Impact of urgent coronary artery bypass grafting on acute kidney injury : A matched cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: There is limited knowledge regarding the specific interrelationships between urgent coronary artery bypass graft (U-CABG) surgery and postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI). We aimed to (1) analyze the impact of urgent CABG (U-CABG) on the incidence and severity of postoperative AKI, (2) estimate the influence of AKI after U­CABG or elective CABG (E-CABG) on mortality and (3) identify risk factors for AKI depending on the urgency of operation. RESULTS: U­CABG patients showed a higher incidence of AKI (49.8% vs. E­CABG: 39.7%; p = 0.026), especially for higher AKI stages 2 + 3. In-hospital mortality was higher in U­CABG patients (12.6%) compared to E­CABG patients (2.3%; p < 0.001). The impact of AKI on mortality did not differ, but showed a strong coherency between higher AKI stages (2 + 3) and mortality (stage 1: OR 2.409, 95% CI 1.017-5.706; p = 0.046 vs. stage 2 + 3: OR 5.577; 95% CI 2.033-15.3; p = 0.001). Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that preoperative renal impairment, peripheral vascular disease and transfusion of more than two red blood cell concentrates were predictors for postoperative AKI in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: U­CABG is a risk factor for postoperative AKI and even "mild" AKI leads to a significantly higher mortality. Hence, the prevention of modifiable risk factors might reduce the incidence of postoperative AKI and thus improve outcome.

In search of a dose-response relationship in SSRIs-a systematic review, meta-analysis, and network meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Recent meta-analyses on dose-response relationships of SSRIs are largely based on indirect evidence. We analyzed RCTs directly comparing different SSRI doses. METHOD: Systematic literature search for RCTs. Two raters independently screened articles and extracted data. Across SSRIs, doses defined as low, medium, and high doses, based on drug manufacturers' product monographs, were analyzed in pairwise random-effects meta-analyses and in a sensitivity network meta-analysis with regard to differences in antidepressive efficacy (primary outcome). We also analyzed all direct comparisons of different dosages of specific SSRIs. (Prospero CRD42018081031). RESULTS: Out of 5333 articles screened, we included 33. Comparisons of dosage groups (low, medium, and high) resulted in only small and clinically non-significant differences for SSRIs as a group, the strongest relating to medium vs low doses (SMD: -0.15 [95%-CI: -0.28; -0.01) and not sustained in a sensitivity analysis. Among different doses of specific SSRIs, no statistically significant trend emerged for efficacy at higher doses, but 60 mg/day fluoxetine are statistically significantly inferior to 20 mg/day. Paroxetine results are inconclusive: 10 mg/day are inferior to higher doses, but 30 and 40 mg/day are inferior to 20 mg/day. Meaningful effects cannot be ruled out for certain drugs and dosages, often investigated in only one trial. Dropout rates increase with dose-particularly due to side effects. Network meta-analyses supported our findings. CONCLUSIONS: There is no conclusive level I or level II evidence of a clinically meaningful dose-response relationship of SSRIs as a group or of single substances. High SSRI doses are not recommended as routine treatment.

Large Variability of Frequency and Type of Physical Therapy in Patients in the German Network for Systemic Sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the type and frequency of physical therapy (PT) prescribed by physicians for patients in the registry of the German Network for Systemic Sclerosis. METHODS: The data for 4,252 patients were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and odds ratios (ORs). RESULTS: Overall, 37.4% of patients (1,590 of 4,252) received PT at the end of a yearly follow-up. The most frequently used type of PT was lymphatic drainage (n = 1,061, 36.8%), followed by exercise therapy (n = 1,047, 36.3%) and heat therapy (n = 689, 23.9%). More than three-fourths of treated patients (82%) received 1 or 2 different forms of PT simultaneously. The prescription of PT was associated with the extent of skin fibrosis as measured by the modified Rodnan skin thickness score (<10 [41.8% of patients], 11-20 [55.8% of patients], and >21 [63.9% of patients]; P < 0.001). Patients with musculoskeletal involvement (e.g., arthritis, muscle weakness, joint contractures, tendon friction rubs) had a higher chance of receiving PT than patients without these symptoms, with corresponding ORs ranging from 1.96 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.69-2.28) for joint contractures to 3.83 (95% CI 2.89-5.08) for arthritis. When comparing the type of PT prescription across the initial and all follow-up visits from 2003 to 2017, significant alterations with a decreasing frequency of patients receiving PT could be observed (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the use of PT in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) in a large cohort. Although SSc is characterized by considerable disability and restriction of motion, <40% of patients received PT.

