Pain prevalence and severity before, during, and after root canal treatment: a systematic review

Introduction

Anticipation and experience of root canal associated pain is a major source of fear for patients and a very important concern of dentists. Pretreatment, treatment, and posttreatment pain is anticipated, experienced, remembered, and shared by patients. The purpose was to determine the influence of root canal treatment on pain prevalence and severity and estimate the prevalence and severity of pretreatment, treatment, and posttreatment pain in patients receiving root canal treatment.

Methods

Defined searching of MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, and PsycINFO databases identified 5,517 articles. Systematic review, including title scanning, abstract scanning, full-text review, and quality rating, provided 72 studies for meta-analysis. L’Abbe plots were used to evaluate the influence of root canal treatment on pain prevalence and severity. Pretreatment, treatment, and posttreatment pain prevalence and severity data were analyzed.

Results

L’Abbe plots revealed that pain prevalence and severity decreased substantially after treatment. Mean pretreatment, 24-hour posttreatment, and 1-week posttreatment pain prevalences with associated standard deviations were 81 (28%), 40 (24%), and 11 (14%), respectively. Pretreatment, 24-hour posttreatment, and 1-week posttreatment pain severities, on a 100-point scale, were 54 (24%), 24 (12%), and 5 (5%), respectively. Supplemental injections were frequently required (60 [24%]).

Conclusions

Pretreatment root canal-associated pain prevalence was high but dropped moderately within 1 day and substantially to minimal levels in 7 days. Pretreatment root canal-associated pain severity was moderate, dropped substantially within 1 day of treatment, and continued to drop to minimal levels in 7 days. Supplemental anesthesia was often required.     

Patterns and timing of artificial urinary sphincter failure

Purpose

To assess population-based trends in artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) placement after prostatectomy and determine the effect of timing on device survival and complications.

Methods

We identified patients who underwent prostatectomy and AUS placement in SEER-Medicare from 2002 to 2011. We analyzed factors affecting the time of reoperation from AUS implantation and prostatectomy using multivariable Cox proportional hazard models.

Results

In total, 841 men underwent AUS placement at a median 23 months after prostatectomy. Patients who underwent reoperation (28.5%) had higher clinical stage, more likely underwent open prostatectomy, or had prior sling placement (p < 0.03). There were no differences in rates of diabetes, smoking status, prior radiation therapy, or Charlson Comorbidity Index between those requiring reoperation vs. not (all p > 0.15). Patients with AUS placement > 15 months after prostatectomy (75%) initially experienced less need for operative reinterventions. Patients with later AUS placement were significantly more likely to have received radiation therapy [22.9 vs. 3.8% (p < 0.01)]. Nonetheless, late implantation was confirmed to be protective on multivariate analysis during the first 5 years after AUS placement [HR 0.79 (95% CI 0.67–0.92); p < 0.01]. Factors independently associated with a shorter interval time until reoperation included history of radiation [HR 1.93 (95% CI 1.33–2.80); p < 0.01] and history of prior sling [HR 1.70 (95% CI 1.08–2.68); p = 0.02]. Even for patients who underwent radiation therapy, delayed AUS implantation reduced reoperative risk.

Conclusions

Late AUS implantation in the Medicare population is associated with prolonged device survival initially, while radiation and prior sling surgery predict for earlier reoperation. Patients with delayed AUS implantation experience less immediate complications. Further work is required to identify patient-specific factors which may explain variability in timing for AUS.

     

Additional Primary Malignancies in Patients with Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST): A Clinicopathologic Study of 260 Patients with Molecular Analysis and Review of the Literature

Annals of Surgical Oncology - The incidence of other primary neoplasms in gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) patients is relatively high. Our aim was to better characterize the clinicopathologic...     

Trends in the Timing and Clinical Context of Maintenance Dialysis Initiation

Whether secular trends in eGFR at dialysis initiation reflect changes in clinical presentation over time is unknown. We reviewed the medical records of a random sample of patients who initiated maintenance dialysis in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in fiscal years 2000–2009 (n=1691) to characterize trends in clinical presentation in relation to eGFR at initiation. Between fiscal years 2000–2004 and 2005–2009, mean eGFR at initiation increased from 9.8±5.8 to 11.0±5.5 ml/min per 1.73 m² (P<0.001), the percentage of patients with an eGFR of 10–15 ml/min per 1.73 m² increased from 23.4% to 29.9% (P=0.002), and the percentage of patients with an eGFR>15 ml/min per 1.73 m² increased from 12.1% to 16.3% (P=0.01). The proportion of patients who were acutely ill at the time of initiation and the proportion of patients for whom the decision to initiate dialysis was based only on level of kidney function did not change over time. Frequencies of documented clinical signs and/or symptoms were similar during both time periods. The adjusted odds of initiating dialysis at an eGFR of 10–15 or >15 ml/min per 1.73 m² (versus <10 ml/min per 1.73 m²) during the later versus earlier time period were 1.43 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.13 to 1.81) and 1.46 (95% CI, 1.09 to 1.97), respectively. In conclusion, trends in eGFR at dialysis initiation at VA medical centers do not seem to reflect changes in the clinical context in which dialysis is initiated.     

