Correction: Thrombotic and bleeding events,mortality, and anticoagulant use among 546,656 hospitalized patients with COVID‑19 in the United States: a retrospective cohort study

Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis -     

Unexpected Return for Follow-up During the First Year of Multidisciplinary Care May Be Predictive of Rapid Deterioration of Renal Function

Multidisciplinary predialysis education and team care (MDC) may slow the decline in renal function in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, associations between unexpected return during MDC and progression of renal dysfunction have not been characterized in patients with CKD. Our study aimed to determine the association between exacerbation of renal dysfunction and the frequency of unexpected return during follow-up.A total of 437 patients with CKD receiving multidisciplinary care between January 2009 and June 2013 at the Shin-Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital were included in this retrospective observational cohort study, and multiple imputations were performed for missing data. The predictor was the frequency of unexpected return for follow-up during the first year after entering MDC. Main outcome was monthly declines in estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR). Moreover, the demographic data, comorbidities, history of medication, and routine laboratory data for patients with CKD were collected.Among all patients, 59.7% were male, the mean age at initiation of MDC was 69.4 ± 13.2 years, and the duration of follow-up was 21.4 ± 3.3 months. The subjects were divided into 2 groups according to frequencies of follow-up (≤4 and > 4 visits) during the 1st year of MDC. The patients with CKD were regularly followed up every 3 months as a part of MDC in our hospital, and patients who returned for more than 4 follow-up visits were included in the unexpected return group. In crude regression analyses, unexpected return was significantly associated with higher monthly declines of eGFR (β = 0.092, 95% confidence interval, 0.014–0.170). This association remained after adjustments for multiple variables, and subgroup analyses of unexpected return showed that male gender, older age, CKD stage 1 to 3, hypertension, history of coronary artery disease, and use of renin–angiotensin system blockade were significantly associated with declines in renal function.In conclusion, unexpected return for follow-up during the 1st year of MDC was significantly associated with the deterioration of renal function.     

The role of vessel wall physiology in predicting coronary bypass graft patency

Pulmonary hamartomas are usually an incidental finding and range in size from 1 cm to 8 cm in diameter in various series. We report a case of a massive pulmonary hamartoma (size 25.5 × 17.5 × 6.5 cm and weighing 1134 g) in a 61 year old male who presented with a short history of breathlessness. The tumour was arising from the medial border of the right lung and occupying most of the right chest extending in to the anterior mediastinum. The tumour was compressing the right lung and there was no evidence of infiltration into the surrounding structures. It was successfully treated by surgical resection and final histology was pulmonary hamartoma with predominantly adipose and leiomyomatous differentiation.     

Cervical nerve root stimulation. Part I: technical aspects and normal data.

OBJECTIVE: Cervical nerve root stimulation (CRS) is a technique of assessing the proximal segments of motor axons destined to upper extremity muscles. Few studies report normal values. The objective was to determine CMAP onset-latencies and CMAP amplitude, area, and duration changes in healthy controls for the abductor pollicis brevis (APB), abductor digiti minimi (ADM), biceps, and riceps muscles. In addition, to determine the tolerability of CRS, as measured by the visual analog scale (VAS). METHODS: We studied 21 healthy volunteers prospectively with CRS using four target muscles (APB, ADM, biceps, and triceps) bilaterally. Collision studies were used in all APB recordings. VAS was obtained in all subjects. RESULTS: Mean CMAP onset-latencies were: APB 14 +/- 1.5 ms; ADM 14.2 +/- 1.5 ms; biceps 5.4 +/- 0.6 ms; triceps 5.4 +/- 1.0 ms. Onset-latency significantly correlated with height for all nerves. The mean change in CMAP amplitude and area (%) between most distal stimulation and CRS was: APB reduction of 15.1 +/- 11.6 and 4.9 +/- 3.6%; ADM reduction of 21.1 +/- 10.7 and 17.2 +/- 8.8; biceps reduction of 10 +/- 11.5 and reduction of 8.7 +/- 6.8; triceps increase of 3.3 +/- 5.2 and 11.0 +/- 9.9% respectively. Mean CMAP duration change between most distal stimulation and CRS was: APB, increase of 20.4 +/- 7.4%; ADM, increase of 14.4 +/- 8.5%; biceps, increase of 13.9 +/- 10.8%; triceps, increase of 7.7 +/- 6.7%. The mean VAS score was 3.8 +/- 1.2, and all subjects completed the study. CONCLUSIONS: The present study establishes normative data and indicates that CRS is a well-tolerated technique. SIGNIFICANCE: The normal values may be used as reference data for the needle CRS technique in the assessment of proximal conduction abnormalities.     

Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF): a second-generation platelet concentrate. Part I: technological concepts and evolution.

Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) belongs to a new generation of platelet concentrates geared to simplified preparation without biochemical blood handling. In this initial article, we describe the conceptual and technical evolution from fibrin glues to platelet concentrates. This retrospective analysis is necessary for the understanding of fibrin technologies and the evaluation of the biochemical properties of 3 generations of surgical additives, respectively fibrin adhesives, concentrated platelet-rich plasma (cPRP) and PRF. Indeed, the 3-dimensional fibrin architecture is deeply dependent on artificial clinical polymerization processes, such as massive bovine thrombin addition. Currently, the slow polymerization during PRF preparation seems to generate a fibrin network very similar to the natural one. Such a network leads to a more efficient cell migration and proliferation and thus cicatrization.     

Serial order short-term memory capacities and specific language impairment: No evidence for a causal association

This study re-explored the nature of verbal short-term memory (STM) deficits in children with specific language impairment (SLI), by distinguishing item and serial order STM processes. Recent studies have shown serial order STM capacity to be a critical determinant of language development, relative to item STM. In Experiment 1, 12 children with SLI, 12 age-matched children and 12 language-matched children were administered serial order recognition and reconstruction tasks. Experiment 2 assessed implicit serial learning abilities via a Hebb learning task. The SLI group showed impaired performance for the serial order reconstruction and recognition tasks, relative to language-matched and/or age-matched control groups. However, normal serial position effects were observed in all SLI children in the serial order reconstruction task, suggesting normal coding of serial position information. Similarly, performance on the Hebb serial learning task was at chronological age appropriate levels. Experiment 3 showed that the group differences observed for the serial order STM tasks in Experiment 1 disappeared when the SLI group was compared to a mental age-matched control group. Experiment 4 showed similar performance levels in the SLI group and the mental age-matched control group for a nonword recognition task assessing item STM capacities. This study shows that children with SLI have no specific impairments for serial order and item STM components but that poorer general cognitive efficiency is related to functional limitations in verbal STM tasks. The data are in line with limited information processing accounts of SLI.