Multimodal phenotyping and correlates of pain following hematopoietic cell transplant in children with sickle cell disease.

INTRODUCTION: There is limited understanding of pain, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), psychological factors, and experimental pain sensitivity before and following hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) in children with sickle cell disease (SCD). METHODS: Individuals aged 8 years and older, English speaking, and scheduled for a HCT were invited to participate in an observational study where they completed assessments of pain, PROs, psychological factors, and qualitative interviews before and around 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years post-HCT. An optional substudy of experimental pain sensitivity before and around 6 month, 1 year, and 2 years post-HCT was also offered. RESULTS: Data from eight participants (median age 13.5 years, 25% female) with sickle cell anemia (SCA) or similarly severe genotype, and successful donor-derived erythropoiesis post-HCT are reported. We found that collection of pain, PROs, psychological factors, and qualitative data were feasible in the context of HCT. We found moderate to large differences in pain and some PROs between baseline to 1 year and baseline to 2 year post-HCT based on effect sizes, but only some differences were statistically significant. We found moderate to large differences in pressure pain threshold and moderate differences in cold pain threshold between baseline to 1 year and baseline to 2 year post-HCT based on effect sizes, but these differences were not statistically significant. Qualitative data indicated an improvement in pain and HRQoL post-HCT. CONCLUSION: This study provides a framework for the conduct of multimodal pain assessments before and after HCT, which is feasible but faced with unique barriers.

A time-frame comparison study of surgical volume shifts on female primary stress urinary incontinence surgery.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The objective was to investigate the surgical volume shifts for primary female stress urinary incontinence (SUI) over a 20-year period (1999-2018) in Taiwan. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study based on Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. We divided the time-frame into four periods: first period (1999-2003), second period (2004-2008), third period (2009-2013), and fourth period (2014-2018). The variables included major surgical types for SUI (retropubic urethropexy, pubovaginal sling, midurethral sling, etc.), surgeon gender, specialty, surgical volume (high ≥30, median 5-29, low <5), and hospital accreditation level. Reoperation rates within 1 year were analyzed as an outcome measurement. RESULTS: A total of 51,018 patients were identified. Major surgical types increased significantly during the first three periods and slightly decreased during the fourth period. The proportion of surgical volume shifted from high- to medium-, and low-volume, but it reversed during the fourth period. The proportion of SUI surgeries decreased in medical centers, whereas it increased in regional and local hospitals. The proportion of SUI surgeries by female surgeons increased. Similar phenomena occurred in MUS. As for surgeon specialty, major surgical types were performed by gynecologists and urologists equally, whereas MUS were performed more by gynecologists than by urologists. Unexpectedly, 1-year reoperation rates were higher in high-volume surgeons. CONCLUSIONS: The surgical trend of SUI surgeries shifted from high- to medium-, and low-volume surgeons, medical centers to regional and local hospitals during the study periods. This implied surgical skills and performance spreading, which may have a great influence on patient and healthcare provider choice of treatment.

Point-of-care testing for adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrest resuscitated at the ED to predict ROSC: Development and external validation of POC-ED-ROSC model.

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Most prediction models, like return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after cardiac arrest (RACA) or Utstein-based (UB)-ROSC score, were developed for prehospital settings to predict the probability of ROSC in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). A prediction model has been lacking for the probability of ROSC in patients with OHCA at emergency departments (EDs). OBJECTIVE: In the present study, a point-of-care (POC) testing-based model, POC-ED-ROSC, was developed and validated for predicting ROSC of OHCA at EDs. DESIGN, SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: Prospectively collected data for adult OHCA patients between 2015 and 2020 were analysed. POC blood gas analysis obtained within 5 min of ED arrival was used. OUTCOMES MEASURE AND ANALYSIS: The primary outcome was ROSC. In the derivation cohort, multivariable logistic regression was used to develop the POC-ED-ROSC model. In the temporally split validation cohort, the discriminative performance of the POC-ED-ROSC model was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) and compared with RACA or UB-ROSC score using DeLong test. MAIN RESULTS: The study included 606 and 270 patients in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. In the total cohort, 471 patients achieved ROSC. Age, initial cardiac rhythm at ED, pre-hospital resuscitation duration, and POC testing-measured blood levels of lactate, potassium and glucose were significant predictors included in the POC-ED-ROSC model. The model was validated with fair discriminative performance (AUC: 0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.69-0.81) with no significant differences from RACA (AUC: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.62-0.74) or UB-ROSC score (AUC: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.68-0.79). CONCLUSION: Using only six easily accessible variables, the POC-ED-ROSC model can predict ROSC for OHCA resuscitated at ED with fair accuracy.

Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in United States emergency departments, 2010-2018.

OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the recent status of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) in the U.S. emergency department (ED). This study aimed to describe the disease burden (visit and hospitalization rate) of AECOPD in the ED and to investigate factors associated with the disease burden of AECOPD. METHODS: Data were obtained from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS), 2010-2018. Adult ED visits (aged 40 years or above) with AECOPD were identified using International Classification of Diseases codes. Analysis used descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression accounting for NHAMCS's complex survey design. RESULTS: There were 1,366 adult AECOPD ED visits in the unweighted sample. Over the 9-year study period, there were an estimated 7,508,000 ED visits for AECOPD, and the proportion of AECOPD visits in the entire ED population remained stable at approximately 14 per 1,000 visits. The mean age of these AECOPD visits was 66 years, and 42% were men. Medicare or Medicaid insurance, presentation in non-summer seasons, the Midwest and South regions (vs. Northeast), and arrival by ambulance were independently associated with a higher visit rate of AECOPD, whereas non-Hispanic black or Hispanic race/ethnicity (vs. non-Hispanic white) was associated with a lower visit rate of AECOPD. The proportion of AECOPD visits that were hospitalized decreased from 51% to 2010 to 31% in 2018 (p = 0.002). Arrival by ambulance was independently associated with a higher hospitalization rate, whereas the South and West regions (vs. Northeast) were independently associated with a lower hospitalization rate. The use of antibiotics appeared to be stable over time, but the use of systemic corticosteroids appeared to increase with near statistical significance (p = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS: The number of ED visits for AECOPD remained high; however, hospitalizations for AECOPD appeared to decrease over time. Some patients were disproportionately affected by AECOPD, and certain patient and ED factors were associated with hospitalizations. The reasons for decreased ED admissions for AECOPD deserve further investigation.

Validation of a simplified comorbidity evaluation predicting clinical outcomes among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 - A multicenter retrospective observation study.

OBJECTIVES: We compared and validated the performance accuracy of simplified comorbidity evaluation compared to the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) predicting COVID-19 severity. In addition, we also determined whether risk prediction of COVID-19 severity changed during different COVID-19 pandemic outbreaks. METHODS: We enrolled all patients whose SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests were performed at six different hospital Emergency Departments in 2020. Patients were divided into three groups based on the various COVID-19 outbreaks in the US (first wave: March-May 2020, second wave: June-September 2020, and third wave: October-December 2020). A simplified comorbidity evaluation was used as an independent risk factor to predict clinical outcomes using multivariate logistic regressions. RESULTS: A total of 22,248 patients were included, for which 7023 (32%) patients tested COVID-19 positive. Higher percentages of COVID-19 patients with more than three chronic conditions had worse clinical outcomes (i.e., hospital and intensive care unit admissions, receiving invasive mechanical ventilations, and in-hospital mortality) during all three COVID-19 outbreak waves. CONCLUSIONS: This simplified comorbidity evaluation was validated to be associated with COVID clinical outcomes. Such evaluation did not perform worse when compared with CCI to predict in-hospital mortality.

Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy Combined Antegrade Flexible Ureteroscope for Complete Staghorn Stones: A Case Report of a New Concept of Stone Surgery.

