Criteria for intensive care unit admission and severity of illness

Intensive care is a specialist area of the hospital with concentration of resources and expertise to look after critically unwell patients. No set criteria exist for admission to intensive care, although patients usually have severe illness associated with physiological dysfunction and actual or impending organ failure. There are multiple scoring systems designed to assess severity of illness, all with significant limitations. The National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS-2) is a commonly used ‘track and trigger’ system designed to detect and respond to the unwell or deteriorating patient. NEWS-2 is marker of physiological disturbance and high scores correlate with intensive care admission and mortality. Looking at the elective and emergency surgical population, patients at high risk of complications should be admitted to intensive care postoperatively. Increasing age, comorbidities, poor exercise tolerance and major surgical intervention are associated with adverse outcomes. Admission to intensive care often requires difficult time-critical decisions to be made with limited information. Intensive care admission can be the difference between life and death, but there are both physical and psychological harm associated with invasive organ support. The four pillars of medical ethics – autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice – can be used to guide these decisions.     

PIK3C3与SMAD4在胰腺癌中的表达及作用

背景与目的 III型磷脂酰肌醇3-激酶（PIK3C3）及SMAD家族成员4（SMAD4）参与的信号通路与胰腺癌（PAAD）关系密切,但两者与PAAD发生及预后是否有关尚不十分清楚。本研究初步探究两者在PAAD中的表达及其对患者预后的影响。方法 利用UALCAN在线网站分析PIK3C3 mRNA和SMAD4 mRNA在PAAD中的表达及两者各自对PAAD患者预后的影响;从TCGA数据库下载PAAD患者PIK3C3 mRNA和SMAD4 mRNA的表达数据和相应临床病理资料,基于PIK3C3和SMAD4联合的mRNA表达水平,用一致性聚类分析将PAAD患者分为两个聚类,用Kolmogorov-Smirnov检验及Kaplan-Meier法分析两个聚类患者PIK3C3与SMAD4的mRNA表达模式、临床病理因素和总体生存率的差异;用免疫组化的方法检测PAAD和癌旁组织组织芯片中PIK3C3及SMAD4蛋白表达水平,并用独立样本t检验及ROC曲线下面积（AUC）评估两个蛋白在癌和癌旁组织中的差异;采用Kaplan-Meier的方法分析PIK3C3和SMAD4的蛋白水平单独及联合对PAAD患者生存的影响。结果 分析结果表明,PIK3C3 mRNA或SMAD4 mRNA水平在PAAD中均无明显变化,并且两者单独均不影响PAAD患者的预后（均P>0.05）。PAAD中与PIK3C3 mRNA与SMAD4 mRNA具有较高的共表达相关性。两个聚类的PAAD患者之间,两基因的mRNA水平及年龄有明显差异（均P<0.05）,其中,PIK3C3 mRNA及SMAD4 mRNA均高表达聚类的PAAD患者预后较好（P=0.006）。PAAD组织中PIK3C3和SMAD4的蛋白表达水平均明显低于癌旁组织（均P<0.001）,AUC分别为0.7417及0.7991。PIK3C3和SMAD4蛋白之一阳性患者比两蛋白均阴性的患者预后更好（P=0.0359）。结论 PIK3C3和SMAD4蛋白可作为PAAD潜在的诊断标志物,PIK3C3和SMAD4联合分析可成为PAAD患者预后评估的新指标。     

全球针对家族史高危人群的结直肠癌筛查指南推荐意见的系统综述

目的 对全球现有结直肠癌家族史高危人群筛查指南的更新进展及推荐意见进行系统总结和评价。方法 以“结直肠癌”“筛查”“指南”“共识”“推荐”“家族史”以及“colorectal cancer”“screening”“guideline”“recommendation”“family history”为关键词,并补充其自由词,系统检索中国知网、万方数据知识服务平台、PubMed、Embase、Cochrane Library、Web of Science,并且同时检索官网刊登的结直肠癌筛查指南/共识作为补充,语种限定为中文和英文。截至2022年5月24日,共20篇有效文献。对纳入文献的基本信息、针对家族史人群的推荐意见等进行摘录整理及汇总描述。结果 在20篇文献中,大多数国家/地区/机构根据结直肠癌家族史人群的亲属关系等级,对筛查起止年龄、筛查方式及筛查周期提出建议。多数指南针对有1例60岁前患结直肠癌一级亲属的人群,推荐筛查起始年龄为40岁或比患病亲属诊断年龄提前10年,推荐的筛查方式多为结肠镜。结论 目前全球多数结直肠癌家族史高危人群筛查指南主要针对一级亲属家族史、以结肠镜作为主要筛查方式。本文将为我国针对结直肠癌家族史高危人群筛查策略的更新提供参考依据,进而完善结直肠癌筛查与早诊早治实践。     

