Patient Functional Status as an Indication for Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BackgroundThe number of total hip arthroplasties performed per year is increasing for reasons not fully explained by a growing and aging population. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of patient functional status as an indication for surgery and determine if patients are undergoing surgery at a better functional status than in the past.MethodsA systematic review and meta-analysis of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Functional status was assessed using the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey’s Physical Component Summary score. Only primary procedures were included; revisions were excluded. Articles were screened by 2 independent reviewers with conflicts resolved with a third reviewer. Meta-regression analysis was performed to determine the effect of time, patient age, and gender. Subgroup analysis was performed to compare geographic regions.ResultsA total of 1504 articles were identified. Data from 172 groups representing 18,644 patients recruited from 1990 to 2013 and identified from 107 articles were included. The mean preoperative Physical Component Summary score was 31.2 (95% confidence interval 30.5-31.9) with a 95% prediction interval of 22.6-39.8. The variance across studies was statistically significant (P = .000) with 97.25% true variance. Year of enrollment, age, and the percentage of females were not found to have any significant effect. There were no differences between countries.ConclusionPatients are undergoing total hip arthroplasty at a similar preoperative physical functional status as in the past. Patient age, gender, and location do not influence the functional status at which patients are indicated for surgery.     

Risk factors for Caesarean section in Italy: results of amulticentre study

A recent large increase in Caesarean section (CS) in Italy was the initial stimulus for a study to identify risk factors for CS and, if possible, to suggest strategies to counteract the rise. The study was conducted in three hospitals where a wide range of individual variables was collected from the clinical records and from personal interviews. Crude CS rates and odds ratios were evaluated for each single variable while logistic regression has been used to investigate possible confounding factors. The study involved 1316 consecutive deliveries. Crude CS rates were 29.4%, 15.7% and 16.1%. Variables identified as high risk factors were pre-eclampsia, previous CS, breech and other non-vertex presentations. Antenatal care under an obstetrician working in the same hospital, a low number of antenatal consultations, previous miscarriages, offer (by obstetrician) and request (by women) for CS showed significantly high odds ratios (ORs). Previous live births was strongly negatively associated with CS. No relationship between type of delivery and social status was observed while a physician factor was detected in all three hospitals where rates for different physicians ranged from 0% to 52.8%. Apart from the main medical indications for Caesarean section (previous CS, breech presentation), the results seem to indicate that individual practice style may be an important determinant of the wide variation in the rates of Caesarean delivery. While this may have been suspected before this study, these results are the first hard data to indicate that, in Italy, CS is widely performed for non-medical reasons.     

CROHN'S DISEASE: A COLON AND RECTAL DEPARTMENT EXPERIENCE

This study reviewed a series of patients with Crohn's disease managed by surgeons of the Department of Colon and Rectal Surgery, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, since 1978. There were 306 patients: 171 males and 135 females. The mean age at diagnosis was 33.4 years (range 11–93). The distribution of the disease was small bowel 32.3%, small bowel and colon 26.5%, colon 39.9%, and anal disease alone 1.6%. A total of 416 abdominal operations were performed on 204 patients. The commonest indications for surgery were failed medical therapy (21.9%), small bowel obstruction (15.9%), enteric tistula (10.1%), and intra-abdominal abscess (10.1%). The most frequently performed procedures were ileocolic resection with anastomosis (28.8%), small bowel resection (9.4%), and total colectomy and ileostomy (7.0%). Postoperative complications included anastomotic leaks in 4.0%. intra-abdominal abscess formation in 3.6%, and enterocutaneous fistulae developed in 6%. Three patients died during the review period. During follow up (mean 84.4). 30% of patients developed recurrence requiring further surgery at a mean of 72.7 months postoperatively. The most frequent site for a recurrence was the pre-anastomotic terminal ileum (61.7%). In conclusion. the majority of patients with Crohn's disease will require resectional surgery at some stage. This can be performed with a low mortality and morbidity, and a recurrence rate of around 5% per year.     

Personality variables as moderators between hassles and subjective indications of distress

The research was designed to investigate the moderating effect of some personality traits on subjective distress caused by daily hassles. The traits were internal locus of control, repression, ego strength, and barrier (as studied and defined by S. Fisher). The last two variables were negatively correlated both with the somatic and emotional distress indications and with the frequency of hassles reportED; internal locus of control showed an inverse relationship only with frequency of hassles. The hypothesis is formulated that ego strength and barrier are personality factors influencing not only the outcomes of coping (ie the stress response), but also event appraisal.     

Knowledge and attitudes towards preimplantation genetic diagnosis in Germany

BACKGROUND: Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a technique which is often related to emotional debates because of its ethical and social implications. Worldwide there are different forms of legislation; Germany constitutes an interesting case because of the historical background concerning eugenics and dealing with handicapped persons at the time of national socialism. PGD is currently not legal but there are still polarized positions and legalization remains an issue. Studies about the attitudes of the general population towards PGD are rare. METHODS: Data were collected in a representative survey carried out in November 2003. Subjects were 2110 persons in Germany aged 18-50 years. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Respondents had little knowledge about PGD. There were incorrect assumptions about the diagnostic possibilities and a lack of basic genetic knowledge. A tendency towards a general acceptance of PGD for medical indications was found. Non-medical indications such as sex selection were generally not accepted. It could be observed that respondents who already had a notion about PGD overestimated the diagnostic possibilities and would eventually use PGD in the future more than respondents who had never heard about PGD before.     

