Virtual rounding via videoconference-enabled smartphones: a case for multifacility rounds

Telemedicine is defined as the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve delivery of care. This improvement in delivery of care is evident by more-efficient consults, triaging, and real-time communication between patient and surgeon. Internet-capable smartphones are capable of transferring radiographs and other images. Aziz and Ziccardi in 2009 demonstrated using smartphones for downloading images from the hospital archiving system to the resident's phone and then e-mailing or texting them to the attending for immediate review. Here we build on the work of Aziz and Ziccardi as we describe a novel use of smartphones for virtual rounding between residents and faculty based on improvements in technology, specifically video capability and increased accessibility of compatible devices.     

Vascular biomarkers in the prediction of clinical cardiovascular disease: the Strong Heart Study

We compared the ability of separately measured intimal-medial thickness and atherosclerotic plaque to predict incident cardiovascular disease. American Indian men and women from the Strong Heart Study who were free of cardiovascular disease were evaluated with carotid ultrasound and cardiovascular disease risk factor assessment. End-diastolic intimal-medial thickness of the common carotid arteries was measured and averaged. Arterial mass (cross-sectional area) was calculated from intimal-medial thickness and end-diastolic diameter. Atherosclerosis was defined by focal plaque (discrete thickening >50% relative to the adjacent wall) and the number of carotid segments containing plaque (plaque score); 2441 participants (age 63±8 years) were followed-up for a mean of 7.7±2.8 years, during which time 495 experienced incident cardiovascular disease events. Time-to-event analyses were performed in groups stratified according to diabetes and hypertension status. Cardiovascular disease events were predicted by presence and extent of atherosclerosis in all groups; intima-medial thickness and arterial mass were only associated with outcomes when neither hypertension nor diabetes was present. Unequivocal evidence of atherosclerosis (plaque) and its extent (plaque score) are independently associated with incident cardiovascular disease events in individuals without preexisting cardiovascular disease regardless of diabetes and hypertension status. Hypertension-related increases in intima-media thickness and arterial mass appear to limit their use as measures of early or diffuse atherosclerosis and, hence, association with cardiovascular disease outcomes. These findings support the utility of separate assessment of focal atherosclerosis and intimal-medial thickness in epidemiological studies, trials, and risk stratification protocols.     

Multicentre analysis of 178,992 type 2 diabetes patients revealed better metabolic control despite higher rates of hypertension,stroke, dementia and repeated inpatient care in patients with comorbid Parkinson's disease

BackgroundEspecially in older people, physicians are faced with the coexistence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Therefore, this research aimed to compare diabetes endpoints between T2DM with and without PD.MethodsBased on the standardized, multicenter, prospective DPV database, 178,992 T2DM patients (≥40 years) were analyzed. 1579 were diagnosed with PD and/or received specific treatment. Hierarchical multivariable regression models were used for group comparisons; adjusted estimates based on observed marginal frequencies were calculated.ResultsPD patients were significantly older (77.9 vs. 70.0 years; p < 0.0001) and had a longer diabetes duration (10.3 vs. 8.4 years; p < 0.0001). In young PD patients (<50 years), percentage of females was significantly higher compared to age-matched T2DM patients without PD or people of the German population (66.7 vs. 38.1 vs. 49.0%; p < 0.0001, p < 0.02).After demographic adjustment, T2DM patients with PD showed a significantly lower HbA1c (58.0 vs. 60.3 mmol/mol; p < 0.0001), OAD/GLP-1 treatment (41.9 vs. 45.9%; p < 0.01) and frequency of dyslipidemia (62.0 vs. 64.5%; p < 0.05). In contrast, rates of insulin therapy (57.8 vs. 54.8%; p < 0.05), hypertension (73.3 vs. 68.6%; p < 0.001), antihypertensive medication (60.4 vs. 56.1%; p < 0.01), stroke (12.0 vs. 7.3%; p < 0.0001), dementia (9.2 vs. 2.6%; p < 0.0001) and repeated inpatient care (15.7 vs. 12.0%; p < 0.0001) were significantly higher and duration of hospital stay (6.2 vs. 4.7 days; p < 0.0001) was significantly longer in T2DM with PD.ConclusionClear demographic and clinical differences were observed between T2DM with and without PD. In PD patients, metabolic control is better, potentially due to more intensive medical care.     

手术在治疗先天性脉管畸形中的作用

手术是脉管性病变治疗的一种手段,其主要作用是与放射治疗及各种药物治疗协同作用。对于血管瘤患者,手术仅限于普萘洛尔治疗无效,出现并发症及位于眼部的病变。整形手术可使血管瘤消退后遗留的面部畸形得到改善。对于一些范围较小的局灶性病变,手术往往可以取得满意的效果;对于巨大、多发的血管瘤,手术治疗往往作用有限,常常为减瘤术。手术患者一般在术前均经过栓塞硬化治疗,这样可以大大减少术中出血。手术无法治愈脉管性疾病,是一种辅助