Depressive symptoms and risk of acute stroke: INTERSTROKE case-control study

METHODS: The INTERSTROKE is an international case-control study of risk factors of first acute stroke, conducted in 32 countries. Cases were patients with CT- or MRI-confirmed incident acute hospitalized stroke, and controls were matched for age, sex, and within sites. Standardized questions asked about self-reported depressive symptoms during the previous 12 months and the use of prescribed antidepressant medications were recorded. Multivariable conditional logistic regression was used to determine the association of prestroke depressive symptoms with acute stroke risk. Adjusted ordinal logistic regression was used to explore the association of prestroke depressive symptoms with poststroke functional outcome, measured with the modified Rankin scale at 1 month after stroke. RESULTS: Of 26,877 participants, 40.4% were women, and the mean age was 61.7 ± 13.4 years. The prevalence of depressive symptoms within the last 12 months was higher in cases compared with that in controls (18.3% vs 14.1%, p < 0.001) and differed by region (p interaction <0.001), with lowest prevalence in China (6.9% in controls) and highest in South America (32.2% of controls). In multivariable analyses, prestroke depressive symptoms were associated with greater odds of acute stroke (odds ratio [OR] 1.46, 95% CI 1.34-1.58), which was significant for both intracerebral hemorrhage (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.28-1.91) and ischemic stroke (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.31-1.58). A larger magnitude of association with stroke was seen in patients with a greater burden of depressive symptoms. While preadmission depressive symptoms were not associated with a greater odds of worse baseline stroke severity (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.94-1.10), they were associated with a greater odds of poor functional outcome at 1 month after acute stroke (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.01-1.19). DISCUSSION: In this global study, we recorded that depressive symptoms are an important risk factor of acute stroke, including both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Preadmission depressive symptoms were associated with poorer functional outcome, but not baseline stroke severity, suggesting an adverse role of depressive symptoms in poststroke recovery.

Depressive Symptoms and Risk of Acute Stroke: INTERSTROKE Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Depression has been reported to be a risk factor of acute stroke, based largely on studies in high-income countries. In the INTERSTROKE study, we explored the contribution of depressive symptoms to acute stroke risk and 1-month outcome across regions of the world, within subpopulations and by stroke type. METHODS: The INTERSTROKE is an international case-control study of risk factors of first acute stroke, conducted in 32 countries. Cases were patients with CT- or MRI-confirmed incident acute hospitalized stroke, and controls were matched for age, sex, and within sites. Standardized questions asked about self-reported depressive symptoms during the previous 12 months and the use of prescribed antidepressant medications were recorded. Multivariable conditional logistic regression was used to determine the association of prestroke depressive symptoms with acute stroke risk. Adjusted ordinal logistic regression was used to explore the association of prestroke depressive symptoms with poststroke functional outcome, measured with the modified Rankin scale at 1 month after stroke. RESULTS: Of 26,877 participants, 40.4% were women, and the mean age was 61.7 ± 13.4 years. The prevalence of depressive symptoms within the last 12 months was higher in cases compared with that in controls (18.3% vs 14.1%, p < 0.001) and differed by region (p interaction <0.001), with lowest prevalence in China (6.9% in controls) and highest in South America (32.2% of controls). In multivariable analyses, prestroke depressive symptoms were associated with greater odds of acute stroke (odds ratio [OR] 1.46, 95% CI 1.34-1.58), which was significant for both intracerebral hemorrhage (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.28-1.91) and ischemic stroke (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.31-1.58). A larger magnitude of association with stroke was seen in patients with a greater burden of depressive symptoms. While preadmission depressive symptoms were not associated with a greater odds of worse baseline stroke severity (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.94-1.10), they were associated with a greater odds of poor functional outcome at 1 month after acute stroke (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.01-1.19). DISCUSSION: In this global study, we recorded that depressive symptoms are an important risk factor of acute stroke, including both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Preadmission depressive symptoms were associated with poorer functional outcome, but not baseline stroke severity, suggesting an adverse role of depressive symptoms in poststroke recovery.

Do Misconceptions About Health-Related Quality of Life Affect General Population Valuations of Health States?

