Overview of screening eligibility in patients undergoing ruptured AAA repair from 2003 to 2019 in the Vascular Quality Initiative.

OBJECTIVE: Although efforts such as the Screening Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Very Efficiently (SAAAVE) Act have improved access to abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening, certain high-risk populations are currently excluded from the guidelines yet may benefit from screening. We therefore examined all patients who underwent repair of ruptured AAA (rAAA) to characterize those who are ineligible for screening under current guidelines and evaluate the potential impact of these restrictions on their disease. METHODS: We identified patients undergoing rAAA repair in the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) database between 2003 and 2019. These patients were stratified by AAA screening eligibility according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement guidelines. We then described baseline characteristics to identify high-risk features of these cohorts. Groups with disproportionate representation in the screening-ineligible cohort were identified as potential targets of screening expansion. Trends over time in screening eligibility and the proportion of AAA repairs performed for rAAA were also analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 5340 patients underwent rAAA repair. The majority (66%) were screening-ineligible. When characterizing the screening-ineligible group by sex and risk factors (smoking history or family history of AAA), the largest contributors to screening ineligibility were males less than 65 years of age with a smoking history or family history of AAA (25%), males greater than 75 years of age with a smoking history (25%), and females older than 65 years of age with a smoking history (19%). In comparison with rAAAs prior to implementation of the SAAAVE act, the proportion of AAA repair performed for rupture among males undergoing AAA repair in the VQI decreased from 12% to 8% (P < .001), whereas in females, there was no change (P = .990). There was no statically significant difference in screening eligibility for either males (P = .762) or females (P = .335). CONCLUSIONS: Most patients who underwent rAAA repair were ineligible for initial AAA screening or aged out of the screening window. Furthermore, rAAA rates and screening ineligibility have not improved as much as expected since the passage of the SAAAVE Act. Our data suggest that three high-risk populations may benefit from expansion of AAA screening guidelines: males with a smoking history or family history of AAA between ages 55 and 64 years, female smokers older than 65 years, and male smokers older than 75 years who are otherwise in good health. Increased efforts to screen these high-risk populations may increase elective AAA repair and minimize the morbidity and mortality associated with rAAAs.

Toward endovascular treatment of type A aortic dissection with smaller landing zones and more patient eligibility.

OBJECTIVE: Type A or ascending aortic dissection is an acute life-threatening condition with high morbidity and mortality. Open surgery remains the standard of care. The development of minimally invasive endografts for type A aortic dissection (TAAD) will require a detailed understanding of the dissection and aortic root anatomy to determine patient eligibility and optimal device specifications. METHODS: Computed tomography images of TAAD cases at our institution from 2012 to 2019 were identified, and three-dimensional reconstructions were performed using OsiriX, version 10.0 (Pixmeo SARL, Bernex, Switzerland). We analyzed key anatomic structures, including centerline length measurements, ascending aorta and aortic root dimensions, and the location and extent of dissection in relationship to the coronary ostia. RESULTS: A total of 53 patients were identified (mean ± standard deviation age, 60.4 ± 17.1 years; 36 men and 17 women), 46 of whom had undergone surgery for TAAD. Four patients had died within 30 days of surgery. In 47 patients (88.7%), the entry tear was distal to the highest coronary ostium. These cases were retrospectively considered for endovascular intervention using a nonbranched, single endograft stent. The proximal landing zone (LZ) was defined as the distance from the highest coronary ostium to the entry tear. Of the 53 patients, 35 (66.0%) had a proximal LZ length of ≥2.0 cm, 38 (71.7%) had a proximal LZ length of ≥1.5 cm, and 42 (79.2%) had a proximal LZ length of ≥1.0 cm. The median proximal and distal LZ diameters of the sinotubular junction (STJ) and distal ascending aorta regions were 3.29 cm (interquartile range [IQR], 2.73-4.10 cm) and 3.49 cm (IQR, 3.09-3.87 cm, respectively), with a median length from the STJ to the innominate takeoff of 8.08 cm (IQR, 6.96-9.40 cm). The median ascending aorta radius of curvature was 6.48 cm (IQR, 5.27-8.00 cm). Of the 53 patients, 25 (47.2%) could be treated with a straight tube graft with a ≤20% diameter mismatch between the proximal and distal LZs. CONCLUSIONS: Almost 80% of the patients with TAAD had had a proximal LZ of ≥1.0 cm. Of these patients, 47.2% had anatomy amenable for endovascular therapy with a nontapered straight tube graft using commercially available devices. To increase patient eligibility for TAAD endovascular intervention, enhanced precision deployment with an adequate seal in shorter LZs will be required. Our results can serve as a guide for endovascular device specifications designed to treat this devastating condition.

