The use of archived tags in retrospective genetic analysis of fish.

PubMed

Bonanomi, Sara; Therkildsen, Nina Overgaard; Hedeholm, Rasmus Berg; Hemmer-Hansen, Jakob; Nielsen, Einar E

2014-05-01

Collections of historical tissue samples from fish (e.g. scales and otoliths) stored in museums and fisheries institutions are precious sources of DNA for conducting retrospective genetic analysis. However, in some cases, only external tags used for documentation of spatial dynamics of fish populations have been preserved. Here, we test the usefulness of fish tags as a source of DNA for genetic analysis. We extract DNA from historical tags from cod collected in Greenlandic waters between 1950 and 1968. We show that the quantity and quality of DNA recovered from tags is comparable to DNA from archived otoliths from the same individuals. Surprisingly, levels of cross-contamination do not seem to be significantly higher in DNA from external (tag) than internal (otolith) sources. Our study therefore demonstrates that historical tags can be a highly valuable source of DNA for retrospective genetic analysis of fish. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Evaluating the Minimal Specimens From Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration in Pancreatic Masses

PubMed Central

Park, Joo Kyung; Kang, Ki Joo; Oh, Cho Rong; Lee, Jong Kyun; Lee, Kyu Taek; Jang, Kee Taek; Park, Sang-Mo; Lee, Kwang Hyuck

2016-01-01

Abstract Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) has become one of the most useful diagnostic modalities for the diagnosis of pancreatic mass. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of analyzing the minimal specimens obtained by EUS-FNA for the diagnosis of solid masses of pancreas. This study consisted of retrospective and prospective analyses. The retrospective study was performed on 116 patients who underwent EUS-FNA of solid masses for cytological smear, histological analysis, and combined analysis including immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. In the prospective study, 79 patients were enrolled to evaluate the quality and accuracy of EUS-FNA histological analysis and feasibility of IHC staining. The final diagnoses of all patients included pancreatic cancer (n = 126), nonpancreatic cancer (n = 21), other neoplasm (n = 27), and benign lesions (n = 21). In our retrospective study, the combined analysis was more sensitive than cytological analysis alone (P < 0.01). The overall sensitivity of cytology, histology, and combined analysis was 69.8%, 67.2%, and 81.8%, respectively. In the prospective analysis, 64.2% of all punctures were helpful for determining the diagnosis and 40.7% provided sufficient tissue for IHC staining. Histological analysis was helpful for diagnosis in 74.7% of patients. IHC staining was necessary for a definite diagnosis in 11.4% of patients, especially in the cases of nonmalignant pancreatic mass. Histological analysis and IHC study of EUS-FNA specimens was useful for the accurate diagnosis of pancreatic and peripancreatic lesions. Combined analysis showed significantly higher sensitivity than cytology alone because IHC staining was helpful for a diagnosis in some patients. PMID:27227937

Retrospective Video Analysis: A Reflective Tool for Teachers and Teacher Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mosley Wetzel, Melissa; Maloch, Beth; Hoffman, James V.

2017-01-01

Teachers may need tools to use video for reflection toward ongoing toward education and teacher leadership. Based on Goodman's (1996) notion of retrospective miscue analysis, a method of reading instruction that revalues the reader and his or her strategies, retrospective video analysis guides teachers in appreciating and understanding their own…

Performance of Panfungal- and Specific-PCR-Based Procedures for Etiological Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Diseases on Tissue Biopsy Specimens with Proven Infection: a 7-Year Retrospective Analysis from a Reference Laboratory

PubMed Central

Bernal-Martinez, L.; Castelli, M. V.; Rodriguez-Tudela, J. L.; Cuenca-Estrella, M.

2014-01-01

A retrospective analysis of real-time PCR (RT-PCR) results for 151 biopsy samples obtained from 132 patients with proven invasive fungal diseases was performed. PCR-based techniques proved to be fast and sensitive and enabled definitive diagnosis in all cases studied, with detection of a total of 28 fungal species. PMID:24574295

Living without Boys: A Retrospective Analysis of the Benefits and Skills Gained at All-Female Camps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whittington, Anja; Garst, Barry A.; Gagnon, Ryan J.; Baughman, Sarah

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcomes of all-female camp experiences on women's lives. Using a retrospective approach, this study collected qualitative data from 131 women to examine the benefits of all-female camp experiences, to analyze the skills they gained at camp, and to understand how they apply these skills to their…

Retrospective Benefit-Cost Evaluation of DOE Investment in Photovoltaic Energy Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

O'Connor, Alan C.; Loomis, Ross J.; Braun, Fern M.

2010-08-01

This study is a retrospective analysis of net benefits accruing from DOE's investment in photovoltaic (PV) technology development. The study employed a technology cluster approach. That is, benefits measured for a subset of technologies in a meaningful cluster, or portfolio, of technologies were compared to the total investment in the cluster to provide a lower bound measure of return for the entire cluster.

Primary Care Screening of Depression and Treatment Engagement in a University Health Center: A Retrospective Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klein, Michael C.; Ciotoli, Carlo; Chung, Henry

2011-01-01

Objectives: This retrospective study analyzed a primary care depression screening initiative in a large urban university health center. Depression detection, treatment status, and engagement data are presented. Participants: Participants were 3,713 graduate and undergraduate students who presented consecutively for primary care services between…

Association between telomere length and the risk of colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis of observational studies.

PubMed

Naing, Cho; Aung, Kyan; Lai, Pei Kuan; Mak, Joon Wah

2017-01-05

Human chromosomes are capped and stabilized by telomeres. Telomere length regulates a 'cellular mitotic clock' that defines the number of cell divisions and hence, cellular life span. This study aimed to synthesize the evidence on the association between peripheral blood leucocytes (PBL) telomere length and the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). We searched relevant studies in electronic databases. When two or more observational studies reported the same outcome measures, we performed pooled analysis. All the analyses were performed on PBL using PCR. The odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to assess the strength of association. Seven studies (with 8 datasets) were included in this meta-analysis; 3 prospective studies, 3 retrospective studies and 1 study with a separate prospective and retrospective designs. The pooled analysis of 4 prospective studies (summary OR 1.01, 95% CI: 0.77-1.34, I 2 :30%) and 4 retrospective studies (summary OR 1.65, 95% CI: 0.96-2.83, I 2 :96%) showed no relationship between PBL telomere length and the CRC risk. A subgroup analysis of 2 prospective studies exclusively on females also showed no association between PBL telomere length and the CRC risk (summary OR, 1.17, 95% CI:0.72-1.91, I 2 :57%). The current analysis is insufficient to provide evidence on the relationship between PBL telomere length and the risk of CRC. Findings suggest that there may be a complex relationship between PBL telomere length and the CRC risk or discrepancy between genetics, age of patients and clinical studies. Future well powered, large prospective studies on the relationship between telomere length and the risk of CRC, and the investigations of the biologic mechanisms are recommended.

How Many Studies Do You Need? A Primer on Statistical Power for Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valentine, Jeffrey C.; Pigott, Therese D.; Rothstein, Hannah R.

2010-01-01

In this article, the authors outline methods for using fixed and random effects power analysis in the context of meta-analysis. Like statistical power analysis for primary studies, power analysis for meta-analysis can be done either prospectively or retrospectively and requires assumptions about parameters that are unknown. The authors provide…

Bilingualism and Cognitive Decline: A Story of Pride and Prejudice.

PubMed

Woumans, Evy; Versijpt, Jan; Sieben, Anne; Santens, Patrick; Duyck, Wouter

2017-01-01

In a recent review, Mukadam, Sommerlad, and Livingston (2017) argue that bilingualism offers no protection against cognitive decline. The authors examined the results of 13 studies (five prospective, eight retrospective) in which monolinguals and bilinguals were compared for cognitive decline and onset of dementia symptoms. Analysis of four of the five prospective studies resulted in the conclusion that there was no difference between monolinguals and bilinguals, whereas seven of the eight retrospective studies actually showed bilingualism to result in a four-to-five year delay of symptom onset. The authors decided to ignore the results from the retrospective studies in favor of those from the prospective studies, reasoning that the former may be confounded by participants' cultural background and education levels. In this commentary, we argue that most of these studies actually controlled for these two variables and still found a positive effect of bilingualism. Furthermore, we argue that the meta-analysis of the prospective studies is not complete, lacking the results of two crucial reports. We conclude that the literature offers substantial evidence for a bilingual effect on the development of cognitive decline and dementia.

Is Health-Related Quality of Life after Radical Cystectomy Using Validated Questionnaires Really Better in Patients with Ileal Orthotopic Neobladder Compared to Ileal Conduit: A Meta-Analysis of Retrospective Comparative Studies.

PubMed

Cerruto, Maria A; D'Elia, Carolina; Siracusano, Salvatore; Porcaro, Antonio B; Cacciamani, Giovanni; De Marchi, Davide; Niero, Mauro; Lonardi, Cristina; Iafrate, Massimo; Bassi, Pierfrancesco; Belgrano, Emanuele; Imbimbo, Ciro; Racioppi, Marco; Talamini, Renato; Ciciliato, Stefano; Toffoli, Laura; Rizzo, Michele; Visalli, Francesco; Verze, Paolo; Artibani, Walter

2017-07-01

From the most recent systematic revision of the literature, an orthotopic neobladder would seem to show marginally better health related quality of life (HR-QoL) scores compared with an ileal conduit. The aim of this study was to review all relevant published studies about the comparison between ileal orthotopic neobladder (IONB) and ileal conduit using validated HR-QoL questionnaires. Studies were identified by searching multiple literature databases. Data were synthesized using meta-analytic methods conformed to the PRISMA statement. The literature search identified 10 papers; pooled effect sizes of combined quality of life outcomes for ileal conduit versus IONB showed a significantly better HR-QoL in patients with IONB (Hedges' g = 0.278; p = 0.000);. The present study has an important limitation due to the type of the analyzed comparative studies, all retrospective and not randomized. This meta-analysis of not-randomized, retrospective comparative studies on the impact of ileal conduit versus IONB on HR-QoL showed a significant advantage of IONB subgroups.

The psychometric properties of the Retrospective Child Feeding Questionnaire in Hebrew.

PubMed

Lev-Ari, Lilac; Zohar, Ada H

2013-06-01

The objective of this study was to develop the Retrospective Child Feeding Questionnaire (RCFQ), and to assess its structural validity. In its original version, the CFQ was constructed to measure current practices of maternal feeding of children. For the present study, the CFQ was translated into Hebrew by translation, independent back-translation, and revision, and was then reworded to assess a retrospective assessment of maternal child feeding practices by adults. A large community sample of volunteers (N=406) was recruited and administered the RCFQ, and self-reported on body satisfaction, disordered eating, and body mass. The structural validity of the RCFQ was established by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis for men and women. Some measure of construct validity is provided by correlational analysis. The RCFQ is structurally robust, and useful in assessing early influences on adult BMI, eating behavior, and body dissatisfaction. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of 41 suicide attempts by wrist cutting: a retrospective analysis.

PubMed

Ersen, B; Kahveci, R; Saki, M C; Tunali, O; Aksu, I

2017-02-01

Self-cutting injuries have a low mortality rate, but this type of injuries has special clinical significance because they have the potential of leading to devastating disability and repeated suicide attempts. The purpose of this study is to analyze the nature and outcomes of wrist-cutting injuries. A retrospective study was designed in order to investigate 41 suicide attempts by wrist cutting attended to Uludag University Faculty of Medicine Emergency Department between June 2008 and December 2014. The patients were analyzed for age, gender, alcohol intake, psychological state, prior suicide attempts, and clinical features such as injury side, injury pattern, and used tool. It was seen that the severity of wrist-cutting injury variates between gender and age. Alcohol or drug consumption and having a diagnosed psychiatric disorder create a higher risk for extensive wrist lacerations. It was seen that skin only lacerations were most likely to repeat the act and therefore are most in need of psychiatric intervention. Level III, retrospective study.

Prospective risk analysis prior to retrospective incident reporting and analysis as a means to enhance incident reporting behaviour: a quasi-experimental field study.

PubMed

Kessels-Habraken, Marieke; De Jonge, Jan; Van der Schaaf, Tjerk; Rutte, Christel

2010-05-01

Hospitals can apply prospective and retrospective methods to reduce the large number of medical errors. Retrospective methods are used to identify errors after they occur and to facilitate learning. Prospective methods aim to determine, assess and minimise risks before incidents happen. This paper questions whether the order of implementation of those two methods influences the resultant impact on incident reporting behaviour. From November 2007 until June 2008, twelve wards of two Dutch general hospitals participated in a quasi-experimental reversed-treatment non-equivalent control group design. The six units of Hospital 1 first conducted a prospective analysis, after which a sophisticated incident reporting and analysis system was implemented. On the six units of Hospital 2 the two methods were implemented in reverse order. Data from the incident reporting and analysis system and from a questionnaire were used to assess between-hospital differences regarding the number of reported incidents, the spectrum of reported incident types, and the profession of reporters. The results show that carrying out a prospective analysis first can improve incident reporting behaviour in terms of a wider spectrum of reported incident types and a larger proportion of incidents reported by doctors. However, the proposed order does not necessarily yield a larger number of reported incidents. This study fills an important gap in safety management research regarding the order of the implementation of prospective and retrospective methods, and contributes to literature on incident reporting. This research also builds on the network theory of social contagion. The results might indicate that health care employees can disseminate their risk perceptions through communication with their direct colleagues. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Utility of retrospective pretest ratings of patient satisfaction with health status.

PubMed

Kreulen, Grace J; Stommel, Manfred; Gutek, Barbara A; Burns, Lawton R; Braden, Carrie Jo

2002-06-01

Outcomes assessment is often difficult to accomplish in evaluation research studies in situations where the gathering of pretest data is impossible or prohibitively expensive. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to investigate the substitutability of retrospective pretest ratings for actual pretest ratings in indexing change in patient satisfaction with health status. The sample consisted of 251 women receiving medical treatment for breast cancer enrolled in the Self-Help Intervention Project (SHIP). ANOVA, ordinary least-squares regression, and pooled time-series regression analysis revealed that retrospective assessments were not significantly different from their prospective counterparts in means and variances and that they differed from current assessments taken at the same time (p<.01). In addition, prospective assessments emerged as a significant independent predictor of corresponding retrospective scores (p<.01), accounting for up to 30% of the recall scores. These findings have implications for inclusion of retrospective pre-post comparisons in outcomes evaluation research. Copyright 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 25:233-241, 2002

Clinical and Radiographic Mid-Term Outcomes After Total Shoulder Replacement: A Retrospective Study Protocol Including 400 Anatomical and Reverse Prosthetic Implants

PubMed Central

Merolla, Giovanni; Tartarone, Antonio; Porcellini, Giuseppe

2016-01-01

Objectives: To obtain outcomes data on anatomical and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty by analysis of clinical scores and standard radiographs. Subject selection and enrollment: 400 consecutive series of patients replaced with anatomical and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (minimum 3 years follow-up). Study Design: retrospective monocenter. Preoperative assessment: Demographics, clinical scores (Constant-Murley) as available, shoulder X-ray (AP, outlet and axillary views) . Last follow-up: Postoperative radiographhs and clinical scores. Adverse events and complications to be reported as occurred since implantation. Statistical analysis: Data collected will be summarized and analyzed for statistical significance. PMID:27326389

Performance assessment of retrospective meteorological inputs for use in air quality modeling during TexAQS 2006

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ngan, Fong; Byun, Daewon; Kim, Hyuncheol; Lee, Daegyun; Rappenglück, Bernhard; Pour-Biazar, Arastoo

2012-07-01

To achieve more accurate meteorological inputs than was used in the daily forecast for studying the TexAQS 2006 air quality, retrospective simulations were conducted using objective analysis and 3D/surface analysis nudging with surface and upper observations. Model ozone using the assimilated meteorological fields with improved wind fields shows better agreement with the observation compared to the forecasting results. In the post-frontal conditions, important factors for ozone modeling in terms of wind patterns are the weak easterlies in the morning for bringing in industrial emissions to the city and the subsequent clockwise turning of the wind direction induced by the Coriolis force superimposing the sea breeze, which keeps pollutants in the urban area. Objective analysis and nudging employed in the retrospective simulation minimize the wind bias but are not able to compensate for the general flow pattern biases inherited from large scale inputs. By using an alternative analyses data for initializing the meteorological simulation, the model can re-produce the flow pattern and generate the ozone peak location closer to the reality. The inaccurate simulation of precipitation and cloudiness cause over-prediction of ozone occasionally. Since there are limitations in the meteorological model to simulate precipitation and cloudiness in the fine scale domain (less than 4-km grid), the satellite-based cloud is an alternative way to provide necessary inputs for the retrospective study of air quality.

Is Health-Related Quality of Life after Radical Cystectomy Using Validated Questionnaires Really Better in Patients with Ileal Orthotopic Neobladder Compared to Ileal Conduit: A Meta-Analysis of Retrospective Comparative Studies

PubMed Central

Cerruto, Maria A.; D'Elia, Carolina; Siracusano, Salvatore; Porcaro, Antonio B.; Cacciamani, Giovanni; De Marchi, Davide; Niero, Mauro; Lonardi, Cristina; Iafrate, Massimo; Bassi, Pierfrancesco; Belgrano, Emanuele; Imbimbo, Ciro; Racioppi, Marco; Talamini, Renato; Ciciliato, Stefano; Toffoli, Laura; Rizzo, Michele; Visalli, Francesco; Verze, Paolo; Artibani, Walter

2017-01-01

Introduction From the most recent systematic revision of the literature, an orthotopic neobladder would seem to show marginally better health related quality of life (HR-QoL) scores compared with an ileal conduit. The aim of this study was to review all relevant published studies about the comparison between ileal orthotopic neobladder (IONB) and ileal conduit using validated HR-QoL questionnaires. Materials and Methods Studies were identified by searching multiple literature databases. Data were synthesized using meta-analytic methods conformed to the PRISMA statement. Results The literature search identified 10 papers; pooled effect sizes of combined quality of life outcomes for ileal conduit versus IONB showed a significantly better HR-QoL in patients with IONB (Hedges' g = 0.278; p = 0.000);. The present study has an important limitation due to the type of the analyzed comparative studies, all retrospective and not randomized. Conclusion This meta-analysis of not-randomized, retrospective comparative studies on the impact of ileal conduit versus IONB on HR-QoL showed a significant advantage of IONB subgroups. PMID:28785189

The practical application of adaptive study design in early phase clinical trials: a retrospective analysis of time savings.

PubMed

Lorch, U; Berelowitz, K; Ozen, C; Naseem, A; Akuffo, E; Taubel, J

2012-05-01

The interest in adaptive study design is evident from the growing amount of clinical research employing this model in the mid to later stages of medicines development. Little has been published on the practical application and merits of adaptive study design in early phase clinical research. This paper describes a retrospective analysis performed on a sample of 29 industry lead adaptive early phase studies commencing between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2010 in a clinical trials unit in London, England. All studies containing at least one adaptive feature in the original protocol were included in the analysis. The scope of the analysis was to assess whether the use of adaptive study designs provided tangible benefits over the use of conventional study designs using time savings as the main measure. We conclude that the use of adaptive study design saves time in early phase research programs. This is achieved by abolishing the need for substantial amendments or by mitigating their impact on timelines and by using adaptive scheduling efficiencies.

Intramedullary nailing versus plating for distal tibia fractures without articular involvement: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Mao, Zhi; Wang, Guoqi; Zhang, Lihai; Zhang, Licheng; Chen, Shuo; Du, Hailong; Zhao, Yanpeng; Tang, Peifu

2015-06-16

The choice between intramedullary (IM) nailing or plating of distal tibia fractures without articular involvement remains controversial. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies was performed to compare IM nailing with plating for distal tibia fractures without articular involvement and to determine the dominant strategy. The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library databases, Chinese Wan-Fang Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched. Twenty-eight studies, which included 1863 fractures, met the eligible criteria. The meta-analysis did not identify a statistically significant difference between the two treatments in terms of the rate of deep infection, delayed union, removal of instrumentation, or secondary procedures either in the RCT or retrospective subgroups. IM nailing was associated with significantly more malunion events and a higher incidence of knee pain in the retrospective subgroup and across all the studies, but not significantly in the RCT subgroup, and a lower rate of delayed wound healing and superficial infection both in the RCT and retrospective subgroups relative to plating. A meta-analysis of the functional scores or questionnaires was not possible because of the considerable variation among the included studies, and no significant differences were observed. Evidence suggests that both IM nailing and plating are appropriate treatments as IM nailing shows lower rate of delayed wound healing and superficial infection and plating may avoid malunion and knee pain. These findings should be interpreted with caution, however, because of the heterogeneity of the study designs. Large, rigorous RCTs are required.

Underascertainment of Child Abuse Fatalities in France: Retrospective Analysis of Judicial Data to Assess Underreporting of Infant Homicides in Mortality Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tursz, Anne; Crost, Monique; Gerbouin-Rerolle, Pascale; Cook, Jon M.

2010-01-01

Objectives: Test the hypothesis of an underestimation of infant homicides in mortality statistics in France; identify its causes; examine data from the judicial system and their contribution in correcting this underestimation. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was carried out in 26 courts in three regions of France of cases of infant…

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Pars Plana Vitrectomy with and without Internal Limiting Membrane Peeling for Idiopathic Retinal Membrane Removal: A Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Liu, Hanhan; Zuo, Shanru; Ding, Chun; Dai, Xunzhang; Zhu, Xiaohua

2015-01-01

We conducted a meta-analysis of published retrospective studies and compared the effectiveness of pars plana vitrectomy with and without internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling for idiopathic epiretinal membrane (IERM). The results revealed that patients in the IERM+ILM peeling group had better BCVA after surgery within 12 months than those in IERM peeling group. But patients in the IERM peeling group showed better BCVA in the 18th month. More retrospective studies or randomized controlled trials are required to investigate and compare the long-term effect of IERM removal with and without ILM peeling. PMID:26693348

Incorporating Colour Information for Computer-Aided Diagnosis of Melanoma from Dermoscopy Images: A Retrospective Survey and Critical Analysis

PubMed Central

Drew, Mark S.

2016-01-01

Cutaneous melanoma is the most life-threatening form of skin cancer. Although advanced melanoma is often considered as incurable, if detected and excised early, the prognosis is promising. Today, clinicians use computer vision in an increasing number of applications to aid early detection of melanoma through dermatological image analysis (dermoscopy images, in particular). Colour assessment is essential for the clinical diagnosis of skin cancers. Due to this diagnostic importance, many studies have either focused on or employed colour features as a constituent part of their skin lesion analysis systems. These studies range from using low-level colour features, such as simple statistical measures of colours occurring in the lesion, to availing themselves of high-level semantic features such as the presence of blue-white veil, globules, or colour variegation in the lesion. This paper provides a retrospective survey and critical analysis of contributions in this research direction. PMID:28096807

Retrospective study of the physical therapy modalities applied in head and neck l ymphedema treatment.

PubMed

Tacani, Pascale Mutti; Franceschini, Juliana Pereira; Tacani, Rogério Eduardo; Machado, Aline Fernanda Perez; Montezello, Débora; Góes, João Carlos Guedes Sampaio; Marx, Angela

2016-02-01

Secondary lymphedema after head and neck cancer treatment is a serious complication and its management can be a challenge. The purpose of this study was to verify which physical therapy modalities were applied in the treatment of head and neck lymphedema through a retrospective analysis. A retrospective study was developed, based on the analysis of medical records of 32 patients treated in the physiotherapy outpatient department of the Brazilian Institute of Cancer Control (IBCC). The physiotherapy included manual lymphatic drainage, massage, exercises, patient education, and compression therapy with an average of 23.9 ± 14.8 sessions. Measurement results showed a significant reduction of face and neck lymphedema (p < .05) and pain (from 7.8 ± 2.2 to 3.6 ± 1.6; p < .001). The physical therapy modalities based on strategic manual lymphatic drainage, shoulder girdle massage, facial, tongue and neck exercises, compressive therapy at home, and patient education showed reduction of the lymphedema and pain, both of them secondary to head and neck cancer treatment. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Daytime Symptoms in Primary Insomnia: A Prospective Analysis Using Ecological Momentary Assessment

PubMed Central

Buysse, Daniel J.; Thompson, Wesley; Scott, John; Franzen, Peter L.; Germain, Anne; Hall, Martica L.; Moul, Douglas E.; Nofzinger, Eric A.; Kupfer, David J.

2007-01-01

Objectives To prospectively characterize and compare daytime symptoms in primary insomnia (PI) and good sleeper control (GSC) subjects using ecological momentary assessment; to examine relationships between daytime symptom factors, retrospective psychological and sleep reports, and concurrent sleep diary reports. Methods Subjects included 47 PI and 18 GSC. Retrospective self-reports of daytime and sleep symptoms were collected. Daytime symptoms and sleep diary information were then collected for one week on hand-held computers. The Daytime Insomnia Symptom Scale (DISS) consisted of 19 visual analog scales completed four times per day. Factors for the DISS were derived using functional principal components analysis. Nonparametric tests were used to contrast DISS, retrospective symptom ratings, and sleep diary results in PI and GSC subjects, and to examine relationships among them. Results Four principal components were identified for the DISS: Alert Cognition, Negative Mood, Positive Mood, and Sleepiness/Fatigue. PI scored significantly worse than GSC on all four factors (p < .0003 for each). Among PI subjects DISS scales and retrospective psychological symptoms were related to each other in plausible ways. DISS factors were also related to self-report measures of sleep, whereas retrospective psychological symptom measures were not. Conclusions Daytime symptom factors of alertness, positive and negative mood, and sleepiness/fatigue, collected with ecological momentary assessment, showed impairment in PI versus GSC. DISS factors showed stronger relationships to retrospective sleep symptoms and concurrent sleep diary reports than retrospective psychological symptoms. The diurnal pattern of symptoms may inform studies of the pathophysiology and treatment outcome of insomnia. PMID:17368098

Retrospective Analysis Comparing Hollow Fiber and Silicone Membrane Oxygenators for Neonates on ECMO

PubMed Central

Mejak, Brian; Giacomuzzi, Carmen; Heller, Eileen; You, Xiaomang; Ungerleider, Ross; Shen, Irving

2007-01-01

Abstract: There is little information showing the use of microporous polypropylene hollow fiber oxygenators during extracorporeal life support (ECLS). Recent surveys have shown increasing use of these hollow fibers amongst ECLS centers in the United States. We performed a retrospective analysis comparing the Terumo BabyRx hollow fiber oxygenator to the Medtronic 800 silicone membrane oxygenator on 14 neonatal patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The aim of this study was to investigate the similarities and differences when comparing pressure drops, prime volumes, oxygenator endurance, and gas transfer capabilities between the two groups. PMID:17672186

Is Neonatal Jaundice Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amin, Sanjiv B.; Smith, Tristram; Wang, Hongyue

2011-01-01

Using guidelines of the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology Group, we systematically reviewed the literature on neonatal jaundice (unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in term and preterm infants. Thirteen studies were included in a meta-analysis. Most used retrospective matched case-control…

Graduate Management Project (GMP) Retrospective Analysis of Promotional Mediums for Tricare Prime in Tricare Region 11

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-02-01

retrospective market research information about the population who enrolled in TRICARE Prime in TRICARE Region 11 and the advertising mediums used to promote...improves understanding about TRICARE Advertising and those who enroll in TRICARE Prime. 14. SUBJECT TERMS MARKETING , TRICARE ADVERTISING , PROMOTIONAL...study serves to improve understanding about the various segments of the military healthcare market and the means used to advertise programs that meet

Does antibiotic exposure during infancy lead to development of asthma?: a systematic review and metaanalysis.

PubMed

Marra, Fawziah; Lynd, Larry; Coombes, Megan; Richardson, Kathryn; Legal, Michael; Fitzgerald, J Mark; Marra, Carlo A

2006-03-01

To determine the association between antibiotic exposure in the first year of life and the development of childhood asthma. Metaanalysis of observational studies retrieved through systematic search of all available electronic data sources. Studies included in the metaanalyses were those with populations exposed to one or more courses of antibiotics during the first year of life, and asthma diagnosis was defined as diagnosis by a physician between the age of 1 to 18 years. Retrospective and prospective studies published in the English-language literature from 1966 to present. Eight studies (four prospective and four retrospective) examined the association between exposure to at least one course of antibiotics and development of childhood asthma. The total number of subjects for the analysis comparing exposure to at least one antibiotic to no exposure in the first year of life was 12,082 children and 1,817 asthma cases. In the dose-response analysis, we included data from a total of 27,167 children and 3,392 asthma cases. The pooled odds ratio (OR) for the eight studies was 2.05 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.41 to 2.99). The association was significantly stronger in the retrospective studies (OR, 2.82; 95% CI, 2.07 to 3.85) than the prospective studies (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.88 to 1.42). Five of the eight studies examined whether the association was related to the number of courses of antibiotics taken in the first year of life. The overall OR for the dose-response analysis was 1.16 (95% CI, 1.05 to 1.28) for each additional course of antibiotics; however, this association was not significantly stronger in the retrospective studies (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.18 to 1.60) relative to the prospective studies (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.95 to 1.20). Exposure to at least one course of antibiotics in the first year of life appears to be a risk factor for the development of childhood asthma. Because of the limitations of the studies conducted to date, additional large-scale, prospective studies are needed to confirm this potential association.

Hospital Stay as a Proxy Indicator for Severe Injury in Earthquakes: A Retrospective Analysis

PubMed Central

Zhao, Lu-Ping; Gerdin, Martin; Westman, Lina; Rodriguez-Llanes, Jose Manuel; Wu, Qi; van den Oever, Barbara; Pan, Liang; Albela, Manuel; Chen, Gao; Zhang, De-Sheng; Guha-Sapir, Debarati; von Schreeb, Johan

2013-01-01

Introduction Earthquakes are the most violent type of natural disasters and injuries are the dominant medical problem in the early phases after earthquakes. However, likely because of poor data availability, high-quality research on injuries after earthquakes is lacking. Length of hospital stay (LOS) has been validated as a proxy indicator for injury severity in high-income settings and could potentially be used in retrospective research of injuries after earthquakes. In this study, we assessed LOS as an adequate proxy indicator for severe injury in trauma survivors of an earthquake. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted using a database of 1,878 injured patients from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Our primary outcome was severe injury, defined as a composite measure of serious injury or resource use. Secondary outcomes were serious injury and resource use, analysed separately. Non-parametric receiver operating characteristics (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC) analysis was used to test the discriminatory accuracy of LOS when used to identify severe injury. An 0.7

Hospital stay as a proxy indicator for severe injury in earthquakes: a retrospective analysis.

PubMed

Zhao, Lu-Ping; Gerdin, Martin; Westman, Lina; Rodriguez-Llanes, Jose Manuel; Wu, Qi; van den Oever, Barbara; Pan, Liang; Albela, Manuel; Chen, Gao; Zhang, De-Sheng; Guha-Sapir, Debarati; von Schreeb, Johan

2013-01-01

Earthquakes are the most violent type of natural disasters and injuries are the dominant medical problem in the early phases after earthquakes. However, likely because of poor data availability, high-quality research on injuries after earthquakes is lacking. Length of hospital stay (LOS) has been validated as a proxy indicator for injury severity in high-income settings and could potentially be used in retrospective research of injuries after earthquakes. In this study, we assessed LOS as an adequate proxy indicator for severe injury in trauma survivors of an earthquake. A retrospective analysis was conducted using a database of 1,878 injured patients from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Our primary outcome was severe injury, defined as a composite measure of serious injury or resource use. Secondary outcomes were serious injury and resource use, analysed separately. Non-parametric receiver operating characteristics (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC) analysis was used to test the discriminatory accuracy of LOS when used to identify severe injury. An 0.7

Initial depressive episodes affect the risk of suicide attempts in Korean patients with bipolar disorder.

PubMed

Ryu, Vin; Jon, Duk-In; Cho, Hyun Sang; Kim, Se Joo; Lee, Eun; Kim, Eun Joo; Seok, Jeong-Ho

2010-09-01

Suicide is a major concern for increasing mortality in bipolar patients, but risk factors for suicide in bipolar disorder remain complex, including Korean patients. Medical records of bipolar patients were retrospectively reviewed to detect significant clinical characteristics associated with suicide attempts. A total of 579 medical records were retrospectively reviewed. Bipolar patients were divided into two groups with the presence of a history of suicide attempts. We compared demographic characteristics and clinical features between the two groups using an analysis of covariance and chi-square tests. Finally, logistic regression was performed to evaluate significant risk factors associated with suicide attempts in bipolar disorder. The prevalence of suicide attempt was 13.1% in our patient group. The presence of a depressive first episode was significantly different between attempters and nonattempters. Logistic regression analysis revealed that depressive first episodes and bipolar II disorder were significantly associated with suicide attempts in those patients. Clinicians should consider the polarity of the first mood episode when evaluating suicide risk in bipolar patients. This study has some limitations as a retrospective study and further studies with a prospective design are needed to replicate and evaluate risk factors for suicide in patients with bipolar disorder.

Improving tablet coating robustness by selecting critical process parameters from retrospective data.

PubMed

Galí, A; García-Montoya, E; Ascaso, M; Pérez-Lozano, P; Ticó, J R; Miñarro, M; Suñé-Negre, J M

2016-09-01

Although tablet coating processes are widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, they often lack adequate robustness. Up-scaling can be challenging as minor changes in parameters can lead to varying quality results. To select critical process parameters (CPP) using retrospective data of a commercial product and to establish a design of experiments (DoE) that would improve the robustness of the coating process. A retrospective analysis of data from 36 commercial batches. Batches were selected based on the quality results generated during batch release, some of which revealed quality deviations concerning the appearance of the coated tablets. The product is already marketed and belongs to the portfolio of a multinational pharmaceutical company. The Statgraphics 5.1 software was used for data processing to determine critical process parameters in order to propose new working ranges. This study confirms that it is possible to determine the critical process parameters and create design spaces based on retrospective data of commercial batches. This type of analysis is thus converted into a tool to optimize the robustness of existing processes. Our results show that a design space can be established with minimum investment in experiments, since current commercial batch data are processed statistically.

Freezing and storage at -20 °C provides adequate preservation of Toxoplasma gondii DNA for retrospective molecular analysis.

PubMed

Delhaes, Laurence; Filisetti, Denis; Brenier-Pinchart, Marie-Pierre; Pelloux, Hervé; Yéra, Hélène; Dalle, Frédéric; Sterkers, Yvon; Varlet-Marie, Emmanuelle; Touafek, Feriel; Cassaing, Sophie; Bastien, Patrick

2014-11-01

Nucleic acid-based testing has become crucial for toxoplasmosis diagnosis. For retrospective (forensic or scientific) studies, optimal methods must be employed for DNA long-term storage. We compared Toxoplasma gondii detection before and after DNA storage using real-time PCR. No significant differences were found depending on duration or storage conditions at -20 °C or -80 °C. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Profiles of More and Less Successful L2 Learners: A Cluster Analysis Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sparks, Richard L.; Patton, Jon; Ganschow, Leonore

2012-01-01

This retrospective study examined L1 achievement, intelligence, L2 aptitude, and L2 proficiency profiles of 208 students completing two years of high school L2 courses. A cluster analysis was performed to determine whether distinct cognitive and achievement profiles of more and less successful L2 learners would emerge. The results of…

Racial Differences in Retention in Residential Substance Abuse Treatment: The Impact on African American Men

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, R. Lyle; MacMaster, Samuel; Rasch, Randolph

2010-01-01

Purpose: This study employed a static group comparison design with 106 men in residential treatment to examine the relationship of race to treatment retention. Methods: A retrospective analysis of retention, by race, including survival analysis, was undertaken. Results: Findings from the study indicated that (a) Caucasian men complete treatment…

"Studies in Higher Education" 1976-2013: A Retrospective Using Citation Network Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calma, Angelito; Davies, Martin

2015-01-01

This paper provides a citation network analysis of the publications in "Studies in Higher Education" from 1976 to 2013 inclusive. This represents the entire history of the journal to date. It analyses the most published authors, most cited authors and most discussed topics using keywords. 1056 articles were taken from Web of…

Exploring the Potential of a Global Emerging Contaminant Early Warning Network through the Use of Retrospective Suspect Screening with High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Alygizakis, Nikiforos A; Samanipour, Saer; Hollender, Juliane; Ibáñez, María; Kaserzon, Sarit; Kokkali, Varvara; van Leerdam, Jan A; Mueller, Jochen F; Pijnappels, Martijn; Reid, Malcolm J; Schymanski, Emma L; Slobodnik, Jaroslav; Thomaidis, Nikolaos S; Thomas, Kevin V

2018-05-01

A key challenge in the environmental and exposure sciences is to establish experimental evidence of the role of chemical exposure in human and environmental systems. High resolution and accurate tandem mass spectrometry (HRMS) is increasingly being used for the analysis of environmental samples. One lauded benefit of HRMS is the possibility to retrospectively process data for (previously omitted) compounds that has led to the archiving of HRMS data. Archived HRMS data affords the possibility of exploiting historical data to rapidly and effectively establish the temporal and spatial occurrence of newly identified contaminants through retrospective suspect screening. We propose to establish a global emerging contaminant early warning network to rapidly assess the spatial and temporal distribution of contaminants of emerging concern in environmental samples through performing retrospective analysis on HRMS data. The effectiveness of such a network is demonstrated through a pilot study, where eight reference laboratories with available archived HRMS data retrospectively screened data acquired from aqueous environmental samples collected in 14 countries on 3 different continents. The widespread spatial occurrence of several surfactants (e.g., polyethylene glycols ( PEGs ) and C12AEO-PEGs ), transformation products of selected drugs (e.g., gabapentin-lactam, metoprolol-acid, carbamazepine-10-hydroxy, omeprazole-4-hydroxy-sulfide, and 2-benzothiazole-sulfonic-acid), and industrial chemicals (3-nitrobenzenesulfonate and bisphenol-S) was revealed. Obtaining identifications of increased reliability through retrospective suspect screening is challenging, and recommendations for dealing with issues such as broad chromatographic peaks, data acquisition, and sensitivity are provided.

Effects of Case Western Reserve University's transverse analysis on the quality of orthodontic treatment.

PubMed

Yehya Mostafa, Raweya; Bous, Rany M; Hans, Mark G; Valiathan, Manish; Copeland, Garrison E; Palomo, Juan Martin

2017-08-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of using the transverse analysis developed at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in Cleveland, Ohio. The hypotheses were based on the following: (1) Does following CWRU's transverse analysis improve the orthodontic results? (2) Does following CWRU's transverse analysis minimize the active treatment duration? A retrospective cohort research study was conducted on a randomly selected sample of 100 subjects. The sample had CWRU's analysis performed retrospectively, and the sample was divided according to whether the subjects followed what CWRU's transverse analysis would have suggested. The American Board of Orthodontics discrepancy index was used to assess the pretreatment records, and quality of the result was evaluated using the American Board of Orthodontics cast/radiograph evaluation. The Mann-Whitney test was used for the comparison. CWRU's transverse analysis significantly improved the total cast/radiograph evaluation scores (P = 0.041), especially the buccolingual inclination component (P = 0.001). However, it did not significantly affect treatment duration (P = 0.106). CWRU's transverse analysis significantly improves the orthodontic results but does not have significant effects on treatment duration. Copyright © 2017 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Somatoform disorder as a predictor of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome: Evidence from a nested case-control study and a retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Chen, I-Chun; Lee, Ming-Huei; Lin, Hsuan-Hung; Wu, Shang-Liang; Chang, Kun-Min; Lin, Hsiu-Ying

2017-05-01

Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) has several well-known comorbid psychiatric manifestations, including insomnia, anxiety, and depression. We hypothesized that somatoform disorder, which is a psychosomatic disease, can be used as a sensitive psychiatric phenotype of IC/BPS. We investigated whether somatoform disorder increases the risk of IC/BPS.A nested case-control study and a retrospective cohort study were followed up over a 12-year period (2002-2013) in the Taiwan Health Insurance Reimbursement Database. In the nested case-control study, 1612 patients with IC/BPS were matched in a 1:2 ratio to 3224 controls based on propensity scores. The odds ratio for somatoform disorder was calculated using conditional logistic regression analysis. In the retrospective cohort study, 1436 patients with somatoform disorder were matched in a 1:2 ratio to 2872 patients with nonsomatoform disorder based on propensity scores. Cox regression analysis was used to estimate the hazard ratio associated with the development of IC/BPS in patients with somatoform disorder, and the cumulative survival probability was tested using the Kaplan-Meier analysis.We found that the odds ratio for somatoform disorder was 2.46 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-5.76). Although the average time until IC/BPS development in the control subjects was 11.5 ± 1.3 years, this interval was shorter in patients with somatoform disorder (6.3 ± 3.6 years). The hazard ratio for developing IC/BPS was 2.50 (95% CI 1.23-5.58); the adjusted hazard ratio was 2.26 (95% CI 1.002-5.007). The patients and controls also differed significantly in their cumulative survival probability for IC/BPS (log rank P < .05).Evidence from the nested case-control study and retrospective cohort study consistently indicated that somatoform disorder increases the risk for IC/BPS. Our study suggests that somatoform disorder can be used as a sensitive psychiatric phenotype to predict IC/BPS. Any past history of somatoform disorder should be documented while examining patients with IC/BPS.

Marital dissolution: an economic analysis.

PubMed

Hunter, K A

1984-01-01

A longitudinal analysis of factors affecting marital dissolution in the United States is presented using data from the Coleman-Rossi Retrospective Life History. Factors considered include labor force participation of both spouses, wage growth, size of family unit, age at marriage, and educational status. The study is based on the economic analysis approach developed by Gary S. Becker and others.

77 FR 8114 - Plan for Retrospective Analysis of Existing Rules

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-14

... Existing Rules without significant changes from the version that was preliminarily proposed. Accordingly... modification or elimination of existing regulations. Once an appropriate rule change has been identified, the... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION 19 CFR Chapter II Plan for Retrospective Analysis of Existing Rules...

An analysis of retrospective and repeat prospective reports of adverse childhood experiences from the South African Birth to Twenty Plus cohort

PubMed Central

Norris, Shane A.; Mabaso, Musawenkosi; Richter, Linda M.

2017-01-01

Most studies rely on cross-sectional retrospective reports from adult samples to collect information about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to examine relationships with adult outcomes. The problems associated with these reports have long been debated, with only a few studies determining their reliability and validity and fewer still reaching consensus on the matter. This paper uses repeat prospective and retrospective reports of adverse childhood experiences from two respondent sources in the South African Birth to Twenty Plus (Bt20+) cohort to explore agreement and concordance in the prospective reporting of ACEs by caregivers and respective children as adolescents and then as young adults. The findings demonstrate little overall agreement between prospective and retrospective accounts of childhood experiences, with 80% of kappa values below the moderate agreement cutoff (k = .41). The highest levels of agreement were found between prospective and retrospective reporting on parental and household death (kappas ranging from .519 to .944). Comparisons between prospective caregiver reports and retrospective young adult reports yielded high concordance rates on sexual and physical abuse and exposure to intimate partner violence (91.0%, 87.7% and 80.2%, respectively). The prevalence of reported ACEs varied with the age of the respondent, with adolescents reporting much higher rates of exposure to violence, physical and sexual abuse than are reported retrospectively or by caregivers. This variation may partly reflect actual changes in circumstances with maturation, but may be influenced by developmental stage and issues of memory, cognition and emotional state more than has been considered in previous analyses. More research, across disciplines, is needed to understand these processes and their effect on recall. Long-term prospective studies are critical for this purpose. In conclusion, methodological research that uses a range of information sources to establish the reliability and validity of both retrospective and prospective reports ‒ recognizing that the two approaches may fundamentally answer different questions ‒ should be encouraged. PMID:28746343

Using Generalizability Analysis to Estimate Parameters for Anatomy Assessments: A Multi-institutional Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byram, Jessica N.; Seifert, Mark F.; Brooks, William S.; Fraser-Cotlin, Laura; Thorp, Laura E.; Williams, James M.; Wilson, Adam B.

2017-01-01

With integrated curricula and multidisciplinary assessments becoming more prevalent in medical education, there is a continued need for educational research to explore the advantages, consequences, and challenges of integration practices. This retrospective analysis investigated the number of items needed to reliably assess anatomical knowledge in…

Does cell phone use increase the chances of parotid gland tumor development? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

de Siqueira, Elisa Carvalho; de Souza, Fabrício Tinoco Alvim; Gomez, Ricardo Santiago; Gomes, Carolina Cavalieri; de Souza, Renan Pedra

2017-08-01

Prior epidemiological studies had examined the association between cell phone use and the development of tumors in the parotid glands. However, there is no consensus about the question of whether cell phone use is associated with increased risk of tumors in the parotid glands. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the existing literature about the mean question and to determine their statistical significance. Primary association studies. Papers that associated cell phone use and parotid gland tumors development were included, with no restrictions regarding publication date, language, and place of publication. Systematic literature search using PubMed, SciELO and Embase followed by meta-analysis. Initial screening included 37 articles, and three were included in meta-analysis. Using three independent samples including 5087 subjects from retrospective case-control studies, cell phone use seems to be associated with greater odds (1.28, 95%- confidence interval: 1.09-1.51) to develop salivary gland tumor. Results should be read with caution due to the limited number of studies available and their retrospective design. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An investigation into prospective memory in children with developmental dyslexia.

PubMed

Khan, Azizuddin

2014-01-01

Developmental dyslexia hinders reading and writing acquisition of around 5-10% of the children all over the world. However, little is known about role of prospective memory among dyslexics. Prospective memory is realization of delayed intention. Realization of delayed intention requires self initiated process. The present study explored the role of memory (prospective and retrospective memory), meta-memory and attention among dyslexic's children. One hundred and fifteen children (51 dyslexics and 64 normal controls) participated in the study. Prospective and retrospective memory questionnaire, everyday attention questionnaire and meta-memory were administered on children. Analysis of variance was used to analyses the data. All the main effects were significant. Some interactions were also found to be significant. Results suggest that dyslexic's performance on memory (prospective and retrospective memory) was worse than normal control. Meta-memory influences both dyslexics and normal control on prospective and retrospective memory. However, meta-memory affected dyslexics much more than normal control group. Similarly, significant differential effects were observed for simple, difficult and mixed attentional condition among between dyslexics and normal control. Dyslexic's performance was deteriorated as compared to normal control group. The findings of the study are discussed in the light of the existing literature.

An investigation into prospective memory in children with developmental dyslexia

PubMed Central

Khan, Azizuddin

2014-01-01

Developmental dyslexia hinders reading and writing acquisition of around 5–10% of the children all over the world. However, little is known about role of prospective memory among dyslexics. Prospective memory is realization of delayed intention. Realization of delayed intention requires self initiated process. The present study explored the role of memory (prospective and retrospective memory), meta-memory and attention among dyslexic's children. One hundred and fifteen children (51 dyslexics and 64 normal controls) participated in the study. Prospective and retrospective memory questionnaire, everyday attention questionnaire and meta-memory were administered on children. Analysis of variance was used to analyses the data. All the main effects were significant. Some interactions were also found to be significant. Results suggest that dyslexic's performance on memory (prospective and retrospective memory) was worse than normal control. Meta-memory influences both dyslexics and normal control on prospective and retrospective memory. However, meta-memory affected dyslexics much more than normal control group. Similarly, significant differential effects were observed for simple, difficult and mixed attentional condition among between dyslexics and normal control. Dyslexic's performance was deteriorated as compared to normal control group. The findings of the study are discussed in the light of the existing literature. PMID:25538638

Monotherapy versus Combination Therapy against Nonbacteremic Carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative Infections: A Retrospective Observational Study.

PubMed

Ghafur, Abdul; Devarajan, Vidyalakshmi; Raja, T; Easow, Jose; Raja, M A; Sreenivas, Sankar; Ramakrishnan, Balasubramaniam; Raman, S G; Devaprasad, Dedeepiya; Venkatachalam, Balaji; Nimmagadda, Ramesh

2017-12-01

Superiority of colistin-carbapenem combination therapy (CCCT) over colistin monotherapy (CMT) against carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacterial (CRGNB) infections is not conclusively proven. The aim of the current study was to analyze the effectiveness of both strategies against CRGNB nonbacteremic infections. This was a retrospective observational cohort study. Case record analysis of patients who had CRGNB nonbacteremic infections identified over a period of 4 years (January 2012-December 2015) was done by medical record review at a tertiary care center in India. P < 0.05 was considered as significant. Multivariate analysis was performed using Cox regression. Out of 153 patients (pneumonia 115, urinary tract infection 17, complicated skin and soft-tissue infection 18, intra-abdominal infection 1, and meningitis 2), 92 patients received CCCT and 61 received CMT. Univariate analysis revealed higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score, pneumonia as the diagnosis, and Klebsiella as the causative organism to be the risk factors for higher 28-day mortality ( P = 0.036, 0.006, 0.016, respectively). Combination therapy had no significant impact on mortality (odds ratio [OR] = 0.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.327-2.535, P = 0.857). Multivariate analysis revealed that higher APACHE II score and infection due to Klebsiella were found to be independent risk factors for higher mortality (OR = 3.16 and 4.9, 95% CI = 1.34-7.4 and 2.19-11.2, P = 0.008 and 0.0001, respectively). In our retrospective single-center series of CRGNB nonbacteremic infections, CCCT was not superior to CMT. Multicenter large observational studies or prospective randomized clinical trials are the need of the hour.

Safety of ranibizumab in routine clinical practice: 1-year retrospective pooled analysis of four European neovascular AMD registries within the LUMINOUS programme.

PubMed

Holz, Frank G; Bandello, Francesco; Gillies, Mark; Mitchell, Paul; Osborne, Aaron; Sheidow, Tom; Souied, Eric; Figueroa, Marta S

2013-09-01

Evaluation of 1-year safety profile of intravitreal ranibizumab 0.5 mg in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NV-AMD) within routine clinical practice. The LUMINOUS programme comprises a prospective observational study assessing ranibizumab 'real-world' safety and clinical effectiveness across licensed indications worldwide and an annual retrospective pooled safety analysis from completed NV-AMD ranibizumab registries. 1-year data from four European registries are available. This retrospective pooled safety analysis assessed 1-year incidence rates for safety events of particular interest (key ocular or systemic events possibly related to the injection procedure or vascular endothelial growth factor inhibition) together with treatment exposure. Patients were treated according to local protocols within the ranibizumab licence. Data of 4444 patients from registries in Germany (n=3470), the Netherlands (n=243), Belgium (n=260) and Sweden (n=471) were retrospectively pooled. Between 70.4% and 84.4% of enrolled patients completed 1 year of follow-up. Most frequent overall ocular events of particular interest were retinal pigment epithelial tears (27 patients; <1%) and intraocular pressure-related events (12 patients; <0.3%). Most frequent non-ocular event of particular interest was stroke (19 patients; 0.4%); annual incidence of stroke was low across all registries (0.0-0.5%). Ranibizumab demonstrated favourable 1-year safety profile for NV-AMD in this routine clinical practice sample, consistent with previous reported trial data. Additional data from a larger patient population are needed to better describe the long-term safety profile of ranibizumab in routine clinical practice and further evaluate risk for infrequent but serious events in 'real-life' settings. The 5-year LUMINOUS prospective observational study will address this need.

Safety of ranibizumab in routine clinical practice: 1-year retrospective pooled analysis of four European neovascular AMD registries within the LUMINOUS programme

PubMed Central

Holz, Frank G; Bandello, Francesco; Gillies, Mark; Mitchell, Paul; Osborne, Aaron; Sheidow, Tom; Souied, Eric; Figueroa, Marta S

2013-01-01

Purpose Evaluation of 1-year safety profile of intravitreal ranibizumab 0.5 mg in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NV-AMD) within routine clinical practice. Methods The LUMINOUS programme comprises a prospective observational study assessing ranibizumab ‘real-world’ safety and clinical effectiveness across licensed indications worldwide and an annual retrospective pooled safety analysis from completed NV-AMD ranibizumab registries. 1-year data from four European registries are available. This retrospective pooled safety analysis assessed 1-year incidence rates for safety events of particular interest (key ocular or systemic events possibly related to the injection procedure or vascular endothelial growth factor inhibition) together with treatment exposure. Patients were treated according to local protocols within the ranibizumab licence. Results Data of 4444 patients from registries in Germany (n=3470), the Netherlands (n=243), Belgium (n=260) and Sweden (n=471) were retrospectively pooled. Between 70.4% and 84.4% of enrolled patients completed 1 year of follow-up. Most frequent overall ocular events of particular interest were retinal pigment epithelial tears (27 patients; <1%) and intraocular pressure-related events (12 patients; <0.3%). Most frequent non-ocular event of particular interest was stroke (19 patients; 0.4%); annual incidence of stroke was low across all registries (0.0–0.5%). Conclusions Ranibizumab demonstrated favourable 1-year safety profile for NV-AMD in this routine clinical practice sample, consistent with previous reported trial data. Additional data from a larger patient population are needed to better describe the long-term safety profile of ranibizumab in routine clinical practice and further evaluate risk for infrequent but serious events in ‘real-life’ settings. The 5-year LUMINOUS prospective observational study will address this need. PMID:23850682

Does culture medium influence offspring birth weight?

PubMed

Carrasco, Beatriz; Boada, Montserrat; Rodríguez, Ignacio; Coroleu, Buenaventura; Barri, Pedro N; Veiga, Anna

2013-11-01

To determine whether the type of medium used to culture human embryos in vitro influences neonatal birth weight after IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). A prospective study and a retrospective study. Private assisted reproduction center. The prospective study included 449 IVF/ICSI cycles from August to December 2008. The retrospective analysis was performed for 2,518 IVF/ICSI cycles from October 2006 to December 2010. In the prospective study, patients were randomized for embryo culture in Cook or Vitrolife medium. The retrospective study was performed with three different culture media (MediCult, Cook, and Vitrolife). Mean birth weight, adjusted for gestational age and gender (z score) of newborns. In the prospective study, the average z score was -0.19 ± 0.85 in Cook and 0.08 ± 1.40 in Vitrolife. In the retrospective study, the z scores obtained in each group were as follows: Cook, -0.14 ± 0.96; MediCult, 0.06 ± 1.13; and Vitrolife, 0.03 ± 1.05. No significant differences were observed regarding the birth weight of children born in the different groups in both studies. The results do not show any relationship between the medium used for in vitro culture and mean birth weight adjusted for gestational age and gender of singletons born after IVF/ICSI. Copyright © 2013 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Treatment results and prognostic factors of pediatric neuroblastoma: a retrospective study.

PubMed

El-Sayed, Mohamed I; Ali, Amany M; Sayed, Heba A; Zaky, Eman M

2010-12-24

We conducted a retrospective analysis to investigate treatment results and prognostic factors of pediatric neuroblastoma patients. This retrospective study was carried out analyzing the medical records of patients with the pathological diagnosis of neuroblastoma seen at South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University during the period from January 2001 and January 2010. After induction chemotherapy, response according to international neuoblastoma response criteria was assessed. Radiotherapy to patients with residual primary tumor was applied. Overall and event free survival (OAS and EFS) rates were estimated using Graphed prism program. The Log-rank test was used to examine differences in OAS and EFS rates. Cox-regression multivariate analysis was done to determine the independent prognostic factors affecting survival rates. Fifty three cases were analyzed. The median follow-up duration was 32 months and ranged from 2 to 84 months. The 3-year OAS and EFS rates were 39.4% and 29.3% respectively. Poor prognostic factors included age >1 year of age, N-MYC amplification, and high risk group. The majority of patients (68%) presented in high risk group, where treatment outcome was poor, as only 21% of patients survived for 3 year. Multivariate analysis confirmed only the association between survival and risk group. However, in univariate analysis, local radiation therapy resulted in significant survival improvement. Therefore, radiotherapy should be given to patients with residual tumor evident after induction chemotherapy and surgery. Future attempts to improve OAS in high risk group patients with aggressive chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation should be considered.

Data from: Retrospective analysis of a classical biological control programme

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This database contains the raw data for the publication entitled Naranjo, S.E. 2018. Retrospective analysis of a classical biological control programme. Journal of Applied Ecology https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13163. Specific data include field-based, partial life table data for immature stage...

76 FR 63276 - Reducing Regulatory Burden; Retrospective Review Under E.O. 13563

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-12

... retrospective analysis of existing regulations and develop a preliminary plan to review periodically significant... a voluntary basis, an analysis of its existing regulations. On May 18, 2011, the Board's Chairman..., Nat'l Trails System Act & R.R. Rights-of-Way; EP 699, Assessment of Mediation and Arbitration...

Early Vocal Development in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rett Syndrome, and Fragile X Syndrome: Insights from Studies using Retrospective Video Analysis.

PubMed

Roche, Laura; Zhang, Dajie; Bartl-Pokorny, Katrin D; Pokorny, Florian B; Schuller, Björn W; Esposito, Gianluca; Bölte, Sven; Roeyers, Herbert; Poustka, Luise; Gugatschka, Markus; Waddington, Hannah; Vollmann, Ralf; Einspieler, Christa; Marschik, Peter B

2018-03-01

This article provides an overview of studies assessing the early vocalisations of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Rett syndrome (RTT), and fragile X syndrome (FXS) using retrospective video analysis (RVA) during the first two years of life. Electronic databases were systematically searched and a total of 23 studies were selected. These studies were then categorised according to whether children were later diagnosed with ASD (13 studies), RTT (8 studies), or FXS (2 studies), and then described in terms of (a) participant characteristics, (b) control group characteristics, (c) video footage, (d) behaviours analysed, and (e) main findings. This overview supports the use of RVA in analysing the early development of vocalisations in children later diagnosed with ASD, RTT or FXS, and provides an in-depth analysis of vocalisation presentation, complex vocalisation production, and the rate and/or frequency of vocalisation production across the three disorders. Implications are discussed in terms of extending crude vocal analyses to more precise methods that might provide more powerful means by which to discriminate between disorders during early development. A greater understanding of the early manifestation of these disorders may then lead to improvements in earlier detection.

Valganciclovir and bevacizumab for recurrent glioblastoma: A single-institution experience

PubMed Central

PENG, CHENGWEI; WANG, JIALING; TANKSLEY, JARRED P.; MOBLEY, BRET C.; AYERS, GREGORY D.; MOOTS, PAUL L.; CLARK, STEPHEN W.

2016-01-01

Prolonged treatment with adjuvant valganciclovir has been shown in one retrospective study to exert a significant effect on overall survival (OS) in newly diagnosed patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). However, studies evaluating the effectiveness of valganciclovir in the treatment of recurrent GBM have not been performed. We evaluated the effect of valganciclovir in the recurrent setting in combination with bevacizumab therapy. A retrospective analysis was performed on patients treated for recurrent GBM with off-label valganciclovir and bevacizumab at Vanderbilt University. We identified 13 patients who received valganciclovir plus bevacizumab at some point during their treatment, 8 of whom were started on valganciclovir and bevacizumab concurrently upon first recurrence, whereas 5 had valganciclovir added to their bevacizumab regimen prior to a second recurrence. of these patients, 12 were pathologically confirmed to have GBM, and 1 patient was diagnosed with gliosarcoma. We also identified an institutional cohort of 50 patients who had not been exposed to valganciclovir, but were treated with bevacizumab for first recurrence. The progression-free survival (PFS) at 6 months (PF6) and median OS (mOS) in the valganciclovir plus bevacizumab group was 62% and 13.1 months, respectively, for all 13 patients, and 50% and 11.3 months, respectively, for the 8 concurrently treated patients. In the institutional bevacizumab cohort, the PF6 and mOS were 34% and 8.7 months, respectively. In this retrospective analysis, valganciclovir in combination with bevacizumab exhibited a trend toward improved survival in patients with recurrent GBM. However, given the small sample size and the retrospective nature of this study, a larger prospective study is required to confirm these results. PMID:26893852

Myeloperoxidase mRNA detection for lineage determination of leukemic blasts: retrospective analysis.

PubMed

Crisan, D; Anstett, M J

1995-07-01

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) mRNA is an early myeloid marker; its detection in the morphologically and immunophenotypically primitive blasts of acute undifferentiated leukemia (AUL) establishes myeloid lineage and allows reclassification as acute myelogenous leukemia with minimal differentiation (AML-MO). We have previously reported a procedure for MPO mRNA detection by RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) and an adaptation for use of routine hematology smears. This variant procedure allows retrospective analysis of mRNA and is used in the present study to evaluate the lineage of leukemic blasts in seven cases with morphology and cytochemistry consistent with AUL. All hematology smears used in this study were air-dried, unstained or Wright-stained and stored at room temperature for periods varying between 3 days and 2 years. MPO mRNA was detected in six cases, establishing the myeloid lineage of the blasts and the diagnosis of AML-MO. In the remaining case, the blasts were MPO mRNA negative, confirming the diagnosis of AUL. The RT-PCR procedure for retrospective mRNA analysis is useful in the clinical setting, due to its high specificity and sensitivity, speed (less than 24 h), safety (no radioactivity) and convenient use of routine hematology smears; it is particularly attractive in clinical situations when fresh or frozen specimens are no longer available at the time when the need for molecular diagnostics becomes apparent.

Long-term outcomes of dental implants placed in elderly patients: a retrospective clinical and radiographic analysis.

PubMed

Park, Jung-Chul; Baek, Won-Sun; Choi, Seong-Ho; Cho, Kyoo-Sung; Jung, Ui-Won

2017-02-01

The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the clinical and the radiographic outcomes of dental implants placed in elderly people older than 65 years. In total, 902 implants in 346 patients (age: 65-89 years) were followed up for 2-17 years following the implant surgery. The survival rate of these implants was recorded and analyzed. Changes in marginal bone levels were also analyzed in serial radiographs, and Cox regression analysis for implant loss was performed. The survival rates were 95.39% and 99.98% in the implant- and patient-based analyses, respectively (involving a total of 29 implant failures), and the marginal bone loss at the implants was 0.17 ± 0.71 mm (mean ± SD). The number of failures was greatest in patients aged 65-69 years. The Cox regression with shared frailty analysis showed that implant loss was significantly greater in those aged 65-69 years than in those aged 70-74 years (P < 0.05), and it varied between specific implant systems. Within the limitations of this retrospective study, it was concluded that implant therapy can be successfully provided to elderly patients and that age alone does not seem to affect the implant survival rate. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A QUALITATIVE RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF POSITIVE CONTROL DATA IN DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROTOXICITY STUDIES.

EPA Science Inventory

A manuscript reviews positive control data submitted by registrants in support of Developmental Neurotoxicity (DNT) guideline studies. Adequate positive control data are needed to evaluate laboratory proficiency in detecting changes in the structure and function of the developin...

Adult Learning Development in Poland in the 20th Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boiarska-Khomenko, Anna

2017-01-01

The article presents a retrospective analysis of adult learning development in Poland in the 20th century. Based on the study and analysis of historical and pedagogical literature, normative documents of the official bodies of Polish government, the periodical press of the 20th century, several stages of adult learning development, in the…

Epidemiological modeling and risk analysis of Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis in the human population of Coastal Chiapas, Mexico in 2007-2009

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Analysis of 101 febrile illness patients sero positive for Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEEV) was carried out in a retrospective study along 18 municipalities and endemic VEEV pacific coastal regions of the State of Chiapas in southern Mexico. Geographic information systems (GIS), satellite imag...

A retrospective detection algorithm for extraction of weak targets in clutter and interference environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prengaman, R. J.; Thurber, R. E.; Bath, W. G.

The usefulness of radar systems depends on the ability to distinguish between signals returned from desired targets and noise. A retrospective processor uses all contacts (or 'plots') from several past radar scans, taking into account all possible target trajectories formed from stored contacts for each input detection. The processor eliminates many false alarms, while retaining those contacts describing resonable trajectories. The employment of a retrospective processor makes it, therefore, possible to obtain large improvements in detection sensitivity in certain important clutter environments. Attention is given to the retrospective processing concept, a theoretical analysis of the multiscan detection process, the experimental evaluation of retrospective data filter, and aspects of retrospective data filter hardware implementation.

Measuring change in quality of life: bias in prospective and retrospective evaluation.

PubMed

Blome, Christine; Augustin, Matthias

2015-01-01

Treatment effects on health-related quality of life (QOL) often differ depending on whether they are measured prospectively (before and after treatment) or retrospectively (after treatment only). These two approaches can be subject to different sorts of bias: Prospective evaluations may be biased by scale recalibration (a changed understanding of the response scale), and retrospective evaluations may be biased by recall bias (a wrong assessment of former QOL). On the basis of an analysis of the literature, we present an overview on possible biases in prospective and retrospective measurement of QOL and how these biases are named and defined in the literature. The definitions of different biases are inconsistent. Many authors do not clearly distinguish measurement bias from true change. Furthermore, some consider only scale recalibration or only recall bias. Much of the current discussion on bias in prospective and retrospective QOL measurement suffers from unclear definitions, especially of "response shift" and "recall bias," or from neglecting one of the possible biases. We suggest more elaborate definitions for different types of bias and recommend taking both kinds of bias into consideration when measuring change in QOL. The relevance of the different biases depends on the type of study, and so either prospective or retrospective assessment may be more appropriate. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A study on characteristics of retrospective optimal interpolation with WRF testbed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, S.; Noh, N.; Lim, G.

2012-12-01

This study presents the application of retrospective optimal interpolation (ROI) with Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF). Song et al. (2009) suggest ROI method which is an optimal interpolation (OI) that gradually assimilates observations over the analysis window for variance-minimum estimate of an atmospheric state at the initial time of the analysis window. Song and Lim (2011) improve the method by incorporating eigen-decomposition and covariance inflation. ROI method assimilates the data at post analysis time using perturbation method (Errico and Raeder, 1999) without adjoint model. In this study, ROI method is applied to WRF model to validate the algorithm and to investigate the capability. The computational costs for ROI can be reduced due to the eigen-decomposition of background error covariance. Using the background error covariance in eigen-space, 1-profile assimilation experiment is performed. The difference between forecast errors with assimilation and without assimilation is obviously increased as time passed, which means the improvement of forecast error by assimilation. The characteristics and strength/weakness of ROI method are investigated by conducting the experiments with other data assimilation method.

Employee reactions and adjustment to euthanasia-related work: identifying turning-point events through retrospective narratives.

PubMed

Reeve, Charlie L; Spitzmuller, Christiane; Rogelberg, Steven G; Walker, Alan; Schultz, Lisa; Clark, Olga

2004-01-01

This study used a retrospective narrative procedure to examine the critical events that influence reactions and adjustment to euthanasia-related work of 35 employees who have stayed in the animal care and welfare field for at least 2 years. The study analyzed adjustment trajectory graphs and interview notes to identify turning-point events that spurred either a positive or negative change in shelter workers' psychological well-being. Analysis of the identified turning-point events revealed 10 common event themes that have implications for a range of work, personnel, and organizational practices. The article discusses implications for shelter, employee, and animal welfare.

Laxative use and clinical correlates in hospitalized patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: a retrospective descriptive study.

PubMed

Lai, Jianbo; Zhou, Weihua; Lu, Qiaoqiao; Huang, Tingting; Xu, Yi; Hu, Shaohua

2018-01-01

Constipation is a common clinical problem with insufficient attention. Medication-emergent constipation is a rarely studied adverse reaction in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In this descriptive study, we retrospectively investigated the prevalence of laxative use and its relationship with clinical characteristics in hospitalized OCD patients. A total of 51 OCD patients were included in the final analysis. The proportion of patients using laxatives was 31.4%, and the commonly used laxatives were phenolphthalein tablet, lactulose and congrongtongbian oral liquid (a patent herbal medicine). In the laxative group, hospital stays were longer when compared to the nonlaxative group. Moreover, the dose of paroxetine was higher in patients treated with laxatives than in those without laxative use. Correlation analysis indicated that laxative use was positively associated with hospital stays, as well as the dose of paroxetine. The current study provided a preliminary picture of constipation and laxative use in hospitalized OCD patients. Close monitoring and treatment of constipation are recommended in OCD patients with pharmacotherapy.

A retrospective analysis of toxicity studies in dogs and impact on the chronic reference dose for conventional pesticide chemicals.

PubMed

Dellarco, Vicki L; Rowland, Jess; May, Brenda

2010-01-01

Prior to October 2007, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required both 13-week and 1-year studies in Beagle dogs be submitted in support of registration for pesticides. Following an extensive retrospective analysis, we (the authors) determined that the 1-year toxicity dog study should be eliminated as a requirement for pesticide registration. The present work presents this retrospective analysis of results from 13-week and 1-year dog studies for 110 conventional pesticide chemicals, representing more than 50 classes of pesticides. The data were evaluated to determine if the 13-week dog study, in addition to the long-term studies in two rodent species (mice and rats), were sufficient for the identification of no observed adverse effect levels (NOAELs) and lowest observed adverse effect levels (LOAELs) for the derivation of chronic reference doses (RfD). Only pesticides with adequate 13-week and 1-year duration studies were included in the present evaluation. Toxicity endpoints and dose-response data from 13-week and 1-year studies were compared. The analysis showed that 70 of the 110 pesticides had similar critical effects regardless of duration and had NOAELs and LOAELs within a difference of 1.5-fold of each other. For the remaining 40 pesticides, 31 had lower NOAELs and LOAELs in the 1-year study, primarily due to dose selection and spacing. In only 2% of the cases were additional toxic effects identified in the 1-year study that were not observed in the 13-week study and/or in the rodent studies. In 8% of the cases, the 1-year dog had a lower NOAEL and/or LOAEL than the 13-week study, but there would have been no regulatory impact if the 1-year dog study had not been performed because adequate data were available from the other required studies. A dog toxicity study beyond 13-weeks does not have significant impact on the derivation of a chronic RfD for pesticide risk assessment.

Analysis of First-Time Unsuccessful Attempts on the Certified Nurse Educator Examination.

PubMed

Lundeen, John D

This retrospective analysis examined first-time unsuccessful attempts on the Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) examination from September 2005 through September 2011 (n = 390). There are few studies examining certification within the academic nurse educator role. There is also a lack of evidence to assist nurse educators in understanding those factors that best support success on the CNE exam. Nonexperimental, descriptive, retrospective correlational design using chi-square test of independence and factorial analyses of variance. A statistically significant relationship was found between first-time failure and highest degree obtained and institutional affiliation on the CNE exam. There was no statistically significant effect on mean scores in any of the six content areas measured by the CNE exam as related to highest degree or institutional affiliation. The findings from this study support a previous recommendation for faculty development, experience in the role, and doctoral preparation prior to seeking certification.

How many drinks did you have on September 11, 2001?

PubMed

Perrine, M W Bud; Schroder, Kerstin E E

2005-07-01

This study tested the predictability of error in retrospective self-reports of alcohol consumption on September 11, 2001, among 80 Vermont light, medium and heavy drinkers. Subjects were 52 men and 28 women participating in daily self-reports of alcohol consumption for a total of 2 years, collected via interactive voice response technology (IVR). In addition, retrospective self-reports of alcohol consumption on September 11, 2001, were collected by telephone interview 4-5 days following the terrorist attacks. Retrospective error was calculated as the difference between the IVR self-report of drinking behavior on September 11 and the retrospective self-report collected by telephone interview. Retrospective error was analyzed as a function of gender and baseline drinking behavior during the 365 days preceding September 11, 2001 (termed "the baseline"). The intraclass correlation (ICC) between daily IVR and retrospective self-reports of alcohol consumption on September 11 was .80. Women provided, on average, more accurate self-reports (ICC = .96) than men (ICC = .72) but displayed more underreporting bias in retrospective responses. Amount and individual variability of alcohol consumption during the 1-year baseline explained, on average, 11% of the variance in overreporting (r = .33), 9% of the variance in underreporting (r = .30) and 25% of the variance in the overall magnitude of error (r = .50), with correlations up to .62 (r2 = .38). The size and direction of error were clearly predictable from the amount and variation in drinking behavior during the 1-year baseline period. The results demonstrate the utility and detail of information that can be derived from daily IVR self-reports in the analysis of retrospective error.

