Degree of Risk Related to Procedures Performed in Conjunction with Surgical Myocardial Revascularization in Octogenarians

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVES:

We determined the degree of risk produced by the association of other surgical procedures with surgical myocardial revascularization in octogenarian patients and identified the risk factors that best explain hospital mortality.

METHODS:

This study was an observational analytical historical cohort study involving octogenarians operated on at our institution between January 1, 2000 and January 1, 2005. We stratified the objective population as follows: Group 1 comprised octogenarians revascularized without associated procedures, and Group 2 comprised octogenarians revascularized with associated procedures. Statistical analyses included the t test for independent samples and multiple logistic regression analysis. Significance was accepted with an alpha error of 5%.

RESULTS:

Univariate analyses revealed the following clinical and statistically significant variables: hospital mortality (P=0.002), diabetes mellitus (P=0.017), preoperative endocarditis (P=0.001), cardiogenic shock (P=0.019), use of an intra-aortic balloon pump (P=0.026), preoperative risk score (Parsonnet), P<0.001, procedure associated with revascularization (P<0.001), medium number of affected coronary arteries (P<0.001), use of extracorporeal circulation (P<0.001), time of extracorporeal circulation (P<0.001), number of distal anastomoses (P=0.002), graft type (P<0.001), postoperative breathing support (P<0.001), stroke (P<0.001), infection (P=0.002), creatinine level (P=0.018), and quality of life score (P=0.050).

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS:

In octogenarian patients, the need for a procedure associated with surgical myocardial revascularization produces an absolute increase in hospital mortality risk of 45%. The variables that contributed to hospital mortality were preoperative endocarditis, preoperative cardiogenic shock, the use of extracorporeal circulation, the length of time of extracorporeal circulation, postoperative creatinine level, and postoperative need for prolonged respiratory support.     

Risk indicators and psychopathology in traumatised children and adolescents with a history of sexual abuse

PURPOSE: Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is widespread amongst South African (SA) children, yet data on risk factors and psychiatric consequences are limited and mixed. METHODS: Traumatised children and adolescents referred to our Youth Stress Clinic were interviewed to obtain demographic, sexual abuse, lifetime trauma and psychiatric histories. RESULTS: Data for 94 participants (59 female, 35 male; mean age 14.25 [8.25-19] years) exposed to at least one lifetime trauma were analysed. Sexual abuse was reported in 53% of participants (42.56% females, 10.63% males) with 64% of violations committed by perpetrators known to them. Multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed female gender (P=0.002) and single-parent families (P=0.01) to be significant predictors of CSA (62.5%). CSA did not predict exposure to other traumas. Sexually abused children had significantly higher physical and emotional abuse subscale scores and total CTQ scores than non-abused children. Depression (33%, X(2)=10.89, P=0.001) and PTSD (63.8%, X(2)=4.79, P=0.034) were the most prevalent psychological consequences of trauma and both were significantly associated with CSA. CONCLUSIONS: High rates of CSA predicted high rates of PTSD in this traumatised sample. Associations we found appear consistent with international studies of CSA and, should be used to focus future social awareness, prevention and treatment strategies in developing countries.     

Timing of antibiotics in febrile children meeting sepsis criteria at a paediatric emergency department

Objective

Delay in antibiotic administration in paediatric sepsis is associated with increased mortality and prolonged organ dysfunction. This pre-intervention study evaluated performance in paediatric sepsis management.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study of febrile children admitted through the ED at The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, between 1 May and 31 July 2017. Participants were children aged 29 days to 60 months excluding children with simple febrile seizures, neonates and children who had received intravenous antibiotics elsewhere. We assessed the timing of antibiotic administration in children meeting local sepsis guidelines. We conducted a survey of clinicians in ED in 2018 to describe contributing factors.

Results

There were 160 febrile children admitted and 144 presentations were included in the analysis. Male 53% (n = 76); median age 20.1 months (interquartile range [IQR] 3.9–37 months). Thirty-seven (26%) febrile children met local sepsis criteria. The median time from triage to first dose of intravenous antibiotic was 109 min (IQR 62–183 min). Delay (>60 min) occurred in 26 (76%) children. Reported reasons contributing to delay included high patient load, long waiting times, difficult intravenous access, delayed prescribing, inadequate staffing and difficulty distinguishing between a viral infection and serious bacterial infection.

Conclusion

There was frequent delay in administering antibiotics in children meeting local sepsis criteria, more commonly in young infants. Reasons contributing to delay were specific to young children along with departmental factors that will require addressing through targeted quality improvement interventions.     

Effect of Erythrina mulungu on anxiety during extraction of third molars

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of Erythrina mulungu on the control of dental anxiety in patients who had under gone bilateral extraction of asymptomatic, impacted mandibular third molars. Material and Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, crossover study, 30 healthy volunteers (5 men and 25 women, over 18 years of age), received either 500mg of E.mulungu (Mulungu Matusa®) or 500 mg of placebo, p.o., one hour before surgical procedure. The level ofanxiety was assessed through questionnaire sand physical parameters, such as blood pressure, heart rate andoxygen saturation. Data were analyzed by Chi-square test, ANOVA (Tukey test) and Friedman with significance level of 5%. Results: A higher preference (Chi-square, p = 0.0062) for E. mulungu was observed for both genders. Volunteers with higher anxiety levels tended to to prefer E. mulungu. No statistically significant differences were verified in blood pressure (one-way ANOVA, p = 0.1259), heart rate (Friedman, p> 0.05) and oxygen saturation (Friedman, p = 0.7664) among periods and types of treatments. Conclusions: E. mulungu showed an anxiolytic effect without significant changes in physiological parameters. It could be considered as an alternative to control the anxiety in adult patients undergoing mandibular thirdmolars surgery. Key words:Anxiety, Erythrina mulungu, third molar, oral surgery.     

