Comparison of Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography,Fractional Flow Reserve,and Perfusion Imaging for Ischemia Diagnosis

Background

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) computation from coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) datasets (FFR_CT) has emerged as a promising noninvasive test to assess hemodynamic severity of coronary artery disease (CAD), but has not yet been compared with traditional functional imaging.

RUS skeletal maturity of children in Beijing

Background: RUS (radius–ulna–short bones) maturity of children has been estimated in two provinces in China, but not in the capital. In order to obtain a clearer picture of skeletal maturity in China, it is indispensable to include children from Beijing in the study.

Aim: The aims of this study were three-fold: (1) to establish RUS skeletal maturity of children in Beijing, (2) to compare RUS skeletal maturity in Beijing with the Tanner–Whitehouse 3 (TW3) standard and the Tokyo standard, and (3) to examine regional variation in skeletal maturity in China.

Methods: Hand and wrist radiographs of 631 boys and 642 girls, aged 6–18, were obtained in Beijing in 1997, and their RUS skeletal maturity was estimated using the TW3 method.

Results: RUS maturity of the Beijing children was very similar to the TW3 standard until the age of 10 years in the girls, and the age of 12 years in the boys. The girls attained full maturity at 15 years of age, matching the TW3 and Tokyo standards, while the boys reached full maturity at the age of 16 years, as in Tokyo boys, but 1 year earlier than the TW3 standards. Beijing children showed progressively more rapid bone maturation than the Harbin and Changsha children, and attained full maturation 1 year earlier, in both girls and boys.

Conclusion: The RUS maturity of the Beijing children was comparable with that of Tokyo children, except for the boys between 11 and 13 years. Variability of the RUS maturation among the Chinese children was greater than that found among the TW3, Tokyo and Beijing children.     

两种评分预测结直肠癌患者术后并发症风险的研究

目的探讨外科Apgar评分和结直肠-生理和手术危险度评分预测结直肠癌患者术后并发症风险的价值。 方法回顾性分析2017年9月~2018年9月间中国医学科学院肿瘤医院重症医学科（ICU）收治的接受结直肠癌手术的患者资料。全组177例。回顾计算每例患者的外科Apgar评分（SAS）和结直肠-生理和手术危险度评分（CR-POSSUM）。根据患者术后是否发生并发症分为无并发症组和有并发症组。根据患者术后并发症的发生情况分为严重并发症组和无或轻微并发症组。严重并发症定义为Clavien-Dindo分级III级以上的并发症。 结果单因素分析发现：术中SAS评分和CR-POSSUM评分均不能预测术后严重并发症的发生。单因素分析还发现：仅术中SAS评分可预测术后并发症的发生（χ²=6.127，P=0.013），而CR-POSSUM评分不能预测术后并发症发生。受试者工作曲线分析发现术中SAS评分预测患者结直肠癌术后发生并发症的AUROC为0.605±0.043［（95%可信区间：0.521~0.689），P=0.017］。取截尾值为9时，术中SAS评分预测患者结直肠术后发生严重并发症的敏感性58.8%和特异性60.0%。 结论术中SAS评分与结直肠癌患者术后并发症的发生相关，但是预测能力中等，需要配合其他工具共同使用。     

非甲状腺病态综合征及小剂量甲状腺激素疗效观察

目的通过对ICU患者血清甲状腺激素水平与APACHEⅡ评分的比较,探讨非甲状腺病态综合征在ICU危重症病情评估的意义及小剂量甲状腺激素补充治疗对非甲状腺病态综合征患者救治效果的影响。方法选取综合内科ICU的患者90例,根据入院时APACHEⅡ评分≥15分及15分为2组,对比两组间血清甲状腺激素水平;对其中52例合并非甲状腺病态综合征者分为两个亚组:基础治疗组,仅针对原发疾病给予积极治疗;优甲乐组,在治疗原发病基础上给予小剂量优甲乐补充治疗,每组26例,观察两组治疗两周后甲状腺激素水平及临床症状改善情况。结果 APACHEⅡ≥15分组TT_3、FT_3水平显著低于APACHEⅡ15分组(P0.05),两组间TT4、FT4、TSH水平差异无统计学意义;合并非甲状腺病态综合征的两亚组治疗2周后,优甲乐组TT_3、FT_3、TT_4、FT_4水平显著高于基础治疗组,同时优甲乐组治疗后患者症状改善优于基础治疗组。结论血清TT_3、FT_3水平与APACHE评分呈负相关,可以作为危重症患者病情严重程度的评判指标;血清TT_4、FT_4、TSH对危重症病情评估没有意义;对于合并非甲状腺病态综合征的危重症患者给予小剂量优甲乐补充治疗,可以改善血清甲状腺激素水平,同时可以改善患者症状。     

Accuracy and Validity of Computer Adaptive Testing for Outcome Assessment in Patients Undergoing Total Hip Arthroplasty

BackgroundProbability-based computer algorithms that reduce patient burden are currently in high demand. These computer adaptive testing (CAT) methods improve workflow and reduce patient frustration, while achieving high measurement precision. In this study, we evaluated the accuracy and validity of the CAT Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) and the Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score Joint Replacement (HOOS-JR) by comparing them to the full version of these scoring systems in a subset of patients who had undergone total hip arthroplasties.MethodsA previously developed CAT HOOS and HOOS-JR was applied to 354 and 1547 HOOS and HOOS-JR patient responses, respectively. Mean, standard deviations, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, interclass correlation coefficients, frequency distribution plots, and Bland-Altman plots were used to compare the precision, validity, and accuracy between CAT scores and full-form scores.ResultsBy modifying the questions to past responses, the CAT HOOS demonstrated a mean reduction of 30% of questions (28 vs 40 questions). There were no significant differences between the full HOOS and CAT HOOS with respect to pain (P = .73), symptoms (P = .94), quality of life (P = .99), activities of daily living (P = .82), and sports (P = .99). There were strong linear relationships between the CAT versions and the standard questionnaires (r > 0.99). The Bland-Altman plot showed that differences between CAT HOOS and full HOOS were independent of the overall scores.ConclusionThe CAT HOOS and HOOS-JR have high correlation and require fewer questions to finish compared to the standard full-form questionnaires. This may represent a reliable and practical alternative that may be less burdensome to patients and may help improve compliance for reporting outcome metrics.     

Estimating parsimonious models of longitudinal causal effects using regressions on propensity scores

Parsimony is important for the interpretation of causal effect estimates of longitudinal treatments on subsequent outcomes. One method for parsimonious estimates fits marginal structural models by using inverse propensity scores as weights. This method leads to generally large variability that is uncommon in more likelihood‐based approaches. A more recent method fits these models by using simulations from a fitted g‐computation, but requires the modeling of high‐dimensional longitudinal relations that are highly susceptible to misspecification. We propose a new method that, first, uses longitudinal propensity scores as regressors to reduce the dimension of the problem and then uses the approximate likelihood for the first estimates to fit parsimonious models. We demonstrate the methods by estimating the effect of anticoagulant therapy on survival for cancer and non‐cancer patients who have inferior vena cava filters. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.