Extreme-aged patients (≥ 85 years) experience similar outcomes as younger geriatric patients following chronic subdural hematoma evacuation: a matched cohort study.

Subdural hematoma (SDH) evacuation represents one of the most frequently performed neurosurgical procedures. Several reports cite a rise in both the age and number of patient's requiring treatment, due in part to an aging population and expanded anticoagulation use. However, limited data and conflicting conclusions exist on extreme-aged geriatric patients (≥ 85 years of age) after undergoing surgery. Patients undergoing SDH evacuation at a tertiary academic medical center between November 2013-December 2021 were retrospectively identified. The study group consisted of patients ≥ 85 years (Group 1) diagnosed with a chronic SDH surgically evacuated. A control group was created matching patients by 70-84 years of age, gender, and anticoagulation use (Group 2). Multiple metrics were evaluated between the two including length-of hospital-stay, tracheostomy/PEG placement, reoperation rate, complications, discharge location, neurological outcome at the time of discharge, and survival. A total of 130 patients were included; 65 in Group 1 and 65 in Group 2. Patient demographics, medical comorbidities, SDH characteristics, international normalized ratio, partial thromboplastin time, and use of blood thinning agents were similar between the two groups. Kaplan Meier survival analysis at one-year was 80% for Group 1 and 76% for Group 2. No significant difference was identified using the log-rank test for equality of survivor functions (p = 0.26). All measured outcomes including GCS at time of discharge, length of stay, rate of reoperations, and neurological outcome were statistically similar between the two groups. Backwards stepwise conditional logistic regression revealed no significant association between poor outcomes at the time of discharge and age. Alternatively, anticoagulation use was found to be associated with poor outcomes (OR 3.55, 95% CI 1.08-11.60; p = 0.036). Several outcome metrics and statistical analyses were used to compare patients ≥ 85 years of age to younger geriatric patients (70-84 years) in a matched cohort study. Adjusting for age group, gender, and anticoagulation use, no significant difference was found between the two groups including neurological outcome at discharge, reoperation rate, and survival.

Neighborhood Deprivation is Associated With Hospital Length of Stay, Discharge Disposition, and Readmission Rates for Patients Who Survive Hospitalization With Traumatic Brain Injury.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of disability in the United States. Limited research exists on the influence of area-level socioeconomic status and outcomes after TBI. This study investigated the correlation between the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) and (1) 90-day hospital readmission rates, (2) facility discharge, and (3) prolonged (≥5 days) hospital length of stay (LOS). METHODS: Single-center retrospective review of adult (18 years or older) patients who were admitted for TBI during 2018 was performed. Patients were excluded if they were admitted for management of a chronic or subacute hematoma. We extracted relevant clinical and demographic data including sex, comorbidities, age, body mass index, smoking status, TBI mechanism, and national ADI. We categorized national ADI rankings into quartiles for analysis. Univariate, multivariate, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) analyses were performed to assess the relationship between ADI and 90-day readmission, hospital LOS, and discharge disposition. RESULTS: A total of 523 patients were included in final analysis. Patients from neighborhoods in the fourth ADI quartile were more likely to be Black (P = .007), have a body mass index ≥30 kg/m2 (P = .03), have a Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥5 (P = .004), and have sustained a penetrating TBI (P = .01). After controlling for confounders in multivariate analyses, being from a neighborhood in the fourth ADI quartile was independently predictive of 90-day hospital readmission (odds ratio [OR]: 1.35 [1.12-1.91], P = .011) (model AUROC: 0.82), discharge to a facility (OR: 1.46 [1.09-1.78], P = .03) (model AUROC: 0.79), and prolonged hospital LOS (OR: 1.95 [1.29-2.43], P = .015) (model AUROC: 0.85). CONCLUSION: After adjusting for confounders, including comorbidities, TBI mechanism/severity, and age, higher ADI was independently predictive of longer hospital LOS, increased risk of 90-day readmission, and nonhome discharge. These results may help establish targeted interventions to identify at-risk patients after TBI.

Aspiration and sclerotherapy: a nonsurgical treatment option for hydroceles.

PURPOSE: We demonstrated that hydrocele aspiration and sclerotherapy with doxycycline is an effective and safe nonsurgical treatment option for hydrocele correction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of patients who underwent hydrocele aspiration and sclerotherapy were analyzed in a retrospective cohort study for success rates as well as improvement in scrotal size and discomfort after a single hydrocele aspiration and sclerotherapy treatment. Patients who reported decreased scrotal size, improved physical symptoms and satisfaction with the procedure were considered as having success with hydrocele aspiration and sclerotherapy. RESULTS: A total of 29 patients (mean age 52.8 years) presenting with 32 nonseptated hydroceles underwent hydrocele aspiration and sclerotherapy with doxycycline between 2005 and 2012. Of the hydroceles 27 (84%) were successfully treated with a single aspiration and sclerotherapy procedure. Overall mean followup was 20.8 months. Three patients reported moderate pain which resolved in 2 to 3 days. Of those patients in whom hydrocele aspiration and sclerotherapy failed, 1 had hydrocele successfully resolved with a second aspiration and sclerotherapy treatment, 3 did not have success with a second procedure and underwent hydrocelectomy, and 1 wanted immediate surgical correction. CONCLUSIONS: Hydrocele aspiration and sclerotherapy was successful in correcting 84% of simple nonseptated hydroceles with a single treatment. This result is an increase from previously reported success rates involving a single hydrocele aspiration and sclerotherapy procedure with tetracycline (75%). The success rate of a single hydrocele aspiration and sclerotherapy procedure is similar to the reported success rates involving hydrocelectomy while avoiding the hospital expense and many other complications. We conclude that the hydrocele aspiration and sclerotherapy procedure is a reasonable, nonsurgical and underused treatment option for nonseptated simple hydroceles.

