Are Medicare's Nursing Home Compare Ratings Accurate Predictors of 90-Day Complications,Readmission, and Bundle Cost for Patients Undergoing Primary Total Joint Arthroplasty?

Background

Nursing Home Compare (NHC) ratings, created and maintained by Medicare, are used by both hospitals and consumers to aid in the skilled nursing facility (SNF) selection process. To date, no studies have linked NHC ratings to actual episode-based outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether NHC ratings are valid predictors of 90-day complications, readmission, and bundle costs for patients discharged to an SNF after primary total joint arthroplasty (TJA).

Association Between Patient and Physician Sex and Physician-Estimated Stroke and Bleeding Risks in Atrial Fibrillation

Background

Physicians treating nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) assess stroke and bleeding risks when deciding on anticoagulation. The agreement between empirical and physician-estimated risks is unclear. Furthermore, the association between patient and physician sex and anticoagulation decision-making is uncertain.

A process evaluation of implementing a vocational enablement protocol for employees with hearing difficulties in clinical practice

Objective: A multidisciplinary vocational rehabilitation programme, the Vocational Enablement Protocol (VEP) was developed to address the specific needs of employees with hearing difficulties. In the current study we evaluated the process of implementing the VEP in audiologic care among employees with hearing impairment. Design: In conjunction with a randomized controlled trial, we collected and analysed data on seven process parameters: recruitment, reach, fidelity, dose delivered, dose received and implemented, satisfaction, and perceived benefit. Study sample: Sixty-six employees with hearing impairment participated in the VEP. The multidisciplinary team providing the VEP comprised six professionals. Results: The professionals performed the VEP according to the protocol. Of the recommendations delivered by the professionals, 31% were perceived as implemented by the employees. Compliance rate was highest for hearing-aid uptake (51%). Both employees and professionals were highly satisfied with the VEP. Participants rated good perceived benefit from it. Conclusions: Our results indicate that the VEP could be a useful treatment for employees with hearing difficulties from a process evaluation perspective. Implementation research in the audiological setting should be encouraged in order to further provide insight into parameters facilitating or hindering successful implementation of an intervention and to improve its quality and efficacy.     

Non alcoholic fatty liver disease and risk of incident diabetes in subjects who are not obese

Background and aims

It is not known whether non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a risk factor for diabetes in non obese, non centrally-obese subjects. Our aim was to investigate relationships between fatty liver, insulin resistance and a biomarker score for liver fibrosis with incident diabetes at follow up, in subjects who were neither obese nor centrally-obese.

Treatment of nasopharyngeal stenosis by prosthetic hollow stents: Clinical experience in eight patients.

OBJECTIVE: A series of nasopharyngeal appliance designs is presented that represents our evolving experience over a 20-year period in the adjunctive use of prosthetic stents in the surgical correction of nasopharyngeal stenosis. DESIGN: Retrospective assessment of effectiveness of two nasopharyngeal stenosis hollow stent designs in a consecutive series of patients for relief of nasal obstructive symptoms. SETTING: Tertiary academic medical center, Craniofacial Program at Children's Hospital. PATIENTS: Four patients with nasopharyngeal stenosis were treated with a preoperatively fabricated stent made from a clasped palatal appliance onto which hollow acrylic conduits were extended through surgically re-created pharyngeal ports. A subsequent set of four patients with nasopharyngeal stenosis were treated with intraoperatively-fashioned silastic grommets, as opposed to palatal appliances. INTERVENTIONS: Postoperative intraoral stenting of nasopharyngeal ports. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Maintenance of pharyngeal port opening after 1 year, improvement in nasal airway obstructive symptoms. RESULTS: The palatal appliance stents were less well tolerated and had a lower maintenance of port patency after device removal (4 of 8, 50%). The silastic grommets provided better retention into the ports and increased patient tolerance, as well as better 1-year port maintenance (6 of 8, 75%). CONCLUSIONS: The grommet stent appliance offers numerous advantages over a conventional dental-clasped appliance for prosthetic nasopharyngeal stenting, including obviation of extensive preoperative preparation, ease of insertion and removal, and exchange of air during the stenting period. Improved nasopharyngeal patency with this device may be due to greater patient tolerance and subsequent longer use.     