Treatment results and prognostic factors of pediatric neuroblastoma: a retrospective study

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background We conducted a retrospective analysis to investigate treatment results and prognostic factors of pediatric neuroblastoma patients. Methods This retrospective study was carried out analyzing the medical records of patients with the pathological diagnosis of neuroblastoma seen at South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University during the period from January 2001 and January 2010. After induction chemotherapy, response according to international neuoblastoma response criteria was assessed. Radiotherapy to patients with residual primary tumor was applied. Overall and event free survival (OAS and EFS) rates were estimated using Graphed prism program. The Log-rank test was used to examine differences in OAS and EFS rates. Cox-regression multivariate analysis was done to determine the independent prognostic factors affecting survival rates. Results Fifty three cases were analyzed. The median follow-up duration was 32 months and ranged from 2 to 84 months. The 3-year OAS and EFS rates were 39.4% and 29.3% respectively. Poor prognostic factors included age >1 year of age, N-MYC amplification, and high risk group. The majority of patients (68%) presented in high risk group, where treatment outcome was poor, as only 21% of patients survived for 3 year. Conclusion Multivariate analysis confirmed only the association between survival and risk group. However, in univariate analysis, local radiation therapy resulted in significant survival improvement. Therefore, radiotherapy should be given to patients with residual tumor evident after induction chemotherapy and surgery. Future attempts to improve OAS in high risk group patients with aggressive chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation should be considered. PMID:21182799

Planning for Retrospective Conversion: A Simulation of the OCLC TAPECON Service.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanson, Heidi; Pronevitz, Gregory

1989-01-01

Describes a simulation of OCLC's TAPECON retrospective conversion service and its impact on an online catalog in a large university research library. The analysis includes results of Library of Congress Card Numbers, author/title, and title searches, and hit rates based on an analysis of OCLC and locally generated reports. (three references)…

The role of matched controls in building an evidence base for hospital-avoidance schemes: a retrospective evaluation.

PubMed

Steventon, Adam; Bardsley, Martin; Billings, John; Georghiou, Theo; Lewis, Geraint Hywel

2012-08-01

To test whether two hospital-avoidance interventions altered rates of hospital use: "intermediate care" and "integrated care teams." Linked administrative data for England covering the period 2004 to 2009. This study was commissioned after the interventions had been in place for several years. We developed a method based on retrospective analysis of person-level data comparing health care use of participants with that of prognostically matched controls. Individuals were linked to administrative datasets through a trusted intermediary and a unique patient identifier. Participants who received the intermediate care intervention showed higher rates of unscheduled hospital admission than matched controls, whereas recipients of the integrated care team intervention showed no difference. Both intervention groups showed higher rates of mortality than did their matched controls. These are potentially powerful techniques for assessing impacts on hospital activity. Neither intervention reduced admission rates. Although our analysis of hospital utilization controlled for a wide range of observable characteristics, the difference in mortality rates suggests that some residual confounding is likely. Evaluation is constrained when performed retrospectively, and careful interpretation is needed. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Population Pharmacokinetics and Therapeutic Efficacy of Febuxostat in Patients with Severe Renal Impairment.

PubMed

Hira, Daiki; Chisaki, Yugo; Noda, Satoshi; Araki, Hisazumi; Uzu, Takashi; Maegawa, Hiroshi; Yano, Yoshitaka; Morita, Shin-Ya; Terada, Tomohiro

2015-01-01

The aim of the present study was to determine the influence of severe renal dysfunction (estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 ml/min/1.73 m(2), including hemodialysis) on the pharmacokinetics and therapeutic effects of febuxostat using a population pharmacokinetic analysis. This study recruited patients with hyperuricemia who were initially treated with allopurinol, but were switched to febuxostat, and it consists of 2 sub-studies: a pharmacokinetic study (26 patients) and retrospective efficacy evaluation study (51 patients). The demographic and clinical data of patients were collected from electronic medical records. Plasma febuxostat concentrations were obtained at each hospital visit. Population pharmacokinetic modeling was performed with NONMEM version 7.2. A total of 128 plasma febuxostat concentrations from 26 patients were used in the population pharmacokinetic analysis. The data were best described by a 1-compartment model with first order absorption. Covariate analysis revealed that renal function did not influence the pharmacokinetics of febuxostat, whereas actual body weight significantly influenced apparent clearance and apparent volume of distribution. The retrospective efficacy analysis showed the favorable therapeutic response of febuxostat switched from allopurinol in patients with moderate to severe renal impairment. No serious adverse event associated with febuxostat was observed irrespective of renal function. The population pharmacokinetic analysis and therapeutic analysis of febuxostat revealed that severe renal dysfunction had no influence on the pharmacokinetic parameters of febuxostat. These results suggest that febuxostat is tolerated well by patients with severe renal impairment. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Cluster Analysis of Assessment in Anatomy and Physiology for Health Science Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Stephen; White, Sue; Power, Nicola

2016-01-01

Academic content common to health science programs is often taught to a mixed group of students; however, content assessment may be consistent for each discipline. This study used a retrospective cluster analysis on such a group, first to identify high and low achieving students, and second, to determine the distribution of students within…

Different type 2 diabetes risk assessments predict dissimilar numbers at ‘high risk’: a retrospective analysis of diabetes risk-assessment tools

PubMed Central

Gray, Benjamin J; Bracken, Richard M; Turner, Daniel; Morgan, Kerry; Thomas, Michael; Williams, Sally P; Williams, Meurig; Rice, Sam; Stephens, Jeffrey W

2015-01-01

Background Use of a validated risk-assessment tool to identify individuals at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes is currently recommended. It is under-reported, however, whether a different risk tool alters the predicted risk of an individual. Aim This study explored any differences between commonly used validated risk-assessment tools for type 2 diabetes. Design and setting Cross-sectional analysis of individuals who participated in a workplace-based risk assessment in Carmarthenshire, South Wales. Method Retrospective analysis of 676 individuals (389 females and 287 males) who participated in a workplace-based diabetes risk-assessment initiative. Ten-year risk of type 2 diabetes was predicted using the validated QDiabetes®, Leicester Risk Assessment (LRA), FINDRISC, and Cambridge Risk Score (CRS) algorithms. Results Differences between the risk-assessment tools were apparent following retrospective analysis of individuals. CRS categorised the highest proportion (13.6%) of individuals at ‘high risk’ followed by FINDRISC (6.6%), QDiabetes (6.1%), and, finally, the LRA was the most conservative risk tool (3.1%). Following further analysis by sex, over one-quarter of males were categorised at high risk using CRS (25.4%), whereas a greater percentage of females were categorised as high risk using FINDRISC (7.8%). Conclusion The adoption of a different valid risk-assessment tool can alter the predicted risk of an individual and caution should be used to identify those individuals who really are at high risk of type 2 diabetes. PMID:26541180

Different type 2 diabetes risk assessments predict dissimilar numbers at 'high risk': a retrospective analysis of diabetes risk-assessment tools.

PubMed

Gray, Benjamin J; Bracken, Richard M; Turner, Daniel; Morgan, Kerry; Thomas, Michael; Williams, Sally P; Williams, Meurig; Rice, Sam; Stephens, Jeffrey W

2015-12-01

Use of a validated risk-assessment tool to identify individuals at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes is currently recommended. It is under-reported, however, whether a different risk tool alters the predicted risk of an individual. This study explored any differences between commonly used validated risk-assessment tools for type 2 diabetes. Cross-sectional analysis of individuals who participated in a workplace-based risk assessment in Carmarthenshire, South Wales. Retrospective analysis of 676 individuals (389 females and 287 males) who participated in a workplace-based diabetes risk-assessment initiative. Ten-year risk of type 2 diabetes was predicted using the validated QDiabetes(®), Leicester Risk Assessment (LRA), FINDRISC, and Cambridge Risk Score (CRS) algorithms. Differences between the risk-assessment tools were apparent following retrospective analysis of individuals. CRS categorised the highest proportion (13.6%) of individuals at 'high risk' followed by FINDRISC (6.6%), QDiabetes (6.1%), and, finally, the LRA was the most conservative risk tool (3.1%). Following further analysis by sex, over one-quarter of males were categorised at high risk using CRS (25.4%), whereas a greater percentage of females were categorised as high risk using FINDRISC (7.8%). The adoption of a different valid risk-assessment tool can alter the predicted risk of an individual and caution should be used to identify those individuals who really are at high risk of type 2 diabetes. © British Journal of General Practice 2015.

Tunnelled haemodialysis catheter and haemodialysis outcomes: a retrospective cohort study in Zagreb, Croatia.

PubMed

Pašara, Vedran; Maksimović, Bojana; Gunjača, Mihaela; Mihovilović, Karlo; Lončar, Andrea; Kudumija, Boris; Žabić, Igor; Knotek, Mladen

2016-05-17

Studies have reported that the tunnelled dialysis catheter (TDC) is associated with inferior haemodialysis (HD) patient survival, in comparison with arteriovenous fistula (AVF). Since many cofactors may also affect survival of HD patients, it is unclear whether the greater risk for survival arises from TDC per se, or from associated conditions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine, in a multivariate analysis, the long-term outcome of HD patients, with respect to vascular access (VA). Retrospective cohort study. This retrospective cohort study included all 156 patients with a TDC admitted at University Hospital Merkur, from 2010 to 2012. The control group consisted of 97 patients dialysed via AVF. The groups were matched according to dialysis unit and time of VA placement. The site of choice for the placement of the TDC was the right jugular vein. Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank test was used to assess patient survival. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to determine independent variables associated with patient survival. Patient survival with respect to VA. The cumulative 1-year survival of patients who were dialysed exclusively via TDC was 86.4% and of those who were dialysed exclusively via AVF, survival was 97.1% (p=0.002). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, male sex and older age were independently negatively associated with the survival of HD patients, while shorter HD vintage before the creation of the observed VA, hypertensive renal disease and glomerulonephritis were positively associated with survival. TDC was an independent risk factor for survival of HD patients (HR 23.0, 95% CI 6.2 to 85.3). TDC may be an independent negative risk factor for HD patient survival. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

9/11 in the Curriculum: A Retrospective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hess, Diana; Stoddard, Jeremy

2011-01-01

This article uses a curricular analysis study to examine how the events of 9/11 and their aftermath are presented to secondary students in supplemental curriculum and social studies textbooks published from 2002-2010. Shortly after 9/11, many political leaders and social studies educators advocated teaching about 9/11 and its aftermath because…

A comparison of propensity score-based approaches to health service evaluation: a case study of a preoperative physician-led clinic for high-risk surgical patients.

PubMed

Pham, Clarabelle T; Gibb, Catherine L; Mittinty, Murthy N; Fitridge, Robert A; Marshall, Villis R; Karnon, Jonathan D

2016-10-01

A physician-led clinic for the preoperative optimization and management of high-risk surgical patients was implemented in a South Australian public hospital in 2008. This study aimed to estimate the costs and effects of the clinic using a mixed retrospective and prospective observational study design. Alternative propensity score estimation methods were applied to retrospective routinely collected administrative and clinical data, using weighted and matched cohorts. Supplementary survey-based prospective data were collected to inform the analysis of the retrospective data and reduce potential unmeasured confounding. Using weighted cohorts, clinic patients had a significantly longer mean length of stay and higher mean cost. With the matched cohorts, reducing the calliper width resulted in a shorter mean length of stay in the clinic group, but the costs remained significantly higher. The prospective data indicated potential unmeasured confounding in all analyses other than in the most tightly matched cohorts. The application of alternative propensity-based approaches to a large sample of retrospective data, supplemented with a smaller sample of prospective data, informed a pragmatic approach to reducing potential observed and unmeasured confounding in an evaluation of a physician-led preoperative clinic. The need to generate tightly matched cohorts to reduce the potential for unmeasured confounding indicates that significant uncertainty remains around the effects of the clinic. This study illustrates the value of mixed retrospective and prospective observational study designs but also underlines the need to prospectively plan for the evaluation of costs and effects alongside the implementation of significant service innovations. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Where we used to live: validating retrospective measures of childhood neighborhood context for life course epidemiologic studies.

PubMed

Osypuk, Theresa L; Kehm, Rebecca; Misra, Dawn P

2015-01-01

Early life exposures influence numerous social determinants of health, as distal causes or confounders of later health outcomes. Although a growing literature is documenting how early life socioeconomic position affects later life health, few epidemiologic studies have tested measures for operationalizing early life neighborhood context, or examined their effects on later life health. In the Life-course Influences on Fetal Environments (LIFE) Study, a retrospective cohort study among Black women in Southfield, Michigan (71% response rate), we tested the validity and reliability of retrospectively-reported survey-based subjective measures of early life neighborhood context(N=693). We compared 3 subjective childhood neighborhood measures (disorder, informal social control, victimization), with 3 objective childhood neighborhood measures derived from 4 decades of historical census tract data 1970-2000, linked through geocoded residential histories (tract % poverty, tract % black, tract deprivation score derived from principal components analysis), as well as with 2 subjective neighborhood measures in adulthood. Our results documented that internal consistency reliability was high for the subjective childhood neighborhood scales (Cronbach's α =0.89, 0.93). Comparison of subjective with objective childhood neighborhood measures found moderate associations in hypothesized directions. Associations with objective variables were strongest for neighborhood disorder (rhos=.40), as opposed to with social control or victimization. Associations between subjective neighborhood context in childhood versus adulthood were moderate and stronger for residentially-stable populations. We lastly formally tested for, but found little evidence of, recall bias of the retrospective subjective reports of childhood context. These results provide evidence that retrospective reports of subjective neighborhood context may be a cost-effective, valid, and reliable method to operationalize early life context for health studies.

A retrospective analysis of aeromedical certification denial actions : January 1961 - December 1967.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1968-05-01

The study quantifies several unknowns and/or uncertainties with respect to medical and general descriptive attributes of airmen denied medical certification. Data are presented concerning age, sex, occupation, total flying time, and medical character...

Painful bone metastasis in elderly treated with radiation therapy: Single- or multiple-fraction regimen? A multicentre retrospective observational analysis.

PubMed

Falivene, S; Pezzulla, D; Di Franco, R; Giugliano, F M; Esposito, E; Scoglio, C; Amato, B; Borzillo, V; D'Aiuto, M; Muto, P

2017-02-01

Bone metastases are a frequent complication of advanced oncologic disease. Pain associated to bone metastasis is a major cause of morbidity in cancer patients, especially in elderly. The aim of this multicentric retrospective observational study is to evaluate the efficacy of different schedules of radiation therapy in elderly patients in terms of pain relief. 206 patients over the age of 60 were enrolled in 1 year time for a multicentre retrospective observational study. Patients were treated with palliative purposes for painful bone metastases. Pain intensity difference (PID) was found in 72% of patients. Reported PID was statistically significant for p < 0.01. Pain intensity measured by a point numeric rating scale was statistically significant reduced for p < 0.05 by one-fraction regimen compared to other two regimens. In recent years, numerous studies have evaluated the most appropriate regimen of fractionation in individual cases, despite this, a consensus about the best schedule is still debated. On our analysis, single-fractionation scheme (8 Gy) confirmed to be statistical significant effective in providing pain reduction due to bone metastases. Radiation therapy provides significant pain relief of symptomatic bone metastases, but appropriate radiotherapy scheduled is needed in order to get significant response to treatment. Multidisciplinary approach is warranted to value the balance between the therapeutic objectives and the patient quality of life.

A retrospective study on related factors affecting the survival rate of dental implants

PubMed Central

Kang, Jeong-Kyung; Lee, Ki; Lee, Yong-Sang; Park, Pil-Kyoo

2011-01-01

PURPOSE The aim of this retrospective study is to analyze the relationship between local factors and survival rate of dental implant which had been installed and restored in Seoul Veterans Hospital dental center for past 10 years. And when the relationship is found out, it could be helpful to predict the prognosis of dental implants. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective study of patients receiving root-shaped screw-type dental implants placed from January 2000 to December 2009 was conducted. 6385 implants were placed in 3755 patients. The following data were collected from the dental records and radiographs: patient's age, gender, implant type and surface, length, diameter, location of implant placement, bone quality, prosthesis type. The correlations between these data and survival rate were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed with the use of Kaplan-Meier analysis, Chi-square test and odds ratio. RESULTS In all, 6385 implants were placed in 3755 patients (3120 male, 635 female; mean age 65 ± 10.58 years). 108 implants failed and the cumulative survival rate was 96.33%. There were significant differences in age, implant type and surface, length, location and prosthesis type (P<.05). No significant differences were found in relation to the following factors: gender, diameter and bone quality (P>.05). CONCLUSION Related factors such as age, implant type, length, location and prosthesis type had a significant effect on the implant survival. PMID:22259704

Perioperative risk factors for mortality and length of hospitalization in mares with dystocia undergoing general anesthesia: A retrospective study

PubMed Central

Rioja, Eva; Cernicchiaro, Natalia; Costa, Maria Carolina; Valverde, Alexander

2012-01-01

This study investigated associations between perioperative factors and probability of death and length of hospitalization of mares with dystocia that survived following general anesthesia. Demographics and perioperative characteristics from 65 mares were reviewed retrospectively and used in a risk factor analysis. Mortality rate was 21.5% during the first 24 h post-anesthesia. The mean ± standard deviation number of days of hospitalization of surviving mares was 6.3 ± 5.4 d. Several factors were found in the univariable analysis to be significantly associated (P < 0.1) with increased probability of perianesthetic death, including: low preoperative total protein, high temperature and severe dehydration on presentation, prolonged dystocia, intraoperative hypotension, and drugs used during recovery. Type of delivery and day of the week the surgery was performed were significantly associated with length of hospitalization in the multivariable mixed effects model. The study identified some risk factors that may allow clinicians to better estimate the probability of mortality and morbidity in these mares. PMID:23115362

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Doxycycline Efficacy for Rectal Lymphogranuloma Venereum in Men Who Have Sex with Men

PubMed Central

Leeyaphan, Charussri; Ong, Jason J.; Chow, Eric P.F.; Kong, Fabian Y.S.; Hocking, Jane S.; Bissessor, Melanie; Fairley, Christopher K.

2016-01-01

Rectal lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) has reemerged as a sexually transmitted infection among men who have sex with men (MSM), particularly those who are HIV-positive. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the efficacy of doxycycline (100 mg 2×/d for 21 days) for rectal LGV in MSM. Nine studies were included: 4 prospective, 4 retrospective, and 1 combined retrospective and prospective. In total, 282 MSM with rectal LGV were included in the studies. All studies reported using nucleic acid amplification tests to assess microbial cure. Most patients (>80%) had symptomatic rectal infection. The fixed-effects pooled efficacy for doxycycline was 98.5% (95% CI 96.3%–100%, I2 = 0%; p = 0.993). Doxycycline at 100 mg twice daily for 21 days demonstrated a high microbial cure rate. These data support doxycycline at this dosage and duration as first-line therapy for rectal LGV in MSM. PMID:27513890

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Doxycycline Efficacy for Rectal Lymphogranuloma Venereum in Men Who Have Sex with Men.

PubMed

Leeyaphan, Charussri; Ong, Jason J; Chow, Eric P F; Kong, Fabian Y S; Hocking, Jane S; Bissessor, Melanie; Fairley, Christopher K; Chen, Marcus

2016-10-01

Rectal lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) has reemerged as a sexually transmitted infection among men who have sex with men (MSM), particularly those who are HIV-positive. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the efficacy of doxycycline (100 mg 2×/d for 21 days) for rectal LGV in MSM. Nine studies were included: 4 prospective, 4 retrospective, and 1 combined retrospective and prospective. In total, 282 MSM with rectal LGV were included in the studies. All studies reported using nucleic acid amplification tests to assess microbial cure. Most patients (>80%) had symptomatic rectal infection. The fixed-effects pooled efficacy for doxycycline was 98.5% (95% CI 96.3%-100%, I (2)  = 0%; p = 0.993). Doxycycline at 100 mg twice daily for 21 days demonstrated a high microbial cure rate. These data support doxycycline at this dosage and duration as first-line therapy for rectal LGV in MSM.

Modeling Cognitive Strategies during Complex Task Performing Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazman, Sacide Guzin; Altun, Arif

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine individuals' computer based complex task performing processes and strategies in order to determine the reasons of failure by cognitive task analysis method and cued retrospective think aloud with eye movement data. Study group was five senior students from Computer Education and Instructional Technologies…

Group Therapy for Eating Disorders: A Retrospective Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wanlass, Janine; Moreno, J. Kelly; Thomson, Hannah M.

2005-01-01

An increasing amount of research supports group therapy as an effective treatment option for eating disorders (Moreno, 1994). In an attempt to further delineate therapeutic factors associated with productive group work, this study represents an exploratory, descriptive analysis of client and therapist perspectives on group process and outcome.…

Sensory Integration and Ego Development in a Schizophrenic Adolescent Male.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pettit, Karen A.

1987-01-01

A retrospective study compared hours spent by a schizophrenic adolescent in "time out" before and after initiation of treatment. The study evaluated the effects of sensory integrative treatment on the ability to handle anger and frustration. Results demonstrate the utility of statistical analysis versus visual comparison to validate effectiveness…

Childhood Sex-Typed Behavior and Sexual Orientation: A Conceptual Analysis and Quantitative Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, J. Michael; Zucker, Kenneth J.

1995-01-01

Reviews research examining the predictive aspects of childhood sex-typed behavior for sexual orientation. Prospective studies suggest that childhood cross-typed behavior is strongly predictive of adult homosexual orientation for men, whereas retrospective studies are useful in determining how many homosexual individuals displayed cross-sex…

Retrospective biodosimetry using translocation frequency in a stable cell of occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation.

PubMed

Cho, Min Su; Lee, Jin Kyung; Bae, Keum Seok; Han, Eun-Ae; Jang, Seong Jae; Ha, Wi-Ho; Lee, Seung-Sook; Barquinero, Joan Francesc; Kim, Wan Tae

2015-07-01

Two cases of hematological malignancies were reported in an industrial radiography company over a year, which were reasonably suspected of being consequences of prolonged exposure to ionizing radiation because of the higher incidence than expected in the general population. We analyzed chromosomal aberrations in the peripheral blood lymphocytes from the other workers who had been working under similar circumstances as the patients in the company. Among the subjects tested, 10 workers who belonged to the highest band were followed up periodically for 1.5 years since the first analysis. The aim of this study was to clarify pertinence of translocation analysis to an industrial set-up where chronic exposure was commonly expected. To be a useful tool for a retrospective biodosimetry, the aberrations need to be persistent for a decade or longer. Therefore we calculated the decline rates and half-lives of frequency for both a reciprocal translocation and a dicentric chromosome and compared them. In this study, while the frequency of reciprocal translocations was maintained at the initial level, dicentric chromosomes were decreased to 46.9% (31.0-76.5) of the initial frequency over the follow-up period. Our results support the long-term stability of reciprocal translocation through the cell cycle and validate the usefulness of translocation analysis as a retrospective biodosimetry for cases of occupational exposure. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japan Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.

Colorectal cancer with intestinal perforation – a retrospective analysis of treatment outcomes

PubMed Central

Woda, Łukasz; Tojek, Krzysztof; Jarmocik, Paweł; Jawień, Arkadiusz

2014-01-01

Aim of the study Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading cause of death in European population. It progresses without any symptoms in the early stages or those clinical symptoms are very discrete. The aim of this study was a retrospective analysis of treatment outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer complicated with intestinal perforation. Material and methods A retrospective analysis of patients urgently operated upon in our Division of General Surgery, because of large intestine perforation, from February 1993 to February 2013 has been made. Results were compared with a group of patients undergoing the elective surgery for colorectal cancer in the same time and Division. Results Intestinal perforation occurred more often in males (6.52% vs. 6.03%), patients with mucous component in histopathological examination (9.09% vs. 6.01%) and with clinicaly advanced CRC. Patients treated because of perforation had a five-fold higher 30 day mortality rate (9.09% vs. 1.83%), however long-term survival did not differ significantly in both groups. After resectional surgery in 874 patients an intestinal anastomosis was made. Anastomotic leakage was present in 23 (2.6%) patients. This complication occurred six-fold more frequently in a group of patients operated upon because of intestinal perforation (12.20% vs. 2.16%). Conclusions In patients with CRC complicated with perforation of the colon in a 30-day observation significantly higher rate of complications and mortality was shown, whereas there was no difference in distant survival rates. PMID:25784840

Preventive Effect on Post-Operative Pneumonia of Oral Health Care among Patients Who Undergo Esophageal Resection: A Multi-Center Retrospective Study.

PubMed

Soutome, Sakiko; Yanamoto, Souichi; Funahara, Madoka; Hasegawa, Takumi; Komori, Takahide; Oho, Takahiko; Umeda, Masahiro

2016-08-01

Post-operative pneumonia is a frequent and possibly fatal complication of esophagectomy and is likely caused by aspiration of oropharyngeal fluid that contains pathogenic micro-organisms. We conducted a multi-center retrospective study to investigate the preventive effect of oral health care on post-operative pneumonia among patients with esophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy. A total of 280 patients underwent esophagectomy at three university hospitals. These patients were divided retrospectively into those who received pre-operative oral care from dentists and dental hygienists (oral care group; n = 173) and those who did not receive such care (control group; n = 107). We evaluated the correlations between the occurrence of post-operative pneumonia and 18 predictive variables (patient factors, tumor factors, treatment factors, and pre-operative oral care) using the χ(2) test and logistic regression analysis. The differences of mean hospital days and mortality rate in both groups were analyzed by the Student t-test. Age, post-operative dysphagia, and absence of pre-operative oral care were correlated significantly with post-operative pneumonia in the univariable analysis. Multivariable analysis revealed that diabetes mellitus, post-operative dysphagia, and the absence of pre-operative oral care were independent risk factors for post-operative pneumonia. The mean hospital stay and mortality rate did not differ between the oral care and control groups. Pre-operative oral care may be an effective and easy method to prevent post-operative pneumonia in patients who are undergoing esophagectomy.

A retrospective analysis of the added value of 1-year dog studies in pesticide human health risk assessments.

PubMed

Linke, Brenda; Mohr, Sara; Ramsingh, Deborah; Bhuller, Yadvinder

2017-08-01

The 1-year dog toxicity study is no longer required by certain pesticide regulatory jurisdictions, including the United States and the European Union. Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) examined its current requirement for this study to determine if it could be refined or eliminated. A retrospective analysis was conducted to examine the impact of the 1-year dog study on human health risk assessment. The Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI), a measure of the amount of a pesticide in food that can be ingested on a daily basis over a lifetime without an appreciable health risk, was the metric for this analysis. For 143 pesticides evaluated by the PMRA between 2008 and 2015, the supporting toxicology databases were examined to determine if other toxicology studies were protective of the findings in the 1-year dog study. When this criterion was not met, further investigation was undertaken to determine the potential impact of not having the 1-year dog study. For most of the pesticides, effect levels in the 1-year dog study were not substantially different from those in other toxicology studies, when considering factors such as dose-spacing and known experimental variability. The results of this analysis suggest that absence of the 1-year dog study would have minimal impact on the assessment of human health risk. Therefore, Health Canada's PMRA has removed the routine requirement for the 1-year dog study from its pesticide data requirements.

Adherence to thyroid hormone replacement therapy: a retrospective, claims database analysis.

PubMed

Hepp, Zsolt; Wyne, Kathleen; Manthena, Shivaji R; Wang, Siting; Gossain, Ved

2018-06-25

The objective of this analysis was to compare adherence at 6 months and 12 months across levothyroxine formulations for patients with hypothyroidism. This retrospective analysis utilized insurance claims data from a commercially insured population from January 1, 2000 through March 31, 2016. Patients were included if they were diagnosed with hypothyroidism and initiated treatment with generic levothyroxine, Levoxyl, Synthroid, Unithroid, or Tirosint. Patients were excluded if they were younger than age 18, were diagnosed with thyroid cancer, received a prescription for liothyronine, or did not have continuous insurance coverage over the study period. Adherence, defined by the proportion of days covered (PDC) ≥ 80%, was examined using multivariable analyses for both 6 and 12 months post-initiation on therapy Results: The study identified 580,331 patients who fit the study criteria. At 6 months, 40.3% of patients were found to be non-adherent, while 51.9% were non-adherent at 12 months. Synthroid was associated with significantly higher adherence compared to all other levothyroxine formulations at both 6 and 12 months. Compared to generic levothyroxine, the likelihood of being adherent at 12 months was highest for Synthroid (OR = 1.44; 95% CI = 1.43-1.46), followed by Levoxyl (OR = 1.20 95% CI = 1.17-1.23). Tirosint and Unithroid were associated with significantly lower adherence at 12 months compared to generic levothyroxine (OR = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.57-0.75 and OR = 0.79; 95% CI = 0.71-0.89, respectively). This large, retrospective real-world study demonstrated that adherence to levothyroxine remains a concern among patients with hypothyroidism, and that differences in adherence may exist across levothyroxine formulations.

(Re)Discovering Retrospective Miscue Analysis: An Action Research Exploration Using Recorded Readings to Improve Third-Grade Students' Reading Fluency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Born, Melissa; Curtis, Reagan

2013-01-01

An action research project was undertaken focused on integrating recorded readings and Retrospective Miscue Analysis (RMA) into center-based instructional time in a third-grade classroom. Initial DIBELS test results were used to select 6 struggling readers, all of whom showed improved fluency in response to our instructional interventions. The…

Transition in Dental Treatment Utilization in Jammu And Kashmir, India - A 10 Year Retrospective Study

PubMed Central

Batra, Manu; Ishrat, A.

2016-01-01

Background: Utilization of health services is the actual attendance by the members of the public at health care facilities to receive care. Utilization, serves as an important tool for oral health policy decision-making. The aim of the present study was to retrospectively gauge and assess the utilization pattern of the dental treatments which was given in hospital for last 10 years. Materials and Methods: This retrospective infirmary based study was carried out at Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. The yearly outpatient department (OPD) records for the utilization of specific dental treatment of a total of 103963 patients were assessed retrospectively from 2014 to 2003. Trend analysis was used to assess the trend of utilization of each speciality with best fitted linear trend lines. Results: The pattern of new patients has also shown a constant rise during the study period except for 2008 and 2009. The utilization of oral surgery speciality has shown a tremendous fall from 2003 to 2014 whereas the number of patients coming to periodontics and conservative dentistry has shown an increasing pattern. Conclusion: Utilization of oral health care has long been used as an indicator of oral health related behaviour of a population. In the present study it can be conclude that the outlook of the population under study has changed from blood and vulcanite dentistry outlook and is moving towards restorative dentistry. . PMID:28804675

[Analysis of the implementation of Nursing Assistance Systematization in a rehabilitation unit].

PubMed

Neves, Rinaldo de Souza; Shimizu, Helena Eri

2010-01-01

This study seeks to analyze the execution of the Infirmary Attendance Systematization Nursing stages through an exploratory, qualitative and retrospective approach. The retrospective analysis took place using 25 medic reports containing 25 historical reports, 12 diagnosis reports, 100 prescriptions and 100 nursing evolution reports. The results demonstrated the many difficulties the nurses faced to make Nursing Assistance Systematization operational. Although all Nursing Assistance Systematization stages were accomplished - historical, diagnosis, prescription, evolution and nursing - it was verified a larger frequency in filling prescription and historical related forms and a lesser one related with evolution and diagnosis related forms. In short, Nursing Assistance Systematization procedures still are fragmentized, showing the need to reorganize this attendance methodology attendance, and, above all, to invest in continuous nursing training to improve the customer care services quality.

Are scabies and impetigo “normalised”? A cross-sectional comparative study of hospitalised children in northern Australia assessing clinical recognition and treatment of skin infections

PubMed Central

Anderson, Aleisha; Cleland, Gavin; Bowen, Asha C.

2017-01-01

Background Complications of scabies and impetigo such as glomerulonephritis and invasive bacterial infection in Australian Aboriginal children remain significant problems and the overall global burden of disease attributable to these skin infections remains high despite the availability of effective treatment. We hypothesised that one factor contributing to this high burden is that skin infection is under-recognised and hence under-treated, in settings where prevalence is high. Methods We conducted a prospective, cross-sectional study to assess the burden of scabies, impetigo, tinea and pediculosis in children admitted to two regional Australian hospitals from October 2015 to January 2016. A retrospective chart review of patients admitted in November 2014 (mid-point of the prospective data collection in the preceding year) was performed. Prevalence of documented skin infection was compared in the prospective and retrospective population to assess clinician recognition and treatment of skin infections. Results 158 patients with median age 3.6 years, 74% Aboriginal, were prospectively recruited. 77 patient records were retrospectively reviewed. Scabies (8.2% vs 0.0%, OR N/A, p = 0.006) and impetigo (49.4% vs 19.5%, OR 4.0 (95% confidence interval [CI 2.1–7.7) were more prevalent in the prospective analysis. Skin examination was only documented in 45.5% of cases in the retrospective review. Patients in the prospective analysis were more likely to be prescribed specific treatment for skin infection compared with those in the retrospective review (31.6% vs 5.2%, OR 8.5 (95% CI 2.9–24.4). Conclusions Scabies and impetigo infections are under-recognised and hence under-treated by clinicians. Improving the recognition and treatment of skin infections by clinicians is a priority to reduce the high burden of skin infection and subsequent sequelae in paediatric populations where scabies and impetigo are endemic. PMID:28671945

Are scabies and impetigo "normalised"? A cross-sectional comparative study of hospitalised children in northern Australia assessing clinical recognition and treatment of skin infections.

PubMed

Yeoh, Daniel K; Anderson, Aleisha; Cleland, Gavin; Bowen, Asha C

2017-07-01

Complications of scabies and impetigo such as glomerulonephritis and invasive bacterial infection in Australian Aboriginal children remain significant problems and the overall global burden of disease attributable to these skin infections remains high despite the availability of effective treatment. We hypothesised that one factor contributing to this high burden is that skin infection is under-recognised and hence under-treated, in settings where prevalence is high. We conducted a prospective, cross-sectional study to assess the burden of scabies, impetigo, tinea and pediculosis in children admitted to two regional Australian hospitals from October 2015 to January 2016. A retrospective chart review of patients admitted in November 2014 (mid-point of the prospective data collection in the preceding year) was performed. Prevalence of documented skin infection was compared in the prospective and retrospective population to assess clinician recognition and treatment of skin infections. 158 patients with median age 3.6 years, 74% Aboriginal, were prospectively recruited. 77 patient records were retrospectively reviewed. Scabies (8.2% vs 0.0%, OR N/A, p = 0.006) and impetigo (49.4% vs 19.5%, OR 4.0 (95% confidence interval [CI 2.1-7.7) were more prevalent in the prospective analysis. Skin examination was only documented in 45.5% of cases in the retrospective review. Patients in the prospective analysis were more likely to be prescribed specific treatment for skin infection compared with those in the retrospective review (31.6% vs 5.2%, OR 8.5 (95% CI 2.9-24.4). Scabies and impetigo infections are under-recognised and hence under-treated by clinicians. Improving the recognition and treatment of skin infections by clinicians is a priority to reduce the high burden of skin infection and subsequent sequelae in paediatric populations where scabies and impetigo are endemic.

Retrospective Benefit-Cost Evaluation of U.S. DOE Wind Energy R&D Program: Impact of Selected Energy Technology Investments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pelsoci, Thomas M.

This benefit-cost analysis focuses on the DOE Wind Energy Program's public sector R&D investments and returns. The analysis accounts for the program's additionality – that is, comparing what has happened as a result of the program to what would have happened without it. The analysis does not address the return on the investments of private companies ("private returns"). Public returns on the program's investments from 1976 to 2008 are identified and analyzed using retrospective analysis.

A Longitudinal Analysis of Risk Factors for Child Maltreatment: Findings of a 17-Year Prospective Study of Officially Recorded and Self-Reported Child Abuse and Neglect.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Jocelyn; Cohen, Patricia; Johnson, Jeffrey G.; Salzinger, Suzanne

1998-01-01

Repeated surveys assessing demographic variables, family relationships, parental behavior, and parent/child characteristics were administered to 664 families and compared with child abuse and neglect data from state records and retrospective self-reports. Analysis found maternal youth and sociopathy predicted general child maltreatment, but…

Risk factors for incidental durotomy during lumbar surgery: a retrospective study by multivariate analysis.

PubMed

Chen, Zhixiang; Shao, Peng; Sun, Qizhao; Zhao, Dong

2015-03-01

The purpose of the present study was to use a prospectively collected data to evaluate the rate of incidental durotomy (ID) during lumbar surgery and determine the associated risk factors by using univariate and multivariate analysis. We retrospectively reviewed 2184 patients who underwent lumbar surgery from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2011 at a single hospital. Patients with ID (n=97) were compared with the patients without ID (n=2019). The influences of several potential risk factors that might affect the occurrence of ID were assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. The overall incidence of ID was 4.62%. Univariate analysis demonstrated that older age, diabetes, lumbar central stenosis, posterior approach, revision surgery, prior lumber surgery and minimal invasive surgery are risk factors for ID during lumbar surgery. However, multivariate analysis identified older age, prior lumber surgery, revision surgery, and minimally invasive surgery as independent risk factors. Older age, prior lumber surgery, revision surgery, and minimal invasive surgery were independent risk factors for ID during lumbar surgery. These findings may guide clinicians making future surgical decisions regarding ID and aid in the patient counseling process to alleviate risks and complications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The (non)sense of routinely analysing beta-hydroxybutyric acid in forensic toxicology casework.

PubMed

Sadones, Nele; Lambert, Willy E; Stove, Christophe P

2017-05-01

Beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHB) is a ketone body which is generated from fatty acids as an alternative energy source when glucose is not available. Determination of this compound may be relevant in the forensic laboratory as ketoacidosis - an elevated level of ketone bodies - may contribute to the cause of death. In this study, we aimed at determining the relevance of routinely implementing BHB analysis in the forensic toxicological laboratory, as BHB analysis typically requires an additional workload. We therefore performed an unbiased retrospective analysis of BHB in 599 cases, comprising 553 blood, 232 urine and 62 vitreous humour samples. Cases with BHB concentrations above 100mg/L (in blood, urine and/or vitreous humour) were invariably associated with elevated levels of acetone, another ketone body, the detection of which is already implemented in most forensic laboratories using the gas chromatographic procedure for ethanol quantification. Our retrospective analysis did not reveal any positive case that had been missed initially and confirms that BHB analysis can be limited to acetone positive cases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Age distribution and age-related outcomes of olfactory neuroblastoma: a population-based analysis.

PubMed

Yin, Zhenzhen; Wang, Youyou; Wu, Yuemei; Zhang, Ximei; Wang, Fengming; Wang, Peiguo; Tao, Zhen; Yuan, Zhiyong

2018-01-01

The objective of the study was to describe the age distribution and to evaluate the role of prognostic value of age on survival in patients diagnosed with olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB). A population-based retrospective analysis was conducted. The population-based study of patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) tumor registry, who were diagnosed with ONB from 1973 to 2014, were retrospectively analyzed. The cohort included 876 patients with a median age of 54 years. There was a unimodal distribution of age and ONBs most frequently occurred in the fifth to sixth decades of life. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) rates of 69% and 78% at 5 years. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that age, SEER stage, and surgery were independent prognostic factors for CSS. The risk of overall death and cancer-specific death increased 3.1% and 1.6% per year, respectively. Patients aged >60 years presented significantly poor OS and CSS compared with patients aged ≤60 years, even in patients with loco-regional disease or in those treated with surgery. This study highlights the growing evidence that there is a unimodal age distribution of ONB and that age is an important adverse prognostic factor.

An analysis of firearms-related deaths between 1993-2010: a retrospective study.

PubMed

Toygar, Mehmet; Türker, Türker; Eroğlu, Murat; Kaldırım, Umit; Poyrazoğlu, Yavuz; Eyi, Yusuf Emrah; Durusu, Murat; Eryılmaz, Mehmet

2013-11-01

Firearm injuries (FI) are the most common cause of death among military personnel. In this study, postmortem examination and autopsy records of deaths resulting from firearm injuries recorded in the Department of Forensic Medicine of Gulhane Military Medical Academy between 1993-2010 were examined retrospectively. We evaluated the characteristics of 153 firearm deaths accounting for 36.6% of all medical-legal autopsies. The cases included 152 men (99.3%) and 1 woman (0.7%). The mean age of the cases was 23.1 years (±4.7; range, 20-43 years). The manner of death was determined in all cases with 41.8% of cases identified as suicide and 39.9% as homicide. The most common sites of firearm entrance wounds were the head and neck region (n=109, 71.2%), the chest (n=26, 17%), or the abdomen (n=14, 9.2%). The type of firearm was not clear in most cases. In conclusion, complete forensic and medical records will facilitate the rapid and accurate conclusion of the legal process and will enhance future retrospective studies.

Detecting liver fibrosis with Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI: A confirmatory study.

PubMed

Verloh, Niklas; Utpatel, Kirsten; Haimerl, Michael; Zeman, Florian; Beyer, Lukas; Fellner, Claudia; Brennfleck, Frank; Dahlke, Marc H; Stroszczynski, Christian; Evert, Matthias; Wiggermann, Philipp

2018-04-18

Strong correlations between the grade of fibrosis and cirrhosis, classified using the Ishak scoring system, and the uptake characteristics of Gd-EOB-DTPA with the relative enhancement (RE) of the liver parenchyma have been reported. To confirm the results of a retrospective analysis, patients undergoing liver surgery were prospectively examined with Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced liver 3 Tesla MRI to determine the degree of liver fibrosis. Correlations between the grade of fibrosis and cirrhosis, classified using the Ishak scoring system, and RE were investigated and compared with those derived from an initial retrospective study. After validating the cut-off values in the retrospective study (Ishak ≥ 1, RE-cut-off 0.90; Ishak ≥ 2, RE-cut-off 0.79; Ishak ≥ 4, RE-cut-off 0.60; and Ishak = 6, RE-cut-off 0.47), we showed that Gd-EOB-DTPA has a high sensitivity (≥86%) and a high positive predictive value (≥86%). These results support the use of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced liver MRI as a non-invasive method for determining the degree of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.

Pseudocholinesterase levels in patients under electroconvulsive therapy

PubMed Central

Küçükosman, Gamze; Pişkin, Özcan; Hancı, Volkan; Okyay, Rahşan D.; Ayoğlu, Hilal; Yurtlu, Bülent S.; Akın, Mehmet; Turan, Işıl

2018-01-01

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to retrospectively assess the correlation of pseudocholinesterase (PChE) levels with age, gender, body weight and diagnosed psychiatric diseases in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) cases. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at Bülent Ecevit University Hospital, Zonguldak, Turkey, between 2007 and 2011. In the study, 193 ECT case files were retrospectively scanned to evaluate PChE values before ECT and other file information. Results: There was no difference between gender in terms of PChE levels. Correlation analysis determined a weakly positive correlation between age (p=0.013; correlation coefficient [cc]: 0.178) and body weight (p<0.001; cc: 0.273) and PChE levels. No correlation was found between age, gender, weight or psychiatric diagnosis, and PChE levels. Conclusion: Neuromuscular blockage is a significant factor that increases patient safety, while increasing the efficacy of ECT. In choosing muscle relaxant agents, both patient factors and the pharmacological properties of the neuromuscular blocker should be considered. We think that in situations with delayed recovery of ECT cases without identified PChE levels, low PChE levels must be considered. PMID:29332117

Breast Pocket Irrigation with Antibiotic Solution at Implant Insertion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Lynch, Jessica M; Sebai, Mohamad E; Rodriguez-Unda, Nelson A; Seal, Stella; Rosson, Gedge D; Manahan, Michele A

2018-06-08

Antibiotic irrigation is routinely used during implant insertion in augmentation mammoplasty procedures. However, the evidence for whether this reduces the incidence of infection or capsular contracture is unclear. Five databases were used to search for all randomized control trials, retrospective cohort and prospective cohort studies containing original data related to the primary outcomes being investigated in this study. The primary outcomes were the effects of antibiotic breast pocket irrigation on clinical infection and capsular contracture. The literature search was designed to combine three concepts: implant or tissue expander-based breast surgery, antibiotic irrigation and clinical infection or capsular contracture. Studies found were screened using specific eligibility criteria. Risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using pooled acquired data from all included studies. The search identified 1256 citations. Three independent screeners identified seven studies that met the inclusion criteria with a pooled population of 4725. This included one prospective and six retrospective studies. A meta-analysis of pooled study data showed significant reductions in clinical infection (RR 0.52, 95% CI 0.33-0.81) and capsular contracture (RR 0.36, 95% CI 0.16-0.83) as a result of antibiotic irrigation. The meta-analyses support the use of antibiotic irrigation of the breast pocket. However, the results of this study are limited by the large proportion of retrospective studies, the small number of studies included, the lack of randomized controlled trials and the heterogeneity of the antibiotic and control regimes used. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Score Reliability: A Retrospective Look Back at 12 Years of Reliability Generalization Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vacha-Haase, Tammi; Thompson, Bruce

2011-01-01

The present study was conducted to characterize (a) the features of the thousands of primary reports synthesized in 47 reliability generalization (RG) measurement meta-analysis studies and (b) typical methodological practice within the RG literature to date. With respect to the treatment of score reliability in the literature, in an astounding…

The need for pediatric-specific triage criteria: results from the Florida Trauma Triage Study.

PubMed

Phillips, S; Rond, P C; Kelly, S M; Swartz, P D

1996-12-01

The objective of the Florida Trauma Triage Study was to assess the performance of state-adopted field triage criteria. The study addressed three specific age groups: pediatric (age < 15 years), adult (age 15-54 years), and geriatric (age 55+ years). Since 1990, Florida has used a uniform set of eight triage criteria, known as the trauma scorecard, for triaging adult trauma patients to state-approved trauma centers. However, only five of the criteria are recommended for use with pediatric patients. This article presents the findings regarding the performance of the scorecard when applied to a pediatric population. We used state trauma registry data linked to state hospital discharge data in a retrospective analysis of trauma patients transported by prehospital providers to any acute care hospital within nine selected Florida counties between July 1, 1991, and December 31, 1991. We used cross-table and logistic regression analysis to determine the ability of triage criteria to correctly identify patients who were retrospectively defined as major trauma. We applied the field criteria to physiologic and anatomy/mechanism of injury data contained in the trauma registry to "score" the patient as major or minor trauma. To make our retrospective determination of major or minor trauma we used the protocols developed by an expert medical panel as described by E. J. MacKenzie et al. (1990). We calculated sensitivity, specificity, and the corresponding over- and undertriage rates by comparing patient classifications (major or minor trauma) produced by the triage criteria and the retrospective algorithm. We used logistic regression to identify which triage criteria were statistically significant in predicting major trauma. Pediatric cases accounted for 9.2% of the total study population, 6.0% of all hospitalized cases, and 6.8% of all trauma deaths. Of the 1505 pediatric cases available for analysis, the triage criteria classified 269 cases as expected major trauma and 1236 cases as expected minor trauma. The retrospective algorithm classified 78 cases as expected major trauma and 1427 cases as expected minor trauma. The resulting specificity is 84.8% (15.2% overtriage), and the sensitivity is 66.7% (33.3% undertriage). Logistic regression indicated that, of the eight state-adopted field triage criteria, only the Glasgow coma score, ejection from vehicle, and penetrating injuries have a statistically significant impact on predicting major trauma in pediatric patients. Although the state-adopted trauma scorecard, applied to a pediatric population, produced acceptable overtriage, it did not produce acceptable undertriage. However, our undertriage rate is comparable to the results of other published studies on pediatric trauma. As a result of the Florida Trauma Triage Study, a new pediatric triage instrument was developed. It is currently being field-tested.

A retrospective content analysis of studies on factors constraining the implementation of health sector reform in Ghana.

PubMed

Sakyi, E Kojo

2008-01-01

Ghana has undertaken many public service management reforms in the past two decades. But the implementation of the reforms has been constrained by many factors. This paper undertakes a retrospective study of research works on the challenges to the implementation of reforms in the public health sector. It points out that most of the studies identified: (1) centralised, weak and fragmented management system; (2) poor implementation strategy; (3) lack of motivation; (4) weak institutional framework; (5) lack of financial and human resources and (6) staff attitude and behaviour as the major causes of ineffective reform implementation. The analysis further revealed that quite a number of crucial factors obstructing reform implementation which are particularly internal to the health system have either not been thoroughly studied or overlooked. The analysis identified lack of leadership; weak communication and consultation; lack of stakeholder participation, corruption and unethical professional behaviour as some of the missing variables in the literature. The study, therefore, indicated that there are gaps in the literature that needed to be filled through rigorous reform evaluation based on empirical research particularly at district, sub-district and community levels. It further suggested that future research should be concerned with the effects of both systems and structures and behavioural factors on reform implementation.

Single-site Versus Multiport Robotic Hysterectomy in Benign Gynecologic Diseases: A Retrospective Evaluation of Surgical Outcomes and Cost Analysis.

PubMed

Bogliolo, Stefano; Ferrero, Simone; Cassani, Chiara; Musacchi, Valentina; Zanellini, Francesca; Dominoni, Mattia; Spinillo, Arsenio; Gardella, Barbara

2016-01-01

To compare the surgical outcomes and costs of robotic-assisted hysterectomy with the single-site (RSSH) or multiport approach (RH). A retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database (Canadian Task Force classification II1). A university hospital. Consecutive women who underwent robotic-assisted total laparoscopic hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for the treatment of benign gynecologic diseases. Data on surgical approach, surgical outcomes, and costs were collected in a prospective database and retrospectively analyzed. The total operative time, console time, docking time, estimated blood loss, conversion rate, and surgical complications rate were compared between the 2 study groups. Cost analysis was performed. One hundred four patients underwent total robotic-assisted hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (45 RSSH and 59 RH). There was no significant difference in the indications for surgery and in the characteristics of the patients between the 2 study groups. There was no significant difference between the single-site and multiport approach in console time, surgical complication rate, conversion rate, and postoperative pain. The docking time was lower in the RH group (p = .0001). The estimated blood loss and length of hospitalization were lower in the RSSH group (p = .0008 and p = .009, respectively). The cost analysis showed significant differences in favor of RSSH. RSSH should be preferred to RH when hysterectomy is performed for benign disease because it could be at least as equally effective and safe with a potential cost reduction. However, because of the high cost and absence of clear advantages, the robotic approach should be considered only for selected patients. Copyright © 2016 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated, computer-guided PASI measurements by digital image analysis versus conventional physicians' PASI calculations: study protocol for a comparative, single-centre, observational study.

PubMed

Fink, Christine; Uhlmann, Lorenz; Klose, Christina; Haenssle, Holger A

2018-05-17

Reliable and accurate assessment of severity in psoriasis is very important in order to meet indication criteria for initiation of systemic treatment or to evaluate treatment efficacy. The most acknowledged tool for measuring the extent of psoriatic skin changes is the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). However, the calculation of PASI can be tedious and subjective and high intraobserver and interobserver variability is an important concern. Therefore, there is a great need for a standardised and objective method that guarantees a reproducible PASI calculation. Within this study we will investigate the precision and reproducibility of automated, computer-guided PASI measurements in comparison to trained physicians to address these limitations. Non-interventional analyses of PASI calculations by either physicians in a prospective versus retrospective setting or an automated computer-guided algorithm in 120 patients with plaque psoriasis. All retrospective PASI calculations by physicians or by the computer algorithm are based on total body digital images. The primary objective of this study is comparison of automated computer-guided PASI measurements by means of digital image analysis versus conventional, prospective or retrospective physicians' PASI assessments. Secondary endpoints include (1) the assessment of physicians' interobserver variance in PASI calculations, (2) the assessment of physicians' intraobserver variance in PASI assessments of the same patients' images after a time interval of at least 4 weeks, (3) the assessment of the deviation between physicians' prospective versus retrospective PASI calculations, and (4) the reproducibility of automated computer-guided PASI measurements by assessment of two sets of total body digital images of the same patients taken at one time point. Ethical approval was provided by the Ethics Committee of the Medical Faculty of the University of Heidelberg (ethics approval number S-379/2016). DRKS00011818; Results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Referral for Occupational Therapy after Diagnosis of Developmental Disorder by German Child Psychiatrists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Konrad, Marcel; Drosselmeyer, Julia; Kostev, Karel

2016-01-01

Aims: The aims of this study were to assess how many patients received occupational therapy after diagnosis of developmental disorder (DD) in child psychiatrist practices in Germany and which factors influenced the prescription of occupational therapy. Methods: This study was a retrospective database analysis in Germany utilising the Disease…

Childhood Giftedness and Adulthood Genius: A Historiometric Analysis of 291 Eminent African Americans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simonton, Dean Keith

2008-01-01

Although the association between giftedness and genius has been the subject of several retrospective, longitudinal, and historiometric studies, this research concentrated on majority-culture samples. In the current study, Cox's (1926) findings regarding 301 geniuses were replicated on a sample of 291 eminent African Americans. Relative genius was…

Science Engagement and Literacy: A Retrospective Analysis for Students in Canada and Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woods-McConney, Amanda; Oliver, Mary Colette; McConney, Andrew; Schibeci, Renato; Maor, Dorit

2014-01-01

Given international concerns about students' pursuit (or more correctly, non-pursuit) of courses and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, this study is about achieving a better understanding of factors related to high school students' engagement in science. The study builds on previous secondary analyses of Programme for…

Dexamethasone immunosuppression results in turkey clostridial dermatitis: A retrospective analysis of 7 studies, 1998 - 2009

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We have been studying the etiology of turkey osteomyelitis complex (TOC) for the past 20 years and have determined that this syndrome is caused by the inability of some fast-growing male turkeys to cope with production stressors. While immunosuppressive viruses have often been associated with suscep...

Achieving Dramatic School Improvement: An Exploratory Study. A Cross-Site Analysis from the Evaluation of Comprehensive School Reform Program Implementation and Outcomes Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aladjem, Daniel K.; Birman, Beatrice F.; Orland, Martin; Harr-Robins, Jenifer; Heredia, Alberto; Parrish, Thomas B.; Ruffini, Stephen J.

2010-01-01

This exploratory study describes approaches to improving schools through retrospective, in-depth qualitative case studies. To select schools to be examined, the authors sought to identify Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) schools demonstrating two distinctive patterns of improved student achievement between 2000 and 2005, rapid-improvement (i.e.,…

Evaluation of three methods for retrospective correction of vignetting on medical microscopy images utilizing two open source software tools.

PubMed

Babaloukas, Georgios; Tentolouris, Nicholas; Liatis, Stavros; Sklavounou, Alexandra; Perrea, Despoina

2011-12-01

Correction of vignetting on images obtained by a digital camera mounted on a microscope is essential before applying image analysis. The aim of this study is to evaluate three methods for retrospective correction of vignetting on medical microscopy images and compare them with a prospective correction method. One digital image from four different tissues was used and a vignetting effect was applied on each of these images. The resulted vignetted image was replicated four times and in each replica a different method for vignetting correction was applied with fiji and gimp software tools. The highest peak signal-to-noise ratio from the comparison of each method to the original image was obtained from the prospective method in all tissues. The morphological filtering method provided the highest peak signal-to-noise ratio value amongst the retrospective methods. The prospective method is suggested as the method of choice for correction of vignetting and if it is not applicable, then the morphological filtering may be suggested as the retrospective alternative method. © 2011 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2011 Royal Microscopical Society.

DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROTOXICITY TESTING GUIDELINES: A QUALIFICATIVE RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF POSITIVE CONTROL DATA.

EPA Science Inventory

The USEPA Developmental Neurotoxicity (DNT) Study Test Guideline calls for both functional and neuropathological assessments in offspring during and following maternal exposure. This guideline also requires data from positive control (PC) agents. Submission of these data permit e...

BAC and crash responsibility of injured older drivers : an analysis of Trauma Center data.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-09-01

This study examined the distribution of blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) in injured drivers 65 and older and the relationship of older-driver BAC to driving record and crash responsibility. Researchers conducted a retrospective examination of 11 y...

A retrospective analysis of cross-reacting cetuximab IgE antibody and its association with severe infusion reactions.

PubMed

Maier, Sabine; Chung, Christine H; Morse, Michael; Platts-Mills, Thomas; Townes, Leigh; Mukhopadhyay, Pralay; Bhagavatheeswaran, Prabhu; Racenberg, Jan; Trifan, Ovidiu C

2015-01-01

Severe infusion reactions (SIRs) at rates of 5% or less are known side effects of biological agents, including mAbs such as cetuximab. There are currently no prospectively validated risk factors to aid physicians in identifying patients who may be at risk of experiencing an SIR following administration of any of these drugs. A retrospective analysis of 545 banked serum or plasma samples from cancer patients participating in clinical trials of cetuximab was designed to evaluate whether the presence of pretreatment IgE antibodies against cetuximab, as determined by a commercially available assay system, is associated with SIRs during the initial cetuximab infusion. Patients with a positive test indicating the presence of pretreatment antibodies had a higher risk of experiencing an SIR; however, at the prespecified cutoff utilized in this analysis, the test has a relatively low-positive predictive value (0.577 [0.369-0.766]) and a negative predictive value of 0.961 (0.912-0.987) in an unselected patient population. Data collected in this large retrospective validation study support prior observations of an association between the presence of pretreatment IgE antibodies cross-reactive with cetuximab and SIRs. Further analysis of the test's ability to predict patients at risk of an SIR would be required before this assay could be used reliably in this patient population. © 2014 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Odontogenic keratocysts in the Basal Cell Nevus (Gorlin-Goltz) Syndrome associated with paresthesia of the lower jaw: Case report, retrospective analysis of a representative Czech cohort and recommendations for the early diagnosis.

PubMed

Hubacek, Milan; Kripnerova, Tereza; Nemcikova, Michaela; Krepelová, Anna; Puchmajerova, Alena; Malikova, Marcela; Havlovicová, Markéta; Cadova, Jana; Kodet, Roman; Macek, Milan; Dostalova, Tatjana

2016-09-01

Identification of early presenting signs of the Basal Cell Nevus (BCNS; synonyme Gorlin-Goltz) syndrome, which is associated with a principal triad of multiple basal cell nevi, jaw odontogenic keratocysts, and skeletal anomalies, in stomatological and neurological practices. Proposal of multidisciplinary diagnostic algorithm comprising other medical specialists, including pathology, imaging, laboratory and molecular analyses based on the study outcomes. Case report of a male patient reporting paresthesia of their lower jaw, with right facial asymmetry (maxilla and mandible) and radiological detection of large osteolytic lesions in both jaws, including a retrospective analysis of a representative Czech cohort with BCNS from within the last decade. Clinical, imaging and laboratory analyses were carried out at a national tertiary centre. A multidisciplinary clinical approach followed by surgical management lead to the identification of odontogenic cysts, which were substantiated by histological examination. DNA sequencing of the PTCH1 gene detected a c.2929dupT resulting in p. Tyr977Leufs*16 pathogenic variant. This finding confirmed the clinical and laboraoty diagnosis of BCNS. Parental DNA analysis showed that this causal genetic defect arose de novo. Surgical management and orthodontic therapy were successful. Analysis of the reported case and retrospective data analysis provided evidence that paresthesia of the lower jaw should be considered as one of the early presenting signs of this rare disorder in stomatological and neurological practice. Obtained results allowed us to formulate recommendations for diagnostic practice in stomatology and neurology.

Do People Experience Cognitive Biases while Searching for Information?

PubMed Central

Lau, Annie Y.S.; Coiera, Enrico W.

2007-01-01

Objective To test whether individuals experience cognitive biases whilst searching using information retrieval systems. Biases investigated are anchoring, order, exposure and reinforcement. Design A retrospective analysis and a prospective experiment were conducted to investigate whether cognitive biases affect the way that documentary evidence is interpreted while searching online. The retrospective analysis was conducted on the search and decision behaviors of 75 clinicians (44 doctors, 31 nurses), answering questions for 8 clinical scenarios within 80 minutes in a controlled setting. The prospective study was conducted on 227 undergraduate students, who used the same search engine to answer two of six randomly assigned consumer health questions. Measurements Frequencies of correct answers pre- and post- search, and confidence in answers were collected. The impact of reading a document on the final decision was measured by the population likelihood ratio (LR) of the frequency of reading the document and the frequency of obtaining a correct answer. Documents with a LR > 1 were most likely to be associated with a correct answer, and those with a LR < 1 were most likely to be associated with an incorrect answer to a question. Agreement between a subject and the evidence they read was estimated by a concurrence rate, which measured the frequency that subjects’ answers agreed with the likelihood ratios of a group of documents, normalized for document order, time exposure or reinforcement through repeated access. Serial position curves were plotted for the relationship between subjects’ pre-search confidence, document order, the number of times and length of time a document was accessed, and concurrence with post-search answers. Chi-square analyses tested for the presence of biases, and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test checked for equality of distribution of evidence in the comparison populations. Results A person’s prior belief (anchoring) has a significant impact on their post-search answer (retrospective: P < 0.001; prospective: P < 0.001). Documents accessed at different positions in a search session (order effect [retrospective: P = 0.76; prospective: P = 0.026]), and documents processed for different lengths of time (exposure effect [retrospective: P = 0.27; prospective: P = 0.0081]) also influenced decision post-search more than expected in the prospective experiment but not in the retrospective analysis. Reinforcement through repeated exposure to a document did not yield statistical differences in decision outcome post-search (retrospective: P = 0.31; prospective: P = 0.81). Conclusion People may experience anchoring, exposure and order biases while searching for information, and these biases may influence the quality of decision making during and after the use of information retrieval systems. PMID:17600097

The use of rifaximin in pre-operative period of patients with tumors of the gastrointestinal tract - a retrospective study (2013-2016).

PubMed

Moroz, Nina; Sitarz, Robert; Mruk, Andrzej; Bakalarz, Robert; Maciąg, Ewa; Litwiński, Jakub; Wierzbicki, Ryszard

2018-02-28

ntroduction: One of the most important goals of preparing a patient for elective gastrointestinal cancer surgery is prevention of postoperative complications. The literature gives many ways to prepare for surgery, but only a few suggests that pre-operative use of rifaximin provides benefits in the form of fewer perioperative complications and reduces the severity of pain during this period. O bjective: The presented project is a retrospective analysis of the effectiveness of rifaximin in the prevention of perioperative complications in patients treated in the Unit of General Surgery with the Orthopedic and Urology in the Hospital of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration in Lublin, and a review of international literature in this subject. A retrospective analysis of the results of pre-operative use of rifaximin was performed in 181 patients scheduled for rectal and colorectal cancer between 2013 and 2016 in the General Surgery Unit with the Orthopedic and Urology in the Hospital of the Ministry of Interior and Administration in Lublin. Patients undergoing urgent surgery were excluded from the study. Patients were divided into 2 groups. The first group of 139 patients - patients operated on for rectal and colorectal cancer in 2013 until 2015, in whom rifaximine was not used in the preoperative period. The second group is 42 patients, operated on in 2016, in which the rifaximin was used in the pre-operative period at a dose of 2x2 tablets (400 mg) per day, 12-hour interval, for 7 days before the planned operation. Additionally, a probiotic was administered for 7 days. Drugs were ordained at the Oncological Outpatient Clinic as part of the pre-hospitalization check. R esults: The use of rifaximin in the preoperative period in patients with colorectal cancer had an effect on shortening the time of post-operative hospitalization and reduced post-surgical pain in comparison with the control group. The analysis of the cynumber and intensity of surgical complications in both groups did not differ. C onclusions: Large studies on the influence of rifaximin on the development of colorectal cancer have not been published so far. Only single reports suggest that its use has a positive effect on the perioperative period of patients treated for colorectal cancer including rectum and our retrospective analysis confirms these observations.

The role of the primary care team in the rapid response system.

PubMed

O'Horo, John C; Sevilla Berrios, Ronaldo A; Elmer, Jennifer L; Velagapudi, Venu; Caples, Sean M; Kashyap, Rahul; Jensen, Jeffrey B

2015-04-01

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the impact of primary service involvement on rapid response team (RRT) evaluations. The study is a combination of retrospective chart review and prospective survey-based evaluation. Data included when and where the activations occurred and the patient's code status, primary service, and ultimate disposition. These data were correlated with survey data from each event. A prospective survey evaluated the primary team's involvement in decision making and the overall subjective quality of the interaction with primary service through a visual analog scale. We analyzed 4408 RRTs retrospectively and an additional 135 prospectively. The primary team's involvement by telephone or in person was associated with significantly more transfers to higher care levels in retrospective (P < .01) and prospective data sets. Code status was addressed more frequently in primary team involvement, with more frequent changes seen in the retrospective analysis (P = .01). Subjective ratings of communication by the RRT leader were significantly higher when the primary service was involved (P < .001). Active primary team involvement influences RRT activation processes of care. The RRT role should be an adjunct to, but not a substitute for, an engaged and present primary care team. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cross-reactions among parabens, para-phenylenediamine, and benzocaine: a retrospective analysis of patch testing.

PubMed

Turchin, Irina; Moreau, Linda; Warshaw, Erin; Sasseville, Denis

2006-12-01

Parabens are alkyl ester derivatives of para-hydroxybenzoic acid and are the most commonly used preservatives in the cosmetic industry. Cross-reactions with para-amino compounds, namely, benzocaine and para-phenylenediamine (PPD), have been reported but are thought to be extremely rare. To evaluate the rate of cross-reactivity between parabens, PPD, and benzocaine in a population of patients patch-tested in a hospital-based contact dermatitis clinic. A retrospective analysis of 4,368 patients consecutively patch-tested between July 1989 and June 2005. Our study demonstrated that the rate of cross-reactions to parabens in PPD- and benzocaine-positive patients combined is 2%. This cross-reaction rate is significant in the tested population but still falls within the previously reported rates of sensitivity to parabens in the general population (0 to 3.5%).

Association of prescription of oral sodium polystyrene sulfonate with sorbitol in an inpatient setting with colonic necrosis: a retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Watson, Maura A; Baker, Thomas P; Nguyen, Annie; Sebastianelli, Mary E; Stewart, Heather L; Oliver, David K; Abbott, Kevin C; Yuan, Christina M

2012-09-01

Colonic necrosis has been reported after sodium polystyrene sulfonate (SPS)/sorbitol use, but the incidence and relative risk (RR) are not established. Retrospective cohort study. 123,391 adult inpatients at a tertiary medical center. Receipt of SPS prescriptions (exposed) or a prescription other than SPS (unexposed internal comparison group) between September 1, 2001, and October 31, 2010. The main outcome measure was tissue-confirmed diagnosis of colonic necrosis, considered SPS-associated if SPS was prescribed 30 or fewer days before tissue accession date. Demographics, serum chemistry test results, hospital location, and International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision diagnostic codes. SPS was prescribed to 2,194 inpatients. 82 inpatient colonic necrosis cases were identified. 3 received oral SPS (1 gram per 4 milliliters of 33% sorbitol) 30 or fewer days before the colonic necrosis accession date (3.7% of inpatient colonic necrosis cases). The data were linked with 123,391 individuals who received inpatient prescriptions between the same dates. Colonic necrosis incidence was 0.14% (95% CI, 0.03%-0.40%) in those prescribed SPS versus 0.07% (95% CI, 0.05-0.08%) in those not prescribed SPS (RR, 2.10; 95% CI, 0.68-6.48; P = 0.2). The number needed to harm was 1,395 (95% CI, 298-5,100). Subgroup analysis (age >65 years; estimated glomerular filtration rate, <30 mL/min/1.73 m(2), intensive care unit admission, or surgical ward status) did not show significant associations. Sample-size analysis indicated that 4,974 SPS-treated individuals older than 65 years and a comparison group 10 times larger would be required for rigorous multivariate analysis of SPS-associated colonic necrosis risk. Individuals with colonic necrosis admitted to non-Department of Defense hospitals would not have been ascertained. Only individuals who had colonic biopsy or surgical tissue submitted for pathologic review could be ascertained as having colonic necrosis. SPS-associated colonic necrosis is rare, and inpatient SPS/sorbitol prescription was not associated significantly with an increased RR of colonic necrosis in this retrospective cohort analysis. Multivariate analysis would require retrospective clinical cohorts from larger or more than one hospital system(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.

[Retrospective analysis of the effect of vinpocetine infusion in ophthalmologic disorders].

PubMed

Végh, Sarolta; Szikszay, Erzsébet; Bönöczk, Péter; Cserjés, Zsuzsanna; Kiss, Gyöngyvér

2006-12-10

Retrospective analysis of the effect of vinpocetine infusion in ophthalmologic disorders. The authors retrospectively examined the effect of vinpocetine infusion on various ophthalmological disorders. Based on the data of 280 patients they concluded that vinpocetine infusion has beneficial effects in numerous ophthalmologic disorders of vision and visual field. There was a clear difference regarding the response to treatment. Best results were achieved in diseases characterized by sclerosis, hypertonia and macular degeneration. The improvement was modest or progression was slowed in patients with nervus opticus ischaemia, glaucoma and myopia. These results are in accordance with the literature data. The beneficial effect of vinpocetine can be explained by the fact that the vessels of the eye are in direct connection with the cerebral circulation and hereby the circulation improving effect of vinpocetine could be effective. The neuronal effects of vinpocetine could also play a role at least in two ways. On the one hand by the direct effect exerted on the cells of retina (these cells are related to the neurons), and on the other hand by the improvement of the circulation and metabolism of the secondary visual cortex found in the occipital lobe (this effect is proved by PET studies).

Clinical management provided by board-certificated physiatrists in early rehabilitation is a significant determinant of functional improvement in acute stroke patients: a retrospective analysis of Japan rehabilitation database.

PubMed

Kinoshita, Shoji; Kakuda, Wataru; Momosaki, Ryo; Yamada, Naoki; Sugawara, Hidekazu; Watanabe, Shu; Abo, Masahiro

2015-05-01

Early rehabilitation for acute stroke patients is widely recommended. We tested the hypothesis that clinical outcome of stroke patients who receive early rehabilitation managed by board-certificated physiatrists (BCP) is generally better than that provided by other medical specialties. Data of stroke patients who underwent early rehabilitation in 19 acute hospitals between January 2005 and December 2013 were collected from the Japan Rehabilitation Database and analyzed retrospectively. Multivariate linear regression analysis using generalized estimating equations method was performed to assess the association between Functional Independence Measure (FIM) effectiveness and management provided by BCP in early rehabilitation. In addition, multivariate logistic regression analysis was also performed to assess the impact of management provided by BCP in acute phase on discharge destination. After setting the inclusion criteria, data of 3838 stroke patients were eligible for analysis. BCP provided early rehabilitation in 814 patients (21.2%). Both the duration of daily exercise time and the frequency of regular conferencing were significantly higher for patients managed by BCP than by other specialties. Although the mortality rate was not different, multivariate regression analysis showed that FIM effectiveness correlated significantly and positively with the management provided by BCP (coefficient, .35; 95% confidence interval [CI], .012-.059; P < .005). In addition, multivariate logistic analysis identified clinical management by BCP as a significant determinant of home discharge (odds ratio, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.08-1.44; P < .005). Our retrospective cohort study demonstrated that clinical management provided by BCP in early rehabilitation can lead to functional recovery of acute stroke. Copyright © 2015 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cervical spine injuries from diving accident: a 10-year retrospective descriptive study on 64 patients.

