Are new devices required to reduce contrast load in the cath lab,or is behavioral change sufficient?

• A novel device that diverts a proportion of contrast injected by hand through the manifold can potentially reduce volume of contrast delivered to the patient by almost 50% to reduce risk of contrast‐induced nephropathy.
• Another simple solution to reducing contrast volume is to limit the number of angiographic views and cine runs acquired.
• A conscious effort by the angiographer to limit the contrast volume to less than the eGFR should be considered.

     

The Relationship Between Left Ventricular Wall Thickness,Myocardial Shortening,and Ejection Fraction in Hypertensive Heart Disease: Insights From Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Hypertensive heart disease is often associated with a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction despite impaired myocardial shortening. The authors investigated this paradox in 55 hypertensive patients (52±13 years, 58% male) and 32 age‐ and sex‐matched normotensive control patients (49±11 years, 56% male) who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging at 1.5T. Long‐axis shortening (R=0.62), midwall fractional shortening (R=0.68), and radial strain (R=0.48) all decreased (P<.001) as end‐diastolic wall thickness increased. However, absolute wall thickening (defined as end‐systolic minus end‐diastolic wall thickness) was maintained, despite the reduced myocardial shortening. Absolute wall thickening correlated with ejection fraction (R=0.70, P<.0001). In multiple linear regression analysis, increasing wall thickness by 1 mm independently increased ejection fraction by 3.43 percentage points (adjusted β‐coefficient: 3.43 [2.60–4.26], P<.0001). Increasing end‐diastolic wall thickness augments ejection fraction through preservation of absolute wall thickening. Left ventricular ejection fraction should not be used in patients with hypertensive heart disease without correction for degree of hypertrophy.     

Parental involvement in paediatric cancer treatment decisions

McKENNA K., COLLIER J., HEWITT M. & BLAKE H. (2010) European Journal of Cancer Care 19 , 621–630 Parental involvement in paediatric cancer treatment decisions This study investigated parents' information needs and involvement in decision‐making processes affecting the care of children diagnosed with cancer. Interviews and questionnaires were used to assess parental satisfaction in 50 mothers and 16 fathers responsible for 58 children in an English Paediatric Oncology Unit. Parents reported that doctors contributed almost twice as much to the decision‐making process as they did, but parental satisfaction was positively correlated with the amount of information provided when giving informed consent. Satisfaction about their involvement in this process relied heavily upon the level of support received from others. Parents consenting to their child's involvement in non‐randomised trials perceived themselves to be under greater pressure from others during the decision‐making process while those whose children were further along the treatment trajectory were more uncertain about decisions previously made. Findings indicate that the accessibility, support, information and degree of control afforded to parents by healthcare professionals impacts upon their satisfaction with both the decision‐making process and their confidence in the decisions thus made. Information and support tailored to parents' specific needs may therefore enhance satisfaction with clinical decision making and reassure parents about decisions made in the long‐term interest of their child's health.     

Adjuvant chemotherapy and outcomes in patients with nodal and resection margin-negative pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) following pancreatic carcinoma (PC) resection improves overall survival (OS). A systematic review identified 10 phase-2/3 studies investigating AC in 3644 patients looking at the influence of nodal and resection status. AC significantly improved disease free survival, OS and 5-year odds of death risk. There was greater survival benefit in patients PS 0 and with body/tail tumors. There was a nonsignificant effect in N ⁻ /N ⁺ patients on OS and no difference between R0/R1 patients.     

Diffusion tensor imaging predicts functional impairment in mild-to-moderate cervical spondylotic myelopathy

Background contextMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the standard imaging modality for the assessment of cervical spinal cord; however, MRI assessment of the spinal cord in cervical spondylotic myelopathy patients has not demonstrated a consistent association with neurologic function or outcome after surgical or medical intervention. Thus, there is a need for sensitive imaging biomarkers that can predict functional impairment in patients with advanced cervical spondylosis.PurposeTo implement diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) as an imaging biomarker for microstructural integrity and functional impairment in patients with cervical spondylosis.Study designNonrandomized, single institution study.Patient sampleForty-eight cervical spondylosis patients with or without spinal cord signal change underwent DTI of the spinal cord along with functional assessment.Outcome measuresFunctional measures of neurologic function via modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (mJOA) score.MethodsA zoomed-echoplanar imaging technique and two-dimensional spatially selective radiofrequency excitation pulse were used for DTI measurement. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), radial and axial diffusion (AD) coefficient, AD anisotropy, ψ, defined as AD-MD, and the standard deviation (SD) of primary eigenvector orientation were evaluated at the site of compression.ResultsResults suggest average FA, transverse apparent diffusion coefficient, ψ, and SD of primary eigenvector orientation at the spinal level of highest compression were linearly correlated with mJOA score. Receiver-operator characteristic analysis suggested FA and ψ could identify stenosis patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms with a relatively high sensitivity and specificity.ConclusionsThe results of this study support the potential use of DTI as a biomarker for predicting functional impairment in patients with cervical spondylosis.