H3 Propranolol serum levels following lidocaine administration in rats with CCL4 induced liver damage.

Liver disease alters the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of hepatically eliminated drugs. The main factors influenced are plasma albumin levels, enzyme balance (induction & inhibition) and drug binding to tissue proteins. The influence of lidocaine on serum, heart and liver propranolol levels in Wistar rats after liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride CCl4 0.4 ml/kg x 2/wkl, was investigated. 40 male Wistar rats were divided into four groups (I, II, III, IV; n=10), Group I animals received only propranolol (labelled + cold substance) 40 mg/kg/12 h p.o., group II propranolol plus lidocaine in a single dose of 4mg/kg s.c., group III was treated with CCl4 for 6 weeks and received propranolol x2 at the same dosage as group I, while group VI was treated with CCl4 and the same drug dosage as group II. The simultaneous administration of H3-propranolol and lidocaine increased propranolol levels in the serum and tissues. The liver in damaged animals showed an increase of propranolol level under lidocaine co-administration, probably due to CCl4 induced liver enzyme activity, resulting in a rapid propranolol metabolism or to competition between both drug protein binding sites. The increased propranolol levels in the heart after lidocaine administration were probably due to attributed to its high affinity for heart tissue. Consequently, as regards the therapeutic approach for patients with liver disease receiving propranolol their propranolol dosage should be reduced when lidocaine is co-administered.     

Adrenocortical carcinoma -- improving patient care by establishing new structures.

BACKGROUND: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare and highly malignant tumour with a poor prognosis. Patients present with signs of steroid hormone excess (e.g., Cushing's syndrome) or symptoms due to an abdominal mass. DIAGNOSIS: In case of an adrenal mass, hormonal workup before surgery is required for differential diagnosis, perioperative management, and for follow-up. The imaging of choice is CT or MRI with MRI being of additional use when invasion of big vessels is suspected. Apart from that, the use of 18-FDG-PET is becoming increasingly established. TREATMENT: Surgical resection is the therapeutic option of choice in stages 1 - 3. In stage 4, the adrenolytic compound mitotane is part of the first-line treatment, but often needs to be combined with cytotoxic chemotherapy. Most patients will eventually have a recurrence, so adjuvant treatment (mitotane/tumour bed radiation) has to be considered in high risk patients, even if randomized controlled trials on adjuvant treatment are still lacking. STRUCTURAL PROGRESS: Several national and European structures have recently been established in order to increase our knowledge of ACC, improve therapeutic options and diagnostic procedures, and promote research. GANIMED, as a Germany-wide network of experts on adrenal diseases, has been founded allowing for improved gathering of data and joint studies. ENSAT (European Network for the Study of Adrenal Tumours) has been brought to life, aiming at European standards for therapy, diagnosis and tumour banking. Since 2003, patients can be enrolled in the German ACC Registry. France and Italy have also developed a central registry to collect nationwide data from patients with ACC. For the first time, patients with metastatic/unresectable ACC can participate in a prospective controlled randomized trial comparing two different cytotoxic chemotherapy regimes (FIRM-ACT).     

Maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressure measurement in tracheotomised patients.

The present study compared four different sites and conditions for the measurement of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) in 38 spontaneous breathing tracheotomised patients. Of the patients, 28 had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The four different conditions were: 1) through a cuff inflated cannula (condition A); 2) through the mouth with a deflated cannula (condition B); 3) through the mouth with a phonetic uncuffed cannula (condition C); and 4) through the mouth after stoma closure (condition D). Five trials in each condition were performed using a standardised method. The measurement of both MIP and MEP differed significantly depending on the condition of measurement. MIP taken in condition A was significantly higher when compared with conditions B, C and D. MEP in condition A was significantly higher when compared with condition B and D. In condition A the highest frequency of the best measurement of MIP and MEP was observed at the fourth and fifth effort, respectively. The same results were obtained after the selection of only COPD patients. In conclusion, respiratory muscle assessment differs significantly depending on measurement condition. Measurement through inflated cannula tracheotomy yields higher values of both maximal inspiratory and maximal expiratory pressure.