PubMed

Chan-Seng, E; Perrin, F E; Segnarbieux, F; Lonjon, N

2013-09-01

Ninety percent of the lesions resulting from diving injuries affect the cervical spine and are potentially associated with spinal cord injuries. The objective is to determine the most frequent lesion mechanisms. Evaluate the therapeutic alternatives and the biomechanical evolution (kyphotic deformation) of diving-induced cervical spine injuries. Define epidemiological characteristics of diving injuries. A retrospective analysis over a period of 10 years was undertaken for patients admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery of Montpellier, France, with cervical spinal injuries due to a diving accident. Patients were re-evaluated and clinical and radiological evaluation follow-ups were done. This study included 64 patients. Cervical spine injuries resulting from diving predominantly affect young male subjects. They represent 9.5% of all the cervical spine injuries. In 22% of cases, patients presented severe neurological troubles (ASIA A, B, C) at the time of admission. A surgical treatment was done in 85% of cases, mostly using an anterior cervical approach. This is a retrospective study (type IV) with some limitations. The incidence of diving injuries in our region is one of the highest as compared to reports in the literature. Despite an increase of our surgical indications, 55% of these cases end up with a residual kyphotic deformation but there is no relationship between the severity of late vertebral deformity and high Neck Pain and Disability Scale (NPDS) scores. Level IV, retrospective study. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Time from Prior Chemotherapy Enhances Prognostic Risk Grouping in the Second-line Setting of Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma: A Retrospective Analysis of Pooled, Prospective Phase 2 Trials

PubMed Central

Sonpavde, Guru; Pond, Gregory R.; Fougeray, Ronan; Choueiri, Toni K.; Qu, Angela Q.; Vaughn, David J.; Niegisch, Guenter; Albers, Peter; James, Nicholas D.; Wong, Yu-Ning; Ko, Yoo-Joung; Sridhar, Srikala S.; Galsky, Matthew D.; Petrylak, Daniel P.; Vaishampayan, Ulka N.; Khan, Awais; Vogelzang, Nicholas J.; Beer, Tomasz M.; Stadler, Walter M.; O’Donnell, Peter H.; Sternberg, Cora N.; Rosenberg, Jonathan E.; Bellmunt, Joaquim

2014-01-01

Background Outcomes for patients in the second-line setting of advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC) are dismal. The recognized prognostic factors in this context are Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) >0, hemoglobin level (Hb) <10 g/dl, and liver metastasis (LM). Objectives The purpose of this retrospective study of prospective trials was to investigate the prognostic value of time from prior chemotherapy (TFPC) independent of known prognostic factors. Design, setting, and participants: Data from patients from seven prospective trials with available baseline TFPC, Hb, PS, and LM values were used for retrospective analysis (n = 570). External validation was conducted in a second-line phase 3 trial comparing best supportive care (BSC) versus vinflunine plus BSC (n = 352). Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the association of factors, with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) being the respective primary and secondary outcome measures. Results and limitations ECOG-PS >0, LM, Hb <10 g/dl, and shorter TFPC were significant prognostic factors for OS and PFS on multivariable analysis. Patients with zero, one, two, and three to four factors demonstrated median OS of 12.2, 6.7, 5.1, and 3.0 mo, respectively (concordance statistic = 0.638). Setting of prior chemotherapy (metastatic disease vs perioperative) and prior platinum agent (cisplatin or carboplatin) were not prognostic factors. External validation demonstrated a significant association of TFPC with PFS on univariable and most multivariable analyses, and with OS on univariable analyses. Limitations of retrospective analyses are applicable. Conclusions Shorter TFPC enhances prognostic classification independent of ECOG-PS>0, Hb<10 g/ dl, and LM in the setting of second-line therapy for advanced UC. These data may facilitate drug development and interpretation of trials. PMID:23206856

Radiotherapy and nipple-areolar complex necrosis after nipple-sparing mastectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Zheng, Yajuan; Zhong, Miaochun; Ni, Chao; Yuan, Hongjun; Zhang, Jingxia

2017-03-01

To perform a meta-analysis to determine the effect of radiotherapy (RT) on nipple-areolar complex (NAC) and skin flap necrosis, and local recurrence in women who undergo nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) and immediate breast reconstruction. Medline, PubMed, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases were searched until October 16, 2015. Randomized-controlled-trials, prospective, retrospective, and cohort studies were included. The primary outcome was the NAC necrosis rate, and the secondary outcomes were the skin flap necrosis and local recurrence rates. Of 186 studies identified, 2 prospective and 5 retrospective studies including a total of 3692 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Five, 3, and 2 studies reported data of NAC necrosis (3461 breasts), skin flap necrosis (2490 breasts), and local recurrence (988 breasts), respectively. Pooled results showed no difference in the odds of NAC necrosis [odds ratio (OR) = 1.250, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.481-3.247, P = 0.647], or local recurrence (OR = 0.564, 95% CI 0.056-5.710, P = 0.627) between patients who received and did not receive RT. Patients treated with RT had a higher likelihood of skin flap necrosis (OR = 2.534, 95% CI 1.720-3.735, P < 0.001). Significant heterogeneity, however, was noted in the analysis of NAC and local recurrence. Because of the limitations of the small number of studies and heterogeneity in the analysis, this study does not allow drawing any definitive conclusions and highlights the need of well-controlled trials to determine the effect of RT in patients undergoing NSM.

A retrospective study of clinical and mutational findings in 45 Danish families with ectodermal dysplasia.

PubMed

Tiedemann Svendsen, Mathias; Henningsen, Emil; Hertz, Jens Michael; Vestergaard Grejsen, Dorthe; Bygum, Anette

2014-09-01

Ectodermal dysplasias form a complex, nosologic group of diseases with defects in at least 2 ectodermal structures. A retrospective study of patients with ectodermal dysplasia seen at our department over a period of 19 years (1994-2013) was performed. The study population consisted of 67 patients covering 17 different diagnoses. Forty-five families were identified of which 26 were sporadic cases with no affected family members. In 27 tested families a disease-causing mutation was identified in 23 families. Eleven mutations were novel mutations. To our knowledge, we present the first large ectodermal dysplasia cohort focusing on clinical manifestations in combination with mutational analysis. We recommend a nationwide study to estimate the prevalence of the ectodermal dysplasia and to ensure relevant molecular genetic testing which may form the basis of a national ectodermal dysplasia database.

Developing corridor-level truck travel time estimates and other freight performance measures from archived ITS data.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-08-01

The objectives of this research were to retrospectively study the feasibility for using truck transponder data to produce freight corridor performance measures (travel times) and real-time traveler information. To support this analysis, weigh-in-moti...

Reflections from the Reading Detective Club

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yee-Vignola, Denise

2014-01-01

This action research study explores how strategic conversations and Retrospective Miscue Analysis (RMA) influences beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions about reading, as well as reading proficiencies and strategies of my "readers in trouble." Creating a Reading Detective Club (Goodman, D. 1999) in my own classroom provided opportunities…

Monitoring is not enough: on the need for a model-based approach to migratory bird management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nichols, J.D.; Bonney, Rick; Pashley, David N.; Cooper, Robert; Niles, Larry

2000-01-01

Informed management requires information about system state and about effects of potential management actions on system state. Population monitoring can provide the needed information about system state, as well as information that can be used to investigate effects of management actions. Three methods for investigating effects of management on bird populations are (1) retrospective analysis, (2) formal experimentation and constrained-design studies, and (3) adaptive management. Retrospective analyses provide weak inferences, regardless of the quality of the monitoring data. The active use of monitoring data in experimental or constrained-design studies or in adaptive management is recommended. Under both approaches, learning occurs via the comparison of estimates from the monitoring program with predictions from competing management models.

A Retrospective Analysis of the Benefits and Impacts of U.S. Renewable Portfolio Standards

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wiser, Ryan; Barbose, Galen; Heeter, Jenny

This is the second in a series of reports exploring the costs, benefits, and other impacts of state renewable portfolio standards (RPS), both retrospectively and prospectively. This report focuses on the benefits and impacts of all state RPS programs, in aggregate, for the year 2013 (the most-recent year for which the requisite data were available). Relying on a well-vetted set of methods, the study evaluates a number of important benefits and impacts in both physical and monetary terms, where possible, and characterizes key uncertainties. The prior study in this series focused on historical RPS compliance costs, and future work willmore » evaluate costs, benefits, and other impacts of RPS policies prospectively.« less

Predictors of in-hospital mortality amongst octogenarians undergoing emergency general surgery: a retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Wilson, Iain; Paul Barrett, Michael; Sinha, Ashish; Chan, Shirley

2014-11-01

Elderly patients are often judged to be fit for emergency surgery based on age alone. This study identified risk factors predictive of in-hospital mortality amongst octogenarians undergoing emergency general surgery. A retrospective review of octogenarians undergoing emergency general surgery over 3 years was performed. Parametric survival analysis using Cox multivariate regression model was used to identify risk factors predictive of in-hospital mortality. Hazard ratios (HR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval were calculated. Seventy-three patients with a median age of 84 years were identified. Twenty-eight (38%) patients died post-operatively. Multivariate analysis identified ASA grade (ASA 5 HR 23.4 95% CI 2.38-230, p = 0.007) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (HR 3.35 95% CI 1.15-9.69, p = 0.026) to be the only significant predictors of in-hospital mortality. Identification of high risk surgical patients should be based on physiological fitness for surgery rather than chronological age. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical characteristics indicating adenomyosis at the time of hysterectomy: a retrospective study in 291 patients.

PubMed

Taran, F Andrei; Wallwiener, Markus; Kabashi, Drita; Rothmund, Ralf; Rall, Katharina; Kraemer, Bernhard; Brucker, Sara Y

2012-06-01

To better characterize adenomyosis as a disease entity. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of women undergoing hysterectomy with a histologic diagnosis of adenomyosis, adenomyosis and leiomyomas, and leiomyomas alone. The study included 291 women: 38 with adenomyosis alone, 56 with adenomyosis and leiomyomas, and 197 with leiomyomas alone. In univariate analysis, women with adenomyosis were younger (p = 0.018) and had lower uterine weights (p < 0.001) and more disease-specific symptoms (p = 0.008). In multinomial logistic regression analysis, a lower uterine weight (OR 0.99, CI 95% 0.99-1.0), pelvic pain (OR 4.8, CI 95% 1.5-15.2), a history of smoking (OR 2.6, CI 95% 1.1-6.5) and at least one delivery (OR 4.3, CI 95% 1.5-12.3) were associated with a greater likelihood of having adenomyosis but not leiomyomas alone. Women undergoing hysterectomy with adenomyosis alone have different clinical characteristics from women with adenomyosis and leiomyomas and from those with only leiomyomas.

Analysis of weight changes after left gastric artery embolization in a cancer-naive population

PubMed Central

Kim, David J.; Raman, Hari S.; Salter, Amber; Ramaswamy, Raja; Gunn, Andrew J.; Weiss, Clifford R.; Akinwande, Olaguoke

2018-01-01

PURPOSE We aimed to evaluate weight changes after left gastric artery (LGA) embolization in a retrospective cancer-naive cohort. METHODS A retrospective study was conducted to identify patients who underwent LGA embolization for gastrointestinal bleeding (GI). Patients with known cancer diagnoses at the time of LGA embolization were excluded. Pre- and postprocedure weights were assessed. Statistical analysis was performed using paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS A total of 39 patients were identified. In 21 patients who had documented pre- and postprocedural weights, a median of 16.3 kg weight loss (P = 0.045) was observed over a median time of 12 months (range, 2–72). In patients who had pre- and postprocedure endoscopies (n=6), 2 had worsening ulcers following LGA embolization and 4 had stable or no abnormal findings. CONCLUSION Our preliminary observation suggests that LGA embolization is well tolerated and results in unintended weight loss. Larger studies are needed to confirm these preliminary findings. PMID:29757147

Perioperative ketorolac increases post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage in adults but not children.

PubMed

Chan, Dylan K; Parikh, Sanjay R

2014-08-01

To evaluate the risk of post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage associated with perioperative ketorolac use. Systematic review and meta-analysis of primary articles reporting individual-level post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage rates in subjects receiving perioperative ketorolac and matched controls. Retrospective and prospective studies were both included. PubMed search was performed for "[ketorolac OR toradol] AND tonsillectomy." Articles fulfilling inclusion criteria were subjected to meta-analysis to determine summary relative risk (RR). Adults are at five times increased risk for post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage with ketorolac use (RR: 5.64; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.08-15.27; P < .001). In contrast, children under 18 are not at statistically significantly increased risk (RR: 1.39; 95% CI: 0.84-2.30; P = .20). Both retrospective and prospective studies yield consistent findings. There is no association of RR with pre- or postoperative administration of ketorolac. Ketorolac can be used safely in children, but is associated with a five-fold increased bleeding risk in adults. © 2014 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Regulatory Forum Opinion Piece*: Retrospective Evaluation of Doses in the 26-week Tg.rasH2 Mice Carcinogenicity Studies: Recommendation to Eliminate High Doses at Maximum Tolerated Dose in Future Studies. A Response to the Counterpoints.

PubMed

Paranjpe, Madhav G; Denton, Melissa D; Vidmar, Tom J; Elbekai, Reem H

2016-01-01

We recently conducted a retrospective analysis of data collected from 29 Tg.rasH2 carcinogenicity studies conducted at our facility to determine how successful was the strategy of choosing the high dose of the 26-week studies based on an estimated maximum tolerated dose (MTD). As a result of our publication, 2 counterviews were expressed. Both counterviews illustrate very valid points in their interpretation of our data. In this article, we would like to highlight clarifications based on several points and issues they have raised in their papers, namely, the dose-level selection, determining if MTD was exceeded in 26-week studies, and a discussion on the number of dose groups to be used in the studies. © The Author(s) 2015.

Colorectal cancer with intestinal perforation - a retrospective analysis of treatment outcomes.

PubMed

Banaszkiewicz, Zbigniew; Woda, Łukasz; Tojek, Krzysztof; Jarmocik, Paweł; Jawień, Arkadiusz

2014-01-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading cause of death in European population. It progresses without any symptoms in the early stages or those clinical symptoms are very discrete. The aim of this study was a retrospective analysis of treatment outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer complicated with intestinal perforation. A retrospective analysis of patients urgently operated upon in our Division of General Surgery, because of large intestine perforation, from February 1993 to February 2013 has been made. Results were compared with a group of patients undergoing the elective surgery for colorectal cancer in the same time and Division. Intestinal perforation occurred more often in males (6.52% vs. 6.03%), patients with mucous component in histopathological examination (9.09% vs. 6.01%) and with clinicaly advanced CRC. Patients treated because of perforation had a five-fold higher 30 day mortality rate (9.09% vs. 1.83%), however long-term survival did not differ significantly in both groups. After resectional surgery in 874 patients an intestinal anastomosis was made. Anastomotic leakage was present in 23 (2.6%) patients. This complication occurred six-fold more frequently in a group of patients operated upon because of intestinal perforation (12.20% vs. 2.16%). In patients with CRC complicated with perforation of the colon in a 30-day observation significantly higher rate of complications and mortality was shown, whereas there was no difference in distant survival rates.

Odontoma: retrospective study and confocal laser scanning microscope analysis of 52 cases.

PubMed

Crincoli, V; Scivetti, M; Di Bisceglie, M B; Lucchese, A; Favia, G

2007-01-01

The aim of this study was to perform a retrospective analysis of 52 cases of odontoma treated at the Department of Dentistry and Surgery, University of Bari, in the period 1971-2005. The odontogenic tumors were diagnosed as complex or compound odontoma following histological analysis and clinical radiological examination, and applying the 2005 WHO classification. The data analysis was conducted by considering the following factors: gender, age, site of the lesion, association with impacted teeth, aplasia, presence of supernumerary teeth as well as preoperative diagnosis by panoramic and periapical radiographs. Biopsy tissue samples were conventionally processed for histopathologic paraffin embedding and then were observed by optical microscopy and subsequently by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) in autofluorescence. Thirty specimens (57.6%) were from females and 22 (42.3%) were from males patients. The patients' age ranged from 5 to 75 years. Fifty-one percent of the specimens were excised from the mandible. In the maxilla, the most common location for odontomas was the anterior region. Most odontomas were associated with impacted teeth and only in one case there was an odontoma instead of a permanent tooth. Odontomas are considered hamartomatous malformations whose diagnosis is generally formulated by routinary radiographic examination. The CLSM analysis could help in diagnosis and histopathological analysis showing well-defined follicular area entrapped in hard tissues and pointing out ghost cells, otherwise not identifiable by traditional microscopy.

Resective surgical approach shows a high performance in the management of advanced cases of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws: a retrospective survey of 347 cases.

PubMed

Graziani, Filippo; Vescovi, Paolo; Campisi, Giuseppina; Favia, Gianfranco; Gabriele, Mario; Gaeta, Giovanni Maria; Gennai, Stefano; Goia, Franco; Miccoli, Mario; Peluso, Franco; Scoletta, Matteo; Solazzo, Luigi; Colella, Giuseppe

2012-11-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of the surgical treatment of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) in a large cohort. A retrospective cohort multicenter study was designed. Patients were enrolled if they were diagnosed with BRONJ and received operative treatment. Data on demographic, health status, perioperative, and surgical factors were collected retrospectively. The primary outcome variable was a change in BRONJ staging (improvement, worsening, or no change). Interventions were grouped by local debridement and resective surgery. Data were collected for other variables as cofactors. Univariate analysis and logistic regressions were then performed. Of the 347 BRONJ-affected subjects, 59% showed improvement, 30% showed no change, and 11% showed worsening. Improvement was observed in 49% of cases treated with local debridement and 68% of cases treated with resective surgery. Multivariate analysis indicated that maxillary location, resective surgery, and no additional corticosteroid treatment were associated with a positive outcome. Surgical treatment of BRONJ appeared to be more effective when resective procedures were performed. Nonetheless, other factors, such as the absence of symptoms and the types of drug administration, should be taken into account before clinical decisions are made. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Retrospective Analysis of Endemic Melasma Patients

PubMed Central

Demirkan, Serkan; Gündüz, Özgür; Sayan, Cemile Dayangan

2017-01-01

Melasma is an acquired diffuse hypermelanosis characterized by localized, symmetrical, irregular, light-to-dark brown maculae occurring in sun-exposed areas of skin. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine demographics of patients, analysis of etiologic factors, clinical features, efficacy and side effects of available topical treatments due to high incidence of melasma patients. In this study melasma patients in Birecik State Hospital were investigated retrospectively. Between January 2014 and October 2015, 1008 patients had diagnosis of melasma in 49,809 applications of 24,603 different patients who admitted to Dermatology Outpatient Clinics. Of the 1008 patients, 263 had completed 3-month treatment period. These patients did not receive treatment in June, July, August and September. All melasma patients were rural and dealing with agriculture. There was no significant difference between female and male patients in terms of age. Of the 253 female melasma patients, only 2 of them had not child and none of them were using hormone drug. Of the 263 patients with melasma, Fitzpatrick skin type was 3 in 79 (30%) patients, 4 in 184 (70%) patients. Şanliurfa city showed higher fertility rate, sun exposure, and skin type than Turkey as a whole. These predisposing factors may explain higher melasma occurrence in Şanliurfa. Patient information about preventive measures and treatment play important role in treatment of cosmetic condition. The most important measure seems to advise patients about sun-protection especially during pregnancy. PMID:28652905

Multicenter retrospective analysis regarding the clinical manifestations and treatment results in patients with hairy cell leukemia: twenty-four year Turkish experience in cladribine therapy.

PubMed

Hacioglu, Sibel; Bilen, Yusuf; Eser, Ali; Sivgin, Serdar; Gurkan, Emel; Yildirim, Rahsan; Aydogdu, Ismet; Dogu, Mehmet Hilmi; Yilmaz, Mehmet; Kayikci, Omur; Tombak, Anil; Kuku, Irfan; Celebi, Harika; Akay, Meltem Olga; Esen, Ramazan; Korkmaz, Serdal; Keskin, Ali

2015-12-01

In this multicenter retrospective analysis, we aimed to present clinical, laboratory and treatment results of 94 patients with Hairy cell leukemia diagnosed in 13 centers between 1990 and 2014. Sixty-six of the patients were males and 28 were females, with a median age of 55. Splenomegaly was present in 93.5% of cases at diagnosis. The laboratory findings that came into prominence were pancytopenia with grade 3 bone marrow fibrosis. Most of the patients with an indication for treatment were treated with cladribine as first-line treatment. Total and complete response of cladribine was 97.3% and 80.7%. The relapse rate after cladribine was 16.6%, and treatment related mortality was 2.5%. Most preferred therapy (95%) was again cladribine at second-line, and third line with CR rate of 68.4% and 66.6%, respectively. The 28-month median OS was 91.7% in all patients and 25-month median OS 96% for patients who were given cladribine as first-line therapy. In conclusion, the first multicenter retrospective Turkish study where patients with HCL were followed up for a long period has revealed demographic characteristics of patients with HCL, and confirmed that cladribine treatment might be safe and effective in a relatively large series of the Turkish study population. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Relationship of Bilingualism Compared to Monolingualism to the Risk of Cognitive Decline or Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Mukadam, Naaheed; Sommerlad, Andrew; Livingston, Gill

2017-01-01

Bilingualism may contribute to cognitive reserve, protect against cognitive decline, and delay the onset of dementia. We systematically reviewed evidence about the effect of bilingualism on subsequent cognitive decline or dementia. We searched electronic databases and references for longitudinal studies comparing cognitive decline in people who were bilingual with those who were monolingual and evaluated study quality. We conducted meta-analyses using random effects models to calculate pooled odds ratio of incident dementia. We included 13/1,156 eligible articles. Meta-analysis of prospective studies of the effects of bilingualism on future dementia gave a combined Odds Ratio of dementia of 0.96 (95% CI 0.74-1.23) in bilingual participants (n = 5,527) compared to monolinguals. Most retrospective studies found that bilingual people were reported to develop symptoms of cognitive decline at a later age than monolingual participants. We did not find that bilingualism protects from cognitive decline or dementia from prospective studies. Retrospective studies are more prone to confounding by education, or cultural differences in presentation to dementia services and are therefore not suited to establishing causative links between risk factors and outcomes.

Paternal exposure to medical-related radiation associated with low birthweight infants

PubMed Central

Chen, Shi; Yang, Yingying; QV, Yimin; Zou, Yun; ZHU, Huijuan; Gong, Fengying; Zou, Yongwei; Yang, Hongbo; WANG, Linjie; Lian, Bill Q.; Liu, Cynthia; Jiang, Yu; Yan, Chengsheng; LI, Jianqiang; Wang, Qing; Pan, Hui

2018-01-01

Abstract Low birthweight (LBW) is closely associated with fetal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. We identified the risk factors of LBW and geographical differences in LBW incidence in 30 Chinese provinces in the present study. This study was a population-based, retrospective cohort study performed in 30 Chinese provinces. We used data from the free National Pre-pregnancy Checkups Project, which is a countrywide population-based retrospective cohort study. To identify regional differences in LBW incidence, we used the Qinling-Huaihe climate line to divide China into northern and southern sections and the Heihe-Tengchong economic line to divide it into eastern and western sections. Multivariate unconditional logistic regression analysis with SAS 9.4 was used for data analysis. P < .05 was considered statistically significant. LBW incidence was 4.54% in rural China. Southern China had a significantly higher incidence (4.65%) than northern China (4.28%). Our main risk factor for LBW is paternal exposure to radiation (odds ratio = 1.537), which has never been studied before. This study identifies multiple risk factors of couples giving birth to LBW babies including paternal risk factors. PMID:29480847

Evaluation of a proposed expert system development methodology: Two case studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilstrap, Lewey

1990-01-01

Two expert system development projects were studied to evaluate a proposed Expert Systems Development Methodology (ESDM). The ESDM was developed to provide guidance to managers and technical personnel and serve as a standard in the development of expert systems. It was agreed that the proposed ESDM must be evaluated before it could be adopted; therefore a study was planned for its evaluation. This detailed study is now underway. Before the study began, however, two ongoing projects were selected for a retrospective evaluation. They were the Ranging Equipment Diagnostic Expert System (REDEX) and the Backup Control Mode Analysis and Utility System (BCAUS). Both projects were approximately 1 year into development. Interviews of project personnel were conducted, and the resulting data was used to prepare the retrospective evaluation. Decision models of the two projects were constructed and used to evaluate the completeness and accuracy of key provisions of ESDM. A major conclusion reached from these case studies is that suitability and risk analysis should be required for all AI projects, large and small. Further, the objectives of each stage of development during a project should be selected to reduce the next largest area of risk or uncertainty on the project.

Customizing chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer: the promise is still unmet

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

A combination of cytotoxic agents with cis-platin remains the cornerstone of treatment for the vast majority of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Molecular analysis of the primary may lead better prognostication and eventually in more accurate therapeutic approaches. Data from retrospective analysis of randomized trials as well as large patients’ series have suggested that chemotherapy may be customized upon molecular-genetic analysis of the tumor cells. The Spanish Lung Cancer Group (SLCG) in collaboration with French lung Cancer Group (FLCG) had conduct randomized, phase III, biomarkers-driven trial and supported simultaneously a randomized phase II trial in collaborating centers in China. Despite the evidence from the preclinical data and the results from the retrospective studies, the results of these trials published recently in Annals of Oncology were in favor of ‘standard approach’. The present commentary tries to give some explanation for the disappointing results, provide potential solution for the future trials and explain why the vision of customizing treatment is still alive. PMID:26629440

Atypical and Malignant Meningioma: Outcome and Prognostic Factors in 119 Irradiated Patients. A Multicenter, Retrospective Study of the Rare Cancer Network

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pasquier, David; Bijmolt, Stefan; Veninga, Theo

2008-08-01

Purpose: To retrospectively analyze and assess the outcomes and prognostic factors in a large number of patients with atypical and malignant meningiomas. Methods and Materials: Ten academic medical centers participating in this Rare Cancer Network contributed 119 cases of patients with atypical or malignant meningiomas treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) after surgery or for recurrence. Eligibility criteria were histologically proven atypical or anaplastic (malignant) meningioma (World Health Organization Grade 2 and 3) treated with fractionated EBRT after initial resection or for recurrence, and age >18 years. Sex ratio (male/female) was 1.3, and mean ({+-}SD) age was 57.6 {+-} 12more » years. Surgery was macroscopically complete (Simpson Grades 1-3) in 71% of patients; histology was atypical and malignant in 69% and 31%, respectively. Mean dose of EBRT was 54.6 {+-} 5.1 Gy (range, 40-66 Gy). Median follow-up was 4.1 years. Results: The 5- and 10-year actuarial overall survival rates were 65% and 51%, respectively, and were significantly influenced by age >60 years (p = 0.005), Karnofsky performance status (KPS) (p = 0.01), and high mitotic rate (p = 0.047) on univariate analysis. On multivariate analysis age >60 years (p = 0.001) and high mitotic rate (p = 0.02) remained significant adverse prognostic factors. The 5- and 10-year disease-free survival rates were 58% and 48%, respectively, and were significantly influenced by KPS (p 0.04) and high mitotic rate (p = 0.003) on univariate analysis. On multivariate analysis only high mitotic rate (p = 0.003) remained a significant prognostic factor. Conclusions: In this multicenter retrospective study, age, KPS, and mitotic rate influenced outcome. Multicenter prospective studies are necessary to clarify the management and prognostic factors of such a rare disease.« less

A normalization method for combination of laboratory test results from different electronic healthcare databases in a distributed research network.

PubMed

Yoon, Dukyong; Schuemie, Martijn J; Kim, Ju Han; Kim, Dong Ki; Park, Man Young; Ahn, Eun Kyoung; Jung, Eun-Young; Park, Dong Kyun; Cho, Soo Yeon; Shin, Dahye; Hwang, Yeonsoo; Park, Rae Woong

2016-03-01

Distributed research networks (DRNs) afford statistical power by integrating observational data from multiple partners for retrospective studies. However, laboratory test results across care sites are derived using different assays from varying patient populations, making it difficult to simply combine data for analysis. Additionally, existing normalization methods are not suitable for retrospective studies. We normalized laboratory results from different data sources by adjusting for heterogeneous clinico-epidemiologic characteristics of the data and called this the subgroup-adjusted normalization (SAN) method. Subgroup-adjusted normalization renders the means and standard deviations of distributions identical under population structure-adjusted conditions. To evaluate its performance, we compared SAN with existing methods for simulated and real datasets consisting of blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, hematocrit, hemoglobin, serum potassium, and total bilirubin. Various clinico-epidemiologic characteristics can be applied together in SAN. For simplicity of comparison, age and gender were used to adjust population heterogeneity in this study. In simulations, SAN had the lowest standardized difference in means (SDM) and Kolmogorov-Smirnov values for all tests (p < 0.05). In a real dataset, SAN had the lowest SDM and Kolmogorov-Smirnov values for blood urea nitrogen, hematocrit, hemoglobin, and serum potassium, and the lowest SDM for serum creatinine (p < 0.05). Subgroup-adjusted normalization performed better than normalization using other methods. The SAN method is applicable in a DRN environment and should facilitate analysis of data integrated across DRN partners for retrospective observational studies. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Complexities of Being and Becoming Language Teachers: Issues of Identity and Investment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mora, Alberto; Trejo, Paulina; Roux, Ruth

2016-01-01

This comparative study examines the learning trajectories of two groups of Mexican novice language teachers, three locally raised and educated ones and three repatriates from the USA. The study makes use of a combination of retrospective life-history research and the analysis of academic documents to look at the interrelationship between teachers'…

On the Post Hoc Power in Testing Mean Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuan, Ke-Hai; Maxwell, Scott

2005-01-01

Retrospective or post hoc power analysis is recommended by reviewers and editors of many journals. Little literature has been found that gave a serious study of the post hoc power. When the sample size is large, the observed effect size is a good estimator of the true power. This article studies whether such a power estimator provides valuable…

Increasing Body Mass Index, Blood Pressure, and Acanthosis Nigricans Abnormalities in School-Age Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Otto, Debra E.; Wang, Xiaohui; Garza, Viola; Fuentes, Lilia A.; Rodriguez, Melinda C.; Sullivan, Pamela

2013-01-01

This retrospective quantitative study examined the relationships among gender, Acanthosis Nigricans (AN), body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure (BP) in children attending school Grades 1-9 in Southwest Texas. Of the 34,897 health screening records obtained for the secondary analysis, 32,788 were included for the study. A logistic regression…

Combined retrospective analysis of 498 rat multi-generation reproductive toxicity studies: on the impact of parameters related to F1 mating and F2 offspring

EPA Science Inventory

The multi-generation reproductive toxicity study (OECD TG 416 and USEPA 870.3800) has been extensively used internationally to assess the adverse effects of substances on reproduction. Recently the necessity of producing a second generation to assess the potential for human healt...

A Study of Young Lesbian and Gay People's School Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Kathryn

2010-01-01

This retrospective study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore young lesbian and gay (LG) people's experiences of school in relation to their sexuality and their perceptions of how schools could be inclusive for young LG people. Participants were in the age range of 16 to 21 and provided insights into coping strategies,…

Injury Incidence and Patterns in Workers with Intellectual Disability: A Comparative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lysaght, Rosemary; Sparring, Cynthia; Ouellette-Kuntz, Helene; Marshall, Carrie Anne

2011-01-01

Background: Workplace safety is a concern in the employment of persons with intellectual disability, due to both real concerns for employee well-being, and the effect that negative perceptions of safety risk can have on hiring. Method: This study involved a retrospective analysis of workplace insurance claim records for workers with and without…

Budget impact of rare diseases: proposal for a theoretical framework based on evidence from Bulgaria.

PubMed

Iskrov, G; Jessop, E; Miteva-Katrandzhieva, T; Stefanov, R

2015-05-01

This study aimed to estimate the impact of rare disease (RD) drugs on Bulgaria's National Health Insurance Fund's (NHIF) total drug budget for 2011-2014. While standard budget impact analysis is usually used in a prospective way, assessing the impact of new health technologies on the health system's sustainability, we adopted a retrospective approach instead. Budget impact was quantified from a NHIF perspective. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse cost details, while dynamics was studied, using chain-linked growth rates (every period preceding the accounting period serves as a base). NHIF costs for RD therapies were expected to increase up to 74.5 million BGN in 2014 (7.8% of NHIF's total pharmaceutical expenditure). Greatest increase in cost per patient and number of patients treated was observed in conditions, for which there were newly approved for funding therapies. While simple cost drivers are well known - number of patients treated and mean cost per patient - in real-world settings these two factors are likely to depend on the availability and accessibility of effective innovative therapies. As RD were historically underdiagnosed, undertreated and underfunded in Bulgaria, improved access to RD drugs will inevitably lead to increasing budget burden for payers. Based on the evidence from this study, we propose a theoretical framework of a budget impact study for RD. First, a retrospective analysis could provide essential health policy insights in terms of impact on accessibility and population health, which are significant benchmarks in shaping funding decisions in healthcare. We suggest an interaction between the classical prospective BIA with the retrospective analysis in order to optimise health policy decision-making. Second, we recommend budget impact studies to focus on RD rather than orphan drugs (OD). In policy context, RD are the public health priority. OD are just one of the tools to address the complex issues of RD. Moreover, OD is a dynamic characteristic and compromises the consistency and comparability of the calculated budget indicators.

Is the HAS-BLED score useful in predicting post-extraction bleeding in patients taking warfarin? A retrospective cohort study

PubMed Central

Kataoka, Toshiyuki; Hoshi, Keika; Ando, Tomohiro

2016-01-01

Objective Unexpected post-extraction bleeding is often experienced in clinical practice. Therefore, determining the risk of post-extraction bleeding in patients receiving anticoagulant therapy prior to surgery is beneficial. This study aimed to verify whether the HAS-BLED score was useful in predicting post-extraction bleeding in patients taking warfarin. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University. Participants Participants included 258 sequential cases (462 teeth) who had undergone tooth extraction between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2012 while continuing warfarin therapy. Main outcome measure Post-extraction risk factors for bleeding. The following data were collected as the predicting variables for multivariate logistic analysis: the HAS-BLED score, extraction site, tooth type, stability of teeth, extraction procedure, prothrombin time-international normalised ratio value, platelet count and the use of concomitant antiplatelet agents. Results Post-extraction bleeding was noted in 21 (8.1%) of the 258 cases. Haemostasis was achieved with localised haemostatic procedures in all the cases of post-extraction bleeding. The HAS-BLED score was found to be insufficient in predicting post-extraction bleeding (area under the curve=0.548, p=0.867, multivariate analysis). The risk of post-extraction bleeding was approximately three times greater in patients taking concomitant oral antiplatelet agents (risk ratio=2.881, p=0.035, multivariate analysis). Conclusions The HAS-BLED score alone could not predict post-extraction bleeding. The concomitant use of oral antiplatelet agents was a risk factor for post-extraction bleeding. No episodes of post-extraction bleeding required more than local measures for haemostasis. However, because this was a retrospective study conducted at a single institution, large-scale prospective cohort studies, which include cases of outpatient tooth extraction, will be necessary in the future. PMID:26936909

UNCERTAINTY ON RADIATION DOSES ESTIMATED BY BIOLOGICAL AND RETROSPECTIVE PHYSICAL METHODS.

PubMed

Ainsbury, Elizabeth A; Samaga, Daniel; Della Monaca, Sara; Marrale, Maurizio; Bassinet, Celine; Burbidge, Christopher I; Correcher, Virgilio; Discher, Michael; Eakins, Jon; Fattibene, Paola; Güçlü, Inci; Higueras, Manuel; Lund, Eva; Maltar-Strmecki, Nadica; McKeever, Stephen; Rääf, Christopher L; Sholom, Sergey; Veronese, Ivan; Wieser, Albrecht; Woda, Clemens; Trompier, Francois

2018-03-01

Biological and physical retrospective dosimetry are recognised as key techniques to provide individual estimates of dose following unplanned exposures to ionising radiation. Whilst there has been a relatively large amount of recent development in the biological and physical procedures, development of statistical analysis techniques has failed to keep pace. The aim of this paper is to review the current state of the art in uncertainty analysis techniques across the 'EURADOS Working Group 10-Retrospective dosimetry' members, to give concrete examples of implementation of the techniques recommended in the international standards, and to further promote the use of Monte Carlo techniques to support characterisation of uncertainties. It is concluded that sufficient techniques are available and in use by most laboratories for acute, whole body exposures to highly penetrating radiation, but further work will be required to ensure that statistical analysis is always wholly sufficient for the more complex exposure scenarios.

Increased Rate of Poor Laryngoscopic Views in Patients Scheduled for Cardiac Surgery Versus Patients Scheduled for General Surgery: A Propensity Score-Based Analysis of 21,561 Cases.

PubMed

Heinrich, Sebastian; Ackermann, Andreas; Prottengeier, Johannes; Castellanos, Ixchel; Schmidt, Joachim; Schüttler, Jürgen

2015-12-01

Former analyses reported an increased rate of poor direct laryngoscopy view in cardiac surgery patients; however, these findings frequently could be attributed to confounding patient characteristics. In most of the reported cardiac surgery cohorts, the rate of well-known risk factors for poor direct laryngoscopy view such as male sex, obesity, or older age, were increased compared with the control groups. Especially in the ongoing debate on anesthesia staff qualification for cardiac interventions outside the operating room a detailed and stratified risk analysis seems necessary. Retrospective, anonymous, propensity score-based, matched-pair analysis. Single-center study in a university hospital. No active participants. Retrospective, anonymous chart analysis. The anesthesia records of patients undergoing cardiac surgery in a period of 6 consecutive years were analyzed retrospectively. The results were compared with those of a control group of patients who underwent general surgery. Poor laryngoscopic view was defined as Cormack and Lehane classification grade 3 or 4. The records of 21,561 general anesthesia procedures were reviewed for the study. The incidence of poor direct laryngoscopic views in patients scheduled for cardiac surgery was significantly increased compared with those of the general surgery cohort (7% v 4.2%). Using propensity score-based matched-pair analysis, equal subgroups were generated of each surgical department, with 2,946 patients showing identical demographic characteristics. After stratifying for demographic characteristics, the rate of poor direct laryngoscopy view remained statistically significantly higher in the cardiac surgery group (7.5% v 5.7%). Even with stratification for demographic risk factors, cardiac surgery patients showed a significantly higher rate of poor direct laryngoscopic view compared with general surgery patients. These results should be taken into account for human resource management and distribution of difficult airway equipment, especially when cardiac interventional programs are implemented in remote hospital locations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of hospitalization occurred due to motorcycles accidents in São Paulo city

PubMed Central

Gorios, Carlos; Armond, Jane de Eston; Rodrigues, Cintia Leci; Pernambuco, Henrique; Iporre, Ramiro Ortiz; Colombo-Souza, Patrícia

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the motorcycle accidents occurred in the city of São Paulo, SP, Brazil in the year 2013, with emphasis on information about hospital admissions from SIH/SUS. METHODS: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study. The study covered 5,597 motorcyclists traumatized in traffic accident during the year 2013 occurred in the city of São Paulo. A survey was conducted using secondary data from the Information System of Hospitalization Health System (SIH/SUS). RESULTS: In 2013, in the city of São Paulo there were 5,597 admissions of motorcyclists traumatized in traffic accidents, of which 89.8% were male. The admission diagnosis were: leg fracture, femur fracture, and intracranial injury. CONCLUSION: This study confirms other preliminary studies on several points, among which stands out the highest prevalence of male young adults. Level of Evidence II, Retrospective Study. PMID:26327804

The Hands and Reading: What Deafblind Adult Readers Tell Us

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ingraham, Cynthia L.; Andrews, Jean F.

2010-01-01

Deafblind readers are heterogeneous in reading skill acquisition. This qualitative study uses in-depth interviews and protocol analyses and queries the three deafblind adult participants in describing their metacomprehension, metacognitive and metalinguistic strategies used when reading different types of text. Using retrospective analysis, the…

A Prospective Analysis of Sexual Assault Perpetration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loh, Catherine; Gidycz, Christine; Lobo, Tracy; Luthra, Rohini

2005-01-01

This study prospectively evaluated perpetrator risk factors for sexual assault perpetration, including peer influences, beliefs and attitudes about sexuality, alcohol use, and token resistance. Perpetration of sexual assault was evaluated at three time periods: pretest, 3-month follow-up, and 7-month follow-up. Retrospective and prospective…

Real-world Experience of Carotid Artery Stenting in Japan: Analysis of 7,134 Cases from JR-NET1 and 2 Nationwide Retrospective Multi-center Registries

PubMed Central

EGASHIRA, Yusuke; YOSHIMURA, Shinichi; SAKAI, Nobuyuki; ENOMOTO, Yukiko

2014-01-01

The present study aimed to demonstrate the “real-world” experiences of carotid artery stenting (CAS) in Japan using Japanese Registry of Neuroendovascular Therapy (JR-NET) 1 and 2, retrospective nationwide multi-center surveillances. JR-NET1 and 2 registries are retrospective surveillances conducted between January 2005 and December 2007 and January 2008 and December 2009, respectively, in Japan regarding neuroendovascular therapy. A total of 7,134 procedures (1,943 for JR-NET1 and 5,191 for JR-NET2) were included in this study and retrieved data were analyzed retrospectively. Treatment results of two surveillance periods were similar. In JR-NET2 registry, total of 5,191 lesions were treated by CAS and 5,008 of 5,191 procedures (96.5%) were performed by the board-certified surgeons of Japanese Society of Neuroendovascular Therapy. The rate of technical success was extremely high (99.99%), and the rate of clinically significant complication was low (3.2%). These results were comparable to a previous large study in Japan. Multivariate logistic analysis revealed that age [odds ratio (OR), 1.04 per year; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.02–1.07; p = 0.0004), symptomatic lesion (OR, 1.87; 95% CI; p = 0.0004), and the use of closed-cell type stent (OR, 0.58; 95% CT, 0.32–1.00; p = 0.05) were independently associated with clinically significant complications. It was revealed that good clinical results were achieved in patients who underwent CAS in Japan. It is expected that the evolution of devices and increasing experiences of surgeons would lead to further improvement of the clinical results, and further investigation would be required to clarify the optimal treatment strategy and therapeutic efficacy of CAS, especially in symptomatic lesions. PMID:24305031

Total ankle arthroplasty versus ankle arthrodesis for the treatment of end-stage ankle arthritis: a meta-analysis of comparative studies.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun Jung; Suh, Dong Hun; Yang, Jae Hyuk; Lee, Jin Woo; Kim, Hak Jun; Ahn, Hyeong Sik; Han, Seung Woo; Choi, Gi Won

2017-01-01

Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) and ankle arthrodesis (AA) are the main surgical treatment options for end-stage ankle arthritis. Although the superiority of each modality remains debated, there remains a lack of high-quality evidence-based studies, such as randomized controlled clinical trials, and meta-analyses of comparative studies. We performed a meta-analysis of comparative studies to determine whether there is a significant difference between these two procedures in terms of (i) clinical scores and patient satisfaction, (ii) re-operations, and (iii) complications. We conducted a comprehensive search in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane library databases. Only retrospective or prospective comparative studies were included in this meta-analysis. The literature search, data extraction, and quality assessment were conducted by two independent reviewers. The primary outcomes were clinical scores and patient satisfaction. We also investigated the prevalence of complications and the re-operation rate. Ten comparative studies were included (four prospective and six retrospective studies). There were no significant differences between the two procedures in the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot score, Short Form-36 physical component summary and mental component summary scores, visual analogue scale for pain, and patient satisfaction rate. The risk of re-operation and major surgical complications were significantly increased in the TAA group. The meta-analysis revealed that TAA and AA could achieve similar clinical outcomes, whereas the incidence of re-operation and major surgical complication was significantly increased in TAA. Further studies of high methodological quality with long-term follow-up are required to confirm our conclusions.

A clinical analysis of brain metastasis in gynecologic cancer: a retrospective multi-institute analysis.

PubMed

Kim, Young Zoon; Kwon, Jae Hyun; Lim, Soyi

2015-01-01

This study analyzes the clinical characteristics of the brain metastasis (BM) of gynecologic cancer based on the type of cancer. In addition, the study examines the factors influencing the survival. Total 61 BM patients of gynecologic cancer were analyzed retrospectively from January 2000 to December 2012 in terms of clinical and radiological characteristics by using medical and radiological records from three university hospitals. There were 19 (31.1%) uterine cancers, 32 (52.5%) ovarian cancers, and 10 (16.4%) cervical cancers. The mean interval to BM was 25.4 months (21.6 months in ovarian cancer, 27.8 months in uterine cancer, and 33.1 months in cervical cancer). The mean survival from BM was 16.7 months (14.1 months in ovarian cancer, 23.3 months in uterine cancer, and 8.8 months in cervical cancer). According to a multivariate analysis of factors influencing survival, type of primary cancer, Karnofsky performance score, status of primary cancer, recursive partitioning analysis class, and treatment modality, particularly combined therapies, were significantly related to the overall survival. These results suggest that, in addition to traditional prognostic factors in BM, multiple treatment methods such as neurosurgery and combined chemoradiotherapy may play an important role in prolonging the survival for BM patients of gynecologic cancer.

[Comparative analysis of incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular diseases among military personnel and seafarers serving on the bank].

PubMed

Borodulina, E V; Oranskiĭ, S P; Afanas'ev, S S; Kremis, V I; Eliseeva, L N

2012-04-01

The study presents retrospective analysis of navy soldiers' cardiovascular diseases, which most often cause the growth in labor force, loss rates and navy soldiers' dismissal and mortality rates, and, therefore, are one of the most pressing problems of the military medical services. Comparative assessment conducted between emergence and pervasiveness of these diseases in navy with those of land-based soldiers. Analysis of correlation between morbidity rates and length of service in navy is also included.

Sequential change detection and monitoring of temporal trends in random-effects meta-analysis.

PubMed

Dogo, Samson Henry; Clark, Allan; Kulinskaya, Elena

2017-06-01

Temporal changes in magnitude of effect sizes reported in many areas of research are a threat to the credibility of the results and conclusions of meta-analysis. Numerous sequential methods for meta-analysis have been proposed to detect changes and monitor trends in effect sizes so that meta-analysis can be updated when necessary and interpreted based on the time it was conducted. The difficulties of sequential meta-analysis under the random-effects model are caused by dependencies in increments introduced by the estimation of the heterogeneity parameter τ 2 . In this paper, we propose the use of a retrospective cumulative sum (CUSUM)-type test with bootstrap critical values. This method allows retrospective analysis of the past trajectory of cumulative effects in random-effects meta-analysis and its visualization on a chart similar to CUSUM chart. Simulation results show that the new method demonstrates good control of Type I error regardless of the number or size of the studies and the amount of heterogeneity. Application of the new method is illustrated on two examples of medical meta-analyses. © 2016 The Authors. Research Synthesis Methods published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2016 The Authors. Research Synthesis Methods published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Pseudocholinesterase levels in patients under electroconvulsive therapy.

PubMed

Küçükosman, Gamze; Pişkin, Özcan; Hancı, Volkan; Okyay, Rahşan D; Ayoğlu, Hilal; Yurtlu, Bülent S; Akın, Mehmet; Turan, Işıl Ö

2018-01-01

In this study, we aimed to retrospectively assess the correlation of pseudocholinesterase (PChE) levels with age, gender, body weight and diagnosed psychiatric diseases in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) cases. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at Bülent Ecevit University Hospital, Zonguldak, Turkey, between 2007 and 2011. In the study, 193 ECT case files were retrospectively scanned to evaluate PChE values before ECT and other file information.  Results: There was no difference between gender in terms of PChE levels. Correlation analysis determined a weakly positive correlation between age (p=0.013; correlation coefficient [cc]: 0.178) and body weight (p less than 0.001; cc: 0.273) and PChE levels. No correlation was found between age, gender, weight or psychiatric diagnosis, and PChE levels.  Conclusion: Neuromuscular blockage is a significant factor that increases patient safety, while increasing the efficacy of ECT. In choosing muscle relaxant agents, both patient factors and the pharmacological properties of the neuromuscular blocker should be considered. We think that in situations with delayed recovery of ECT cases without identified PChE levels, low PChE levels must be considered.

Flexible retrospective selection of temporal resolution in real-time speech MRI using a golden-ratio spiral view order.

PubMed

Kim, Yoon-Chul; Narayanan, Shrikanth S; Nayak, Krishna S

2011-05-01

In speech production research using real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the analysis of articulatory dynamics is performed retrospectively. A flexible selection of temporal resolution is highly desirable because of natural variations in speech rate and variations in the speed of different articulators. The purpose of the study is to demonstrate a first application of golden-ratio spiral temporal view order to real-time speech MRI and investigate its performance by comparison with conventional bit-reversed temporal view order. Golden-ratio view order proved to be more effective at capturing the dynamics of rapid tongue tip motion. A method for automated blockwise selection of temporal resolution is presented that enables the synthesis of a single video from multiple temporal resolution videos and potentially facilitates subsequent vocal tract shape analysis. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Parotid adenoid cystic carcinoma: Retrospective single institute analysis.

PubMed

Mannelli, Giuditta; Cecconi, Lorenzo; Fasolati, Martina; Santoro, Roberto; Franchi, Alessandro; Gallo, Oreste

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a uncommon salivary malignant tumor. Our aim was to review our experience with parotid ACC, to identify clinical-pathological parameters predictive for outcome. We retrospectively reviewed 228 patients affected by parotid gland carcinomas surgically treated at our Institution. Forty-four ACC were included in this study. Multivariate analysis risk models were built to predict recurrence free probability (RFP), distant recurrence free probability (DRFP), overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS). Twenty-one patients (47.7%) died from ACC and 2.3% for other causes. The 41% presented local-regional recurrence, with a regional-RFP rate of 93%, and the 34% reported distant metastases (DM). The five and ten-year OS rates were 74% and 50%, respectively. Recurrences were mainly influenced by the presence of perineural invasion and nerve paralysis, whilst female gender and age<50 were predictors for good prognosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Human Systems Engineering and Program Success - A Retrospective Content Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

collected from the 546 documents and entered into SPSS Statistics Version 22.0 for Windows. HSI words within the sampled doc- uments ranged from zero to...engineers. The approach used a retrospective content analysis of documents from weapon systems acquisi- tion programs, namely Major Defense Acquisition...January 2016, Vol. 23 No. 1 : 78–101 January 2016 The interaction between humans and the systems they use affects program success, as well as life-cycle

Utilization and Expenditure of Hospital Admission in Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder: National Health Insurance Claims Database Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Jin-Ding; Hung, Wen-Jiu; Lin, Lan-Ping; Lai, Chia-Im

2011-01-01

There were not many studies to provide information on health access and health utilization of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The present study describes a general profile of hospital admission and the medical cost among people with ASD, and to analyze the determinants of medical cost. A retrospective study was employed to analyze…

A Scoping Review of What Is Known of the Physical Health of Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cashin, Andrew; Buckley, Thomas; Trollor, Julian N.; Lennox, Nicholas

2018-01-01

Little research has been carried out on the physical health of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). From the studies conducted with both children and adults, few studies have moved beyond retrospective record analysis and survey and conducted health assessment. The majority of the studies are from the United States of America with a small…

Clopidogrel treatment on the incidence and severity of community acquired pneumonia in a cohort study and meta-analysis of antiplatelet therapy in pneumonia and critical illness

PubMed Central

Gross, A. Kendall; Dunn, Steven P.; Feola, David J.; Martin, Craig A.; Charnigo, Richard; Li, Zhenyu; Abdel-Latif, Ahmed; Smyth, Susan S.

2013-01-01

Background Platelet activation results in the release and upregulation of mediators responsible for immune cell activation and recruitment, suggesting that platelets play an active role in immunity. Animal models and retrospective data have demonstrated benefit of antiplatelet therapy on inflammatory mediator expression and clinical outcomes. This study sought to characterize effects of clopidogrel on the incidence and severity of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted of Kentucky Medicaid patients (2001-2005). The exposed cohort consisted of patients receiving at least six consecutive clopidogrel prescriptions; the non-exposed cohort was comprised of patients not prescribed clopidogrel. Primary endpoints included incidence of CAP and inpatient treatment. Secondary severity endpoints included mortality, intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation, sepsis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome/acute lung injury. Results CAP incidence was significantly greater in the exposed cohort (OR 3.39, 95% CI 3.27-3.51, p < 0.0001) that remained after adjustment (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.41-1.55, p < 0.0001). Inpatient treatment was more common in the exposed cohort (OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.85-2.07, p < 0.0001), but no significant difference remained after adjustment. Trends favoring the exposed cohort were found for the secondary severity endpoints of mechanical ventilation (p = 0.07) and mortality (p = 0.10). Pooled analysis of published studies supports these findings. Conclusions While clopidogrel use may be associated with increased CAP incidence, clopidogrel does not appear to increase – and may reduce – its severity among inpatients. Because this study was retrospective and could not quantify all variables (e.g., aspirin use), these findings should be explored prospectively. PMID:23124575

Issues and Problems Related to the Research on Teenage Fathers: A Critical Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Bryan E.; Barret, Robert L.

1982-01-01

Research on teenage pregnancies has usually neglected young fathers. Most studies ignore fathers entirely, or use data confused or confounded by biased reporting techniques. Retrospective and post hoc analyses often produce inaccurate conclusions, and subject samples often are unrepresentative. A closer examination of adolescent fathers is…

Students' Self-Perceptions of Apologies to Instructors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Dongmei

2017-01-01

Adopting retrospective verbal report, or RVR as the instrument, this study reports an analysis of the perceptions of native-English-speaking (NES) and non-native-English-speaking (NNES) students, who apologised to their instructors in coursework-related situations. Sixty NESs from different levels and disciplinary areas and 63 NNESs (Arabic and…

Citation Analysis and Authorship Patterns of Two Linguistics Journals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ezema, Ifeanyi J.; Asogwa, Brendan E.

2014-01-01

This article analyzes the sources cited in articles published in two linguistics journals, "Applied Linguistics and Journal of Linguistics," from 2001 to 2010. A retrospective descriptive study was conducted using bibliometric indicators, such as types of cited sources, timeliness of cited sources, authorship patterns, rank lists of the…

A Retrospective Analysis of Nostalgia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moriarty, Sandra Ernst

Prompted by an awareness of nostalgic trends during the 1960s and 1970s in movies, television programing, fashion, interior design, and architecture, a study compared such trends in graphic design in both magazine articles and magazine advertisements. Specifically, it noted the frequency of occurrence of nostalgia in the two graphic design areas…

Multimorbidity and Persistent Depression among Veterans with Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Hypertension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Findley, Patricia; Shen, Chan; Sambamoorthi, Usha

2011-01-01

This study investigated the association between multimorbidity and persistent depression among cohorts of veterans with diabetes, heart disease, or hypertension. The retrospective longitudinal analysis used national administrative data on around 1.38 million Veteran Health Administration clinic users merged with Medicare claims data.…

Bacterial meningoencephalomyelitis in dogs: a retrospective study of 23 cases (1990-1999).

PubMed

Radaelli, Simona T; Platt, Simon R

2002-01-01

The clinical records of 23 dogs (1990-1999) with histopathologically confirmed bacterial meningoencephalomyelitis were evaluated retrospectively. No breed, age, sex, or weight predisposition was found. All the dogs presented with clinical signs of a brain lesion, whereas 5 of 23 had neck pain. Pyrexia was detected in 11 of 23 dogs on admission. CBCs revealed neutrophilic leucocytosis in 7 of 21 dogs and thrombocytopenia in 3 of 21 dogs. The serum chemistry profiles were abnormal in 15 of 21 dogs. The results of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis were abnormal in 13 of 14 dogs and aerobic CSF culture was positive for bacteria in 1of 8 samples. At postmortem examination, the lesions were localized to the central nervous system. Escherichia coli, Streptococcus, and Klebsiella spp were the most frequently isolated bacteria from cultures collected at postmortem examination. Twelve papers reporting 51 total clinical cases of canine bacterial meningoencephalomyelitis were reviewed. The clinical signs and results of the CBC, serum chemistry, blood culture, and CSF analysis were collated and compared with those of this study. The results of the CSF analysis in this study were similar to those in the literature. CSF cultures documented in the literature were positive for Staphylococcus, Pasteurella. Actinomyces, Nocardia spp, and various anaerobic species including Peptostreptococcus, Eubacterium, and Bacteroides spp.

Effect of perioperative oral care on prevention of postoperative pneumonia associated with esophageal cancer surgery: A multicenter case-control study with propensity score matching analysis.

PubMed

Soutome, Sakiko; Yanamoto, Souichi; Funahara, Madoka; Hasegawa, Takumi; Komori, Takahide; Yamada, Shin-Ichi; Kurita, Hiroshi; Yamauchi, Chika; Shibuya, Yasuyuki; Kojima, Yuka; Nakahara, Hirokazu; Oho, Takahiko; Umeda, Masahiro

2017-08-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of oral care in prevention of postoperative pneumonia associated with esophageal cancer surgery.Postoperative pneumonia is a severe adverse event associated with esophageal cancer surgery. It is thought to be caused by aspiration of oropharyngeal fluid containing pathogens. However, the relationship between oral health status and postoperative pneumonia has not been well investigated.This study included 539 patients with esophageal cancer undergoing surgery at 1 of 7 university hospitals. While 306 patients received perioperative oral care, 233 did not. Various clinical factors as well as occurrence of postoperative pneumonia were retrospectively evaluated. Propensity-score matching was performed to minimize selection biases associated with comparison of retrospective data between the oral care and control groups. Factors related to postoperative pneumonia were analyzed by logistic regression analysis.Of the original 539 patients, 103 (19.1%) experienced postoperative pneumonia. The results of multivariate analysis of the 420 propensity score-matched patients revealed longer operation time, postoperative dysphagia, and lack of oral care intervention to be significantly correlated with postoperative pneumonia.The present findings demonstrate that perioperative oral care can reduce the risk of postoperative pneumonia in patients undergoing esophageal cancer surgery.

New Method for Insomnia Mongolian Mind-Body Interactive Psychotherapy in the Assessment of Chronic Insomnia: A Retrospective Study.

PubMed

He, Nagongbilige; Lan, Wu; Jiang, Aruna; Jia, Haserden; Bao, Shuzhi; Bao, Longmei; Qin, Altansha; Bao, Orgel; Bao, Shinjiltu; Wang, Nandin; Bao, Suyaltu; Dai, Shuangfu; Bao, Sarula; Arlud, Sarnai

2018-06-19

Insomnia is a common clinical complaint, and if not addressed it can increase the risk of developing other underlying diseases such as hypertension, depression and anxiety. The use of Mongolian mind-body interactive therapy as a comprehensive psychotherapeutic approach in chronic insomnia has been shown in this retrospective study. Subjects who had suffered insomnia for more than 1 month participated in the Mongolian mind-body interactive psychotherapy program between June 2012 and February 2014. They were interviewed by telephone at least 10 months before participating in the program. Their sleep was assessed using the Athens insomnia scale. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and regression analysis were used for data analysis by SPSS software. Mongolian mind-body interactive psychotherapy significantly improved sleeping conditions. In ANOVA analysis, both short- and long-term outcomes were significantly affected by the treatment period. Patients who previously took medication and pre-treatment sleeping condition (ASI score) had a significant influence on long-term outcomes, as well as treatment time related to the duration of insomnia. Mongolian mind-body interactive psychotherapy is a new method for insomnia, and narrative therapy and hypnotic methods together improve the sleeping condition, However, a further controlled randomized clinical study is needed to understand the efficacy.

Causal Inference in Retrospective Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holland, Paul W.; Rubin, Donald B.

1988-01-01

The problem of drawing causal inferences from retrospective case-controlled studies is considered. A model for causal inference in prospective studies is applied to retrospective studies. Limitations of case-controlled studies are formulated concerning relevant parameters that can be estimated in such studies. A coffee-drinking/myocardial…

TOMOGRAPHIC MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE CRANIUM AND ITS CORRELATION WITH CRANIAL HALO USE IN ADULTS

PubMed Central

ALMEIDA, TIAGO FERREIRA DE; CHARAFEDDINE, HOMAR TOLEDO; ARAÚJO, FERNANDO FLORES DE; CRISTANTE, ALEXANDRE FOGAÇA; MARCON, RAPHAEL MARTUS; LETAIF, OLAVO BIRAGHI

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate using tomographic study the thickness of the cranial board at the insertions points of the cranial halo pins in adults Methods: This is a retrospective, cross-sectional, descriptive analysis of Computed Tomography (CT) scans of adult patients' crania. The study included adults between 20 and 50 years without cranial abnormalities. We excluded any exam with cranial abnormalities Results: We analyzed 50 CT scans, including 27 men and 23 women, at the original insertion points and alternative points (1 and 2 cm above the frontal and parietal bones). The average values were 7.4333 mm in the frontal bone and 6.0290 mm in the parietal bone Conclusion: There was no statistically significant difference between the classical and alternative points, making room for alternative fixings and safer introduction of the pins, if necessary.Level of Evidence II, Retrospective Study. PMID:28642643

Retrospective analysis of pulsed radiofrequency energy therapy use in the treatment of chronic pressure ulcers.

PubMed

Conner-Kerr, Teresa; Isenberg, Richard A

2012-06-01

: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the benefit of using pulsed radiofrequency energy (PRFE) therapy in the treatment of chronic pressure ulcers. : A retrospective analysis was performed using case series data from the Provant Wound Registry, which consists of demographic characteristics and wound healing outcomes for patients treated with the Provant Therapy System. : The analysis subset consisted of data from 39 distinct centers, including both residential and ambulatory care facilities. : The analysis included data from 89 patients. The majority of patients (89%) were cared for in residential facilities, whereas 11% of patients were cared for in ambulatory care facilities. : Specific outcomes that assessed wound healing between the initial time point and at the 4-week follow-up were as follows: percent wound surface area reduction (PWAR), proportion of wounds achieving 50% reduction or greater in wound surface area (50% PWAR), and the rate of wound healing (wound healing trajectory in centimeters squared per day). : Overall, there was a 51% median reduction in wound surface area (PWAR) after 4 weeks of PRFE therapy for wounds in the study, with 51% of wounds (56/110) achieving 50% reduction or greater in wound surface area (50% PWAR). Rate of healing measurements for the overall study group showed a median wound healing trajectory of 0.13 cm/d at 4 weeks. : Compared with historical controls and other studies using similar surrogate wound healing markers, these results suggest PRFE therapy is a beneficial adjuvant treatment option for healing chronic pressure ulcers.

Stepping Back to Gain Perspective: Pregnancy Loss History, Depression, and Parenting Capacity in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Price, Sarah Kye

2008-01-01

Previous empirical studies of pregnancy loss have predominantly focused on complex grief response and emergent problems associated with future parenting in self-selected samples of bereaved women. This article presents findings from a retrospective secondary data analysis conducted with a racially and ethnically diverse sample of currently…

Emotional States of Athletes Prior to Performance-Induced Injury

PubMed Central

Devonport, Tracey J.; Lane, Andrew M.; Hanin, Yuri L.

2005-01-01

Psychological states experienced by athletes prior to injured, best and worst performances were investigated retrospectively using a mixed methodology. Fifty-nine athletes volunteered to complete an individualized assessment of performance states based on the Individual Zones of Optimal fFunctioning (IZOF) model. A subsection (n = 30) of participants completed a standardized psychometric scale (Brunel Mood Rating Scale: BRUMS), retrospectively describing how they felt before best, worst, and injured performances. IZOF results showed similar emotion states being identified for injured and best performances. Analysis of BRUMS scores indicated a significant main effect for differences in mood by performance outcome, with post-hoc analyses showing best performance was associated with lower scores on depression and fatigue and higher vigor than injured performance and worst performance. Worst performance was associated with higher fatigue and confusion than injured performance. Results indicate that retrospective emotional profiles before injured performance are closer to successful performance, than unsuccessful, and confirm differences between successful and unsuccessful performance. Qualitative and quantitative approaches used to retrospectively assess pre-performance emotional states before three performance outcomes, produced complimentary findings. Practical implications of the study are discussed. Key Points Psychological states experienced by athletes prior to injured, best and worst performances were investigated retrospectively using a mixed methodology. Results indicate that retrospective emotional profiles before injured performance are closer to successful performance, than unsuccessful, and confirm differences between successful and unsuccessful performance, a finding that occurred using both methods. Future research should further examine the emotional antecedents of injury and that applied sport psychologists recognize the potential risk of injury associated with emotional profiles typically linked with best performance. PMID:24501552

Prognostic roles of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and platelet to lymphocyte ratio in ovarian cancer: a meta-analysis of retrospective studies.

PubMed

Zhao, Zhe; Zhao, Xinrui; Lu, Jingjing; Xue, Jing; Liu, Peishu; Mao, Hongluan

2018-04-01

The systemic inflammatory response markers have been reported to be associated with the prognosis of various cancers. We conducted this meta-analysis of retrospective studies to evaluate and identify the prognostic impact of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) on ovarian cancer. PubMed, EMBASE, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were included to search for eligible studies. The following terms were used: "neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio", "NLR", "platelet to lymphocyte ratio", "PLR", "ovarian cancer", "ovary cancer", "ovarian carcinoma", "ovary carcinoma", "ovarian neoplasm", "ovary neoplasm", "ovarian tumor", and "ovary tumor". The random-effects model was chosen to estimate the pooled HR with 95% CI. Heterogeneity between studies was assessed by Higgins I 2 value. The stability and heterogeneity of studies were analyzed by sensitivity analysis. Publication bias was examined by Egger's test and Begg's test with the funnel plots. 13 studies consisting of 3467 patients were considered for meta-analysis. We found that the high NLR had a poor prognostic impact on OS and PFS in ovarian cancer, with a pooled HR 1.70, 95% CI 1.35-2.15 and HR 1.77, 95% CI 1.48-2.12, respectively. Similarly, the results showed the high PLR adversely affected OS and PFS in ovarian cancer, with a pooled HR 2.05, 95% CI 1.70-2.48 and HR 1.85, 95% CI 1.53-2.25, respectively. In conclusion, we found that both NLR and PLR had an unfavorable impact on PFS and OS of patients with ovarian cancer. Our meta-analysis supported that NLR/PLR could be effective prognostic predictors of ovarian cancer.

A Coupled Surface Nudging Scheme for use in Retrospective Weather and Climate Simulations for Environmental Applications

EPA Science Inventory

A surface analysis nudging scheme coupling atmospheric and land surface thermodynamic parameters has been implemented into WRF v3.8 (latest version) for use with retrospective weather and climate simulations, as well as for applications in air quality, hydrology, and ecosystem mo...

76 FR 32133 - FAR Council's Plan for Retrospective Review Under Executive Order 13563-Preliminary Plan

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-03

... (E.O.) 13563, ``Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review.'' The E.O. sets forth principles and... resources and regulatory priorities, under which the agency will periodically review its existing... retrospective analysis. The Council's plan has tentatively identified eight priority initiatives for new or...

To analyze the impact of intracavitary brachytherapy as boost radiation after external beam radiotherapy in carcinoma of the external auditory canal and middle ear: a retrospective analysis.

PubMed

Badakh, Dinesh K; Grover, Amit H

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of intra-cavitary brachytherapy (ICBT) as boost radiation after external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in carcinoma of the external auditory canal and middle ear (EACMA): A retrospective analysis. A retrospective study of 18 patients with carcinoma of the EACMA who were treated with a curative intent from the year 1998 to 2010 was carried out. The age of the patients ranged from 25 years to 67 years. There were 11 male patients (61.1%) and 7 female patients (38.9%). A total of 15 (88.2%) patients were treated with curative radiation alone after a biopsy and two patients received post-operative radiation therapy. The patients were initially treated with EBRT with cobalt 60 machine up to 60-64 Gy. In our department, all the patients who were technically suitable for ICBT received an ICBT boost. The overall survival (OS) in these patients ranged from 7 months to 151 months (9 out of 17 patients, no evidence of disease 53%). The OS in patients treated with a combination of EBRT with ICBT was (8 out of 11) 72.7%, P value statistically significant (P value: 0.0024). The multivariate analysis shows statistically significant difference only for patients who got an ICBT boost (P Value: 0.020). ICBT as a boost after EBRT has got a positive impact on the OS. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that radical radiation therapy (EBRT and ICBT) is the treatment of choice for stage T2, carcinoma of EACMA.

Telavancin in the Treatment of Concurrent Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia: A Retrospective Analysis of ATLAS and ATTAIN Studies.

PubMed

Wilson, Samuel E; Graham, Donald R; Wang, Whedy; Bruss, Jon B; Castaneda-Ruiz, Bibiana

2017-09-01

Concurrent Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) worsens outcomes and increases mortality in patients with complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI), hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia, and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (HABP/VABP). These challenges highlight the need for alternative treatments. Telavancin (TLV), a bactericidal lipoglycopeptide with high in vitro potency, effectively treats patients with cSSSI and HABP/VABP caused by Gram-positive pathogens, particularly S. aureus. This retrospective analysis evaluated patients from the Assessment of Telavancin in Complicated Skin and Skin Structure Infections and Assessment of Telavancin for Treatment of Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia studies with baseline, concurrent SAB. Differences in the clinical cure rates at test-of-cure and safety outcomes were compared for TLV vs vancomycin (VAN) treatment groups. A total of 105 patients, 32 cSSSI and 73 HABP/VABP, had baseline, concurrent SAB. The clinical cure rates for all-treated SAB patients in the cSSSI (TLV 57.1% and VAN 54.5%) and HABP/VABP (TLV 54.3% and VAN 47.2%) groups were comparable. For both types of infections, the safety profile of TLV and VAN showed similar incidences of adverse events (AEs), serious AEs, or AEs leading to discontinuation. One VAN-treated patient died in the cSSSI group, and there were 13 deaths in each treatment arm of the HABP/VABP group. This retrospective analysis demonstrated that TLV is clinically comparable in both efficacy and safety to VAN, and, therefore, may be an appropriate therapeutic option for the treatment of patients with HABP/VABP or cSSSI and concurrent SAB. Given the limited sample size in this subgroup, the interpretation of these results is limited. Theravance Biopharma Antibiotics, Inc.

Retrospective analysis of clinical information in Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever patients: 2014-2015, India

PubMed Central

Mourya, Devendra T.; Viswanathan, Rajlakshmi; Jadhav, Santosh Kumar; Yadav, Pragya D.; Basu, Atanu; Chadha, Mandeep S.

2017-01-01

Background & objectives: Differential diagnosis of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) from other acute febrile illnesses with haemorrhagic manifestation is challenging in India. Nosocomial infection is a significant mode of transmission due to exposure of healthcare workers to blood and body fluids of infected patients. Being a risk group 4 virus, laboratory confirmation of infection is not widely available. In such a situation, early identification of potential CCHF patients would be useful in limiting the spread of the disease. The objective of this study was to retrospectively analyse clinical and laboratory findings of CCHF patients that might be useful in early detection of a CCHF case in limited resource settings. Methods: Retrospective analysis of clinical and laboratory data of patients suspected to have CCHF referred for diagnosis from Gujarat and Rajasthan States of India (2014-2015) was done. Samples were tested using CCHF-specific real time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and IgM ELISA. Results: Among the 69 patients referred, 21 were laboratory confirmed CCHF cases of whom nine had a history of occupational exposure. No clustering of cases was noted. Platelet count cut-off for detection of positive cases by receiver operating characteristic curve was 21.5×10[9]/l with sensitivity 82.4 per cent and specificity 82.1 per cent. Melaena was a significant clinical presentation in confirmed positive CCHF patients. Interpretation & conclusions: The study findings suggest that in endemic areas thrombocytopenia and melaena may be early indicators of CCHF. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings. PMID:28948959

The effects of driver identity on driving safety in a retrospective feedback system.