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is the treatment of choice for staghorn stones. However, residual stones in calyces remain a challenge due to the limited angle which makes the approach difficult. The new operative technique of endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery (ECIRS), which integrates the advantages of PCNL and retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS), was developed to overcome this difficulty. However, two experienced urologists are required to perform ECIRS, and the patient has to be placed in the Galdakao-modified supine Valdivia position or modified prone split-leg position which cannot be achieved in the elderly or patients with ankylosing arthritis, as it may cause harm due to abnormal traction of the joints. In addition, it is difficult for surgeons to create an ideal access tract to perform PCNL in this position. We report the case of a 72-year-old female patient with left staghorn stone. We performed RIRS first and then placed the patient in the decubitus position for PCNL with antegrade flexible ureteroscopy. This method allows patients to be placed in an easier position, with the use of flexible ureteroscopy through a nephroscope to find previously unreachable stones. Moreover, in addition to the more comfortable position both for surgeons and patients, this procedure can also deal with large complex renal stones as with ECIRS. We also created a brand-new definition for stone clearance rate, namely, stone reduction efficiency (SRE). There was a high stone reduction efficiency of 12.64 (mm2/min) in our patient, and no complications occurred. We suggest that this procedure is an ideal alternative treatment for a huge staghorn stone instead of PCNL or ECIRS.

Associations of thoracic cage size and configuration with outcomes of adult in-hospital cardiac arrest: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: To analyse the association of thoracic cage size and configuration with outcomes following in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA). METHODS: A single-centred retrospective study was conducted. Adult patients experiencing IHCA during 2006-2015 were screened. By analysing computed tomography images, we measured thoracic anterior-posterior and transverse diameters, circumference, and both anterior and posterior subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) depths at the level of the internipple line (INL). We also recorded the anatomical structure located immediately posterior to the sternum at the INL. RESULTS: A total of 649 patients were included. The median thoracic circumference was 88.6 cm. The median anterior and posterior thoracic SAT depths were 0.9 and 1.5 cm, respectively. The ascending aorta was found to be the most common retrosternal structure (57.6%) at the INL. Multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated that anterior thoracic SAT depth of 0.8-1.6 cm (odds ratio [OR]: 2.98, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.40-6.35; p-value = 0.005) and thoracic circumference of 83.9-95.0 cm (OR: 2.48, 95% CI: 1.16-5.29; p-value = 0.02) were positively associated with a favourable neurological outcome while left ventricular outflow track or aortic root beneath sternum at the level of INL was inversely associated with a favourable neurological outcome (OR: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.15-0.91; p-value = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Thoracic circumference and anatomic configuration might be associated with IHCA outcomes. This proof-of-concept study suggested that a one-size-fits-all resuscitation technique might not be suitable. Further investigation is needed to investigate the method of providing personalized resuscitation tailored to patient needs.

A New Data Repository for Pharmacokinetic Natural Product-Drug Interactions: From Chemical Characterization to Clinical Studies.

There are many gaps in scientific knowledge about the clinical significance of pharmacokinetic natural product-drug interactions (NPDIs) in which the natural product (NP) is the precipitant and a conventional drug is the object. The National Center for Complimentary and Integrative Health created the Center of Excellence for NPDI Research (NaPDI Center) (www.napdi.org) to provide leadership and guidance on the study of pharmacokinetic NPDIs. A key contribution of the Center is the first user-friendly online repository that stores and links pharmacokinetic NPDI data across chemical characterization, metabolomics analyses, and pharmacokinetic in vitro and clinical experiments (repo.napdi.org). The design is expected to help researchers more easily arrive at a complete understanding of pharmacokinetic NPDI research on a particular NP. The repository will also facilitate multidisciplinary collaborations, as the repository links all of the experimental data for a given NP across the study types. The current work describes the design of the repository, standard operating procedures used to enter data, and pharmacokinetic NPDI data that have been entered to date. To illustrate the usefulness of the NaPDI Center repository, more details on two high-priority NPs, cannabis and kratom, are provided as case studies. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The data and knowledge resulting from natural product-drug interaction (NPDI) studies is distributed across a variety of information sources, rendering difficulties to find, access, and reuse. The Center of Excellence for NPDI Research addressed these difficulties by developing the first user-friendly online repository that stores data from in vitro and clinical pharmacokinetic NPDI experiments and links them with study data from chemical characterization and metabolomics analyses of natural products that are also stored in the repository.

