«Do Not Do¼ recommendations for retinopathies: A mixed consensus study.

PURPOSE: Among the main causes of blindness and severe vision loss are age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular oedema, and retinal vein occlusion. The «Do Not Do¼ recommendations are strategies to improve quality of care and optimise healthcare costs. The aim of this study was to establish, by consensus, practices of low value in the above-mentioned pathologies, in addition to estimating their occurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mixed methods study including a first phase of consensus of a multidisciplinary panel of experts using the Nominal Group technique. In the second phase, a retrospective observational study was conducted, by conducting a review of medical records. RESULTS: A total of 7 recommendations were established for age-related macular degeneration, 4 for diabetic macular oedema, and 5 for retinal vein occlusion. A total of 1,012 medical records were reviewed by the 4 participating hospitals. The review of medical records revealed that agreed «Do Not Do's¼ occurred in a range between 0.6% and 31.4% of the cases included in the study. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified «Do Not Do¼ recommendations in these pathologies that occur relatively often in clinical practice. It is necessary to review the healthcare processes that will enable these practices to be eradicated, and the quality of care to be improved.

Recomendaciones «no hacer» para retinopatías: estudio mixto de consenso / «Do Not Do» recommendations for retinopathies: A mixed consensus study

Antecedentes y objetivos Entre las principales causas de ceguera y de pérdida severa de la visión se encuentran la degeneración macular asociada a la edad, el edema macular diabético y la oclusión venosa de la retina. Las recomendaciones «no hacer» son estrategias para mejorar la calidad asistencial y optimizar los costes sanitarios. Este estudio tuvo por objetivo definir por consenso prácticas de escaso valor en las enfermedades mencionadas, además de estimar su ocurrencia. Materiales y métodos Estudio de métodos mixtos. En una primera fase se buscó el consenso de un panel multidisciplinar de expertos a través de la técnica del grupo nominal. En una segunda fase, se realizó un estudio observacional retrospectivo, mediante el cual se revisaron los registros de historias clínicas. Resultados Fueron establecidas 7 recomendaciones para degeneración macular asociada a la edad, 4 para edema macular diabético y 5 para oclusión venosa de la retina. En total, 1.012 registros de pacientes fueron revisados por los 4 hospitales participantes. La revisión de historias clínicas reveló que los «no hacer» consensuados ocurrían en un rango entre 0,6 y 31,4% de los casos incluidos en el estudio. Conclusión Este estudio identificó recomendaciones «no hacer» en estas enfermedades que ocurren con relativa frecuencia en la práctica clínica. Es necesario revisar el proceso asistencial para erradicar estas prácticas y mejorar la calidad asistencial (AU)

Background and objective Among the main causes of blindness and severe vision loss are age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular oedema, and retinal vein occlusion. The «Do Not Do» recommendations are strategies to improve quality of care and optimise healthcare costs. The aim of this study was to establish, by consensus, practices of low value in the above-mentioned pathologies, in addition to estimating their occurrence. Materials and methods Mixed methods study including a first phase of consensus of a multidisciplinary panel of experts using the Nominal Group technique. In the second phase, a retrospective observational study was conducted, by conducting a review of medical records. Results A total of 7 recommendations were established for age-related macular degeneration, 4 for diabetic macular oedema, and 5 for retinal vein occlusion. A total of 1,012 medical records were reviewed by the 4 participating hospitals. The review of medical records revealed that agreed «Do Not Do's» occurred in a range between 0.6% and 31.4% of the cases included in the study. Conclusions This study identified «Do Not Do» recommendations in these pathologies that occur relatively often in clinical practice. It is necessary to review the healthcare processes that will enable these practices to be eradicated, and the quality of care to be improved (AU)