PubMed

Zhao, Guozhen; Wu, Changxu

2012-03-01

Retrospective feedback that provides detailed information on a driver's performance in critical driving situations at the end of a trip enhances his/her driving behaviors and safe driving habits. Although this has been demonstrated by a previous study, retrospective feedback can be further improved and applied to non-critical driving situations, which is needed for transportation safety. To propose a new retrospective feedback system that uses driver identity (i.e., a driver's name) and to experimentally study its effects on measures of driving performance and safety in a driving simulator. We conducted a behavioral experimental study with 30 participants. "Feedback type" was a between-subject variable with three conditions: no feedback (control group), feedback without driver identity, and feedback with driver identity. We measured multiple aspects of participants' driving behavior. To control for potential confounds, factors that were significantly correlated with driving behavior (e.g., age and driving experience) were all entered as covariates into a multivariate analysis of variance. To examine the effects of speeding on collision severity in driving simulation studies, we also developed a new index - momentum of potential collision - with a set of equations. Subjects who used a feedback system with driver identity had the fewest speeding violations and central-line crossings, spent the least amount of time speeding and crossing the central line, had the lowest speeding and central-line crossing magnitude, ran the fewest red lights, and had the smallest momentum of potential collision compared to the groups with feedback without driver identity and without feedback (control group). The new retrospective feedback system with driver identity has the potential to enhance a person's driving safety (e.g., speeding, central-line crossing, momentum of potential collision), which is an indication of the valence of one's name in a feedback system design. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Retrospective study of sonographic findings in bone involvement associated with rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy: preliminary results of a case series*

PubMed Central

Nogueira-Barbosa, Marcello H.; Gregio-Junior, Everaldo; Lorenzato, Mario Muller

2015-01-01

Objective The present study was aimed at investigating bone involvement secondary to rotator cuff calcific tendonitis at ultrasonography. Materials and Methods Retrospective study of a case series. The authors reviewed shoulder ultrasonography reports of 141 patients diagnosed with rotator cuff calcific tendonitis, collected from the computer-based data records of their institution over a four-year period. Imaging findings were retrospectively and consensually analyzed by two experienced musculoskeletal radiologists looking for bone involvement associated with calcific tendonitis. Only the cases confirmed by computed tomography were considered for descriptive analysis. Results Sonographic findings of calcific tendinopathy with bone involvement were observed in 7/141 (~ 5%) patients (mean age, 50.9 years; age range, 42-58 years; 42% female). Cortical bone erosion adjacent to tendon calcification was the most common finding, observed in 7/7 cases. Signs of intraosseous migration were found in 3/7 cases, and subcortical cysts in 2/7 cases. The findings were confirmed by computed tomography. Calcifications associated with bone abnormalities showed no acoustic shadowing at ultrasonography, favoring the hypothesis of resorption phase of the disease. Conclusion Preliminary results of the present study suggest that ultrasonography can identify bone abnormalities secondary to rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy, particularly the presence of cortical bone erosion. PMID:26811551

Retrospective study of sonographic findings in bone involvement associated with rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy: preliminary results of a case series.

PubMed

Nogueira-Barbosa, Marcello H; Gregio-Junior, Everaldo; Lorenzato, Mario Muller

2015-01-01

The present study was aimed at investigating bone involvement secondary to rotator cuff calcific tendonitis at ultrasonography. Retrospective study of a case series. The authors reviewed shoulder ultrasonography reports of 141 patients diagnosed with rotator cuff calcific tendonitis, collected from the computer-based data records of their institution over a four-year period. Imaging findings were retrospectively and consensually analyzed by two experienced musculoskeletal radiologists looking for bone involvement associated with calcific tendonitis. Only the cases confirmed by computed tomography were considered for descriptive analysis. Sonographic findings of calcific tendinopathy with bone involvement were observed in 7/141 (~ 5%) patients (mean age, 50.9 years; age range, 42-58 years; 42% female). Cortical bone erosion adjacent to tendon calcification was the most common finding, observed in 7/7 cases. Signs of intraosseous migration were found in 3/7 cases, and subcortical cysts in 2/7 cases. The findings were confirmed by computed tomography. Calcifications associated with bone abnormalities showed no acoustic shadowing at ultrasonography, favoring the hypothesis of resorption phase of the disease. Preliminary results of the present study suggest that ultrasonography can identify bone abnormalities secondary to rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy, particularly the presence of cortical bone erosion.

Preoperative Biometric Parameters Predict the Vault after ICL Implantation: A Retrospective Clinical Study.

PubMed

Zheng, Qian-Yin; Xu, Wen; Liang, Guan-Lu; Wu, Jing; Shi, Jun-Ting

2016-01-01

To investigate the correlation between the preoperative biometric parameters of the anterior segment and the vault after implantable Collamer lens (ICL) implantation via this retrospective study. Retrospective clinical study. A total of 78 eyes from 41 patients who underwent ICL implantation surgery were included in this study. Preoperative biometric parameters, including white-to-white (WTW) diameter, central corneal thickness, keratometer, pupil diameter, anterior chamber depth, sulcus-to-sulcus diameter, anterior chamber area (ACA) and central curvature radius of the anterior surface of the lens (Lenscur), were measured. Lenscur and ACA were measured with Rhinoceros 5.0 software on the image scanned with ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM). The vault was assessed by UBM 3 months after surgery. Multiple stepwise regression analysis was employed to identify the variables that were correlated with the vault. The results showed that the vault was correlated with 3 variables: ACA (22.4 ± 4.25 mm2), WTW (11.36 ± 0.29 mm) and Lenscur (9.15 ± 1.21 mm). The regressive equation was: vault (mm) = 1.785 + 0.017 × ACA + 0.051 × Lenscur - 0.203 × WTW. Biometric parameters of the anterior segment (ACA, WTW and Lenscur) can predict the vault after ICL implantation using a new regression equation. © 2016 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

Research Design for an Automated Behavioral Intelligence (ABI) Project

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-05-14

resolution of immediate short range problems to attainment of ultimate millenial goals. In specifying 1-15 KAPPA @ SSTEMJI INC. CNJ (%.J U C Ul 41I -o0...to be pursued, and of what perceptions are held by the foreign decision-makers. It should be possible through retrospective analysis to build a rich ...retrospective analysis should be able to provide a relatively rich data base as to what kinds of change may occur as the result of given types of

A population search filter for hard-to-reach populations increased search efficiency for a systematic review.

PubMed

Cooper, Chris; Levay, Paul; Lorenc, Theo; Craig, Gillian M

2014-05-01

This article discusses how hard-to-reach population groups were conceptualized into a search filter. The objectives of this article were to (1) discuss how the authors designed a multistranded population search filter and (2) retrospectively test the effectiveness of the search filter in capturing all relevant populations (eg, homeless people, immigrants, substance misusers) in a public health systematic review. Systematic and retrospective analysis via a case study. Retrospective analysis of the search filter was conducted by comparing the MEDLINE search results retrieved without using the search filter against those retrieved with the search filter. A total of 5,465 additional results from the unfiltered search were screened to the same criteria as the filtered search. No additional populations were identified in the unfiltered sample. The search filter reduced the volume of MEDLINE hits to screen by 64%, with no impact on inclusion of populations. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the filter in capturing all relevant UK populations for the review. This suggests that well-planned search filters can be written for reviews that analyze imprecisely defined population groups. This filter could be used in topic areas of associated comorbidities, for rapid clinical searches, or for investigating hard-to-reach populations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Long-term effects of edaravone on survival of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PubMed

Okada, Masamitsu; Yamashita, Satoshi; Ueyama, Hidetsugu; Ishizaki, Masatoshi; Maeda, Yasushi; Ando, Yukio

2018-06-01

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Edaravone, a free radical scavenger, was approved as a therapeutic drug for ALS in 2015 in Japan. A phase 3 clinical trial demonstrated a smaller decline in ALS functional scale scores compared with placebo. However, the long-term effects of edaravone on ALS patients remain unclear. This study aimed to retrospectively investigate the long-term effects of edaravone on the survival of ALS patients. We retrospectively analyzed 27 consecutive patients with ALS who were treated with edaravone and 30 consecutive ALS patients who were not treated with edaravone between 2010 and 2016. The differences of ALSFRS-R scores from baseline to 6 months was significantly reduced in the edaravone group, compared to the control group. The changes in serum creatinine, as a possible marker of ALS severity, from baseline to 6 and 12 months were significantly improved in the edaravone group, compared to the control group. The survival rate was significantly improved in the edaravone group compared with control patients. Our retrospective single-center analysis suggests slower progression and better prognosis of ALS patients with edaravone treatment. Further investigation, including prospective multicenter analysis, is warranted to confirm the usefulness of edaravone for a better prognosis of ALS.

Treatment of penetrating hepatic injuries: a retrospective analysis of 50 patients.

PubMed

Gonullu, D; Koksoy, F N; Ilgun, S; Demiray, O; Yucel, O; Yucel, T

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the possibility of non-operative treatment via retrospective analysis of our patients. Fifty patients with penetrating hepatic injuries were examined retrospectively with respect to trauma scores, associated injuries, complications, and mortality parameters. Thirteen injuries were caused by firearms, whereas 37 injuries were caused by stab wounds. Forty-three patients (86%) underwent laparotomy and 7 patients (14%) were monitored by CT and clinical findings (nonoperative group, NO group). The laparotomies were evaluated as non-therapeutic in 11 patients (22%) (NTL group) and therapeutic in 32 patients (64%) (TL group). The morbidity and mortality rates were 40 and 10%, respectively. RTS and ISS scores of the nonsurviving and the surviving patients were significantly different. The rates of major venous, grade IV-V hepatic injuries, and gunshot wounds were significantly higher in the nonsurviving patients when compared to the surviving patients. Major venous and grade IV-V hepatic injuries were the primary factors determining mortality and these injuries generally occurred as a result of firearm injuries. NTL occurring at a rate of 22% would decrease to 2% if 'RTS <7' criteria was added to the hemodynamic instability and/or peritoneal irritation findings determining surgical candidacy. Copyright 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Key factors regulating protein carbonylation by α,β unsaturated carbonyls: A structural study based on a retrospective meta-analysis.

PubMed

Vistoli, Giulio; Mantovani, Chiara; Gervasoni, Silvia; Pedretti, Alessandro; Aldini, Giancarlo

2017-11-01

Protein carbonylation represents one of the most important oxidative-based modifications involving nucleophilic amino acids and affecting protein folding and function. Protein carbonylation is induced by electrophilic carbonyl species and is an highly selective process since few nucleophilic residues are carbonylated within each protein. While considering the great interest for protein carbonylation, few studies investigated the factors which render a nucleophilic residue susceptible to carbonylation. Hence, the present study is aimed to delve into the factors which modulate the reactivity of cysteine, histidine and lysine residues towards α,β unsaturated carbonyls by a retrospective analysis of the available studies which identified the adducted residues for proteins, the structure of which was resolved. Such an analysis involved different parameters including exposure, nucleophilicity, surrounding residues and capacity to attract carbonyl species (as derived by docking simulations). The obtained results allowed a meaningful clustering of the analyzed proteins suggesting that on average carbonylation selectivity increases with protein size. The comparison between adducted and unreactive residues revealed differences in all monitored parameters which are markedly more pronounced for cysteines compared to lysines and histidines. Overall, these results suggest that cysteine's carbonylation is a finely (and reasonably purposely) modulated process, while the carbonylation of lysines and histidines seems to be a fairly random event in which limited differences influence their reactivity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of operation details on hydrocephalus after decompressive craniectomy

PubMed Central

Wang, Qiang-Ping; Ma, Jun-Peng; Zhou, Zhang-Ming; You, Chao

2016-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the correlation between the distance of craniectomy from the midline and hydrocephalus after DC. Methods: The following electronic databases were searched from their inception to June 2015: Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Science Direct, EMBASE, Scopus, Google Scholar, the Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM), and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). All randomized clinical trials, prospective cohort, retrospective observational cohort, and case-control studies investigating the relationship between distance of craniectomy from the midline and hydrocephalus after DC were enrolled. The Cochrane Collaboration’s software RevMan 5.3 was used for meta-analysis. Results: Six retrospective cohort studies involving 462 participants were included. Pooled analysis of 4 studies suggested that craniectomy close to the midline (<25 mm) was associated with a significantly increased risk of postoperative hydrocephalus (odds ratio [OR] = 3.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3 - 9.97, p=0.01). However, meta-analysis of 4 studies did not find statistical differences when comparing the distance of craniectomy from the midline in the hydrocephalus group and that in the non-hydrocephalus group (OR = −0.14, 95% CI: −0.44 - 0.15, p=0.34). Conclusions: Available evidence was insufficient to support the theory that craniectomy close to the midline increases the risk of developing hydrocephalus after DC. Well-conducted randomized clinical trials are required to verify this issue. PMID:26818161

A retrospective study of oral cysts in Nigerian children.

PubMed

Salako, N O; Taiwo, E O

1995-01-01

A retrospective analysis of oral cysts that were seen over an 11-year period in children at a dental institution in Nigeria was carried out. In general, oral cysts accounted for only 2.6% of the total biopsied lesions during the period under review. The most common oral cysts were the mucous retention cysts, the gingival cysts of infants and the dentigerous cyst. The commonest sites were the maxilla, the mandible and the floor of the mouth respectively and there was no significant difference in sex preference. Most of the cases were seen in the age group 11-16 years while the least was in the group aged 6-10 years.

Hysteroscopic sterilization: 10-year retrospective analysis of worldwide pregnancy reports.

PubMed

Munro, M G; Nichols, J E; Levy, B; Vleugels, M P H; Veersema, S

2014-01-01

To identify factors that might contribute to pregnancies reported after hysteroscopic sterilization worldwide. Retrospective review of commercial data compiled from the MAUDE database, medical literature, and manufacturer reports received during commercial distribution of hysteroscopic sterilization micro-inserts from 2001 through 2010 (Canadian Taskforce classification III descriptive study). From 2001 through 2010, 497 305 hysteroscopic sterilization kits were distributed worldwide, and 748 pregnancies were reported, i.e., 0.15% of the estimated user population based on the number of distributed kits. The data were sufficient to enable analysis of 508 pregnancies for potential contributing factors and showed most to be associated with patient or physician noncompliance (n = 264) or misinterpreted confirmation tests (n = 212). Conceptions deemed to have occurred within 2 weeks of the procedure and therefore too early for detection were identified in 32 cases. Although there are limitations to the dataset and the study design is retrospective, it represents the largest body of cumulative hysteroscopic sterilization data available to date. Of the 748 pregnancies reported, it is apparent that some might have been prevented with greater patient and clinician attention to interim contraceptive use and counseling and with more rigorous evaluation and informed interpretation of the procedure confirmation tests. Although the estimated pregnancy rate based on such a dataset is likely an underestimation, it does suggest that the evaluable field performance of hysteroscopic sterilization micro-inserts is consistent with the labeled age-adjusted effectiveness of 99.74% at 5 years. Copyright © 2014 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Role of bronchoscopy in evaluation of cases with sputum smear negative pulmonary tuberculosis, interstitial lung disease and lung malignancy: A retrospective study of 712 cases.

PubMed

Kumar, Raj; Gupta, Nitesh

2015-01-01

The introduction of flexible bronchoscope has revolutionized the field of pulmonary medicine and is a standard instrument used for diagnostic purpose. A retrospective analysis of the clinico-radiological profile, indication, biopsy procedure and complications, for patients undergoing bronchoscopy at one of the respiratory unit at a tertiary care center in India. Retrospective analysis of 712 bronchoscopies was done in regard to demographic profile, clinical and radiological presentation and diagnostic indication. The results were analyzed on basis of bronchoscopy inspection and histopathological specimen obtained from transbronchial (TBLB), endobronchial biopsy (EBLB) and cytology specimen by transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA). Furthermore, diagnostic yield of each biopsy procedure and their combination was evaluated. Of 712 patients undergoing bronchoscopy, the pathological diagnosis was achieved in 384 (53.93%). Of 384 diagnosed cases, the clinic-radio-pathological diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in 88 (22.19%), interstitial lung disease (ILDs) in 226 (58.85%), and lung cancer in 70 (18.22%) cases. Of 116 sputum smear negative tuberculosis patients, 88 (75.86%) were diagnosed to be pulmonary tuberculosis; the contribution of BAL being 71.59%. Of 226 ILDs, sarcoidosis was most common 148/226 (65.48%). Among 70 lung cancer diagnosed cases, squamous cell carcinoma was most common (54.28%). The results from current study reemphasizes on the diagnostic utility as well as safety of the bronchoscopy procedure. Copyright © 2015 Tuberculosis Association of India. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Continuous spinal anesthesia for lower limb surgery: a retrospective analysis of 1212 cases

PubMed Central

Lux, Eberhard Albert

2012-01-01

Background Continuous spinal anesthesia is a very reliable and versatile technique for providing effective anesthesia and analgesia. However, the incidence of possible complications, including postdural puncture headache or neurological impairment, remains controversial. Therefore, the aim of the present retrospective study was to analyze a large number of patients for the incidence of adverse events after continuous spinal anesthesia with a microcatheter. Methods This retrospective study was conducted on 1212 patients who underwent surgery of the lower extremities with continuous spinal anesthesia, which was administered with 22-gauge Quincke spinal needles and 28-gauge microcatheters. Sociodemographic and clinical data were available from the patient records, and data on headaches and patient satisfaction were drawn from a brief postoperative patient questionnaire. Results The patient population included 825 females (68%) and 387 males; the median age was 61 (56–76). The types of operations performed were 843 hip prostheses, 264 knee prostheses, and 105 other leg operations. No major complications were observed in any of these patients. Tension headaches were experienced by 190 (15.7%) patients, but postdural puncture headaches were reported by only 18 (1.5%) patients. Nearly all patients (98.4%) were satisfied with continuous spinal anesthesia and confirmed that they would choose this kind of anesthesia again. Conclusion Based on the findings of this large data analysis, continuous spinal anesthesia using a 28-gauge microcatheter appears to be a safe and appropriate anesthetic technique in lower leg surgery for aged patients. PMID:23204868

Does increased electrocautery during adenoidectomy lead to neck pain?

PubMed

Henry, Lakeisha R; Gal, Thomas J; Mair, Eric A

2005-10-01

The objective was to assess the impact of electrocautery on complications in adenoidectomy. We sought to quantify cautery-related temperature changes in prevertebral fascia that may occur during the procedure, retrospectively evaluate the incidence of cautery-related complications, and prospectively assess the role of cautery in postoperative neck pain. Three consecutive related trials were performed. Initially, adenoidectomy was performed on 20 fresh cadavers, using a thermister to evaluate temperature changes in the prevertebral fascia after electrocautery (30 watts over a 30-second period). Next, retrospective analysis of adenoidectomy complications in 1206 children over a 5-year period was performed. Based on these findings, a prospective study of the incidence of neck pain following adenoidectomy was performed in a cohort of 276 children. Adenoidectomy technique, wattage, and duration of electrocautery were recorded for each child. Children with significant neck pain were evaluated with MRI. Peak thermister readings averaged 74 degrees C, for a mean change of 51.8 degrees C. Complications observed in retrospective analysis included neck pain (3), Grisel's syndrome (1), prolonged velopharyngeal insufficiency (1), retropharyngeal edema (1), and severe nasopharyngeal stenosis (1). The incidence of neck pain in the prospective study was 12% (33 pts), and was independent of adenoidectomy technique, cautery wattage, or duration of cautery use. MRIs revealed edema without abscess. Cautery can result in substantial temperature changes in the surgical adenoid bed. Despite this, the incidence of complications, specifically neck pain, associated with adenoidectomy is low, although underreported. Complications appear to be independent of adenoidectomy technique and cautery use.

Oral tranexamic acid (TA) in the treatment of melasma: A retrospective analysis.

PubMed

Lee, Hwee Chyen; Thng, Tien Guan Steven; Goh, Chee Leok

2016-08-01

Melasma is a common pigmentary disorder among Asians and treatment is challenging. Oral tranexamic acid (TA) has emerged as a potential treatment for refractory melasma. Large-scale studies on its use, outcomes, and safety are limited. We sought to evaluate treatment outcomes and adverse effects of oral TA in melasma in an Asian population. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who received oral TA for melasma in a tertiary dermatologic center from January 2010 to June 2014. In all, 561 patients (91.4% female, 8.6% male) were enrolled. Median duration of treatment was 4 months. The majority (503 [89.7%]) improved, 56 (10.0%) had no improvement, and 2 (0.4%) worsened. Patients without family history of melasma had better response rates than those with family history (90.6% vs 60.0%, P = .01). Of the 503 who improved, response was seen within 2 months of TA initiation, with a relapse rate of 27.2%. Adverse events occurred in 40 (7.1%). Most were transient, but 1 developed deep vein thrombosis requiring prompt discontinuation. She was later given the diagnosis of familial protein S deficiency. This was a retrospective study. Oral TA may be an effective adjunct for refractory melasma. Careful screening for personal and familial risk factors for thromboembolism should be done before initiation. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dose-Dependent Effects of Statins for Patients with Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Meta-Regression Analysis.

PubMed

To, Minh-Son; Prakash, Shivesh; Poonnoose, Santosh I; Bihari, Shailesh

2018-05-01

The study uses meta-regression analysis to quantify the dose-dependent effects of statin pharmacotherapy on vasospasm, delayed ischemic neurologic deficits (DIND), and mortality in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Prospective, retrospective observational studies, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were retrieved by a systematic database search. Summary estimates were expressed as absolute risk (AR) for a given statin dose or control (placebo). Meta-regression using inverse variance weighting and robust variance estimation was performed to assess the effect of statin dose on transformed AR in a random effects model. Dose-dependence of predicted AR with 95% confidence interval (CI) was recovered by using Miller's Freeman-Tukey inverse. The database search and study selection criteria yielded 18 studies (2594 patients) for analysis. These included 12 RCTs, 4 retrospective observational studies, and 2 prospective observational studies. Twelve studies investigated simvastatin, whereas the remaining studies investigated atorvastatin, pravastatin, or pitavastatin, with simvastatin-equivalent doses ranging from 20 to 80 mg. Meta-regression revealed dose-dependent reductions in Freeman-Tukey-transformed AR of vasospasm (slope coefficient -0.00404, 95% CI -0.00720 to -0.00087; P = 0.0321), DIND (slope coefficient -0.00316, 95% CI -0.00586 to -0.00047; P = 0.0392), and mortality (slope coefficient -0.00345, 95% CI -0.00623 to -0.00067; P = 0.0352). The present meta-regression provides weak evidence for dose-dependent reductions in vasospasm, DIND and mortality associated with acute statin use after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. However, the analysis was limited by substantial heterogeneity among individual studies. Greater dosing strategies are a potential consideration for future RCTs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A retrospective study on the efficacy and safety of intraveinous immunoglobulin (Tegeline®) in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.

PubMed

Robert, Florence; Edan, Gilles; Nicolas, Guillaume; Pouget, Jean; Vial, Christophe; Antoine, Jean-Christophe; Puget, Sophie

2015-01-01

To assess the efficacy and safety of intraveinous immunoglobulin (IV Ig) in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) at 4, 7 and 12months. A national multicenter retrospective study was conducted by LFB Biotehcnologies in patients with CIDP who had received at least one cycle of a 5% polyvalent IV Ig, Tegeline(®), from LFB biomédicaments between 1995 and 2004. The primary endpoint was the efficacy of IV Ig at 4 months, which was defined as the responder rate based on the modified Rankin scale. Several secondary endpoints were assessed: safety and efficacy (i.e., responders according to the investigators' overall assessment of the patients' status) at 4, 7 and 12 months. The analysis was performed at 7 months only (due to missing data for 12 months and few patients). A total of 26 patients were included who had received between 1 and 6 cycles of IV Ig (mean 3±2) with a median follow-up of 9.9 months. The responder rate at 4 months based on the modified Rankin scale was 52% (95% CI 0.313-0.722), whereas the responder rate with placebo reported in the literature (meta-analysis including results from van Schaik and an ICE study) is 18% (P<0.001). Responder patients at 4 months were still responders at 7 months. The overall safety of IV Ig was good, with adverse events of mild to moderate severity, which resolved without sequelae and were expected adverse events of IV Ig. This retrospective study confirmed both the efficacy of IV Ig at 4 months in the treatment of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and the favorable safety profile of the product. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Laser Therapy in the Treatment of Paresthesia: A Retrospective Study of 125 Clinical Cases.

PubMed

de Oliveira, Renata Ferreira; da Silva, Alessandro Costa; Simões, Alyne; Youssef, Michel Nicolau; de Freitas, Patrícia Moreira

2015-08-01

The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the effectiveness of laser therapy for acceleration and recovery of nerve sensitivity after orthognathic or minor oral surgeries, by analysis of clinical records of patients treated at the Special Laboratory of Lasers in Dentistry (LELO, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo), throughout the period 2007-2013. Nerve tissue lesions may occur during various dental and routine surgical procedures, resulting in paresthesia. Laser therapy has been shown to be able to accelerate and enhance the regeneration of the affected nerve tissue; however, there are few studies in the literature that evaluate the effects of treatment with low-power laser on neural changes after orthognathic or minor oral surgeries. A total of 125 clinical records were included, and the data on gender, age, origin of the lesion, nerve, interval between surgery and onset of laser therapy, frequency of laser irradiation (one or two times per week), final evolution, and if there was a need to change the irradiation protocol, were all recorded. These data were related to the recovery of sensitivity in the affected nerve area. Descriptive analyses and modeling for analysis of categorical data (α=5%) were performed. The results from both analyses showed that the recovery of sensitivity was correlated with patient age (p=0.015) and interval between surgery and onset of laser therapy (p=0.002). Within the limits of this retrospective study, it was found that low- power laser therapy with beam emission band in the infrared spectrum (808 nm) can positively affect the recovery of sensitivity after orthognathic or minor oral surgeries.

A Study of the Utilization Patterns of an Elementary School-Based Health Clinic over a 5-Year Period

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Veda; Hutcherson, Valerie

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the utilization pattern of an elementary school-based clinic over a 5-year period. It involved a retrospective analysis of computer-based data for all patient visits during this study period. Results revealed high clinic utilization with an average of over 5 encounters for all users each year. The most…

Sexual Abuse of Deaf Children: A Retrospective Analysis of the Prevalence and Characteristics of Childhood Sexual Abuse among Deaf Adults in Norway

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kvam, Marit Hoem

2004-01-01

Objective: North American studies conclude that deaf children may have a 2-3 times greater risk of sexual abuse than hearing children. No comparative studies are available in the Nordic countries. The present study was initiated to estimate the prevalence of childhood sexual abuse among deaf children in Norway, describe the nature of the abuse,…

Approach to design space from retrospective quality data.

PubMed

Puñal Peces, Daniel; García-Montoya, Encarna; Manich, Albert; Suñé-Negre, Josep Maria; Pérez-Lozano, Pilar; Miñarro, Montse; Ticó, Josep Ramon

2016-01-01

Nowadays, the entire manufacturing process is based on the current GMPs, which emphasize the reproducibility of the process, and companies have a lot of recorded data about their processes. The establishment of the design space (DS) from retrospective data for a wet compression process. A design of experiments (DoE) with historical data from 4 years of industrial production has been carried out using the experimental factors as the results of the previous risk analysis and eight key parameters (quality specifications) that encompassed process and quality control data. Software Statgraphics 5.0 was applied, and data were processed to obtain eight DS as well as their safe and working ranges. Experience shows that it is possible to determine DS retrospectively, being the greatest difficulty in handling and processing of high amounts of data; however, the practicality of this study is very interesting as it let have the DS with minimal investment in experiments since actual production batch data are processed statistically.

Occurrence of oculomotor dysfunctions in acquired brain injury: a retrospective analysis.

PubMed

Ciuffreda, Kenneth J; Kapoor, Neera; Rutner, Daniella; Suchoff, Irwin B; Han, M E; Craig, Shoshana

2007-04-01

The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the frequency of occurrence of oculomotor dysfunctions in a sample of ambulatory outpatients who have acquired brain injury (ABI), either traumatic brain injury (TBI) or cerebrovascular accident (CVA), with associated vision symptoms. Medical records of 220 individuals with either TBI (n = 160) or CVA (n = 60) were reviewed retrospectively. This was determined by a computer-based query spanning the years 2000 through 2003, for the frequency of occurrence of oculomotor dysfunctions including accommodation, version, vergence, strabismus, and cranial nerve (CN) palsy. The majority of individuals with either TBI (90%) or CVA (86.7%) manifested an oculomotor dysfunction. Accommodative and vergence deficits were most common in the TBI subgroup, whereas strabismus and CN palsy were most common in the CVA subgroup. The frequency of occurrence of versional deficits was similar in each diagnostic subgroup. These new findings should alert the clinician to the higher frequency of occurrence of oculomotor dysfunctions in these populations and the associated therapeutic, rehabilitative, and quality-of-life implications.

Lumbar subcutaneous edema and degenerative spinal disease in patients with low back pain: a retrospective MRI study.

PubMed

Quattrocchi, C C; Giona, A; Di Martino, A; Gaudino, F; Mallio, C A; Errante, Y; Occhicone, F; Vitali, M A; Zobel, B B; Denaro, V

2015-08-01

This study was designed to determine the association between LSE, spondylolisthesis, facet arthropathy, lumbar canal stenosis, BMI, radiculopathy and bone marrow edema at conventional lumbar spine MR imaging. This is a retrospective radiological study; 441 consecutive patients with low back pain (224 men and 217 women; mean age 57.3 years; mean BMI 26) underwent conventional lumbar MRI using a 1.5-T magnet (Avanto, Siemens). Lumbar MR images were reviewed by consensus for the presence of LSE, spondylolisthesis, facet arthropathy, lumbar canal stenosis, radiculopathy and bone marrow edema. Descriptive statistics and association studies were conducted using STATA software 11.0. Association studies have been performed using linear univariate regression analysis and multivariate regression analysis, considering LSE as response variable. The overall prevalence of LSE was 40%; spondylolisthesis (p = 0.01), facet arthropathy (p < 0.001), BMI (p = 0.008) and lumbar canal stenosis (p < 0.001) were included in the multivariate regression model, whereas bone marrow edema, radiculopathy and age were not. LSE is highly associated with spondylolisthesis, facet arthropathy and BMI, suggesting underestimation of its clinical impact as an integral component in chronic lumbar back pain. Longitudinal simultaneous X-ray/MRI studies should be conducted to test the relationship of LSE with lumbar spinal instability and low back pain.

Transcatheter closure, mini-invasive closure and open-heart surgical repair for treatment of perimembranous ventricular septal defects in children: a protocol for a network meta-analysis.

PubMed

You, Tao; Yi, Kang; Ding, Zhao-Hong; Hou, Xiao-Dong; Liu, Xing-Guang; Wang, Xin-Kuan; Ge, Long; Tian, Jin-Hui

2017-06-21

Both transcatheter device closure and surgical repair are effective treatments with excellent midterm outcomes for perimembranous ventricular septal defects (pmVSDs) in children. The mini-invasive periventricular device occlusion technique has become prevalent in research and application, but evidence is limited for the assessment of transcatheter closure, mini-invasive closure and open-heart surgical repair. This study comprehensively compares the efficacy, safety and costs of transcatheter closure, mini-invasive closure and open-heart surgical repair for treatment of pmVSDs in children using Bayesian network meta-analysis. A systematic search will be performed using Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, PubMed, EMBASE.com and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to include random controlled trials, prospective or retrospective cohort studies comparing the efficacy, safety and costs of transcatheter closure, mini-invasive closure and open-heart surgical repair. The risk of bias for the included prospective or retrospective cohort studies will be evaluated according to the risk of bias in non-randomised studies of interventions (ROBINS-I). For random controlled trials, we will use risk of bias tool from Cochrane Handbook version 5.1.0. A Bayesian network meta-analysis will be conducted using R-3.3.2 software. Ethical approval and patient consent are not required since this study is a network meta-analysis based on published trials. The results of this network meta-analysis will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. CRD42016053352. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Hair as a long-term retrospective cortisol calendar in orang-utans (Pongo spp.): new perspectives for stress monitoring in captive management and conservation.

PubMed

Carlitz, Esther H D; Kirschbaum, Clemens; Stalder, Tobias; van Schaik, Carolus P

2014-01-01

This study examined whether the method of hair cortisol analysis is applicable to orang-utans (Pongo spp.) and can help to advance the objective monitoring of stress in non-human primates. Specifically, we examined whether fundamental prerequisites for hair cortisol analysis are given in orang-utans and, subsequently, whether segmental hair analysis may provide a retrospective calendar of long-term cortisol levels. For this, hair samples were examined from 71 zoo-living orang-utans (38 males, mean age=22.5years; 33 females, mean age=24years) for which detailed records of past living conditions were available. Hair samples were cut from defined body regions and were analyzed either in full length or in segments. Results showed that hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) were unrelated to age or sex of the individual animal. HCC were found to be higher in orang-utans, with perceived long-term stressful periods (mean HCC=43.6±26.5pg/mg, n=13) compared to animals without perceived stressful periods (19.3±5.5pg/mg, n=55, P<0.001). In non-stressed animals, segmental hair analyses revealed that HCC was stable along the hair shaft even when hair reached >40cm. The possibility of obtaining a retrospective calendar of stress-related cortisol changes through hair analysis was further supported by data of three case studies showing close correspondence between the segmental HCC results and keeper reports of stress exposure during the respective time periods. Finally, low within-animal variation in HCC from different body regions (CV%: 14.3) suggested that this method may also be applicable to naturally shed hair, e.g., as found in nests of wild orang-utans and other great apes. Therefore, using HCC may provide an ideal non-invasive tool for both captive management as well as conservation in orang-utans and potentially other great apes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The outcome and survival of palliative surgery in thoraco-lumbar spinal metastases: contemporary retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Nemelc, R M; Stadhouder, A; van Royen, B J; Jiya, T U

2014-11-01

Purpose: To evaluate outcome and survival and to identify prognostic variables for patients surgically treated for spinal metastases. Methods: A retrospective study was performed on 86 patients, surgically treated for spinal metastases. Preoperative analyses of the ASIA and spinal instability neoplastic scores (SINS) were performed. Survival curves of different prognostic variables were made by Kaplan–Meier analysis and the variables entered in a Cox proportional hazards model to determine their significance on survival. The correlation between preoperative radiotherapy and postoperative wound infections was also evaluated. Results: Survival analysis was performed on 81 patients,37 women and 44 men. Five patients were excluded due to missing data. Median overall survival was 38 weeks [95 % confidence interval (CI) 27.5–48.5 weeks], with a 3-month survival rate of 81.5 %. Breast tumor had the best median survival of 127 weeks and lung tumor the worst survival of 18 weeks. Univariate analysis showed tumor type, preoperative ASIA score (p = 0.01) and visceral metastases(p = 0.18) were significant prognostic variables for survival.Colon tumors had 5.53 times hazard ratio compared to patients with breast tumor. ASIA-C score had more than 13.03 times the hazard ratio compared to patients with an ASIA-E score. Retrospective analysis of the SINS scores showed 34 patients with a score of 13–18 points, 44 patients with a score of 7–12 points, and 1 patient with a score of 6 points. Preoperative radiotherapy had no influence on the postoperative incidence of deep surgical wound infections (p = 0.37). Patients with spinal metastases had a median survival of 38 weeks postoperative. The primary tumor type and ASIA score were significant prognostic factors for survival. Preoperative radiotherapy neither had influence on survival nor did it constitute a risk for postoperative surgical wound infections.

A retrospective analysis on patients at high-risk for obstructive sleep apnea undergoing ear, nose, and throat surgeries.

PubMed

Woodling, Karina; Fiorda-Diaz, Juan; Otto, Bradley A; Barnes, Christie A; Uribe, Alberto A; Bergese, Sergio D; Yildiz, Vedat; Stoicea, Nicoleta; Guertin, Michael G

2018-02-01

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may be related to episodes of oxygen de-saturation, hypercapnia, cardiovascular dysfunction, cor-pulmonale, and pulmonary hypertension. STOP-BANG is an acronym for eight specific questions used to assess the likelihood of OSA. If the individual exhibits three or more of these indicators, he/she should be considered to be at high risk for OSA complications. Therefore, the decision of proceeding with inpatient versus outpatient ENT surgery still remains controversial. The primary objective of the study was to identify and correlate desaturation (SPO2 <90%) episodes and risk factors. We conducted a single-center retrospective study between October 1, 2011 and August 31, 2014 in order to identify postoperative complications during the first 24 hours that justify postoperative monitoring and hospital admission. A total of 292 subjects were included for data analysis. Patients were divided into two groups based on the number of OSA risk factors: group A with 3-4 risk factors (n = 166), and group B with ≥5 risk factors (n = 126). The following information was collected: demographics, ASA, preoperative STOP-BANG score, length of surgery, intraoperative complications, opioid consumption, post anesthesia care unit (PACU) and overall length of stay, supplemental oxygen requirement, oxygen desaturation, and postoperative opioid consumption. No statistically significant difference was found when comparing demographic variables between both groups. All STOP-BANG variables showed statistical significance. PACU and inpatient variables were similar among both groups, with the exception of length of hospital stay (longer stay in group B when compared to group A [ p  = 0.003]). Desaturation differences between both groups during PACU were statistically significant ( p  = 0.008). A post-hoc analysis showed a 0% incidence of overall desaturation in the group with three STOP-BANG indicators. Our retrospective analysis concluded that patients diagnosed with three STOP-BANG risk factors did not experience postoperative complications and hospital admission was not justified. 4.

Clinical signs in the Wernicke-Korsakoff complex: a retrospective analysis of 131 cases diagnosed at necropsy.

PubMed Central

Harper, C G; Giles, M; Finlay-Jones, R

1986-01-01

A recent necropsy study has shown that 80% of patients with the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome were not diagnosed as such during life. Review of the clinical signs of these cases revealed that only 16% had the classical clinical triad and 19% had no documented clinical signs. The incidence of clinical signs in this and other retrospective pathological studies is very different from that of prospective clinical studies. This discrepancy may relate to "missed" clinical signs but the magnitude of the difference suggests that at least some cases of the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome may be the end result of repeated subclinical episodes of vitamin B1 deficiency. In order to make the diagnosis, clinicians must maintain a high index of suspicion in the "at risk" group of patients, particularly alcoholics. Investigations of thiamine status may be helpful and if the diagnosis is suspected, parenteral thiamine should be given. PMID:3701343

RETROSPECTIVE LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS, AN APPROACH FOR EVALUATION LAND COVER CHANGE: SAN PEDRO RIVER CASE STUDY

EPA Science Inventory

Vegetation change in the American West has been the subject of much concern and controversy throughout the twentieth century. Over the years, a considerable number and variety of 'claims have been made regarding cause related to changes in land cover. The evidence for vegetat...

Rowing Sport in Learning Fractions of the Fourth Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nasution, Marhamah Fajriyah; Putri, Ratu Ilma Indra; Zulkardi

2018-01-01

This study aimed to produce learning trajectory with rowing context that can help students understand addition and subtraction of fractions. Subject of the research were students IV MIN 2 Palembang. The method used was research design with three stages, those are preparing for the experiment, the design experiments, and the retrospective analysis.…

The Influence of Small Class Size, Duration, Intensity, and Heterogeneity on Head Start Fade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huss, Christopher D.

2010-01-01

The researcher conducted a nonexperimental study to investigate and analyze the influence of reduced class sizes, intensity (all day and every day), duration (five years), and heterogeneity (random class assignment) on the Head Start Fade effect. The researcher employed retrospective data analysis using a longitudinal explanatory design on data…

Predicting Student Responsiveness to Fast ForWord Using DIBELS Subtests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavallo, Fernando

2012-01-01

The current study was completed through a retrospective analysis of school records of elementary school students in the Northeast Region of the Philadelphia School District (PSD) who have participated in the Fast ForWord (FFW) Language program. The data requested from student records included: demographic information (e.g., gender, grade, age,…

Child Homicide on the Territory of Belgrade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baralic, Ivanka; Savic, Slobodan; Alempijevic, Djordje M.; Jecmenica, Dragan S.; Sbutega-Milosevic, Gorica; Obradovic, Miroljub

2010-01-01

Objective: This study examines the incidence and other epidemiological and medico-legal characteristics of child homicide in the territory of Belgrade, Republic of Serbia. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of all autopsies carried out at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Belgrade during a 15 year period between 1991 and 2005,…

Social Pedagogical Work with Different Age Groups in Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toporkova, Olga; Glebova, Ekaterina; Vysotskaia, Inna V.; Tikhaeva, Victoria V.

2016-01-01

Background/Objectives: The main objective of the article is to study, analyze and organize the modern German experience in the sphere of social pedagogical and educational work with socially unprotected adults, including youth and the elderly. The retrospective analysis threw light on the background of work with socially unprotected adults in…

Ethics Readiness: An Analysis of Virginia Community College Students' Moral Sensitivity Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Julie Marie

2013-01-01

In this retrospective causal-comparative study, the readiness of Virginia community college students to receive an accounting ethics curriculum was analyzed by measuring and comparing their moral sensitivity scores to the moral sensitivity scores of a group of four year university students. A sample of college students attending community college…

Violent Self-Harm in Schizophrenia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Symonds, Catherine S.; Taylor, Steve; Tippins, Val; Turkington, Douglas

2006-01-01

Patients with schizophrenia have a substantial lifetime suicide risk, especially by violent means. Little published work exists on self-harm (SH) in this population. The goal of this study was to examine whether patients with schizophrenia were also more likely to self-harm in a violent manner. A retrospective analysis performed on method, motive,…

Inquiry, Engagement, and Literacy in Science: A Retrospective, Cross-National Analysis Using PISA 2006

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McConney, Andrew; Oliver, Mary C.; Woods-McConney, Amanda; Schibeci, Renato; Maor, Dorit

2014-01-01

In this study, we examine patterns of students' literacy and engagement in science associated with different levels of "inquiry-oriented" learning reported by students in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. To achieve this, we analyzed data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's 2006 Programme for International…

Aural Image in Practice: A Multicase Analysis of Instrumental Practice in Middle School Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oare, Steve

2016-01-01

This multiple case study examined six adolescent band students engaged in self-directed practice. The students' practice sessions were videotaped. Students provided verbal reports during their practice and again retrospectively while reviewing their video immediately after practice. Students were asked to discuss their choice of practice…

Using Social Media as a Tool for Learning: A Multi-Disciplinary Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delello, Julie A.; McWhorter, Rochell R.; Camp, Kerri M.

2015-01-01

In order to explore the rich dynamics of using social media as a tool for learning within higher education classrooms, researchers across three disciplines: education, human resource development (HRD), and marketing, joined forces seeking ways to focus on learning through a retrospective analysis. Three concepts--engagement, community building,…

What Lies Beneath?: Verbal Report in Interlanguage Requests in English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodfield, Helen

2010-01-01

The present study investigates the role of concurrent and retrospective verbal report in exploring the cognitive processes of six pairs of advanced ESL learners engaged on a written discourse completion task eliciting status-unequal requests in English. Qualitative analysis of the concurrent data indicate that (i) social contextual aspects of the…

A Longitudinal Analysis of PTSD Symptom Course: Delayed-Onset PTSD in Somalia Peacekeepers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Matt J.; Bolton, Elisa E.; Litz, Brett T.

2004-01-01

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) typically follows an acute to chronic course. However, some trauma victims do not report significant symptoms until a period of time has elapsed after the event. Although originally dismissed as an artifact of retrospective methodologies, recent prospective studies document apparent instances of delayed-onset…

An Assessment of an Outpatient Antimicrobial Therapy Program in a Rural Medical Center : A Retrospective Chart Review.

PubMed

Burkett, Matthew Shawn; Macci Bires, Angela; Cline, Thomas W; Knight, Anthony

Current literature supports outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT). This article presents results from a research study that evaluated an OPAT program that treated community-acquired pneumonia. If patients had the opportunity to receive outpatient intravenous antibiotics for community-acquired pneumonia, would this prevent future hospitalization? Was there a decrease in hospital admissions? An informal cost-benefit analysis comparing OPAT with inpatient hospital admissions for the same disease was also reviewed to provide evidence whether there was a change. What was the overall health care cost savings? The medical charts of 50 patients with confirmed pneumonia who had received OPAT in a 3-month period were reviewed. A retrospective medical record review was performed. All patients were evaluated by the in-house OPAT team. The resulting analysis provided evidence that an estimated savings of approximately $2100 per day would be achieved by decreasing hospital readmissions for patient who had been treated with OPAT. The conclusion of this study provides evidence that the implement of an OPAT program was, and is, essential for patient care and evidence-based best practice adherence.

The Influence of Parental Emotional Neglect on Assault Victims Seeking Treatment for Depressed Mood and Alcohol Misuse: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Bailey, Kylie A; Baker, Amanda L; McElduff, Patrick; Kavanagh, David J

2016-10-09

This study explores the relationship between reported parental emotional neglect when a child, assault type experienced, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), depression, and alcohol consumption in treatment seekers for comorbid depressive symptoms and alcohol misuse. Participants ( n = 220) with concurrent depression and alcohol misuse were recruited from the DAISI (Depression and Alcohol Integrated and Single-focussed Interventions) project. Assault type and PTSS were retrospectively assessed by the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale. The Measure of Parenting Style is a self-report measure that retrospectively assessed emotional neglect experienced as a child. An exploratory factor analysis using the tetrachoric correlation matrix (applying principal factor extraction with a varimax rotation) identified the two assault factors of sexual assault ( SA ) and physical assault ( PA ). A path analysis revealed that Maternal Emotional Neglect increased the impact of PTSS and depression. Paternal Emotional Neglect increased the impact of PA on PTSS and alcohol dependence symptoms. There appears to be differential effects of assault type and Maternal/Paternal emotional neglect on depression and alcohol misuse, suggesting that parenting roles serve distinct protective functions.

Feline meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown origin: A retrospective analysis of 16 cases

PubMed Central

Negrin, Arianna; Spencer, Sarah; Cherubini, Giunio Bruto

2017-01-01

This study aimed to describe the signalment, clinical signs, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, treatment, and outcome of feline meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown origin (FMUO). Medical records from 16 cats meeting the inclusion criteria of CSF pleocytosis, negative CSF polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-infectious disease results, and characteristic MRI findings were retrospectively reviewed. Median age was 9.4 years. Clinical signs included ataxia, proprioceptive deficits, seizures, and spinal hyperesthesia. The CSF nucleated cell count was increased (median 70.7 cells/μL), with predominantly mixed pleocytosis and CSF protein concentration was increased in 15/16 cats. Magnetic resonance imaging showed intraparenchymal infiltrative ill-defined lesions in 13 cases. All cats received a corticosteroid-based treatment protocol; additional therapies included lomustine, cytarabine, and anticonvulsant medications. Mild neurological signs were recorded in 5/12 cats but 7/12 cats were neurologically normal at re-examination. This represents the first study of feline MUO, highlighting FMUO as an important differential diagnosis in cats with variable neurological presentation. Prognosis appears to be good with immunomodulatory therapy. PMID:28966357

Biological behaviour of canine mandibular osteosarcoma. A retrospective study of 50 cases (1999-2007).

PubMed

Coyle, V J; Rassnick, K M; Borst, L B; Rodriguez, C O; Northrup, N C; Fan, T M; Garrett, L D

2015-06-01

The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe the biological behaviour of canine mandibular osteosarcoma (OSA) and to examine factors for their impact on metastasis-free interval (MFI) and survival time (ST). Records from dogs treated with mandibulectomy for OSA (1999-2007) were reviewed. Archived tumour samples were evaluated for mitotic index (MI) and tumour grade. Fifty dogs were included, 21 received chemotherapy. Twenty-nine dogs (58%) developed metastatic disease. The median MFI was 627 days, and median ST was 525 days. In univariate analysis MI > 40 was prognostic for decreased MFI and ST. Grade also influenced MFI and ST, with 5/21 (24%) dogs with grade II/III tumours metastasis-free at one year versus 16/22 (72%) dogs with grade I tumours (P = 0.002); and 5/21 (24%) dogs with grade II/III tumours alive versus 17/22 (77%) dogs with grade I tumours (P = 0.001). In multivariate analysis, histological grade and adjuvant chemotherapy were prognostic for MFI and ST. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Time from prior chemotherapy enhances prognostic risk grouping in the second-line setting of advanced urothelial carcinoma: a retrospective analysis of pooled, prospective phase 2 trials.

PubMed

Sonpavde, Guru; Pond, Gregory R; Fougeray, Ronan; Choueiri, Toni K; Qu, Angela Q; Vaughn, David J; Niegisch, Guenter; Albers, Peter; James, Nicholas D; Wong, Yu-Ning; Ko, Yoo-Joung; Sridhar, Srikala S; Galsky, Matthew D; Petrylak, Daniel P; Vaishampayan, Ulka N; Khan, Awais; Vogelzang, Nicholas J; Beer, Tomasz M; Stadler, Walter M; O'Donnell, Peter H; Sternberg, Cora N; Rosenberg, Jonathan E; Bellmunt, Joaquim

2013-04-01

Outcomes for patients in the second-line setting of advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC) are dismal. The recognized prognostic factors in this context are Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) >0, hemoglobin level (Hb) <10 g/dl, and liver metastasis (LM). The purpose of this retrospective study of prospective trials was to investigate the prognostic value of time from prior chemotherapy (TFPC) independent of known prognostic factors. Data from patients from seven prospective trials with available baseline TFPC, Hb, PS, and LM values were used for retrospective analysis (n=570). External validation was conducted in a second-line phase 3 trial comparing best supportive care (BSC) versus vinflunine plus BSC (n=352). Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the association of factors, with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) being the respective primary and secondary outcome measures. ECOG-PS >0, LM, Hb <10 g/dl, and shorter TFPC were significant prognostic factors for OS and PFS on multivariable analysis. Patients with zero, one, two, and three to four factors demonstrated median OS of 12.2, 6.7, 5.1, and 3.0 mo, respectively (concordance statistic=0.638). Setting of prior chemotherapy (metastatic disease vs perioperative) and prior platinum agent (cisplatin or carboplatin) were not prognostic factors. External validation demonstrated a significant association of TFPC with PFS on univariable and most multivariable analyses, and with OS on univariable analyses. Limitations of retrospective analyses are applicable. Shorter TFPC enhances prognostic classification independent of ECOG-PS >0, Hb <10 g/dl, and LM in the setting of second-line therapy for advanced UC. These data may facilitate drug development and interpretation of trials. Copyright © 2012 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prospective registration trends, reasons for retrospective registration and mechanisms to increase prospective registration compliance: descriptive analysis and survey

PubMed Central

Seidler, Anna Lene; Askie, Lisa M

2018-01-01

Objectives To analyse prospective versus retrospective trial registration trends on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) and to evaluate the reasons for non-compliance with prospective registration. Design Part 1: Descriptive analysis of trial registration trends from 2006 to 2015. Part 2: Online registrant survey. Participants Part 1: All interventional trials registered on ANZCTR from 2006 to 2015. Part 2: Random sample of those who had retrospectively registered a trial on ANZCTR between 2010 and 2015. Main outcome measures Part 1: Proportion of prospective versus retrospective clinical trial registrations (ie, registration before versus after enrolment of the first participant) on the ANZCTR overall and by various key metrics, such as sponsor, funder, recruitment country and sample size. Part 2: Reasons for non-compliance with prospective registration and perceived usefulness of various proposed mechanisms to improve prospective registration compliance. Results Part 1: Analysis of the complete dataset of 9450 trials revealed that compliance with prospective registration increased from 48% (216 out of 446 trials) in 2006 to 63% (723/1148) in 2012 and has since plateaued at around 64%. Patterns of compliance were relatively consistent across sponsor and funder types (industry vs non-industry), type of intervention (drug vs non-drug) and size of trial (n<100, 100–500, >500). However, primary sponsors from Australia/New Zealand were almost twice as likely to register prospectively (62%; 4613/7452) compared with sponsors from other countries with a WHO Network Registry (35%; 377/1084) or sponsors from countries without a WHO Registry (29%; 230/781). Part 2: The majority (56%; 84/149) of survey respondents cited lack of awareness as a reason for not registering their study prospectively. Seventy-four per cent (111/149) stated that linking registration to ethics approval would facilitate prospective registration. Conclusions Despite some progress, compliance with prospective registration remains suboptimal. Linking registration to ethics approval was the favoured strategy among those sampled for improving compliance. PMID:29496896

76 FR 78183 - Preliminary Plan for Retrospective Review Under E.O. 13579

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-16

... Federal Docket Management System will not accept comments after 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the last day of... the importance of maintaining a culture of retrospective review of an agency's regulations. Pursuant... Process The Commission's effort to sustain a culture of review and analysis of its rules and procedures...

Scott Shuler's "Music and Education in the Twenty-First Century: A Retrospective"--Review and Response

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLain, Barbara Payne

2014-01-01

Predicting the future is a challenging task for music education, requiring both retrospection, analysis of current events, and foresight. This article examines several predictions from 2001 and challenges music educators to consider factors that may influence the future of teaching music in society.

National Disability Policy: A Progress Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Council on Disability, 2009

2009-01-01

In recent years, the National Council on Disability (NCD) Progress Report has been a retrospective review and analysis of Federal programs for people with disabilities. For this Progress Report, NCD members have chosen to depart from a retrospective approach, and, instead, will focus on the current status of the quality of life of people with…

Computerized test versus personal interview as admission methods for graduate nursing studies: A retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Hazut, Koren; Romem, Pnina; Malkin, Smadar; Livshiz-Riven, Ilana

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the predictive validity, economic efficiency, and faculty staff satisfaction of a computerized test versus a personal interview as admission methods for graduate nursing studies. A mixed method study was designed, including cross-sectional and retrospective cohorts, interviews, and cost analysis. One hundred and thirty-four students in the Master of Nursing program participated. The success of students in required core courses was similar in both admission method groups. The personal interview method was found to be a significant predictor of success, with cognitive variables the only significant contributors to the model. Higher satisfaction levels were reported with the computerized test compared with the personal interview method. The cost of the personal interview method, in annual hourly work, was 2.28 times higher than the computerized test. These findings may promote discussion regarding the cost benefit of the personal interview as an admission method for advanced academic studies in healthcare professions. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) Global Water and Energy Budgets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bosilovich, Michael G.; Chen, Junye

2009-01-01

In the Summer of 2009, NASA's Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) will have completed 28 years of global satellite data analyses. Here, we characterize the global water and energy budgets of MERRA, compared with available observations and the latest reanalyses. In this analysis, the climatology of the global average components are studied as well as the separate land and ocean averages. In addition, the time series of the global averages are evaluated. For example, the global difference of precipitation and evaporation generally shows the influence of water vapor observations on the system. Since the observing systems change in time, especially remotely sensed observations of water, significant temporal variations can occur across the 28 year record. These then are also closely connected to changes in the atmospheric energy and water budgets. The net imbalance of the energy budget at the surface can be large and different signs for different reanalyses. In MERRA, the imbalance of energy at the surface tends to improve with time being the smallest during the most recent and abundant satellite observations.

Health, energy vulnerability and climate change: a retrospective thematic analysis of primary care trust policies and practices.

PubMed

Richardson, J; Kagawa, F; Nichols, A

2009-12-01

To review publicly available documents produced by primary care trusts (PCTs) to assess the extent to which local activity and planning consider energy vulnerability, climate change and sustainability. Retrospective thematic content analysis of publicly available materials located on PCT websites. Thematic content analysis of publicly available materials was undertaken by two researchers over a 6-month period in 2008. These materials were obtained from the websites of 30 PCTs in England. Materials included annual reports, plans, policies and strategy documents. Of the 30 PCT websites studied, four were found to have an absence of content related to climate change, energy vulnerability and sustainability. Of the remaining 26 PCT websites, consistent themes were found: strategic initiatives, joint working with other agencies, promoting sustainable communities, and targeted actions. Evidence of good examples in sustainable development was predominantly limited to policy statements and strategic aims; evidence of action was limited. As champions of the public health agenda, PCT action on sustainability should be integral to all aspects of organizational governance.

Retrospective North American CFL Experience Curve Analysis and Correlation to Deployment Programs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, Sarah J.; Wei, Max; Sohn, Michael D.

Retrospective experience curves are a useful tool for understanding historic technology development, and can contribute to investment program analysis and future cost estimation efforts. This work documents our development of an analysis approach for deriving retrospective experience curves with a variable learning rate, and its application to develop an experience curve for compact fluorescent lamps for the global and North American markets over the years 1990-2007. Uncertainties and assumptions involved in interpreting data for our experience curve development are discussed, including the processing and transformation of empirical data, the selection of system boundaries, and the identification of historical changes inmore » the learning rate over the course of 15 years. In the results that follow, we find that that the learning rate has changed at least once from 1990-2007. We also explore if, and to what degree, public deployment programs may have contributed to an increased technology learning rate in North America. We observe correlations between the changes in the learning rate and the initiation of new policies, abrupt technological advances, including improvements to ballast technology, and economic and political events such as trade tariffs and electricity prices. Finally, we discuss how the findings of this work (1) support the use of segmented experience curves for retrospective and prospective analysis and (2) may imply that investments in technological research and development have contributed to a change in market adoption and penetration.« less

Childhood Trauma in Substance Use Disorder and Depression: An Analysis by Gender among a Brazilian Clinical Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tucci, Adriana M.; Kerr-Correa, Florence; Souza-Formigoni, Maria Lucia O.

2010-01-01

Objective: In this study, we compared the frequency and intensity of childhood traumas in alcohol- or other drug-dependent patients, in patients with depression, and in a control group without psychiatric diagnoses. Methods: The study had a retrospective design of a clinical sample of men and women from the groups listed above. They were evaluated…

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Salut Programme: a universal health promotion intervention for parents and children-protocol of a register-based retrospective observational study.

PubMed

Feldman, Inna; Eurenius, Eva; Häggström, Jenny; Sampaio, Filipa; Lindkvist, Marie; Pulkki-Brännström, Anni-Maria; Ivarsson, Anneli

2016-08-04

There is inadequate evidence for the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of health promotion interventions. The Salut Programme aims to reach all parents and children in the Västerbotten County of Sweden with a combination of health promotion interventions initiated during pregnancy and continued over the childhood period. This study protocol describes an effectiveness study and an economic evaluation study, where the ongoing Salut Programme is compared to care-as-usual over the periods of pregnancy, delivery and the child's first 2 years of life. A register-based retrospective observational study design will be used with existing data sources with respect to exposures and outcomes. Outcomes of interest are clustered at 3 points: around the child's birth, 1 month after the child's birth and 2 years after the child's birth. We will simulate an experiment by retrospectively identifying and comparing children and their parents in the geographical areas where the Salut Programme was implemented since 2006 and onwards, and the areas where the Programme was not implemented before 2009. Outcomes will be analysed and compared for the premeasure period, and the postmeasure period for both groups. Our analysis combines difference-in-difference estimation with matching. A complementary analysis will be carried out on the longitudinal subsample of mothers who gave birth at least once during each of the time periods. The economic evaluation aims to capture the wider societal costs and benefits of the Salut Programme for the first 2 years of the children's lives. Incremental costs will be compared with incremental health gains and the results will be presented as a cost-consequence analysis. The Regional Ethical Review Board in Umeå has given clearance for the Salut Programme research (2010-63-31M). No individual's identity will be revealed when presenting results. This study will provide information that can guide decision-makers to allocate resources optimally. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Safe cervical spine clearance in adult obtunded blunt trauma patients on the basis of a normal multidetector CT scan--a meta-analysis and cohort study.

PubMed

Raza, Mushahid; Elkhodair, Samer; Zaheer, Asif; Yousaf, Sohail

2013-11-01

A true gold standard to rule out a significant cervical spine injury in subset of blunt trauma patients with altered sensorium is still to be agreed upon. The objective of this study is to determine whether in obtunded adult patients with blunt trauma, a clinically significant injury to the cervical spine be ruled out on the basis of a normal multidetector cervical spine computed tomography. Comprehensive database search was conducted to include all the prospective and retrospective studies on blunt trauma patients with altered sensorium undergoing cervical spine multidetector CT scan as core imaging modality to "clear" the cervical spine. The studies used two main gold standards, magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine and/or prolonged clinical follow-up. The data was extracted to report true positive, true negatives, false positives and false negatives. Meta-analysis of sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values was performed using Meta Analyst Beta 3.13 software. We also performed a retrospective investigation comparing a robust clinical follow-up and/or cervical spine MR findings in 53 obtunded blunt trauma patients, who previously had undergone a normal multidetector CT scan of the cervical spine reported by a radiologist. A total of 10 studies involving 1850 obtunded blunt trauma patients with initial cervical spine CT scan reported as normal were included in the final meta-analysis. The cumulative negative predictive value and specificity of cervical spine CT of the ten studies was 99.7% (99.4-99.9%, 95% confidence interval). The positive predictive value and sensitivity was 93.7% (84.0-97.7%, 95% confidence interval). In the retrospective review of our obtunded blunt trauma patients, none was later diagnosed to have significant cervical spine injury that required a change in clinical management. In a blunt trauma patient with altered sensorium, a normal cervical spine CT scan is conclusive to safely rule out a clinically significant cervical spine injury. The results of this meta-analysis strongly support the removal of cervical precautions in obtunded blunt trauma patient after normal cervical spine computed tomography. Any further imaging like magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine should be performed on case-to-case basis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of risk factors for cluster behavior of dental implant failures.

PubMed

Chrcanovic, Bruno Ramos; Kisch, Jenö; Albrektsson, Tomas; Wennerberg, Ann

2017-08-01

Some studies indicated that implant failures are commonly concentrated in few patients. To identify and analyze cluster behavior of dental implant failures among subjects of a retrospective study. This retrospective study included patients receiving at least three implants only. Patients presenting at least three implant failures were classified as presenting a cluster behavior. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models and generalized estimating equations analysis evaluated the effect of explanatory variables on the cluster behavior. There were 1406 patients with three or more implants (8337 implants, 592 failures). Sixty-seven (4.77%) patients presented cluster behavior, with 56.8% of all implant failures. The intake of antidepressants and bruxism were identified as potential negative factors exerting a statistically significant influence on a cluster behavior at the patient-level. The negative factors at the implant-level were turned implants, short implants, poor bone quality, age of the patient, the intake of medicaments to reduce the acid gastric production, smoking, and bruxism. A cluster pattern among patients with implant failure is highly probable. Factors of interest as predictors for implant failures could be a number of systemic and local factors, although a direct causal relationship cannot be ascertained. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ventricular fibrillation in acute myocardial infarction in Spanish patients: Results of the ARIAM database.

PubMed

Ruiz-Bailén, Manuel; Aguayo de Hoyos, Eduardo; Ruiz-Navarro, Silvia; Issa-Khozouz, Ziad; Reina-Toral, Antonio; Díaz-Castellanos, Miguel Angel; Rodríguez-García, Juan-José; Torres-Ruiz, Juan Miguel; Cárdenas-Cruz, Antonio; Camacho-Víctor, Angel

2003-08-01

The aim of this study has been to investigate the factors predisposing to primary or secondary ventricular fibrillation (VF) and the prognosis in Spanish patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) during their admission to the intensive care unit or the coronary care unit. A retrospective, observational study. The intensive care units and coronary care units of 119 Spanish hospitals. A retrospective cohort study including all the AMI patients listed in the ARIAM registry (Analysis of Delay in Acute Myocardial Infarction), a Spanish multicenter study. The study period was January 1995 to January 2001. Factors associated with the onset of VF were studied by univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis was used to evaluate the independent factors for the onset of VF and for mortality. A total of 17,761 patients with AMI were included in the study; 964 (5.4%) developed VF (primary in 735 patients, secondary in 229). In multivariate analysis, the variables that continued to show an association with the development of VF were the Killip and Kimball class, peak creatine kinase, APACHE II score, age, and time from the onset of symptoms to the initiation of thrombolysis. The mortality in the patients with any VF was 31.8% (27.8% in patients with primary VF and 49.1% in patients with secondary VF). The development of VF is an independent predictive factor for mortality in patients with AMI, with a crude odds ratio of 5.12 (95% confidence interval, 4.41-5.95) and an adjusted odds ratio of 2.73 (95% confidence interval, 2.12-3.51). Despite the considerable improvement in the treatment of AMI in recent years, the onset of either primary or secondary VF is associated with a poor prognosis. It is usually accompanied by extensive necrosis.

Magnetic resonance imaging findings of the proximal metacarpus in Quarter Horses used for cutting: Retrospective analysis of 32 horses 2009-2012.

PubMed

Barrett, M F; Manchon, P T; Hersman, J; Kawcak, C E

2018-03-01

Injury to the proximal suspensory ligament is a common cause of lameness in cutting horses. Radiographic and ultrasonographic imaging of lesions responsible for lameness can provide ambiguous results. MRI provides the most comprehensive diagnostic imaging evaluation of lesions specifically affecting cutting horses. To describe the distribution and severity of bone and soft tissue lesions present in the proximal metacarpus of Quarter Horse cutting horses and to assess the impact of these lesions on return to competition. Retrospective case series. Retrospective analysis of 32 cutting horses referred for MRI of the proximal metacarpus between 2009 and 2012 with a 2-year follow-up period. MRI studies were evaluated by a board-certified veterinary radiologist; the severity of lesions was graded from 0 (absent) to 3 (severe). A total of 20 right and 24 left forelimbs (12 bilateral studies) of 32 horses were evaluated. The most common findings were: third metacarpal (McIII) sclerosis at the proximal suspensory ligament (PSL) origin (42/44), McIII resorption at the PSL origin (32/44), PSL dorsal margin fibre irregularity (30/44) and McIII bone contusion (22/39). Of the 30 horses, 22 horses successfully returned to competition, irrespective of severity of injury. Strong correlation exists between the degree of resorption in the palmar cortex of proximal McIII, degree of McIII sclerosis and severity of dorsal margin fibre irregularity. Statistical significance was limited by small study population. Further analysis of prognosis was limited by availability of comprehensive medical records. Cutting horses with proximal metacarpal pain have significant pathological change within the proximal suspensory ligament and its enthesis on the palmar cortex of McIII. Severity of lesions and degree of lameness at the time of diagnosis does not influence return to performance. Accurate diagnosis of proximal metacarpal lesions based on MRI offers clinicians the capacity to select treatment protocols targeted to each disease process. © 2017 EVJ Ltd.

Advanced statistical methods to study the effects of gastric tube and non-invasive ventilation on functional decline and survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PubMed

Atassi, Nazem; Cudkowicz, Merit E; Schoenfeld, David A

2011-07-01

A few studies suggest that non-invasive ventilation (1) and gastric tube (G-tube) may have a positive impact on survival but the effect on functional decline is unclear. Confounding by indication may have produced biased estimates of the benefit seen in some of these retrospective studies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of G-tube and NIV on survival and functional decline using advanced statistical models that adjust for confounding by indications. A database of 331 subjects enrolled in previous clinical trials in ALS was available for analysis. Marginal structural models (MSM) were used to compare the mortality hazards and ALSFRS-R slopes between treatment and non-treatment groups, after adjusting for confounding by indication. Results showed that the placement of a G-tube was associated with an additional 1.42 units/month decline in the ALSFRS-R slope (p < 0.0001) and increased mortality hazard of 0.28 (p = 0.02). The use of NIV had no significant effect on ALSFRS-R decline or mortality. In conclusion, marginal structural models can be used to adjust for confounding by indication in retrospective ALS studies. G-tube placement could be followed by a faster rate of functional decline and increased mortality. Our results may suffer from some of the limitations of retrospective analyses.

Paclitaxel-Coated Balloons for the Treatment of Dysfunctional Dialysis Access. Results from a Single-Center, Retrospective Analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kitrou, Panagiotis M., E-mail: panoskitrou@gmail.com; Spiliopoulos, Stavros; Papadimatos, Panagiotis

PurposeTo investigate the safety and effectiveness of lutonix paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) for the treatment of dysfunctional dialysis access.Materials and MethodsThis was a single-center, single-arm, retrospective analysis of 39 patients (23 male, 59 %) undergoing 61 interventions using 69 PCBs in a 20-month period. There was a balance between arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) and grafts (AVG) (20 AVFs, 19AVGs), and the majority of lesions were restenotic (25/39, 64.1 %). Mean balloon diameter used was 6.6 mm and length 73.4 mm. Primary outcome measure was target lesion primary patency (TLPP) at 6 months, while secondary outcome measures included factors affecting TLPP and major complications. As there were lesionsmore » treated more than once with PCB, authors also compared patency results after first and second PCB angioplasty.ResultsTLPP was 72.2 % at 6 months with a median patency of 260 days according to the Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. No major complications occurred. TLPP between AVFs and AVGs (311 vs. 237 days, respectively; p = 0.29) and de novo and restenotic lesions was similar (270.5 vs. 267.5 days, respectively; p = 0.50). In 14 cases, in which lesions were treated with two PCB angioplasties, a statistically significant difference in TLPP after the second treatment was noted (first intervention 179.5 days vs. second intervention 273.5 days; p = 0.032).ConclusionIn this retrospective analysis, Lutonix PCB proved to be safe and effective in treating restenosis in dysfunctional dialysis access with results comparable to the literature available. Larger studies are needed to prove abovementioned results.« less

Comparison of pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis in Nepal- a hospital-based retrospective study.

PubMed

Sreeramareddy, Chandrashekhar T; Panduru, Kishore V; Verma, Sharat C; Joshi, Hari S; Bates, Michael N

2008-01-24

Studies from developed countries have reported on host-related risk factors for extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB). However, similar studies from high-burden countries like Nepal are lacking. Therefore, we carried out this study to compare demographic, life-style and clinical characteristics between EPTB and PTB patients. A retrospective analysis was carried out on 474 Tuberculosis (TB) patients diagnosed in a tertiary care hospital in western Nepal. Characteristics of demography, life-style and clinical features were obtained from medical case records. Risk factors for being an EPTB patient relative to a PTB patient were identified using logistic regression analysis. The age distribution of the TB patients had a bimodal distribution. The male to female ratio for PTB was 2.29. EPTB was more common at younger ages (< 25 years) and in females. Common sites for EPTB were lymph nodes (42.6%) and peritoneum and/or intestines (14.8%). By logistic regression analysis, age less than 25 years (OR 2.11 95% CI 1.12-3.68) and female gender (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.12-2.56) were associated with EPTB. Smoking, use of immunosuppressive drugs/steroids, diabetes and past history of TB were more likely to be associated with PTB. Results suggest that younger age and female gender may be independent risk factors for EPTB in a high-burden country like Nepal. TB control programmes may target young and female populations for EPTB case-finding. Further studies are necessary in other high-burden countries to confirm our findings.

Topiramate-induced weight loss in schizophrenia: a retrospective case series study.

PubMed

Lévy, Emmanuel; Agbokou, Catherine; Ferreri, Florian; Chouinard, Guy; Margolese, Howard C

2007-01-01

Atypical antipsychotics have been associated with weight gain. This study examines the efficacy of adjunctive topiramate in patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder with antipsychotic-induced weight gain. A 2-year retrospective case analysis was performed in all 300 patients of the outpatient Special Follow-up Clinic for chronic schizophrenia and related psychoses at the Allan Memorial Institute, McGill University Health Centre (Montreal, Canada), a tertiary care University teaching hospital. 10 patients met study inclusion criteria. Mean daily topiramate dose was 197.5 mg (A+/-77) (range, 125-400 mg). Topiramate produced continued weight loss throughout the study duration without tolerance. Patients treated for 6 months and more had significantly higher Body Mass Index (BMI) differences than those treated for shorter durations (BMI-d6 months=-4.7A+/-2.4; BMI-d2 months=-3.2A+/-2.3; P=0.015). BMI changes were similar across genders. This study supports topiramate use to target weight loss in stable overweight schizophrenic patients as a potential therapy that requires further investigation.

Clinicopathologic analysis of 370 cases of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia. Italian Study Group on Vulvar Disease.

PubMed

1996-09-01

To investigate epidemiologic, clinical and pathologic aspects of various grades of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN). A retrospective, multicenter study of 370 cases of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) was performed by the Italian Study Group on Vulvar Disease. Of the 370 cases, 148 were VIN 1 (40.0%, 53 were VIN 2 (14.3%), and 169 were VIN 3 (45.7%). The mean age of the patients was 52.6 years. During the study period an increase in the rate of human papillomavirus-associated VIN was observed. In addition, while VIN 1 and 2 were associated mostly with squamous cell hyperplasia, VIN 3 was almost equally associated with lichen sclerosus and squamous cell hyperplasia; the difference was statistically significant. Intraepithelial or invasive squamous neoplasia of the lower genital tract was associated in 22% of the cases (82/370). The results of the investigation, although not allowing firm conclusions due to the retrospective and multicentered nature of the study, demonstrate the extreme heterogeneity of VIN lesions.