OBJECTIVES: Healthcare resource allocation decisions are often informed by the expected gains in patients' quality-adjusted life-years. Misconceptions about ill-health's consequences for quality of life (QOL) may however affect evaluations of health states by the general population and hence affect resource allocation decisions informed by quality-adjusted life-years. We examine whether people selectively misestimate the QOL consequences of moderate anxiety or depression compared with other dimensions of health, and we test whether informing people of actual changes in QOL associated with health states changes appraisals of their relative undesirability. METHODS: UK general population participants (N = 1259; in 2017) expressed preferences over moderate problems: anxiety or depression, self-care, and pain or discomfort. A randomized control trial design was used whereby a control group was given a functional description of each health state, and 2 intervention groups were additionally given information on the actual differences in either life satisfaction (LS) or day affect (DA) associated with experiencing each health state. RESULTS: The LS (DA) group reported a higher preference for avoiding living with moderate anxiety or depression, being 13.4% (13.9%) more likely to choose it as most undesirable. CONCLUSION: Informing people of the change in LS or DA associated with health states before they appraise them is a feasible way to obtain informed preferences.

Effect of a Run-In Period on Estimated Treatment Effects in Cardiovascular Randomized Clinical Trials: A Meta-Analytic Review.

Background A run-in period may increase adherence to intervention and reduce loss to follow-up. Whether use of a run-in period affects the magnitude of treatment effects is unknown. Methods and Results We conducted a meta-analysis comparing treatment effects from 11 systematic reviews of cardiovascular prevention trials using a run-in period with matched trials not using a run-in period. We matched run-in with non-run-in trials by population, intervention, control, and outcome. We calculated a ratio of relative risks (RRRs) using a random-effects meta-analysis. Our primary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular events, and the primary analysis was a matched comparison of clinical trials using a run-in period versus without a run-in period. We identified 66 run-in trials and 111 non-run-in trials (n=668 901). On meta-analysis there was no statistically significant difference in the magnitude of treatment effect between run-in trials (relative risk [RR], 0.83 [95% CI, 0.80-0.87]) compared with non-run-in trials (RR, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.84-0.91]; RRR, 0.95 [95% CI, 0.90-1.01]). There was no significant difference in the RRR for secondary outcomes of all-cause mortality (RRR, 0.97 [95% CI, 0.91-1.03]) or medication discontinuation because of adverse events (RRR, 1.05 [95% CI, 0.85-1.21]). Post hoc exploratory univariate meta-regression showed that on average a run-in period is associated with a statistically significant difference in treatment effect (RRR, 0.94 [95% CI, 0.90-0.99]) for cardiovascular composite outcome, but this was not statistically significant on multivariable meta-regression analysis (RRR, 0.95 [95% CI, 0.90-1.0]). Conclusions The use of a run-in period was not associated with a difference in the magnitude of treatment effect among cardiovascular prevention trials.

Total Knee Arthroplasty in Hemophilia: Survivorship and Outcomes-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with hemophilia (PWHs) may experience spontaneous or traumatic bleeding episodes. Recurrent bleeding can lead to end-stage hemophilic arthropathy and total knee replacement (TKR) provides an effective treatment. The aim of this study is to investigate outcomes in PWHs who undergo TKR. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Study outcomes included patient-reported functional outcomes, implant survivorship, and complications. Subgroup analysis was performed assessing the effect of recombinant prophylaxis medication by comparing studies that included only TKRs performed after the year 2000 (period A), to those that included TKRs before 2000 (period B). RESULTS: Twenty-eight studies were included, with a total of 1210 TKRs performed in 917 PWHs. The mean age of patients was 38.5 years (standard deviation 5.1) with a mean length of follow-up of 7.1 years (standard deviation 2.9). The total complication rate was 28.7%, with 19.3% requiring a further procedure. Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Score improved by 44.6 points (confidence interval 38.9-50.4) and Knee Society Score function improved by 35.9 points (confidence interval 30.1-41.8). Total range of motion improved by 22.3°. The most common complication was post-operative hemarthrosis (7.6%, 92 TKRs). Deep infection (6.2% vs 3.9%) and aseptic loosening (3.8% vs 2.1%) rates fell between period B and period A. CONCLUSION: TKR in PWHs is a successful procedure improving function, reducing pain, and improving range of motion. PWHs undergo TKR at a younger age and have a higher risk of complications, though contemporary treatment has reduced these risks. PWHs can expect similar survivorship to the general population.