Adjuvant bisphosphonates or RANK-ligand inhibitors for patients with breast cancer and bone metastases: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Bone-modifying agents like bisphosphonates and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappaß ligand (RANK-L) inhibitors are used as supportive treatments in breast cancer patients with bone metastases to prevent skeletal-related events (SREs). Due to missing head-to-head comparisons, a network meta-analysis was performed to provide a hierarchy of these therapeutic options. Through a systematic literature search, 21 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were identified. To prevent SREs, the ranking through P-scores showed denosumab (RR: 0.62; 95%CI: 0.50-0.76), zoledronic acid (RR: 0.72; 95%CI: 0.61-0.84) and pamidronate (RR: 0.76; 95%CI: 0.67-0.85) to be significantly superior to placebo. Due to insufficient or heterogeneous data, overall survival, quality of life, pain response and adverse events were not able to be analyzed within the network. Although data were sparse on adverse events, the risk of significant adverse events appeared low. The results of this review can therefore be used to formulate clinical studies more precisely in order to standardise and focus on patient-relevant outcomes.

Stenosis of the celiac trunk is associated with anastomotic leak after Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy.

Transthoracic esophagectomy with gastric tube formation is the surgical treatment of choice for esophageal cancer. The surgical reconstruction induces changes of gastric microcirculation, which are recognized as potential risk factors of anastomotic leak. This prospective observational study investigates the association of celiac trunk (TC) stenosis with postoperative anastomotic leak. One hundred fifty-four consecutive patients with esophageal cancer scheduled for Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy were included. Preoperative staging computed tomography (CT) was used to identify TC stenosis. Any narrowing of the lumen due to atherosclerotic changes was classified as stenosis. Percentage of stenotic changes was calculated using the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial formula. Multivariable analysis was used to identify possible risk factors for leak. The overall incidence of TC stenosis was 40.9%. Anastomotic leak was identified in 15 patients (9.7%). Incidence of anastomotic leak in patients with stenosis was 19.4% compared to 2.3% in patients without stenosis. Incidence of stenosis in patients with leak was 86.7% (13 of 15 patients) and significantly higher than 38.8% (54 of 139 patients) in patients without leak (P < 0.001). There was a significant difference in median degree of TC stenosis (50.0% vs 39.4%; P = 0.032) in patients with and without leak. In the multivariable model, TC stenosis was an independent risk factor for anastomotic leak (odds ratio: 5.98, 95% CI: 1.58-22.61). TC stenosis is associated with postoperative anastomotic leak after Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy. Routine assessment of TC for possible stenosis is recommended to identify patients at risk.

Gender-based acute outcome in percutaneous coronary intervention of chronic total coronary occlusion.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of total chronic coronary occlusion (CTO) still remains a major challenge. Insignificant data are reported in the literature about gender differences in CTO-PCI in the era of new drug-eluting stents. In this study we analysed the impact of gender on procedural characteristics, complications and acute results. METHODS: Between 2010-2015 we included 780 consecutive patients. They underwent PCI for at least one CTO. Antegrade and retrograde CTO techniques were applied. RESULTS: Patients undergoing CTO-PCI were mainly men (84%). Male patients were younger (66.9 years ±10.6 vs. 61.1 years ±10.4; p < 0.001), more often smokers, but less frequently had a history of coronary artery disease (24.4% vs. 32.7%; p = 0.085) compared with female patients. Female patients more often had diabetes mellitus (29.6% vs. 26.7%; p = 0.55) and hypertension (82.7% vs. 80.7%; p = 0.55). There were no differences with respect to the amount of contrast fluid, fluoroscopy time and examination time as well as to the length of the stent or the number of the stents. The stent diameter was slightly smaller in women, which was not surprising because the lumen calibre tends to be smaller in women than in men (3.0 mm (2.5-3) vs. 3.0 mm (3-3.5); p < 0.001). The success rates were 81.0% in women and 80.1% in men. There was no significant interaction between gender and procedural success and complication rates. CONCLUSIONS: Our retrospective study suggests that women and men have a comparable success rate at a low complication rate after recanalisation of CTO.