Is Statin Use Associated With Tendon Rupture? A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Analysis.

PubMed

Contractor, Tahmeed; Beri, Abhimanyu; Gardiner, Joseph C; Tang, Xiaoqin; Dwamena, Francesca C

2015-01-01

Previous case reports and small studies have suggested that 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors (HMG-CoA-Is) may increase the risk of tendon rupture. We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort evaluation to better assess this relationship. From approximately 800,000 enrollees of a private insurance database, those who were aged ≤64 years with at least 1 year of continuous enrollment were selected. Exposure was defined as initiation of HMG-CoA-I after the beginning of the study period. Each exposed person was matched with 2 controls of similar age and gender. Baseline characteristics, including known risk factors for tendon rupture, were compared between exposed and control cohorts with fidelity to the study's matched design. After adjusting for differences in follow-up and baseline characteristics, incidence rate ratios for tendon rupture was assessed in HMG-CoA-I users and nonusers. A total of 34,749 exposed patients were matched with 69,498 controls. There was no difference in the occurrence of tendon ruptures in HMG-CoA-I users versus nonusers. The results remained unchanged after adjustment for age and gender. In conclusion, this population-based retrospective cohort evaluation suggests that use of HMG-CoA-Is as a group are not associated with tendon rupture.

Pressure ulcer incidence and Braden subscales: Retrospective cohort analysis in general wards of a Portuguese hospital.

PubMed

Sardo, Pedro Miguel Garcez; Guedes, Jenifer Adriana Domingues; Alvarelhão, José Joaquim Marques; Machado, Paulo Alexandre Puga; Melo, Elsa Maria Oliveira Pinheiro

2018-05-01

To study the influence of Braden subscales scores (at the first pressure ulcer risk assessment) on pressure ulcer incidence using a univariate and a multivariate time to event analysis. Retrospective cohort analysis of electronic health record database from adult patients admitted without pressure ulcer(s) to medical and surgical wards of a Portuguese hospital during 2012. The hazard ratio of developing a pressure ulcer during the length of inpatient stay was calculated by univariate Cox regression for each variable of interest and by multivariate Cox regression for the Braden subscales that were statistically significant. This study included a sample of 6552 participants. During the length of stay, 153 participants developed (at least) one pressure ulcer, giving a pressure ulcer incidence of 2.3%. The univariate time to event analysis showed that all Braden subscales, except "nutrition", were associated with the development of pressure ulcer. By multivariate analysis the scores for "mobility" and "activity" were independently predictive of the development of pressure ulcer(s) for all participants. (Im)"mobility" (the lack of ability to change and control body position) and (in)"activity" (the limited degree of physical activity) were the major risk factors assessed by Braden Scale for pressure ulcer development during the length of inpatient stay. Thus, the greatest efforts in managing pressure ulcer risk should be on "mobility" and "activity", independently of the total Braden Scale score. Copyright © 2018 Tissue Viability Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of pure laparoscopic versus open left hemihepatectomy by multivariate analysis: a retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Cho, Hwui-Dong; Kim, Ki-Hun; Hwang, Shin; Ahn, Chul-Soo; Moon, Deok-Bog; Ha, Tae-Yong; Song, Gi-Won; Jung, Dong-Hwan; Park, Gil-Chun; Lee, Sung-Gyu

2018-02-01

To compare the outcomes of pure laparoscopic left hemihepatectomy (LLH) versus open left hemihepatectomy (OLH) for benign and malignant conditions using multivariate analysis. All consecutive cases of LLH and OLH between October 2007 and December 2013 in a tertiary referral hospital were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. All surgical procedures were performed by one surgeon. The LLH and OLH groups were compared in terms of patient demographics, preoperative data, clinical perioperative outcomes, and tumor characteristics in patients with malignancy. Multivariate analysis of the prognostic factors associated with severe complications was then performed. The LLH group (n = 62) had a significantly shorter postoperative hospital stay than the OLH group (n = 118) (9.53 ± 3.30 vs 14.88 ± 11.36 days, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that the OLH group had >4 times the risk of the LLH group in terms of developing severe complications (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥III) (odds ratio 4.294, 95% confidence intervals 1.165-15.832, p = 0.029). LLH was a safe and feasible procedure for selected patients. LLH required shorter hospital stay and resulted in less operative blood loss. Multivariate analysis revealed that LLH was associated with a lower risk of severe complications compared to OLH. The authors suggest that LLH could be a reasonable treatment option for selected patients.

QF-PCR as a substitute for karyotyping of cytotrophoblast for the analysis of chorionic villi: advantages and limitations from a cytogenetic retrospective audit of 44,727 first-trimester prenatal diagnoses.

PubMed

Grati, Francesca R; Malvestiti, Francesca; Grimi, Beatrice; Gaetani, Elisa; Di Meco, Anna Maria; Trotta, Anna; Liuti, Rosaria; Chinetti, Sara; Dulcetti, Francesca; Ruggeri, Anna Maria; Agrati, Cristina; Frascoli, Giuditta; Milani, Silvia; De Toffol, Simona; Martinoni, Lorenza; Paganini, Silvia; Marcato, Livia; Maggi, Federico; Simoni, Giuseppe

2013-05-01

Karyotyping on chorionic villous samples (CVS) includes the analysis of both cytotrophoblast (STC) and mesenchyme (LTC). This approach requires complex laboratory organization and trained technicians. The introduction of quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (QF-PCR) instead of conventional karyotyping in low-risk pregnancies opened its application in CVS analysis. Discordant QF-PCR and CVS cytogenetic results were reported, and strategies for CVS analysis were introduced to minimize this risk. The possibility to substitute the STC with QF-PCR was reported. The aim of this study is to evaluate benefits and limitations of the approach QF-PCR + LTC compared with the traditional method STC + LTC and to quantify the associated risks of false results. This study is based on a retrospective cytogenetic audit of CVS results (n = 44 727) generated by the STC + LTC analytic approach. False-negative risks related to true fetal mosaicism type IV, imprinting syndromes and maternal contamination in LTC were calculated. Compared with STC + LTC, QF-PCR + LTC approach is associated with a cumulative false-negative risk of ~1/3100-1/4400. Costs and reporting time of STC in a high-throughput cytogenetic lab are similar to a CE-IVD marked QF-PCR analysis. These results should be clearly highlighted in the pre-test counseling and extensively discussed with the couple prior to testing for informed consent. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Postoperative radiotherapy and tumor recurrence after complete resection of stage II/III thymic tumor: a meta-analysis of cohort studies.

PubMed

Ma, Jietao; Sun, Xin; Huang, Letian; Xiong, Zhicheng; Yuan, Meng; Zhang, Shuling; Han, Cheng-Bo

2016-01-01

Whether postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) is effective for reducing the recurrence risk in patients who received complete resection of the stage II or III thymic tumors has not been determined. A meta-analysis was performed by combining the results of all available controlled trials. PubMed, Cochrane's Library, and the Embase databases were searched for studies which compared the recurrence data for patients with complete resection of the stage II or III thymic tumors assigned to an observing group, or a PORT group. A random effect model was applied to combine the results. Nineteen studies, all designed as retrospective cohort studies were included. These studies included 663 patients of PORT group and 617 patients of observing group. The recurrence rate for the patients in PORT group and observing group were 12.4% and 11.5%, respectively. Results of our study indicated that PORT has no significant influence on recurrent risk in patients with stage II or III thymic tumor after complete resection (odds ratio 1.02, 95% confidence interval 0.55-1.90, P=0.96). When stratified by stages, our meta-analyses did not indicate any significant effects of PORT on recurrent outcomes in either the stage II or the stage III patients. Moreover, subsequent analysis limited to studies only including patients with thymoma or thymic carcinoma also did not support the benefits of PORT on recurrent outcomes. Although derived from retrospective cohort studies, current evidence did not support any benefit of PORT on recurrent risk in patients with complete resection of the stage II or III thymic tumors.

Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) Global Water and Energy Budgets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bosilovich, Michael G.; Robertson, Franklin R.; Chen, Junye

2008-01-01

The Modern. Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) reanalyses has produced several years of data, on the way to a completing. the 1979-present modern satellite era. Here, we present a preliminary evaluation of those years currently available, includin g comparisons with the existing long reanalyses (ERA40, JRA25 and NCE P I and II) as well as with global data sets for the water and energy cycle Time series shows that the MERRA budgets can change with some of the variations in observing systems. We will present all terms of the budgets in MERRA including the time rates of change and analysis increments (tendency due to the analysis of observations)

Switching From Donepezil to Rivastigmine Is Well Tolerated: Results of an Open-Label Safety and Tolerability Study

PubMed Central

Sadowsky, Carl H.; Farlow, Martin R.; Atkinson, Leone; Steadman, Jennifer; Koumaras, Barbara; Chen, Michael; Mirski, Dario

2005-01-01

Background: Transitioning patients between cholinesterase inhibitors was thought to require a washout period to avoid cholinergic toxicity; however, evidence suggests that abrupt discontinuation of donepezil may lead to cognitive decline. We evaluated the safety and tolerability of an immediate switch from donepezil to rivastigmine. Method: This is an analysis of the safety and tolerability data from the first 28 days of an open-label, multicenter, prospective trial, conducted from August 2002 to August 2003, in which patients satisfying NINCDS-ADRDA criteria for probable Alzheimer's disease were administered rivastigmine 1.5 mg b.i.d. within 24 to 36 hours of donepezil discontinuation. Results are compared with adverse event rates from a retrospective analysis of a pivotal, placebo-controlled trial examining patients not previously treated with a cholinesterase inhibitor. Results: Fifty-eight of 61 patients completed the first 28 days, with no suspected drug-related discontinuations during this period. Incidence of overall gastrointestinal adverse events at day 7 was 8.2%, and at day 28 was 11.5%. The corresponding rate for rivastigmine-treated patients in the retrospective analysis of the pivotal trial for day 7 was 3.3%. Conclusion: These study results suggest that transitioning patients from donepezil to rivastigmine without a washout period is safe and well tolerated. PMID:15841194

Clinical Features and Risk Factors of Skeletal-Related Events in Genitourinary Cancer Patients with Bone Metastasis: A Retrospective Analysis of Prostate Cancer, Renal Cell Carcinoma, and Urothelial Carcinoma.

PubMed

Owari, Takuya; Miyake, Makito; Nakai, Yasushi; Morizawa, Yosuke; Itami, Yoshitaka; Hori, Shunta; Anai, Satoshi; Tanaka, Nobumichi; Fujimoto, Kiyohide

2018-06-06

The objective of the present study was to report the incidence of skeletal-related events (SREs) and identify risk factors for SREs in patients with genitourinary cancer with newly diagnosed bone metastasis. This retrospective study included 180 patients with bone metastasis from prostate cancer (PCa; n = 111), renal cell carcinoma (RCC; n = 43), and urothelial carcinoma (UC; n = 26). Clinical factors at the time of diagnosis of bone metastasis were evaluated with Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to identify independent risk factors for SREs. During follow-up, 29 (26%) patients with PCa, 30 (70%) with RCC, and 15 (58%) with UC developed SREs. Treatment with bone-modifying agents (BMAs) before the development of SREs and within 6 months from the diagnosis of bone metastasis significantly delayed the time to first SRE as compared to nonuse of BMAs. Multivariate analysis identified type of primary cancer (PCa vs. RCC, PCa vs. UC), performance status, and bone pain as significant independent predictive risk factors for SREs. Treatment with BMAs significantly delayed the development of first SREs. The identified predictors of SREs might be useful to select patients who would benefit most from early treatment with BMAs. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

A Retrospective Perinatal Data Analysis of Immigrant and German Women from Representative Birth Cohorts at the Virchow Hospital, Berlin

PubMed Central

Armbrust, R.; von Rennenberg, R.; David, M.

2016-01-01

Introduction: The aim of this study was to define and characterise differences in the level of obstetric care provided to immigrant and German women. Materials and Methods: An analysis of the Virchow Hospitalʼs birth registers was conducted for the years 1974, 1984 and 1994. The study population of 5445 patients was grouped according to ancestry/family origin on the basis of a name analysis, and subsequently also according to parity (primiparous or multiparous). On name analysis 2741 women were defined as German, 1598 were grouped as women of Turkish origin and 810 as immigrants of other origin. χ2 tests and Fisherʼs exact test were used for significance testing (significance level p < 0.05), and a logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: Rates of caesarean section, episiotomy, higher grade perineal tears and severe postpartum haemorrhage did not differ between the groups. There were however significant differences in the use of uterine stimulants, analgesics in labour and both local and regional anaesthesia, with women of Turkish origin and other immigrants receiving anaesthesia less, but oxytocin more often. Rooming-in was more common among German primipara and multipara from 1984 onwards. Discussion: This retrospective analysis of three historical birth cohorts showed significant differences in perinatal care between German and immigrant women, presumably reflecting deficits in care. It seems remarkable that this trend has not changed over a time span of three decades despite a continuous increase in immigration and acculturation. A “research paradox”, however, remains: Despite these increasing rates, there are no current or older, prospective or systematic studies of obstetric care in immigrants. PMID:27904165

Management of hypertrophic pylorus stenosis with ultrasound guided single shot epidural anaesthesia--a retrospective analysis of 20 cases.

PubMed

Willschke, Harald; Machata, Anette-Marie; Rebhandl, Winfried; Benkoe, Thomas; Kettner, Stephan C; Brenner, Lydia; Marhofer, Peter

2011-02-01

To retrospectively describe the performance of ultrasound guided thoracic epidural anaesthesia under sedation for anaesthesia management of open pyloromyotomy. Anaesthesia management for hypertrophic pylorus stenosis (HPS) is usually performed under general anaesthesia with tracheal intubation. Only a few publications describe avoidance of tracheal intubation in infants by using spinal or caudal anaesthesia. The present retrospective analysis describes the performance of ultrasound guided thoracic epidural anaesthesia under sedation for anaesthetic management of open pyloromyotomy. Twenty consecutive infants scheduled for pyloromyotomy according to the Weber-Ramstedt technique were retrospectively analysed. After sedation with nalbuphine and propofol, an ultrasound guided single shot thoracic epidural anaesthesia was performed with 0.75 ml·kg(-1) ropivacaine 0.475%. Insufficient blockade was defined as increase of HR > 15% from initial value and/or any movements at skin incision. In those cases we were prepared for rapid sequence intubation according to the departmental standard. All pyloromyotomies could be performed under single shot thoracic epidural anaesthesia and sedation. One case of moderate oxygen desaturation was treated with intermittent ventilation via face mask. Thoracic epidural anaesthesia under sedation for pyloromyotomy has been a useful technique in this retrospective series of infants suffering from HPS. In 1/20 infants short term assisted ventilation via face mask was required. Undisturbed surgery was possible in all cases. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Frequency of debridements and time to heal: a retrospective cohort study of 312 744 wounds.

PubMed

Wilcox, James R; Carter, Marissa J; Covington, Scott

2013-09-01

Chronic wounds usually get trapped in the inflammatory stage of wound healing; however, aggressive debridement transforms chronic wounds to acute wounds and therefore complete healing. To investigate healing outcomes and debridement frequency in a large wound data set. Retrospective cohort study. Data collected from 525 wound care centers from June 1, 2008, through June 31, 2012, using a web-based clinical management system. Referred sample of 154 644 patients with 312 744 wounds of all causes (of an initial data set of 364 534 wounds) participated. A total of 47.1% were male. Median age was 69 years (age range, 19-112 years), with 59.2% having one wound. Eligibility criteria included age older than 18 years, receiving at least 1 debridement, and having been discharged from the system. Advanced therapeutic treatment was ineligible. Because of incomplete, questionable, or ineligible data, 57 190 wounds were not included. Most wounds were diabetic foot ulcers (19.0%), venous leg ulcers (26.1%), and pressure ulcers (16.2%). Debridement (removal of necrotic tissue and foreign bodies from the wound) at different frequencies. Wound healing (completely epithelialized with dimensions at 0 × 0 × 0 cm). A total of 70.8% of wounds healed. The median number of debridements was 2 (range, 1-138). Frequent debridement healed more wounds in a shorter time (P <  .001). In regression analysis, significant variables included male sex, physician category, wound type, increased patient age, and increased wound age, area, and depth. The odds ratio varied considerably for each variable. The more frequent the debridements, the better the healing outcome. Although limited by retrospective data, this study's strength was the analysis of the largest wound data set to date.

Effect of Clozapine vs Other Second-Generation Antipsychotics on Hospitalization and Seclusion: A Retrospective Mirror-Image Study in a Japanese Public Psychiatric Hospital.

PubMed

Misawa, Fuminari; Suzuki, Takefumi; Fujii, Yasuo

2017-12-01

Clozapine has been regarded as the gold standard for patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia, but a recent network meta-analysis has questioned its relative superiority over other second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) such as olanzapine and risperidone. We conducted a retrospective mirror-image study of clozapine vs other SGAs to evaluate real-world effectiveness of clozapine in terms of the duration of hospitalization and seclusion, both of which represent a critical outcome. We included all patients who initiated clozapine at the Yamanashi Prefectural KITA Hospital and had continued to take any SGA(s) other than clozapine for at least 1 year before the initiation of clozapine. We obtained data on hospitalization and seclusion during 1 year of SGA treatment (SGA phase) and 1 year after the treatment was switched to clozapine (clozapine phase). The study included 35 patients (21 men, 31 with schizophrenia, 4 with schizoaffective disorder) with the average ± SD age of 37.3 ± 11.1 years. The results indicated that total hospitalization days did not differ significantly between SGA and clozapine treatment. However, total duration of seclusion was significantly shorter in the clozapine phase than in the SGA phase. Furthermore, the number of patients who were secluded at least once was significantly smaller in the clozapine phase than in the SGA phase. The results were essentially unchanged when outlier patients were excluded and only when patients taking olanzapine and/or risperidone during the SGA phase were considered. Although the findings from this retrospective analysis need to be further tested in prospective trials, they endorse the relative effectiveness of clozapine over other SGAs in the real world.

Image analysis for TSH mRNA in situ hybridization in pituitary glands from rats with thyroid follicular cell hypertrophy after treatment with three different test compounds.

PubMed

Funk, Juergen; Ebeling, Martin; Singer, Thomas; Landes, Christian

2017-10-01

The goal of this in situ hybridization and image analysis technique is to study the effects of new pharmacological/chemical entities on the thyroid and pituitary gland in rats, reveal the pathogenesis of thyroid follicular cell hypertrophy and to retrospectively exclude the risk of thyroid tumor development in humans. In the present study, we describe the increase of thyroid-stimulating hormone- (TSH-) beta subunit mRNA in the pars distalis of the pituitary gland and the quantitative measurement of TSH mRNA positive cells from rats of three 4-week toxicity studies treated with three different test compounds inducing thyroid follicular cell and hepatocellular hypertrophy in rats. Compared to immunohistochemistry (IHC), in situ hybridization (ISH) for TSH was found to be more sensitive. With this technique we are able to exclude a direct effect of the test compound on the thyroid gland by showing the activation of thyrotrope cells from the pituitary gland and therefore this technique retrospectively enables us to exclude a possible risk for humans at an early stage of drug development. Also in case blood serum samples for evaluation of TSH are not available anymore or hepatocellular hypertrophy is not present (close metabolic relationship between thyroid gland and liver in rodents), the described method allows retrospective investigations on thyroid follicular cell hypertrophy or hyperplasia. This can be of high relevance in human safety assessment for certain drugs in order to exclude a primary effect on the thyroid gland especially when it comes to thyroid neoplasia in rodents as previously described. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PEM-West trajectory climatology and photochemical model sensitivity study prepared using retrospective meteorological data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merrill, John T.; Rodriguez, Jose M.

1991-01-01

Trajectory and photochemical model calculations based on retrospective meteorological data for the operations areas of the NASA Pacific Exploratory Mission (PEM)-West mission are summarized. The trajectory climatology discussed here is intended to provide guidance for flight planning and initial data interpretation during the field phase of the expedition by indicating the most probable path air parcels are likely to take to reach various points in the area. The photochemical model calculations which are discussed indicate the sensitivity of the chemical environment to various initial chemical concentrations and to conditions along the trajectory. In the post-expedition analysis these calculations will be used to provide a climatological context for the meteorological conditions which are encountered in the field.

Retrospective analysis of phone queries to an epilepsy clinic hotline.

PubMed

Laforme, Anny; Jubinville, Suzie; Gravel, Micheline; Cossette, Patrick; Nguyen, Dang K

2014-01-01

We undertook a retrospective study of 5,189 telephone calls made between January 2004 and June 2011 through our adult epilepsy clinic hotline to a single epileptologist initially and two epileptologists from June 2010 onwards. The majority of calls were made by patients themselves (72%), followed by family members (16%) and health care providers (11%). Half of the calls originated from outside the city limits. Most were related to medication (25%), notification of seizures (23%), appointments or tests (12%), and side effects (9%). Half of the workload was generated by 10% of patients. The hotline service appears to respond to needs, with most calls requiring rapid intervention. It is desirable to develop novel approaches to address the needs of high-frequency callers.

The retrospective analysis of patients with uterine sarcomas: A single-center experience.

PubMed

Terek, Mustafa Cosan; Akman, Levent; Hursitoglu, Behiye Seda; Sanli, Ulus Ali; Ozsaran, Zeynep; Tekindal, Mustafa Agah; Dikmen, Yilmaz; Zekioglu, Osman; Ozsaran, Ahmet Aydin

2016-01-01

Uterine sarcomas are rare, malignant, gynecological tumors and show diverse histopathological features. Therefore, there is no consensus on risk factors for poor outcome and optimal treatment. The aim of this retrospective analysis is to report the clinical outcome of patients with uterine sarcoma treated at a single center. The data was obtained regarding the patient's demographic characteristics, pathological results, treatments given, survival, and complications of all uterine sarcoma patients treated in a single center between the years 2000 and 2012. The 80.month overall survival. (OS) was determined with respect to prognostic factors including age, stage of disease, histopathological type, and adjuvant treatment. A total of 57 case records are retrieved for this retrospective analysis. The mean age of the patients is 62.5 ± 11.2 years. International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage distribution is stage I: 29; stage II: 13; stage III: 9; stage IV: 6. Fifty-seven patients underwent surgery, 33 received postoperative radiotherapy (PORT), and 32 received chemotherapy. Median follow-up period was 25 months (range 2-85 months). The 80-month OS for the entire group of patients was 36.7%. The significant prognostic factors for survival are age under 50 years, stage of disease, and adjuvant chemotherapy. Although limited by small sample size and retrospective nature, age under 50 years, stage of disease, and adjuvant chemotherapy are significant prognostic factors for survival for uterine sarcomas.

Uncovering the problem-solving process: cued retrospective reporting versus concurrent and retrospective reporting.

PubMed

van Gog, Tamara; Paas, Fred; van Merriënboer, Jeroen J G; Witte, Puk

2005-12-01

This study investigated the amounts of problem-solving process information ("action," "why," "how," and "metacognitive") elicited by means of concurrent, retrospective, and cued retrospective reporting. In a within-participants design, 26 participants completed electrical circuit troubleshooting tasks under different reporting conditions. The method of cued retrospective reporting used the original computer-based task and a superimposed record of the participant's eye fixations and mouse-keyboard operations as a cue for retrospection. Cued retrospective reporting (with the exception of why information) and concurrent reporting (with the exception of metacognitive information) resulted in a higher number of codes on the different types of information than did retrospective reporting.

Registered Nurse Staffing Mix and Quality of Care in Nursing Homes: A Longitudinal Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Hongsoo; Harrington, Charlene; Greene, William H.

2009-01-01

Purpose: To examine the relationship between registered nurse (RN) staffing mix and quality of nursing home care measured by regulatory violations. Design and Methods: A retrospective panel data study (1999-2003) of 2 groups of California freestanding nursing homes. One group was 201 nursing homes that consistently met the state's minimum standard…

Citizenship Education as an Educational Outcome for Young People in Care: A Phenomenological Account

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spiteri, Damian

2012-01-01

This qualitative study presents a retrospective analysis of how a cohort of young men, who as boys were assigned to residential care in Malta, perceive the citizenship education that they received while "in care" as having empowered them--as boys, adolescents, and eventually as young adults. Rather than focusing on citizenship education…

Contexts Matter: Two Teachers' Language Arts Instruction in This High-Stakes Era

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dooley, Caitlin McMunn; Assaf, Lori Czop

2009-01-01

This retrospective cross-case analysis compares two fourth-grade language arts teachers' beliefs and practices as they respond to an influx of high-stakes tests, including district-mandated benchmark testing systems. One teacher works in a suburban school, the other in an urban school. Results from the study show that the teachers' beliefs about…

Parental Separation and Child Aggressive and Internalizing Behavior: An Event History Calendar Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Averdijk, Margit; Malti, Tina; Eisner, Manuel; Ribeaud, Denis

2012-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between parental separation and aggressive and internalizing behavior in a large sample of Swiss children drawn from the ongoing Zurich Project on the Social Development of Children and Youths. Parents retrospectively reported life events and problem behavior for the first 7 years of the child's life on a…

The Effect of Images on Item Statistics in Multiple Choice Anatomy Examinations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Notebaert, Andrew J.

2017-01-01

Although multiple choice examinations are often used to test anatomical knowledge, these often forgo the use of images in favor of text-based questions and answers. Because anatomy is reliant on visual resources, examinations using images should be used when appropriate. This study was a retrospective analysis of examination items that were text…

Prolonged methylprednisolone therapy after the pulse treatment for patients with moderate-to-severe paraquat poisoning: A retrospective analysis.

PubMed

Gao, Jie; Feng, ShunYi; Wang, Jian; Yang, SiYuan; Li, Yong

2017-06-01

This retrospective study aims to evaluate the effect of prolonged methylprednisolone (MP) therapy on the mortality of patients with moderate-to-severe paraquat (PQ) poisoning after the pulse treatment.We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with acute moderate-to-severe PQ poisoning that were admitted to the emergency department from May 2012 to August 2016. Out of 138 patients, 60 were treated with pulse treatment (15 mg kg day MP for 3 days) and 78 were treated with prolonged MP therapy after pulse treatment (15 mg kg day MP for 3 days; afterward, the dosage was reduced in half every 2 days, and the MP therapy was terminated until 0.47 mg kg day). Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare the mortality between the 2 groups. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).The mortality of the prolonged MP therapy after pulse treatment group was lower than that of the pulse group (47.4% vs 63.3%; log-rank tests, P  =  .003). According to the multivariate Cox analysis, the prolonged MP therapy after pulse treatment was significantly associated with a lower mortality risk (HR: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.19-0.52, P < .001) compared with the pulse group. In addition, the prolonged MP therapy after pulse treatment caused more incidences of leucopenia than the pulse treatment alone (25.6% vs 11.7%, P  =  .04).The prolonged MP therapy after pulse treatment can reduce the mortality of moderate-to-severe PQ poisoning patients.

Pleural space infections after image-guided percutaneous drainage of infected intraabdominal fluid collections: a retrospective single institution analysis.

PubMed

Avella, Diego M; Toth, Jennifer W; Reed, Michael F; Gusani, Niraj J; Kimchi, Eric T; Mahraj, Rickeshvar P; Staveley-O'Carroll, Kevin F; Kaifi, Jussuf T

2015-04-11

Percutaneous drainage of infected intraabdominal fluid collections is preferred over surgical drainage due to lower morbidity and costs. However, it can be a challenging procedure and catheter insertion carries the potential to contaminate the pleural space from the abdomen. This retrospective analysis demonstrates the clinical and radiographic correlation between percutaneous drainage of infected intraabdominal collections and the development of iatrogenic pleural space infections. A retrospective single institution analysis of 550 consecutive percutaneous drainage procedures for intraabdominal fluid collections was performed over 24 months. Patient charts and imaging were reviewed with regard to pleural space infections that were attributed to percutaneous drain placements. Institutional review board approval was obtained for conduct of the study. 6/550 (1.1%) patients developed iatrogenic pleural space infections after percutaneous drainage of intraabdominal fluid collections. All 6 patients presented with respiratory symptoms and required pleural space drainage (either by needle aspiration or chest tube placement), 2 received intrapleural fibrinolytic therapy and 1 patient had to undergo surgical drainage. Pleural effusion cultures revealed same bacteria in both intraabdominal and pleural fluid in 3 (50%) cases. A video with a dynamic radiographic sequence demonstrating the contamination of the pleural space from percutaneous drainage of an infected intraabdominal collection is included. Iatrogenic pleural space infections after percutaneous drainage of intraabdominal fluid collections occur at a low incidence, but the pleural empyema can be progressive requiring prompt chest tube drainage, intrapleural fibrinolytic therapy or even surgery. Expertise in intraabdominal drain placements, awareness and early recognition of this complication is critical to minimize incidence, morbidity and mortality in these patients.

Carboxyhemoglobin and methemoglobin levels as prognostic markers in acute pulmonary embolism.

PubMed

Kakavas, Sotirios; Papanikolaou, Aggeliki; Ballis, Evangelos; Tatsis, Nikolaos; Goga, Christina; Tatsis, Georgios

2015-04-01

Carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and methemoglobin (MetHb) levels have been associated with a poor outcome in patients with various pathological conditions including cardiovascular diseases. Our aim was to retrospectively assess the prognostic value of arterial COHb and MetHb in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE). We conducted a retrospective study of 156 patients admitted in a pulmonary clinic due to acute PE. Measured variables during emergency department evaluation that were retrospectively analyzed included the ratio of the partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood to the fraction of oxygen in inspired gas, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, risk stratification indices, and arterial blood gases. The association between arterial COHb and MetHb levels and disease severity or mortality was evaluated using bivariate tests and logistic regression analysis. Arterial COHb and MetHb levels correlated with Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II and pulmonary severity index scores. Furthermore, arterial COHb and MetHb levels were associated with troponin T and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels. In univariate logistic regression analysis, COHb and MetHb levels were both significantly associated with an increased risk of death. However, in multivariate analysis, only COHb remained significant as an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality. Our preliminary data suggest that arterial COHb and MetHb levels reflect the severity of acute PE, whereas COHb levels are independent predictors of in hospital death in patients in this clinical setting. These findings require further prospective validation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Retrospective Study to Compare Selective Decongestive Devascularization and Gastrosplenic Shunt versus Splenectomy with Pericardial Devascularization for the Treatment of Patients with Esophagogastric Varices Due to Cirrhotic Portal Hypertension.

PubMed

Bao, Haili; He, Qikuan; Dai, Ninggao; Ye, Ruifan; Zhang, Qiyu

2017-06-08

BACKGROUND For patients with esophagogastric varices secondary to portal hypertension due to liver cirrhosis, portosystemic shunts and devascularization have become the most commonly used treatment methods. We have developed a novel surgical approach for the treatment of patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension, selective decongestive devascularization, and shunt of the gastrosplenic region (SDDS-GSR). This aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of SDDS-GSR with splenectomy with pericardial devascularization (SPD). MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective study was undertaken between 2006 and 2013 and included 110 patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension, 34 of whom underwent SDDS-GSR; 76 patients underwent SPD. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate clinical outcomes, mortality, the incidence of re-bleeding, encephalopathy, and portal venous system thrombosis (PVST). RESULTS Postoperatively portal venous pressure decreased by 20% in both groups. The long-term incidence of re-bleeding and PVST was significantly lower in the SDDS-GSR group compared with the SPD group (P=0.018 and P=0.039, respectively). CONCLUSIONS This preliminary retrospective study has shown that SDDS-GSR was an effective treatment for patients with esophagogastric varices secondary to portal hypertension that may be used as a first-line treatment to prevent variceal bleeding and lower the incidence of PVST.

Thyroid malignancy among goitrous thyroid lesions: a review of hospital-based studies in Malaysia and Myanmar.

PubMed

Htwe, T T

2012-03-01

Endemic goitre is a major concern in many parts of the world, including Southeast Asia. Goitrous thyroid lesion is postulated as a precursor lesion to thyroid cancer (TC). This paper reviews the prevalence rates and characteristics of TC among cases of goitrous thyroid-swelling in different parts of Malaysia and Myanmar. Recorded data from hospital-based retrospective studies of thyroid cases, whose study periods ranged from three to 11 years, were analysed. These included research findings from the author's publications as well as other published review articles of retrospective analyses. The incidence of TC varies among gender, age, race/ethnicity and histological type. There appears to be a higher rate of occurrence among females aged 21-60 years. Papillary thyroid carcinoma is the more common histological type compared to follicular cancer. This review also presents a descriptive analysis and discussion on studies conducted in other countries. Further exploration is warranted in order to uncover the possible risk factors for the rising incidence of TC.

The Incidence and Risk Factors of In-Stent Restenosis for Vertebrobasilar Artery Stenting.

PubMed

Zheng, Dai; Mingyue, Zhu; Wei, Shi; Min, Li; Wanhong, Chen; Qiliang, Dai; Yongjun, Jiang; Xinfeng, Liu

2018-02-01

In-stent restenosis (ISR) remains a challenge for vertebrobasilar artery stenting (VBAS). We aimed to investigate the incidence and risk factors of ISR. This was a retrospective study. From July 28, 2005, to July 30, 2015, patients who received VBAS with an angiographic follow-up time of 6 to 12 months after surgery were enrolled. The clinical and angiographic issues were recorded and analyzed. In total, 283 patients with 335 stents were incorporated into the study. Vertebral ostial lesions accounted for 73.4% (246/335) of the lesions. During the follow-up period, 58 patients with 60 stents experienced ISR (>50%). Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that the degree of residual stenosis, stent diameter, and alcohol consumption were independent predictors of ISR. Our study demonstrated the incidence and risk factors of ISR after VBAS. This retrospective study with the largest cohort to date provided insight into the occurrence of ISR after VBAS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Retrospective study of cancer types in different ethnic groups and genders at Karachi.

PubMed

Khaliq, Sheikh Abdul; Naqvi, Syed Baqir; Fatima, Anab

2013-12-01

Retrospective study of Cancer types in different ethnic groups & genders determines the pattern of cancers in different ethnic groups & genders during the last eight years reported in Oncology wards of hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan. Every single one male & female case with histologically and cytologically established cancer was enrolled from January 2003 to December 2010. Data for all patients were collected retrospectively by patient's file & charts, which represents the population of Karachi, Interior Sindh & Balochistan. 5134 patients (Male = 2432 / Female = 2702) investigated for their diagnosis of cancer type, ethnicity, age & gender. Classification of malignancy was done according to the International Classification of Disease coding system by W.H.O (ICD-10). The statistical analysis was performed for mean, standard error & proportions for ethnic groups & genders. Proportionately 47.37% males and among which major ethnic groups 17% Sindhi, 17% Immigrant, 4% Baloch, 3% Pukhtoon, ≈ 4% Punjabi, 1% Siraiki, 2% Minorities and 52.62% females, in which 16% Sindhi, 21% Immigrant, 4% Baloch 3% Pukhtoon, 5% Punjabi, 1% Siraiki, 3% Minorities. Mean age of males = 45.75 years, SE ± 0.227 and for females = 44.07, SE ± 0.183. The three most occurring tumors in all cancers of male were found Head & Neck, Adenoma/Carcinoma of Glands & Body cavity membranes, GIT, and females Breast, Head & Neck, Adenoma/Carcinoma of Glands & Body cavity membranes, GIT. The analysis of data indicates Head & Neck is most common cancer among male, in the similar way Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among female.

Maelstrom Research guidelines for rigorous retrospective data harmonization

PubMed Central

Fortier, Isabel; Raina, Parminder; Van den Heuvel, Edwin R; Griffith, Lauren E; Craig, Camille; Saliba, Matilda; Doiron, Dany; Stolk, Ronald P; Knoppers, Bartha M; Ferretti, Vincent; Granda, Peter; Burton, Paul

2017-01-01

Abstract Background: It is widely accepted and acknowledged that data harmonization is crucial: in its absence, the co-analysis of major tranches of high quality extant data is liable to inefficiency or error. However, despite its widespread practice, no formalized/systematic guidelines exist to ensure high quality retrospective data harmonization. Methods: To better understand real-world harmonization practices and facilitate development of formal guidelines, three interrelated initiatives were undertaken between 2006 and 2015. They included a phone survey with 34 major international research initiatives, a series of workshops with experts, and case studies applying the proposed guidelines. Results: A wide range of projects use retrospective harmonization to support their research activities but even when appropriate approaches are used, the terminologies, procedures, technologies and methods adopted vary markedly. The generic guidelines outlined in this article delineate the essentials required and describe an interdependent step-by-step approach to harmonization: 0) define the research question, objectives and protocol; 1) assemble pre-existing knowledge and select studies; 2) define targeted variables and evaluate harmonization potential; 3) process data; 4) estimate quality of the harmonized dataset(s) generated; and 5) disseminate and preserve final harmonization products. Conclusions: This manuscript provides guidelines aiming to encourage rigorous and effective approaches to harmonization which are comprehensively and transparently documented and straightforward to interpret and implement. This can be seen as a key step towards implementing guiding principles analogous to those that are well recognised as being essential in securing the foundational underpinning of systematic reviews and the meta-analysis of clinical trials. PMID:27272186

Autologous stem cell transplantation for patients aged 60 years or older with refractory or relapsed classical Hodgkin's lymphoma: a retrospective analysis from the French Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cell Therapies (SFGM-TC).

PubMed

Stamatoullas, A; Brice, P; Gueye, M S; Mareschal, S; Chevallier, P; Bouabdallah, R; Nguyenquoc, S; Francois, S; Turlure, P; Ceballos, P; Monjanel, H; Bourhis, J-H; Guillerm, G; Mohty, M; Biron, P; Cornillon, J; Belhadj, K; Bonmati, C; Dilhuydy, M-S; Huynh, A; Bernard, M; Chrétien, M-L; Peffault de Latour, R; Tilly, H

2016-07-01

This report retrospectively analyzed the outcome of 91 patients aged 60 years or older with refractory/relapsed (R/R) classical Hodgkin's lymphoma (cHL) who underwent autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) between 1992 and 2013 and were reported to the French Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cell Therapies registry. The median age at transplant was 63 years. The majority of patients exhibited disease chemosensitivity to salvage treatment (57 complete responses, 30 partial responses, 1 progressive disease and 3 unknown). The most frequent conditioning regimen consisted of BCNU, cytarabine, etoposide, melphalan (BEAM) chemotherapy (93%). With a median follow-up of 54 months, 5-year estimates of overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) for the entire group were 67 and 54%, respectively. Despite the missing data, in univariate analysis, the number of salvage chemotherapy lines (1-2 versus ⩾3) significantly influenced the OS, unlike the other prognostic factors (stage III-IV at relapse, disease status before ASCT and negative positron emission tomography (PET) scan) encountered in younger patients. In spite of its limitations, this retrospective study with a long-term follow-up suggests that ASCT is a valid treatment option for chemosensitive R/R cHL in selected elderly patients, with an acceptable rate of toxicity.

Lichen planus affecting the female genitalia: A retrospective review of patients at Mayo Clinic.

PubMed

Fahy, Caoimhe M R; Torgerson, Rochelle R; Davis, Mark D P

2017-12-01

Genital or vulval lichen planus (VLP) may have a disabling effect on a patient's quality of life. Evidence-based management guidelines are lacking for VLP. We sought to review clinical presentation and treatment of patients who received a diagnosis of VLP. The 100 consecutive patients who received a diagnosis of VLP at Mayo Clinic between January 1, 1997, and December 31, 2015, were reviewed retrospectively. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Fisher's exact test and the Wilcoxon rank sum test were used for analysis of categorical and continuous variables, respectively. All statistical tests were 2 sided, with the α level set at .05 for statistical significance. The time to diagnosis for 49% of patients was more than 1 year. Three patients (3%) had vulval dysplasia, including invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Sixty-eight patients (68%) had multisite lichen planus disease. Eleven patients (11%) had disease remission. Dermatology was the lead specialty for 9 of these cases of remission. This was a retrospective, small-cohort study. A low frequency of disease remission was seen in patients with VLP. Patients with lichen planus benefit considerably from dermatology consultation. Further research is warranted to establish high-quality, evidence-based guidelines for multidisciplinary management of this challenging disease. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chest Drain Fall-Out Rate According to Suturing Practices: A Retrospective Direct Comparison.

PubMed

Asciak, Rachelle; Addala, Dinesh; Karimjee, Juzer; Rana, Maaz Suhail; Tsikrika, Stamatoula; Hassan, Maged Fayed; Mercer, Rachel Mary; Hallifax, Robert John; Wrightson, John Matthew; Psallidas, Ioannis; Benamore, Rachel; Rahman, Najib Mahboob

2018-06-14

Chest drains often become displaced and require replacement, adding unnecessary risks to patients. Simple measures such as suturing of the drain may reduce fall-out rates; however, there is no direct data to demonstrate this and no standardized recommended practice that is evidence based. The study aimed to analyze the rate of chest drain fall out according to suturing practice. Retrospective analysis of all chest drain insertions (radiology and pleural teams) in 2015-2016. Details of chest drain fall out were collected from patient electronic records. Drain "fall out" was pre-hoc defined as the drain tip becoming dislodged outside the pleural cavity unintentionally before a clinical decision was taken to remove the drain. A total of 369 chest drains were inserted: sutured (n = 106, 28.7%; 44 male [41.5%], median age 74 [interquartile range (IQR) 21] years), and unsutured (n = 263, 71.3%; 139 male [52.9%], median age 68 [IQR 21] years). Of the sutured drains, 7 (6.6%) fell out after a mean of 3.3 days (SD 2.6) compared to 39 (14.8%; p = 0.04) unsutured drains falling out after a mean of 2.7 days (SD 2.0; p = 0.8). Within the limits of this retrospective analysis, these results -suggest that suturing of drains is associated with lower fall-out rates. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Retrospective analysis: Conservative treatment of placenta increta with methotrexate.

PubMed

Zhang, Chunhua; Li, Hongyan; Zuo, Changting; Wang, Xietong

2018-05-01

To evaluate the efficacy of conservative treatment with methotrexate against placenta increta by two different routes of administration through retrospective analysis. A total of 54 women diagnosed with placenta increta after vaginal delivery were enrolled in this retrospective study. The participants accepted conservative management with methotrexate through either intravenous injection or local multi-point injection under ultrasound guidance. The treatment was considered effective if no hysterectomy was mandatory during the follow-up period. Out of the 54 cases, 21 patients were treated with methotrexate intravenously (group 1), and 33 patients received local multi-point injection to the placenta increta under ultrasound guidance (group 2). No maternal death occurred. In group 1, 10 patients expelled the placentas spontaneously, 7 patients underwent uterine curettage and 4 patients underwent hysterectomy for uncontrollable post-partum hemorrhage and infection. In group 2, 25 patients expelled placentas spontaneously and 8 patients underwent uterine curettage with no incidence of hysterectomy. The success rate in group 1 and group 2 was 17/21 and 33/33, respectively. The average time of the spontaneous placenta expulsion was 79.13 ± 29.87 days in group 1 and 42.42 ± 31.83 days in group 2. Local multi-point methotrexate injection under ultrasound guidance is a better alternative for patients with placenta increta, especially for preserving fertility. © 2018 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

[Environmental Hazards Assessment Program annual report, June 1992--June 1993]. Use of diatom distributions to monitor environmental health

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Levine, R.H.

1993-12-01

A variety of approaches has been used in the past to assess the environmental impact of anthropogenic contaminants. One reliable index for aquatic environments is the analysis of diatom species distribution; the focus in this case being on the Savannah River. The completed objectives of this study were: (A) the development and use of procedures for measuring diatom distribution in the water column and (B) the development and evaluation of sediment sampling methods for retrospective analysis.

Science Engagement and Literacy: A retrospective analysis for students in Canada and Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woods-McConney, Amanda; Colette Oliver, Mary; McConney, Andrew; Schibeci, Renato; Maor, Dorit

2014-07-01

Given international concerns about students' pursuit (or more correctly, non-pursuit) of courses and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, this study is about achieving a better understanding of factors related to high school students' engagement in science. The study builds on previous secondary analyses of Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) datasets for New Zealand and Australia. For the current study, we compared patterns of science engagement and science literacy for male and female students in Canada and Australia. The study's secondary analysis revealed that for all PISA measures included under the conceptual umbrella of engagement in science (i.e. interest, enjoyment, valuing, self-efficacy, self-concept and motivation), 15-year-old students in Australia lagged their Canadian counterparts to varying, albeit modest, degrees. Our retrospective analysis further shows, however, that gender equity in science engagement and science literacy is evident in both Canadian and Australian contexts. Additionally, and consistent with our previous findings for indigenous and non-indigenous students in New Zealand and Australia, we found that for male and female students in both countries, the factor most strongly associated with variations in engagement in science was the extent to which students participate in science activities outside of school. In contrast, and again for both Canadian and Australian students, the factors most strongly associated with science literacy were students' socioeconomic backgrounds, and the amount of formal time spent doing science. The implications of these results for science educators and researchers are discussed.

Potential Risk Factors for Surgical Site Infection after Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in a Bahrain Cardiac Centre: A Retrospective, Case-Controlled Study

PubMed Central

Abuzaid, Ahmed Abdulaziz; Zaki, Mahmood; Al Tarief, Habib

2015-01-01

Objective: The purposes of this study were to determine the incidence of surgical site infections (SSI) and associated risk factors in patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in our cardiac center during a 2-year period. Materials and Methods: Retrospective case-control analysis for 80 patients who underwent isolated cardiac surgery CABG. These patients were divided into the SSI study group (n = 40) and the noninfected control group (n = 40). Eight potential perioperative risk variables were compared between the two groups using univariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Univariate analysis was carried out for eight potential risk factors. The risk factors found to be significant were: Impaired estimated glomerular filtration rate (P = 0.011) and impaired left ventricular ejection fraction (P = 0.015). However, Factors found to have no significant influence on the incidence of SSIs were: Perioperative length of hospital stay (days), urgency of surgery, use of bilateral internal mammary artery (BIMA) grafting, prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass duration, elevated body mass index. Conclusions: Patients with comorbidities of impaired renal function and/or impaired left ventricular systolic function are at high risk of developing SSI. There appears to be a relationship between SSIs in CABG patients and impaired renal or LV function (low ejection fraction). CABG with BIMA grafting could be performed safely even in diabetics. Future studies should consider further scrutiny of these and other factors in relation to SSIs in a larger surgical population. PMID:27326347

Pre and post PET-CT impact on oesophageal cancer management: a retrospective analysis.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azmi, NA; Razak, HRA; Vinjamuri, S.

2017-05-01

Assessment of the retrospective cancer incidence, prevalence and crude survival rates of oesophageal cancer to allow comparison between pre and post PET-CT introduction are part of 4 phase cost effectiveness research. It will provide baseline data for to assess PET or PET-CT cost effective potential for staging. A total of 849 patient’s data received from NWCIS databases with various stages of oesophageal cancer between 2001 and 2008. The fundamental activities are retrospective analysis of patient data. In most cases where appropriate, results are presented with 95 percent confidence intervals (CI). Variances between patient groups and variables are assessed using chi-square test. In cases where it deems vital, multiple logistic regression are used to modify for potential confounder such as age and sex. All p-values are two-sided and any value lower than 0.05 were considered to suggest a statistically significant result. Retrospective analysis were categorised into two categories, patients from 2001-2003 considered as pre PET and post PET for 2004-2008. This categorisation allows better comparison of patients’ survival trend to be made between both groups. Rates are presented in percentages and being grouped by tumour characteristics and other variables associated with demographic profile, diagnosis, staging and treatment. Results allowed comparison of oesophageal cancer trends between the pre and post PET-CT introduction such as changes in incidence rate or changes in survival. These data were used to normalise the decision tree model so that cost-effectiveness analysis can be performed across the whole population.

Stereotactic radiosurgery for tremor: systematic review.

PubMed

Martínez-Moreno, Nuria E; Sahgal, Arjun; De Salles, Antonio; Hayashi, Motohiro; Levivier, Marc; Ma, Lijun; Paddick, Ian; Régis, Jean; Ryu, Sam; Slotman, Ben J; Martínez-Álvarez, Roberto

2018-02-23

OBJECTIVE The aim of this systematic review is to offer an objective summary of the published literature relating to stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for tremor and consensus guideline recommendations. METHODS This systematic review was performed up to December 2016. Article selection was performed by searching the MEDLINE (PubMed) and EMBASE electronic bibliographic databases. The following key words were used: "radiosurgery" and "tremor" or "Parkinson's disease" or "multiple sclerosis" or "essential tremor" or "thalamotomy" or "pallidotomy." The search strategy was not limited by study design but only included key words in the English language, so at least the abstract had to be in English. RESULTS A total of 34 full-text articles were included in the analysis. Three studies were prospective studies, 1 was a retrospective comparative study, and the remaining 30 were retrospective studies. The one retrospective comparative study evaluating deep brain stimulation (DBS), radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RFT), and SRS reported similar tremor control rates, more permanent complications after DBS and RFT, more recurrence after RFT, and a longer latency period to clinical response with SRS. Similar tremor reduction rates in most of the reports were observed with SRS thalamotomy (mean 88%). Clinical complications were rare and usually not permanent (range 0%-100%, mean 17%, median 2%). Follow-up in general was too short to confirm long-term results. CONCLUSIONS SRS to the unilateral thalamic ventral intermediate nucleus, with a dose of 130-150 Gy, is a well-tolerated and effective treatment for reducing medically refractory tremor, and one that is recommended by the International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society.

Visceral Crisis Means Short Survival Among Patients With Luminal A Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

PubMed

Sbitti, Yassir; Slimani, Khaoula; Debbagh, Adil; Mokhlis, Anouar; Kadiri, Habiba; Laraqui, Abdelilah; Errihani, Hassan; Ichou, Mohamed

2017-08-01

Patients with visceral crisis from luminal metastatic breast cancer (mBC) are often treated with palliative chemotherapy. No studies have analyzed the aggressiveness of the care in visceral crisis from luminal mBC patients. The objective of this study was to assess practices in this setting in a university medical oncology department. This retrospective study included all patients who were managed for luminal mBC between January 2013 and April 2016. The analysis focused on the characteristics of the patients, the modalities of cancer treatment and delays between visceral crisis and death. Thirty-five patients pre-treated with two hormonal therapy lines were enrolled retrospectively. Worse performance status and a higher proportion of severe organ dysfunction for luminal mBC were observed among patients with visceral crisis. Sixty-five percent of patients received cytotoxic treatment. One cycle of chemotherapy was administrated in the majority of patients. Palliative care was performed in 35% of patients. Chemotherapy did not have any significant effect on patient outcome in the present study. The mean time between visceral crisis and death was 4.7 weeks (standard deviation = 1.9). Our study showed that visceral crisis in patients with luminal mBC is a complex problem. We need more comprehension of molecular pathogenesis to visceral crisis disease to propose efficacious treatments for these patients and to identify subgroup of patients who need chemotherapy followed by maintenance endocrine therapy.

Efficacy of Alteplase® in a mouse model of acute ischemic stroke: a retrospective pooled analysis

PubMed Central

Orset, Cyrille; Haelewyn, Benoit; Allan, Stuart M.; Ansar, Saema; Campos, Francesco; Cho, Tae Hee; Durand, Anne; El Amki, Mohamad; Fatar, Marc; Garcia-Yébenes, Isaac; Gauberti, Maxime; Grudzenski, Saskia; Lizasoain, Ignacio; Lo, Eng; Macrez, Richard; Margaill, Isabelle; Maysami, Samaneh; Meairs, Stephen; Nighoghossian, Norbert; Orbe, Josune; Paramo, Jose Antonio; Parienti, Jean-Jacques; Rothwell, Nancy J.; Rubio, Marina; Waeber, Christian; Young, Alan R.

2016-01-01

Background and purpose The debate over the fact that experimental drugs proposed for the treatment of stroke fail in the translation to the clinical situation, has attracted considerable attention in the literature. In this context, we present a retrospective pooled analysis of a large dataset from pre-clinical studies, in order to examine the effects of early versus late administration of intravenous recombinant tissue type plasminogen activator (rt-PA). Methods We collected data from 26 individual studies from 9 international centers (13 researchers, 716 animals) that compared rt-PA to controls, in a unique mouse model of thromboembolic stroke induced by an in situ injection of thrombin into the middle cerebral artery. Studies were classified into early (<3h) versus late (≥3h) drug administration. Final infarct volumes, assessed by histology or MRI, were compared in each study and the absolute differences were pooled in a random-effect meta-analysis. The influence of time of administration was tested. Results When compared to saline controls, early rt-PA administration was associated with a significant benefit (absolute difference = −6.63 mm3; 95%CI, −9.08 to −4.17; I2=76%) whereas late rt-PA treatment showed a deleterious effect (+5.06 mm3; 95%CI, +2.78 to +7.34; I2=42%, Pint<0.00001). Results remained unchanged following subgroup analyses. Conclusion Our results provide the basis needed for the design of future pre-clinical studies on recanalization therapies using this model of thromboembolic stroke in mice. The power analysis reveals that a multi-center trial would require 123 animals per group instead of 40 for a single center trial. PMID:27032444

A matched-pair study comparing whole-brain irradiation alone to radiosurgery or fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy alone in patients irradiated for up to three brain metastases.

PubMed

Rades, Dirk; Janssen, Stefan; Dziggel, Liesa; Blanck, Oliver; Bajrovic, Amira; Veninga, Theo; Schild, Steven E

2017-01-06

This matched-pair study was initiated to validate the results of a retrospective study of 186 patients published in 2007 that compared whole-brain irradiation (WBI) alone and radiosurgery (RS) alone for up to three brain metastases. One-hundred-fifty-two patients receiving WBI alone for up to three brain metastases were matched with 152 patients treated with RS of fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) alone 1:1 for each of eight factors (age, gender, Eastern Oncology Cooperative Group (ECOG)-performance score, nature of tumor, brain metastases number, extra-cerebral spread, period from cancer detection to irradiation of brain metastases, and recursive partitioning analysis (RPA)-class. Groups were analyzed regarding intracerebral control (IC) and overall survival (OS). On univariate analysis of IC, type of irradiation did not significantly affect outcomes (p = 0.84). On Cox regression, brain metastases number (p < 0.001), nature of tumor (p < 0.001) and period from cancer detection to irradiation of brain metastases (p = 0.013) were significantly associated with IC. On univariate analysis of OS, type of irradiation showed no significant association with outcomes (p = 0.63). On multivariate analyses, OS was significantly associated with ECOG performance score (p = 0.011), nature of tumor (p = 0.035), brain metastases number (p = 0.048), extra-cerebral spread (p = 0.002) and RPA-class (p < 0.001). In this matched-pair study, RS/FSRT alone was not superior to WBI alone regarding IC and OS. These results can be considered a revision of the findings from our retrospective previous study without matched-pair design, where RS alone resulted in significantly better IC than WBI alone on multivariate analysis.

Uncovering the Problem-Solving Process: Cued Retrospective Reporting Versus Concurrent and Retrospective Reporting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Gog, Tamara; Paas, Fred; Merrienboer, Jeroen J. G.; Witte, Puk

2005-01-01

This study investigated the amounts of problem-solving process information ("action," "why," "how," and "metacognitive") elicited by means of concurrent, retrospective, and cued retrospective reporting. In a within-participants design, 26 participants completed electrical circuit troubleshooting tasks under different reporting conditions. The…

Bacterial infections in horses: a retrospective study at the University Equine Clinic of Bern.

PubMed

Panchaud, Y; Gerber, V; Rossano, A; Perreten, V

2010-04-01

Bacterial infections present a major challenge in equine medicine. Therapy should be based on bacteriological diagnosis to successfully minimize the increasing number of infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. The present study is a retrospective analysis of bacteriological results from purulent infections in horses admitted at the University Equine Clinic of Bern from 2004 to 2008. From 378 samples analyzed, 557 isolates were identified, of which Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus and coliforms were the most common. Special attention was paid to infections with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) ST398 and a non-MRSA, multidrug-resistant S. aureus clone ST1 (BERN100). Screening of newly-admitted horses showed that 2.2 % were carriers of MRSA. Consequent hygiene measures taken at the Clinic helped to overcome a MRSA outbreak and decrease the number of MRSA infections.

Predisposing factors for early retirement in patients with schizophrenia in Germany.

PubMed

Schnabel, Reinhard; Friedel, Heiko; Erfurth, Andreas; Angermayer, Matthias; Clouth, Johannes; Eichmann, Florian

2008-08-01

Although early retirement causes major changes in the life of schizophrenic patients and is among the major cost factors to be covered by payers, the causes leading to early retirement of schizophrenic patients have not been investigated in detail. Therefore, the objective of this retrospective non-interventional case-control study was to generate hypotheses on predisposing factors for early retirement in schizophrenia. Logistic regression was used to explore potential predisposing parameters with regard to their effect on the outcome early retirement. As the study results indicate, schizophrenia severity, assistance or care in the patient's everyday life, age and antipsychotic treatment with typical antipsychotics are linked to the occurrence of early retirement. Further research should be planned to confirm or refute the hypotheses determined in this retrospective analysis and to determine whether atypical antipsychotics could help to avoid early retirement and to improve the situation of schizophrenic patients.

Hypnosis for childbirth: a retrospective comparative analysis of outcomes in one obstetrician's practice.

PubMed

VandeVusse, Leona; Irland, Jacqueline; Healthcare, Wheaton Franciscan; Berner, Margaret A; Fuller, Shauna; Adams, Debra

2007-10-01

This exploratory, descriptive study, done retrospectively from perinatal medical records, compared childbirth outcomes in one obstetrician's caseload between 50 women who elected antepartal hypnosis preparation (usually a 5-class series) and 51 who did not. The groups were demographically similar. To achieve similar numbers to the hypnosis group, the control group was randomly selected from the women in the caseload who opted not to take hypnosis preparation, based on characteristics of parity and delivery mode. Prenatal hypnosis preparation resulted in significantly less use of sedatives, analgesia, and regional anesthesia during labor and in higher 1-minute neonatal Apgar scores. Other physiologic and outcome measures did not reveal statistical significance, although some trends were of clinical interest. Well-controlled studies are warranted for clinicians to offer hypnosis more frequently as a pain relief option for childbirth. Additional information provided includes pragmatic, clinical, and cost information about incorporating hypnosis into a physician's practice.

Premature ovarian insufficiency in young girls: repercussions on uterine volume and bone mineral density.

PubMed

Bakhsh, Hanadi; Dei, Metella; Bucciantini, Sandra; Balzi, Daniela; Bruni, Vincenzina

2015-01-01

To evaluate biological differences among young subjects with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) commencing at different stages of life. Retrospective observational study. Careggi University Hospital Participants: One hundred sixty-two females aged between 15 and 29 years with premature ovarian insufficiency. Data were collected as a retrospective chart review of baseline evaluation at diagnosis of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). About 162 participants were divided into four groups based on gynecological age. Two primary outcome variables (uterine development and bone mineral density (BMD)) were analyzed in terms of differences among groups and in a multivariate logistic regression analysis. Uterine development was clearly jeopardized when estrogen insufficiency started at a very young age. Total body BMD showed significant differences among the four groups studied, clearly corresponding to the duration of ovarian function. Data were discussed in relation to the choice of hormone replacement therapy regimens.

Student failures on first-year medical basic science courses and the USMLE step 1: a retrospective study over a 20-year period.

PubMed

Burns, E Robert; Garrett, Judy

2015-01-01

Correlates of achievement in the basic science years in medical school and on the Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®), (Step 1) in relation to preadmission variables have been the subject of considerable study. Preadmissions variables such as the undergraduate grade point average (uGPA) and Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®) scores, solely or in combination, have previously been found to be predictors of achievement in the basic science years and/or on the Step 1. The purposes of this retrospective study were to: (1) determine if our statistical analysis confirmed previously published relationships between preadmission variables (MCAT, uGPA, and applicant pool size), and (2) study correlates of the number of failures in five M1 courses with those preadmission variables and failures on Step 1. Statistical analysis confirmed previously published relationships between all preadmission variables. Only one course, Microscopic Anatomy, demonstrated significant correlations with all variables studied including the Step 1 failures. Physiology correlated with three of the four variables studied, but not with the Step 1 failures. Analyses such as these provide a tool by which administrators will be able to identify what courses are or are not responding in appropriate ways to changes in the preadmissions variables that signal student performance on the Step 1. © 2014 American Association of Anatomists.

Evaluation of the Modern Era Retrospective-Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) Global Water and Energy Budgets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bosilovich, Michael G.; Robertson, F. R.; Chen, J.

2010-01-01

The Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) reanalyses has completed 27 years of data) soon to be caught up to present. Here) we present an evaluation of those years currently available) including comparisons with the existing long reanalyses (ERA40) JRA25 and NCEP I and II) as well as with global data sets for the water and energy cycle. Time series shows that the MERRA budgets can change with some of the variations in observing systems, but that the magnitude of energy imbalance in the system is improved with more observations. We will present all terms of the budgets in MERRA including the time rates of change and analysis increments (tendency due to the analysis of observations).

Cement Leakage in Percutaneous Vertebral Augmentation for Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures: Analysis of Risk Factors.

PubMed

Xie, Weixing; Jin, Daxiang; Ma, Hui; Ding, Jinyong; Xu, Jixi; Zhang, Shuncong; Liang, De

2016-05-01

The risk factors for cement leakage were retrospectively reviewed in 192 patients who underwent percutaneous vertebral augmentation (PVA). To discuss the factors related to the cement leakage in PVA procedure for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. PVA is widely applied for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures. Cement leakage is a major complication of this procedure. The risk factors for cement leakage were controversial. A retrospective review of 192 patients who underwent PVA was conducted. The following data were recorded: age, sex, bone density, number of fractured vertebrae before surgery, number of treated vertebrae, severity of the treated vertebrae, operative approach, volume of injected bone cement, preoperative vertebral compression ratio, preoperative local kyphosis angle, intraosseous clefts, preoperative vertebral cortical bone defect, and ratio and type of cement leakage. To study the correlation between each factor and cement leakage ratio, bivariate regression analysis was employed to perform univariate analysis, whereas multivariate linear regression analysis was employed to perform multivariate analysis. The study included 192 patients (282 treated vertebrae), and cement leakage occurred in 100 vertebrae (35.46%). The vertebrae with preoperative cortical bone defects generally exhibited higher cement leakage ratio, and the leakage is typically type C. Vertebrae with intact cortical bones before the procedure tend to experience type S leakage. Univariate analysis showed that patient age, bone density, number of fractured vertebrae before surgery, and vertebral cortical bone were associated with cement leakage ratio (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that the main factors influencing bone cement leakage are bone density and vertebral cortical bone defect, with standardized partial regression coefficients of -0.085 and 0.144, respectively. High bone density and vertebral cortical bone defect are independent risk factors associated with bone cement leakage.

Novel glioblastoma markers with diagnostic and prognostic value identified through transcriptome analysis.

PubMed

Reddy, Sreekanth P; Britto, Ramona; Vinnakota, Katyayni; Aparna, Hebbar; Sreepathi, Hari Kishore; Thota, Balaram; Kumari, Arpana; Shilpa, B M; Vrinda, M; Umesh, Srikantha; Samuel, Cini; Shetty, Mitesh; Tandon, Ashwani; Pandey, Paritosh; Hegde, Sridevi; Hegde, A S; Balasubramaniam, Anandh; Chandramouli, B A; Santosh, Vani; Kondaiah, Paturu; Somasundaram, Kumaravel; Rao, M R Satyanarayana

2008-05-15

Current methods of classification of astrocytoma based on histopathologic methods are often subjective and less accurate. Although patients with glioblastoma have grave prognosis, significant variability in patient outcome is observed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify glioblastoma diagnostic and prognostic markers through microarray analysis. We carried out transcriptome analysis of 25 diffusely infiltrating astrocytoma samples [WHO grade II--diffuse astrocytoma, grade III--anaplastic astrocytoma, and grade IV--glioblastoma (GBM)] using cDNA microarrays containing 18,981 genes. Several of the markers identified were also validated by real-time reverse transcription quantitative PCR and immunohistochemical analysis on an independent set of tumor samples (n = 100). Survival analysis was carried out for two markers on another independent set of retrospective cases (n = 51). We identified several differentially regulated grade-specific genes. Independent validation by real-time reverse transcription quantitative PCR analysis found growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible alpha (GADD45alpha) and follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1) to be up-regulated in most GBMs (both primary and secondary), whereas superoxide dismutase 2 and adipocyte enhancer binding protein 1 were up-regulated in the majority of primary GBM. Further, identification of the grade-specific expression of GADD45alpha and FSTL1 by immunohistochemical staining reinforced our findings. Analysis of retrospective GBM cases with known survival data revealed that cytoplasmic overexpression of GADD45alpha conferred better survival while the coexpression of FSTL1 with p53 was associated with poor survival. Our study reveals that GADD45alpha and FSTLI are GBM-specific whereas superoxide dismutase 2 and adipocyte enhancer binding protein 1 are primary GBM-specific diagnostic markers. Whereas GADD45alpha overexpression confers a favorable prognosis, FSTL1 overexpression is a hallmark of poor prognosis in GBM patients.

Suvorexant is associated with a low incidence of delirium in critically ill patients: a retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Masuyama, Tomoyuki; Sanui, Masamitsu; Yoshida, Naoto; Iizuka, Yusuke; Ogi, Kunio; Yagihashi, Satoko; Nagatomo, Kanae; Sasabuchi, Yusuke; Lefor, Alan K

2018-02-08

Benzodiazepine use is a risk factor for the development of delirium in adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Suvorexant is an alternative to benzodiazepines to induce sleep, but the incidence of delirium in critically ill patients is unknown. We undertook this retrospective study to investigate the incidence of delirium in patients who receive suvorexant in the ICU. This retrospective cohort study was conducted in a closed 12-bed ICU at a tertiary teaching hospital. Patients admitted to the ICU for 72 h or longer between January and June 2015 were evaluated for delirium using the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit tool. We evaluated the incidence of delirium in patients who received suvorexant and those who did not. To adjust for confounding factors, multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted. Study subjects included 118 patients, with a median age of 72 years and a median Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score of 18 points. Eighty-two patients (69.5%) were admitted after cardiovascular surgery. In the suvorexant group, there were fewer post-cardiovascular surgical patients and more medical patients. The duration of mechanical ventilation during ICU stay was longer in the suvorexant group, and sedatives and sleep inducers other than suvorexant were used more frequently in the suvorexant group. The incidence of delirium was 43.8% in the suvorexant group and 58.8% in the non-suvorexant group (P = 0.149). After adjustment for risk factors using multivariable logistic regression analysis, suvorexant was associated with a lower incidence of delirium (odds ratio = 0.23, 95% confidence interval: 0.07-0.73; P = 0.012). Suvorexant was associated with decreased odds of transitioning to delirium in critically ill patients. The use of suvorexant may lower the incidence of delirium in ICU patients. Future prospective studies are warranted. © 2018 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.

Aspergillus Bronchitis in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis.

PubMed

Brandt, Claudia; Roehmel, Jobst; Rickerts, Volker; Melichar, Volker; Niemann, Nadja; Schwarz, Carsten

2018-02-01

Aspergillus fumigatus frequently colonizes the airways of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and may cause various severe infections, such as bronchitis. Serological data, sputum dependent markers and longitudinal data of treated cases of Aspergillus bronchitis were evaluated for further description of this infection. This study, which comprises three substudies, aimed to analyze epidemiological data of Aspergillus in CF and the entity of Aspergillus bronchitis. In a first step, data of the German Cystic Fibrosis Registry were used to evaluate the frequency of Aspergillus colonization in patients with CF (n = 2599). Then a retrospective analysis of 10 cases of Aspergillus bronchitis was performed to evaluate longitudinal data for lung function and clinical presentation parameters: sputum production, cough and physical capacity. Finally, a prospective cohort study (n = 22) was conducted to investigate serological markers for Aspergillus bronchitis: total serum IgE, specific serum IgE, specific serum IgG, as well as sputum galactomannan, real-time PCR detection of Aspergillus DNA in sputum and fungal cultures. Analysis of the German CF registry revealed an Aspergillus colonization rate of 32.5% among the 2599 patients. A retrospective data analysis of 10 treated cases revealed the clinical course of Aspergillus bronchitis, including repeated positive sputum culture findings for A. fumigatus, no antibiotic treatment response, total serum IgE levels <200 kU/l, no observation of new pulmonary infiltrates and appropriate antifungal treatment response. Antifungal treatment durations of 4 ± 1.6 (2-6) weeks significantly reduced cough (P = 0.0067), sputum production (P < 0.0001) and lung function measures (P = 0.0358) but not physical capacity (P = 0.0794). From this retrospective study, a prevalence of 1.6% was calculated. In addition, two cases of Aspergillus bronchitis were identified in the prospective cohort study according to immunological, molecular and microbiological parameters. A prevalence of 9% was assessed. Aspergillus bronchitis appears to occur in a minority of colonized CF patients. Antifungal treatment may reduce respiratory symptoms and restore lung function.

Delayed neuropsychological sequelae after carbon monoxide poisoning: predictive risk factors in the Emergency Department. A retrospective study.

PubMed

Pepe, Giuseppe; Castelli, Matteo; Nazerian, Peiman; Vanni, Simone; Del Panta, Massimo; Gambassi, Francesco; Botti, Primo; Missanelli, Andrea; Grifoni, Stefano

2011-03-17

Delayed neuropsychological sequelae (DNS) commonly occur after recovery from acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. The preventive role and the indications for hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the acute setting are still controversial. Early identification of patients at risk in the Emergency Department might permit an improvement in quality of care. We conducted a retrospective study to identify predictive risk factors for DNS development in the Emergency Department. We retrospectively considered all CO-poisoned patients admitted to the Emergency Department of Careggi University General Hospital (Florence, Italy) from 1992 to 2007. Patients were invited to participate in three follow-up visits at one, six and twelve months from hospital discharge. Clinical and biohumoral data were collected; univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to identify predictive risk factors for DNS. Three hundred forty seven patients were admitted to the Emergency Department for acute CO poisoning from 1992 to 2007; 141/347 patients participated in the follow-up visit at one month from hospital discharge. Thirty four/141 patients were diagnosed with DNS (24.1%). Five/34 patients previously diagnosed as having DNS presented to the follow-up visit at six months, reporting a complete recovery. The following variables (collected before or upon Emergency Department admission) were associated to DNS development at one month from hospital discharge in the univariate analysis: CO exposure duration >6 hours, a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score <9, seizures, systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg, elevated creatine phosphokinase concentration and leukocytosis. There was no significant correlation with age, sex, voluntary exposure, headache, transient loss of consciousness, GCS between 14 and 9, arterial lactate and carboxyhemoglobin concentration. The multivariate analysis confirmed as independent prognostic factors GCS <9 (OR 7.15; CI 95%: 1.04-48.8) and leukocytosis (OR 3.31; CI 95%: 1.02-10.71). Our study identified several potential predictive risk factors for DNS. Treatment algorithms based on an appropriate risk-stratification of patients in the Emergency Department might reduce DNS incidence; however, more studies are needed. Adequate follow-up after hospital discharge, aimed at correct recognition of DNS, is also important.

