Factors affecting compliance to intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy in Indian patients with retinal vein occlusion,age-related macular degeneration,and diabetic macular edema

Purpose:To evaluate the rate of compliance and the reasons for loss to follow-up in Indian patients with diabetic macular edema (DME), age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and retinal vein occlusion (RVO) being treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy.Methods:This was a retrospective single-center study. Patients with DME, AMD, or RVO were eligible if they initiated anti-VEGF therapy between January 2013 and December 2017. Patients'' data were obtained from hospital electronic records, including the number of injections received, visits, details of follow-up, missed appointments, and reasons for loss to follow-up (>365 days).Results:A total of 648 patients were eligible for the study, of which 334 (51.54%) patients were lost to follow-up. Overall, 343 (64.96%) were males and the overall mean (SD) age was 66.40 (7.44) years. A total of 376 (58.0%) patients had a history of diabetes and 364 (56.2%) patients had a history of hypertension. Further, 127 (38.0), 112 (33.5), and 95 (28.4) had DME, AMD, and RVO, respectively and were lost to follow-up. The most commonly reported reason for loss to follow-up was “non-affordability” (n = 120; 41.1%) followed by “no improvement in vision” (n = 83; 28.4%). “No improvement in vision” (42.2%) and “non-affordability” (37.5%) were higher among patients with DME. No association was found in gender- and treatment-wise distribution of reasons for loss to follow-up.Conclusion:The results showed that around half of the patients with DME, AMD, and RVO were lost to follow-up to intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy, and the most common factors were “non-affordability” and “no improvement in vision.”     

The Perceived Influence of Clinical Pharmacy Services on Physician Prescribing Behavior: A Matched-Pair Comparison of Pharmacists and Physicians

In contrast with cross-sectional designs used in previous studies, this exploratory study compared survey data from 127 matched pairs of clinical pharmacists and physicians working together. Physicians' perceptions of the importance of clinical pharmacy activities for patient care and the competence of pharmacists performing the activities were examined for their influence on prescribing behavior in an institutional setting. Data from a national survey showed that physicians rated pharmacists higher regarding recommendations based on drug use evaluations (p = 0.004) and competency to provide all clinical pharmacy services. Scores for pharmacokinetics ratings were similar between pharmacists and physicians (p = 0.168). Pharmacists rated the importance of recommendations based on cost-effectiveness higher than physicians (p = 0.012). Overall, physicians' perceptions of activity importance for patient care and pharmacist competency appear to dictate pharmacists' influence on physician prescribing behavior (R = 0.723).     

Techniques for performing laparoscopic liver resection in various hepatic locations

Many studies have recently reported on laparoscopic liver resection, although its development has been slow compared to laparoscopy in other fields. The indications for the location of laparoscopic liver resection have previously been limited to easily accessible lesions. Performing laparoscopic liver resection in the posterior and superior parts of the liver has been considered difficult due to inadequate exposure, the poor operative field and the difficulty with parenchymal dissection. Flexible endoscopy, high definition imaging and various kinds of equipment for parenchymal transection have been introduced for clinical use. In addition, much experience with this procedure has been accumulated at many centers. Accordingly, there are an increasing number of reports on laparoscopic liver resection in difficult locations. At our institution, the location of the tumor is no longer a limitation to laparoscopic liver resection. However, for safer laparoscopic liver resection, the patient positioning and trocar placement should be individualized according to the tumor location. The type of resection also may depend on the remaining liver’s functional capacity. We describe here the technical considerations for performing laparoscopic liver resection, including the technical considerations for performing laparoscopic liver resection for lesions located in the postero-superior segments of the liver.     

Our experience with EMLA Cream (for painless venous cannulation in children)

The local analgesic efficacy of EMLA Cream (a eutectic mixture of lidocaine and prilocaine; Astra Pharmaceuticals, Sweden) in reducing the pain at Venous cannulation was investigated in a randommized blind study in 75 children scheduled for elective surgery. In 25 children placebo cream and in 50 children, EMLA cream was applied at the site of venous cannulation 1 hour prior. EMLA Cream was found to be highly effective (84% patients in contrast to 16% patients in placebo group; P less than 0.005). Local side effects of EMLA Cream were negligible.     

Malakoplakia and colorectal adenocarcinoma.

We report a case of malakoplakia in association with colonic adenocarcinoma. Tumour-associated malakoplakia in the gastrointestinal tract is a rare finding, generally confined to the colon. It may be locally aggressive, with invasion of pericolic tissues, but is always located adjacent to the tumour. This contrasts with the often more diffuse, multifocal distribution of colonic malakoplakia in association with other pathologies.     

A case of primary omental torsion presenting as an acute abdominal pain]

Torsion of greater omentum is a rare cause of acute abdomen. However, it should be included in the differential diagnoses in addition to acute cholecystitis, acute appendicitis, cecal diverticulitis, and other variable causes of acute abdomen. Diagnosis is usually made at laparotomy for suspected appendicitis. In some cases, computed tomography demonstrates a successful preoperative detection of omental torsion. We report a case of surgically and pathologically proven torsion with subsequent infarction of greater omentum presented as an acute abdominal pain.     

Immunochemical changes in the outer membrane of Escherichia coli adapted to amine oxides]

Resistant strains of Escherichia coli were obtained by stepwise cultivation in subinhibitory concentrations of two antimicrobially active amine oxides. Changes in the chemical composition of the outer membrane of the resistant strains were accompanied also by different antigenic reactions. New precipitation lines were revealed by double immunodiffusion and immuno-electrophoretic methods. The results of immunochemical analysis confirm the findings that the resistance to amphiphilic compounds is associated with the outer membrane which limits the access of antimicrobially active molecules to their sites of action in the cytoplasmic membrane.     

Hemoperitoneum secondary to rupture of cystic artery pseudoaneurysm

BACKGROUND:Spontaneous hemoperitoneum of hepato- biliary origin is commonly due to hemorrhage from a liver tumor.It is rarely caused by spontaneous rupture of aneurysm in visceral arteries. METHODS:We report an unusual case of hemoperitoneum caused by rupture of cystic artery pseudoaneurysm,and also outline the approach to its management through surgical and radiological methods. RESULTS:In our patient,the pseudoanurysm was initially treated with percutaneous thrombin injection.However this method of treatment failed after initial success.The pseudoanurysm was finally obliterated successfully using microcoil embolization. CONCLUSIONS:The mainstay of treatment of cystic artery pseudoaneurysm is cholecystectomy and ligation of the aneurysm.Recent publications showed success in using microcoil embolisation.In this case we also outline the use of percutaneous thrombin injection as a definitive treatment method and discuss its success or failure as a new method of treatment.     

Cholescintigraphy in the diagnosis and follow up of hepatobiliary injury

Cholescintigraphy is a simple and reliable way of detecting a liver injury accompanied by biliary leakage and is also well suited to assess the effectiveness of treatment and to follow recovery. To emphasize these points, a case report of a patient suffering from a severe injury to the liver is presented.