Optimizing Nutrition Prior to Radical Cystectomy.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Malnutrition in a prevalent problem in patients undergoing radical cystectomy. Preoperative malnutrition has been shown to contribute to increased rates of postoperative complications. Given the significant morbidity and mortality of the procedure of radical cystectomy, there is potential for improvement in patient outcomes by nutritional intervention. RECENT FINDINGS: Prospective studies have demonstrated a reduction in postoperative infection rates in patients who receive supplemental immunonutrition prior to major surgery including radical cystectomy. These initial evaluations of nutritional optimization show significant potential for improved outcomes. Additionally, several studies using enhanced recovery after surgery protocols, which include a preoperative nutritional component, have shown a benefit in reducing length of stay. Emerging literature has shown the benefits of preoperative immunonutrition in improving postoperative outcomes of radical cystectomy. However, further work is needed to determine the best mechanism to optimize nutrition prior to radical cystectomy.

Small Renal Mass with Sarcomatoid Features.

Interest in surveillance for small renal masses has expanded exponentially due to incidental detection with increased imaging. However, some of these small renal masses behave aggressively. Sarcomatoid pathology is associated with a worse prognosis. Traditionally, it has been thought of as a common pathway of dedifferentiation once a renal malignancy of any histology reaches a threshold size of approximately 3 cm. We report a case of a 65-year-old male with a 2 cm sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma. To our knowledge, this is the smallest tumor with sarcomatoid differentiation reported in the literature.

Why men with a low-risk prostate cancer select and stay on active surveillance: A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: Active surveillance (AS) is an increasingly utilized strategy for monitoring men with low-risk prostate cancer (PCa) that allows them to defer active treatment (AT) in the absence of cancer progression. Studies have explored reasons for selecting AS and for then switching to AT, but less is known about men's experiences being on AS. We interviewed men to determine the clinical and psychological factors associated with selecting and adhering to AS protocols. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with men with a low-risk PCa at two academic medical centers. Subjects had either been on AS for ≥ 1 year or had opted for AT after a period of AS. We used an iterative, content-driven approach to analyze the interviews and to identify themes. RESULTS: We enrolled 21 subjects, mean age 70.4 years, 3 racial/ethnic minorities, and 16 still on AS. Men recognized the favorable prognosis of their cancer (some had sought second opinions when initially offered AT), valued avoiding treatment complications, were reassured that close monitoring would identify progression early enough to be successfully treated, and trusted their urologists. Although men reported feeling anxious around the time of surveillance testing, those who switched to AT did so based only on evidence of cancer progression. CONCLUSIONS: Our selected sample was comfortable being on AS because they understood and valued the rationale for this approach. However, this highlights the importance of ensuring that men newly diagnosed with a low-risk PCa are provided sufficient information about prognosis and treatment options to make informed decisions.

Assessment of Guideline Discordance With Antimicrobial Prophylaxis Best Practices for Common Urologic Procedures.

Importance: The American Urological Association guidelines recommend 24 or fewer hours of antimicrobial prophylaxis for most urologic procedures. Continuing antimicrobial therapy beyond 24 hours may carry more risks than advantages. Objectives: To assess guideline discordance of antimicrobial prophylaxis for common urologic endoscopic procedures, and to identify opportunities for improving antimicrobial prescribing through future stewardship interventions. Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter cohort study conducted manual audits of medical records of 375 patients who underwent 1 of 3 urologic procedures (transurethral resection of bladder tumor [TURBT], transurethral resection of the prostate [TURP], and ureteroscopy [URS]) at 5 Veterans Health Administration facilities from January 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017. Antimicrobial prescribing practices across the national Veterans Health Administration system were assessed using the administrative data for 29 530 records. Main Outcomes and Measures: Guideline discordance was assessed in the medical record review. Excessive postprocedural antimicrobial use was measured in the national administrative data analysis. Results: The medical records of a total of 375 patients were manually reviewed. Among the 375 patients, 366 (97.6%) were male and 9 (2.4%) were female, with a mean (SD) age of 64.2 (10.9) years and a predominantly white race/ethnicity (289 [77.1%]). In addition, 29 530 patient records in the national administrative database were assessed. Among the patient records, 28 938 (98.0%) were male and 592 (2.0%) were female with a mean (SD) age of 69.1 (10.2) years and a predominantly white race/ethnicity (23 297 [78.9%]). Among the manually reviewed medical records, periprocedural or postprocedural antimicrobial prescribing was guideline discordant in 217 patients (57.9%). Postprocedural antimicrobial agents were continued beyond 24 hours in 211 patients (56.3%) and were guideline discordant in 177 patients (83.9%), with a median (interquartile range) duration of 3 (3-5) days of unnecessary antimicrobial therapy. In the analysis of national administrative data, excessive postprocedural antimicrobial agents were prescribed in 10 988 of 29 350 patient records (37.2%), with a median (interquartile range) of 3 (2-6) excess days. For any given facility, a statistically significant correlation was observed in the frequency of postprocedural antimicrobial prescribing between any 2 procedures, indicating that facilities with higher rates of excessive use for 1 procedure also had higher rates for another procedure: TURP and TURBT (ρ = 0.719; 95% CI, 0.603-0.803; P < .001), TURP and URS (ρ = 0.629; 95% CI, 0.476-0.741; P < .001), and TURBT and URS (ρ = 0.813; 95% CI, 0.724-0.873; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: In this study of patients who underwent common urologic procedures, the rate of guideline-discordant antimicrobial use was high mostly because of overprescribing of postprocedural antimicrobial agents; future antimicrobial stewardship interventions should target the postprocedural period.