Delayed neuropsychological sequelae after carbon monoxide poisoning: predictive risk factors in the Emergency Department. A retrospective study

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Delayed neuropsychological sequelae (DNS) commonly occur after recovery from acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. The preventive role and the indications for hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the acute setting are still controversial. Early identification of patients at risk in the Emergency Department might permit an improvement in quality of care. We conducted a retrospective study to identify predictive risk factors for DNS development in the Emergency Department. Methods We retrospectively considered all CO-poisoned patients admitted to the Emergency Department of Careggi University General Hospital (Florence, Italy) from 1992 to 2007. Patients were invited to participate in three follow-up visits at one, six and twelve months from hospital discharge. Clinical and biohumoral data were collected; univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to identify predictive risk factors for DNS. Results Three hundred forty seven patients were admitted to the Emergency Department for acute CO poisoning from 1992 to 2007; 141/347 patients participated in the follow-up visit at one month from hospital discharge. Thirty four/141 patients were diagnosed with DNS (24.1%). Five/34 patients previously diagnosed as having DNS presented to the follow-up visit at six months, reporting a complete recovery. The following variables (collected before or upon Emergency Department admission) were associated to DNS development at one month from hospital discharge in the univariate analysis: CO exposure duration >6 hours, a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score <9, seizures, systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg, elevated creatine phosphokinase concentration and leukocytosis. There was no significant correlation with age, sex, voluntary exposure, headache, transient loss of consciousness, GCS between 14 and 9, arterial lactate and carboxyhemoglobin concentration. The multivariate analysis confirmed as independent prognostic factors GCS <9 (OR 7.15; CI 95%: 1.04-48.8) and leukocytosis (OR 3.31; CI 95%: 1.02-10.71). Conclusions Our study identified several potential predictive risk factors for DNS. Treatment algorithms based on an appropriate risk-stratification of patients in the Emergency Department might reduce DNS incidence; however, more studies are needed. Adequate follow-up after hospital discharge, aimed at correct recognition of DNS, is also important. PMID:21414211

Poly Implant Prothèse (PIP) incidence of rupture: a retrospective MR analysis in 64 patients.

PubMed

Scotto di Santolo, Mariella; Cusati, Bianca; Ragozzino, Alfonso; Dell'Aprovitola, Nicoletta; Acquaviva, Alessandra; Altiero, Michele; Accurso, Antonello; Riccardi, Albina; Imbriaco, Massimo

2014-12-01

The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of Poly Implant Prothèse (PIP) hydrogel implants in a group of 64 patients and to assess the incidence of rupture, compared to other clinical trials. In this double-center study, we retrospectively reviewed the data sets of 64 consecutive patients (mean age, 43±9 years, age range, 27-65 years), who underwent breast MRI examinations, between January 2008 and October 2013, with suspected implant rupture on the basis of clinical assessment or after conventional imaging examination (either mammography or ultrasound). All patients had undergone breast operation with bilateral textured cohesive gel PIP implant insertion for aesthetic reasons. The mean time after operation was 8 years (range, 6-14 years). No patients reported history of direct trauma to their implants. At the time of clinical examination, 41 patients were asymptomatic, 16 complained of breast tenderness and 7 had clinical evidence of rupture. Normal findings were observed in 15 patients. In 26 patients there were signs of mild collapse, with associated not significant peri-capsular fluid collections and no evidence of implant rupture; in 23 patients there was suggestion of implant rupture, according to breast MRI leading to an indication for surgery. In particular, 14 patients showed intra-capsular rupture, with associated evidence of the linguine sign in all cases; the keyhole sign and the droplet signs were observed in 6 cases. In 9 patients there was evidence of extra-capsular rupture, with presence of axillary collections (siliconomas) in 7 cases and peri-prosthetic and mediastinal cavity siliconomas, in 5 cases. The results of this double center retrospective study, confirm the higher incidence (36%) of prosthesis rupture observed with the PIP implants, compared to other breast implants.

Bone Formation Following Sinus Augmentation with an Equine-Derived Bone Graft: A Retrospective Histologic and Histomorphometric Study with 36-Month Follow-up.

PubMed

Di Stefano, Danilo Alessio; Gastaldi, Giorgio; Vinci, Raffaele; Polizzi, Elisabetta Maria; Cinci, Lorenzo; Pieri, Laura; Gherlone, Enrico

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate bone formation over time following maxillary sinus augmentation with an enzyme-deantigenic, bone collagen-preserving equine bone graft by retrospective assessment of histomorphometric data. Records of patients with atrophic ridges who underwent maxillary sinus augmentation with the enzyme-deantigenic equine bone graft and two-step implant placement between 3 and 12 months after the sinus-augmentation surgery were assessed retrospectively. The histomorphometric data were clustered in three classes according to time of collection from the augmentation surgery and analyzed to assess newly formed bone deposition and residual biomaterial degradation rates. Data concerning the 36-month clinical follow-up were also assessed. Records of 77 patients and 115 biopsy specimens were retrieved, and histomorphometric data were clustered (3 to 5 months, n = 33; 6 to 8 months, n = 57; 9 to 12 months, n = 25). Mean minimum atrophic ridge thickness was 4.9 ± 0.5 mm (range, 4.0 to 7.1 mm). The amount of newly formed bone and residual biomaterial did not significantly differ among the three clusters. Qualitative analysis showed a denser trabecular structure in late (> 8 months) samples. At the 36-month clinical follow-up, no differences were found among the implant success rates in the three groups, according to the Albrektsson and Zarb criteria for success. The overall implant success rate was 98.3%. Based upon this retrospective human study of 77 patients with 4 to 7 mm of residual bone, when enzyme-deantigenic equine bone is used for sinus augmentation, new bone formation occurs at an early time (< 3 months) after the grafting, and implant placement can be safely carried out as soon as 3 to 5 months after the augmentation surgery.

Grade of hypospadias is the only factor predicting for re-intervention after primary hypospadias repair: a multivariate analysis from a cohort of 474 patients.

PubMed

Spinoit, Anne-Françoise; Poelaert, Filip; Van Praet, Charles; Groen, Luitzen-Albert; Van Laecke, Erik; Hoebeke, Piet

2015-04-01

There is an ongoing quest on how to minimize complications in hypospadias surgery. There is however a lack of high-quality data on the following parameters that might influence the outcome of primary hypospadias repair: age at initial surgery, the type of suture material, the initial technique, and the type of hypospadias. The objective of this study was to identify independent predictors for re-intervention in primary hypospadias repair. We retrospectively analyzed our database of 474 children undergoing primary hypospadias surgery. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify variables associated with re-intervention. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant and therefore considered as a prognostic factor for re-intervention. Distal penile hypospadias was reported in 77.2% (n = 366), midpenile in 11.4% (n = 54) and proximal in 11.4% (n = 54) of children. Initial repair was based on an incised plate technique in 39.9% (n = 189), meatal advancement in 36.0% (n = 171), an onlay flap in 17.3% (n = 82) and other or combined techniques in 5.3% (n = 25). In 114 patients (24.1%) re-intervention was required (n = 114) of which 54 re-interventions (47.4%) were performed within the first year post-surgery, 17 (14.9%) in the second year and 43 (37.7%) later than 2 years after initial surgery. The reason for the first re-intervention was fistula in 52 patients (46.4%), meatal stenosis in 32 (28.6%), cosmesis in 35 (31.3%) and other in 14 (12.5%). The median time for re-intervention was 14 months after surgery [range 0-114]. Significant predictors for re-intervention on univariate logistic regression (polyglactin suture material versus poliglecaprone, proximal hypospadias, lower age at operation and other than meatal advancement repair) were put in a multivariate logistic regression model. Of all significant variables, only proximal hypospadias remained an independent predictor for re-intervention (OR 3.27; p = 0.012). The grade of hypospadias remains according to our retrospective analysis the only objective independent predicting factor for re-intervention in hypospadias surgery. This finding is rather obvious for everyone operating hypospadias. Curiously midpenile hypospadias cases were doing slightly better than distal hypospadias in terms of re-intervention rates. Our study however has also some shortcomings. First of all, data was gathered retrospectively and follow-up time was ill-balanced for several variables. We tried to correct this by applying sensitivity analysis, but possible associations between some variables and re-intervention might still be obscured by this. Standard questionnaires to analyze surgical outcome were not available. Therefore, we focused our analysis on re-intervention rate as this is a hard and clinically relevant end point. This retrospective analysis of a large hypospadias database with long-term follow-up indicates that the long-lasting debate about factors influencing the reoperation rate in hypospadias surgery might be futile: in experienced hands, the only variable that independently predicts for re-intervention is the severity of hypospadias, the only factor we cannot modify. This retrospective multivariate analysis of a large hypospadias database with long-term follow-up suggests that the only significant independent predictive factor for re-intervention is proximal hypospadias. In our series, technique did not influence the re-intervention rate. Copyright © 2015 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Low numeracy predicts reduced accuracy of retrospective reports of frequency of sexual behavior.

PubMed

McAuliffe, Timothy L; DiFranceisco, Wayne; Reed, Barbara R

2010-12-01

Assessment of the frequency of sexual behavior relies on participants' ability to arithmetically aggregate information over time and across partners. This study examines the effect of numeracy (arithmetic skills) on the accuracy of retrospective reports of sexual behavior. For 91 days, the participants completed daily reports about their sexual activity. Participants then completed a survey on sexual behavior over the same period. The discrepancies between the survey-based and the diary-based measures of frequency of vaginal and anal intercourse were evaluated. Multiple regression analysis showed that the discrepancy between retrospective and diary measurements of sexual intercourse increased with lower numeracy (P = 0.026), lower education (P = 0.001), aggregate question format compared to partner-by-partner format (P = 0.031) and higher frequency of intercourse occasions (P < 0.001). Lower numeracy led to a 1.5-fold increase (adjusted mean = 14.1-20.9) in the discrepancy for those using the aggregate question format and a 2.0-fold increase (adjusted mean = 3.7-7.6) for those using the partner-by-partner format.

Neural Network of Predictive Motor Timing in the Context of Gender Differences

PubMed Central

Lošák, Jan; Kašpárek, Tomáš; Vaníček, Jiří; Bareš, Martin

2016-01-01

Time perception is an essential part of our everyday lives, in both the prospective and the retrospective domains. However, our knowledge of temporal processing is mainly limited to the networks responsible for comparing or maintaining specific intervals or frequencies. In the presented fMRI study, we sought to characterize the neural nodes engaged specifically in predictive temporal analysis, the estimation of the future position of an object with varying movement parameters, and the contingent neuroanatomical signature of differences in behavioral performance between genders. The established dominant cerebellar engagement offers novel evidence in favor of a pivotal role of this structure in predictive short-term timing, overshadowing the basal ganglia reported together with the frontal cortex as dominant in retrospective temporal processing in the subsecond spectrum. Furthermore, we discovered lower performance in this task and massively increased cerebellar activity in women compared to men, indicative of strategy differences between the genders. This promotes the view that predictive temporal computing utilizes comparable structures in the retrospective timing processes, but with a definite dominance of the cerebellum. PMID:27019753

Edible mushroom-related poisoning: A study on circumstances of mushroom collection, transport, and storage.

PubMed

Gawlikowski, T; Romek, M; Satora, L

2015-07-01

The American Association of Poison Control Center (AAPCC) shows that in 2012 there were 0.3% of human exposures involving mushrooms. Only 17% of 6600 cases were then identified by the species. The present retrospective study was designed to identify the epidemiology of mushroom poisoning in adults admitted to Krakow's Department of Clinical Toxicology (DCT) from 2002 to 2009. This study was conducted retrospectively after examining the files of 457 adult patients with wild mushroom poisoning. Mycological analysis was made and the species of the poisoning-inducing mushroom was determined. Furthermore, the circumstances related to the mushroom gathering, transport, storage, preparation, and consumption have been analyzed. The analysis revealed that in 400 (87.53%) out of 457 cases, the clinical symptoms were caused by ingestion of identified edible mushroom species. The main reason for edible mushroom poisoning is associated with their incorrect processing after harvest. The analysis of the circumstances of mushroom collection, transport, and storage shows that the largest percentage of poisoning was connected with long-term storage of mushroom dishes, collecting, and storing them in plastic bags, and long storage of mushrooms. Based on spore analysis of the gastric content, edible mushrooms were responsible for the great majority of mushroom poisoning cases admitted to the DCT. The toxicity of edible mushroom is associated with proceeding with them during collection, transport, and storage. The medical history should be supplemented by questions concerning these circumstances. The identification of the mushroom by a mycologist is highly desirable. © The Author(s) 2014.

Novel risk score of contrast-induced nephropathy after percutaneous coronary intervention.

PubMed

Ji, Ling; Su, XiaoFeng; Qin, Wei; Mi, XuHua; Liu, Fei; Tang, XiaoHong; Li, Zi; Yang, LiChuan

2015-08-01

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a major cause of acute kidney injury. In this study, we established a comprehensive risk score model to assess risk of CIN after PCI procedure, which could be easily used in a clinical environment. A total of 805 PCI patients, divided into analysis cohort (70%) and validation cohort (30%), were enrolled retrospectively in this study. Risk factors for CIN were identified using univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression in the analysis cohort. Risk score model was developed based on multiple regression coefficients. Sensitivity and specificity of the new risk score system was validated in the validation cohort. Comparisons between the new risk score model and previous reported models were applied. The incidence of post-PCI CIN in the analysis cohort (n = 565) was 12%. Considerably high CIN incidence (50%) was observed in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Age >75, body mass index (BMI) >25, myoglobin level, cardiac function level, hypoalbuminaemia, history of chronic kidney disease (CKD), Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) and peripheral vascular disease (PVD) were identified as independent risk factors of post-PCI CIN. A novel risk score model was established using multivariate regression coefficients, which showed highest sensitivity and specificity (0.917, 95%CI 0.877-0.957) compared with previous models. A new post-PCI CIN risk score model was developed based on a retrospective study of 805 patients. Application of this model might be helpful to predict CIN in patients undergoing PCI procedure. © 2015 Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology.

Issues in Retrospective Conversion for a Small Special Collection: A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hieb, Fern

1997-01-01

Small special collections present unique problems for retrospective conversion of catalogs to machine-readable form. Examines retrospective conversion using the Moravian Music Foundation as a case study. Discusses advantages to automation, options for conversion process, quantifying conversion effort, costs, in-house conversion, national standards…

Is dream recall underestimated by retrospective measures and enhanced by keeping a logbook? An empirical investigation.

PubMed

Aspy, Denholm J

2016-05-01

In a recent review, Aspy, Delfabbro, and Proeve (2015) highlighted the tendency for retrospective measures of dream recall to yield substantially lower recall rates than logbook measures, a phenomenon they termed the retrospective-logbook disparity. One explanation for this phenomenon is that retrospective measures underestimate true dream recall. Another explanation is that keeping a logbook tends to enhance dream recall. The present study provides a thorough empirical investigation into the retrospective-logbook disparity using a range of retrospective and logbook measures and three different types of logbook. Retrospective-logbook disparities were correlated with a range of variables theoretically related to the retrospective underestimation effect, and retrospective-logbook disparities were greater among participants that reported improved dream recall during the logbook period. These findings indicate that dream recall is underestimated by retrospective measures and enhanced by keeping a logbook. Recommendations for the use of retrospective and logbook measures of dream recall are provided. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characteristic Reading Problems of Adult Illiterates. Report Number 3. Summary Reports of Paths to Literacy and Illiteracy in Newfoundland and Labrador.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beebe, Mona

A study examined the reading problems of adults in Newfoundland (Canada) with low reading ability. It explored the genesis of these problems through a retrospective analysis of their lives as school children; and determined the relationship between literacy development and personal background factors, school factors, physiological factors, and…

Temporal Progression of Visual Injury from Blast Exposure

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-01

seen throughout the duration of the study. To correlate experimental blast exposures in rodents to human blast exposures, a computational parametric...software (JMP 10.0, Cary,NC). Descriptive and univariate analyses will first be performed to identify the occurrence of delayed visual system...later). The biostatistician evaluating the retrospective data has completed the descriptive analysis and is working on the multiple regression. Table

A Retrospective Video Analysis of Canonical Babbling and Volubility in Infants with Fragile X Syndrome at 9-12 Months of Age

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belardi, Katie; Watson, Linda R.; Faldowski, Richard A.; Hazlett, Heather; Crais, Elizabeth; Baranek, Grace T.; McComish, Cara; Patten, Elena; Oller, D. Kimbrough

2017-01-01

An infant's vocal capacity develops significantly during the first year of life. Research suggests early measures of pre-speech development, such as canonical babbling and volubility, can differentiate typical versus disordered development. This study offers a new contribution by comparing early vocal development in 10 infants with Fragile X…

A Content Analysis of Turkish Newspapers: Prevalence of Articles Containing Health Information Related to Physical Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koksal, Leyla; Subasi, Feryal; Luleci, Emel; Hey, William

2012-01-01

This study was retrospective in design and the purpose was to review health information related to PA (physical activity) in articles of Turkish newspapers. The search covered newspaper articles printed between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2004 in all Turkish newspapers that are accessible via the electronic newspaper database. Four daily…

National German Guideline (S2k): Guideline for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Endometriosis*

PubMed Central

Ulrich, U.; Buchweitz, O.; Greb, R.; Keckstein, J.; von Leffern, I.; Oppelt, P.; Renner, S. P.; Sillem, M.; Stummvoll, W.; De Wilde, R.-L.; Schweppe, K.-W.

2014-01-01

In this guideline, recommendations and standards for optimum diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis are presented. They are based on the analysis of the available scientific evidence as published in prospective randomized and retrospective studies as well as in systematic reviews. The guideline working group consisted of experts from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. PMID:26157194

The Gendered Monitoring of Juvenile Delinquents: A Test of Power-Control Theory Using a Retrospective Cohort Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schulze, Corina; Bryan, Valerie

2017-01-01

Through the framework of power-control theory (PCT), we provide a model of juvenile offending that places the gendered-raced treatment of juveniles central to the analysis. We test the theory using a unique sample that is predominately African American, poor, and composed entirely of juvenile offenders. Multivariate models compare the predictive…

Selling "Impact": Peer Reviewer Projections of What Is Needed and What Counts in REF Impact Case Studies. A Retrospective Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watermeyer, Richard; Hedgecoe, Adam

2016-01-01

The intensification of an audit culture in higher education is made no more apparent than with the growing prevalence of performance-based research funding systems like the UK's Research Excellence Framework (REF) and the introduction of new measures of assessment like "impact" or more specifically, the economic and societal impacts of…

A retrospective analysis of 34 potentially missed cases of female genital mutilation in the emergency department.

PubMed

Fawcett, Richard John; Kernohan, George

2017-09-12

To discover if healthcare professionals working within an ED are able to make a diagnosis of female genital mutilation (FGM) in those patients who have previously undergone the procedure and report it as per UK law. A retrospective analysis of patients' notes who were assigned an FGM code during the period of May 2015 to August 2016. Single-centre, large UK major trauma centre offering a tertiary FGM clinic. Any woman coded during the study period as having undergone FGM. Number of FGM cases identified by the ED. Mean age, presenting complaint, discharge diagnosis, genitourinary exam and defibulation status. 34 patients were identified as having undergone FGM, 19 had previously attended ED and none had their FGM identified during their ED attendance. The age range of those identified was 23 to 40 years. None had undergone defibulation. This study demonstrates that the identification of FGM victims by an ED is very poor, and more work needs to be done to increase awareness of the subject by front-line staff. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Initial indication of treatment in 60 patients with sleep obstructive ventilatory disturbance.

PubMed

de Tarso Moura Borges, Paulo; Paschoal, Jorge Rizzato

2005-01-01

The author present a retrospective descriptive study of 60 patients with sleep obstructive ventilatory disturbance who have taken medical advice at the Centro Campinas de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia de Cabeça e Pescoço during a period of three years. All the patients have been examined after standardized protocol and decisions related to the treatment have been taken after systematic multidisciplinary discussion. clinical retrospective. The patients were distributed into two groups according to the proposal of surgical and non-surgical treatment. After so, they were studied according to the model of treatment proposed and the main propaedeutic findings: respiratory disturbance index (RDI), body mass index (BMI), cephalometric analysis and Müller maneuver. The main features were compared--isolated or in association--with the model of treatment proposed. Amongst several conclusions obtained, the most important were: surgical and non-surgical treatment were indicated almost in the same proportion for of snoring; surgical treatments were most indicated for snoring and Apnoea-Hipopnoea Syndrome, despite of its modality; RDI, BMI and cephalometric analysis and Müller maneuver had no influence at any therapeutic modality; the therapeutic decision was taken after standardized protocol and systematic multidisciplinary discussion, where each case was discussed individually.

Retrospective and prospective analysis of water use and point source pollution from an economic perspective-a case study of Urumqi, China.

PubMed

Wang, Bing; Liu, Lei; Huang, Guohe

2017-11-01

Using the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, this study explored the dynamic trends of water use and point source pollution in Urumqi (2000-2014) from an economic perspective. Retrospective analysis results indicated that total GDP and GDP per capita increased around tenfold and a fivefold since 2000. Total, municipal and industrial water use had average annual growth rates of 3.96, 7.01, and 3.69%, respectively. However, agricultural water use, emissions of COD and NH 3 -N showed average annual decreases of 3.06, 12.40, and 4.74%. Regression models reveal that total water demand in Urumqi would keep monotonically increasing relationships with GDP and GDP per capita in the foreseeable years. However, the relations of specific water usage and economic growth showed diverse trends. In the future, the discharge of COD and NH 3 -N would further reduce with economic growth. It could be concluded that Urumqi has almost passed the stage where economic growth had caused serious environment deterioration, but the increasing water demand in Urumqi is still an urgent problem. The obtained results would be helpful for water resources management and pollution control in the future.

Clinical Significance of Serum Ferritin at Diagnosis in Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A YACHT Multicenter Retrospective Study.

PubMed

Tachibana, Takayoshi; Andou, Taiki; Tanaka, Masatsugu; Ito, Satomi; Miyazaki, Takuya; Ishii, Yoshimi; Ogusa, Eriko; Koharazawa, Hideyuki; Takahashi, Hiroyuki; Motohashi, Kenji; Aoki, Jun; Nakajima, Yuki; Matsumoto, Kenji; Hagihara, Maki; Hashimoto, Chizuko; Taguchi, Jun; Fujimaki, Katsumichi; Fujita, Hiroyuki; Fujisawa, Shin; Kanamori, Heiwa; Nakajima, Hideaki

2018-06-01

A multicenter retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate the clinical significance of serum ferritin at diagnosis in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The study cohort included 305 patients who were newly diagnosed with AML from 2000 to 2015 and received standard induction chemotherapy. Transplantation was performed in 168 patients. The median ferritin value was 512 ng/mL (range, 8-9475 ng/mL). Ferritin correlated with lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, and blast count, and elevation of ferritin was associated with poor performance status. The median follow-up period was 58 months (range, 4-187 months) among survivors. The high ferritin group (≥ 400 ng/mL) demonstrated inferior event-free survival (EFS) at the 5-year interval (30% vs. 40%; P = .033) compared to the low ferritin group. Multivariate analysis in the high-risk karyotype revealed that high ferritin levels predicted worse EFS (hazard ratio = 2.07; 95% confidence interval, 1.28-3.33; P = .003). Elevated ferritin at diagnosis may indicate tumor burden in patients with AML and predict worse EFS in the high-risk group. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Treatment Outcome of Carcinoma Vulva Ten-Year Experience from a Tertiary Cancer Centre in South India.

PubMed

Jeevarajan, Sakthiushadevi; Duraipandian, Amudhan; Kottayasamy Seenivasagam, Rajkumar; Shanmugam, Subbiah; Ramamurthy, Rajaraman

2017-01-01

Carcinoma vulva is a rare disease accounting for 1.3% of all gynaecological malignancies. The present study is a 10-year retrospective review of our experience of the surgical options, morbidity, failure pattern, and survival for invasive carcinoma vulva. Retrospective analysis of case records of 39 patients who underwent surgery for invasive vulval cancer between 2004 and 2013 in the Department of Surgical Oncology at the Government Royapettah Hospital, Chennai. The median age was 55 years. Radical vulvectomy was the preferred surgery. 31 patients underwent lymphadenectomy. Seroma formation and groin skin necrosis were the most common postoperative complications. With a median follow-up of 32 months, 8 patients (20.5%) developed recurrence (systemic = 1, regional = 4, and local = 3). The estimated 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 65.4% and the overall survival (OS) was 85.1%. On univariate analysis, stage and lymph node involvement significantly affected OS. Nodal involvement with extracapsular spread (ECS) significantly affected both DFS and OS. The treatment of carcinoma vulva should be individualized with multidisciplinary cooperation. The paucity of data, especially from India, necessitates the need for more studies, preferably multicentric, keeping in mind the low prevalence.

Predictors of success of treatment of distal two thirds common bile duct strictures: A retrospective Cohort study over two years.

PubMed

El-Haddad, Hany M; Kassem, Mohamed I; Shehata, Gihan M; Afifi, Ahmad H

2016-04-01

Distal biliary stricture is a challenging clinical condition that requires a co-ordinated multidisciplinary approach. was to evaluate the predictors of success of different treatment modalities of distal two thirds CBD strictures. Data were retrieved retrospectively from the medical records of the patients with distal biliary strictures treated in the Main Alexandria University Hospital from June 2013 to June 2015. Patients were classified into three groups according to the intervention performed: (endoscopic, open surgical, and percutaneous). In addition to the forth group that was followed up without intervention. The study included 282 patients. The mean age was 61.1 ± 10.8 years (25-78) years. The most frequent presenting symptom was jaundice. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma was the most common cause followed by fibrotic stricture secondary to stones. In univariate analysis, the success of treatment was significantly associated with the pathology of the stricture of the distal two thirds CBD. In the multivariate analysis, only two factors were affecting the success of the treatment; the stricture length and site. Copyright © 2016 IJS Publishing Group Limited. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tinea capitis among children in the Columbus area, Ohio, USA.

PubMed

Coloe, Jacquelyn R; Diab, Mohammad; Moennich, Jessica; Diab, Diab; Pawaskar, Manjiri; Balkrishnan, Rajesh; Bechtel, Mark A

2010-03-01

Tinea capitis is a fungal infection of the hair follicles of the scalp. In the US, the most common organisms have traditionally been Trichophyton tonsurans, and occasionally Microsporum canis. This study was designed to examine patterns of organisms causing tinea capitis and determine factors associated with infection. A retrospective database analysis was conducted to locate records of patients with tinea capitis from May 2001 to May 2006 at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, OH. Descriptive statistics, frequency analysis, chi-squared test, and Student's t-test were performed to evaluate types of causative organisms and associated patient characteristics. One hundred and eighty-nine charts of patients with a positive scalp culture for tinea capitis were located. Trichophyton tonsurans (88.9%) was the foremost causative agent followed by Trichophyton violaceum (4.2%). Tinea capitis was more prevalent among African Americans and was more common in urban areas (P < 0.05). Children of African descent inhabiting urban settings were most vulnerable to tinea capitis. The most common organism isolated in this retrospective study was T. tonsurans. Trichophyton violaceum and Trichophyton soudanense were also isolated, which are not commonly reported causes of tinea capitis in the US.

Retrospective study

PubMed Central

Lu, Chao; Lv, Xueyou; Lin, Yiming; Li, Dejian; Chen, Lihua; Ji, Feng; Li, Youming; Yu, Chaohui

2016-01-01

Abstract Conventional forceps biopsy (CFB) is the most popular way to screen for gastric epithelial neoplasia (GEN) and adenocarcinoma of gastric epithelium. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy between conventional forceps biopsy and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Four hundred forty-four patients who finally undertook ESD in our hospital were enrolled from Jan 1, 2009 to Sep 1, 2015. We retrospectively assessed the characteristics of pathological results of CFB and ESD. The concordance rate between CFB and ESD specimens was 68.92% (306/444). Men showed a lower concordance rate (63.61% vs 79.33%; P = 0.001) and concordance patients were younger (P = 0.048). In multivariate analysis, men significantly had a lower concordance rate (coefficient −0.730, P = 0.002) and a higher rate of pathological upgrade (coefficient −0.648, P = 0.015). Locations of CFB did not influence the concordance rate statistically. The concordance rate was relatively high in our hospital. According to our analysis, old men plus gastric fundus or antrum of CFB were strongly suggested to perform ESD if precancerous lesions were found. And young women with low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia could select regular follow-up. PMID:27472723

Comparison of pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis in Nepal- a hospital-based retrospective study

PubMed Central

Sreeramareddy, Chandrashekhar T; Panduru, Kishore V; Verma, Sharat C; Joshi, Hari S; Bates, Michael N

2008-01-01

Background Studies from developed countries have reported on host-related risk factors for extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB). However, similar studies from high-burden countries like Nepal are lacking. Therefore, we carried out this study to compare demographic, life-style and clinical characteristics between EPTB and PTB patients. Methods A retrospective analysis was carried out on 474 Tuberculosis (TB) patients diagnosed in a tertiary care hospital in western Nepal. Characteristics of demography, life-style and clinical features were obtained from medical case records. Risk factors for being an EPTB patient relative to a PTB patient were identified using logistic regression analysis. Results The age distribution of the TB patients had a bimodal distribution. The male to female ratio for PTB was 2.29. EPTB was more common at younger ages (< 25 years) and in females. Common sites for EPTB were lymph nodes (42.6%) and peritoneum and/or intestines (14.8%). By logistic regression analysis, age less than 25 years (OR 2.11 95% CI 1.12–3.68) and female gender (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.12–2.56) were associated with EPTB. Smoking, use of immunosuppressive drugs/steroids, diabetes and past history of TB were more likely to be associated with PTB. Conclusion Results suggest that younger age and female gender may be independent risk factors for EPTB in a high-burden country like Nepal. TB control programmes may target young and female populations for EPTB case-finding. Further studies are necessary in other high-burden countries to confirm our findings. PMID:18218115

Postoperative radiotherapy and tumor recurrence after complete resection of stage II/III thymic tumor: a meta-analysis of cohort studies

PubMed Central

Ma, Jietao; Sun, Xin; Huang, Letian; Xiong, Zhicheng; Yuan, Meng; Zhang, Shuling; Han, Cheng-Bo

2016-01-01

Background Whether postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) is effective for reducing the recurrence risk in patients who received complete resection of the stage II or III thymic tumors has not been determined. A meta-analysis was performed by combining the results of all available controlled trials. Methods PubMed, Cochrane’s Library, and the Embase databases were searched for studies which compared the recurrence data for patients with complete resection of the stage II or III thymic tumors assigned to an observing group, or a PORT group. A random effect model was applied to combine the results. Results Nineteen studies, all designed as retrospective cohort studies were included. These studies included 663 patients of PORT group and 617 patients of observing group. The recurrence rate for the patients in PORT group and observing group were 12.4% and 11.5%, respectively. Results of our study indicated that PORT has no significant influence on recurrent risk in patients with stage II or III thymic tumor after complete resection (odds ratio 1.02, 95% confidence interval 0.55–1.90, P=0.96). When stratified by stages, our meta-analyses did not indicate any significant effects of PORT on recurrent outcomes in either the stage II or the stage III patients. Moreover, subsequent analysis limited to studies only including patients with thymoma or thymic carcinoma also did not support the benefits of PORT on recurrent outcomes. Conclusion Although derived from retrospective cohort studies, current evidence did not support any benefit of PORT on recurrent risk in patients with complete resection of the stage II or III thymic tumors. PMID:27524907

Estimating Benzene Exposure Level over Time and by Industry Type through a Review of Literature on Korea.

PubMed

Park, Donguk; Choi, Sangjun; Ha, Kwonchul; Jung, Hyejung; Yoon, Chungsik; Koh, Dong-Hee; Ryu, Seunghun; Kim, Soogeun; Kang, Dongmug; Yoo, Kyemook

2015-09-01

The major purpose of this study is to construct a retrospective exposure assessment for benzene through a review of literature on Korea. Airborne benzene measurements reported in 34 articles were reviewed. A total of 15,729 individual measurements were compiled. Weighted arithmetic means [AM(w)] and their variance calculated across studies were summarized according to 5-year period intervals (prior to the 1970s through the 2010s) and industry type. Industries were classified according to Korea Standard Industrial Classification (KSIC) using information provided in the literature. We estimated quantitative retrospective exposure to benzene for each cell in the matrix through a combination of time and KSIC. Analysis of the AM(w) indicated reductions in exposure levels over time, regardless of industry, with mean levels prior to the 1980-1984 period of 50.4 ppm (n = 2,289), which dropped to 2.8 ppm (n = 305) in the 1990-1994 period, and to 0.1 ppm (n = 294) in the 1995-1999 period. There has been no improvement since the 2000s, when the AM(w) of 4.3 ppm (n = 6,211) for the 2005-2009 period and 4.5 ppm (n = 3,358) for the 2010-2013 period were estimated. A comparison by industry found no consistent patterns in the measurement results. Our estimated benzene measurements can be used to determine not only the possibility of retrospective exposure to benzene, but also to estimate the level of quantitative or semiquantitative retrospective exposure to benzene.

The Correspondence of Daily and Retrospective PTSD Reports among Female Victims of Sexual Assault

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naragon-Gainey, Kristin; Simpson, Tracy L.; Moore, Sally A.; Varra, Alethea A.; Kaysen, Debra L.

2012-01-01

Research addressing the association between daily and retrospective symptom reports suggests that retrospective reports are typically inflated. The present study examined the association between daily posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom reports over 1 month and a corresponding retrospective report (PTSD Checklist [PCL]; Weathers et al.,…

Digital breast tomosynthesis for breast cancer screening and diagnosis in women with dense breasts - a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Phi, Xuan-Anh; Tagliafico, Alberto; Houssami, Nehmat; Greuter, Marcel J W; de Bock, Geertruida H

2018-04-03

This study aimed to systematically review and to meta-analyse the accuracy of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) versus digital mammography (DM) in women with mammographically dense breasts in screening and diagnosis. Two independent reviewers identified screening or diagnostic studies reporting at least one of four outcomes (cancer detection rate-CDR, recall rate, sensitivity and specificity) for DBT and DM in women with mammographically dense breasts. Study quality was assessed using QUADAS-2. Meta-analysis of CDR and recall rate used a random effects model. Summary ROC curve summarized sensitivity and specificity. Sixteen studies were included (five diagnostic; eleven screening). In diagnosis, DBT increased sensitivity (84%-90%) versus DM alone (69%-86%) but not specificity. DBT improved CDR versus DM alone (RR: 1.16, 95% CI 1.02-1.31). In screening, DBT + DM increased CDR versus DM alone (RR: 1.33, 95% CI 1.20-1.47 for retrospective studies; RR: 1.52, 95% CI 1.08-2.11 for prospective studies). Recall rate was significantly reduced by DBT + DM in retrospective studies (RR: 0.72, 95% CI 0.64-0.80) but not in two prospective studies (RR: 1.12, 95% CI 0.76-1.63). In women with mammographically dense breasts, DBT+/-DM increased CDR significantly (versus DM) in screening and diagnosis. In diagnosis, DBT+/-DM increased sensitivity but not specificity. The effect of DBT + DM on recall rate in screening dense breasts varied between studies.

Routine versus selective contrast imaging to identify the need for early re-intervention following laparoscopic fundoplication: A retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Shahzad, Khalid; Menon, Ashok; Turner, Paul; Ward, Jeremy; Pursnani, Kishore; Alkhaffaf, Bilal

2015-08-01

The prompt recognition of complications is essential in reducing morbidity following anti-reflux surgery. Consequently, many centres employ a policy of routine post-operative contrast studies. The study aimed to examine whether routine contrast studies more effectively recognised early post-operative complications following anti-reflux surgery compared with selective use. This was a retrospective analysis of 240 adults who had undergone primary anti-reflux surgery. Selective use of water-soluble contrast swallows was employed for 115 patients (Group 1) while 125 patients (Group 2) had routine studies. 10 (0.9%) patients from Group 1 underwent contrast studies, four (40%) of which were abnormal. Routine studies in Group 2 identified thirty-two abnormalities (27%) however the inter-group difference was not significant (p = 0.32). Only one case from group 2 required immediate re-intervention. This was not statistically significant (p = 0.78). Multivariate analysis found no significant association between selective or routine imaging and re-intervention rates. One patient from group 2 presented three days following discharge with wrap migration requiring reoperation despite a normal post-operative study. Routine use of contrast imaging following anti-reflux and hiatus hernia surgery is not necessary. It does not identify a significantly greater number of post-operative complications in comparison to selective use. Additionally, routine use of contrast studies does not ensure the diagnosis of all complications in the post-operative period. Copyright © 2015 IJS Publishing Group Limited. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Freshman year mental health symptoms and level of adaptation as predictors of Internet addiction: a retrospective nested case-control study of male Chinese college students.

PubMed

Yao, Bin; Han, Wei; Zeng, Lingxia; Guo, Xiong

2013-12-15

A retrospective nested case-control study was designed to explore whether freshman year mental health status and level of adaptation are predictors of Internet addiction. The study cohort was 977 college students at a university in northwest China. In the first college year, the students' mental health status and adaptation level were assessed using the Chinese College Student Mental Health Scale (CCSMHS) and the Chinese College Student Adjustment Scale (CCSAS). In the following 1-3 years, 62 Internet-addicted subjects were identified using Young's 8-item diagnostic questionnaire. Controls were matched for demographic characteristics. Using logistic regression analysis, freshman year mental health status, including factors such as somatization, anxiety, depression and self-contempt, and freshman year adaptive problems were found to be causal factors and predictors of Internet addiction. Freshman with features of depression, learning maladaptation and dissatisfaction could be an important target-intervention population for reducing Internet addiction. © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Canary TMA — EDRN Public Portal

Cancer.gov

This protocol describes a multi-center, retrospective, case-cohort tissue microarray (TMA) study to evaluate tissue biomarkers for their ability to predict recurrent prostate cancer at the time of radical prostatectomy (RP). Candidate biomarkers will be assessed by performing tissue localization studies on TMAs containing recurrent prostate cancer and non-recurrent prostate cancer. De-identified data will be transferred to a central repository for statistical analysis. Participating institutions will use a variation of case-cohort sampling to randomly select a subset of patients from a retrospectively constructed RP cohort and/or perform selected assays on the cohort. The study endpoint is time to recurrence; of primary interest is five year recurrence free survival. Recurrent prostate cancer is defined by 1) a single serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level greater than 0.2 ng/mL after RP and/or 2) receipt of salvage or secondary therapy after RP and/or 3) clinical or radiological evidence of metastatic disease. Non-recurrent prostate cancer is defined as disease with no evidence of recurrence.

Factors associated with postoperative C5 palsy after expansive open-door laminoplasty: retrospective cohort study using multivariable analysis.

PubMed

Tsuji, Takashi; Matsumoto, Morio; Nakamura, Masaya; Ishii, Ken; Fujita, Nobuyuki; Chiba, Kazuhiro; Watanabe, Kota

2017-09-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the factors associated with C5 palsy by focusing on radiological parameters using multivariable analysis. The authors retrospectively assessed 190 patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy treated by open-door laminoplasty. Four radiographic parameters-the number of expanded lamina, C3-C7 angle, lamina open angle and space anterior to the spinal cord-were evaluated to clarify the factors associated with C5 palsy. Of the 190 patients, 11 developed C5 palsy, giving an overall incidence of 5.8%. Although the number of expanded lamina, lamina open angle and space anterior to the spinal cord were significantly larger in C5 palsy group than those in non-palsy group, a multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that only the space anterior to the spinal cord (odds ratio 2.60) was a significant independent factor associated with C5 palsy. A multiple linear regression analysis indicated that the lamina open angle was associated with the space anterior to the spinal cord and the analysis identified the following equation: space anterior to the spinal cord (mm) = 1.54 + 0.09 × lamina open angle (degree). A cut-off value of 53.5° for the lamina open angle predicted the development of C5 palsy with a sensitivity of 72.7% and a specificity of 83.2%. The larger postoperative space anterior to the spinal cord, which was associated with the lamina open angle, was positively correlated with the higher incidence of C5 palsy.

First World War and Mental Health: a retrospective comparative study of veterans admitted to a psychiatric hospital between 1915 and 1918.

PubMed

Lagonia, Paolo; Aloi, Matteo; Magliocco, Fabio; Cerminara, Gregorio; Segura-Garcia, Cristina; Del Vecchio, Valeria; Luciano, Mario; Fiorillo, Andrea; De Fazio, Pasquale

2017-01-01

The association between mental illness and war has been repeatedly investigated. Higher levels of depressive symptoms and an increased suicidal risk have been found in veterans. In this study we investigated the mental health conditions among Italian soldiers during the “Great War”, who were hospitalized in a mental health hospital in Italy. The study sample consists of 498 soldiers who were admitted during the World War I between 1915 and 1918, and 498 civilian patients admitted in two different periods (1898-1914, 1919- 1932). Psychiatric diagnoses have been recorded retrospectively by a detailed examination of clinical records. Socio-demographic informations, diagnosis at first admission, number of admissions, and deployment in war zones were collected. A logistic regression analysis was performed, the diagnosis of depression was considered as dependent variable while clinical and demographic variables as independent predictors. Soldiers deployed in war zones were more likely to have a diagnosis of depression compared to those not serving on the frontline. The logistic regression analysis showed that the diagnosis of depression is predicted by being a soldier and being deployed in a war area. Our data confirm that soldiers engaged in war are at higher risk of developing depression compared to non-deployed soldiers.

Clinical cure and survival in Gram-positive ventilator-associated pneumonia: retrospective analysis of two double-blind studies comparing linezolid with vancomycin.

PubMed

Kollef, Marin H; Rello, Jordi; Cammarata, Sue K; Croos-Dabrera, Rodney V; Wunderink, Richard G

2004-03-01

To assess the effect of baseline variables, including treatment, on clinical cure and survival rates in patients with Gram-positive, ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Retrospective analysis of two randomized, double-blind studies. Multinational study with 134 sites. 544 patients with suspected Gram-positive VAP, including 264 with documented Gram-positive VAP and 91 with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) VAP. Linezolid 600 mg or vancomycin 1 g every 12 h for 7-21 days, each with aztreonam. Clinical cure rates assessed 12-28 days after the end of therapy and excluding indeterminate or missing outcomes significantly favored linezolid in the Gram-positive and MRSA subsets. Logistic regression showed that linezolid was an independent predictor of clinical cure with odds ratios of 1.8 for all patients, 2.4 for Gram-positive VAP, and 20.0 for MRSA VAP. Kaplan-Meier survival rates favored linezolid in the MRSA subset. Logistic regression showed that linezolid was an independent predictor of survival with odds ratios of 1.6 for all patients, 2.6 for Gram-positive VAP, and 4.6 for MRSA VAP. Initial linezolid therapy was associated with significantly better clinical cure and survival rates than was initial vancomycin therapy in patients with MRSA VAP.

Incidence of retinopathy of prematurity in the United States: 1997 through 2005.

PubMed

Lad, Eleonora M; Hernandez-Boussard, Tina; Morton, John M; Moshfeghi, Darius M

2009-09-01

To determine the incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) based on a national database and to identify baseline characteristics, demographic information, comorbidities, and surgical interventions. Retrospective study based on the National Inpatient Sample from 1997 through 2005. The National Inpatient Sample was queried for all newborn infants with and without ROP. Multivariate logistic regression was used to predict risk factors for ROP. Thirty-four million live births were recorded during the study period. The total ROP incidence was 0.17% overall and 15.58% for premature infants with length of stay of more than 28 days. Our results conclusively demonstrated the importance of low birth weight as a risk for ROP development in infants with length of stay of more than 28 days, as well as association with respiratory conditions, fetal hemorrhage, intraventricular hemorrhage, and blood transfer. An interesting finding was the protective effect conferred by hypoxia, necrotizing enterocolitis, and hemolytic disease of the newborn. Infants with ROP had a higher incidence of undergoing laser photocoagulation therapy, pars plana vitrectomy, and scleral buckle surgery. The current study represents a large, retrospective analysis of newborns with ROP. The multivariate analysis emphasizes the role of birth weight in extended-stay infants, as well as respiratory conditions, fetal hemorrhage, intraventricular hemorrhage, and blood transfer.

Suitability of the AUC Ratio as an Indicator of the Pharmacokinetic Advantage in HIPEC.

PubMed

Mas-Fuster, Maria Isabel; Ramon-Lopez, Amelia; Lacueva, Javier; Más-Serrano, Patricio; Nalda-Molina, Ricardo

2018-02-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) ratio as an optimal indicator of the pharmacokinetic advantage during hyperthermic intraperitoneal perioperative chemotherapy. The impact on the AUC ratio on the variables related to the calculation of systemic drug exposure, instillation time, and peripheral drug distribution was evaluated through simulations as well as through a retrospective analysis of studies published in the literature. Both model simulations and the retrospective analysis showed that the 3 variables evaluated had an impact on the AUC ratio value if the complete systemic exposure was not fully considered. However, when that complete systemic exposure was considered, none of these variables affected the AUC ratio value. AUC ratio is not a characteristic parameter of a drug if the calculated systemic drug exposure is not complete. Thus, AUC ratio is not valid for comparing the pharmacokinetic advantage of 2 drugs, and it should not be employed to prove whether a drug can be used in hyperthermic intraperitoneal perioperative chemotherapy safely with regard to toxicity. As an alternative, the study of the absorption rate constant and the bioavailability are proposed as the true and independent parameters that reflect the amount of drug absorbed. Copyright © 2018 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors Associated with Life Expectancy in Patients with Metastatic Spine Disease from Adenocarcinoma of the Lung

PubMed Central

Goodwin, C. Rory; Khattab, Mohamed H.; Sankey, Eric W.; Elder, Benjamin D.; Kosztowski, Thomas A.; Sarabia-Estrada, Rachel; Bydon, Ali; Witham, Timothy F.; Wolinsky, Jean-Paul; Gokaslan, Ziya L.; Sciubba, Daniel M.

2015-01-01

Study Design Retrospective study. Objective Our objective was to identify preoperative prognostic factors associated with survival in patients with spinal metastasis from lung carcinoma. Methods A retrospective analysis of 26 patients diagnosed with lung carcinoma metastatic to the spinal column was performed to determine factors associated with survival. We used 3 months survival as the clinical cutoff for whether surgical intervention should be performed. We analyzed patients who survived less than 3 months compared with those who survived more than 3 months. Demographic, preoperative, operative, and postoperative factors including functional scores were collected for analysis. Results The median survival for all patients in our study was 3.5 months. We found a statistically significant difference between the group that survived less than 3 months and the group that survived greater than 3 months in terms of extrathoracic metastasis, visceral metastasis, and average postoperative modified Rankin score. Conclusion Determining which patients with lung cancer spinal metastases will benefit from surgical intervention is often dictated by the patient's predicted life expectancy. Factors associated with poorer prognosis include age, functional status, visceral metastases, and extrathoracic metastases. Although the prognosis for patients with lung cancer spinal metastases is poor, some patients may experience long-term benefit from surgical intervention. PMID:26430597

Improving newborn screening for cystic fibrosis using next-generation sequencing technology: a technical feasibility study.

PubMed

Baker, Mei W; Atkins, Anne E; Cordovado, Suzanne K; Hendrix, Miyono; Earley, Marie C; Farrell, Philip M

2016-03-01

Many regions have implemented newborn screening (NBS) for cystic fibrosis (CF) using a limited panel of cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) mutations after immunoreactive trypsinogen (IRT) analysis. We sought to assess the feasibility of further improving the screening using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. An NGS assay was used to detect 162 CFTR mutations/variants characterized by the CFTR2 project. We used 67 dried blood spots (DBSs) containing 48 distinct CFTR mutations to validate the assay. NGS assay was retrospectively performed on 165 CF screen-positive samples with one CFTR mutation. The NGS assay was successfully performed using DNA isolated from DBSs, and it correctly detected all CFTR mutations in the validation. Among 165 screen-positive infants with one CFTR mutation, no additional disease-causing mutation was identified in 151 samples consistent with normal sweat tests. Five infants had a CF-causing mutation that was not included in this panel, and nine with two CF-causing mutations were identified. The NGS assay was 100% concordant with traditional methods. Retrospective analysis results indicate an IRT/NGS screening algorithm would enable high sensitivity, better specificity and positive predictive value (PPV). This study lays the foundation for prospective studies and for introducing NGS in NBS laboratories.

Intraindividual Comparison of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT, Multiparametric MRI, and Radical Prostatectomy Specimens in Patients with Primary Prostate Cancer: A Retrospective, Proof-of-Concept Study.

PubMed

Kesch, Claudia; Vinsensia, Maria; Radtke, Jan P; Schlemmer, Heinz P; Heller, Martina; Ellert, Elena; Holland-Letz, Tim; Duensing, Stefan; Grabe, Nils; Afshar-Oromieh, Ali; Wieczorek, Kathrin; Schäfer, Martin; Neels, Oliver C; Cardinale, Jens; Kratochwil, Clemens; Hohenfellner, Markus; Kopka, Klaus; Haberkorn, Uwe; Hadaschik, Boris A; Giesel, Frederik L

2017-11-01

68 Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-11 PET/CT represents an advanced method for the staging of primary prostate cancer (PCa) and diagnosis of recurrent or metastatic PCa. However, because of the narrow availability of 68 Ga the development of alternative tracers is of high interest. The objective of this study was to examine the value of the new PET tracer 18 F-PSMA-1007 for the staging of local disease by comparing it with multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) and radical prostatectomy (RP) histopathology. Methods: In 2016, 18 F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT was performed in 10 men with biopsy-confirmed high-risk PCa. Nine patients underwent mpMRI in the process of primary diagnosis. Consecutively, RP was performed in all 10 men. Agreement analysis was performed retrospectively. PSMA staining was added for representative sections in RP specimen slices. Localization and agreement analysis of 18 F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT, mpMRI, and RP specimens was performed by dividing the prostate into 38 sections as described in the prostate imaging reporting and data system (PI-RADS) (version 2). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, negative predictive values (NPVs), and accuracy were calculated for total and near-total agreement. Results: 18 F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT had an NPV of 68% and an accuracy of 75%, and mpMRI had an NPV of 88% and an accuracy of 73% for total agreement. Near-total agreement analysis resulted in an NPV of 91% and an accuracy of 93% for 18 F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT and 91% and 87% for mpMRI, respectively. Retrospective combination of mpMRI and PET/CT had an accuracy of 81% for total and 93% for near-total agreement. Conclusion: Comparison with RP histopathology demonstrates that 18 F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT is promising for accurate local staging of PCa. © 2017 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

Stenting of the cervical internal carotid artery in acute stroke management: The Karolinska experience.

PubMed

Mpotsaris, Anastasios; Kabbasch, Christoph; Borggrefe, Jan; Gontu, Vamsi; Soderman, Michael

2017-04-01

Background Emergency stent placement in the extracranial internal carotid artery in combination with anterior circulation thrombectomy is a routine procedure. Yet, precise indications and clinical safety in this setting remains controversial. Present data for mechanical thrombectomy include few studies with acute stenting of tandem occlusions. We evaluated the feasibility, safety and clinical outcome of this endovascular treatment in a retrospective analysis of all consecutive cases at a comprehensive stroke centre. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients with acute extracranial carotid artery occlusion including acute dissection or high-grade stenosis and concomitant intracranial large-vessel occlusion treated with emergency carotid stenting and intracranial mechanical thrombectomy between November 2007 and May 2015. Results A total of 63 patients with a median age of 67 years (range 33-84 years) were treated. Of these, 33 (52%) patients had concomitant intravenous thrombolysis with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator initially. Median admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale was 14 (range 1-29). Median time from stroke onset to recanalization was 408 minutes (range 165-1846 minutes). Procedure time was significantly shorter after intravenous thrombolysis (110 minutes [range 15-202 minutes] vs. 130 minutes [range 60-280 minutes]; p = 0.02). Three (5%) patients experienced post-procedural symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage. In 55/63 (87%) patients, a score of ≥2b on the Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction scale could be achieved. Eight (13%) patients died, five (8%) during the acute phase. A total of 29/63 (46%) patients showed a favourable outcome (modified Rankin Scale score of 0-2) after three months. Conclusions Our single-centre retrospective analysis of emergency stent placement in the extracranial internal carotid artery in combination with anterior circulation thrombectomy demonstrated high technical success, reasonable clinical outcomes and acceptable rates of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage in carefully chosen patients which are triaged interdisciplinary based on clinical and computed tomography imaging criteria. This warrants further study in a randomised prospective trial.

Trends in the volume of operative treatment of midshaft clavicle fractures in children and adolescents: a retrospective, 12-year, single-institution analysis.

PubMed

Suppan, Catherine A; Bae, Donald S; Donohue, Kyna S; Miller, Patricia E; Kocher, Mininder S; Heyworth, Benton E

2016-07-01

The purpose of this study was to examine institutional trends in the volume of clavicle fractures in children and adolescents. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed to identify patients aged 10-18 years treated for a clavicle fracture between 1999 and 2011 at a single tertiary-care pediatric hospital. There were significant increases in the number of clavicle fractures seen annually, of midshaft clavicle fractures, and of midshaft clavicle fractures treated operatively. The percentage of midshaft clavicle fractures treated with fixation also increased significantly. The volumes of clavicle fractures and midshaft clavicle fractures treated operatively appear to be increasing. Despite a lack of evidence-based support, the frequency of fixation of midshaft clavicle fractures appear to be increasing in the pediatric population.

Characterization of dermatitis after PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor therapy and association with multiple oncologic outcomes: a retrospective case-control study.

PubMed

Min Lee, Charles Kyung; Li, Shufeng; Tran, Duy Cong; Zhu, Gefei Alex; Kim, Jinah; Kwong, Bernice Y; Chang, Anne Lynn S

2018-05-29

Cutaneous adverse events are common with Programmed Death (PD)-1/ PD-Ligand (L)1 inhibitors. However, the nature of the specific cutaneous adverse event of dermatitis has not been investigated across various PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Oncologic outcomes potentially associated with dermatitis are not well characterized. (s): To assess the nature of dermatitis after PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor exposure and oncologic outcomes associated with dermatitis. Retrospective, matched, case-control study conducted at a single academic center. The most common histologic patterns were lichenoid dermatitis (50%) and spongiotic dermatitis (40%). Overall tumor response rate was 65.0% for cases and 17.0% for controls (p=0.0007), odds ratio: 7.3 (95% CI 2.3-23.1). Progression Free Survival (PFS) and Overall Survival (OS) times were significantly longer for cases than controls by Kaplan-Meier analysis (p<0.0001 and 0.0203, respectively). Retrospective design and relatively small sample size precluded matching on all cancer types. Lichenoid and spongiotic dermatitis associated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors could be a sign of robust immune response and improved oncologic outcomes. The predictive value of PD-1/PD-L1 related dermatitis on cancer outcomes awaits investigation through prospective multicenter studies for specific cancer types. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Assessing the clinical effectiveness of an algorithmic approach for mucosal lichen planus (MLP): A retrospective review.

PubMed

Ashack, Kurt A; Haley, Laura L; Luther, Chelsea A; Riemer, Christie A; Ashack, Richard J

2016-06-01

Mucosal lichen planus (MLP) is a therapeutic challenge in need of a new treatment approach because of its debilitating effect on patient's quality of life. We sought to evaluate a standardized treatment plan for patients with MLP. A second objective was to describe the effect of mycophenolate mofetil in this patient population. The study retrospectively analyzed 53 patients with MLP treated using a standardized algorithm. The number of MLP lesions, disease activity, and pain at the last visit were compared with baseline scores determined at the initial visit. Results were analyzed using the paired samples t test and confirmed with the Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank test. The average number of lesions was reduced from 3.77 to 1.67 (P < .001). The average disease activity was reduced from 2.73 to 0.90 (P < .001). Average pain reported decreased from 2.03 to 1.03 (P < .001). This study was a retrospective analysis of a small patient population. There was no universal symptom severity scale used at the time of treatment for some patients. The standardized treatment plan reduced symptoms for patients with MLP. Mycophenolate mofetil appears to be a reasonable treatment option for these patients. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Retrospective access to data: the ENGAGE consent experience

PubMed Central

Tassé, Anne Marie; Budin-Ljøsne, Isabelle; Knoppers, Bartha Maria; Harris, Jennifer R

2010-01-01

The rapid emergence of large-scale genetic databases raises issues at the nexus of medical law and ethics, as well as the need, at both national and international levels, for an appropriate and effective framework for their governance. This is even more so for retrospective access to data for secondary uses, wherein the original consent did not foresee such use. The first part of this paper provides a brief historical overview of the ethical and legal frameworks governing consent issues in biobanking generally, before turning to the secondary use of retrospective data in epidemiological biobanks. Such use raises particularly complex issues when (1) the original consent provided is restricted; (2) the minor research subject reaches legal age; (3) the research subject dies; or (4) samples and data were obtained during medical care. Our analysis demonstrates the inconclusive, and even contradictory, nature of guidelines and confirms the current lack of compatible regulations. The second part of this paper uses the European Network for Genetic and Genomic Epidemiology (ENGAGE Consortium) as a case study to illustrate the challenges of research using previously collected data sets in Europe. Our study of 52 ENGAGE consent forms and information documents shows that a broad range of mechanisms were developed to enable secondary use of the data that are part of the ENGAGE Consortium. PMID:20332813

Retrospective access to data: the ENGAGE consent experience.

PubMed

Tassé, Anne Marie; Budin-Ljøsne, Isabelle; Knoppers, Bartha Maria; Harris, Jennifer R

2010-07-01

The rapid emergence of large-scale genetic databases raises issues at the nexus of medical law and ethics, as well as the need, at both national and international levels, for an appropriate and effective framework for their governance. This is even more so for retrospective access to data for secondary uses, wherein the original consent did not foresee such use. The first part of this paper provides a brief historical overview of the ethical and legal frameworks governing consent issues in biobanking generally, before turning to the secondary use of retrospective data in epidemiological biobanks. Such use raises particularly complex issues when (1) the original consent provided is restricted; (2) the minor research subject reaches legal age; (3) the research subject dies; or (4) samples and data were obtained during medical care. Our analysis demonstrates the inconclusive, and even contradictory, nature of guidelines and confirms the current lack of compatible regulations. The second part of this paper uses the European Network for Genetic and Genomic Epidemiology (ENGAGE Consortium) as a case study to illustrate the challenges of research using previously collected data sets in Europe. Our study of 52 ENGAGE consent forms and information documents shows that a broad range of mechanisms were developed to enable secondary use of the data that are part of the ENGAGE Consortium.

Understanding the Potential Interethnic Difference in Rosuvastatin Pharmacokinetics.

PubMed

Benet, Leslie Z; Wu, Hsin-Fang

2017-09-01

Here we address the potential difference in rosuvastatin pharmacokinetics in Asians vs. whites. Our prospective study, reported in this issue, shows no ethnic difference when all subjects are wild-type for OATP1B1 and BCRP. We argue that although our study may be under powered to prove no ethnic difference, and that further confirmatory study is required, the virtual clinical study analysis, also reported in this issue, does not contradict the results of our prospective clinical study and that previous retrospective analysis of clinical studies does not include enough relevant subjects to conclude that wild-type OATP1B1 and BCRP do still demonstrate ethnic differences. Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Investigating the Influences of Language Delay and/or Familial Risk for Dyslexia on Brain Structure in 5-Year-Olds

PubMed Central

Raschle, Nora Maria; Becker, Bryce Larkin Chessell; Smith, Sara; Fehlbaum, Lynn Valérie; Wang, Yingying; Gaab, Nadine

2017-01-01

Abstract Early language delay has often been associated with atypical language/literacy development. Neuroimaging studies further indicate functional disruptions during language and print processing in school-age children with a retrospective report of early language delay. Behavioral data of 114 5-year-olds with a retrospective report of early language delay in infancy (N = 34) and those without (N = 80) and with a familial risk for dyslexia and those without are presented. Behaviorally, children with a retrospective report of early language delay exhibited reduced performance in language/reading-related measures. A voxel-based morphometry analysis in a subset (N = 46) demonstrated an association between reduced gray matter volume and early language delay in left-hemispheric middle temporal, occipital, and frontal regions. Alterations in middle temporal cortex in children with a retrospective report of early language delay were observed regardless of familial risk for dyslexia. Additionally, while children with isolated familial risk for dyslexia showed gray matter reductions in temporoparietal and occipitotemporal regions, these effects were most profound in children with both risk factors. An interaction effect of early language delay and familial risk was revealed in temporoparietal, occipital, and frontal cortex. Our findings support a cumulative effect of early behavioral and genetic risk factors on brain development and may ultimately inform diagnosis/treatment. PMID:26585334

Risk factors for amendment in type, duration and setting of prescribed outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) for adult patients with cellulitis: a retrospective cohort study and CART analysis.

PubMed

Quirke, Michael; Curran, Emma May; O'Kelly, Patrick; Moran, Ruth; Daly, Eimear; Aylward, Seamus; McElvaney, Gerry; Wakai, Abel

2018-01-01

To measure the percentage rate and risk factors for amendment in the type, duration and setting of outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy ( OPAT) for the treatment of cellulitis. A retrospective cohort study of adult patients receiving OPAT for cellulitis was performed. Treatment amendment (TA) was defined as hospital admission or change in antibiotic therapy in order to achieve clinical response. Multivariable logistic regression (MVLR) and classification and regression tree (CART) analysis were performed. There were 307 patients enrolled. TA occurred in 36 patients (11.7%). Significant risk factors for TA on MVLR were increased age, increased Numerical Pain Scale Score (NPSS) and immunocompromise. The median OPAT duration was 7 days. Increased age, heart rate and C reactive protein were associated with treatment prolongation. CART analysis selected age <64.5 years, female gender and NPSS <2.5 in the final model, generating a low-sensitivity (27.8%), high-specificity (97.1%) decision tree. Increased age, NPSS and immunocompromise were associated with OPAT amendment. These identified risk factors can be used to support an evidence-based approach to patient selection for OPAT in cellulitis. The CART algorithm has good specificity but lacks sensitivity and is shown to be inferior in this study to logistic regression modelling. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Retrospective study of adjuvant icotinib in postoperative lung cancer patients harboring epidermal growth factor receptor mutations

PubMed Central

Yao, Shuyang; Zhi, Xiuyi; Wang, Ruotian; Qian, Kun; Hu, Mu

2016-01-01

Background Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations occur in about 50% of Asian patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients with advanced NSCLC and EGFR mutations derive clinical benefit from treatment with EGFR‐tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). This study assessed the efficacy and safety of adjuvant icotinib without chemotherapy in EGFR‐mutated NSCLC patients undergoing resection of stage IB–IIIA. Methods Our retrospective study enrolled 20 patients treated with icotinib as adjuvant therapy. Survival factors were evaluated by univariate and Cox regression analysis. Results The median follow‐up time was 30 months (range 24–41). At the data cut‐off, five patients (25%) had recurrence or metastasis and one patient had died of the disease. The two‐year disease‐free survival (DFS) rate was 85%. No recurrence occurred in the high‐risk stage IB subgroup during the follow‐up period. In univariate analysis, the micropapillary pattern had a statistically significant effect on DFS (P = 0.040). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that there was no independent predictor. Drug related adverse events (AEs) occurred in nine patients (45.0%). The most common AEs were skin‐related events and diarrhea, but were relatively mild. No grade 3 AEs or occurrences of intolerable toxicity were observed. Conclusions Icotinib as adjuvant therapy is effective in patients harboring EGFR mutations after complete resection, with an acceptable AE profile. Further trials with larger sample sizes might confirm the efficiency of adjuvant TKI in selected patients. PMID:27766784

External tissue expansion for difficult wounds using a simple cost effective technique.

PubMed

Nandhagopal, Vijayaraghavan; Chittoria, Ravi Kumar; Mohapatra, Devi Prasad; Thiruvoth, Friji Meethale; Sivakumar, Dinesh Kumar; Ashokan, Arjun

2015-01-01

To study and discuss role of external tissue expansion and wound closure (ETEWC) technique using hooks and rubber bands. The present study is a retrospective analysis of nine cases of wounds of different aetiology where ETEWC technique was applied using hooks and rubber bands. All the wounds in the study healed completely without split thickness skin graft (SSG) or flap. ETEWC technique using hooks and rubber bands is a cost-effective technique which can be used for wound closure without SSG or flap.

Validity of Adult Retrospective Reports of Adverse Childhood Experiences: Review of the Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardt, Jochen; Rutter, Michael

2004-01-01

Background: Influential studies have cast doubt on the validity of retrospective reports by adults of their own adverse experiences in childhood. Accordingly, many researchers view retrospective reports with scepticism. Method: A computer-based search, supplemented by hand searches, was used to identify studies reported between 1980 and 2001 in…

A retrospective analysis of in vivo eye irritation, skin irritation and skin sensitisation studies with agrochemical formulations: Setting the scene for development of alternative strategies.

PubMed

Corvaro, M; Gehen, S; Andrews, K; Chatfield, R; Macleod, F; Mehta, J

2017-10-01

Analysis of the prevalence of health effects in large scale databases is key in defining testing strategies within the context of Integrated Approaches on Testing and Assessment (IATA), and is relevant to drive policy changes in existing regulatory toxicology frameworks towards non-animal approaches. A retrospective analysis of existing results from in vivo skin irritation, eye irritation, and skin sensitisation studies on a database of 223 agrochemical formulations is herein published. For skin or eye effects, high prevalence of mild to non-irritant formulations (i.e. per GHS, CLP or EPA classification) would generally suggest a bottom-up approach. Severity of erythema or corneal opacity, for skinor eye effects respectively, were the key drivers for classification, consistent with existing literature. The reciprocal predictivity of skin versus eye irritation and the good negative predictivity of the GHS additivity calculation approach (>85%) provided valuable non-testing evidence for irritation endpoints. For dermal sensitisation, concordance on data from three different methods confirmed the high false negative rate for the Buehler method in this product class. These results have been reviewed together with existing literature on the use of in vitro alternatives for agrochemical formulations, to propose improvements to current regulatory strategies and to identify further research needs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Clinical and molecular surveillance of drug resistant vivax malaria in Myanmar (2009-2016).

PubMed

Nyunt, Myat Htut; Han, Jin-Hee; Wang, Bo; Aye, Khin Myo; Aye, Kyin Hla; Lee, Seong-Kyun; Htut, Ye; Kyaw, Myat Phone; Han, Kay Thwe; Han, Eun-Taek

2017-03-16

One of the major challenges for control and elimination of malaria is ongoing spread and emergence of drug resistance. While epidemiology and surveillance of the drug resistance in falciparum malaria is being explored globally, there are few studies on drug resistance vivax malaria. To assess the spread of drug-resistant vivax malaria in Myanmar, a multisite, prospective, longitudinal study with retrospective analysis of previous therapeutic efficacy studies, was conducted. A total of 906 from nine study sites were included in retrospective analysis and 208 from three study sites in prospective study. Uncomplicated vivax mono-infected patients were recruited and monitored with longitudinal follow-up until day 28 after treatment with chloroquine. Amplification and sequence analysis of molecular markers, such as mutations in pvcrt-O, pvmdr1, pvdhps and pvdhfr, were done in day-0 samples in prospective study. Clinical failure cases were found only in Kawthaung, southern Myanmar and western Myanmar sites within 2009-2016. Chloroquine resistance markers, pvcrt-O 'AAG' insertion and pvmdr1 mutation (Y976F) showed higher mutant rate in southern and central Myanmar than western site: 66.7, 72.7 vs 48.3% and 26.7, 17.0 vs 1.7%, respectively. A similar pattern of significantly higher mutant rate of antifolate resistance markers, pvdhps (S382A, K512M, A553G) and pvdhfr (F57L/I, S58R, T61M, S117T/N) were noted. Although clinical failure rate was low, widespread distribution of chloroquine and antifolate resistance molecular makers alert to the emergence and spread of drug resistance vivax malaria in Myanmar. Proper strategy and action plan to eliminate and contain the resistant strain strengthened together with clinical and molecular surveillance on drug resistance vivax is recommended.

Effects of dialysate to serum sodium (Na+) alignment in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients: retrospective cohort study from a quality improvement project.

PubMed

Raimann, Jochen G; Ficociello, Linda H; Usvyat, Len A; Zhang, Hanjie; Pacelli, Lisa; Moore, Sandi; Sheppard, Penny; Xiao, Qingqing; Wang, Yuedong; Mullon, Claudy; Balter, Paul; Sullivan, Terry; Kotanko, Peter

2018-04-02

Evidence indicates favorable effects of dialysate (DNa + ) to serum sodium concentration (SNa + ) alignment, however, results from larger sample populations are needed. For this reason, we conducted a retrospective propensity score-matched cohort study from a quality improvement project to investigate the effects of alignment on population of maintenance hemodialysis patients. At 4 participating hemodialysis (HD) clinics, patients with SNa + lower than the standard DNa + of 137 mEq/L who received HD with DNa + aligned to the average of the last 4 SNa + measurements were evaluated (clinicaltrials.gov # NCT01825590 ). In this retrospective data analysis, an intention-to-treat (primary) and an as-treated "intervention" (secondary) cohort were created. "Aligned" patients from both cohorts (N = 163 for the primary and N = 137 for the secondary) were then propensity-score matched in a 1:1 fashion to "unaligned" patients from the Renal Research Institute database. The propensity score was generated based on age, gender, white race, Hispanic ethnicity, absence or presence of diabetes, hemodialysis vintage, interdialytic weight gain (IDWG; as a percentage of postdialysis body weight), catheter as primary dialysis access, predialysis systolic blood pressure, serum sodium concentration, hospitalization count during baseline. T-Test was employed for group comparisons of changes to the primary (volume-related and hemodynamic parameters) and tertiary outcomes. All-cause and fluid overload-related hospitalization admission rates were compared using Wilcoxon Rank Sum test and Cox regression analysis for repeated events. In the primary analysis, aligned and unaligned subjects showed comparable demographics at baseline. Treatment effects were significant for IDWG [-0.12 (95% CI -0.24 to 0) L] and showed decreasing non-significant trends for pre-dialysis hemodynamic parameters. Count comparison and Cox regression analysis showed no clear advantage of alignment in terms of all-cause and fluid overload-related hospitalization. Results from the largest sodium alignment program to date suggest positive treatment effects on volume-related and hemodynamic parameters, but no clear effect on risk of hospitalization. Well-matched control patients minimized confounding effects. Small effects and lack of significant differences may be explained by a low baseline DNa + limiting the interventional change.

Prospective registration trends, reasons for retrospective registration and mechanisms to increase prospective registration compliance: descriptive analysis and survey.

PubMed

Hunter, Kylie Elizabeth; Seidler, Anna Lene; Askie, Lisa M

2018-03-01

To analyse prospective versus retrospective trial registration trends on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) and to evaluate the reasons for non-compliance with prospective registration. Part 1: Descriptive analysis of trial registration trends from 2006 to 2015. Part 2: Online registrant survey. Part 1: All interventional trials registered on ANZCTR from 2006 to 2015. Part 2: Random sample of those who had retrospectively registered a trial on ANZCTR between 2010 and 2015. Part 1: Proportion of prospective versus retrospective clinical trial registrations (ie, registration before versus after enrolment of the first participant) on the ANZCTR overall and by various key metrics, such as sponsor, funder, recruitment country and sample size. Part 2: Reasons for non-compliance with prospective registration and perceived usefulness of various proposed mechanisms to improve prospective registration compliance. Part 1: Analysis of the complete dataset of 9450 trials revealed that compliance with prospective registration increased from 48% (216 out of 446 trials) in 2006 to 63% (723/1148) in 2012 and has since plateaued at around 64%. Patterns of compliance were relatively consistent across sponsor and funder types (industry vs non-industry), type of intervention (drug vs non-drug) and size of trial (n<100, 100-500, >500). However, primary sponsors from Australia/New Zealand were almost twice as likely to register prospectively (62%; 4613/7452) compared with sponsors from other countries with a WHO Network Registry (35%; 377/1084) or sponsors from countries without a WHO Registry (29%; 230/781). Part 2: The majority (56%; 84/149) of survey respondents cited lack of awareness as a reason for not registering their study prospectively. Seventy-four per cent (111/149) stated that linking registration to ethics approval would facilitate prospective registration. Despite some progress, compliance with prospective registration remains suboptimal. Linking registration to ethics approval was the favoured strategy among those sampled for improving compliance. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Prognostic impact of postoperative radiation in patients undergoing radical esophagectomy for pathologic lymph node positive esophageal cancer.