A meta-analysis of influenza vaccination following correspondence: Considerations for COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: High vaccination rates are needed to protect against influenza and to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Health authorities need to know if supplementing mass communications with direct correspondence to the community would increase uptake. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective is to determine if sending a single written message directly to individuals increases influenza vaccine uptake, and a secondary objective is to identify any identified content shown to increase influenza vaccine uptake. METHODS: MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, PsycINFO, and PubMed were searched for RCTs testing a single correspondence for members of the community in OECD countries to obtain influenza vaccination. A meta-analysis with inverse-variance, random-effects modelling was used to estimate a mean, weighted risk ratio effect size measure of vaccine uptake. Studies were quality assessed and analysis was undertaken to account for potential publication bias. RESULTS: Twenty-eight randomized controlled trials were included, covering 45 interventions. Of the 45 interventions, 37 (82.2%) report an increase in influenza vaccination rates. A formal meta-analysis shows that sending a single written message increased influenza vaccine uptake by 16%, relative to the no contact comparator group (RR = 1.16, 95% CI [1.13-1.20], Z = 9.25, p < .001). Analysis shows that the intervention is effective across correspondence type, age group, time, and location, and after allowing for risk of publication bias. LIMITATIONS: The generalizability of results across the OECD may be questioned. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The implication for public health authorities organizing vaccination programs for influenza, and arguably also for COVID-19, is that sending written vaccination correspondence to members of the community is likely to increase uptake. This study is pre-registered on osf.io; details can be found at https://osf.io/98mr7.

Stroke Severity in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: An assessment of the comparative incidence of fatal or disabling stroke may influence choice of intervention for patients with severe aortic stenosis. We explored whether transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is associated with a lower incidence of fatal or disabling stroke, compared to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). MATERIALS & METHODS: We classified stroke into two categories; fatal or disabling, or non-disabling, and completed meta-analyses for each. We explored randomised controlled trials to assess the effect publication year, predicted operative risk, and route of TAVI access. RESULTS: There was no difference between treatment groups per 100 person years of follow up for disabling or non-disabling stroke outcomes. In a stratified analysis by year of publication, there was a lower rate of fatal or disabling stroke with TAVI in trials published after 2015, compared to those published in 2015 or before (p-interaction = 0.01 at 30 days). Higher proportions of transfemoral route access (>90%), more common in recent trials, were associated with a lower rate of fatal or disabling stroke (p-interaction = 0.03 at 30 days). Lower average surgical risk scores were associated with lower rates of fatal or disabling stroke (p = 0.02 at 30 days). CONCLUSION: We found that treatment of aortic stenosis with TAVI compared with SAVR was not associated with an overall reduced risk in fatal or disabling stroke. Subgroup analyses suggested a lower risk of fatal or disabling stroke with TAVI in situations which reflect contemporary practice.

Prevalence and predictors of continence containment products and catheter use in an acute hospital: A cross-sectional study.

Although incontinence is common in hospital, the prevalence and predictors of continence aid use (continence wear and catheters) are poorly described. A one-day cross-sectional study was conducted in a large university hospital assessing consecutive inpatients (≥55) for their pre-admission and current use of continence aids. Barthel Index, Clinical Frailty Scale and Charlson Co-morbidity scores were recorded. Appropriateness was defined by local guidelines. 355 inpatients, median age 75±17 years, were included; 53% were male. Continence aid use was high; prevalence was 46% increasing to 58% for those ≥75. All-in-one pads were the most common, an overall prevalence of 31%. Older age, lower Barthel and higher frailty scores were associated with continence aid use in multivariate analysis. Inappropriate use of aids was high at 45% with older age being the only independent predictor. Continence aids are often used inappropriately during hospitalisation by older patients. Concerted efforts are required to address this issue.

Perioperative Mortality After Cemented or Uncemented Hemiarthroplasty for Displaced Femoral Neck Fractures-A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Debate surrounds the use of cemented or uncemented prostheses for the treatment of displaced femoral neck fractures (FNF). Many guidelines recommend the use of the cemented hemiarthroplasty (CHA). Proponents of CHA point out the increased re-operation rate while proponents of uncemented hemiarthroplasty (HA) highlight the increased mortality rate in the perioperative period. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature to evaluate perioperative mortality after HA for displaced FNFs. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed of MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases evaluating perioperative mortality after HA for displaced FNFs. Randomized control trials and observational studies were included comparing current-generation stem designs. A meta-analysis was performed on studies that directly compared the different modes of fixation. RESULTS: Twenty-two studies were included (seven randomized control trials and 15 observational studies), with a total of 183,167 HAs for treatment of a displaced FNF. Fourteen studies were included in the meta-analysis. There was a higher cumulative odds of death within the first 48 hours in those with CHA compared with uncemented HA (OR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.35, 2.00; P ≤ .01). No difference was found in mortality at 7 days, 30 days, and one year. CONCLUSION: CHA is associated with an increased mortality rate within the first two days of surgery with no difference at 7 days, 30 days, and one year. Surgeons should consider tailoring their stem choice based on the physiological status of the patient when planning HA for FNFs. Techniques to reduce the risk of bone cement implantation syndrome should be used.

