fisher's exact test)]. The minimization of complex arterial reconstruction, coagulopathy screening, and risk-adapted antithrombotic chemoprophylaxis appear to be reasonable precautions.     

Factors associated with low bone mass in the hemodialysis patients – a cross-sectional correlation study

Background  

Low bone mass is common in end-stage renal disease patients, especially those undergoing hemodialysis. It can lead to serious bone health problems such as fragility fractures. The purpose of this study is to investigate the risk factors of low bone mass in the hemodialysis patients.     

Analysis of surgery-related complications in thyroid carcinoma — A German prospective multicentre study with 275 patients

Summary   Background: The rate of postoperative complications following surgery for thyroid carcinoma is increased compared to that following benign goitre surgery; however, risk factors have not been investigated systematically. Methods: A prospective multicentre study was conducted from 1 January to 31 December 1998. During that period 275 patients were treated for thyroid carcinoma in 45 hospitals including 5 university hospitals. Results: By univariate analysis no difference in complication rates could be shown for primary surgery versus redo surgery (completion surgery or surgery for recurrent carcinoma). Additionally, tumour size (pT4) was a significant risk factor for prolonged postoperative ventilation, general complications and permanent hypoparathyroidism. Lymphadenectomy evolved as a major risk factor for permanent hypoparathyroidism. By multivariate analysis independent risk factors were evaluated for 1) tracheotomy: tumour size (pT4 versus pT1–3), relative risk (RR) 2.1; 2) permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy: lymphadenectomy in the left cervicolateral compartment (C3), RR 5.4, and resection of soft tissue (muscle), RR 4.4; 3) transient hypocalcaemia: tumour size (pT4 versus pT1–3), RR 1.25, and extent of resection (subtotal resection versus total thyroidectomy), RR 3.02; 4) permanent hypoparathyroidism: lymphadenectomy, RR 8.01, and resection of soft tissue (vessels), RR 5.70. Conclusions: The results of the risk analysis might help to identify patients at increased risk for postoperative complications who should receive treatment in specialised hospitals.      

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in traumatic brain injury – A retrospective,multicenter cohort study

IntroductionPatients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) regularly require intensive care with prolonged invasive ventilation. Consequently, these patients are at increased risk of pulmonary failure, potentially requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The aim of this work was to provide an overview of ECMO treatment in TBI patients based upon data captured into the TraumaRegister DGU® (TR-DGU).MethodsA retrospective multi-center cohort analysis of patients registered in the TR-DGU was conducted. Adult patients with relevant TBI (AIS_Head ≥3) who had been treated in German, Austrian, or Swiss level I or II trauma centers using ECMO therapy between 2015 and 2019 were included. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for the need for ECMO treatment.Results12,247 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The overall rate of ECMO treatment was 1.1% (134 patients). Patients on ECMO had an overall hospital mortality rate of 38% (51/134 patients) while 13% (1523/12,113 patients) of TBI patients without ECMO therapy died. Male gender (p = 0.014), AIS_Chest 3+ (p<0.001), higher Injury Severity Score (p<0.001) and packed red blood cell (pRBC) transfusion (p<0.001) were associated with ECMO treatment.ConclusionECMO therapy is a potentially lifesaving modality for the treatment of moderate-to-severe TBI when combined with severe chest trauma and pulmonary failure. The in-hospital mortality is increased in this high-risk population, but the majority of patients is surviving.     

Age does not affect the outcome after digital nerve repair in children – A retrospective long term follow up

Background

Digital nerve injuries in children are not common, but they are considered to have an excellent prognosis, compared to adults, after nerve injury and repair. In studies including both children and adults age have been found to have an effect on outcome after nerve repair.

Clinical presentations and outcome analysis of renal transplant in elderly patients——A single center retrospective study

Objective To analyze the characteristics and prognosis of elderly renal transplant recipients. Methods The authors included 130 recipients older than or equal to 60 years at the time of operation in elderly group, and the paired 130 patients receiving contralateral renal transplants from the same donors and younger than 60 years in control group. All the patients received renal transplant in Kidney Disease Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University from Nov 1994 to Dec 2013. Results The average age of the patients of elderly group was (63±3) years old, whereas the patients in control group were (41±10) years old. There was no significant difference in sex, type of dialysis, number of mismatched HLA, level of panel reactive antibodies (PRA), percentage of receiving induction therapy or immunosuppressive regimen between elderly group and control group, except that the patients in old group had a longer duration of dialysis. The patients of elderly group had a lower level of serum creatinine than control at the follow up times from 6 months to 24 months after transplant. The doses of immunosuppressives were lower in elderly group compared with the control group whereas the concentration of tacrolimus or cyclosporine was same. The dose of prednisone in old group was lower compared with control after 6 months post - transplantation. The patients of elderly group had high percentages of pulmonary infection and new-onset diabetes mellitus compared with the control group. Until June 2014, the follow-up rate of all patients was 85.4%; the median follow-up time was 70.4 months in elderly group and 79.9 months in control group. There was no significant differencein mortality rate or graft loss rate between elderly group and control group. Pulmonary infection (HR=2.981, P=0.018), hepatitis C virus infection (HR=5.797, P=0.003) and malignancies (HR=5.228, P=0.005) were correlated with the survival rate of the elderly group. Conclusions Elderly renal transplant recipients have a similar prognosis compared with the younger ones. Pulmonary infection, hepatitis C virus infection and malignancy are related risk factors for the survival rate of elderly patients.     

Total Knee Arthroplasty in Rheumatoid Arthritis patients with a medial stabilized prosthesis – A retrospective analysis

BackgroundTotal Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) has been described as an effective and successful mode of treatment in alleviation of pain and restoration of function in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). The array of bone and soft tissue deformities in RA patients can impact initial success and long term durability of TKA. Medial Pivot (MP) prosthesis is fixed bearing asymmetric pivoting design that provides anterior-posterior stability without any post and conserves bone on the femoral side. There are few reports of suitability of experience with MP in RA.MethodsTwenty six patients (average age 55 years) with end stage arthritis secondary to RA operated with MP prosthesis were retrospectively followed up. At a minimum follow up of three years, all patients were assessed using Knee Society Score (KSS), Oxford Knee Score (OKS), Pain Catastrophising Scale (PCS) and radiological outcomes.ResultsAt final follow-up, patients reported significant improvement in mean KSS-Objective and Functional scores, Oxford Knee Score and Pain Catastrophising Scale (p < 0.05). The mean range of motion achieved at the end of two years ranged from 0 ͦ (extension) to 109.4 ͦ (full flexion). There was no evidence of loosening or osteolysis at minimum follow up of three years.ConclusionThese results endorse satisfactory clinical and radiological outcomes at minimum follow up of three years following Medial Pivot Prosthetic Knee design in RA patients. Further long term follow up is needed to determine the survival analysis of MP design in these patients.