6024例分娩的方式选择与新生儿结局

目的探讨阴道分娩和剖宫产对新生儿的风险。方法对6024例妊娠的分娩方式、剖宫产指征以及新生儿结局回顾性分析。结果剖宫产率为35.3%,其指征主要是头盆不称、社会因素、宫内窘迫、臀位等。分娩新生儿6016例,其中因各种疾患转儿科822例,占13.5%。主要转科原因为早产儿低体重、窒息、高胆红素血症和吸入综合症,各疾病发病率与分娩方式无关。结论剖宫产没有增加新生儿的风险,仍是解决难产的重要手段,但应严格控制手术指征。     

中孕期胎儿染色体异常高危孕妇羊水细胞胎儿染色体核型及介入性产前诊断指征的大样本分析

目的探讨中孕期胎儿染色体异常(FCA)高危孕妇羊水细胞胎儿染色体核型(FK)及其介入性产前诊断(IPD)指征。方法选择2014—2018年,在四川大学华西第二医院产前诊断中心进行羊膜腔穿刺术羊水细胞FK检测的63581例FCA高危孕妇(孕龄为19~27+6孕周)为研究对象。回顾性分析孕妇不同IPD指征及其胎儿染色体核型异常(FKA)检测结果。本研究遵循的程序符合四川大学华西第二医院伦理委员会所制定的伦理学标准,并通过该伦理委员会批准[审批文号:医学科研2019伦审批第(077)号]。结果①本组63581例中孕期孕妇的FKA检出率为3.13%(1989/63581)。这63581例孕妇的IPD指征分别为高龄(预产期年龄≥35岁)(25648例)、血清学筛查高风险(29009例)、无创产前筛查(NIPT)高风险(333例)、夫妇一方为染色体异常携带者(603例)、超声筛查发现胎儿结构异常及超声软指标异常(2647例)、异常儿生育史(1546例)、于外院进行羊水细胞FK分析结果异常者(7例)、孕妇智力低下及合并智力低下家族史(149例)、孕妇早孕期有害物质接触史(1400例)、其他(2239例),FKA检出率分别为3.26%(836/25648)、2.04%(593/29009)、65.17%(217/333)、34.33%(207/603)、3.51%(93/2647)、1.68%(26/1546)、85.71%(6/7)、4.03%(6/149)、0.14%(2/1400)、0.13%(3/2239)。②351例孕妇的IPD指征为超声筛查发现胎儿结构异常中,IPD指征为胎儿淋巴水囊瘤、皮肤水肿的FKA检出率最高,为26.09%(6/23)。2296例孕妇的IPD指征为胎儿超声软指标异常中,IPD指征为胎儿颈项透明层(NT)值≥2.5 mm的FKA检出率最高,为7.74%(66/853)。结论孕妇高龄、血清学筛查高风险、NIPT高风险、夫妇一方为染色体异常携带者、超声筛查发现胎儿结构异常及超声软指标异常等,均为中孕期孕妇FCA的IPD指征,孕妇IPD指征类型不同,FCA风险不同。羊膜腔穿刺术羊水细胞FK检测,可预测有IPD指征孕妇的妊娠结局,为降低FKA出生率提供参考。     

Risk factors to discriminate neoplastic polypoid lesions of gallbladder: A large-scale case-series study

BackgroundPolypoid lesion of gallbladder (PLG) size larger than 10 mm is considered to be one of the surgical indications, but the final pathological results are mostly non-neoplastic polyps. The aim of the study was to define the risk factors to discriminate neoplastic PLG and create more precise criteria for surgical indications.MethodsA large scale, case-series study based on 2704 patients who underwent cholecystectomy for PLG was designed. Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was adopted to identify risk factors and the optimal size criteria for predicting neoplastic PLG.ResultsPatients in the neoplastic group were significantly older than those in the non-neoplastic group and the average PLG size is much larger in the neoplastic group (18.5 ± 4.7 mm vs 12.6 ± 3.6 mm). Neoplastic PLGs are prone to be single and non-neoplastic polyps are usually multiple. On Multivariate logistic regression analysis, PLG size larger than 15 mm and age older than 43 years were found to be the independent risk factors to discriminate neoplastic PLG （Odds ratio 3.546 and 2.77 respectively）. The ROC curve showed that 12 mm might be the more reasonable PLG size threshold for the surgical suggestion.ConclusionsConsidering its moderate diagnostic accuracy, the size of gallbladder polyp larger than 10 mm is insufficient to indicate surgical therapy for PLG and 12 mm should be the more optimal polyp's size threshold. Patients older than 43 years have a higher risk of having neoplastic polyps.