Adaptive design methods in dialysis clinical trials: a systematic review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Adaptive design methods are a potential solution to improve efficiency of clinical trials but their uptake in dialysis is unknown. We aim to investigate the use of adaptive design methods in dialysis clinical trials and to cultivate further adoption of adaptive design methods by the nephrology community. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will adhere to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols guidelines and the Cochrane Collaboration Handbook. We will perform a literature search through MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE and CENTRAL, a detailed data extraction of trial characteristics and a narrative synthesis of the data. There will be no language restrictions. We will estimate the percentage of adaptive clinical trials per year in dialysis. Subgroup analysis will be performed by dialysis modality, funder and geographical location. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval will not be required for this study as data will be obtained from publicly available clinical trials. We will disseminate our results in a peer-reviewed publication. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER.

Virtual geriatric clinics and the COVID-19 catalyst: a rapid review.

BACKGROUND: During the current COVID-19 health crisis virtual geriatric clinics have become increasingly utilised to complete outpatient consultations, although concerns exist about feasibility of such virtual consultations for older people. The aim of this rapid review is to describe the satisfaction, clinic productivity, clinical benefit, and costs associated with the virtual geriatric clinic model of care. METHODS: A rapid review of PubMed, MEDLINE and CINAHL databases was conducted up to April 2020. Two independent reviewers extracted the information. Four subdomains were focused on: satisfaction with the virtual geriatric clinic, clinic productivity, clinical benefit to patients, costs and any challenges associated with the virtual clinic process. RESULTS: Nine studies with 975 patients met our inclusion criteria. All were observational studies. Seven studies reported patients were satisfied with the virtual geriatric clinic model of care. Productivity outcomes included reports of cost-effectiveness, savings on transport, and improved waiting list metrics. Clinical benefits included successful polypharmacy reviews, and reductions in acute hospitalisation rates. Varying challenges were reported for both clinicians and patients in eight of the nine studies. Hearing impairments and difficulty with technology added to anxieties experienced by patients. Physicians missed the added value of a thorough physical examination and had concerns about confidentiality. CONCLUSION: Virtual geriatric clinics demonstrate evidence of productivity, benefit to patients, cost effectiveness and patient satisfaction with the treatment provided. In the current suboptimal pandemic climate, virtual geriatric clinics may allow Geriatricians to continue to provide an outpatient service, despite the encountered inherent challenges.

Increased Salt Intake for Orthostatic Intolerance Syndromes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Guidelines recommend increased salt intake as a first-line recommendation in the management of symptomatic orthostatic hypotension and recurrent syncope. There have been no systematic reviews of this intervention. We sought to summarize the evidence for increased salt intake in patients with orthostatic intolerance syndromes. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies in PubMed, EMBASE, and CINAHL. Interventional studies that increased salt intake in individuals with orthostatic intolerance syndromes were included. Primary outcome measures included incidence of falls and injuries, and rates of syncope and presyncope. Secondary outcome measures included other orthostatic intolerance symptoms, blood pressure, and heart rate. RESULTS: A total of 14 studies were eligible, including participants with orthostatic hypotension, syncope, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and idiopathic orthostatic tachycardia (n = 391). Mean age was 35.6 (± 15) years. All studies were small and short-term (<60 mins-90 days). No study reported on the effect of increased salt intake on falls or injuries. Meta-analysis demonstrated that during head-up tilt, mean time to presyncope with salt intake increased by 1.57 minutes (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26-1.88), mean systolic blood pressure increased by 12.27 mm Hg (95% CI, 10.86-13.68), and mean heart rate decreased by -3.97 beats per minute (95% CI, -4.08 to -3.86), compared with control. Increased salt increased supine blood pressure by 1.03 mm Hg (95% CI, 0.81 to 1.25). Increased salt intake resulted in an improvement or resolution of symptoms in 62.3% (95% CI, 51.6 to 72.6) of participants in short-term follow-up studies (mean follow-up of 44.3 days, 6 studies; n=91). Methodological quality of studies were low with high statistical heterogeneity in all meta-analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis provides low-quality evidence of a short-term improvement in orthostatic intolerance with increased salt intake. There were no clinical trials demonstrating the efficacy and safety of increased salt intake on long-term clinical outcomes. Overall, there is a paucity of clinical trial evidence to support a cornerstone recommendation in the management of orthostatic intolerance syndromes.