Comparing Effectiveness of Initial Airway Interventions for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis of Clinical Controlled Trials.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We compare effectiveness of different airway interventions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. METHODS: We systematically searched the PubMed and EMBASE databases from their inception through August 2018 and selected randomized controlled trials or quasi randomized controlled trials comparing intubation, supraglottic airways, or bag-valve-mask ventilation for treating adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients. We performed a network meta-analysis along with sensitivity analyses to investigate the influence of high intubation success rate on meta-analytic results. RESULTS: A total of 8 randomized controlled trials and 3 quasi randomized controlled trials were included in the network meta-analysis: 7,361 patients received intubation, 7,475 received supraglottic airway, and 1,201 received bag-valve-mask ventilation. The network meta-analysis indicated no differences among these interventions for survival or neurologic outcomes at hospital discharge. Rather, network meta-analysis suggested that supraglottic airway improved the rate of return of spontaneous circulation compared with intubation (odds ratio 1.11; 95% confidence interval 1.03 to 1.20) or bag-valve-mask ventilation (odds ratio 1.35; 95% confidence interval 1.11 to 1.63). Furthermore, intubation improved the rate of return of spontaneous circulation compared with bag-valve-mask ventilation (odds ratio 1.21; 95% confidence interval 1.01 to 1.44). The sensitivity analyses revealed that the meta-analytic results were sensitive to the intubation success rates across different out-of-hospital care systems. CONCLUSION: Although there were no differences in long-term survival or neurologic outcome among these airway interventions, these system-based comparisons demonstrated that supraglottic airway was better than intubation or bag-valve-mask ventilation and intubation was better than bag-valve-mask ventilation in improving return of spontaneous circulation. The intubation success rate greatly influenced the meta-analytic results, and therefore these comparison results should be interpreted with these system differences in mind.

Onsite telemedicine strategy for coronavirus (COVID-19) screening to limit exposure in ED.

Coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) outbreak is a public health emergency and a global pandemic. During the present coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis, telemedicine has been recommended to screen suspected patients to limit risk of exposure and maximise medical staff protection. We constructed the protective physical barrier with telemedicine technology to limit COVID-19 exposure in ED. Our hospital is an urban community hospital with annual ED volume of approximately 50 000 patients. We equipped our patient exam room with intercom and iPad for telecommunication. Based on our telemedicine screening protocol, physician can conduct a visual physical examination on stable patients via intercom or videoconference. Telemedicine was initially used to overcome the physical barrier between patients and physicians. However, our protocol is designed to create a protective physical barrier to protect healthcare workers and enhance efficiency in ED. The implementation can be a promising protocol in making ED care more cost-effective and efficient during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Accuracy of point-of-care ultrasound and radiology-performed ultrasound for intussusception: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: It is unclear whether point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) by emergency medicine physicians is as accurate as radiology-performed ultrasound (RADUS). We aim to summarize the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography for intussusception and to compare the performance between POCUS and RADUS. METHODS: Databases were searched from inception through February 2018 using pre-defined index terms. Peer-reviewed primary studies that investigated the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound for intussusception in children were included. The study is reported using Preferred Reporting Items for a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Diagnostic Test Accuracy Studies (PRISMA-DTA). Meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound for intussusception was conducted using the random-effects bivariate model. Subgroup analysis (POCUS vs RADUS) was also performed. Meta-regression was utilized to determine if the diagnostic accuracy between POCUS and RADUS was significantly different. RESULTS: Thirty studies (n = 5249) were included in the meta-analysis. Ultrasonography for intussusception has a sensitivity: 0.98 (95% CI: 0.96-0.98), specificity: 0.98 (95% CI: 0.95-0.99), positive likelihood ratio: 43.8 (95% CI: 18.0-106.7) and negative likelihood ratio: 0.03 (95% CI: 0.02-0.04), with an area under ROC (AUROC) curve of 0.99 (95% CI: 0.98-1.00). Meta-regression suggested no significant difference in the diagnostic accuracy for intussusception between POCUS and RADUS (AUROC: 0.95 vs 1.00, p = 0.128). CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence suggested POCUS has a high diagnostic accuracy for intussusception not significantly different from that of RADUS.