Eligibility for cervical cancer screening exit: Comparison of a national and safety net cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To determine eligibility for discontinuation of cervical cancer screening. METHODS: Women aged 64 with employer-sponsored insurance enrolled in a national database between 2016 and 2018, and those aged 64-66 receiving primary care at a safety net health center in 2019 were included. Patients were evaluated for screening exit eligibility by current guidelines: no evidence of cervical cancer or HIV-positive status and no evidence of cervical precancer in the past 25 years, and had evidence of either hysterectomy with removal of the cervix or evidence of fulfilling screening exit criteria, defined as two HPV screening tests or HPV plus Pap co-tests or three Pap tests within the past 10 years without evidence of an abnormal result. RESULTS: Of the 590,901 women in the national claims database, 131,059 (22.2%) were eligible to exit due to hysterectomy (1.6%) or negative screening (20.6%). Of the 1544 women from the safety net health center, 528 (34.2%) were eligible to exit due to hysterectomy (9.3%) or negative screening (24.9%). Most women did not have sufficient data available to fulfill exit criteria: 382,509 (64.7%) in the national database and 875 (56.7%) in the safety net hospital system. Even among women with 10 years of insurance claims data, only 41.5% qualified to discontinue screening. CONCLUSIONS: Examining insurance claims in a national database and electronic medical records at a safety net institution led to remarkably similar findings: two thirds of women fail to qualify for screening exit. Additional steps to ensure eligibility prior to screening exit may be necessary to decrease preventable cervical cancers among women aged >65. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: N/A.

Severe asthma and eligibility for biologics in a Brazilian cohort.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe the eligibility for biologic therapies for severe asthma (SA) in a cohort of patients attending the Program for Control of Asthma (ProAR) in Bahia, Brazil. METHODS: Data from SA patients (≥18 years old) attending the ProAR, that were included in a case-control study conducted from 2013 to 2015, were used to reassess patients according to a modified ERS/ATS 2014 SA criteria. Patients were then classified according to the eligibility for SA biological therapy based on current prescription labels. RESULTS: From 544 patients in the cohort, 531 (97.6%) were included and 172 (32.4%) were identified as SA patients according to the ERS/ATS 2014 modified criteria. Of these 172 patients, 69 (40.1%) were ineligible for any of the biologicals approved for asthma (omalizumab, mepolizumab, reslizumab and benralizumab), 60 (34.9%) patients were eligible for one of the biological therapies, and 10 (5.8%) patients were eligible for all biological therapies. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of patients with SA were eligible for biologic therapy in our study, but none of them received this form of treatment. Almost half of them were not eligible to any of the approved biologics, however. The variability and overlap in patients' eligibility highlight the importance of evaluating each patient individually for a more personalized treatment approach. While there is a need to increase access for some of those eligible that may really need a biologic treatment, continuous efforts are required to develop alternatives to those who are not eligible.

Quality improvement for reducing utilization drift in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy management.

