Endovascular therapy versus medical management for mild strokes due to medium and distal vessel occlusions.

BACKGROUND: Distal and medium vessel occlusion (DMVO) strokes account for up to 40% of all acute ischemic strokes, many of which have a low initial deficit severity. Increasingly, endovascular treatment (EVT) is considered for these patients. However, there is a paucity of data comparing potential safety and efficacy of EVT versus best medical management (BMT) in these patients, particularly when presenting with mild symptoms. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed consecutive DMVO patients with NIHSS ≤6 who presented between January 2018 and December 2021 within 24 h from last seen well. We compared early and late clinical outcomes, as well as safety outcomes using multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses to determine whether EVT was independently associated with the outcomes of interest. RESULTS: We included 80 subjects that fulfilled our study criteria (n = 41 BMT and n = 39 EVT). On adjusted analyses, when comparing EVT and BMT groups, there was no statistical difference in the NIHSS at discharge (Coefficient = -0.6, 95%-CI = -3.45-2.26, p = 0.678) or in the modified Rankin scale (mRS) at discharge (Coefficient = 0.37, 95%-CI = -0.52-1.25, p = 0.408). Furthermore, there was no difference in the 3-month mRS defined as good (mRS 0-2) (OR = 0.56, 95%-CI = 0.17-1.83, p = 0.341) or excellent (mRS 0-1) (OR = 0.45, 95%-CI = 0.15-1.34, p = 0.152). Finally, there was no difference in the incidence of all-type parenchymal hemorrhage (OR = 0.9, 95%-CI = 0.22-3.62, p = 0.879). CONCLUSIONS: We found that among DMVO patients with low admission NIHSS treatment with EVT versus BMT was associated with similar outcomes. Larger prospective studies are required to confirm these findings.

Stroke nurse navigator utilization reduces unplanned 30-day readmission in stroke patients treated with thrombolysis.

Background: Unplanned 30-day hospital readmissions following a stroke is a serious quality and safety issue in the United States. The transition period between the hospital discharge and ambulatory follow-up is viewed as a vulnerable period in which medication errors and loss of follow-up plans can potentially occur. We sought to determine whether unplanned 30-day readmission in stroke patients treated with thrombolysis can be reduced with the utilization of a stroke nurse navigator team during the transition period. Methods: We included 447 consecutive stroke patients treated with thrombolysis from an institutional stroke registry between January 2018 and December 2021. The control group consisted of 287 patients before the stroke nurse navigator team implementation between January 2018 and August 2020. The intervention group consisted of 160 patients after the implementation between September 2020 and December 2021. The stroke nurse navigator interventions included medication reviews, hospitalization course review, stroke education, and review of outpatient follow-ups within 3 days following the hospital discharge. Results: Overall, baseline patient characteristics (age, gender, index admission NIHSS, and pre-admission mRS), stroke risk factors, medication usage, and length of hospital stay were similar in control vs. intervention groups (P > 0.05). Differences included higher mechanical thrombectomy utilization (35.6 vs. 24.7%, P = 0.016), lower pre-admission oral anticoagulant use (1.3 vs. 5.6%, P = 0.025), and less frequent history of stroke/TIA (14.4 vs. 27.5%, P = 0.001) in the implementation group. Based on an unadjusted Kaplan-Meier analysis, 30-day unplanned readmission rates were lower during the implementation period (log-rank P = 0.029). After adjustment for pertinent confounders including age, gender, pre-admission mRS, oral anticoagulant use, and COVID-19 diagnosis, the nurse navigator implementation remained independently associated with lower hazards of unplanned 30-day readmission (adjusted HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.23-0.99, P = 0.046). Conclusion: The utilization of a stroke nurse navigator team reduced unplanned 30-day readmissions in stroke patients treated with thrombolysis. Further studies are warranted to determine the extent of the results of stroke patients not treated with thrombolysis and to better understand the relationship between resource utilization during the transition period from discharge and quality outcomes in stroke.

Esthetic rehabilitation of severely decayed primary incisors using glass fiber reinforced composite: a case report.

Restoration of primary maxillary incisors severely damaged by caries or trauma is a clinical challenge in pediatric dental clinics. Early childhood caries is observed in approximately half the child population. In the past, the only treatment option would have been to extract the affected teeth and replace them with prosthetic substitutes. With the introduction of new adhesive systems and restorative materials, alternative approaches in treating these teeth have been proposed. The purpose of this paper was to describe the rehabilitation of primary anterior teeth in a 5-year-old patient using glass fiber reinforced composite resin as an intracanal post.

Diagnostic applications of saliva in dentistry.

BACKGROUND: The use of saliva to identify individuals with disease and to follow the progress of the affected individual has attracted the attention of numerous investigators. Its noninvasive method of collection, simplicity, and cost effectiveness make it a useful tool not only to the general practitioner but also to the pediatric dentist. AIM: The aim of this paper is to provide the clinician with a comprehensive review of the diagnostic uses of saliva in dentistry.

Esthetic management of an anterior avulsed tooth: a case report.

Avulsion and luxation account for up to 16% of all traumatic injuries in the permanent dentition and 7.2% of injuries in the primary dentition. A range of treatment options are available that can help conserve the tooth after a traumatic episode. There are, however, occasions where loss of the traumatized tooth is inevitable with special regard to avulsion injuries. replantation of teeth having doubtful long-term prognosis. Following the traumatic loss of an anterior tooth it is important that an immediate replacement is provided in order to avoid esthetic, masticatory and phonetic difficulties and to maintain the edentulous space to avoid arch length discrepancy. The loss of an anterior tooth in a child or young adolescent may present a difficult prosthetic problem.3 This problem can be managed in several ways. This article reports utilization of the avulsed tooth as part of fixed semi-permanent bridge.