A toolbox to improve algorithms for insulin-dosing decision support.

BACKGROUND: Standardized insulin order sets for subcutaneous basal-bolus insulin therapy are recommended by clinical guidelines for the inpatient management of diabetes. The algorithm based GlucoTab system electronically assists health care personnel by supporting clinical workflow and providing insulin-dose suggestions. OBJECTIVE: To develop a toolbox for improving clinical decision-support algorithms. METHODS: The toolbox has three main components. 1) Data preparation: Data from several heterogeneous sources is extracted, cleaned and stored in a uniform data format. 2) Simulation: The effects of algorithm modifications are estimated by simulating treatment workflows based on real data from clinical trials. 3) ANALYSIS: Algorithm performance is measured, analyzed and simulated by using data from three clinical trials with a total of 166 patients. RESULTS: Use of the toolbox led to algorithm improvements as well as the detection of potential individualized subgroup-specific algorithms. CONCLUSION: These results are a first step towards individualized algorithm modifications for specific patient subgroups.

Efficacy, usability and sequence of operations of a workflow-integrated algorithm for basal-bolus insulin therapy in hospitalized type 2 diabetes patients.

AIMS: To evaluate glycaemic control and usability of a workflow-integrated algorithm for basal-bolus insulin therapy in a proof-of-concept study to develop a decision support system in hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: In this ward-controlled study, 74 type 2 diabetes patients (24 female, age 68 ± 11 years, HbA1c 8.7 ± 2.4% and body mass index 30 ± 7) were assigned to either algorithm-based treatment with a basal-bolus insulin therapy or to standard glycaemic management. Algorithm performance was assessed by continuous glucose monitoring and staff's adherence to algorithm-calculated insulin dose. RESULTS: Average blood glucose levels (mmol/l) in the algorithm group were significantly reduced from 11.3 ± 3.6 (baseline) to 8.2 ± 1.8 (last 24 h) over a period of 7.5 ± 4.6 days (p < 0.001). The algorithm group had a significantly higher percentage of glucose levels in the ranges from 5.6 to 7.8 mmol/l (target range) and 3.9 to 10.0 mmol/l compared with the standard group (33 vs. 23% and 73 vs. 53%, both p < 0.001). Physicians' adherence to the algorithm-calculated total daily insulin dose was 95% and nurses' adherence to inject the algorithm-calculated basal and bolus insulin doses was high (98 and 93%, respectively). In the algorithm group, significantly more glucose values <3.9 mmol/l were detected in the afternoon relative to other times (p < 0.05), a finding mainly related to pronounced morning glucose excursions and requirements for corrective bolus insulin at lunch. CONCLUSIONS: The workflow-integrated algorithm for basal-bolus therapy was effective in establishing glycaemic control and was well accepted by medical staff. Our findings support the implementation of the algorithm in an electronic decision support system.

Parkinsonism following striatal infarcts: incidence in a prospective stroke unit cohort.

A number of case reports have highlighted the occurrence of parkinsonism following strategic infarcts affecting the basal ganglia but the prevalence of parkinsonism after striatal infarcts (SI) has not been assessed. Therefore, we evaluated the clinical features and prevalence of parkinsonism in a large series of patients admitted to the Stroke-Unit of the Department of Neurology Innsbruck. Cerebral scans were retrospectively screened for SI, defined as a lesion larger than 1.5 cm involving the basal ganglia and the internal capsule. Out of 622 patients, 27 met the criteria for SI (4.3%) and 11 patients were available for follow-up. All patients presented contralateral motor weakness. Bilateral akinetic-rigid parkinsonism was found in only one patient whose [(123)I]beta-CIT-SPECT showed a decrease of the ligand uptake following the limits of the vascular lesion. Overall, parkinsonism does not appear to be a frequent consequence of striatal infarcts. Multiple lacunar subcortical infarcts interrupting thalamocortical drive may be more critical for the development of vascular parkinsonism.

Experimental study of second-harmonic-generation saturation in fibers by phase modulation between the fundamental and second-harmonic writing beams.

We study saturation of photoinduced second-harmonic generation in a Ge-doped silica fiber by modulating the relative phase between the fundamental and second-harmonic writing beams. We shift the phase by pi and present measurements that identify saturation that is due to site depletion and saturation that is due to a backfield.

Subclinical organic psychosyndromes on intrathecal injection of metrizamide for lumbar myelography.

Eighteen patients with symptoms and signs of possible lumbar disc herniation, who had no evidence of a preexisting organic psychosyndrome were included in the study. An organic psychosyndrome was found in six of them 10 h after lumbar myelography with metrizamide. The psychosyndrome, which was characterized by impaired memory and depression, could be demonstrated only by psychometric methods. In these patients metrizamide could be demonstrated within the basal cisterns by computed tomography 8 h after lumbar injection of the contrast medium. The organic psychosyndrome was completely reversible; five days after myelography it could not be detected any more by psychometric means. The development of an organic psychosyndrome in six of the 18 patients suggests a neurotoxic effect of metrizamide. This assumption is supported by hypo- and areflexia in four patients after intrathecal metrizamide as well as by EEG changes seen in three patients after myelography. There was no correlation between the EEG changes or reflex abnormalities and the organic psychosyndrome.