OBJECTIVES: Therapeutic hypothermia is an effective neuroprotective intervention for infants with moderate or severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). With the introduction of new medical therapy comes a learning curve with regards to its proper implementation and understanding of eligibility guidelines. We hypothesized that variation in patient selection and lack of adherence to established protocols contributed to the utilization drift away from the original eligibility guidelines. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted including infants who received therapeutic hypothermia in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for HIE to determine utilization drift. We then used QI methodology to address gaps in medical documentation that may lead to the conclusion that therapeutic hypothermia was inappropriately applied. RESULTS: We identified 54% of infants who received therapeutic hypothermia who did not meet the clinical, physiologic, and neurologic examination criteria for this intervention based on provider admission and discharge documentation within the electronic medical record (EMR). Review of the charts identified incomplete documentation in 71% of cases and led to the following interventions: 1) implementation of EMR smartphrases; 2) engagement of key stakeholders and education of faculty, residents, and neonatal nurse practitioners; and 3) performance measurement and sharing of data. We were able to improve both adherence to the therapeutic hypothermia guidelines and achieve 100% documentation of the modified Sarnat score. CONCLUSIONS: Incomplete documentation can lead to the assumption that therapeutic hypothermia was inappropriately applied when reviewing a patient's EMR. However, in actual clinical practice physicians follow the clinical guidelines but are not documenting their medical decision making completely. QI methodology addresses this gap in documentation, which will help determine the true utilization drift of therapeutic hypothermia in future studies.

Comorbidity Assessment Is Uneven Across Veterans Health Administration and Medicare for the Same Patient: Implications for Risk Adjustment.

OBJECTIVE: Compare comorbidity identification in Medicare and Veterans Health Administration (VA) data for the purposes of risk adjustment. DATA SOURCES: Analysis of Medicare and VA datasets for dually-enrolled Veterans receiving care in both settings, fiscal years 2010-2014. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of administrative data for a national sample of cancer decedents. DATA EXTRACTION METHODS: Comorbidities were evaluated using Elixhauser and Charlson coding algorithms. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Clinical comorbidities were more likely to be recorded in Medicare than in VA datasets. Of 42 comorbidities, 36 (86%) were recorded at a different frequency. For example, congestive heart failure was recorded for 22.0% of patients in Medicare data and for 11.3% of patients in VA data (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: There are large differences in comorbidity assessment across VA and Medicare administrative data for the same patient, posing challenges for risk adjustment.

Exclusion of Pregnant Women from Clinical Trials during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: A Review of International Registries.

OBJECTIVE: Pregnant women have been historically excluded from clinical trials for nonobstetric conditions, even during prior epidemics. The objective of this review is to describe the current state of research for pregnant women during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a search of international trial registries for trials relating to the novel coronavirus. The eligibility criteria for each trial were reviewed for inclusion/exclusion of pregnant women. Relevant data were extracted and descriptive statistics were calculated for individual and combined data. The total number of trials from each registry were compared, as well as the proportions of pregnancy-related trials within each. RESULTS: Among 621,370 trials in the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry, 927 (0.15%) were COVID-19 related. Of those, the majority (52%) explicitly excluded pregnancy or failed to address pregnancy at all (46%) and only 16 (1.7%) were pregnancy specific. When categorized by region, 688 (74.2%) of COVID-19 trials were in Asia, followed by 128 (13.8%) in Europe, and 66 (7.2%) in North America. Of the COVID-19 trials which included pregnant women, only three were randomized-controlled drug trials. CONCLUSION: Approximately 1.7% of current COVID-19 research is pregnancy related and the majority of trials either explicitly exclude or fail to address pregnancy. Only three interventional trials worldwide involved pregnant women. The knowledge gap concerning the safety and efficacy of interventions for COVID-19 created by the exclusion of pregnant women may ultimately harm them. While "ethical" concerns about fetal exposure are often cited, it is in fact unethical to habitually exclude pregnant women from research. KEY POINTS: · Pregnancy was excluded from past pandemic research.. · Pregnancy is being excluded from COVID-19 research.. · Exclusion of pregnant women is potentially harmful..

Gender as a principle of the organization of clinical sleep research.

In 2014 the National Institutes of Health required researchers to examine sex as a biological variable. While this approach is necessary to ensure adequate and appropriate female inclusion in research studies, it puts researchers at high risk for attributing their findings to biological sex differences when instead they may be more appropriately attributed to the influence and expectations of gender. In this paper, we specify how gender works as a principle of the social organization of symptoms, experiences, research, and clinical practice using obstructive sleep apnea symptomology to illustrate these patterns. We draw from psychologist Sandra Bem's account differentiating three specific mechanisms of gender: gender polarization, androcentrism, and biological essentialism.