Are Virtual Fracture Clinics During the COVID-19 Pandemic a Potential Alternative for Delivering Fracture Care? A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Virtual fracture clinics are an alternative to the traditional model of fracture care. Since their introduction in 2011, they have become increasingly used in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) health crisis has driven institutions to examine such innovative solutions to manage patient care. The current controversies include quantifying safety outcomes, such as potential delayed or missed injuries, inadequate treatment, and medicolegal claims. Questions also exist regarding the potential for cost reductions and efficiencies that may be achieved. Physical distancing has limited the number of face-to-face consultations, so this review was conducted to determine if virtual fracture clinics can provide an acceptable alternative in these challenging times. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: The aim of this systematic review was to describe (1) adverse outcomes, (2) cost reductions, and (3) efficiencies associated with the virtual fracture clinic model. METHODS: A systematic review of the PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase databases was conducted from database inception to March 2020. The keywords "virtual" or "telemedicine" or "telehealth" or "remote" or "electronic" AND "fracture" or "trauma" or "triage" AND "clinic" or "consultation" were entered, using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Inclusion criteria included adults and children treated for injuries by a virtual clinic model at the initial review. Eligible injuries included injuries deemed to not need surgical intervention, and those able to be treated remotely using defined protocols. Exclusion criteria consisted of patients reviewed by telemedicine using video links or in person at the initial review. Initially, 1065 articles were identified, with 665 excluded as they did not relate to virtual fracture clinics. In all, 400 articles were screened for eligibility, and 27 full-text reviews were conducted on 18 studies (30,512 virtual fracture clinic encounters). Three subdomains focusing on adverse outcomes, cost reductions, and efficiencies were recorded. The term adverse outcomes was used to describe any complications, further surgeries, re-referrals back to the clinic, or deviations from the protocols. Efficiency described the number of patients reviewed and discharged using the model, savings in clinic slots, reduced waiting times, or a reduction in consumption of resources such as radiographs. All studies were observational and the quality was assessed using Newcastle-Ottawa tool, which demonstrated a median score of 6 ± 1.8, indicating moderate quality. RESULTS: Six studies reported adverse outcomes in detail, with events ranging from inappropriate splinting, deviations from protocols, and one patient underwent an osteotomy for a malunion. Efficiency varied from direct discharge proportions of 18% in early studies to 100% once the virtual fracture clinic model was more established. Cost reductions compared with estimates derived from conventional fracture clinics varied from USD 53 to USD 297 and USD 39,125 to USD 305876 compared with traditional fracture clinic visits. CONCLUSIONS: Virtual fracture clinics may provide a means to treat patients remotely, using agreed-upon protocols. They have an important role in the current COVID-19 pandemic, due to the possibility to provide ongoing care in an otherwise challenging setting. More robust studies looking at this model of care will be needed to assess its long-term effects on patients, institutions, and health care systems. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic study.

Valuing the Q in QALYs: Does providing patients' ratings affect population values?

OBJECTIVE: Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) are used to measure the health benefits associated with treatments. QALYs are derived from objective mortality data weighted by assessments made by the general population of the impact on health-related quality of life associated with particular health states. In this study, a simple change is introduced to improve the validity of QALYs by giving raters information about how people living in the health states rate the health states. METHOD: Participants from the general population (N = 155) judged 3 health states using a standard valuation technique after being randomly allocated to 1 of 2 groups. The intervention group was given patients' mean ratings of their own health states from worst to best imaginable health (0-100 scale) before providing their valuations, while the control group was given this information only after providing their valuations. The participants in both groups also indicated whether patients' mean ratings were higher, broadly similar, or lower than they previously expected. RESULTS: When the mean ratings given by patients were higher (lower) than expected, participants in the intervention group provided significantly higher (lower) valuations than participants in the control group. These findings show that participants adjust their valuations of a health state in the direction of the appraisals of those experiencing that state. CONCLUSION: Insofar as policymakers are committed to valuing health states using valuations given by people from the general population, it is desirable to elicit more informed values by providing people with information on how patients rate those states. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Does Google™ Have the Answers? The Internet-based Information on Pelvic and Acetabular Fractures.

