Bronchodilator response with use of optivent versus aerosol cloud enhancer metered-dose inhaler spacers in patients receiving ventilatory assistance

OBJECTIVE: This study compared the clinical effectiveness of the OptiVent (HealthScan Products, Inc, Cedar Grove, NJ) and the ACE (DHD, Inc. Canastota, NY) metered dose inhaler (MDI) in-line spacers.DESIGN: Two-group, split-plot design with subjects serving as their own controlsSETTING: Data were collected in a 1000-bed urban hospital.PATIENTS: A convenience sample of 7 intubated patients receiving mechanical ventilation.INTERVENTION: Patients received 4 and 8 puffs of albuterol with use of both the OptiVent and ACE devices.RESULTS: Changes in expiratory airway resistance (Raw), passive peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), and total work-of-breathing (WOB_TOT) were determined using a Bicore monitor (Bicore Monitoring System; Irvine, Calif). With the ACE, Raw decreased an average of 20.2% and 8.8% in patients receiving 4 and 8 puffs, respectively. With the OptiVent, Raw decreased an average of 34.6% and 10.8% in patients receiving 4 and 8 puffs, respectively. Improvements in WOB_TOT, were less than those seen in Raw, and PEFR did not trend with the other 2 variables. The performances of the 2 spacer brands were comparable, with no statistical difference (P values > 0.05) for all 3 variables with use of the nonparametric Kolmogorov-Smirnov test.CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that use of the OptiVent spacer yields comparable clinical results with the ACE spacer in patients receiving mechanical ventilation and merits further evaluation. (Heart Lung® 1998; 27:418-23)     

The effect of intensity windowing on the detection of simulated masses embedded in dense portions of digitized mammograms in a laboratory setting

The purpose of this study was to determine whether intensity windowing (IW) improves detection of simulated masses in dense mammograms. Simulated masses were embedded in dense mammograms digitized at 50 microns/pixel, 12 bits deep. Images were printed with no windowing applied and with nine window width and level combinations applied. A simulated mass was embedded in a realistic background of dense breast tissue, with the position of the mass (against the background) varied. The key variables involved in each trial included the position of the mass, the contrast levels and the IW setting applied to the image. Combining the 10 image processing conditions, 4 contrast levels, and 4 quadrant positions gave 160 combinations. The trials were constructed by pairing 160 combinations of key variables with 160 backgrounds. The entire experiment consisted of 800 trials. Twenty observers were asked to detect the quadrant of the image into which the mass was located. There was a statistically significant improvement in detection performance for masses when the window width was set at 1024 with a level of 3328. IW should be tested in the clinic to determine whether mass detection performance in real mammograms is improved.     

New or worsening lumbar spine vertebral fractures increase lumbar spine bone mineral density and falsely suggest improved skeletal status.

Changes in lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) are determined by follow-up dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) assessments. Inclusion of new or worsening vertebral fractures in follow-up measurements may increase BMD. To test this hypothesis, we examined pooled data from the placebo groups of two clinical trials that involved postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. DXA measurements of lumbar spine BMD, bone mineral content (BMC), and area were obtained at baseline and at two years in the Multiple Outcomes of Raloxifene Evaluation (MORE) Trial and at baseline and study endpoint in the Fracture Prevention Trial. In these trials, fractured vertebrae identified by expert radiologists during posterioranterior (PA) spine DXA assessment were excluded from the BMD assessment. Lateral spine radiographs were graded using a semi-quantitative (SQ) scale. Most new or worsening vertebral fractures (84%) diagnosed from lateral spine radiographs were not identified by PA spine DXA. While the follow-up BMD of vertebrae without new or worsening fractures did not change significantly, each unit increase in SQ grade was associated with an approximate 7.0% increase in the BMD of affected vertebrae (p < 0.001). Increases in BMD were highly correlated with increases in BMC (r = 0.87, p < 0.001). Inclusion of new or worsening vertebral fractures increased PA spine BMD measurements at follow-up, with the impact being related to the magnitude of change in SQ score. It is difficult to reliably identify vertebral fractures from PA spine DXA assessments. Inclusion of new or worsening vertebral fractures in follow-up DXA measurements may falsely suggest an improvement in spine BMD. Our suggestion is to perform lateral spine imaging concurrently with any assessment of PA spine BMD in patients who, in the opinion of the health care provider, may have vertebral fractures.     

Vertebral morphometry by DXA: a comparison of supine lateral and decubitus lateral densitometers.