Targeting subsidised inpatient services to the poor in a setting with limited state capacity: proxy means testing in Myanmar's hospital equity fund scheme.

OBJECTIVES: Many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) provide subsidised access to health services for the poor. Proxy means tests (PMTs) for income are typically employed to identify eligible beneficiaries for subsidised services but often result in significant mistargeting of benefits. We assessed the PMT approach used in Myanmar's hospital equity fund (HEF). METHODS: We analysed inclusion/exclusion errors by comparing household eligibility under the PMT used for HEF with household consumption (the gold standard proxy for income in LMICs). We assessed receipt of benefits post-hospitalisation against HEF eligibility rules and household income. Focus groups/interviews were conducted to understand administrative factors that influence targeting. We modelled (linear regression) predictors of household consumption to improve PMT accuracy. RESULTS: We found large targeting errors (86% of households in the bottom consumption quartile would be excluded and 15% of households in the top consumption quartile deemed eligible). HEF scores for PMT held little explanatory power for household income: 93% of individuals meeting the HEF eligibility criteria did not receive benefits post-hospitalisation, while 23% of ineligible individuals received programme support. Re-weighting PMT indicators on electricity access, land ownership and livestock ownership, and assigning weights to home-ownership, households with elderly/disabled members and household head education levels could significantly improve targeting accuracy. Poor programme awareness and uneven adherence to official eligibility determination procedures among staff likely affected targeting. CONCLUSIONS: Re-weighting PMT indicators and increasing training and communication about qualification procedures could improve allocation of limited funds, though accurate targeting may continue to be challenging in contexts of low state capacity.

OBJECTIFS: De nombreux pays à revenu faible ou intermédiaire (PRFI) offrent un accès subventionné aux services de santé pour les pauvres. Les tests des proxys moyens (TPM) de revenus sont généralement utilisés pour identifier les bénéficiaires éligibles pour les services subventionnés, mais aboutissent souvent à un ciblage erroné important des avantages. Nous avons évalué l'approche TPM utilisée dans le fonds d'équité des hôpitaux (FEH) du Myanmar. MÉTHODES: Nous avons analysé les erreurs d'inclusion/exclusion en comparant l'éligibilité d'un ménage selon le TPM utilisé pour le FEH avec la consommation du ménage (indicateur de référence par excellence du revenu dans les PRFI). Nous avons évalué la réception des prestations après l'hospitalisation par rapport aux règles d'éligibilité du FEH et au revenu du ménage. Des discussions de groupes ont été menées pour comprendre les facteurs administratifs qui influencent le ciblage. Nous avons modélisé (régression linéaire) les prédicteurs de la consommation des ménages afin d'améliorer la précision du TPM. RÉSULTATS: Nous avons constaté d'importantes erreurs de ciblage (86% des ménages du quartile de consommation le plus bas seraient exclus et 15% des ménages du quartile de consommation le plus haut jugés éligibles). Les scores FEH du TPM ont peu de pouvoir explicatif sur le revenu du ménage: 93% des personnes répondant aux critères d'éligibilité du FEH ne bénéficiaient pas de prestations post hospitalisation, tandis que 23% des personnes non éligibles recevaient un soutien du programme. La repondération des indicateurs du TPM sur l'accès à l'électricité, la propriété foncière et la propriété du bétail, et l'attribution de pondérations à la propriété du logement, aux ménages composés de personnes âgées/handicapées et au niveau d'éducation des chefs de ménage pourraient améliorer considérablement la précision du ciblage. La faible sensibilisation du programme et le respect inégal des procédures officielles de détermination de l'éligibilité parmi le personnel ont probablement affecté le ciblage. CONCLUSIONS: Une repondération des indicateurs du TPM et une augmentation de la formation et de la communication sur les procédures de qualification pourraient améliorer l'allocation de fonds limités, bien qu'un ciblage précis puisse continuer à être un défi dans des contextes de faible capacité de l'Etat.