Provider networks and health plan premium variation

ObjectiveTo examine how plan premiums are associated with physician network breadth, hospital network breadth, and hospital network quality on the Affordable Care Act''s Health Insurance Marketplaces in all 50 states and the DC in 2016.Data SourcesData on plan premiums and characteristics came from 2016 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Insurance Exchange (HIX) Compare. Provider network information was obtained from Vericred. Hospital characteristics were obtained from CMS Hospital Compare and the American Hospital Association (AHA) survey.Study DesignWe analyzed how plan premiums were associated with variations in physician network breadth, hospital network breadth, and hospital network quality using ordinary least square regressions with state‐rating area fixed effects and carrier fixed effects.Principal FindingsPlan premiums were positively associated with physician network breadth and hospital network breadth. We find the following statistically significant results: a one standard deviation increase in physician network breadth was linked to a premium increase of 2.8 percent or $101 per year; a one standard deviation increase in hospital network breadth was linked to a premium increase of 2.4 percent or $86 per year. There was no significant association between premiums and hospital network quality, as measured by hospital star ratings and the inclusion of teaching hospitals or the top‐20 hospitals nationwide.ConclusionsPhysician network breadth and hospital network breadth contributed positively to plan premiums. The roles of the two types of provider network breadth are quantitatively similar. Premiums appear to be insensitive to hospital network quality.     

Developing network adequacy standards for VA Community Care

ObjectivesTo inform how the VA should develop and implement network adequacy standards, we convened an expert panel to discuss Community Care Network (CCN) adequacy and how VA might implement network adequacy standards for community care.Data Sources/Study settingData were generated from expert panel ratings and from an audio‐recorded expert panel meeting conducted in Arlington, Virginia, in October 2017.Study DesignWe used a modified Delphi panel process involving one round of expert panel ratings provided by nine experts in network adequacy standards. Expert panel members received a list of network adequacy standard measures used in commercial and government market and were provided a rating form listing a total of 11 measures and characteristics to rate.Data Collection MethodsItems on the rating form were individually discussed during an expert panel meeting between the nine expert panel members and VA Office of Community Care leaders. Attendees addressed discordant views and generated revised or new standards accordingly. Recorded audio data were transcribed to facilitate thematic analysis regarding opportunities and challenges with implementing network adequacy standards in VA Community Care.Principal FindingsThe five highest ranked standards were network directories for Veterans, regular reporting of network adequacy data to VA, maximum wait time/distance standards, minimum ratio of providers to enrolled population, and qualitative assessments of network adequacy. During the expert panel discussion with VA Community Care leaders, opportunities and challenges implementing network adequacy standards were highlighted.ConclusionsOur expert panel shed light on priorities for network adequacy to be implemented under CCN contracts, such as developing comprehensive provider directories for Veterans to use when selecting community providers. Remaining questions focus on whether the VA could reasonably develop and implement network adequacy standards given current Congressional restraints on VA reimbursement to community providers.     

重庆市家庭医生团队成员职业倦怠现状及其影响因素分析

目的 了解家庭医生团队成员的职业倦怠现状,探讨其职业倦怠的影响因素。方法 采用整群随机抽样法,从重庆市8 171支家庭医生团队中随机地选取593支团队的全部成员作为调查对象;采用自行设计的基本情况问卷和李超平等翻译并修订的MBI - GS量表对其进行调查。结果 重庆市家庭医生团队成员职业倦怠阳性检出率为78.9%,其中职业倦怠中等程度8 290例（61.7%）。主城区团队成员职业倦怠阳性6 387例（47.5%）,阳性检出率80.1%;渝东北地区职业倦怠阳性3 628例（27.0%）,阳性检出率77.5%;渝东南地区职业倦怠阳性588例（4.4%）,阳性检出率75.2%。二元logistic回归分析结果显示, 性别、年龄、月收入、编制、岗位、择业主要原因以及地区是职业倦怠的主要影响因素 (P＜0.05)。结论 重庆市家庭医生团队成员的职业倦怠阳性发生率较高,一半以上成员表现为中程度职业倦怠。与其他两大地区比较,主城区职业倦怠阳性检出率最高。相关管理者应针对主要影响因素进行干预,减轻工作压力和紧张感,以缓解职业倦怠感。     

中小学生非自杀性自伤行为家庭环境因素分析

目的 了解中小学生非自杀性自伤行为的现况;探讨中小学生非自杀性自伤行为的家庭环境影响因素。方法 采用整群抽样的方法抽取4所学校6 252名中小学生,使用蓄意自伤量表和中国家庭评估测量工具进行问卷调查,采用两分类logistic回归分析中小学生NSSI行为的家庭环境因素。结果 中小学生非自杀性自伤行为检出率为30.74%,在中小学生中,家庭相互交流（小学生:OR = 1.041,95%CI:1.028～1.055;中学生:OR = 1.036,95%CI:1.011～1.060）、家庭冲突（小学生 :OR = 1.060,95%CI:1.044～1.077;中学生 :OR = 1.045,95%CI:1.013～1.079）和父母控制（小学生:OR = 1.033,95%CI:1.012～1.055;中学生 :OR = 1.057,95%CI:1.014～1.103）均是非自杀性自伤行为的危险因素。结论 改善和提高家庭环境功能水平,有助于预防中小学生非自杀性自伤行为的发生。