Percutaneous Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty for Pathologic Vertebral Fractures in the Medicare Population: Safer and Less Expensive than Open Surgery

PurposeTo compare cost and outcomes of surgical and percutaneous treatments of pathologic vertebral fractures.Materials and MethodsStandard Medicare 5% anonymized inpatient files (1999–2009) were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with a diagnosis of vertebral fracture without spinal cord injury and primary or metastatic bony malignancy were divided into percutaneous or surgical groups based on whether they received vertebroplasty/kyphoplasty or surgical treatment. Patients who had no intervention or both interventions were excluded. Cost, length of stay, and type of discharge were examined while controlling for demographic and comorbidity variables.ResultsA total of 451 patients were included; 52% received percutaneous treatment and 48% received surgery. Patients treated percutaneously were older (P<.001) and more likely to be female (P=.04). Percutaneous therapy predicted $14,862 less Medicare cost and $13,565 less overall cost (P<.001 for both), and 4.1 fewer inpatient days (P<.001). Patients who underwent surgery had higher odds of death (odds ratio=3.38, P=.016), discharge to a rehabilitation facility (odds ratio=3.3, P=.003), and transfer to another inpatient facility (odds ratio=8.53, P<.001), and lower odds of discharge to home (odds ratio=0.42, P<.001) and hospice (odds ratio=0.08, P=.002).ConclusionsIn a Medicare population with bony malignancy and vertebral fractures, percutaneous therapy predicted significantly reduced cost and length of stay versus surgery. Patients who underwent percutaneous therapy were significantly less likely to die, be transferred, or be discharged to rehabilitation facilities, and were more likely to be discharged to home or hospice.     

Local Leaders' Perspectives on Women Veterans’ Health Care: What Would Ideal Look Like?

Background

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) faces challenges in providing comprehensive, gender-sensitive care for women. National policies have led to important advancements, but local leadership also plays a vital role in implementing changes and operationalizing national priorities. In this article, we explore the notions of ideal women veterans' health care articulated by women's health leaders at local VHA facilities and regional networks, with the goal of identifying elements that could inform practice and policy.

Converting enzyme inhibition in hypertensive emergencies.

The diagnostic and therapeutic value of the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor teprotide (SQ 20881) was assessed in 18 patients with hypertensive emergencies. Mean blood pressure fell 31 +/- 18 mm Hg in the 10 subjects who responded to 1 mg/kg body weight administered intravenously, whereas it fell 5 +/- 3 mm Hg in the eight nonresponders. In patients who had received no previous drug treatment, log baseline plasma renin activity and change in mean blood pressure after SQ 20881 correlated significantly (r = 0.651, P less than 0.05). After acute therapy with SQ 20881, the patients who had a satisfactory response to the drug were treated with propranolol and a relatively normal sodium intake (88 meq/day). Nonresponders were treated with diuretics and sodium restriction (10 meq/day), and intermediate responders were given combination therapy. Mean blood pressure responded favorably within 24 h to the chosen regimen for each group from 152 +/- 47 to 102 +/- 31 mm Hg. SQ 20881 allows prompt evaluation of the role of renin in hypertensive emergencies and permits early choice of appropriate therapy based on the prevailing mechanism.     

Minireview: mechanisms by which the metabolic syndrome and diabetes impair memory

Type 2 diabetes is associated with an increased risk of cognitive dysfunction. These effects seem particularly true for memory functions. This article examines how diabetes and the biological changes that occur with diabetes such as hyperglycemia, changes in insulin concentration, hypertension, and changes in lipid levels might lead to these alterations in cognitive functioning, with an emphasis on the mechanisms leading to changes in memory.     

Autoantibodies in experimental autoimmune hepatitis.

Experimental autoimmune hepatitis (EAH) can be induced in mice by immunization with syngeneic soluble liver antigens in complete Freund's adjuvant. It has previously been shown that autoreactive T cells play an important role in this animal model of autoimmune hepatitis. We have studied the occurrence of liver autoantibodies in EAH. Characteristic autoantibodies appeared several weeks after disease induction and antibody titres continued to rise when histological and biochemical signs of disease activity had already regressed. Autoantibodies in EAH seemed to recognize autoantigens other than those present in autoimmune chronic active hepatitis patients. We conclude that autoantibodies arise in experimental autoimmune hepatitis but that these autoantibodies do not play a critical role in the pathogenesis of the disease.     

Der implantierbare Kardioverter-Defibrillator

Zusammenfassung Die ad?quate Versorgung von Patienten, die bereits einmal einen Herz-Kreislaufstillstand durch tachykarde Arrhythmien überlebt haben, war lange Zeit auf eine Behandlung mit Antiarrhythmika beschr?nkt, wenn der Rhythmusst?rung keine behebbare orga-nische Ursache zugrunde lag. Trotz optimierter Pharmakotherapie sterben 30% dieser Patienten innerhalb von drei Jahren durch eine erneute maligne Arrhythmie. Deshalb wurde in den letzten Jahren die Implanta-tion von automatischen, implantierbaren Kardioverter-Defibrillatoren (ICD) der Standard bei der Versorgung dieser Patienten. Zunehmend werden ICDs auch bei Patienten mit stark erh?htem Risiko für einen pl?tzlichen Herztod ohne überlebten Kreislaufstillstand implantiert, ins-besondere bei Patienten mit Kardio-myopathie oder angeborenen ar-rhythmogenen Anomalien des Herzens. In neuen klinischen Studien konnte bei selektierten Patienten ein deutlicher überlebensvorteil gegen-über der Behandlung mit Anti-arrhythmika gezeigt werden [7]. Die Implantation von ICDs wird bei den neuen transven?sen Systemen ohne Thorakotomie durchgeführt, wodurch das Operationsrisiko wesentlich verringert wurde. Moderne ICDs werden unter den linken M. pectoralis major implantiert, eine mehrpolige Elektrode im rechten Ventrikel dient der Wahrnehmung, der Stimulation und der Schockab-gabe. Die Ger?te sind in weiten Bereichen patientenspezifisch programmierbar und erlauben so eine differenzierte Erkennung und mehrstufige Therapie von ventrikul?ren Tachykardien und Kammerflimmern. Neben der Defibrillation und der synchronisierten Kardioversion stellt die antitachykarde Stimulation eine hocheffektive und für die Patienten angenehme Methode zur Beendigung von langsamen ventrikul?ren Tachykardien dar. Der interne Speicher moderner ICDs dokumentiert nicht nur die Anzahl der Arrhythmien und die abgegebene Therapie, auch intrakardiale EKGs vor und nach den Episoden k?nnen ausgelesen werden. Diese Eigenschaften erlauben heute eine sehr spezifische und individuelle Anpassung der Therapie an die zugrundeliegende Arrhythmie. Eingegangen: 3. September 1997 Akzeptiert: 4. Oktober 1997