[Multilevel Analysis in Health Services Research in Healthcare Organizations: Benefits, Requirements and Implementation]. / Mehrebenenanalysen in der organisationsbezogenen Versorgungsforschung ­ Nutzen, Voraussetzungen und Durchführung.

Multilevel Analysis (MLA) are still rarely used in Health Services Research in Germany, though hierarchical data, e. g. from patients clustered in hospitals, is often present. MLA provide the valuable opportunity to study the health care context in health care organizations and the associations between context and health care outcomes. This article's aims are to introduce this particular method of data analysis, to discuss its' benefits and its' applicability particularly for Health Services Research focusing on organizational characteristics and to provide a concise guideline for performing the analysis. First, the benefits and the necessity for MLA compared to ordinary correlation analyses in the case of hierarchical data are discussed. Furthermore, the statistical requirements and key decisions for the performance of MLA are illustrated.

[The relationship between therapist's competence and adherence to outcome in cognitive-behavioural therapy - results of a metaanalysis]. / Der Zusammenhang der Therapeutenkompetenz und Adhärenz zum Therapieerfolg in der Kognitiven Verhaltenstherapie - metaanalytische Ergebnisse.

By now psychotherapy research has provided sufficient evidence in favour of the efficacy of psychotherapy, especially of the cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). Hence one can argue that psychotherapy truly "works". Nevertheless, the rationale for the efficacy and the underlying mechanisms have not yet been explored. Resolving this ambiguity by focusing on the active ingredients in CBT is the aim of our review. More precisely we have explored whether the therapist's competence or his/her adherence to the CBT protocol is responsible for the therapeutic improvement that many patients sustain subsequent to psychotherapy. By means of a broad literature search we identified a total of n = 13 studies, whereby n = 7 referred to the impact of therapist's competence and n = 7 to the impact of adherence on post-treatment outcome, respectively, and one of these studies referred to both. The meta-analytical evaluation yielded a small significant total effect (r = 0.24) for the therapist's competence on therapeutic improvement of patients with diverse disorders and a moderate total effect (r = 0.38) regarding patients with major depression. In contrast, for the case of an influence of adherence to protocol on post-treatment outcome we did not achieve significant results. Therefore a competent performance of cognitive-behaviour techniques on the part of the therapist seems to contribute thoroughly to the therapeutic improvement subsequent to treatment. However, solely a manual-guided implementation of CBT seems not to have a significant impact on patients impromvement. Furthermore, our results indicate that the therapeutic change constitutes an extensive process that has consequently to be understood in future process-outcome research. Finally the implications of our results as well as potentials for future research are discussed.

[Adjusting for patient characteristics when evaluating questionnaire data]. / Adjustierung für Patientenmerkmale bei der Auswertung von Befragungsdaten.

