Do Computerized Tomography Scans Change Management in Carpometacarpal Dislocations and Fracture-Dislocations?

BACKGROUND: Concomitant carpal injuries with dislocations and fracture-dislocations of the carpometacarpal joints (CMCD/FD) are often hard to see on plain radiographs, making advanced imaging a useful diagnostic adjunct. We aim to: (1) characterize bony injury patterns with CMCD/FD; and (2) determine the frequency that preoperative computed tomography (CT) scans change surgical management. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of patients who underwent operative fixation of CMCD/FD from 2006 to 2021. X-ray and CT scan diagnoses were reviewed and correlated to intraoperative findings and procedures performed. Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the frequency in which CT scans changed management and the frequency of new intraoperative diagnoses. RESULTS: Seventy-five patients were identified. All patients had a preoperative x-ray, and 27 patients (36%) additionally had a CT scan. Patients who sustained high-velocity trauma were significantly more likely to obtain a CT scan than patients with low-velocity trauma (P = .019); however, the number of additional diagnoses was not significantly associated with trauma velocity (P = .35). Computed tomography scans significantly increased the number of diagnoses (P < .001) and changed operative management in 58% of cases. Six of the 48 patients (12.5%) that did not receive a CT scan had new intraoperative diagnoses, which changed the procedure for five of these patients. New intraoperative diagnoses were identified significantly more when patients did not have a CT scan (P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: Obtaining a CT scan in CMCD/FD patients changed the patient's diagnosis at a significant rate and changed operative management roughly half of the time. The authors recommend routine CT scans be obtained in patients with CMCD/FD.

Analysis of 5-year Mortality following Lower Extremity Amputation due to Vascular Disease.

Mortality rates following major lower extremity amputations (LEAs) 30 days-365 days postoperative have decreased, but 5-year rates remain high at 40.4%-70%. These data may not reflect recent advances in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) care, and comorbidities of chronic PAD may lead to mortality more frequently than the amputation itself. Mortality rates between diabetic and nondiabetic patients were also analyzed. Methods: The California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development hospital database was queried for patients admitted January 1, 2007-December 31, 2018. ICD-9-CM codes identified patients with vascular disease and an amputation procedure. Results: There were 26,669 patients. The 30-day, 90-day, 1-year, and 5-year major LEA mortality rates were 4.82%, 8.62%, 12.47%, and 18.11%, respectively. Weighted averages of 30-day, 90-day, 1-year, and 5-year major LEA mortality rates in the literature are 13%, 15.40%, 47.93%, and 60.60%, respectively. Mortality risk associated with vascular disease after amputation (hazard ratio = 22.07) was 11 times greater than risk associated with amputation-specific complications from impaired mobility (hazard ratio = 1.90; P < 0.01). Having diabetes was associated with lower mortality at 30 days, 90 days, and 1 year (P < 0.01) but not at 5 years (P = 0.22). Conclusions: This study suggests that people may be living longer after their major LEA than was previously thought. This study suggests that patients' PAD may play a bigger role in contributing to their mortality than complications from loss of mobility postamputation. Although having diabetes was associated with lower postamputation mortality, the difference was no longer significant by 5 years.

Cost-effectiveness of tunneled peritoneal catheters versus repeat paracenteses for recurrent ascites in gynecologic malignancies.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the cost-effectiveness of tunneled peritoneal catheter (TPC) versus repeated large-volume paracentesis (LVP) for patients with recurrent ascites secondary to gynecological malignancy. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed at a single institution from 2016 through 2019 of patients with recurrent ascites from gynecologic malignancies that underwent either TPC or LVP. Data on procedural complications and hospital admissions were extracted. A cost-effectiveness analysis with Markov modeling was performed comparing TPC and LVP. Statistical analyses include base case calculation, Monte Carlo simulations and deterministic sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the cohorts in the average number of hospital days (p = 0.21) or emergency department visits (p = 0.69) related to ascites. Palliative care was more often involved in the care of patients who had a TPC. The base case calculation showed TPC to be the more cost-effective strategy with a slightly lower health benefit (0.22980 versus 0.22982 QALY) and lower cost ($3043 versus $3868) relative to LVP (ICER of LVP compared to TPC: $44,863,103/QALY). Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed TPC was the more cost-effective strategy in 8028/10,000 simulations. Deterministic sensitivity analysis showed TPC to be more cost-effective if its complication risk was >0.81% per 22 days or its procedural cost of TPC insertion was >$1997. When varying the cost of complications, TPC was more cost-effective if the cost of its complication was less than $49,202. CONCLUSIONS: TPC is the more cost-effective strategy when compared to LVP in patients with recurrent ascites from gynecological malignancy.

Perceptions of Ethics in Interventional Radiology.

PURPOSE: To characterize perceptions of ethics among interventional radiologists to guide the development of an applied, specialty-specific approach to ethics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 17-question survey on perceptions of ethics and use of ethics resources was developed and vetted via cognitive interviewing of 15 diverse, representative members of the target population. The survey was distributed via the Society of Interventional Radiology, receiving 685 responses (48% participation and 90% completion rates). Responses were compared between different demographics, and common themes from free text responses were identified via content analysis. RESULTS: Most respondents indicated ethics is important for IR (93%) and more focus on practical approaches to ethical issues is needed (73%). Various ethical issues were perceived to be important for IR, but differentiating palliative from futile care was ranked as the top ethical issue. Trainees had more ethics training (P=0.05) but less confidence in navigating ethical issues (P<0.01). Regardless of career stage, those with ethics training (44%) were more confident in navigating ethical issues (P<0.01). Use of resources such as information sheets for patients and resources for coping with complications were variable and limited by lack of availability or knowledge of such resources in IR. CONCLUSIONS: Interventional radiologists believe ethics is important and face diverse ethical issues, but they are challenged by variable experiences and access to practical tools to navigate these challenges.