Comparison of coronary revascularization appropriateness for non-acute coronary syndrome cases under the 2017 update vs the 2012 appropriate use criteria.

OBJECTIVES: To compare coronary revascularization appropriateness for non-acute coronary syndrome cases under the 2017 update vs the 2012 appropriate use criteria (AUC). BACKGROUND: In 2017, the 2012 AUC for coronary revascularization were updated. We examined how applying these new 2017 updates to our previous inappropriate cases would change their appropriateness. METHODS: We identified 50 cases of patients who underwent coronary revascularization for stable ischemic heart disease who were deemed inappropriate under the 2012 AUC. Two separate physicians reviewed the cases and applied a new AUC based on the 2017 AUC. Next, if there was a change, the reason was identified. RESULTS: Average age was 64, majority being male (29; 58%). Forty-two (84%) were asymptomatic upon presentation. Most cases (27, 54%) dealt with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of the right coronary artery. After applying the 2017 AUC, 34 of the 50 inappropriate failures (68%) would be changed from "inappropriate" to "may be appropriate care." Of the 34 cases, 25 (73.5%) were changed due to the new AUC no longer expecting the patient to be on ≥2 anti-angina medications prior to PCI. Of the 34 cases, eight (23.5%) were changed due to the new AUC expanding the use of non-invasive modalities. CONCLUSIONS: Applying the 2017 AUC led to a statistically higher number of cases being deemed "may be appropriate." The most common cause for the change included the change in requirement for anti-angina regimen and the expanded role of non-invasive modalities.

Few eligible for the newly recommended short course MDR-TB regimen at a large Mumbai private clinic.

BACKGROUND: India has the world's highest tuberculosis burden, and Mumbai is particularly affected by multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). WHO recommends short, intensive treatment ("Short Course") for previously untreated pulmonary MDR-TB patients but does not require universal drug susceptibility testing (DST) before Short Course. DST would likely screen out many MDR-TB patients in places like Mumbai with significant drug resistance. METHODS: MDR-TB patients at a private clinic were recruited for a prospective observational cohort. Short Course eligibility was evaluated by clinical criteria and DST results. Eligibility by DST was classified as rifampin monoresistance (as tested by Xpert MTB/RIF), rifampin, fluoroquinolones, and 2nd-line injectable drugs resistance (as tested by line probe assays) and resistance to other drugs. RESULTS: Of 559 participants with MDR-TB, 33% met clinical eligibility for Short Course. DST for rifampin, fluoroquinolones, and 2nd-line injectable drugs excluded 74.7% of participants. Complete phenotypic DST excluded 96.6% of participants. Prior treatment with either 1st or 2nd-line drugs did not significantly affect eligibility. CONCLUSIONS: In a global MDR-TB hotspot, < 5% of participants with MDR-TB were appropriate for Short Course by clinical characteristics and DST results. Rapid molecular testing would not sufficiently identify drug resistance in this population. Eligibility rates were not significantly reduced by prior TB treatment.

Increases in statin eligibility to reduce cardiovascular risk according to the 2013 ACC/AHA cholesterol guidelines in the Africa Middle East region: a sub-analysis of the Africa Middle East Cardiovascular Epidemiological (ACE) study.

BACKGROUND: With development of cholesterol management guidelines by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA), more individuals at risk of cardiovascular disease may be eligible for statin therapy. It is not known how this affects statin eligibility in the Africa and Middle East Region. METHODS: Data were used from the Africa Middle East Cardiovascular Epidemiological (ACE) study. The percentage of subjects eligible for statins per the ACC/AHA 2013 cholesterol guidelines and the 2002 National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP-ATP III) recommendations were compared. Analyses were carried out according to age, gender, community (urban/rural), and country income categories based on World Bank definitions. RESULTS: According to the ACC/AHA recommendations, 1695 out of 4378 subjects (39%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 37-40%) satisfied statin eligibility criteria vs. 1043/4378 (24%; 95% CI, 23-25%) per NCEP-ATP recommendations, representing a 63% increase in statin eligibility. Consistent increases in eligibility for statin therapy were seen according to the ACC/AHA vs. NCEP-ATP guidelines across sub-groups of age, gender, community, and country income. Notable increases for statin eligibility according to ACC/AHA vs. NCEP-ATP were seen, respectively, in subjects aged ≥65 years (86% vs. 39%), in males (46% vs. 25%), in low-income countries (28% vs. 14%), and rural communities (37% vs. 19%). CONCLUSION: An increase in statin eligibility was seen applying ACC/AHA cholesterol guidelines compared with previous NCEP-ATP recommendations in the Africa Middle East region. The economic consequences of these guideline recommendations will need further research. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The ACE trial is registered under NCT01243138 .