INTRODUCTION: Patient questionnaires are a frequently used instrument within the framework of quality management in in- and outpatient care. Often such questionnaires enable a comparison of care suppliers with the consequence that one turns out to be visibly better or poorer than another. This process, in turn, makes it necessary to check whether differences found upon evaluation of the questionnaires are not merely the result of different compositions of the questioned populations. Although frequently demanded, such adjustments are not usually made. The present article describes the choice of variables for adjustments and the statistical procedures for a relatively homogeneous sample of breast cancer patients. In addition, the utility and limitations of adjustments are discussed. METHODS: On the basis of questionnaire data from 3 840 breast cancer patients of 52 breast cancer centres in North Rhine-Westphalia collected during 2010, we examined which patient characteristics can be employed for the adjustment of satisfaction ratings and to what extent the observed values for the centres differed from the expected results. Independent variables taken into consideration were age, educational level, native language, stage, grading, ASA classification, afffected breast, type of operation, insurance status, partnership status as well as time between operation and receipt of the filled out questionnaire. RESULTS: The variance revealed by the independent variables is low. The expected values showed minimal differences which can be attributed to the high homogeneity of the patients collectives and the centres. CONCLUSION: The use of adjustments remains limited in the study population. The variance of the independent variables revealed by the adjustors is small. Finally, in our opinion, no clear recommmendation for or against case-mix adjustments can be made in patient populations such as the one examined here. Thus, even when small, effects for a more correct reporting of patient questionnaires are faced with unresolvable methodological challenges. Also of importance but an as yet only rarely discussed factor is the factual intepretation of the association of patient characteristics with a better or poorer evaluation of questionnaires. An adjustment for the respective characteristics would eliminate these findings and not make any contribution to an improvement in health care.

Impact of perceptual ability and mental imagery training on simulated laparoscopic knot-tying in surgical novices using a Nissen fundoplication model.

BACKGROUND: Performing minimally invasive surgery requires training and visual-spatial intelligence. The aim of our study was to examine the impact of visual-spatial perception and additional mental training on the simulated laparoscopic knot-tying task performed by surgical novices. METHODS: A total of 40 medical students randomly assigned to two groups underwent two sessions of laparoscopic basic training on a VR simulator (SimSurgery®, Oslo, Norway). The variables time and tip trajectory (total path length of the instrument tip trajectory) were used to assess the performance of the intracorporeal knot-tying task using a laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication model. The experimental group completed additional mental practice during the interval between the two training sessions. All performed a cube subtest of a standard intelligence test (I-S-T 2000 R) to evaluate visual-spatial ability. RESULTS: All participants achieved an improvement in time (t = 9.861; p < 0.001) and tip trajectory (t = 6.833; p < 0.001) in the second training session. High scores on the visual-spatial test correlated with a faster performance (r = -0.557; p < 0.001) and more precise movements (r = -0.377; p = 0.016). Comparison of the two groups did not show any statistical significant differences in the parameters time and tip trajectory. CONCLUSIONS: Visual-spatial intelligence tested by a cube test correlated with simulated laparoscopic knot-tying skills in surgical novices. Additional mental practice did not improve the overall knot-tying performance. Further studies are therefore required to determine whether mental practice might be beneficial for experienced laparoscopic surgeons or for more complex tasks.

[Stroboscopy findings: a comparison of flexible CCD-videostroboscopy and rigid stroboscopy]. / Stroboskopie-Befunde: Flexible CCD-Videostroboskopie und klassische Lupenstroboskopie im Vergleich.

OBJECTIVE: After exclusion of morphologic laryngeal alterations by laryngoscopy the prospective study compared stroboscopy findings using a flexible distal charge-coupled device chip-optic (CCD-optic) and a rigid 70° - or 90° -laryngoscope. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 52 patients with functional dysphonia and 47 candidates for speech therapy education were checked with both examination methods. The stroboscopy results were rated randomized and pseudonymized by 3 experts assessed by a study protocol according to the European laryngological society basic protocol 2001. RESULTS: The interrater-reliability was moderate to good. Using the flexible videolaryngoscopy less gaging, less supraglottic contraction during phonation, more often a complete glottal closure and more often a normal mucosal wave movement were found. CONCLUSION: To get an optimal endoscopy result the combination of rigid laryngoscopy and flexible videolaryngoscopy and -stroboscopy will be recommended. Because of the variety of stroboscopic findings for the diagnosis of functional dysphonia additional the case history and functional voice examinations are necessary.