Clinical decision support for familial hypercholesterolemia (CDS-FH): Rationale and design of a cluster randomized trial in primary care.

BACKGROUND: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an underdiagnosed and undertreated genetic disorder with high risk of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and death. Clinical decision support (CDS) systems have the potential to aid in the identification and management of patients with FH. Prior studies using computer-based systems to screen patients for FH have shown promising results, but there has been no randomized controlled trial conducted. The aim of the current cluster randomized study is to evaluate if a CDS can increase the identification of FH. METHODS: We have developed a CDS integrated in the electronic health records that will be activated in patients with elevated cholesterol levels (total cholesterol >8 mmol/L or low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol >5.5 mmol/L, adjusted for age, ongoing lipid lowering therapy and presence of premature coronary artery disease) at increased risk for FH. When activated, the CDS will urge the physician to send an automatically generated referral to the local lipid clinic for further evaluation. To evaluate the effects of the CDS, all primary care clinics will be cluster randomized 1:1 to either CDS intervention or standard care in a Swedish region with almost 500,000 inhabitants. The primary endpoint will be the number of patients diagnosed with FH at 30 months. Resource use and long-term health consequences will be estimated to assess the cost-effectiveness of the intervention. CONCLUSION: Despite increasing awareness of FH, the condition remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. The present study will investigate whether a CDS can increase the number of patients being diagnosed with FH.

Microcirculation in healing and healthy Achilles tendon assessed with invasive laser doppler flowmetry.

INTRODUCTION: Achilles tendon (AT) rupture exhibits a prolonged healing process with varying clinical outcome. Reduced blood flow to the AT has been considered an underlying factor to AT rupture (ATR) and impaired healing. In vivo measurements using laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) may be a viable method to assess blood flow in healthy and healing AT. METHODS: 29 persons were included in the study; 9 being ATR patients and 20 healthy subjects without any prior symptoms from the AT. Invasive LDF was used to determine the post-occlusive reactive hyperemia (PORH) in the paratenon after 15 minutes of occlusion of the lower extremities. ATR patients were examined two weeks post-operatively. RESULTS: LDF-assessments demonstrated a significantly different (p < 0.001) PORH response in the healing- versus intact- and control AT. In the healing AT, a slow, flattened PORH was observed compared to a fast, high peak PORH in intact, healthy AT. CONCLUSION: in vivo LDF appears to be a feasible method to assess alterations in blood flow in healing and intact AT. The healing ATs capability to react to an ischemic period is clearly impaired, which may be due to the trauma at injury and/or surgery or degenerative changes in the tendon.