Review of underactive bladder.

In clinical practice, many patients cannot empty their bladders within an acceptable duration. Common complaints include weak urinary stream and incomplete emptying, which may affect quality of life. Bladder emptying requires sufficient detrusor contractile power, velocity, and durability. The urodynamic term for inadequate detrusor contraction is detrusor underactivity (DU). Although this definition was provided by the ICS, it may not be clinically practical. Analogous to the relationship between overactive bladder (OAB) and detrusor overactivity (DO), the symptom complex caused by DU is termed underactive bladder (UAB). Many conditions lead to UAB, such as advanced age, neurogenic bladder and BOO, but the definite pathophysiology directly leading to UAB is still being widely studied without a widely-accepted consensus. The preferred mainstream treatment for increased residual urine volume caused by UAB is intermittent catheterization, while pharmacotherapy is still disappointing after decades of development. There are no studies on surgical treatment for UAB with an acceptable level of evidence. We reviewed the recent literature on UAB and DU to provide a comprehensive discussion of the related presentation, etiology, diagnosis and management.

Sarcospan integration into laminin-binding adhesion complexes that ameliorate muscular dystrophy requires utrophin and α7 integrin.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene that result in loss of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex, a laminin receptor that connects the myofiber to its surrounding extracellular matrix. Utrophin, a dystrophin ortholog that is normally localized to the neuromuscular junction, is naturally upregulated in DMD muscle, which partially compensates for the loss of dystrophin. Transgenic overexpression of utrophin causes broad sarcolemma localization of utrophin, restoration of laminin binding and amelioration of disease in the mdx mouse model of DMD. We previously demonstrated that overexpression of sarcospan, a dystrophin- and utrophin-binding protein, ameliorates mdx muscular dystrophy. Sarcospan boosts levels of utrophin to therapeutic levels at the sarcolemma, where attachment to laminin is restored. However, understanding the compensatory mechanism is complicated by concomitant upregulation of α7ß1 integrin, which also binds laminin. Similar to the effects of utrophin, transgenic overexpression of α7 integrin prevents DMD disease in mice and is accompanied by increased abundance of utrophin around the extra-synaptic sarcolemma. In order to investigate the mechanisms underlying sarcospan 'rescue' of muscular dystrophy, we created double-knockout mice to test the contributions of utrophin or α7 integrin. We show that sarcospan-mediated amelioration of muscular dystrophy in DMD mice is dependent on the presence of both utrophin and α7ß1 integrin, even when they are individually expressed at therapeutic levels. Furthermore, we found that association of sarcospan into laminin-binding complexes is dependent on utrophin and α7ß1 integrin.

Coronary CT angiography versus standard evaluation in acute chest pain.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether an evaluation incorporating coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) is more effective than standard evaluation in the emergency department in patients with symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndromes. METHODS: In this multicenter trial, we randomly assigned patients 40 to 74 years of age with symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndromes but without ischemic electrocardiographic changes or an initial positive troponin test to early CCTA or to standard evaluation in the emergency department on weekdays during daylight hours between April 2010 and January 2012. The primary end point was length of stay in the hospital. Secondary end points included rates of discharge from the emergency department, major adverse cardiovascular events at 28 days, and cumulative costs. Safety end points were undetected acute coronary syndromes. RESULTS: The rate of acute coronary syndromes among 1000 patients with a mean (±SD) age of 54±8 years (47% women) was 8%. After early CCTA, as compared with standard evaluation, the mean length of stay in the hospital was reduced by 7.6 hours (P<0.001) and more patients were discharged directly from the emergency department (47% vs. 12%, P<0.001). There were no undetected acute coronary syndromes and no significant differences in major adverse cardiovascular events at 28 days. After CCTA, there was more downstream testing and higher radiation exposure. The cumulative mean cost of care was similar in the CCTA group and the standard-evaluation group ($4,289 and $4,060, respectively; P=0.65). CONCLUSIONS: In patients in the emergency department with symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndromes, incorporating CCTA into a triage strategy improved the efficiency of clinical decision making, as compared with a standard evaluation in the emergency department, but it resulted in an increase in downstream testing and radiation exposure with no decrease in the overall costs of care. (Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; ROMICAT-II ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01084239.).