PubMed

Xu, Yaping; Liu, Jinshi; Du, Xianghui; Sun, Xiaojiang; Zheng, Yuanda; Chen, Jianxiang; Li, Bo; Liu, Wei; Jiang, Hao; Mao, Weimin

2013-05-08

Though postoperative radiation for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is offered in selected cases, there is conflicting evidence as to whether it improves overall survival (OS). A retrospective investigation was performed to analyze the prognostic impact of postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) in a large cohort of patients. From 2001 to 2009, 725 patients underwent radical esophagectomy (R0) with or without PORT were eligible for retrospective analysis. Patients were grouped into surgery alone (n = 467) and surgery plus PORT (n = 258). Median irradiation doses were 50 Gy (range: 40-56 Gy). Radiation fields encompassed the bilateral supraclavicular fossa, mediastinum, subcarinal area, and the tumor bed for the upper/middle-third disease; the bilateral supraclavicular fossa, mediastinum, the tumor bed, subcarinal area, and lower thoracic paraesophageal area for the lower-third disease. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis were used to compare OS. After median follow-up of 53 months, the median OS was 29 months in the PORT group and 23 months in the surgery alone group. The addition of PORT improved OS at 3 years from 36.6 to 43.6% compared with surgery alone. The use of PORT was associated with significantly improved OS (p = 0.018). For American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage III esophageal cancer (T1-2N2M0, T3N1-2M0, T4N1-3M0), there was significant improvement in OS (p = 0.002) in the PORT group, not only for lymph-node metastatic ratio (LNMR) ≥0.25 (p = 0.001), but also for LNMR <0.25 (p = 0.043). However, for stage IIB disease (T1-2N1M0) there was no significant differences. The addition of POCT didn't prolong the OS significantly (Surgery alone group, p = 0.079; PORT group, p = 0.111). This large retrospective analysis supports the use of PORT for pathologic lymph node positive stage III esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Given the retrospective nature of this study, the results should be confirmed by appropriately powered randomized trials. Further development of adjuvant therapy in EC is warranted.

Principles of Experimental Design for Big Data Analysis.

PubMed

Drovandi, Christopher C; Holmes, Christopher; McGree, James M; Mengersen, Kerrie; Richardson, Sylvia; Ryan, Elizabeth G

2017-08-01

Big Datasets are endemic, but are often notoriously difficult to analyse because of their size, heterogeneity and quality. The purpose of this paper is to open a discourse on the potential for modern decision theoretic optimal experimental design methods, which by their very nature have traditionally been applied prospectively, to improve the analysis of Big Data through retrospective designed sampling in order to answer particular questions of interest. By appealing to a range of examples, it is suggested that this perspective on Big Data modelling and analysis has the potential for wide generality and advantageous inferential and computational properties. We highlight current hurdles and open research questions surrounding efficient computational optimisation in using retrospective designs, and in part this paper is a call to the optimisation and experimental design communities to work together in the field of Big Data analysis.

Principles of Experimental Design for Big Data Analysis

PubMed Central

Drovandi, Christopher C; Holmes, Christopher; McGree, James M; Mengersen, Kerrie; Richardson, Sylvia; Ryan, Elizabeth G

2016-01-01

Big Datasets are endemic, but are often notoriously difficult to analyse because of their size, heterogeneity and quality. The purpose of this paper is to open a discourse on the potential for modern decision theoretic optimal experimental design methods, which by their very nature have traditionally been applied prospectively, to improve the analysis of Big Data through retrospective designed sampling in order to answer particular questions of interest. By appealing to a range of examples, it is suggested that this perspective on Big Data modelling and analysis has the potential for wide generality and advantageous inferential and computational properties. We highlight current hurdles and open research questions surrounding efficient computational optimisation in using retrospective designs, and in part this paper is a call to the optimisation and experimental design communities to work together in the field of Big Data analysis. PMID:28883686

Comprehensive Assessment of Coronary Artery Disease by Using First-Pass Analysis Dynamic CT Perfusion: Validation in a Swine Model.

PubMed

Hubbard, Logan; Lipinski, Jerry; Ziemer, Benjamin; Malkasian, Shant; Sadeghi, Bahman; Javan, Hanna; Groves, Elliott M; Dertli, Brian; Molloi, Sabee

2018-01-01

Purpose To retrospectively validate a first-pass analysis (FPA) technique that combines computed tomographic (CT) angiography and dynamic CT perfusion measurement into one low-dose examination. Materials and Methods The study was approved by the animal care committee. The FPA technique was retrospectively validated in six swine (mean weight, 37.3 kg ± 7.5 [standard deviation]) between April 2015 and October 2016. Four to five intermediate-severity stenoses were generated in the left anterior descending artery (LAD), and 20 contrast material-enhanced volume scans were acquired per stenosis. All volume scans were used for maximum slope model (MSM) perfusion measurement, but only two volume scans were used for FPA perfusion measurement. Perfusion measurements in the LAD, left circumflex artery (LCx), right coronary artery, and all three coronary arteries combined were compared with microsphere perfusion measurements by using regression, root-mean-square error, root-mean-square deviation, Lin concordance correlation, and diagnostic outcomes analysis. The CT dose index and size-specific dose estimate per two-volume FPA perfusion measurement were also determined. Results FPA and MSM perfusion measurements (P FPA and P MSM ) in all three coronary arteries combined were related to reference standard microsphere perfusion measurements (P MICRO ), as follows: P FPA_COMBINED = 1.02 P MICRO_COMBINED + 0.11 (r = 0.96) and P MSM_COMBINED = 0.28 P MICRO_COMBINED + 0.23 (r = 0.89). The CT dose index and size-specific dose estimate per two-volume FPA perfusion measurement were 10.8 and 17.8 mGy, respectively. Conclusion The FPA technique was retrospectively validated in a swine model and has the potential to be used for accurate, low-dose vessel-specific morphologic and physiologic assessment of coronary artery disease. © RSNA, 2017.

Thyroid disorders in patients treated with radiotherapy for head-and-neck cancer: A retrospective analysis of seventy-three patients

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alterio, Daniela; Jereczek-Fossa, Barbara Alicja; University of Milan, Milan

2007-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence of thyroid disorders and dose distribution to the thyroid in patients treated with radiotherapy for head-and-neck carcinomas. Methods and Materials: A retrospective evaluation of data from 73 patients treated for head-and-neck cancers in our department was performed. Thyroid function was evaluated mainly by the measurement of thyrotropin (thyroid stimulating hormone [TSH]). A retrospective analysis of treatment plans was performed for 57 patients. Percentages of thyroid glandular volume absorbing 10, 30, and 50 Gy (V10, V30, and V50 respectively) were considered for statistical analysis. Results: A majority of patients (61%) had a normal thyroid function whereasmore » 19 patients (26%) had hypothyroidism. Mean thyroid volume was 30.39 cc. Point 3 (located at isthmus) absorbed lower doses compared with other points (p < 0.0001). Median values of V10, V30, and V50 were 92% (range, 57-100%), 75% (range, 28.5-100%), and 35% (range, 3-83%) respectively. Gender was associated with toxicity (presence of any kind of thyroid disorders) (p < 0.05), with females displaying higher levels of TSHr (relative TSH = patient's value/maximum value of the laboratory range) (p = 0.0005) and smaller thyroid volume (p 0.0012) compared with male population. TSHr values were associated with thyroid volume, and the presence of midline shielding block in the anterior field was associated with relative free thyroxine (FT4r = patient's value/maximum value of the laboratory range) values. Conclusions: Gender and thyroid volume seem to play an important role in the occurrence of thyroid toxicity, but further studies on dose-effect relationship for radiotherapy-induced thyroid toxicity are needed.« less

Multi-parameter Observations and Validation of Pre-earthquake Atmospheric Signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ouzounov, D.; Pulinets, S. A.; Hattori, K.; Mogi, T.; Kafatos, M.

2014-12-01

We are presenting the latest development in multi-sensors observations of short-term pre-earthquake phenomena preceding major earthquakes. We are exploring the potential of pre-seismic atmospheric and ionospheric signals to alert for large earthquakes. To achieve this, we start validating anomalous ionospheric /atmospheric signals in retrospective and prospective modes. The integrated satellite and terrestrial framework (ISTF) is our method for validation and is based on a joint analysis of several physical and environmental parameters (Satellite thermal infrared radiation (OLR), electron concentration in the ionosphere (GPS/TEC), VHF-bands radio waves, radon/ion activities, air temperature and seismicity patterns) that were found to be associated with earthquakes. The science rationale for multidisciplinary analysis is based on concept Lithosphere-Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling (LAIC) [Pulinets and Ouzounov, 2011], which explains the synergy of different geospace processes and anomalous variations, usually named short-term pre-earthquake anomalies. Our validation processes consist in two steps: (1) A continuous retrospective analysis preformed over two different regions with high seismicity- Taiwan and Japan for 2003-2009 The retrospective tests (100+ major earthquakes, M>5.9, Taiwan and Japan) show OLR anomalous behavior before all of these events with no false negatives. False alarm ratio for false positives is less then 25%. (2) Prospective testing using multiple parameters with potential for M5.5+ events. The initial testing shows systematic appearance of atmospheric anomalies in advance (days) to the M5.5+ events for Taiwan and Japan (Honshu and Hokkaido areas). Our initial prospective results suggest that our approach show a systematic appearance of atmospheric anomalies, one to several days prior to the largest earthquakes That feature could be further studied and tested for advancing the multi-sensors detection of pre-earthquake atmospheric signals.

Analysis of platinum content in biodegradable carboplatin-impregnated beads and retrospective assessment of tolerability for intralesional use of the beads in dogs following excision of subcutaneous sarcomas: 29 cases (2011-2014).

PubMed

Hess, Theresa A; Drinkhouse, Macy E; Prey, Joshua D; Miller, Jonathan M; Fettig, Arthur A; Carberry, Carol A; Brenn, Stephen H; Bailey, Dennis B

2018-02-15

OBJECTIVE To evaluate platinum content in biodegradable carboplatin-impregnated beads and retrospectively assess tolerability and outcome data for dogs treated by intralesional placement of such beads following surgical excision of subcutaneous sarcomas. DESIGN Evaluation study and retrospective case series. SAMPLE 9 carboplatin-impregnated beads and 29 client-owned dogs. PROCEDURES Platinum content in 9 carboplatin-impregnated beads from 3 lots was measured by spectrophotometry, and calculated carboplatin content was compared with the labeled content. Medical records were searched to identify dogs with subcutaneous sarcomas for which treatment included placement of carboplatin-impregnated beads between 2011 and 2014. Signalment, tumor characteristics, surgical and histologic data, adverse events, and local recurrences were recorded. Associations between variables of interest and adverse events or local disease-free interval were analyzed. RESULTS In vitro analysis identified a mean ± SD platinum content of 5.38 ± 0.97 mg/bead. Calculated carboplatin content (10.24 ± 1.84 mg/bead) was significantly greater than the labeled amount (4.6 mg/bead). Bead weight and total platinum content differed significantly among lots, but platinum content per bead weight did not. Mild-to-moderate local adverse events were reported for 11 of 29 tumors; all resolved without additional surgery. No dogs had signs of systemic toxicosis. Overall local disease-free rates 1, 2, and 3 years after surgery were 70%, 70%, and 58%, respectively, as determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Carboplatin-impregnated beads were well tolerated; however, results of in vitro tests indicated that caution is needed because of manufacturing inconsistencies.

Analysis of the North Carolina long-term care polypharmacy initiative: a multiple-cohort approach using propensity-score matching for both evaluation and targeting.

PubMed

Trygstad, Troy K; Christensen, Dale B; Wegner, Steve E; Sullivan, Rob; Garmise, Jennifer M

2009-09-01

The high cost and undesirable consequences of polypharmacy are well-recognized problems among elderly long-term care (LTC) residents. Despite the implementation of the 1987 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, which requires pharmacist review of drug regimens in this setting, medical and drug costs for LTC residents have continued to increase. This study evaluates the North Carolina Long-Term Care Polypharmacy Initiative, a large-scale medication therapy management program (MTMP) that combined drug utilization review activities with drug regimen review techniques. This was a prospective records-based study that used a difference-in-difference model with both historical and nonintervention group controls. To ensure equivalence among subjects, propensity scoring was used to match study subjects from participating LTC facilities with comparison subjects from nonparticipating facilities. Residents with interventions were grouped for analysis by intervention type-retrospective only, prospective only, or dual type (residents with both prospective and retrospective interventions)-and by intervention stage-review, recommendation, and drug change-plus an all-inclusive "all types" grouping that aggregated groups by intervention type, for a total of 10 total cohorts. In the overall population of 5255 study subjects identified, a US $21.63 per member per month drug-cost savings was observed. Although only 1 of 10 cohorts had a change in the number of drug fills, substantial reductions in 2 of 5 types of drug alerts were observed in all 10 cohorts. A reduction in the relative risk for hospitalization (0.84 [95% CI, 0.71-1.00]) was observed in the cohort of residents receiving a retrospective review. This Initiative suggests that an MTMP can be quickly launched in a large number of LTC facility residents to produce monetary drug-cost savings and improved health outcomes. Additionally, the evaluation of this program illustrates the utility of using propensity scoring techniques to target future intervention groups in a cost-effective manner.

A retrospective study of ketamine administration and the development of acute or post-traumatic stress disorder in 274 war-wounded soldiers.

PubMed

Mion, G; Le Masson, J; Granier, C; Hoffmann, C

2017-12-01

The objective of this study was to explore whether ketamine prevents or exacerbates acute or post-traumatic stress disorders in military trauma patients. We conducted a retrospective study of a database from the French Military Health Service, including all soldiers surviving a war injury in Afghanistan (2010-2012). The diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder was made by a psychiatrist and patients were analysed according to the presence or absence of this condition. Analysis included the following covariables: age; sex; acute stress disorder; blast injury; associated fatality; brain injury; traumatic amputation; Glasgow coma scale; injury severity score; administered drugs; number of surgical procedures; physical, neurosensory or aesthetic sequelae; and the development chronic pain. Covariables related to post-traumatic and acute stress disorders with a p ≤ 0.10 were included in a multivariable logistic regression model. The data from 450 soldiers were identified; 399 survived, of which 274 were analysed. Among these, 98 (36%) suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and 89 (32%) had received ketamine. Fifty-four patients (55%) in the post-traumatic stress disorder group received ketamine vs. 35 (20%) in the no PTSD group (p < 0.001). The 89 injured soldiers who received ketamine had a median (IQR [range]) injury severity score of 5 (3-13 [1-26]) vs. 3 (2-4 [1-6] in the 185 patients who did not (p < 0.001). At multivariable analysis, only acute stress disorder and total number of surgical procedures were independently associated with the development of post-traumatic stress disorder. In this retrospective study, ketamine administration was not a risk factor for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder in the military trauma setting. © 2017 The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland.

The Prognostic Value of the 8th Edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Staging System in HER2-Enriched Subtype Breast Cancer, a Retrospective Analysis.

PubMed

Zhou, Bin; Xu, Ling; Ye, Jingming; Xin, Ling; Duan, Xuening; Liu, Yinhua

2017-08-01

The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) released its 8th edition of tumor staging which is to be implemented in early 2018. The present study aimed to analyze the prognostic value of AJCC 8th edition Cancer Staging System in HER2-enriched breast cancer, on a retrospective cohort. This study was a retrospective single-center study of HER2-enriched breast cancer cases diagnosed from January 2008 to December 2014. Clinicopathological features and follow up data including disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed to explore prognostic factors for disease outcome. We restaged patients based on the 8th edition of the AJCC cancer staging system and analyzed prognostic value of the Anatomic Stage Group and the Prognostic Stage Group. The study enrolled 170 HER2-enriched subtype breast cancer patients with 5-year disease free survival (DFS) of 85.1% and 5-year overall survival (OS) of 86.8%. Prognostic stages of 117 cases (68.8%) changed compared with anatomic stages, with 116 upstaged cases and 1 downstaged case. The Anatomic Stage Groups had a significant prognostic impact on DFS (χ 2 =16.752, p<0.001) and OS (χ 2 =25.038, p<0.001). The Prognostic Staging Groups had a significant prognostic impact on DFS (χ 2 =6.577, p=0.037) and OS (χ 2 =21.762, p<0.001). In the multivariate analysis, both stage groups were independent predictors of OS. Both Anatomic and Prognostic Stage Groups in the 8th edition of the AJCC breast cancer staging system had prognostic value in HER2-enriched subtype breast cancer. The Prognostic Stage system was a breakthrough on the basis of anatomic staging system. Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Risk of Nonfatal Stroke in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Retrospective Comparison Between Disease Management Programs and Standard Care

PubMed Central

Wiefarn, Stefan; Heumann, Christian; Rettelbach, Anja; Kostev, Karel

2017-01-01

Objective: The present retrospective study examines the influence of disease management programs on nonfatal stroke in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in Germany. Methods: The evaluation is based on retrospective patient data from the Disease Analyzer (IMS Health). The analysis included 169 414 T2DM patients aged 40 years and older with an initial prescription of antihyperglycemic therapy between January 2004 and December 2014. A total of 86 713 patients participated in a disease management program (DMP) for T2DM and 82 701 patients received standard care. The main outcome measure of this study was nonfatal stroke. Kaplan-Meier curves of DMP and SC patients were compared using log rank test. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to provide an adjusted estimate of the DMP effect. Results: It is apparent from the baseline characteristics that the general health of patients receiving standard care was poorer than that of patients participating in a DMP. The baseline HbA1c value was 7.6% in the DMP group and 7.8% in the SC group. Furthermore, the SC group had a higher proportion of preexisting conditions, such as coronary heart disease (CHD), peripheral arterial occlusive disease (pAOD), and renal insufficiency. The proportion of patients who received insulin in first year therapy was higher in the SC group. Time to event analysis showed that DMP was associated with a delayed occurrence of stroke, because stroke occurred an average of 350 days later in DMP patients than in patients receiving SC (DMP: 1.216 days, RV: 866 days). The Cox model with covariable adjustment confirmed the significant association of DMPs with nonfatal stroke in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (HR 0.71; 95% CI: 0.69-0.74). Conclusion: The present study indicates that DMPs are positively associated with stroke. The possible reasons for this must be verified in further studies. PMID:28300432

Risk of Nonfatal Stroke in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Retrospective Comparison Between Disease Management Programs and Standard Care.

PubMed

Wiefarn, Stefan; Heumann, Christian; Rettelbach, Anja; Kostev, Karel

2017-07-01

The present retrospective study examines the influence of disease management programs on nonfatal stroke in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in Germany. The evaluation is based on retrospective patient data from the Disease Analyzer (IMS Health). The analysis included 169 414 T2DM patients aged 40 years and older with an initial prescription of antihyperglycemic therapy between January 2004 and December 2014. A total of 86 713 patients participated in a disease management program (DMP) for T2DM and 82 701 patients received standard care. The main outcome measure of this study was nonfatal stroke. Kaplan-Meier curves of DMP and SC patients were compared using log rank test. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to provide an adjusted estimate of the DMP effect. It is apparent from the baseline characteristics that the general health of patients receiving standard care was poorer than that of patients participating in a DMP. The baseline HbA1c value was 7.6% in the DMP group and 7.8% in the SC group. Furthermore, the SC group had a higher proportion of preexisting conditions, such as coronary heart disease (CHD), peripheral arterial occlusive disease (pAOD), and renal insufficiency. The proportion of patients who received insulin in first year therapy was higher in the SC group. Time to event analysis showed that DMP was associated with a delayed occurrence of stroke, because stroke occurred an average of 350 days later in DMP patients than in patients receiving SC (DMP: 1.216 days, RV: 866 days). The Cox model with covariable adjustment confirmed the significant association of DMPs with nonfatal stroke in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (HR 0.71; 95% CI: 0.69-0.74). The present study indicates that DMPs are positively associated with stroke. The possible reasons for this must be verified in further studies.

The effect of lymphadenectomy on survival and recurrence in patients with ovarian cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Zhou, Jinhong; Shan, Guoping; Chen, Yiwen

2016-08-01

Our objective was to perform a meta-analysis examining the effectiveness of lymphadenectomy in patients with ovarian cancer. PubMed and CENTRAL databases were searched on 15 November 2015 using the terms 'lymphadenectomy', 'ovarian cancer', 'dissection', 'para-aortic', 'pelvic' and survival. Prospective and retrospective studies comparing the outcomes of surgery with or without lymphadenectomy were included. Outcomes were 5-year overall survival, progression-free survival and recurrence rate. Of the 556 studies identified, 3 randomized controlled trials and 11 retrospective studies were included. Lymphadenectomy was associated with greater 5-year overall survival than no lymphadenectomy (pooled odds ratio = 1.58, 95% confidence interval: 1.41-1.77, p < 0.001). There was no difference in progression-free survival between the groups (pooled overall survival = 1.62, 95% confidence interval: 0.82-3.21, p = 0.168). Lymphadenectomy was associated with greater progression-free survival in randomized clinical trials (pooled overall survival = 1.57, 95% confidence interval: 1.11-2.21, p = 0.010), but not in retrospective studies. Lymphadenectomy was associated with a significantly lower recurrence rate (pooled overall survival = 0.51, 95% confidence interval: 0.30-0.85, p = 0.011). Lymphadenectomy was associated with greater 5-year overall survival in patients with both early and advanced stage cancer, but was associated with greater progression-free survival and lower recurrence rate only in patients with advanced stage cancer. Lymphadenectomy is associated with greater 5-year overall survival in patients with early and advanced stage ovarian cancer, but an effect on progression-free survival and recurrence rate was only found in patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Serum uric acid level as a risk factor for acute kidney injury in hospitalized patients: a retrospective database analysis using the integrated medical information system at Kochi Medical School hospital.

PubMed

Otomo, Kazunori; Horino, Taro; Miki, Takeo; Kataoka, Hiromi; Hatakeyama, Yutaka; Matsumoto, Tatsuki; Hamada-Ode, Kazu; Shimamura, Yoshiko; Ogata, Koji; Inoue, Kosuke; Taniguchi, Yoshinori; Terada, Yoshio; Okuhara, Yoshiyasu

2016-04-01

Recent studies have shown that both low and high levels of serum uric acid (SUA) before cardiovascular surgery are independent risk factors for postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI). However, these studies were limited by their small sample sizes. Here, we investigated the association between SUA levels and AKI by performing a retrospective database analysis of almost 30 years of data from 81,770 hospitalized patients. Hospitalized patients aged ≥18 years were retrospectively enrolled. AKI was diagnosed according to the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes 2012 Clinical Practice Guideline (KDIGO) criteria. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the independent association between SUA levels and the incidence of AKI. SUA levels were treated as categorical variables because the relationship between SUA and the incidence of AKI has been suggested to be J-shaped or U-shaped. In addition to stratified SUA levels, we considered kidney function and related comorbidities, medications, and procedures performed prior to AKI onset as possible confounding risk factors. The final study cohort included 59,219 adult patients. Adjusted odds ratios of AKI incidence were higher in both the high- and low-SUA strata. Odds ratios tended to become larger in the higher range of SUA levels in women than in men. Additionally, this study showed that AKI risk was elevated in patients with SUA levels ≤7 mg/dL. An SUA level >7 mg/dL is considered the point of initiation of uric acid crystallization. SUA level could be an independent risk factor for AKI development in hospitalized patients. Additionally, our results might suggest that intervention to lower SUA levels is necessary, even in cases of moderate elevation that does not warrant hyperuricemia treatment. Results also showed that SUA levels that require attention are lower for women than for men.

Validity of retrospective disease activity assessment in systemic lupus erythematosus.

PubMed

Arce-Salinas, A; Cardiel, M H; Guzmán, J; Alcocer-Varela, J

1996-05-01

To evaluate the validity of retrospective disease activity assessment derived from clinical charts. We prospectively evaluated 37 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in 90 visits using the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), the Mexican SLEDAI (Mex-SLEDAI), and the Lupus Activity Criteria Count (LACC) indices. Routine clinical observations were written by rheumatologists blind to index scores. These notes were reviewed 2 years later to obtain retrospective index scores and their validity was assessed using prospective scores as the standard. Statistical analysis was by Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rs), Wilcoxon matched pairs test, kappa statistic, and intraclass correlation coefficient (ri). We calculated the sensitivity and specificity of retrospective indices to detect active disease. Median retrospective scores were lower in all indices: SLEDAI (4 VS 2, p =0.004, RS = 0.68, ri = 0.30); Mex-SLEDAI (2 vs 1, p < 0.0003, rs = 0.79, ri = 0.31); and LACC (1 vs 1, p = 0.007, rs = 0.65, ri = 0.21). Used to detect active SLE, the retrospective SLEDAI had a sensitivity of 0.68 and a specificity of 0.86; corresponding values for the Mex-SLEDAI were 0.72 and 0.91, and for the LACC, 0.77 and 0.76. Retrospective disease activity indices tended to provide lower scores than prospective evaluations. They often missed patients with mildly active disease, but when positive they were good predictors of disease activity.

Reproducibility of Brain Morphometry from Short-Term Repeat Clinical MRI Examinations: A Retrospective Study

PubMed Central

Liu, Hon-Man; Chen, Shan-Kai; Chen, Ya-Fang; Lee, Chung-Wei; Yeh, Lee-Ren

2016-01-01

Purpose To assess the inter session reproducibility of automatic segmented MRI-derived measures by FreeSurfer in a group of subjects with normal-appearing MR images. Materials and Methods After retrospectively reviewing a brain MRI database from our institute consisting of 14,758 adults, those subjects who had repeat scans and had no history of neurodegenerative disorders were selected for morphometry analysis using FreeSurfer. A total of 34 subjects were grouped by MRI scanner model. After automatic segmentation using FreeSurfer, label-wise comparison (involving area, thickness, and volume) was performed on all segmented results. An intraclass correlation coefficient was used to estimate the agreement between sessions. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to assess the population mean rank differences across sessions. Mean-difference analysis was used to evaluate the difference intervals across scanners. Absolute percent difference was used to estimate the reproducibility errors across the MRI models. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to determine the across-scanner effect. Results The agreement in segmentation results for area, volume, and thickness measurements of all segmented anatomical labels was generally higher in Signa Excite and Verio models when compared with Sonata and TrioTim models. There were significant rank differences found across sessions in some labels of different measures. Smaller difference intervals in global volume measurements were noted on images acquired by Signa Excite and Verio models. For some brain regions, significant MRI model effects were observed on certain segmentation results. Conclusions Short-term scan-rescan reliability of automatic brain MRI morphometry is feasible in the clinical setting. However, since repeatability of software performance is contingent on the reproducibility of the scanner performance, the scanner performance must be calibrated before conducting such studies or before using such software for retrospective reviewing. PMID:26812647

Retrospective analysis of multiplex polymerase chain reaction-based molecular diagnostics (SES) in 70 patients with suspected central nervous system infections: A single-center study

PubMed Central

Ramalingam, Rama Krishnan Tiruppur Chinnappan; Chakraborty, Dipanjan

2016-01-01

Background: Central nervous system (CNS) infections present a grave health care challenge due to high morbidity and mortality. Clinical findings and conventional laboratory assessments are not sufficiently distinct for specific etiologic diagnosis. Identification of pathogens is a key to appropriate therapy. Aim: In this retrospective observational study, we evaluated the efficacy and clinical utility of syndrome evaluation system (SES) for diagnosing clinically suspected CNS infections. Materials and Methods: This retrospective analysis included inpatients in our tertiary level neurointensive care unit (NICU) and ward from February 2010 to December 2013. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples of 70 patients, clinically suspected of having CNS infections, were subjected to routine laboratory tests, culture, imaging, and SES. We analyzed the efficacy of SES in the diagnosis of CNS infections and its utility in therapeutic decision-making. Results: SES had a clinical sensitivity of 57.4% and clinical specificity of 95.6%. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the top two bacterial pathogens, whereas Herpes simplex virus (HSV) was the most common viral pathogen. Polymicrobial infections were detected in 32.14% of SES-positive cases. SES elicited a change in the management in 30% of the patients from initial empiric therapy. At discharge, 51 patients recovered fully while 11 patients had partial recovery. Three-month follow-up showed only six patients to have neurological deficits. Conclusion: In a tertiary care center, etiological microbial diagnosis is central to appropriate therapy and outcomes. Sensitive and accurate multiplex molecular diagnostics play a critical role in not only identifying the causative pathogen but also in helping clinicians to institute appropriate therapy, reduce overuse of antimicrobials, and ensure superior clinical outcomes. PMID:27994358

Retrospective analysis of multiplex polymerase chain reaction-based molecular diagnostics (SES) in 70 patients with suspected central nervous system infections: A single-center study.

PubMed

Ramalingam, Rama Krishnan Tiruppur Chinnappan; Chakraborty, Dipanjan

2016-01-01

Central nervous system (CNS) infections present a grave health care challenge due to high morbidity and mortality. Clinical findings and conventional laboratory assessments are not sufficiently distinct for specific etiologic diagnosis. Identification of pathogens is a key to appropriate therapy. In this retrospective observational study, we evaluated the efficacy and clinical utility of syndrome evaluation system (SES) for diagnosing clinically suspected CNS infections. This retrospective analysis included inpatients in our tertiary level neurointensive care unit (NICU) and ward from February 2010 to December 2013. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples of 70 patients, clinically suspected of having CNS infections, were subjected to routine laboratory tests, culture, imaging, and SES. We analyzed the efficacy of SES in the diagnosis of CNS infections and its utility in therapeutic decision-making. SES had a clinical sensitivity of 57.4% and clinical specificity of 95.6%. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the top two bacterial pathogens, whereas Herpes simplex virus (HSV) was the most common viral pathogen. Polymicrobial infections were detected in 32.14% of SES-positive cases. SES elicited a change in the management in 30% of the patients from initial empiric therapy. At discharge, 51 patients recovered fully while 11 patients had partial recovery. Three-month follow-up showed only six patients to have neurological deficits. In a tertiary care center, etiological microbial diagnosis is central to appropriate therapy and outcomes. Sensitive and accurate multiplex molecular diagnostics play a critical role in not only identifying the causative pathogen but also in helping clinicians to institute appropriate therapy, reduce overuse of antimicrobials, and ensure superior clinical outcomes.

[When to ask for a skin biopsy in a patient with leg ulcer? Retrospective study of 143 consecutive biopsies].

PubMed

Stansal, A; Khayat, K; Duchatelle, V; Tella, E; Gautier, V; Sfeir, D; Attal, R; Lazareth, I; Priollet, P

2018-02-01

A vascular cause is found in around 85% of leg ulcer patients, but non-vascular causes are also observed. Their diagnosis is based on a set of clinical arguments and skin biopsy with histological analysis. The aim of this study was to analyze the results of these biopsies and to find common criteria for ulcers whose skin biopsies had led to the diagnosis of a non-vascular ulcer. A retrospective study was carried out on the analysis of 143 skin biopsies of leg ulcers. The reasons for the biopsy were mainly atypical clinical signs and/or the lack of improvement in care after 6 months, as advocated by the French health authorities. The skin biopsies led to a diagnosis of non-vascular ulcer in 4.9% of cases (7/143), including skin cancer (n=5, 3.5%), cutaneous leishmaniasis (n=1, 0.7%) and Pyoderma gangrenosum (n=1, 0.7%). The univariate statistical analysis revealed that an elevated rim and abnormal excessive granulation tissue were significantly more frequently found in these ulcers. All patients with a positive skin biopsy had associated vascular involvement. This study found a 5% rate of non-vascular causes of ulcers, mainly skin cancer. Elevated rims and abnormal excessive granulation tissue were the unusual features most commonly found in these ulcers. All patients whose skin biopsy revealed a non-vascular cause had associated vascular involvement. This information confirms the need to perform a skin biopsy, even in the presence of a vascular disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Frequency of breast cancer with hereditary risk features in Spain: Analysis from GEICAM "El Álamo III" retrospective study.

PubMed

Márquez-Rodas, Iván; Pollán, Marina; Escudero, María José; Ruiz, Amparo; Martín, Miguel; Santaballa, Ana; Martínez Del Prado, Purificación; Batista, Norberto; Andrés, Raquel; Antón, Antonio; Llombart, Antonio; Fernandez Aramburu, Antonio; Adrover, Encarnación; González, Sonia; Seguí, Miguel Angel; Calvo, Lourdes; Lizón, José; Rodríguez Lescure, Álvaro; Ramón Y Cajal, Teresa; Llort, Gemma; Jara, Carlos; Carrasco, Eva; López-Tarruella, Sara

2017-01-01

To determine the frequency of breast cancer (BC) patients with hereditary risk features in a wide retrospective cohort of patients in Spain. a retrospective analysis was conducted from 10,638 BC patients diagnosed between 1998 and 2001 in the GEICAM registry "El Álamo III", dividing them into four groups according to modified ESMO and SEOM hereditary cancer risk criteria: Sporadic breast cancer group (R0); Individual risk group (IR); Familial risk group (FR); Individual and familial risk group (IFR) with both individual and familial risk criteria. 7,641 patients were evaluable. Of them, 2,252 patients (29.5%) had at least one hereditary risk criteria, being subclassified in: FR 1.105 (14.5%), IR 970 (12.7%), IFR 177 (2.3%). There was a higher frequency of newly diagnosed metastatic patients in the IR group (5.1% vs 3.2%, p = 0.02). In contrast, in RO were lower proportion of big tumors (> T2) (43.8% vs 47.4%, p = 0.023), nodal involvement (43.4% vs 48.1%, p = 0.004) and lower histological grades (20.9% G3 for the R0 vs 29.8%) when compared to patients with any risk criteria. Almost three out of ten BC patients have at least one hereditary risk cancer feature that would warrant further genetic counseling. Patients with hereditary cancer risk seems to be diagnosed with worse prognosis factors.

Prevalence, risk factors and associated adverse pregnancy outcomes of anaemia in Chinese pregnant women: a multicentre retrospective study.

PubMed

Lin, Li; Wei, Yumei; Zhu, Weiwei; Wang, Chen; Su, Rina; Feng, Hui; Yang, Huixia

2018-04-23

Anaemia in pregnant women is a public health problem, especially in developing countries. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and related risk factors of anaemia during pregnancy in a large multicentre retrospective study (n = 44,002) and to determine the adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with or without anaemia. The study is a secondary data analysis of a retrospective study named "Gestational diabetes mellitus Prevalence Survey (GPS) study in China". Structured questionnaires were used to collect socio-demographic characteristics, haemoglobin levels and pregnancy outcomes from all the participants. Anaemia in pregnancy is defined as haemoglobin < 110 g/L. We used SPSS software to assess the predictors of anaemia and associated adverse pregnancy outcomes. The overall prevalence of anaemia was 23.5%. Maternal anaemia was significantly associated with maternal age ≥ 35 years (AOR = 1.386), family per capita monthly income< 1000 CNY (AOR = 1.671), rural residence (AOR = 1.308) and pre-pregnancy BMI < 18.5 kg/m 2 (AOR = 1.237). Adverse pregnancy outcomes, including GDM, polyhydramnios, preterm birth, low birth weight (< 2500 g), neonatal complications and NICU admission, increased significantly (P < 0.001) in those with anaemia than those without. The results indicated that anaemia continues to be a severe health problem among pregnant women in China. Anaemia is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Pregnant women should receive routine antenatal care and be given selective iron supplementation when appropriate.

[Risk factors for surgical site infections in patients undergoing craniotomy].

PubMed

Cha, Kyeong-Sook; Cho, Ok-Hee; Yoo, So-Yeon

2010-04-01

The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence, incidence, and risk factors for postoperative surgical site infections (SSIs) after craniotomy. This study was a retrospective case-control study of 103 patients who had craniotomies between March 2007 and December 2008. A retrospective review of prospectively collected databases of consecutive patients who underwent craniotomy was done. SSIs were defined by using the Centers for Disease Control criteria. Twenty-six cases (infection) and 77 controls (no infection) were matched for age, gender and time of surgery. Descriptive analysis, t-test, X(2)-test and logistic regression analyses were used for data analysis. The statistical difference between cases and controls was significant for hospital length of stay (>14 days), intensive care unit stay more than 15 days, Glasgrow Coma Scale (GCS) score (< or = 7 days), extra-ventricular drainage and coexistent infection. Risk factors were identified by logistic regression and included hospital length of stay of more than 14 days (odds ratio [OR]=23.39, 95% confidence interval [CI]=2.53-216.11) and GCS score (< or = 7 scores) (OR=4.71, 95% CI=1.64-13.50). The results of this study show that patients are at high risk for infection when they have a low level of consciousness or their length hospital stay is long term. Nurses have to take an active and continuous approach to infection control to help with patients having these risk factors.

Return to work outcomes for workers with mental health conditions: A retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Prang, Khic-Houy; Bohensky, Megan; Smith, Peter; Collie, Alex

2016-01-01

The aims of this study were to describe predictors of sustained return to work (RTW) among a cohort of workers with compensated work-related mental health conditions (MHCs); and to examine predictors of subsequent absences due to the same condition. This study was a retrospective analysis of compensation claims data in Victoria, Australia. We selected workers with an accepted wage replacement claim due to a work-related MHC from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2009, with two years of follow-up data. We identified 8358 workers meeting our inclusion criteria. The median age of workers was 44 years (Interquartile range (IQR): 36-51) and 56% were female. In a multivariable Cox regression analysis, older age, being from a small organisation, working in some specific industry segments, consulting a psychiatrist or psychologist, using medications, and having a previous claim were all associated with a delayed RTW. Workers experiencing work pressure, assault/workplace violence or other mental stress factors, working in the public administration and safety industry and having a medical incapacity certification between 3-4 days and 5-7 days had a higher rate of multiple RTW attempts. This study identified a number of risk factors associated with a delayed RTW and multiple attempts at RTW. Predictors may help identify high-risk groups and facilitate the RTW process of workers with MHCs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trial of labor after cesarean in the low-risk obstetric population: a retrospective nationwide cohort study.

PubMed

Stattmiller, S; Lavecchia, M; Czuzoj-Shulman, N; Spence, A R; Abenhaim, H A

2016-10-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the risk of adverse maternal outcomes associated with trial of labor (TOL) after cesarean during subsequent pregnancies in the low-risk population. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample and ICD-9 diagnostic and procedure codes from the years 2003 to 2011. A cohort of low-risk pregnant women with a history of previous cesarean delivery were identified and separated into two groups: TOL and no TOL. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) comparing adverse maternal outcomes between these two groups. Out of 7 290 474 registered deliveries, there were 685 137 low-risk women who met inclusion criteria. Of these women, 144 066 (21.0%) underwent a TOL, with rates remaining steady over the course of our study. The TOL group was at increased risk of overall morbidity (OR 1.74, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.66-1.79), most notably uterine rupture (OR 22.52, 95% CI, 19.35-26.20, P<0.01). A secondary analysis showed no apparent correlation between TOL and concomitant adverse maternal outcomes in cases of uterine rupture. Although these outcomes remain rare, low-risk women undergoing a TOL remain at increased risk of adverse maternal events as compared with those who chose elective repeat cesarean delivery.

Learning in the Shadows: A Retrospective View

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-30

qÜáêíÉÉåíÜ=^ååì~ä= ^Åèìáëáíáçå=oÉëÉ~êÅÜ= póãéçëáìã= qÜìêëÇ~ó=pÉëëáçåë= sçäìãÉ=ff= = Learning in the Shadows: A Retrospective View Donna Kinnear-Seligman...Gibson, Professor, DAU Learning in the Shadows: A Retrospective View Donna Kinnear-Seligman, Mission Assistance Program Analysis Manager, DAU...Åèìáëáíáçå=oÉëÉ~êÅÜ=mêçÖê~ãW= `êÉ~íáåÖ=póåÉêÖó=Ñçê=fåÑçêãÉÇ=`Ü~åÖÉ= - 439 - Learning in the Shadows: A Retrospective View Donna J. Kinnear

Cervical necrotizing fasciitis: descriptive, retrospective analysis of 59 cases treated at a single center.

PubMed

Elander, Johanna; Nekludov, Michael; Larsson, Agneta; Nordlander, Britt; Eksborg, Staffan; Hydman, Jonas

2016-12-01

To provide retrospective, descriptive information on patients with cervical necrotizing fasciitis treated at a single center during the years 1998-2014, and to evaluate the outcome of a newly introduced treatment strategy. Retrospective analysis of clinical data obtained from medical records. Mortality, pre-morbidity, severity of illness, primary site of infection, type of bacteria, time parameters. The observed 3-month mortality was 6/59 (10 %). The most common initial foci of the infection were pharyngeal, dental or hypopharyngeal. The most common pathogen was Streptococcus milleri bacteria within the Streptococcus anginosus group (66 % of the cases). Using a combined treatment with early surgical debridement combined with hyperbaric oxygen treatment, it is possible to reduce the mortality rate among patients suffering from cervical necrotizing fasciitis, compared to the expected mortality rate and to previous historical reports. Data indicated that early onset of hyperbaric oxygen treatment may have a positive impact on survival rate, but no identifiable factor was found to prognosticate outcome.

Exploring associations between prenatal solvent exposures and teenage drug and alcohol use: a retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Gallagher, Lisa G; Webster, Thomas F; Aschengrau, Ann

2017-03-11

Investigating the effects of prenatal and childhood exposures on behavioral health outcomes in adolescence is challenging given the lengthy period between the exposure and outcomes. We conducted a retrospective cohort study in Cape Cod, Massachusetts to evaluate the impact of prenatal and early childhood exposure to tetrachloroethylene (PCE)-contaminated drinking water on the occurrence of risk-taking behaviors as a teenager. An increased occurrence of risk-taking behaviors, particularly illicit drug use, was observed in those highly exposed to PCE. We hypothesized that there may be other sources of prenatal solvent exposure such as maternal consumption of alcoholic beverages during pregnancy which might modify the previously observed associations between PCE and risk-taking behaviors and so we conducted an exploratory analysis using available cohort data. The current report presents the results of these analyses and describes the difficulties in conducting research on long-term behavioral effects of early life exposures. The exploratory analysis compared a referent group of subjects with no early life exposure to PCE or alcohol (n = 242) to subjects with only alcohol exposure (n = 201), subjects with only PCE exposure (n = 361), and subjects with exposure to both PCE and alcohol (n = 302). Surveys completed by the subject's mother included questions on prenatal alcoholic beverage consumption and available confounding variables such as cigarette smoking and marijuana use. Surveys completed by the subjects included questions on risk-taking behaviors such as alcoholic beverage consumption and illicit drug use as a teenager and available confounding variables. PCE exposure was modeled using a leaching and transport algorithm embedded in water distribution system modeling software that estimated the amount of PCE delivered to a subject's residence during gestation and early childhood. Subjects with early life exposure to both PCE and alcohol had an increased risk of using two or more major drugs as a teen (RR = 1.9 (95% CI 1.2, 3.0)) compared to unexposed subjects. Increased risks for only PCE exposure (RR = 1.6 (95% CI 1.0, 2.4) and only alcohol exposure (RR = 1.3 (95% CI 0.7, 2.1)) were also evident but were smaller than the increased risk associated with both exposures. While available confounding variables were controlled, many relevant social risk factors were not obtained due to limitations in the retrospective study design. This exploratory analysis found evidence for an additive effect of early life exposure to PCE and alcohol on the risk of use of multiple illicit drugs as a teenager. Because of numerous limitations in this retrospective study, further research is needed to examine longstanding behavioral effects of early life exposures. To be most informative, this research should involve long-term prospective data collection.

Motor Anticipation Failure in Infants with Autism: A Retrospective Analysis of Feeding Situations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brisson, Julie; Warreyn, Petra; Serres, Josette; Foussier, Stephane; Adrien-Louis, Jean

2012-01-01

Previous studies on autism have shown a lack of motor anticipation in children and adults with autism. As part of a programme of research into early detection of autism, we focussed on an everyday situation: spoon-feeding. We hypothesize that an anticipation deficit may be found very early on by observing whether the baby opens his or her mouth in…

How the Elderly Can Use Scientific Knowledge to Solve Problems While Designing Toys: A Retrospective Analysis of the Design of a Working UFO

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Mei-Yung; Hong, Jon-Chao; Hwang, Ming-Yueh; Wong, Wan-Tzu

2013-01-01

The venerable aphorism "an old dog cannot learn new tricks" implies that the elderly rarely learn anything new--in particular, scientific knowledge. On the basis of "learning by doing," the present study emphasized knowledge application (KA) as elderly subjects collaborated on the design of a toy flying saucer (UFO). Three…

A Retrospective Analysis of Pre-surgical Incisor Decompensation Attained in an Orthognathic Surgery Population

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-01

owner. ~ GARY S. MAYNE, Maj, USAF, DC Tri-Service Orthodontic Residency Program Air Force Post Graduate Dental School Uniformed Services University...APPROVED: __________________________________________ Drew W. Fallis, D.D.S., M.S., Dean, Air Force Post-Graduate Dental School iii...Air Force Postgraduate Dental School, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas, USA). Inclusion criteria for the study were 1

Use of Psychoactive Medications in Hong Kong Institutions for Adults with Severe to Profound Learning Disabilities: A Retrospective Study (1988-2003) and Economic Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim, Winston Woon Chu

2007-01-01

Background: Little information is available about prescribing patterns for patients with severe learning disabilities in Asian institutions. Materials and methods: Prescription audits were performed at Siu Lam Hospital (SLH) and Tuen Mun Hospital (TMH), Hong Kong, between 1988 and 2003. Results: About 65% of patients were receiving psychoactive…

Gender Ratio in a Clinical Population Sample, Age of Diagnosis and Duration of Assessment in Children and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutherford, Marion; McKenzie, Karen; Johnson, Tess; Catchpole, Ciara; O'Hare, Anne; McClure, Iain; Forsyth, Kirsty; McCartney, Deborah; Murray, Aja

2016-01-01

This article reports on gender ratio, age of diagnosis and the duration of assessment procedures in autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in a national study which included all types of clinical services for children and adults. Findings are reported from a retrospective case note analysis undertaken with a representative sample of 150 Scottish…

A Retrospective Critical Analysis of Family Support in Practice within a Residential Care Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thorne, Jeanne

2007-01-01

The article is based on a practice task, which was completed as part of the Higher Diploma/Masters in Family Support Studies at NUI Galway. The practice task explored in this article was conducted in a residential care unit that specialised in working with children and families. The care team based in the unit strived to provide more than…

Method for Visually Integrating Multiple Data Acquisition Technologies for Real Time and Retrospective Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bogart, Edward H. (Inventor); Pope, Alan T. (Inventor)

2000-01-01

A system for display on a single video display terminal of multiple physiological measurements is provided. A subject is monitored by a plurality of instruments which feed data to a computer programmed to receive data, calculate data products such as index of engagement and heart rate, and display the data in a graphical format simultaneously on a single video display terminal. In addition live video representing the view of the subject and the experimental setup may also be integrated into the single data display. The display may be recorded on a standard video tape recorder for retrospective analysis.

Contrasting models of driver behaviour in emergencies using retrospective verbalisations and network analysis.

PubMed

Banks, Victoria A; Stanton, Neville A

2015-01-01

Automated assistance in driving emergencies aims to improve the safety of our roads by avoiding or mitigating the effects of accidents. However, the behavioural implications of such systems remain unknown. This paper introduces the driver decision-making in emergencies (DDMiEs) framework to investigate how the level and type of automation may affect driver decision-making and subsequent responses to critical braking events using network analysis to interrogate retrospective verbalisations. Four DDMiE models were constructed to represent different levels of automation within the driving task and its effects on driver decision-making. Findings suggest that whilst automation does not alter the decision-making pathway (e.g. the processes between hazard detection and response remain similar), it does appear to significantly weaken the links between information-processing nodes. This reflects an unintended yet emergent property within the task network that could mean that we may not be improving safety in the way we expect. This paper contrasts models of driver decision-making in emergencies at varying levels of automation using the Southampton University Driving Simulator. Network analysis of retrospective verbalisations indicates that increasing the level of automation in driving emergencies weakens the link between information-processing nodes essential for effective decision-making.

Bioincompatibility of dialyzer membranes may have a negative impact on outcome of acute renal failure, independent of the dose of dialysis delivered: a retrospective multicenter analysis.

PubMed

Schiffl, H; Lang, S M; Haider, M

1998-01-01

The mortality rate of critically ill patients with acute renal failure (ARF) has remained high. The impact of vigorous intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) on the outcome of ARF has not been validated. In this retrospective multicenter analysis, 154 patients with ARF were treated daily (intensive) or on alternate days (conventional) using complement and cell activating cuprophane (bioincompatible) or high-flux polysulfone dialyzer membranes with insignificant effects on circulating complement or cells (biocompatible). At initiation of IHD, all four groups were similar in patient characteristics and ARF factors. The use of synthetic membranes resulted in a reduced mortality rate (18% vs 45%; p < 0.001) and shorter duration of ARF (8 vs 15 sessions; p < 0.001). Daily IHD with cellulose based membranes tended to increase mortality rates compared with conventional cuprophane dialysis (37% vs 53%). Intensive IHD with polysulfone membranes resulted in a further decrease in overall mortality rates (15% vs 22%). This retrospective analysis shows that bioincompatibility of dialyzer membranes may be more important for the outcome of patients with ARF than the dose of dialysis. Its impact on outcome occurs independently of the dose of dialysis delivered.

Comparative effectiveness of prostate cancer treatments for patient-centered outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA Compliant).

PubMed

Jayadevappa, Ravishankar; Chhatre, Sumedha; Wong, Yu-Ning; Wittink, Marsha N; Cook, Ratna; Morales, Knashawn H; Vapiwala, Neha; Newman, Diane K; Guzzo, Thomas; Wein, Alan J; Malkowicz, Stanley B; Lee, David I; Schwartz, Jerome S; Gallo, Joseph J

2017-05-01

In the context of prostate cancer (PCa) characterized by the multiple alternative treatment strategies, comparative effectiveness analysis is essential for informed decision-making. We analyzed the comparative effectiveness of PCa treatments through systematic review and meta-analysis with a focus on outcomes that matter most to newly diagnosed localized PCa patients. We performed a systematic review of literature published in English from 1995 to October 2016. A search strategy was employed using terms "prostate cancer," "localized," "outcomes," "mortality," "health related quality of life," and "complications" to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs), prospective, and retrospective studies. For observational studies, only those adjusting for selection bias using propensity-score or instrumental-variables approaches were included. Multivariable adjusted hazard ratio was used to assess all-cause and disease-specific mortality. Funnel plots were used to assess the level of bias. Our search strategy yielded 58 articles, of which 29 were RCTs, 6 were prospective studies, and 23 were retrospective studies. The studies provided moderate data for the patient-centered outcome of mortality. Radical prostatectomy demonstrated mortality benefit compared to watchful waiting (all-cause HR = 0.63 CI = 0.45, 0.87; disease-specific HR = 0.48 CI = 0.40, 0.58), and radiation therapy (all-cause HR = 0.65 CI = 0.57, 0.74; disease-specific HR = 0.51 CI = 0.40, 0.65). However, we had minimal comparative information about tradeoffs between and within treatment for other patient-centered outcomes in the short and long-term. Lack of patient-centered outcomes in comparative effectiveness research in localized PCa is a major hurdle to informed and shared decision-making. More rigorous studies that can integrate patient-centered and intermediate outcomes in addition to mortality are needed.

Use of letrozole in assisted reproduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Requena, Antonio; Herrero, Julio; Landeras, José; Navarro, Esperanza; Neyro, José L.; Salvador, Cristina; Tur, Rosa; Callejo, Justo; Checa, Miguel A.; Farré, Magí; Espinós, Juan J.; Fábregues, Francesc; Graña-Barcia, María

2008-01-01

BACKGROUND Letrozole is the third-generation aromatase inhibitor (AI) most widely used in assisted reproduction. AIs induce ovulation by inhibiting estrogen production; the consequent hypoestrogenic state increases GnRH release and pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) synthesis. METHODS A systematic search of the literature was performed for both prospective and retrospective studies. Meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were performed for three comparisons: letrozole versus clomiphene citrate (CC), letrozole + FSH versus FSH in intrauterine insemination (IUI) and letrozole + FSH versus FSH in IVF. In the absence of RCTs, non-randomized studies were pooled. RESULTS Nine studies were included in the meta-analysis. Four RCTs compared the overall effect of letrozole with CC in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. The pooled result was not significant for ovulatory cycles (OR = 1.17; 95% CI 0.66–2.09), or for pregnancy rate per cycle (OR = 1.47; 95% CI 0.73–2.96) or for pregnancy rate per patient (OR = 1.37; 95% CI 0.70–2.71). In three retrospective studies which compared L + FSH with FSH in ovarian stimulation for IUI, the pooled OR was 1.15 (95% CI 0.78−1.71). A final meta-analysis included one RCT and one cohort study that compared letrozole + gonadotrophin versus gonadotrophin alone: the pooled pregnancy rate per patient was not significantly different (OR = 1.40; 95% CI 0.67–2.91). CONCLUSIONS Letrozole is as effective as other methods of ovulation induction. Further randomized-controlled studies are warranted to define more clearly the efficacy and safety of letrozole in human reproduction. PMID:18812422

CAN ULTRASOUND ENABLE EFFICIENT INTRACELLULAR UPTAKE OF MOLECULES? A RETROSPECTIVE LITERATURE REVIEW AND ANALYSIS

PubMed Central

LIU, YING; YAN, JING; PRAUSNITZ, MARK R.

2012-01-01

Most applications of therapeutic ultrasound (US) for intracellular delivery of drugs, proteins, DNA/ RNA and other compounds would benefit from efficient uptake of these molecules into large numbers of cells without killing cells in the process. In this study we tested the hypothesis that efficient intracellular uptake of molecules can be achieved with high cell viability after US exposure in vitro. A search of the literature for studies with quantitative data on uptake and viability yielded 26 published papers containing 898 experimental data points. Analysis of these studies showed that just 7.7% of the data points corresponded to relatively efficient uptake (>50% of cells exhibiting uptake). Closer examination of the data showed that use of Definity US contrast agent (as opposed to Optison) and elevated sonication temperature at 37°C (as opposed to room temperature) were associated with high uptake, which we further validated through independent experiments carried out in this study. Although these factors contributed to high uptake, almost all data with efficient uptake were from studies that had not accounted for lysed cells when determining cell viability. Based on retrospective analysis of the data, we showed that not accounting for lysed cells can dramatically increase the calculated uptake efficiency. We further argue that if all the data considered in this study were re-analyzed to account for lysed cells, there would be essentially no data with efficient uptake. We therefore conclude that the literature does not support the hypothesis that efficient intracellular uptake of molecules can be achieved with high cell viability after US exposure in vitro, which poses a challenge to future applications of US that require efficient intracellular delivery. PMID:22425381

Oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma in young adults: A retrospective study in Granada University Hospital.

PubMed

Cariati, P; Cabello-Serrano, A; Perez-de Perceval-Tara, M; Monsalve-Iglesias, F; Martínez-Lara, I

2017-11-01

This study aims to evaluate and analyze the clinical features and outcomes of oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in patients < 45-years old in our center. A retrospective analysis was conducted using the records of patients diagnosed with oral and oropharyngeal SCC between 1998 and 2011 in the University Hospital of Granada (Spain). The analysis identified 33 patients with oral and oropharyngeal SCC with an age of <45 years. Moreover, during the years studied, a further 472 patients were diagnosed with oral and oropharyngeal SCC in our center. Thus, 100 SCC patients with an age of >45 years were randomly selected from the same database. A retrospective analysis was conducted to determine specific features including sites of occurrence, risk factors, sex distribution, socio-economic status, T stage at diagnosis, nodal involvement, degree of tumor differentiation, locoregional failure and overall survival at 5 years was. Further, the results of both groups were compared. The male-female ratio was 1.2:1 in the group of young adults and 2.03:1 in the group of patients with an age of >45 years. No significant differences were found in terms of site, nodal involvement, locoregional failure, and overall survival. However, there were statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of features such as risk factors, socio-economic status, T stage at diagnosis, and degree of tumor differentiation. The overall 5-year survival rate was 62% for patients >45 years old, whilst for the group of young adults this rate was 48.4% (p= 0.17). The poor association between the common risk factors and oral and oropharyngeal cancers in young adults suggests that other pathogenic mechanisms should be investigated. For young patients, the data show evidence of poorer outcomes in terms of overall survival (p=0.17), and locoregional failure (p=0.23). Nevertheless, the literature shows that the results in this field are particularly inconsistent, and further research is therefore needed to provide more in-depth knowledge of the disease in this age group.

[Risk factors of peripartum hysterectomy in placenta previa: a retrospective study of 3 840 cases].

PubMed

Lyu, B; Chen, M; Liu, X X

2016-07-25

To investigate the risk factors of peripartum hysterectomy in placenta previa through retrospective study of 3 840 placenta previa cases. The clinical data of 3 840 patients with placenta previa who delivered in West China Second University Hospital between Jan 2005 and June 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. The relationship of certain factors and peripartum hysterectomy was analyzed, including maternal age, residence place, parity, prior curettage, prior cesarean section, twin or multiple pregnancy, antenatal vaginal bleeding, type of placenta previa, suspected placenta accreta, antenatal level of hemoglobin and gestational age at delivery. The prevalence of placenta previa was 4.84%(3 840/79 304)in West China Second University Hospital during the study period, and the incidence of preipartum hysterectomy in patients with placenta previa was 2.76%(106/3 840). One-factor analysis demonstrated that residence place, parity, times of prior curettage, prior cesarean section, prenatal vaginal bleeding, anterior placenta, type of placenta previa, placenta accreta, antenatal anemia and gestational age at delivery were potential risk factors for peripartum hysterectomy(P<0.01). Variables with P<0.1 in one-factor analysis were introduced to multi-factor logistic regression analysis, which suggested that one prior cesarean section(OR=12.9,95% CI:6.3-26.3), two or more prior cesarean sections(OR=14.4, 95%CI:3.9-53.2), anterior placenta(OR=4.8, 95%CI:2.1-10.7), complete placenta previa(OR=5.9, 95%CI: 1.8-42.5), placenta accreta(OR=11.2, 95%CI:6.8-18.6), antenatal hemoglobin<100 g/L(OR=1.7, 95%CI: 1.0-2.8)and delivery before 34 gestational weeks(OR=3.2, 95%CI: 1.6-6.3)were independent risk factors of peripartum hysterectomy in patients with placenta previa(P<0.05). Prior cesarean section, anterior placenta, complete placenta previa, placenta accreta, antenatal anemia and delivery before 34 gestational weeks are high risk factors of peripartum hysterectomy in placenta previa patients. Perinatal care and risk evaluation before cesarean section are important to improve perinatal outcomes and reduce peripartum hysterectomy.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Extraperitoneal Versus Transperitoneal Colostomy for Preventing Parastomal Hernia.

PubMed

Kroese, Leonard F; de Smet, Gijs H J; Jeekel, Johannes; Kleinrensink, Gert-Jan; Lange, Johan F

2016-07-01

Parastomal hernia remains a frequent problem after constructing a colostomy. Current research mainly focuses on prophylactic mesh placement as an addition to transperitoneal colostomies. However, for constructing a colostomy, either an extraperitoneal or transperitoneal route can be chosen. The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate which technique results in lower parastomal hernia rates in patients undergoing end colostomy. A meta-analysis was conducted according to Preferred Items for Reporting of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. Embase, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases were searched. The study protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews database. Studies comparing extraperitoneal and transperitoneal colostomies were included. Only studies written in English were included. The quality of studies and risk of bias were assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. The quality of nonrandomized studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The intervention was colostomy formation. The main outcome measure was parastomal hernia incidence. Secondary outcome measures were stoma prolapse, stoma necrosis, and operating time. Of 401 articles found, a meta-analysis was conducted of 10 studies (2 randomized controlled trials and 8 retrospective studies) composed of 1048 patients (347 extraperitoneal and 701 transperitoneal). Extraperitoneal colostomy led to significantly lower parastomal hernia rates (22 of 347 (6.3%) for extraperitoneal versus 125 of 701 (17.8%) for transperitoneal; risk ratio = 0.36 (95% CI, 0.21-0.62); I = 26%; p < 0.001) and significantly lower stoma prolapse rates (2 of 185 (1.1%) for extraperitoneal versus 13 of 179 (7.3%) for transperitoneal; risk ratio = 0.21 (95% CI, 0.06-0.73); I = 0%; p = 0.01). Differences in stoma necrosis were not significant. Operating time data were insufficient to analyze. Most of the studies were nonrandomized, and some were not recent publications. Although the majority of studies included were retrospective, extraperitoneal colostomy was observed to lead to a lower rate of parastomal hernia and stoma prolapse.

Cleft lip and palate: a descriptive comparative, retrospective, and prospective study of patients with cleft deformities managed at 2 hospitals in Kenya.

PubMed

Wanjeri, Joseph Kimani; Wachira, John Makanga

2009-09-01

This was a combined retrospective and prospective study in which 2 sets of results from 2 hospitals in Nairobi were analyzed and compared. The retrospective study was conducted at Kenyatta National Hospital, whereas the prospective study was conducted at Metropolitan Hospital.The main objective of the study was to establish the presentation and pattern of patients with cleft lip and palate and complications of repair at the 2 hospitals.In the retrospective arm of the study, files of all patients presenting with clefts at Kenyatta National Hospital between January 1998 and December 2007 were retrieved, and a questionnaire was filled out for each of them, whereas all patients seen and operated on for clefts at the Metropolitan Hospital from January 2007 to October 2008 were recruited into the prospective study.There was a predominance of male participants in both studies, and most clefts were on the left side. The retrospective and prospective studies had positive family history in 3.5% and 30.9%, respectively. Associated congenital malformations were 8.2% for the retrospective study and 25% for the prospective study. In both studies, the central province had the largest number of clefts, whereas the coast province had very few.Cleft lip and palate is a significant congenital malformation in Kenya, and there seems to be a higher incidence of familial tendency and associated congenital malformations than that reported elsewhere.

Retrospective Evaluation Reveals That Long-term Androgen Deprivation Therapy Improves Cause-Specific and Overall Survival in the Setting of Dose-Escalated Radiation for High-Risk Prostate Cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Feng, Felix Y., E-mail: ffeng@med.umich.edu; Department of Radiation Oncology, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Blas, Kevin

2013-05-01

Purpose: To evaluate the role of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and duration for high-risk prostate cancer patients treated with dose-escalated radiation therapy (RT). Methods and Materials: A retrospective analysis of high-risk prostate cancer patients treated with dose-escalated RT (minimum 75 Gy) with or without ADT was performed. The relationship between ADT use and duration with biochemical failure (BF), metastatic failure (MF), prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM), non-prostate cancer death (NPCD), and overall survival (OS) was assessed as a function of pretreatment characteristics, comorbid medical illness, and treatment using Fine and Gray's cumulative incidence methodology. Results: The median follow-up time was 64more » months. In men with National Comprehensive Cancer Network defined high-risk prostate cancer treated with dose-escalated RT, on univariate analysis, both metastasis (P<.0001; hazard ratio 0.34; 95% confidence interval 0.18-0.67; cumulative incidence at 60 months 13% vs 35%) and PCSM (P=.015; hazard ratio 0.41; 95% confidence interval 0.2-1.0; cumulative incidence at 60 months 6% vs 11%) were improved with the use of ADT. On multivariate analysis for all high-risk patients, Gleason score was the strongest negative prognostic factor, and long-term ADT (LTAD) improved MF (P=.002), PCSM (P=.034), and OS (P=.001). In men with prostate cancer and Gleason scores 8 to 10, on multivariate analysis after adjustment for other risk features, there was a duration-dependent improvement in BF, metastasis, PCSM, and OS, all favoring LTAD in comparison with STAD or RT alone. Conclusion: For men with high-risk prostate cancer treated with dose-escalated EBRT, this retrospective study suggests that the combination of LTAD and RT provided a significant improvement in clinical outcome, which was especially true for those with Gleason scores of 8 to 10.« less

Poly Implant Prothèse (PIP) incidence of rupture: a retrospective MR analysis in 64 patients

PubMed Central

Scotto di Santolo, Mariella; Cusati, Bianca; Ragozzino, Alfonso; Dell’Aprovitola, Nicoletta; Acquaviva, Alessandra; Altiero, Michele; Accurso, Antonello; Riccardi, Albina

2014-01-01

Aim of the study The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of Poly Implant Prothèse (PIP) hydrogel implants in a group of 64 patients and to assess the incidence of rupture, compared to other clinical trials. Material and methods In this double-center study, we retrospectively reviewed the data sets of 64 consecutive patients (mean age, 43±9 years, age range, 27-65 years), who underwent breast MRI examinations, between January 2008 and October 2013, with suspected implant rupture on the basis of clinical assessment or after conventional imaging examination (either mammography or ultrasound). All patients had undergone breast operation with bilateral textured cohesive gel PIP implant insertion for aesthetic reasons. The mean time after operation was 8 years (range, 6-14 years). No patients reported history of direct trauma to their implants. Results At the time of clinical examination, 41 patients were asymptomatic, 16 complained of breast tenderness and 7 had clinical evidence of rupture. Normal findings were observed in 15 patients. In 26 patients there were signs of mild collapse, with associated not significant peri-capsular fluid collections and no evidence of implant rupture; in 23 patients there was suggestion of implant rupture, according to breast MRI leading to an indication for surgery. In particular, 14 patients showed intra-capsular rupture, with associated evidence of the linguine sign in all cases; the keyhole sign and the droplet signs were observed in 6 cases. In 9 patients there was evidence of extra-capsular rupture, with presence of axillary collections (siliconomas) in 7 cases and peri-prosthetic and mediastinal cavity siliconomas, in 5 cases. Conclusions The results of this double center retrospective study, confirm the higher incidence (36%) of prosthesis rupture observed with the PIP implants, compared to other breast implants. PMID:25525578

Clinical profile and factors associated with mortality in hospitalized patients with HIV/AIDS: a retrospective analysis from Tripoli Medical Centre, Libya, 2013.

PubMed

Shalaka, N S; Garred, N A; Zeglam, H T; Awasi, S A; Abukathir, L A; Altagdi, M E; Rayes, A A

2015-10-02

In Libya, little is known about HIV-related hospitalizations and in-hospital mortality. This was a retrospective analysis of HIV-related hospitalizations at Tripoli Medical Centre in 2013. Of 227 cases analysed, 82.4% were males who were significantly older (40.0 versus 36.5 years), reported injection drug use (58.3% versus 0%) and were hepatitis C virus co-infected (65.8% versus 0%) compared with females. Severe immunosuppression was prevalent (median CD4 count = 42 cell/μL). Candidiasis was the most common diagnosis (26.0%); Pneumocystis pneumonia was the most common respiratory disease (8.8%), while cerebral toxoplasmosis was diagnosed in 8.4% of patients. Current HAART use was independently associated with low risk of in-hospital mortality (OR 0.33), while central nervous system symptoms (OR 4.12), sepsis (OR 6.98) and low total lymphocyte counts (OR 3.60) were associated with increased risk. In this study, late presentation with severe immunosuppression was common, and was associated with significant in-hospital mortality.

[Peribulbar block combined with general anesthesia in babies undergoing laser treatment for retinopathy of prematurity: a retrospective analysis].

PubMed

Pinho, Daniela Filipa Rodrigues; Real, Cátia; Ferreira, Leónia; Pina, Pedro

2018-03-12

Currently there is no agreement regarding which one is the most adequate anesthetic technique for the treatment of retinopathy of prematurity. Peribulbar block may reduce the incidence of oculocardiac reflex and postoperative apnea. The goal of this study was to report the outcomes of peribulbar block, when combined with general anesthesia, for the laser treatment for retinopathy of prematurity, in premature babies. A retrospective analysis of anesthetic records of all babies who underwent laser treatment for retinopathy of prematurity from January 2008 through December 2015 in a tertiary hospital was performed. During that period a total of six babies was submitted to laser treatment for retinopathy of prematurity, all under peribulbar block combined with general anesthesia. A single infratemporal injection of 0.15mL.kg -1 per eye ropivacaine 1% or 0.75% was performed. At the end of the procedure, all babies resumed spontaneous ventilation. No perioperative complications were reported. Peribulbar block was a safe anesthetic technique in our sample considered. Copyright © 2018 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Partial T-cell depletion improves the composite endpoint graft-versus-host disease-free, relapse-free survival after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

PubMed

Simonetta, Federico; Masouridi-Levrat, Stavroula; Beauverd, Yan; Tsopra, Olga; Tirefort, Yordanka; Koutsi, Aikaterini; Stephan, Caroline; Polchlopek-Blasiak, Karolina; Pradier, Amandine; Dantin, Carole; Ansari, Marc; Roosnek, Eddy; Chalandon, Yves

2018-03-01

Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD)-free, relapse-free survival (GRFS) is a recently reported composite endpoint that allows to simultaneously estimate risk of death, relapse and GvHD after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In this retrospective study comprising 333 patients transplanted for hematologic malignancies, we compared GRFS in patients receiving partial T-cell-depleted (pTCD) grafts with patients receiving T-cell-replete grafts (No-TCD). pTCD was associated with a significantly improved GRFS. The beneficial effect of pTCD on GRFS remained highly significant in multivariable analysis taking into account clinical factors differing between patient groups. We observed no effect of pTCD on overall survival, progression-free survival, and relapse cumulative incidence, while non-relapse mortality cumulative incidence was significantly lower in patients receiving pTCD. The results of our retrospective analysis suggest that pTCD could improve GRFS in allogeneic HSCT recipients without significantly affecting OS and PFS, thus improving patients' quality of life without impairing the curative potential of allogeneic HSCT.

Analysis of injuries from the Army Ten Miler: A 6-year retrospective review.

PubMed

Pasquina, Paul F; Griffin, Sarah C; Anderson-Barnes, Victoria C; Tsao, Jack W; O'Connor, Francis G

2013-01-01

A number of long-distance running events are held each year in the United States; the Army Ten Miler (ATM) is one such race held annually in Washington, DC. The purpose of the present study was to retrospectively analyze medical encounters for runners participating in the ATM from 1998 to 2004. Of the estimated 91,750 runners over the 6-year period, 73,100 participants finished the race and were included in the data analysis. Demographic and injury data were collected from medical records of participants who received medical care while participating in the ATM, and injury-related factors were assessed. The most common category of injury was musculoskeletal (44%), followed by medical-related problems (27%) and dermatological injuries (27%). Similar to marathon and ironman races, ATM injury rates correlate with race-day temperature and dew point. Overall, however, the injury rates observed at the ATM were relatively low compared to those reported for longer distance events. Finally, we detail the medical coverage provided at the ATM, as this coverage could be used as a guide for similarly distanced races.

Demographic and Clinical Profile of Patients With Dementia Receiving Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Case-Control Study.

PubMed

Zhang, Qing-E; Sha, Sha; Ungvari, Gabor S; Chiu, Helen F K; Ng, Chee H; He, Hong-Bo; Forester, Brent P; Xiang, Yu-Tao

2016-09-01

Little is known about the clinical characteristics of patients with dementia receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for the treatment of behavioral symptoms. This study examined the demographic and clinical profile of patients with dementia receiving ECT in China. This was a retrospective, case-control study. The sample was composed of 23 patients with dementia treated with ECT and 71 sex- and age-matched controls treated for a period of 8 years (2007-2014) at the National Clinical Research Centre of Mental Disorders, China. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected from the electronic chart management system. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that ECT was independently associated with high risk for suicide at admission. The recorded indications for ECT included both high risk for suicide and aggressive behavior. Most patients responded to ECT satisfactorily (56.5%) or partially (34.8%) with only mild-moderate transient memory impairment (30.4%). Although this is a preliminary study limited by the retrospective design and small sample size, findings suggest that ECT is an effective and safe therapeutic intervention to reduce the risk for suicide and aggressive behavior in dementia.

The effects of calcium and sodium bicarbonate on severe hyperkalaemia during cardiopulmonary resuscitation: A retrospective cohort study of adult in-hospital cardiac arrest.