Evaluation of volume of the sphenoid sinus according to sex,facial type,skeletal class,and presence of a septum: a cone-beam computed tomographic study

We have used cone-beam computed tomographic (CT) images to retrospectivelyevaluate the influence of sex, skeletal class, facial type, and the presence of septa on the volume of the sphenoid sinus in 172 images from 85 men (mean (SD) age 28 (2) years) and 87 women (mean (SD) age 30 (1) years). Skeletal class and facial type were calculated for each patient from multiplanar reconstructions using NemoCeph® software. Volumetric analysis of the sphenoid sinus was made with the help of the ITK-SNAP® 3.4.0 segmentation software, while the presence or absence of septa in the sphenoid sinus was evaluated with the Carestream 3D Imaging® software 3.4.3. We analysed the results using two-way ANOVA, Student’s independent sample t test, and Fisher’s exact test, as appropriate, and probabilities of <0.05 were accepted as significant. Sex (p = 0.0946), facial type (p = 0.790), and skeletal class (p = 0.120) had no significant influence on the volume of the sphenoid sinus, and nor did the volumes of the right and left sphenoid sinuses (p = 0.0923), or the presence of a septum within the sinus (p = 0.330) in its volume.     

Myasthenia gravis: a changing pattern of incidence

The annual incidence of myasthenia gravis (MG) ranges from 3 to 30 per 1,000,000 people. Since the mid-1980s, an increasing incidence has been reported, mainly due to late-onset MG. Whether the increase was due to population aging, improved diagnosis and case collection, or a true excess of incidence cases is still under debate. We used a complete enumeration approach by reviewing all possible sources of case collection in the province of Ferrara, Italy, to estimate the MG incidence and its temporal trend over the study period (1985–2007). The mean annual age-adjusted incidence of MG was 18 per 1,000,000, without any significant temporal trend. The incidence rates in the period 1985–1990 were 14 both for early and late-onset MG. Thereafter, a significant increase in incidence of late-onset MG (p < 0.05), and a decrease in early onset MG were detected (p < 0.01). These findings were related to nonthymoma MG. The median age at onset of the disease steadily increased over time. A changing pattern of MG incidence with an increase in frequency of late-onset and a decrease of early onset MG was found in the last years, giving a significant shift to older age at onset of the disease. Unknown environmental factors may have driven this change in MG epidemiology.     

Early visual assessment in preterm infants with and without brain lesions: correlation with visual and neurodevelopmental outcome at 12 months

Background

Several studies have reported the development of various aspects of visual function in infancy and early childhood in both preterm and term-born infants, but only a few studies have focused on the predictive power of neonatal visual findings in infants with brain lesions.

Aims

To explore visual findings at term age, and at 3 and 12 months corrected age in preterm infants (gestational age < 33 weeks) with and without brain lesions; to compare the assessment at term age and at 12 months; and to assess the relationship between visual findings and neurodevelopmental outcome at 12 months.

Study design

Cranial ultrasound scans (US) were classified in normal, mild or major abnormalities. One-hundred and forty-five infants were assessed with age specific tests for visual function at term age, and at 3 and 12 months. Neurodevelopmental assessment (Griffiths' Scales) was performed at 12 months.

Results

A good correlation was found between early and late visual assessment and neurodevelopment outcome. Of the 121 infants with normal neonatal visual assessment, 119 were also normal at 12 months and 116 had normal developmental quotient. Of the 24 infants with abnormal neonatal visual assessment, 12 were also abnormal at 12 months. All the false positives had normalised by 3 months. Of the 35 infants with major US abnormalities, 20 had normal and 15 abnormal scores on the neonatal assessment. At 1 year 17 had normal and 18 abnormal scores.

Conclusion

A normal visual assessment at term age is a good predictor of normal visual and neurodevelopmental outcome at 12 months. An abnormal visual examination in the neonatal period was a less reliable prognostic indicator, infant should be reassessed at 3 months.     

Ventral stream sensitivity in “healthy” preterm-born adolescents: Psychophysical and neuropsychological evaluation

Background

Deficits of motion processing have been reported in premature and very low birth-weight subjects during infancy, childhood and adolescence. Less is known about ventral stream functioning in preterms.

Aim

The aim of this study is to investigate ventral stream functioning in a sample of “healthy” adolescents born preterm with normal outcome and without brain damage.

Study design

We enrolled thirty preterm-born adolescents (mean age: 14.2 years, mean gestational age 28.9 weeks, mean birth weight 1097 g), and 34 age-matched term-born controls (mean age: 14.5 years). All subjects were administered a psychophysical test known as “Form Coherence Task” and a comprehensive standardized battery of neuropsychological tests suitable for investigating ventral stream functioning including Street Completion Test, Poppelreuter–Ghent Test and the first part of the Visual Object and Space Perception (VOSP) battery. Dorsal stream visual functioning was investigated by the second part of the VOSP.

Results

Preterm (PT) subjects showed the same results in all “ventral” tasks with respect to full-term controls without any correlation to gestational age or birth weight. We found a significant negative correlation between Form Coherence Task and Letters Task (p = .014) and between Form Coherence and Silhouette Tasks (p = .017). No correlation was observed between Form Coherence Task and Street and Ghent Tests. A statistical difference was instead found between PTs and controls in two tasks of the VOSP battery that mostly involve the dorsal stream.

Conclusions

Preterm birth per se (in absence of evident brain lesions) is not sufficient to compromise the development of ventral pathway.