«Do Not Do¼ recommendations for retinopathies: A mixed consensus study. / Recomendaciones «no hacer¼ para retinopatías: estudio mixto de consenso.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Among the main causes of blindness and severe vision loss are age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular oedema, and retinal vein occlusion. The «Do Not Do¼ recommendations are strategies to improve quality of care and optimise healthcare costs. The aim of this study was to establish, by consensus, practices of low value in the above-mentioned pathologies, in addition to estimating their occurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mixed methods study including a first phase of consensus of a multidisciplinary panel of experts using the Nominal Group technique. In the second phase, a retrospective observational study was conducted, by conducting a review of medical records. RESULTS: A total of 7 recommendations were established for age-related macular degeneration, 4 for diabetic macular oedema, and 5 for retinal vein occlusion. A total of 1,012 medical records were reviewed by the 4 participating hospitals. The review of medical records revealed that agreed «Do Not Do's¼ occurred in a range between 0.6% and 31.4% of the cases included in the study. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified «Do Not Do¼ recommendations in these pathologies that occur relatively often in clinical practice. It is necessary to review the healthcare processes that will enable these practices to be eradicated, and the quality of care to be improved.

Bilateral non-simultaneous optic neuropathy and unilateral macular edema in a patient with POEMS syndrome.

PURPOSE: To report a case of bilateral non-simultaneous optic neuropathy and unilateral macular edema in a patient with polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome. METHODS: A 61-year-old man with POEMS syndrome had bilateral anterior optic neuropathy and unilateral macular edema. RESULTS: Visual field testing showed bilateral superior altitudinal field defect. Fluorescein angiography revealed unilateral pooling of fluid consistent with cystoid macular edema. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed bilateral loss of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein values were normal. The serum vascular growth factor measurement was elevated. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first reported case of ophthalmoscopic, angiographic, and OCT evidence of non-simultaneous optic neuropathy and macular edema in this syndrome. The increased vascular permeability could explain all these factors.

Psychiatric disorders and impairment in the children of opiate addicts: prevalances and distribution by ethnicity.

This study examined rates of psychiatric disorders and impairment in 283 children, aged 6 to 17, of 69 Caucasian, 45 African-American, and 47 Hispanic-American methadone maintenance patients. Children were evaluated by direct and/or parental interview with the K-SADS-E. Final DSM-III-R diagnoses and Global Assessment Scale (C-GAS) were assigned by best estimate. Substantial lifetime prevalences of mood (21%), anxiety (24%) and disruptive disorders (30%), school problems (37%), and global impairment (C-GAS < 61) (25%) were observed in the children of opiate-dependent patients. There were few differences between ethnic groups. Effects of proband gender and major depression and their interactions with ethnicity on risk for childhood psychopathology were also examined. The results suggest children of patients in treatment for opiate dependence from diverse ethnic groups are at risk for psychopathology. Programs for early detection and intervention should be devised and evaluated.

Helicobacter pylori, efficacy of the new triple therapy in six and twelve-day schedules.

OBJECTIVE: Assessment of four eradicating patterns of 6 and 12 days duration with new triple therapies adapted to our environment. PATIENTS: After an endoscopic diagnosis of Duodenal or Gastric Ulcer, and the confirmation of the presence of Helicobacter pylori using a rapid urease test in antral biopsies, 274 patients were treated with one of four eradicating therapies, verifying its efficacy with the C-13 urea breath test, at least one month after the end of the treatment and 10 days after withdrawal of proton pump inhibitors. RESULTS: Maximum eradicating efficacy was achieved with Omeprazole (20 mg/12 hours), Clarithromycin (500 mg/12 hours) and Amoxycillin (1 g/12 hours), given for 12 days (96.6%), and Omeprazole (20 mg/12 hours), Tinidazole (500 mg/12 hours) and Clarithromycin (500 mg/12 hours), also given for 12 days (95.2%). The same drugs and doses, when given during six days, achieved percentages of 78.3% and 82.2% respectively. Results with Tinidazole suggest lack of resistance to this drug in the Community of Madrid.

X-linked familial exudative vitreoretinopathy. Report of one family.

BACKGROUND: Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy is an uncommon heredodegenerative disease with different types of inheritance and degrees of severity. METHODS: Findings in five affected members of a family in which the X-linked mode of inheritance of familial exudative vitreoretinopathy is present are discussed. RESULTS: Patients presented with characteristic retinal exudative tractional detachment, temporal retinal vessel traction, capillary dilatation, neovascularization, and vitreous veils. CONCLUSION: A review of the 21 cases of X-linked familial exudative vitreoretinopathy reported to date indicates a worse outcome in this mode of inheritance than in cases of autosomal dominant inheritance.