Introduction The aim of this study is to assess the readability and reliability of internet-based information on pelvic and acetabular fractures. Methods The three most popular English-based internet search engines are Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Quality was assessed using the DISCERN tool, the Journal of the American Medical Association tool, and the presence of the Health on the Net Code (HONcode) seal. Readability was assessed using a combination of the Flesch Reading Ease Score and the Flesch-Kincaid grade level. Inclusion criteria included English language websites with the relevant search terms. We excluded videos, YouTube links, or sponsored advertisements. Search terms included acetabular fracture/fractured acetabulum and pelvic fracture/fractured pelvis. The top 25 websites in each search engine were reviewed. The searches for acetabular fractures and pelvic fractures generated 75 websites in total. Duplicates were excluded. Results The search for acetabular fracture revealed 36 discrete websites among the three search engines, and the search for pelvic fractures revealed 45 websites. Overall, the average reading grade was 9.7 for acetabular websites and 13.6 for pelvis websites. The quality of the websites was poor across all key performance indicators studied. Conclusion Physicians should be aware of the quality of medical information available to patients via internet searches because physicians should play a central role in the navigation of poor quality information to help direct patient-centered care.

A High-pressure Solution for a High-pressure Situation: Management of Cerebral Air Embolism with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.

Cerebral air embolism can complicate many medical procedures, including cardiac surgery, venous and arterial access, and laparoscopic surgery. It can be a devastating diagnosis and can cause a life-threatening compromise to the cardiac, respiratory, or cerebrovascular system. It is a rare complication of central venous vascular access manipulation. A cerebral air embolism can lead to acute ischemic and cerebral oedema, which mimics other stroke syndromes, but the acute treatment differs, with prompt administration of hyperbaric oxygen therapy being the mainstay of treatment. A 59-year-old male became acutely unresponsive followed by the emergence of evolving neurology with fixed gaze palsy and a dense 0/5 left-sided hemiparesis. This occurred shortly after a right internal jugular central venous catheter (CVC) was removed (against protocol) during inspiration and sitting upright. Computed tomography (CT) imaging showed air in the right internal jugular vein, as well as intraparenchymal air. Treatment with hyperbaric oxygen was instituted within six hours. There was an excellent recovery of neurologic function, with power improving to 4+/5 over the course of the following week. Clinical staff need to be aware of the policy for central line removal, as well as having a high index of suspicion for air embolism in patients with evolving neurology immediately post-line removal. Early consideration of hyperbaric oxygen can result in improved functional outcomes.

Prevalence and progression of pigment clumping associated with idiopathic macular telangiectasia type 2.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate pigment clumping in idiopathic macular telangiectasia Type 2 for its incidence, development, and progression during the course of the disease. METHODS: Patients with a diagnosis of idiopathic macular telangiectasia Type 2 and >12 months of follow-up were reviewed retrospectively. Measurements of the area of pigment clumping were performed and correlated with visual acuity and findings on spectral domain optical coherence tomography and microperimetry (MP-1). RESULTS: Fifty-three eyes in 27 patients with a mean follow-up of 42.5 ± 14.2 months (range 12-79 months) were included. At study baseline, 16 eyes (30%) had evidence of pigment clumping without associated neovascular changes. During follow-up, 8 of 33 additional study eyes (24%) without previous pigment clumping developed it in Stage 3 (Gass-Blodi classification) disease. Pigment clumping increased in overall area as a function of follow-up time. Pigment clumping was associated with increased intraretinal reflectivity on optical coherence tomography and development of scotomas on microperimetry. CONCLUSION: Pigment clumping commonly develops in Stage 3 idiopathic macular telangiectasia Type 2 disease, enlarges in area continuously over time, and is associated with declining visual function. Longitudinal measurements of the total area of pigment clumping may be helpful in following disease progression and may constitute a useful outcome measure for interventional clinical studies.