Disrupting LIN28 in atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors reveals the importance of the mitogen activated protein kinase pathway as a therapeutic target

Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) is among the most fatal of all pediatric brain tumors. Aside from loss of function mutations in the SMARCB1 (BAF47/INI1/SNF5) chromatin remodeling gene, little is known of other molecular drivers of AT/RT. LIN28A and LIN28B are stem cell factors that regulate thousands of RNAs and are expressed in aggressive cancers. We identified high-levels of LIN28A and LIN28B in AT/RT primary tumors and cell lines, with corresponding low levels of the LIN28-regulated microRNAs of the let-7 family. Knockdown of LIN28A by lentiviral shRNA in the AT/RT cell lines CHLA-06-ATRT and BT37 inhibited growth, cell proliferation and colony formation and induced apoptosis. Suppression of LIN28A in orthotopic xenograft models led to a more than doubling of median survival compared to empty vector controls (48 vs 115 days). LIN28A knockdown led to increased expression of let-7b and let-7g microRNAs and a down-regulation of KRAS mRNA. AT/RT primary tumors expressed increased mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway activity, and the MEK inhibitor selumetinib (AZD6244) decreased AT/RT growth and increased apoptosis. These data implicate LIN28/RAS/MAP kinase as key drivers of AT/RT tumorigenesis and indicate that targeting this pathway may be a therapeutic option in this aggressive pediatric malignancy.     

Mapping Canadian Data Assets to Generate Real-World Evidence: Lessons Learned from Canadian Real-World Evidence for Value of Cancer Drugs (CanREValue) Collaboration’s RWE Data Working Group

Canadian provinces routinely collect patient-level data for administrative purposes. These real-world data (RWD) can be used to generate real-world evidence (RWE) to inform clinical care and healthcare policy. The CanREValue Collaboration is developing a framework for the use of RWE in cancer drug funding decisions. A Data Working Group (WG) was established to identify data assets across Canada for generating RWE of oncology drugs. The mapping exercise was conducted using an iterative scan with informant surveys and teleconference. Data experts from ten provinces convened for a total of three teleconferences and two in-person meetings from March 2018 to September 2019. Following each meeting, surveys were developed and shared with the data experts which focused on identifying databases and data elements, as well as a feasibility assessment of conducting RWE studies using existing data elements and resources. Survey responses were compiled into an interim data report, which was used for public stakeholder consultation. The feedback from the public consultation was used to update the interim data report. We found that databases required to conduct real-world studies are often held by multiple different data custodians. Ninety-seven databases were identified across Canada. Provinces held on average 9 distinct databases (range: 8–11). An Essential RWD Table was compiled that contains data elements that are necessary, at a minimal, to conduct an RWE study. An Expanded RWD Table that contains a more comprehensive list of potentially relevant data elements was also compiled and the availabilities of these data elements were mapped. While most provinces have data on patient demographics (e.g., age, sex) and cancer-related variables (e.g., morphology, topography), the availability and linkability of data on cancer treatment, clinical characteristics (e.g., morphology and topography), and drug costs vary among provinces. Based on current resources, data availability, and access processes, data experts in most provinces noted that more than 12 months would be required to complete an RWE study. The CanREValue Collaboration’s Data WG identified key data holdings, access considerations, as well as gaps in oncology treatment-specific data. This data catalogue can be used to facilitate future oncology-specific RWE analyses across Canada.     

Metacognitive Reflective and Insight Therapy for People in Early Phase of a Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder

Schizophrenia often involves a loss of metacognitive capacity, the ability to form complex and integrated representations of self and others. Independent of symptoms and neurocognition, deficits in synthetic metacognition are related to difficulties of engaging in goal‐directed activities in social and vocational settings. Within this backdrop, we provide a case report of the effects of Metacognitive Reflective Insight Therapy (MERIT) that assisted a patient suffering from first episode schizophrenia during 2 years of individual psychotherapy. A total of 8 elements of MERIT that stimulate and promote metacognitive capacity are presented. As illustrated in this report, these procedures helped the patient move from a state in which he had virtually no complex ideas about himself or others to one in which he had developed integrated and realistic ideas about his own identity and the identity of others. He then could use these representations to understand and effectively respond to life challenges.