Sex differences in the effectiveness of early coronary computed tomographic angiography compared with standard emergency department evaluation for acute chest pain: the rule-out myocardial infarction with Computer-Assisted Tomography (ROMICAT)-II Trial.

BACKGROUND: We evaluate sex-based differences in the effectiveness of early cardiac computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) and standard emergency department (ED) evaluation in patients with acute chest pain. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the Rule-Out Myocardial Infarction With Computer-Assisted Tomography (ROMICAT)-II multicenter, controlled trial, we randomized 1000 patients (47% women) 40 to 74 years of age with symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndrome to an early CCTA or standard ED evaluation. In this prespecified analysis, women in the CCTA arm had a greater reduction in length of stay, lower hospital admission rates, and lesser increased cumulative radiation dose than men in a comparison of ED strategies (P for interaction ≤0.02). Although women had lower acute coronary syndrome rates than men (3% versus 12%; P<0.0001), sex differences in length of stay persisted after adjustment for baseline differences, including acute coronary syndrome rate (P for interaction <0.03). Length of stay was similar between sexes with normal CCTA findings (P=0.11). There was no missed acute coronary syndrome for either sex. No difference was observed in major adverse cardiac events between sexes and ED strategies (P for interaction =0.39). Women had more normal CCTA examinations than men (58% versus 37%; P<0.0001), less obstructive coronary disease by CCTA (5% versus 17%; P=0.0001), but similar normalcy rates for functional testing (P=0.65). Men in the CCTA arm had the highest rate of invasive coronary angiography (18%), whereas women had comparable low 5% rates regardless of ED strategy. CONCLUSIONS: This trial provides data supporting an early CCTA strategy as an attractive option in women presenting to the ED with symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndrome. The findings may be explained by lower CAD prevalence and severity in women than men. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01084239.

Dystrophin and utrophin expression require sarcospan: loss of α7 integrin exacerbates a newly discovered muscle phenotype in sarcospan-null mice.

Sarcospan (SSPN) is a core component of the major adhesion complexes in skeletal muscle, the dystrophin- and utrophin (Utr)-glycoprotein complexes (DGC and UGC). We performed a rigorous analysis of SSPN-null mice and discovered that loss of SSPN decreased DGC and UGC abundance, leading to impaired laminin-binding activity and susceptibility to eccentric contraction-induced injury in skeletal muscle. We show that loss of SSPN increased levels of α7ß1 integrin. To genetically test whether integrin compensates for the loss of DGC and UGC function in SSPN-nulls, we generated mice lacking both SSPN and α7 integrin (DKO, double knockout). Muscle regeneration, sarcolemma integrity and fibrosis were exacerbated in DKO mice and were remarkably similar to muscle from Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients, suggesting that secondary loss of integrin contributes significantly to pathogenesis. Expression of the DGC and UGC, laminin binding and Akt signaling were negatively impacted in DKO muscle, resulting in severely diminished specific force properties. We demonstrate that SSPN is a necessary component of dystrophin and Utr function and that SSPN modulation of integrin signaling is required for extracellular matrix attachment and muscle force development.