"I didn't have to prove to anybody that I was a good candidate": a case study framing international bariatric tourism by Canadians as circumvention tourism.

BACKGROUND: Medical tourism is a practice where patients travel internationally to purchase medical services. Medical tourists travel abroad for reasons including costly care, long wait times for care, and limited availability of desired procedures stemming from legal and/or regulatory restrictions. This paper examines bariatric (weight loss) surgery obtained abroad by Canadians through the lens of 'circumvention tourism' - typically applied to cases of circumvention of legal barriers but here applied to regulatory circumvention. Despite bariatric surgery being available domestically through public funding, many Canadians travel abroad to obtain these surgeries in order to circumvent barriers restricting access to this care. Little, however, is known about why these barriers push some patients to obtain these surgeries abroad and the effects of this circumvention. METHODS: Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted with 20 former Canadian bariatric tourists between February and May of 2016. Interview questions probed patients' motivations for seeking care abroad, as well as experiences with attempting to obtain care domestically and internationally. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and then thematically analyzed. RESULTS: Three key barriers to access were identified: (1) structural barriers resulting in limited locally available options; (2) strict body mass index cut-off points to qualify for publicly-funded surgery; and (3) the extended wait-time and level of commitment required of the mandatory pre-operative program in Canada. It was not uncommon for participants to experience a combination, if not all, of these barriers. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, these barriers restricting domestic access to bariatric care in Canada may leave Canadian patients with a sense that their health care system is not adequately addressing their specific health care needs. In circumventing these barriers, patients may feel empowered in their health care opportunities; however, significant concerns are raised when patients bypass protections built into the health system. Given the practical limitations of a publicly funded health care system, these barriers to care are likely to persist. Health professionals and policy makers in Canada should consider these barriers in the future when examining the implications medical tourism for bariatric surgery holds for Canadians.

Candidacy for a Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator in Patients with Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy.

In patients requiring an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), the combined use of a prior pacemaker and a subcutaneous ICD (S-ICD) could be an alternative treatment option to implantation of new leads or upgrading of pacemakers to an ICD if vascular access is limited. Here, we assessed the prevalence of S-ICD's eligibility according to surface electrogram screening in those receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). S-ICD's eligibility was assessed in patients with a CRT pacemaker or a CRT defibrillator using the S-ICD template screening tool. Eligibility was defined as fulfillment of the template in both supine and upright positions in one or more leads during biventricular pacing. Among 44 patients (34 men, age: 67 ± 12), 36 (82%) were found to be eligible. The T/QRS amplitude ratio in lead II was significantly lower in those who were eligible (0.31 ± 0.16 versus 0.44 ± 0.18 in the ineligible group, P = 0.04). The lead position, underlying disease, and other electrocardiographic findings were not different between those who were eligible and those who were not. The majority of patients with biventricular pacing were eligible for S-ICD based on current screening tests and may benefit from this treatment. Further study is required.

Performance of Gadoxetic Acid-Enhanced Liver Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Predicting Patient Eligibility for Liver Transplantation Based on the Milan Criteria.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (Gd-EOB-MRI) in predicting eligibility for liver transplantation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on Milan criteria (MC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed Gd-EOB-MRI of 44 patients who underwent liver transplantation for HCC with cirrhosis for the presence/size of HCCs, vascular invasion, and transplant eligibility based on MC. Hepatocellular carcinoma was diagnosed based on conventional radiological hallmarks (arterial enhancement and washout) or the modified criteria. RESULTS: Among 44 patients, 16 was beyond MC. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of conventional radiological hallmark and the modified criteria for predicting eligibility by MC were 31.3%, 96.3%, and 72.7%, and 68.8%, 96.3%, and 86.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Gd-EOB-MRI showed high specificity but poor sensitivity for assessing transplant eligibility based on MC when adopting the conventional radiological hallmarks of HCC. Our modified criteria showed significantly better sensitivity and accuracy than the conventional radiological hallmarks.