PubMed

Wang, Chih-Hung; Huang, Chien-Hua; Chang, Wei-Tien; Tsai, Min-Shan; Yu, Ping-Hsun; Wu, Yen-Wen; Hung, Kuan-Yu; Chen, Wen-Jone

2016-01-01

Calcium and sodium bicarbonate (SB) are frequently used in treating patients with severe hyperkalaemia. We evaluated the efficacy of these medications for the treatment of severe hyperkalaemia during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). We also hypothesised that the effects of these medications might be associated with serum potassium level during CPR. We conducted a retrospective observational study in a single medical centre. From adult patients who had suffered an in-hospital cardiac arrest from 2006 through 2012, we included those with a serum potassium level>6.5 mEq/L measured during CPR. We used multivariable logistic regression analysis to study the association of calcium/SB with sustained return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Among the 109 patients included in our analysis, 40 (36.7%) patients achieved sustained ROSC, and only four (3.7%) patients survived to hospital discharge. The mean serum potassium level was 7.8 mEq/L. The analysis indicated that administration of SB was positively associated with sustained ROSC when serum potassium level was <7.9 mEq/L (odds ratio [OR]: 10.51; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.50-112.89; p: 0.03); administration of calcium and SB was also positively associated with sustained ROSC when serum potassium level was <9.4 mEq/L (OR: 51.11; 95% CI: 3.12-1639.16; p: 0.01). The use of calcium and SB might be effective in the treatment of severe hyperkalaemia during cardiac arrest. The efficacy of SB/calcium correlated with serum potassium level. However, because the number of patients included in the analysis was small, this conclusion should be further examined in the future. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Retrospective single center study of the efficacy of large spot 532 nm laser for the treatment of facial capillary malformations in 44 patients with the use of three-dimensional image analysis.

PubMed

Kwiek, Bartłomiej; Rożalski, Michał; Kowalewski, Cezary; Ambroziak, Marcin

2017-10-01

We wanted to asses the efficacy of large spot 532 nm laser for the treatment of facial capillary malformations with the use of three-dimensional (3D) image analysis. Retrospective single center study on previously non-treated patients with facial capillary malformations (CM) was performed. A total of 44 consecutive Caucasian patients aged 5-66 were included. Patients had 3D photography performed before and after and had at least one single session of treatment with 532 nm neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser with contact cooling, fluencies ranging from 8 to 11.5 J/cm 2 , pulse duration ranging from 5 to 9 milliseconds and spot size ranging from 5 to 10 mm. Objective analysis of percentage improvement based on 3D digital assessment of combined color and area improvement (global clearance effect [GCE]) were performed. Median maximal improvement achieved during the treatment (GCE max ) was 70.4%. Mean number of laser procedures required to achieve this improvement was 7.1 (ranging from 2 to 14)). Improvement of minimum 25% (GCE 25) was achieved by all patients, of minimum 50% (GCE 50) by 77.3%, of minimum 75% (GCE 75) by 38.6%, and of minimum 90% (GCE 90) by 13.64. Large spot 532 nm laser is highly effective in the treatment of facial CM. 3D color and area image analysis provides an objective method to compare different methods of facial CM treatment in future studies. Lasers Surg. Med. 49:743-749, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Analysis of pain and painless symptoms in temporomandibular joints dysfunction in adult patients.

PubMed

Górecka, Małgorzata; Pihut, Małgorzata; Kulesa-Mrowiecka, Małgorzata

2017-01-01

Recent years have shown an increase in the number of patients reporting for treatment of pain due to musculoskeletal joint, associated with temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Therefore, studies were undertaken, aimed at analyzing the symptoms of the dysfunction, because of which patients come to the prosthetic treatment. Aim of the thesis: The aim of the study was a retrospective analysis of symptoms of temporomandibular joint dysfunction reported by patients diagnosed with this problem. The research material was a retrospective medical records of 120 patients, aged 19 to 45 years who have taken prosthetic treatment due to temporomandibular joint dysfunction in the Consulting Room in Prosthetics Department in Kraków, from June 2015 to December 2016. During the test patients, in addition to interviewing a physician, completed a personal survey in their own study. The material has been divided into I group of patients who reported pain form of dysfunction and II group, who had no symptoms of pain within the stomatognatic system. The analysis covered type of symptoms, the share of local factors (para-functions) and systemic, as well as the time a er which the patients reported for the treatment of functional disorders since the appearance of the first symptoms. Analysis of the research material showed that the main reason for reporting patients was pain in one or both temporal joints of significant intensity (5 to 8 in VAS scale,) accompanied by acoustic symptoms. A large group of questioners reported problems with the range of jaw movement and head and face pain, as well as subjective symptoms from the auditory, sight, neck, neck and shoulder areas.

Real-World Cost Savings Demonstrated by Switching Patients with Refractory Diabetic Macular Edema to Intravitreal Fluocinolone Acetonide (Iluvien): A Retrospective Cost Analysis Study.

PubMed

Ch'ng, Soon W; Brent, Alexander J; Empeslidis, Theodoros; Konidaris, Vasileios; Banerjee, Somnath

2018-06-01

It is hypothesized that using fluocinolone acetonide (FAc) implants such as Iluvien for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) may reduce the total number of intravitreal injections and clinic visits, resulting in an overall treatment cost reduction. The primary aim of this study is to identify the real-world cost savings achievable in a tertiary National Health Service (NHS) hospital. A retrospective cost analysis study was conducted. The inclusion criteria were patients with refractory DME who were switched to Iluvien. The average yearly costs were calculated both before and after the switch to Iluvien. All costs including medicines, investigations, clinics, and management of raised intraocular pressure (IOP) were calculated. The cost differences over the 3 years' worth of Iluvien treatment were calculated and analyzed. To ensure non-inferiority of this treatment intervention, the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) were also analyzed. Statistical analysis was conducted with a Student t test where appropriate and statistical significance is identified where p < 0.05. Fourteen eyes of 13 patients met the inclusion criteria. Switching patients to Iluvien achieved on average a saving of £2606.17 per patient (p = 0.33) over the 3 years. However, seven cases (50%) had a rise in IOP after Iluvien that warranted medical treatment and two cases (14.3%) required glaucoma surgery. Incorporating the costs of glaucoma management reduced the overall savings over 3 years to £1064.66 per patient. The BCVA and CRT analysis showed a non-inferiority relationship between Iluvien and any previous treatment. The use of Iluvien in refractory DME patients represents a cost- and time-saving procedure, while showing non-inferiority in terms of efficacy.

Northeastern Pennsylvania Retrospective Case Study Fact Sheet

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA conducted a retrospective case study in northeastern Pennsylvania to investigate reported instances of contaminated drinking water resources in areas where hydraulic fracturing activities occurred

Retrospective Validation of a Surveillance System for Unexplained Illness and Death: New Haven County, Connecticut

PubMed Central

Kluger, Michael D.; Sofair, Andre N.; Heye, Constance J.; Meek, James I.; Sodhi, Rajesh K.; Hadler, James L.

2001-01-01

Objectives. This study investigated retrospective validation of a prospective surveillance system for unexplained illness and death due to possibly infectious causes. Methods. A computerized search of hospital discharge data identified patients with potential unexplained illness and death due to possibly infectious causes. Medical records for such patients were reviewed for satisfaction of study criteria. Cases identified retrospectively were combined with prospectively identified cases to form a reference population against which sensitivity could be measured. Results. Retrospective validation was 41% sensitive, whereas prospective surveillance was 73% sensitive. The annual incidence of unexplained illness and death due to possibly infectious causes during 1995 and 1996 in the study county was conservatively estimated to range from 2.7 to 6.2 per 100 000 residents aged 1 to 49 years. Conclusions. Active prospective surveillance for unexplained illness and death due to possibly infectious causes is more sensitive than retrospective surveillance conducted through a published list of indicator codes. However, retrospective surveillance can be a feasible and much less labor-intensive alternative to active prospective surveillance when the latter is not possible or desired. PMID:11499106

Maggot therapy for chronic ulcer: a retrospective cohort and a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Wilasrusmee, Chumpon; Marjareonrungrung, Mongkol; Eamkong, Suwannee; Attia, John; Poprom, Napaphat; Jirasisrithum, Sopon; Thakkinstian, Ammarin

2014-07-01

Maggot wound therapy (MWT) has been used in various wounds including diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, pressure ulcers, and acute surgical wounds. However, the efficacy of MWT therapy has been controversial. We therefore conducted a cohort study and a meta-analysis to assess MWT effects. A retrospective cohort study was performed in diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) patients who were treated with MWT or conventional wound therapy (CWT) in Thailand. The Kaplan-Meier curve was applied to estimate the healing probability. A meta-analysis was performed to pool our study with four previous cohort studies identified from Medline and Scopus. The estimated incidence of wound healing was 5.7/100 (95% CI: 4.49, 7.32) patients-week, and the median time to healing was 14 weeks. The hazard ratio (HR) of wound healing was 7.87 times significantly higher in the MWT than the CWT (p < 0.001) after adjusting for duration and size of ulcers, ankle brachial index (ABI), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Meta-analysis was applied and suggested that the treatment effects were moderately heterogeneous {Chi-square = 6.18 [degrees of freedom (d.f.) = 4]; p = 0.186; I(2) = 35.2%}, with the pooled risk ratio (RR) of 1.77 [95% confidence intervals (CI) = 1.01, 3.11], i.e., the chance of wound healing was 20% significantly higher with MWT than CWT. The average costs of treatment in patients with DFU were lower in the MWT group than in the CWT group, with medians of US$292.82 and US$490, respectively. Our evidence suggests that MWT is significantly better for wound healing and more cost-effective than CWT. An updated meta-analysis or large scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) is required to confirm this effect. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A Comparative Analysis of the Financial Incentives of Two Distinct Experience-Rating Programs.

PubMed

Tompa, Emile; McLeod, Chris; Mustard, Cam

2016-07-01

The aim of this study was to compare the association between insurance premium incentives and claim outcomes in two different workers' compensation programs. Regression models were run for claim outcomes using data from two Canadian jurisdictions with different experience-rating programs-one with prospective (British Columbia) and another with retrospective (Ontario) adjustment of premiums. Key explanatory variables were past premium adjustments. For both programs, past premium adjustments were significantly associated with claim outcomes, suggesting adjustments provided incentives for claims reduction. The magnitudes of effects in the prospective program were smaller than the retrospective one, though relative persistence of effects over time was larger. Having large and immediate employer responses to incentives may appear desirable, but insurers should consider the time required for employers to improve and sustain good practices, and create incentives that parallel such time lines.

Multicystic dysplastic kidney: a retrospective study.

PubMed

Sharada, Sathish; Vijayakumar, Mahalingam; Nageswaran, Prahlad; Ekambaram, Sudha; Udani, Amish

2014-08-01

To report the renal structural and functional anomalies in children with multicystic dysplastic kidneys. Retrospective descriptive analysis of 47 children with multicystic dysplastic kidney seen in a pediatric nephrology unit over a period of 6 years. Antenatal diagnosis of multicystic dysplastic kidney was made in 34 (72.3%) patients. On follow up of 31 children for more than 12 months, 21 (68%) had involution, 4 [13%] had non-regression, and 4 (13%) were nephrectomized. Vesico-ureteric reflux (n=13; 28%) was the commonest renal abnormality. The serum creatinine values were higher (P=0.006) in children with contralateral reflux. Sub-nephrotic proteinuria was noted in 9 (29%) and was significantly associated with complete involution (P=<0.023). None of the patients developed hypertension and 2 (6.4%) had renal failure. Close nephrological follow-up is needed in children with multicystic dysplasia of kidneys.

Serial migration and its implications for the parent-child relationship: a retrospective analysis of the experiences of the children of Caribbean immigrants.

PubMed

Smith, Andrea; Lalonde, Richard N; Johnson, Simone

2004-05-01

This study addressed the potential impact of serial migration for parent-children relationships and for children's psychological well-being. The experience of being separated from their parents during childhood and reunited with them at a later time was retrospectively examined for 48 individuals. A series of measures (e.g., self-esteem, parental identification) associated with appraisals at critical time periods during serial migration (separation, reunion, current) revealed that serial migration can potentially disrupt parent-child bonding and unfavorably affect children's self-esteem and behavior. Time did not appear to be wholly effective in repairing rifts in the parent-child relationship. Risk factors for less successful reunions included lengthy separations and the addition of new members to the family unit in the child's absence. (c) 2004 APA

Validation of a Delirium Risk Assessment Using Electronic Medical Record Information.

PubMed

Rudolph, James L; Doherty, Kelly; Kelly, Brittany; Driver, Jane A; Archambault, Elizabeth

2016-03-01

Identifying patients at risk for delirium allows prompt application of prevention, diagnostic, and treatment strategies; but is rarely done. Once delirium develops, patients are more likely to need posthospitalization skilled care. This study developed an a priori electronic prediction rule using independent risk factors identified in a National Center of Clinical Excellence meta-analysis and validated the ability to predict delirium in 2 cohorts. Retrospective analysis followed by prospective validation. Tertiary VA Hospital in New England. A total of 27,625 medical records of hospitalized patients and 246 prospectively enrolled patients admitted to the hospital. The electronic delirium risk prediction rule was created using data obtained from the patient electronic medical record (EMR). The primary outcome, delirium, was identified 2 ways: (1) from the EMR (retrospective cohort) and (2) clinical assessment on enrollment and daily thereafter (prospective participants). We assessed discrimination of the delirium prediction rule with the C-statistic. Secondary outcomes were length of stay and discharge to rehabilitation. Retrospectively, delirium was identified in 8% of medical records (n = 2343); prospectively, delirium during hospitalization was present in 26% of participants (n = 64). In the retrospective cohort, medical record delirium was identified in 2%, 3%, 11%, and 38% of the low, intermediate, high, and very high-risk groups, respectively (C-statistic = 0.81; 95% confidence interval 0.80-0.82). Prospectively, the electronic prediction rule identified delirium in 15%, 18%, 31%, and 55% of these groups (C-statistic = 0.69; 95% confidence interval 0.61-0.77). Compared with low-risk patients, those at high- or very high delirium risk had increased length of stay (5.7 ± 5.6 vs 3.7 ± 2.7 days; P = .001) and higher rates of discharge to rehabilitation (8.9% vs 20.8%; P = .02). Automatic calculation of delirium risk using an EMR algorithm identifies patients at risk for delirium, which creates a critical opportunity for gaining clinical efficiencies and improving delirium identification, including those needing skilled care. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Estimating Benzene Exposure Level over Time and by Industry Type through a Review of Literature on Korea

PubMed Central

Park, Donguk; Choi, Sangjun; Ha, Kwonchul; Jung, Hyejung; Yoon, Chungsik; Koh, Dong-Hee; Ryu, Seunghun; Kim, Soogeun; Kang, Dongmug; Yoo, Kyemook

2015-01-01

The major purpose of this study is to construct a retrospective exposure assessment for benzene through a review of literature on Korea. Airborne benzene measurements reported in 34 articles were reviewed. A total of 15,729 individual measurements were compiled. Weighted arithmetic means [AM(w)] and their variance calculated across studies were summarized according to 5-year period intervals (prior to the 1970s through the 2010s) and industry type. Industries were classified according to Korea Standard Industrial Classification (KSIC) using information provided in the literature. We estimated quantitative retrospective exposure to benzene for each cell in the matrix through a combination of time and KSIC. Analysis of the AM(w) indicated reductions in exposure levels over time, regardless of industry, with mean levels prior to the 1980–1984 period of 50.4 ppm (n = 2,289), which dropped to 2.8 ppm (n = 305) in the 1990–1994 period, and to 0.1 ppm (n = 294) in the 1995–1999 period. There has been no improvement since the 2000s, when the AM(w) of 4.3 ppm (n = 6,211) for the 2005–2009 period and 4.5 ppm (n = 3,358) for the 2010–2013 period were estimated. A comparison by industry found no consistent patterns in the measurement results. Our estimated benzene measurements can be used to determine not only the possibility of retrospective exposure to benzene, but also to estimate the level of quantitative or semiquantitative retrospective exposure to benzene. PMID:26929825

The design and implementation of an open-source, data-driven cohort recruitment system: the Duke Integrated Subject Cohort and Enrollment Research Network (DISCERN).

PubMed

Ferranti, Jeffrey M; Gilbert, William; McCall, Jonathan; Shang, Howard; Barros, Tanya; Horvath, Monica M

2012-06-01

Failure to reach research subject recruitment goals is a significant impediment to the success of many clinical trials. Implementation of health-information technology has allowed retrospective analysis of data for cohort identification and recruitment, but few institutions have also leveraged real-time streams to support such activities. Duke Medicine has deployed a hybrid solution, The Duke Integrated Subject Cohort and Enrollment Research Network (DISCERN), that combines both retrospective warehouse data and clinical events contained in prospective Health Level 7 (HL7) messages to immediately alert study personnel of potential recruits as they become eligible. DISCERN analyzes more than 500000 messages daily in service of 12 projects. Users may receive results via email, text pages, or on-demand reports. Preliminary results suggest DISCERN's unique ability to reason over both retrospective and real-time data increases study enrollment rates while reducing the time required to complete recruitment-related tasks. The authors have introduced a preconfigured DISCERN function as a self-service feature for users. The DISCERN framework is adoptable primarily by organizations using both HL7 message streams and a data warehouse. More efficient recruitment may exacerbate competition for research subjects, and investigators uncomfortable with new technology may find themselves at a competitive disadvantage in recruitment. DISCERN's hybrid framework for identifying real-time clinical events housed in HL7 messages complements the traditional approach of using retrospective warehoused data. DISCERN is helpful in instances when the required clinical data may not be loaded into the warehouse and thus must be captured contemporaneously during patient care. Use of an open-source tool supports generalizability to other institutions at minimal cost.

Breast implants and possible association with ALCL: A retrospective study including a histological analysis of 296 explanted breast tissues and current literature.

PubMed

Kuehlmann, Britta; Prantl, Lukas

2016-10-05

To identify a possible connection between anaplastic large cell lymphoma and different types of breast implants. We conducted a retrospective evaluation of 296 breast tissues of 227 women with different breast implant types undergoing surgical revision or explantation between January 2000 and June 2015. Histological and selected immunohistochemical analyses of CD30-&ALK-1-markers of the breast capsules were performed. The womens' average age was 42.91±12.66 years (median: 43.83 years) during implantation and 51.40±11.40 years (median: 52.37 years) during revision or explantation of the implants. Average implant residing time was 8.49±8.90 years (median: 5.83 years). In 51% implantation was for reconstructive, in 48% for aesthetic reasons, in 1% for other reasons. At 59% the main reason for explantation or removal was capsular fibrosis (n = 173). In 296 breast capsules we could not find pathological lymphoma cells according to ALCL, retrospectively. In our study we detected high incidences of various cells in relationship to the implant's type and residing time, which will be published in further articles. We could not find ALCL-cells in breast capsules of explanted or revised breast implants during 2000-2015, retrospectively.There should be a heightened awareness of a possible relationship between the development of cancer and breast implants. To date there are case reports about a possible association between the development of ALCL and breast implants. The number of cases are few and our knowledge of the pathogenesis is little. Further investigation is needed to understand the possible link between breast implants and ALCL found in the breast.

Smoking and physical inactivity increase cancer prevalence in BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 mutation carriers: results from a retrospective observational analysis.

PubMed

Grill, Sabine; Yahiaoui-Doktor, Maryam; Dukatz, Ricarda; Lammert, Jacqueline; Ullrich, Mirjam; Engel, Christoph; Pfeifer, Katharina; Basrai, Maryam; Siniatchkin, Michael; Schmidt, Thorsten; Weisser, Burkhard; Rhiem, Kerstin; Ditsch, Nina; Schmutzler, Rita; Bischoff, Stephan C; Halle, Martin; Kiechle, Marion

2017-12-01

The aim of this analysis in a pilot study population was to investigate whether we can verify seemingly harmful lifestyle factors such as nicotine and alcohol indulgence, obesity, and physical inactivity, as well as a low socioeconomic status for increased cancer prevalence in a cohort of BRCA 1 and 2 mutation carriers. The analysis data are derived from 68 participants of the lifestyle intervention study LIBRE-1, a randomized, prospective trial that aimed to test the feasibility of a lifestyle modification in BRCA 1 and 2 mutation carriers. At study entry, factors such as medical history, lifestyle behavior, and socioeconomic status were retrospectively documented by interview and the current BMI was determined by clinical examination. The baseline measurements were compared within the cohort, and presented alongside reference values for the German population. Study participants indicating a higher physical activity during their adolescence showed a significantly lower cancer prevalence (p = 0.019). A significant difference in cancer occurrence was observed in those who smoked prior to the disease, and those who did not smoke (p < 0.001). Diseased mutation carriers tended to have a lower BMI compared to non-diseased mutation carriers (p = 0.079), whereas non-diseased revealed a significantly higher physical activity level than diseased mutation carriers (p = 0.046). The present data in this small cohort of 68 mutation carriers suggest that smoking and low physical activity during adolescence are risk factors for developing breast cancer in women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. Further data of the ongoing LIBRE 2 study are necessary to confirm these findings in a larger cohort of 600 mutation carriers.

Metastatic Spinal Cord Compression from Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Surgery and Adjuvant Therapies: A Retrospective Analysis of Outcomes and Prognostic Factors in 116 Patients.

PubMed

Tang, Yu; Qu, Jintao; Wu, Juan; Li, Song; Zhou, Yue; Xiao, Jianru

2015-09-02

Metastatic spinal cord compression is a disastrous consequence of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). There have been few studies of the outcomes or prognostic factors in patients with metastatic spinal cord compression from NSCLC treated with surgery and adjuvant therapies. From 2002 to 2013, 116 patients with metastatic spinal cord compression from NSCLC treated with surgery and adjuvant therapies were enrolled in this retrospective analysis. Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox regression analysis were used to estimate overall survival and identify prognostic factors for survival. Multivariate analysis suggested that the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS), preoperative and postoperative Frankel scores, postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy, and target therapy were independent prognostic factors. Ninety patients died at a median of twelve months (range, three to forty-seven months) postoperatively, and twenty-six patients were still alive at the time of final follow-up (at a median of fifteen months [range, five to fifty-four months]). The complete disappearance of deficits in spinal cord function after surgery was the most robust predictor of survival. Adjuvant radiation therapy and target therapy were also associated with a better prognosis. Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. Copyright © 2015 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

Obtaining the mean relative weights of the cost of care in Catalonia (Spain): retrospective application of the adjusted clinical groups case-mix system in primary health care.

PubMed

Sicras-Mainar, Antoni; Velasco-Velasco, Soledad; Navarro-Artieda, Ruth; Aguado Jodar, Alba; Plana-Ripoll, Oleguer; Hermosilla-Pérez, Eduardo; Bolibar-Ribas, Bonaventura; Prados-Torres, Alejandra; Violan-Fors, Concepción

2013-04-01

The study aims to obtain the mean relative weights (MRWs) of the cost of care through the retrospective application of the adjusted clinical groups (ACGs) in several primary health care (PHC) centres in Catalonia (Spain) in routine clinical practice. This is a retrospective study based on computerized medical records. All patients attended by 13 PHC teams in 2008 were included. The principle measurements were: demographic variables (age and sex), dependent variables (number of diagnoses and total costs), and case-mix or co-morbidity variables (International Classification of Primary Care). The costs model for each patient was established by differentiating the fix costs from the variable costs. In the bivariate analysis, the Student's t, analysis of variance, chi-squared, Pearson's linear correlation and Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon tests were used. In order to compare the MRW of the present study with those of the United States (US), the concordance [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and concordance correlation coefficient (CCC)] and the correlation (coefficient of determination: R²) were measured. The total number of patients studied was 227,235, and the frequentation was 5.9 visits/habitant/year) and with a mean diagnoses number of 4.5 (3.2). The distribution of costs was €148.7 million, of which 29.1% were fixed costs. The mean total cost per patient/year was €654.2 (851.7), which was considered to be the reference MRW. Relationship between study-MRW and US-MRW: ICC was 0.40 [confidential interval (CI) 95%: 0.21-0.60] and the CCC was 0.42 (CI 95%: 0.35-0.49). The correlation between the US MRW and the MRW of the present study can be seen; the adjusted R² value is 0.691. The explanatory power of the ACG classification was 36.9% for the total costs. The R² of the total cost without considering outliers was 56.9%. The methodology has been shown appropriate for promoting the calculation of the MRW for each category of the classification. The results provide a possible practical application in PHC clinical management. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Cognitive Impairment in Men with Prostate Cancer Treated with Androgen Deprivation Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Sun, Maxine; Cole, Alexander P; Hanna, Nawar; Mucci, Lorelei A; Berry, Donna L; Basaria, Shehzad; Ahern, David K; Kibel, Adam S; Choueiri, Toni K; Trinh, Quoc-Dien

2018-06-01

Use of androgen deprivation therapy may increase the risk of cognitive impairment in men with prostate cancer. We performed a systematic review of the risk of overall cognitive impairment as an outcome in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer. Studies were identified through PubMed®, MEDLINE®, PsycINFO®, Cochrane Library and Web of Knowledge/Science™. Articles were included if they 1) were published in English, 2) had subjects treated for prostate cancer with androgen deprivation therapy, 3) incorporated longitudinal comparisons and 4) used control groups. In addition, prospective studies were required to assess an established cognitive related end point using International Cognition and Cancer Task Force criteria defining impaired cognitive performance as scoring 1.5 or more standard deviations below published norms on 2 or more tests, or scoring 2.0 or more standard deviations below published norms on at least 1 test. The effect of androgen deprivation therapy on cognitive impairment was pooled using a random effects model. Of 221 abstracts 26 were selected for full text review, and 2 prospective and 4 retrospective studies were analyzed. Androgen deprivation therapy was not associated with overall cognitive impairment when the prospective cohort studies were pooled (OR 1.57, 95% CI 0.50 to 4.92, p = 0.44) with significant heterogeneity between estimates (I 2 = 83%). In retrospective data the relative risk of any cognitive impairment, including senile dementia and Alzheimer disease, was increased in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy, although the difference was not statistically significant (HR 1.28, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.76, p = 0.13) with moderate heterogeneity between estimates (I 2 = 67%). Analyses between overall cognitive impairment and use of androgen deprivation therapy defined according to International Cognition and Cancer Task Force criteria in a pooled analysis were inconclusive. In retrospective cohort studies the risk of overall cognitive impairment after androgen deprivation therapy was not significant. Better prospective studies need to be designed for the assessment of this end point. Copyright © 2018 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fall incidence in Germany: results of two population-based studies, and comparison of retrospective and prospective falls data collection methods.

PubMed

Rapp, Kilian; Freiberger, Ellen; Todd, Chris; Klenk, Jochen; Becker, Clemens; Denkinger, Michael; Scheidt-Nave, Christa; Fuchs, Judith

2014-09-20

Fall incidence differs considerably between studies and countries. Reasons may be differences between study samples or different assessment methods. The aim was to derive estimates of fall incidence from two population-based studies among older community-living people in Germany and compare retrospective and prospective falls data collection methods. Data were derived from the 2008-11 wave of the German health interview and examination survey for adults (DEGS1), and the Activity and Function of the Elderly in Ulm study (ActiFE-Ulm). Data collection took place in community facilities (DEGS1) or participants' homes (ActiFE-Ulm). Participation rates were 42% (newly recruited) and 64% (panel component) in DEGS1 and 19.8% in ActiFE-Ulm. Self-report retrospective fall data covering the previous 12 month period in DEGS1 and ActiFE-Ulm were collected, but only ActiFE-Ulm used prospective 12 month fall calendars. The incidence of 'any fall' and 'recurrent falls' were calculated for both methods. Fall rates increased with age in men but not women. The ActiFE-Ulm prospectively assessed incidence (95% confidence interval) in women and men aged 65- < 90 years were 38.7 (36.9-40.5) and 29.7 (28.1-31.3) fallers/year and 13.7 (12.5-14.9) and 10.9 (9.9-12.0) recurrent fallers/year, respectively. Retrospective and prospective fall incidence in ActiFE-Ulm did not differ.The retrospectively assessed incidence of 'any fall' among persons 65- < 80 years were significantly lower in DEGS1 than ActiFE-Ulm (women: 25.7% (22.4-29.2) versus 37.4% (34.8-39.9); men: 16.3% (13.6-19.3) versus 28.9% (26.6-31.1). Retrospective incidence estimates of recurrent falls were similar in both studies for women (10.4% (8.3-12.9) versus 10.2% (8.5-11.8)) and men (6.1% (4.3-8.5) versus 8.4% (7.1-9.8)). Both studies were population-based, but retrospective self-reported fall incidence differed between studies. Study design influences retrospective reported fall incidence considerably. Costly collection of prospective data gives similar rates to the cheaper retrospective report method.

Retrospective Ratings of Emotions: the Effects of Age, Daily Tiredness, and Personality

PubMed Central

Mill, Aire; Realo, Anu; Allik, Jüri

2016-01-01

Remembering the emotions we have experienced in the past is the core of one's unique life-experience. However, there are many factors, both at the state and trait level that can affect the way past feelings are seen. The main aim of the current study was to examine the impact of individual differences on systematic biases in retrospective ratings compared to the momentary experience of basic emotions such as sadness, fear, happiness, and anger. To this end, an experience sampling study across 2 weeks was conducted using a younger and an older age-group; the experience of momentary emotions was assessed on 7 randomly determined occasions per day, the retrospective ratings being collected at the end of each day about that day, as well as at the end of the study about the previous 2 weeks. The results indicated that age and daily tiredness have significant effects on retrospective emotion ratings over a 1-day period (state level), enhancing the retrospective ratings of negative emotions and decreasing the ratings of felt happiness. Whereas personality traits influence the more long-term emotion experience (trait level), with all Big Five personality traits having selective impact on retrospective emotion ratings of fear, sadness, happiness, and anger. Findings provide further evidence about the systematic biases in retrospective emotion ratings, suggesting that, although retrospective ratings are based on momentary experience, daily tiredness and personality traits systematically influence the way in which past feelings are seen. PMID:26793142

Evaluation of the value of ENI in radiotherapy for cervical and upper thoracic esophageal cancer: a retrospective analysis.

PubMed

Liu, Mina; Zhao, Kuaile; Chen, Yun; Jiang, Guo-Liang

2014-10-25

A retrospective study to compare the failure patterns and effects of elective nodal irradiation (ENI) or involved field irradiation (IFI) for cervical and upper thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients. One hundred and sixty nine patients with the cervical and upper thoracic esophageal SCC were analyzed retrospectively; 99 patients (59%) underwent IFI and 70 patients (41%) received ENI. We defined "Out-PTVifi in-PTVeni metastasis" as lymph node metastasis occurring in the cervical prophylactic field of PTVeni thus out of PTVifi. Out-PTVifi in-PTVeni cervical node metastasis occurred in 8% of patients in the IFI group, all within 2 years after treatment. However, it occurred in 10% of patients in the ENI group, and these failures happened gradually since one year after treatments. No difference was found in OS and the incidences of Grade ≥ 3 treatment-related esophageal and lung toxicities between the two groups. ENI for cervical and upper thoracic esophageal SCC patients did not bring longer OS and better long-term control of cervical lymph nodes. Although ENI might delay cervical nodes progression in elective field; it could not decrease the incidence of these failures.

[Retrospective Cytogenetic Dose Evaluation. II. Computer Data Processing in Persons Irradiated in Different Radiation Accidents].

PubMed

Nugis, V Yu; Khvostunov, I K; Goloub, E V; Kozlova, M G; Nadejinal, N M; Galstian, I A

2015-01-01

The method for retrospective dose assessment based on the analysis of cell distribution by the number of dicentrics and unstable aberrations using a special computer program was earlier developed based on the data about the persons irradiated as a result of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. This method was applied for the same purpose for data processing of repeated cytogenetic studies of the patients exposed to γ-, γ-β- or γ-neutron radiation in various situations. As a whole, this group was followed up in more distant periods (17-50 years) after exposure than Chernobyl patients (up to 25 years). The use for retrospective dose assessment of the multiple regression equations obtained for the Chernobyl cohort showed that the equation, which includes computer recovered estimate of the dose and the time elapsed after irradiation, was generally unsatisfactory (r = 0.069 at p = 0.599). Similar equations with recovered estimate of the dose and frequency of abnormal chromosomes in a distant period or with all three parameters as variables gave better results (r = 0.686 at p = 0.000000001 and r = 0.542 at p = 0.000008, respectively).

Impact of Gram stain results on initial treatment selection in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia: a retrospective analysis of two treatment algorithms.

PubMed

Yoshimura, Jumpei; Kinoshita, Takahiro; Yamakawa, Kazuma; Matsushima, Asako; Nakamoto, Naoki; Hamasaki, Toshimitsu; Fujimi, Satoshi

2017-06-19

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common and serious problem in intensive care units (ICUs). Several studies have suggested that the Gram stain of endotracheal aspirates is a useful method for accurately diagnosing VAP. However, the usefulness of the Gram stain in predicting which microorganisms cause VAP has not been established. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a Gram stain of endotracheal aspirates could be used to determine appropriate initial antimicrobial therapy for VAP. Data on consecutive episodes of microbiologically confirmed VAP were collected from February 2013 to February 2016 in the ICU of a tertiary care hospital in Japan. We constructed two hypothetical empirical antimicrobial treatment algorithms for VAP: a guidelines-based algorithm (GLBA) based on the recommendations of the American Thoracic Society-Infectious Diseases Society of America (ATS-IDSA) guidelines and a Gram stain-based algorithm (GSBA) which limited the choice of initial antimicrobials according to the results of bedside Gram stains. The GLBA and the GSBA were retrospectively reviewed for each VAP episode. The initial coverage rates and the selection of broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents were compared between the two algorithms. During the study period, 219 suspected VAP episodes were observed and 131 episodes were assessed for analysis. Appropriate antimicrobial coverage rates were not significantly different between the two algorithms (GLBA 95.4% versus GSBA 92.4%; p = 0.134). The number of episodes for which antimethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus agents were selected as an initial treatment was larger in the GLBA than in the GSBA (71.0% versus 31.3%; p < 0.001), as were the number of episodes for which antipseudomonal agents were recommended as an initial treatment (70.2% versus 51.9%; p < 0.001). Antimicrobial treatment based on Gram stain results may restrict the administration of broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents without increasing the risk of treatment failure. UMIN-CTR, UMIN000026457 . Registered 8 March 2017 (retrospectively registered).

DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING IN A DIRECT-ACCESS SPORTS PHYSICAL THERAPY CLINIC: A 2-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE PRACTICE ANALYSIS.

PubMed

Crowell, Michael S; Dedekam, Erik A; Johnson, Michael R; Dembowski, Scott C; Westrick, Richard B; Goss, Donald L

2016-10-01

While advanced diagnostic imaging is a large contributor to the growth in health care costs, direct-access to physical therapy is associated with decreased rates of diagnostic imaging. No study has systematically evaluated with evidence-based criteria the appropriateness of advanced diagnostic imaging, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), when ordered by physical therapists. The primary purpose of this study was to describe the appropriateness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or magnetic resonance arthrogram (MRA) exams ordered by physical therapists in a direct-access sports physical therapy clinic. Retrospective observational study of practice. Greater than 80% of advanced diagnostic imaging orders would have an American College of Radiology (ACR) Appropriateness Criteria rating of greater than 6, indicating an imaging order that is usually appropriate. A 2-year retrospective analysis identified 108 MRI/MRA examination orders from four physical therapists. A board-certified radiologist determined the appropriateness of each order based on ACR appropriateness criteria. The principal investigator and co-investigator radiologist assessed agreement between the clinical diagnosis and MRI/surgical findings. Knee (31%) and shoulder (25%) injuries were the most common. Overall, 55% of injuries were acute. The mean ACR rating was 7.7; scores from six to nine have been considered appropriate orders and higher ratings are better. The percentage of orders complying with ACR appropriateness criteria was 83.2%. Physical therapist's clinical diagnosis was confirmed by MRI/MRA findings in 64.8% of cases and was confirmed by surgical findings in 90% of cases. Physical therapists providing musculoskeletal primary care in a direct-access sports physical therapy clinic appropriately ordered advanced diagnostic imaging in over 80% of cases. Future research should prospectively compare physical therapist appropriateness and utilization to other groups of providers and explore the effects of physical therapist imaging privileging on outcomes. Diagnosis, Level 3.

The association of childhood trauma and personality disorders with chronic depression: A cross-sectional study in depressed outpatients.

PubMed

Klein, Jan Philipp; Roniger, Antje; Schweiger, Ulrich; Späth, Christina; Brodbeck, Jeannette

2015-06-01

Chronic depression has often been associated with childhood trauma. There may, however, be an interaction between personality pathology, childhood trauma, and chronic depression. This interaction has not yet been studied. This retrospective analysis is based on 279 patients contacted for a randomized trial in an outpatient psychotherapy center over a period of 18 months from 2010 to 2012. Current diagnoses of a personality disorder and presence of chronic depression were systematically assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Retrospective reports of childhood trauma were collected using the short form of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF). DSM-IV-defined chronic depression was the primary outcome. The association between chronic depression, childhood trauma, and personality disorders was analyzed using correlations. Variables that had at least a small effect on correlation analysis were entered into a series of logistic regression analyses to determine the predictors of chronic depression and the moderating effect of childhood trauma. The presence of avoidant personality disorder, but no CTQ-SF scale, was associated with the chronicity of depression (odds ratio [OR] = 2.20, P = .015). The emotional abuse subscale of the CTQ-SF did, however, correlate with avoidant personality disorder (OR = 1.15, P = .000). The level of emotional abuse had a moderating effect on the effect of avoidant personality disorder on the presence of chronic depression (OR = 1.08, P = .004). Patients who did not suffer from avoidant personality disorder had a decreased rate of chronic depression if they retrospectively reported more severe levels of emotional abuse (18.9% vs 39.7%, respectively). The presence of avoidant personality pathology may interact with the effect of childhood trauma in the development of chronic depression. This has to be confirmed in a prospective study. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01226238. © Copyright 2015 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Add-on lacosamide: a retrospective study on the relationship between serum concentration, dosage, and adverse events.

PubMed

Hillenbrand, Barbara; Wisniewski, Ilona; Jürges, Uta; Steinhoff, Bernhard J

2011-11-01

We performed a retrospective study in patients with poorly controlled epilepsy treated with add-on lacosamide (LCM) to investigate the relationship of LCM-related adverse events with LCM serum concentration and weight-dependent dosage. We collected serum concentrations, weight-related dosages, and occurrences of the seven most frequent adverse events according to the randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. Seventy of 131 patients could be sufficiently evaluated. LCM serum concentrations and weight-related dosages in patients with and without typical adverse events did not differ significantly. Closer analysis of the data suggested that dizziness as the leading adverse event occurred significantly more often if LCM was combined with classic sodium channel blockers. There was a significant correlation between LCM serum concentrations and co-medication, so there is still evidence for dependent variables that might have a relevant impact in individual cases. However, our data do not allow definition of a safety range for LCM. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Retrospective Study of Root Canal Configurations of Mandibular Third Molars Using CBCT- Part-II.

PubMed

Somasundaram, Pavithra; Rawtiya, Manjusha; Wadhwani, Shefali; Uthappa, Roshan; Shivagange, Vinay; Khan, Sheeba

2017-06-01

Abnormal root canal morphologies of third molars can be diagnostically and technically challenging during root canal treatment. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the root and canal morphology of mandibular third molars in Central India population by using Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) analysis. CBCT images of 171 mandibular third molars were observed and data regarding number of roots, number of canals, Vertucci's classification in each root, prevalence of C shaped canal, gender and topographical relation of morphology in mandibular third molar was statistically evaluated. Majority of mandibular third molars had two roots (84.2%) and three canals (64.3%). Most mesial root had Vertucci Type II (55.6%) and Vertucci Type IV (22.2%), distal root had Type I canals (87.5%). Over all prevalence of C shaped canals in mandibular third molars was 9.4%. There was a high prevalence of two rooted mandibular third molars with three canals.

Retrospective Study of Root Canal Configurations of Mandibular Third Molars Using CBCT- Part-II

PubMed Central

Somasundaram, Pavithra; Wadhwani, Shefali; Uthappa, Roshan; Shivagange, Vinay; Khan, Sheeba

2017-01-01

Introduction Abnormal root canal morphologies of third molars can be diagnostically and technically challenging during root canal treatment. Aim The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the root and canal morphology of mandibular third molars in Central India population by using Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) analysis. Materials and Methods CBCT images of 171 mandibular third molars were observed and data regarding number of roots, number of canals, Vertucci’s classification in each root, prevalence of C shaped canal, gender and topographical relation of morphology in mandibular third molar was statistically evaluated. Results Majority of mandibular third molars had two roots (84.2%) and three canals (64.3%). Most mesial root had Vertucci Type II (55.6%) and Vertucci Type IV (22.2%), distal root had Type I canals (87.5%). Over all prevalence of C shaped canals in mandibular third molars was 9.4%. Conclusion There was a high prevalence of two rooted mandibular third molars with three canals. PMID:28764294

A retrospective study of a modified 1-minute formocresol pulpotomy technique part 1: clinical and radiographic findings.

PubMed

Kurji, Zahra A; Sigal, Michael J; Andrews, Paul; Titley, Keith

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical and radiographic outcomes of a 1-minute application of full-strength Buckley's formocresol with concurrent hemostasis using the medicated cotton pledget in human primary teeth. Using a retrospective chart review, clinical and radiographic data were available for 557 primary molars in 320 patients. Descriptive statistics and survival analysis were used to assess outcomes. Overall clinical success, radiographic success, and cumulative 5-year survival rates were approximately 99%, 90%, and 87%, respectively. Internal root resorption (∼5%) and pulp canal obliteration (∼2%) were the most frequently observed radiographic failures. Thirty-nine teeth were extracted due to clinical and or radiographic failure. Mandibular molars were 6 times more prone to radiographic failure than maxillary molars. Success rates for the modified technique are comparable to techniques that use the 5-minute diluted or full-strength solutions reported in the literature. This 1-minute full-strength formocresol technique is an acceptable alternative to published traditional techniques.

Tracheal Wall Thickening Is Associated with the Granulation Tissue Formation Around Silicone Stents in Patients with Post-Tuberculosis Tracheal Stenosis

PubMed Central

Eom, Jung Seop; Jeon, Kyeongman; Um, Sang-Won; Koh, Won-Jung; Suh, Gee Young; Chung, Man Pyo; Kwon, O Jung

2013-01-01

Purpose Tracheal restenosis due to excessive granulation tissue around a silicone stent requires repeated bronchoscopic interventions in patients with post-tuberculosis tracheal stenosis (PTTS). The current study was conducted to identify the risk factors for granulation tissue formation after silicone stenting in PTTS patients. Materials and Methods A retrospective study was conducted between January 1998 and December 2010. Forty-two PTTS patients with silicone stenting were selected. Clinical and radiological variables were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Results Tracheal restenosis due to granulation tissue formation were found in 20 patients (47.6%), and repeated bronchoscopic interventions were conducted. In multivariate analysis, tracheal wall thickness, measured on axial computed tomography scan, was independently associated with granulation tissue formation after silicone stenting. Furthermore, the degree of tracheal wall thickness was well correlated with the degree of granulation tissue formation. Conclusion Tracheal wall thickening was associated with granulation tissue formation around silicone stents in patients with post-tuberculosis tracheal stenosis. PMID:23709431

Tracheal wall thickening is associated with the granulation tissue formation around silicone stents in patients with post-tuberculosis tracheal stenosis.

PubMed

Eom, Jung Seop; Kim, Hojoong; Jeon, Kyeongman; Um, Sang-Won; Koh, Won-Jung; Suh, Gee Young; Chung, Man Pyo; Kwon, O Jung

2013-07-01

Tracheal restenosis due to excessive granulation tissue around a silicone stent requires repeated bronchoscopic interventions in patients with post-tuberculosis tracheal stenosis (PTTS). The current study was conducted to identify the risk factors for granulation tissue formation after silicone stenting in PTTS patients. A retrospective study was conducted between January 1998 and December 2010. Forty-two PTTS patients with silicone stenting were selected. Clinical and radiological variables were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Tracheal restenosis due to granulation tissue formation were found in 20 patients (47.6%), and repeated bronchoscopic interventions were conducted. In multivariate analysis, tracheal wall thickness, measured on axial computed tomography scan, was independently associated with granulation tissue formation after silicone stenting. Furthermore, the degree of tracheal wall thickness was well correlated with the degree of granulation tissue formation. Tracheal wall thickening was associated with granulation tissue formation around silicone stents in patients with post-tuberculosis tracheal stenosis.

Clinical characteristics and reproductive outcome following hysteroscopic adhesiolysis of patients with intrauterine adhesion--a retrospective study.

PubMed

Liu, Xin; Duan, Hua; Wang, Yongjun

2014-01-01

The authors performed a retrospective clinical analysis of 153 patients with intrauterine ashesion (IUA) who underwent hysteroscopic adhesiolysis. A follow-up office hysteroscopy was performed in all cases after three months. On follow-up hysteroscopy, 22 patients showed reformation of adhesions and required a repeat procedure. The primary risk factor for IUA was uterine curettage associated with pregnancy termination. The follow-up study revealed that the rate of pregnancy after IUA treatment was 51%. The conception rate in women who had reformation of IUA was significantly lower than that of women who had a normal cavity following adhesiolysis. Therefore the authors conclude that prevention is more important than therapy in IUA. Increasing education about avoiding curettage is necessary to reduce the incidence of IUA. Outreach is particularly important for older women with less education. However, hysteroscopic adhesiolysis for IUA is a safe and effective method of choice for restoring menstrual function and fertility.

Cardiovascular emergencies in primary care: an observational retrospective study of a large-scale telecardiology service.

PubMed

Marcolino, Milena Soriano; Santos, Thales Matheus Mendonça; Stefanelli, Fernanda Cotrim; Oliveira, João Antonio de Queiroz; E Silva, Maíra Viana Rego Souza; Andrade, Diomildo Ferreira; Silva, Grace Kelly Matos E; Ribeiro, Antonio Luiz

2017-01-01

Electrocardiograms (ECGs) are an essential examination for identification and management of cardiovascular emergencies.The aim of this study was to report on the frequency and recognition of cardiovascular emergencies in primary care units. Observational retrospective study assessing consecutive patients whose digital ECGs were sent for analysis to the team of the Telehealth Network of Minas Gerais. Data from patients diagnosed with cardiological emergencies in the primary care setting of 750 municipalities in Minas Gerais, Brazil, between March and September 2015, were collected via telephone contact with the healthcare practitioner who performed the ECG. After collection, the data were subjected to statistical analysis. Over the study period, 304 patients with cardiovascular emergencies were diagnosed within primary care. Only 73.4% of these were recognized by the local physicians. Overall, the most frequent ECG abnormalities were acute ischemic patterns (44.7%) and the frequency of such patterns was higher among the ECGs assigned as emergency priority (P = 0.03). It was possible to obtain complete information on 231 patients (75.9%). Among these, the mean age was 65 ± 14.4 years, 57.1% were men and the most prevalent comorbidity was hypertension (68.4%). In total, 77.9% were referred to a unit caring for cases of higher complexity and 11.7% of the patients died. In this study, cardiovascular emergencies were misdiagnosed in primary care settings, acute myocardial ischemia was the most frequent emergency and the mortality rate was high.

Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Levels Are Associated With Breslow Thickness at Presentation and Survival From Melanoma

PubMed Central

Newton-Bishop, Julia A.; Beswick, Samantha; Randerson-Moor, Juliette; Chang, Yu-Mei; Affleck, Paul; Elliott, Faye; Chan, May; Leake, Susan; Karpavicius, Birute; Haynes, Sue; Kukalizch, Kairen; Whitaker, Linda; Jackson, Sharon; Gerry, Edwina; Nolan, Clarissa; Bertram, Chandra; Marsden, Jerry; Elder, David E.; Barrett, Jennifer H.; Bishop, D. Timothy

2009-01-01

Purpose A cohort study was carried out to test the hypothesis that higher vitamin D levels reduce the risk of relapse from melanoma. Methods A pilot retrospective study of 271 patients with melanoma suggested that vitamin D may protect against recurrence of melanoma. We tested these findings in a survival analysis in a cohort of 872 patients recruited to the Leeds Melanoma Cohort (median follow-up, 4.7 years). Results In the retrospective study, self-reports of taking vitamin D supplements were nonsignificantly correlated with a reduced risk of melanoma relapse (odds ratio = 0.6; 95% CI, 0.4 to 1.1; P = .09). Nonrelapsers had higher mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels than relapsers (49 v 46 nmol/L; P = .3; not statistically significant). In the cohort (prospective) study, higher 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels were associated with lower Breslow thickness at diagnosis (P = .002) and were independently protective of relapse and death: the hazard ratio for relapse-free survival (RFS) was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.64 to 0.96; P = .01) for a 20 nmol/L increase in serum level. There was evidence of interaction between the vitamin D receptor (VDR) BsmI genotype and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels on RFS. Conclusion Results from the retrospective study were consistent with a role for vitamin D in melanoma outcome. The cohort study tests this hypothesis, providing evidence that higher 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels, at diagnosis, are associated with both thinner tumors and better survival from melanoma, independent of Breslow thickness. Patients with melanoma, and those at high risk of melanoma, should seek to ensure vitamin D sufficiency. Additional studies are needed to establish optimal serum levels for patients with melanoma. PMID:19770375

The China Patient-centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events (China PEACE) retrospective heart failure study design

PubMed Central

Yu, Yuan; Zhang, Hongzhao; Li, Xi; Lu, Yuan; Masoudi, Frederick A; Li, Jing

2018-01-01

Introduction Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of hospitalisation in China, which is experiencing a rapid increase in cardiovascular disease prevalence. Yet, little is known about current burden of disease, quality of care and treatment outcomes of HF in China. The objective of this paper is to describe the study methodology, data collection and abstraction, and progress to date of the China Patient-centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events 5 Retrospective Heart Failure Study (China PEACE 5r-HF). Methods and analysis The China PEACE 5r-HF Study will examine a nationally representative sample of more than 10 000 patient records hospitalised for HF in 2015 in China. The study is a retrospective cohort study. Patients have been selected using a two-stage sampling design stratified by economic–geographical regions. We will collect patient characteristics, diagnostic testing, treatments and in-hospital outcomes, including death and complications, and charges of hospitalisation. Data quality will be monitored by a central coordinating centre and will address case ascertainment, data abstraction and data management. As of October 2017, we have sampled 15 538 medical records from 189 hospitals, and have received 15 057 (96.9%) of these for data collection, and completed data abstraction and quality control on 7971. Ethics and dissemination The Central Ethics Committee at the Chinese National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases approved the study. All collaborating hospitals accepted central ethics committee approval with the exception of 15 hospitals, which obtained local approval by internal ethics committees. Findings will be disseminated in future peer-reviewed papers and will serve as a foundation for improving the care for HF in China. Trial registration number NCT02877914. PMID:29748344

History of pneumonia is a strong risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation in South Korea: the Epidemiologic review and Prospective Observation of COPD and Health in Korea (EPOCH) study.

PubMed

Hwang, Yong Il; Lee, Sang Haak; Yoo, Jee Hong; Jung, Bock Hyun; Yoo, Kwang Ha; Na, Moon Jun; Lee, Jong Deog; Park, Myung Jae; Jung, Chi Young; Shim, Jae Jeong; Kim, Kyung Chan; Kim, Yeon Jae; Choi, Hye Sook; Choi, Ik Su; Lee, Choon-Taek; Lee, Sang Do; Kim, Do Jin; Uh, Soo-Taek; Lee, Ho Sung; Kim, Young Sam; Lee, Kwan Ho; Ra, Seung Won; Kim, Hak Ryul; Choi, Soo Jeon; Park, In Won; Park, Yong Bum; Park, So Young; Lee, Jaehee; Jung, Ki-Suck

2015-12-01

In South Korea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the ten leading causes of death. COPD exacerbations are significantly associated with mortality in COPD patients. This study was conducted to investigate the epidemiology of COPD in South Korea, specifically the clinical characteristics of South Korean COPD patients, the COPD exacerbation rate and the risk factors associated with COPD exacerbations. This study covers a 2-year interval. One year was data collected retrospectively and the second year was prospectively obtained data. A total of 1,114 subjects were enrolled in the study. These subjects were observed for a period of 1 year from the enrollment, and a total of 920 subjects completed the study. A total of 1,357 COPD exacerbations occurred in 711 subjects (63.8%) out of the total of 1,114 subjects during the study period of 2 years. Multivariate logistic regression results showed that if patients had had a pneumonia before the retrospective year of analysis, they had a 18 times greater chance of having an exacerbation during the prospective year when other variables were controlled. Also, the subjects who had a history of two or more exacerbations during the retrospective year were approximately 6 times more likely to experience the COPD exacerbation compared to those who did not. This study examined the demographic and clinical characteristics of South Korean COPD patients and found that a history of pneumonia and two or more occurrences of exacerbation within 1 year was significantly associated with a higher rate of COPD exacerbation.

Neuroticism and Extraversion Magnify Discrepancies Between Retrospective and Concurrent Affect Reports.

PubMed

Lay, Jennifer C; Gerstorf, Denis; Scott, Stacey B; Pauly, Theresa; Hoppmann, Christiane A

2017-12-01

Although research often relies on retrospective affect self-reports, little is known about personality's role in retrospective reports and how these converge or deviate from affect reported in the moment. This micro-longitudinal study examines personality (Neuroticism, Extraversion) and emotional salience (peak and recent affect) associations with retrospective-momentary affect report discrepancies over different time frames. Participants were 179 adults aged 20-78 (M = 48.7 years; 73.7% Caucasian/White) who each provided up to 60 concurrent affect reports over 10 days, then retrospectively reported overall intensity of each affective state after 1 day and again after 1-2 months. Multilevel models revealed that individuals retrospectively overreported or underreported various affective states, exhibiting peak associations for high arousal positive and negative affect, recency associations for low arousal positive affect, and distinct personality profiles that strengthened over time. Individuals high in both Extraversion and Neuroticism exaggerated high arousal positive and negative affect and underreported low arousal positive affect, high Extraversion/low Neuroticism individuals exaggerated high arousal positive affect and underreported low arousal positive affect, and low Extraversion/high Neuroticism individuals exaggerated high and low arousal negative affect. This study is the first to identify arousal-specific retrospective affect report discrepancies over time and suggests retrospective reports also reflect personality differences in affective self-knowledge. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Safety of the HPV Bivalent and Quadrivalent Vaccines During Pregnancy.

PubMed

Forinash, Alicia B; Yancey, Abigail M; Pitlick, Jamie M; Myles, Thomas D

2011-02-01

To evaluate the safety of the human papillomavirus (HPV) bivalent and quadrivalent vaccines in pregnancy. PubMed (1966-August 2010) was searched using the terms human papillomavirus, human papillomavirus vaccine, and pregnancy. References were reviewed for relevant information. All studies including humans that were published in English with data describing HPV vaccine administration in pregnancy were evaluated. Two combined analyses of 7 Phase 3 efficacy trials have retrospectively evaluated the safety of unintentional administration of either the bivalent (n = 1786) or quadrivalent (n = 2085) HPV vaccine during pregnancy. In addition, postmarketing pregnancy registry surveillance data (prospective, n = 787; retrospective, n = 76) for the quadrivalent HPV vaccine have been published. However, only 279 pregnancies from the studies and 90 pregnancies from the registry occurred within 30 days of receiving the vaccination. Overall, the vaccine does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of spontaneous abortion, fetal malformations, or adverse pregnancy outcomes beyond that found in the general population. Although the data are limited, neither HPV vaccine appears to be associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, limitations of the data include small patient populations, minimal to no adjustments for factors known to influence pregnancy outcomes or malformations, and the majority of the available pregnancy data are from retrospective analysis of Phase 3 efficacy trials. Neither HPV vaccine should be routinely administered during pregnancy. If a pregnancy occurs midseries, the remaining vaccines should be given after pregnancy completion. Further studies are required to determine actual risk. © 2011 SAGE Publications.

Subjective perception of safety in healthy individuals working with 7 T MRI scanners: a retrospective multicenter survey.

PubMed

Fatahi, Mahsa; Demenescu, Liliana Ramona; Speck, Oliver

2016-06-01

To retrospectively assess perception of safety of healthy individuals working with human 7 Tesla (T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners. A total of 66 healthy individuals with a mean age of 31 ± 7 years participated in this retrospective multicentre survey study. Nonparametric correlation analysis was conducted to evaluate the relation between self-reported perception of safety and prevalence of sensory effects while working with 7 T MRI scanners for an average 47 months. The results indicated that 98.5 % of the study participants had a neutral or positive feeling about safety aspects at 7 T MRI scanners. 45.5 % reported that they feel very safe and none of the participants stated that they feel moderately or very unsafe while working with 7 T MRI scanners. Perception of safety was not affected by the number of hours per week spent in the vicinity of the 7 T MRI scanner or the duration of experience with 7 T MRI. More than 50 % of individuals experienced vertigo and metallic taste while working with 7 T MRI scanners. However, participants' perceptions of safety were not affected by the prevalence of MR-related symptoms. The overall data indicated an average perception of a moderately safe work environment. To our knowledge, this study delineates the first attempt to assess the subjective safety perception among 7 T MRI workers and suggests further investigations are indicated.

Data Reports for Retrospective Case Study in Killdeer, North Dakota

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Data from sampling events conducted in Killdeer, North Dakota as part of EPA's Study of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas on Drinking Water Resources, retrospective case study

Data Reports for Retrospective Case Study in Wise County, Texas

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Data reports from sampling events collected in wise county, texas as part of EPA's Study of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas on Drinking Water Resources, retrospective case study.

Retrospect and Analysis of China's Policies with Regard to Students Sent by the State to Other Countries since 1978

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chinese Education and Society, 2005

2005-01-01

China entered a new historical era after the conclusion of the Cultural Revolution. Reform and opening up to the outside have become basic national policies. Acting on the need to reform and open up, a directive on increasing the number of students sent for studies abroad was issued in 1978 by Deng Xiaoping. These policies became an integral part…

Second Language Reading of Adolescent ELLs: A Study of Response to Retrospective Miscue Analysis, Error Coding Methodology and Transfer of L1 Decoding Skills in L2 Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Latham Keh, Melissa Anne

2014-01-01

It is well documented that ELLs face significant challenges as they develop literacy skills in their second language (NCES, 2007, 2011). This population is diverse and growing rapidly in Massachusetts and across the nation (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2013; NCELA, 2011; Orosco, De Schonewise, De Onis, Klingner,…

A Comparative Analysis of Demographic and Academic Characteristics and NCLEX-RN Passing among Urban and Rural Campus Students in a Midwest Associate Degree Nursing Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nacos-Burds, Kathleen J.

2010-01-01

A retrospective study was initiated to determine: (1) the predictive relationship between demographic and academic variables and NCLEX-RN success; and (2) if there were significant differences between urban and rural nursing students that could account for an increased percentage of rural NCLEX-RN failures. A convenience sample was comprised of…

Molecular characterization of wild-type polioviruses isolated in Greece during the 1996 outbreak in Albania.

PubMed

Kyriakopoulou, Zaharoula; Kottaridi, Christine; Dedepsidis, Evaggelos; Bolanaki, Eugenia; Levidiotou-Stefanou, Stamatina; Markoulatos, Panayotis

2006-03-01

During the present study three type 1 poliovirus strains isolated in Greece during the 1996 poliomyelitis outbreak in Albania were retrospectively investigated and determination of their relationship with other epidemic strains isolated in Albania or elsewhere during previous epidemics was attempted. SimPlot analysis revealed that the three Greek strains are the result of a recombination event in the VP2 coding region.

Perioperative hemoglobin area under the curve is an independent predictor of renal failure after cardiac surgery. Results from a Spanish multicenter retrospective cohort study

PubMed Central

Duque-Sosa, Paula; Iribarren, María Josefa; Rábago, Gregorio

2017-01-01

Perioperative anemia is an important risk factor for cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI). Nonetheless, the severity of the anemia and the time in the perioperative period in which the hemoglobin level should be considered as a risk factor is conflicting. The present study introduces the concept of perioperative hemoglobin area under the curve (pHb-AUC) as a surrogate marker of the evolution of perioperative hemoglobin concentration. Through a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data, we assessed this new variable as a risk factor for the development of acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery in 966 adult patients who underwent cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, at twenty-three academic hospitals in Spain. Exclusion criteria were patients on renal replacement therapy, who needed a reoperation because of bleeding and/or with missing perioperative hemoglobin or creatinine values. Using a multivariate regression analysis, we found that a pHb-AUC <19 g/dL was an independent risk factor for CSA-AKI even after adjustment for intraoperative red blood cell transfusion (OR 1.41, p <0.05). It was also associated with mortality (OR 2.48, p <0.01) and prolonged hospital length of stay (4.67 ± 0.99 days, p <0.001) PMID:28225801

Can quantity of amniotic fluid reliably predict postnatal renal function in boys with posterior urethral valves: a decision curve analysis.

PubMed

Harper, Luke; Waubant, Alice; Vignes, Julien; Amat, Sara; Dobremez, Eric; Lefevre, Yan; Ferdynus, Cyril

2017-09-01

Prenatal management of male fetuses with suspected posterior urethral valves depends on reliable markers for postnatal long-term renal function. Whether ultrasound parameters, including the presence or absence of oligohydramnios, are reliable remains the subject of debate. We decided to evaluate the reliability of quantity of amniotic fluid to predict postnatal renal function using decision curve analysis (DCA), a method for evaluating the clinical utility of a diagnostic test. We analyzed retrospectively 51 male fetuses born with prenatally suspected posterior urethral valves between 2009 and 2012. We studied the relationship between quantity of amniotic fluid on prenatal ultrasound and the nadir creatinine during the first year of life as a proxy of postnatal renal function using DCA. Twelve fetuses presented with prenatal oligohydramnios. Thirty-one children had a normal nadir creatinine, of which one had prenatal oligohydramnios (3.2%). Thirteen had a nadir creatinine between 35 and 75 μmol/L, of which four had prenatal oligohydramnios (30.8%). Seven had a nadir creatinine >75 μmol/L, all of them had prenatal oligohydramnios. In this retrospective study, DCA confirms the relationship between prenatal quantity of amniotic fluid volume and postnatal renal function. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Influence of Memantine on Continuous Treatment with Rivastigmine Patches-Retrospective Study Using the Logistic Regression Analysis.

PubMed

Yasutaka, Yuki; Fujioka, Shinsuke; Terasawa, Mariko; Shibaguchi, Hirotomo; Futagami, Koujiro; Ouma, Shinji; Tsuboi, Yoshio; Kamimura, Hidetoshi

2017-01-01

Rivastigmine patches exhibit stable effects when attached once a day, and may reduce Alzheimer's disease (AD) patient's or caregiver's burden. On the other hand, it was reported that adverse events, such as dermal disorder, frequently appeared after the start of rivastigmine administration. We retrospectively investigated medical records in 120 patients with moderate or mild AD in whom rivastigmine administration was started in the Department of Neurology, Fukuoka University Hospital between July 2011 and June 2014 (43 males, 77 females, mean age: 76.9±8.0 years). In 72 patients (60.0%), rivastigmine administration was discontinued within 52 weeks after its start. In 45 of these, it was discontinued before reaching a dose of 18 mg/d which was proven to be effective for AD patients. A primary reason for discontinuation was the appearance or deterioration of adverse events in 64 patients. Of these, 43 complained of dermal disorder, accounting for the highest percentage. To clarify factors influencing the continuous administration of rivastigmine, multivariate analysis was performed in 114 patients meeting criteria. Combination therapy with memantine was extracted as a factor (p=0.008). The results of this study suggest that adherence to combination therapy with rivastigmine and memantine is more favorable than that to monotherapy with rivastigmine.

Retrospective study: The diagnostic accuracy of conventional forceps biopsy of gastric epithelial compared to endoscopic submucosal dissection (STROBE compliant).

PubMed

Lu, Chao; Lv, Xueyou; Lin, Yiming; Li, Dejian; Chen, Lihua; Ji, Feng; Li, Youming; Yu, Chaohui

2016-07-01

Conventional forceps biopsy (CFB) is the most popular way to screen for gastric epithelial neoplasia (GEN) and adenocarcinoma of gastric epithelium. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy between conventional forceps biopsy and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD).Four hundred forty-four patients who finally undertook ESD in our hospital were enrolled from Jan 1, 2009 to Sep 1, 2015. We retrospectively assessed the characteristics of pathological results of CFB and ESD.The concordance rate between CFB and ESD specimens was 68.92% (306/444). Men showed a lower concordance rate (63.61% vs 79.33%; P = 0.001) and concordance patients were younger (P = 0.048). In multivariate analysis, men significantly had a lower concordance rate (coefficient -0.730, P = 0.002) and a higher rate of pathological upgrade (coefficient -0.648, P = 0.015). Locations of CFB did not influence the concordance rate statistically.The concordance rate was relatively high in our hospital. According to our analysis, old men plus gastric fundus or antrum of CFB were strongly suggested to perform ESD if precancerous lesions were found. And young women with low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia could select regular follow-up.

Diagnostic accuracy of translucency rendering to differentiate polyps from pseudopolyps at 3D endoluminal CT colonography: a feasibility study.

PubMed

Guerrisi, A; Marin, D; Laghi, A; Di Martino, M; Iafrate, F; Iannaccone, R; Catalano, C; Passariello, R

2010-08-01

The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of translucency rendering (TR) in computed tomographic (CT) colonography without cathartic preparation using primary 3D reading. From 350 patients with 482 endoscopically verified polyps, 50 pathologically proven polyps and 50 pseudopolyps were retrospectively examined. For faecal tagging, all patients ingested 140 ml of orally administered iodinated contrast agent (diatrizoate meglumine and diatrizoate sodium) at meals 48 h prior to CT colonography examination and two h prior to scanning. CT colonography was performed using a 64-section CT scanner. Colonoscopy with segmental unblinding was performed within 2 weeks after CT. Three independent radiologists retrospectively evaluated TRCT clonographic images using a dedicated software package (V3D-Colon System). To enable size-dependent statistical analysis, lesions were stratified into the following size categories: small (< or =5 mm), intermediate (6-9 mm), and large (> or =10 mm). Overall average TR sensitivity for polyp characterisation was 96.6%, and overall average specificity for pseudopolyp characterisation was 91.3%. Overall average diagnostic accuracy (area under the curve) of TR for characterising colonic lesions was 0.97. TR is an accurate tool that facilitates interpretation of images obtained with a primary 3D analysis, thus enabling easy differentiation of polyps from pseudopolyps.

Impact of glucocerebrosidase mutations on motor and nonmotor complications in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Oeda, Tomoko; Umemura, Atsushi; Mori, Yuko; Tomita, Satoshi; Kohsaka, Masayuki; Park, Kwiyoung; Inoue, Kimiko; Fujimura, Harutoshi; Hasegawa, Hiroshi; Sugiyama, Hiroshi; Sawada, Hideyuki

2015-12-01

Homozygous mutations of the glucocerebrosidase gene (GBA) cause Gaucher disease (GD), and heterozygous mutations of GBA are a major risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD). This study examined the impact of GBA mutations on the longitudinal clinical course of PD patients by retrospective cohort design. GBA-coding regions were fully sequenced in 215 PD patients and GD-associated GBA mutations were identified in 19 (8.8%) PD patients. In a retrospective cohort study, time to develop dementia, psychosis, wearing-off, and dyskinesia were examined. Survival time analysis followed a maximum 12-year observation (median 6.0 years), revealing that PD patients with GD-associated mutations developed dementia and psychosis significantly earlier than those without mutations (p < 0.001 and p = 0.017, respectively). Adjusted hazard ratios of GBA mutations were 8.3 for dementia (p < 0.001) and 3.1 for psychosis (p = 0.002). No statistically significant differences were observed for wearing-off and dyskinesia between the groups. N-isopropyl-p[(123)I] iodoamphetamine single-photon emission tomography pixel-by-pixel analysis revealed that regional cerebral blood flow was reduced in the bilateral parietal cortex, including the precuneus of GD-associated mutant PD patients, compared with matched PD controls without mutations. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Retrospective study of human cystic echinococcosis over the past decade in France, using a nationwide hospital medical information database.

PubMed

van Cauteren, Dieter; Millon, Laurence; de Valk, Henriette; Grenouillet, Frederic

2016-11-01

No specific surveillance system of cystic echinococcosis infections in humans exists in France. The incidence and trends over time have not been documented since the last decade of the twentieth century. We performed the current analysis to assess human cystic echinococcosis epidemiology over a 10-year period in France (including the island of Corsica but excluding the overseas territories) using a nationwide hospital medical information database. A total number of 2629 patients were identified in this database between 2005 and 2014. The average annual incidence rate was 0.42 hospitalized cases/100,000 inhabitants. It was highest in the Island of Corsica (1.76 cases/100,000) and in the region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (0.85 cases/100,000). This retrospective analysis of hospital records provides a population-based estimate of cystic echinococcosis incidence and trends over a 10-year period at a national level. It indicates a significant decrease of the incidence between 2005 and 2014 at the national level and in the area that reported the highest incidence. It stresses the fact that in France, cystic echinococcosis is not re-emerging and that the incidence remains low in comparison with similar studies in other Mediterranean countries.

Treatment Outcome of Carcinoma Vulva Ten-Year Experience from a Tertiary Cancer Centre in South India

PubMed Central

Duraipandian, Amudhan; Shanmugam, Subbiah; Ramamurthy, Rajaraman

2017-01-01

Background Carcinoma vulva is a rare disease accounting for 1.3% of all gynaecological malignancies. The present study is a 10-year retrospective review of our experience of the surgical options, morbidity, failure pattern, and survival for invasive carcinoma vulva. Materials and Methods Retrospective analysis of case records of 39 patients who underwent surgery for invasive vulval cancer between 2004 and 2013 in the Department of Surgical Oncology at the Government Royapettah Hospital, Chennai. Results The median age was 55 years. Radical vulvectomy was the preferred surgery. 31 patients underwent lymphadenectomy. Seroma formation and groin skin necrosis were the most common postoperative complications. With a median follow-up of 32 months, 8 patients (20.5%) developed recurrence (systemic = 1, regional = 4, and local = 3). The estimated 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 65.4% and the overall survival (OS) was 85.1%. On univariate analysis, stage and lymph node involvement significantly affected OS. Nodal involvement with extracapsular spread (ECS) significantly affected both DFS and OS. Conclusion The treatment of carcinoma vulva should be individualized with multidisciplinary cooperation. The paucity of data, especially from India, necessitates the need for more studies, preferably multicentric, keeping in mind the low prevalence. PMID:29387486

Early and late postoperative seizure outcome in 97 patients with supratentorial meningioma and preoperative seizures: a retrospective study.

PubMed

Zheng, Zhe; Chen, Peng; Fu, Weiming; Zhu, Junming; Zhang, Hong; Shi, Jian; Zhang, Jianmin

2013-08-01

We identified factors associated with early and late postoperative seizure control in patients with supratentorial meningioma plus preoperative seizures. In this retrospective study, univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis compared 24 clinical variables according to the occurrence of early (≤1 week) or late (>1 week) postoperative seizures. Sixty-two of 97 patients (63.9 %) were seizure free for the entire postoperative follow-up period (29.5 ± 11.8 months), while 13 patients (13.4 %) still had frequent seizures at the end of follow-up. Fourteen of 97 patients (14.4 %) experienced early postoperative seizures, and emergence of new postoperative neurological deficits was the only significant risk factor (odds ratio = 7.377). Thirty-three patients (34.0 %) experienced late postoperative seizures at some time during follow-up, including 12 of 14 patients with early postoperative seizures. Associated risk factors for late postoperative seizures included tumor progression (odds ratio = 7.012) and new permanent postoperative neurological deficits (odds ratio = 4.327). Occurrence of postoperative seizures in patients with supratentorial meningioma and preoperative seizure was associated with new postoperative neurological deficits. Reduced cerebral or vascular injury during surgery may lead to fewer postoperative neurological deficits and better seizure outcome.