Identification of vertebral fracture has become increasingly important in the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis. This study compares the morphometric techniques on a fan beam dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) GE-Lunar Expert system (Expert) using a supine lateral position and a narrow fan beam GE-Lunar Prodigy system (Prodigy; GE Lunar, Madison, WI) that requires lateral decubitus positioning. Patient acceptability, image quality, observer, and equipment variability were determined. Study subjects were recruited from clinical referrals sent for a routine DXA study that included vertebral morphometry. Twenty-five patients underwent lateral vertebral assessment on both machines and completed a questionnaire on comfort and tolerability. Analysis was undertaken by two trained observers. Vertebral height, anterior/posterior height (A/P) and mid/posterior height (M/P) ratios, image quality, and prevalent fractures were assessed. There were no significant differences in patient comfort or image quality scores. More upper thoracic vertebrae could be assessed on the Expert, and good radiographic positioning was easier to achieve on the Expert. Inter-observer coefficients of variance percentage (CV%) of vertebral height was lower on the Prodigy (3.5% in the lumbar spine rising to 12.8% in the thoracic spine) than the Expert (4.2% to 16.9%). Inter-observer CV% for A/P and M/P ratios varied from 2.5% to 10.5% on the Prodigy compared with 3.5% to 12.3% on the Expert, depending on vertebral level. The variation between instruments was similar to the inter-observer CV% (anterior height: -0.11+/-1.65 mm; mid height: 0.54+/-1.51 mm; posterior height: 0.43+/-1.46 mm). There was good agreement between observers and between the Expert and Prodigy in identifying severe fractures, but lack of agreement in identifying moderate fractures. In conclusion, there was no clinically significant difference in patient comfort and image quality between the Expert and the Prodigy. The inter-observer variations in vertebral height and A/P and M/P ratios are similar to the variations between instruments. In making the change from the supine lateral to the decubitus lateral positioning, measurements of vertebral height are reproducible and patient comfort is not compromised.     

Development and validation of an algorithm for identifying prolonged mechanical ventilation in administrative data

Patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) are a subset of critically ill patients with high resource utilization and poor long-term outcomes. We sought to develop an algorithm for identifying patients receiving PMV, defined as either 14 or 21 days of mechanical ventilation, in administrative and claims data. The algorithm was derived in mechanically ventilated patients at an academic medical center (n = 1,500) and validated in patients with community-acquired pneumonia in a multi-center clinical registry (n = 20,370), with further evaluation in the Pennsylvania discharge database (n = 62,383). The final algorithm combined the International Classification of Diseases codes for mechanical ventilation, diagnosis related groups for ventilation and tracheostomy, and intensive care unit length of stay. In the derivation dataset the algorithm was highly sensitive (14 days = 92.4%; 21 days = 97.6%) and specific (14 days = 91.6%, 21 days = 92.1%). The definition continued to perform well in the validation dataset (14 days: sensitivity = 87.6%, specificity = 88.5%). In both the derivation and validation datasets the negative predictive value was over 95% and positive predictive values ranged from 60% to 70%. In state discharge data the algorithm identified a cohort of patients with high costs and frequent discharge to skilled care facilities. Administrative data can be used to accurately identify populations of patients receiving PMV.     

Role of risk stratification after myocardial infarction

Despite advances in medical and surgical therapy for patients with heart disease, sudden cardiac death remains an important public health problem that prematurely ends the lives of more than 300,000 persons each year in North America. Many of these deaths occur in patients with a history of myocardial infarction (MI). Although severe left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction is used to identify patients at risk of sudden death after MI, most cardiac arrests occur in those with only mild LV dysfunction. Further, severe LV dysfunction is not a specific indicator for cardiac arrest. Risk stratification, to identify patients most likely to benefit from implantable defibrillator therapy after MI, is an essential area of investigation. Because the development of cardiac arrest is complex and likely requires the confluence of several factors, using a single test to predict the risk of sudden death or to guide implantable defibrillator therapy is unlikely to be successful. Tests that assess cardiac structure, including repolarization, and those that evaluate autonomic modulation and other factors have been developed with the goal of identifying patients at highest risk of cardiac arrest after MI. These tests, particularly in combination, appear to identify patients who may benefit from implantable defibrillator therapy after MI. Ongoing and planned randomized controlled trials will assess whether these tests can be used to guide implantable defibrillator therapy. Until the data from these studies are available, severe LV dysfunction remains the only proven approach to guide implantable defibrillator therapy after MI.