Simultaneous liver kidney transplantation.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Simultaneous liver kidney transplantation (SLK) has taken center stage since the initiation of the new kidney allocation system (KAS). This review places SLK in the context of the changing landscape of organ allocation. RECENT FINDINGS: The introduction of the Mayo End-Stage Liver Disease score into liver allocation policy in 2002 resulted in a significant increase in the number of SLKs performed in the United States. Except for a brief respite in 2009, the rate of SLK has continued to increase with 2015 seeing 626 SLKs. KAS did not mandate sharing kidneys with regionally shared livers. It was anticipated this would reduce the number of SLKs. Additionally, the Kidney Donor Profile Index in KAS made possible a more granular assessment of the quality of the kidneys being allocated to SLK recipients. This revealed that nearly 50% of Kidney Donor Profile Index kidneys 0.35 or less, those to be allocated to children, were given to SLK recipients and that a significant proportion of them may not need a kidney. SUMMARY: Medical eligibility criteria, rules for the allocation of kidneys simultaneously with livers, and the establishment of a safety net, will provide nephrologists with the framework and authority to decide which liver disease patients truly need a kidney.

The value of structured data elements from electronic health records for identifying subjects for primary care clinical trials.

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of clinical trials are conducted in primary care settings. Making better use of existing data in the electronic health records to identify eligible subjects can improve efficiency of such studies. Our study aims to quantify the proportion of eligibility criteria that can be addressed with data in electronic health records and to compare the content of eligibility criteria in primary care with previous work. METHODS: Eligibility criteria were extracted from primary care studies downloaded from the UK Clinical Research Network Study Portfolio. Criteria were broken into elemental statements. Two expert independent raters classified each statement based on whether or not structured data items in the electronic health record can be used to determine if the statement was true for a specific patient. Disagreements in classification were discussed until 100 % agreement was reached. Statements were also classified based on content and the percentages of each category were compared to two similar studies reported in the literature. RESULTS: Eligibility criteria were retrieved from 228 studies and decomposed into 2619 criteria elemental statements. 74 % of the criteria elemental statements were considered likely associated with structured data in an electronic health record. 79 % of the studies had at least 60 % of their criteria statements addressable with structured data likely to be present in an electronic health record. Based on clinical content, most frequent categories were: "disease, symptom, and sign", "therapy or surgery", and "medication" (36 %, 13 %, and 10 % of total criteria statements respectively). We also identified new criteria categories related to provider and caregiver attributes (2.6 % and 1 % of total criteria statements respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Electronic health records readily contain much of the data needed to assess patients' eligibility for clinical trials enrollment. Eligibility criteria content categories identified by our study can be incorporated as data elements in electronic health records to facilitate their integration with clinical trial management systems.

Contemporary Strategies for Rapid Recovery Total Hip Arthroplasty.

Over the past several years, rapid recovery protocols for total hip arthroplasty have evolved in parallel with advancements in pain management, regional anesthesia, focused rehabilitation, and the patient selection process. As fiscal pressures from payers of health care increase, surgical outcomes and complications are being scrutinized, which evokes a sense of urgency for arthroplasty surgeons as well as hospitals. The implementation of successful accelerated recovery pathways for total hip arthroplasty requires the coordinated efforts of surgeons, practice administrators, anesthesiologists, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, case managers, and postacute care providers. To optimize performance outcomes, it is important for surgeons to select patients who are eligible for rapid recovery. The fundamental tenets of multimodal pain control, regional anesthesia, prudent perioperative blood management, venous thromboembolic prophylaxis, and early ambulation and mobility should be collectively addressed for all patients who undergo primary total hip replacement.