Spontaneous ureteral rupture and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Spontaneous ureteral rupture is defined as non-traumatic urinary leakage from the ureter. This is a diagnosis that, although uncommon, is important for emergency physicians to know about. The literature is relatively sparse. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective review of patients who were diagnosed with spontaneous ureteral rupture. From 2006 to 2012, 18 patients were diagnosed by radiography (computed tomography or intravenous urogram) with spontaneous ureteral rupture. These cases all showed extravasation of the contrast outside the excretory system. We evaluated underlying causes, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, and outcomes. RESULTS: There were 9 men and 9 women with a median age of 59 years (range, 22-82 years). In 56% of patients, a ureteral stone was the cause; in 17% of, a ureteral stricture; in 1 patient, a ureteral tumor; and in the remaining 22%, no cause was identified. In 13 patients (72.2%), primary ureteroscopy to place D-J stents was performed. The average duration of ureteral catheter stenting was 21 days (range, 8-45 days). The other 5 patients (27.8%) were managed conservatively with antibiotic treatment and the outcome was good. CONCLUSIONS: Ureteral stones most commonly cause spontaneous ureteral rupture. In our experience, most patients received ureteroscopy and Double-J stenting. Conservative management with antibiotics also had good outcomes. Most patients had sudden onset of abdominal or flank pain. Spontaneous ureteral rupture should be kept in the differential diagnosis of patients with acute abdominal or flank pain in the emergency department.

The translation and validation of Chinese overactive bladder symptom score for assessing overactive bladder syndrome and response to solifenacin treatment.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Overactive bladder symptom score (OABSS) was developed by a Japanese urologist and is widely used in Asian countries. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a Chinese OABSS for assessing overactive bladder (OAB) and treatment outcome after solifenacin. METHODS: The Chinese OABSS was developed by linguistic validation of the original version. Its reliability and validity, and correlations with a three-day bladder diary were tested. Patients answered the Chinese OABSS at enrollment and repeated the questionnaire after a non-treatment period of 2 weeks, and at 4 and 12 weeks after solifenacin (5mg/day). Patients also completed a three-day bladder diary and forms including patient perception of bladder condition, International Prostatic Symptom Score and quality of life index at each study visit (for a total of four visits). An analysis was conducted to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese OABSS and the correlations with a three-day bladder diary and a patient perception of bladder condition, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 60 patients with OAB, including 31 OAB wet and 29 OAB dry, were enrolled. The test-retest reliability of Chinese OABSS was moderate to good with weighted kappa coefficients of 0.515-0.721 for each symptom score and 0.610 for total symptom score. Forty-eight (80%) patients completed the responsiveness study and were followed-up at all time points. Patients' OAB symptoms improved significantly from baseline to 3 months after solifenacin treatment. The changes in OABSS decreased gradually with time within the three months of solifenacin treatment. CONCLUSION: The Chinese OABSS has been validated as a reliable instrument for assessing OAB. Solifenacin 5mg once daily improved urgency and other symptoms of OAB including frequency, urge incontinence, OABSS and International Prostatic Symptom Score. The adverse effects were acceptable and became less significant with time in the three months of treatment.

Point-of-Care Ultrasound in the Emergency Department: Training, Perceptions, Applications, and Barriers from Different Healthcare Professionals.

Background: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a valuable tool that assists in diagnosis and management of patients in the emergency department (ED) while being cost-efficient and without the use of ionizing radiation. To discern the opinions and perceptions of ED staff about POCUS applications and barriers, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of employees of 12 EDs in North Texas. Methods: Participants completed a 20-item online survey about POCUS with questions pertaining to four domains: (1) employee and training information, (2) perceived benefits, (3) common applications, and (4) barriers to use. Out of 805 eligible ED employees, 103 completed the survey (16.1% response rate). Results: The results indicated a generally positive perception of POCUS among all employee types. Physician had significant exposure and training of POCUS than non-physician group ( p < 0.001). Physicians tend to find cardiac assessments more useful for clinical management than non-physicians (47% vs. 23%, p = 0.01), while non-physicians find soft tissue/abscess assessments more useful (27% vs. 9%, p = 0.01). Conclusion: The most significant barriers to POCUS use were time constraints for physicians and a lack of training for non-physician employees. Our study provides valuable insights into the perceptions of multiple ED professionals, serving as a foundation for promoting POCUS use in the ED.