Feasibility of gabapentin as an intervention for neurorecovery after an acute spinal cord injury: Protocol.

Introduction: This protocol is describing the first ever prospective, mock-efficacy, dose exploration trial design testing the feasibility of administering gabapentin in the acute setting as an intervention for neurorecovery. Gabapentin is an FDA-approved medication for treating seizures and postherpetic neuralgia and is used broadly off-label for neuropathic pain management for many conditions, including spinal cord injury. Emerging data suggests that when given early after spinal cord injury onset and in low-medium doses, gabapentin may have properties that promote recovery of neurological function. The objective of this trial is to assess the feasibility of conducting an efficacy trial in which gabapentin is started early after injury, is restricted in its dose, and is not used for pain management. Methods and analysis: Forty-two people aged 18 years or older with any level and any severity of spinal cord injury induced by a trauma will be enrolled, randomized, and have the first dose of study medication by 120 h post-injury onset. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: 600, 1,800 mg/day gabapentin, or placebo. Study medication will be given for a 90-day duration. Blinded assessments will be obtained at 7 days post-injury (baseline), 30 days post-injury (interim), after the 90-day treatment duration/approximately 3 months post-injury (end of treatment), and at 6 months post-injury (end of study). The key analysis parameters will evaluate feasibility of recruitment of target population, delivery of drug treatment protocol, maintenance of blinding, and retention of participants. Discussion: Outputs from this trial will inform research and clinical practice on the effects of manipulating gabapentin for non-pain management purposes in the acute setting and will guide the development of a properly powered efficacy trial of gabapentin as an intervention for neurorecovery in spinal cord injury. Ethics and dissemination: The study was approved by the MetroHealth Institutional Review Board (IRB21-00609) and registered at clinicaltrials.gov prior to enrolling any participants. Dissemination will include peer-reviewed publications, presentations at professional conferences and in the community, and through other healthcare and public venues. Clinical trial registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT05302999; protocol version 1.1 approved 05/23/2022. Trial funding: National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research.

Heterotopic Ossification of the Inferior Pubic Ramus.

The hip is a common location for heterotopic ossification after surgical trauma, blunt trauma, or muscle injury. However, the region around the pubic rami is an unusual location for heterotopic bone formation. Here, we present a case of a young, active man in the Armed Forces Reserve with a large heterotopic bone involving the left inferior pubic ramus who underwent surgical excision through an unusual approach via the perineum. The patient had notable pain relief postoperatively and returned to his active duties 1 month after surgery without discomfort or functional limitation.

Improved surgical outcomes following radical cystectomy at high-volume centers influence overall survival.

OBJECTIVES: Positive surgical margins (PSM) and lymph node yield (LNY) following radical cystectomy (RC) for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder affect survival. Variations in PSM or LNY at different care facilities are poorly described. We evaluated the relationship between hospital surgical volume and academic hospital status with these surgical outcomes and overall survival (OS). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients with nonmetastatic urothelial carcinoma of the bladder who underwent RC were identified from the National Cancer Database (2004-2013). Treatment centers were categorized as academic (ACC) and community cancer centers (CCC). Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with PSM status and LNY, and a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine factors associated with OS. RESULTS: In our cohort, 39,274 patients underwent RC. A lower proportion of PSMs (10% vs.12%; P<0.001) and higher median LNY (14 vs. 8, P<0.001) was observed at ACCs compared to CCCs. On logistic regression, there were lower odds of PSM (OR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.81-0.97) and higher odds of LNY ≥ 10 nodes (OR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.74-1.96) among patients at ACCs compared to CCCs. Cox proportional hazards analysis demonstrated benefit to OS at high-volume centers (HR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.87-0.95) but not based on ACC designation. The OS advantage at high-volume centers is attenuated (HR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.91-0.99) by PSM status and LNY. CONCLUSIONS: ACCs demonstrate improved surgical outcomes following RC, and a survival advantage attributable to high surgical volume is identified. Centralization of care may lead to improved outcomes in this lethal malignancy.

Cytoreductive nephrectomy in the modern era: Predictors of use, morbidity, and survival.

INTRODUCTION: To determine tumour, patient, and provider factors associated with cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) use and to identify those factors that predicted short-term and long-term surgical outcomes. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review (1998-2011) of the National Cancer Database, a U.S. population-based oncology outcomes database. The review included 36 549 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). We assessed predictors of CN use, length of stay (LOS), 30-day readmission, and 30-day mortality using multivariable logistic regression. The Cox proportional hazards model assessed predictors of overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Overall, 10 809 (29.6%) patients received CN, increasing from 15.2% to 36.1% over time. Private insurance (odds ratio [OR] 1.26; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-1.37) and academic facilities (OR 1.83; 95% CI 1.68-1.99) were associated with receiving CN (p<0.0001). Charlson score ≥2 and older age group were less likely to undergo surgery (p<0.0001). Median LOS was five days (inter-quartile range [IQR] 3-7), while 30-day readmission and 30-day mortality were 5.3% and 3.3%, respectively. Undergoing CN (hazard ratio [HR] 0.48; 95% CI 0.44-0.52; p<0.0001) and treatment at academic centres (HR 0.88; 95% CI 0.81-0.95; p=0.001) were independently associated with improved OS. Limitation includes retrospective design with possible selection bias. CONCLUSIONS: Increased CN use continues in the modern era, with relatively low surgical morbidity. Further study is required to determine if the finding of lower all-cause mortality in patients treated at academic centres is due to improved care or unmeasured confounders.