Daily waiting time management for modern radiation oncology department in Indian perspective.

Introduction: Radiation therapy is one of the most technically sophisticated branch of medical sciences which caters to very ill patients, some of whom may be terminally ill. Since patients are treated on an outpatient basis which requires daily visit to hospital for a number of days, it can make them sensitive toward any increase in waiting time for their radiation treatment. This could be a source of stress for them. However, given the technical sophistication involved and varied clinical profile of patients, some amount of delay is inevitable. Aim & Objective: To compile and suggest strategies to manage patient waiting time in Radiation oncology department to achieve optimum patient' satisfaction. Method: The radiation oncologists in different institutes of the country were interviewed telephonically and were asked about the practices followed in their institutes/ departments in managing the patient waiting time during radiation treatment. The best practices being followed and the suggestions were compiled. Conclusion: Now it is being recognized that meticulous management of waiting time could go a long way in driving patient's satisfaction. Twoway communications are the best strategy. Apart from this many provisions could be made in waiting area as per institutional preferences and protocol to engage patient in waiting area of radiation treatment facility.

Relationship between external ventricular drain clamp trials and ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion following nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage: a single-center study.

OBJECTIVE: Currently, there is no established standard regarding the ideal number of external ventricular drain (EVD) clamp trials performed before ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt insertion following nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). In this study, the authors aimed to evaluate this relationship. METHODS: A retrospective review of all patients presenting with SAH between July 2007 and December 2016 was performed. Patients with SAH who had received an EVD within the first 24 hours of hospital admission and had undergone at least 1 clamp trial prior to EVD removal were eligible for inclusion in the study. Patient demographics, clinical presentations, SAH etiologies and grades, clamp trial data, hospital lengths of stay, and functional outcomes were recorded. RESULTS: One hundred fourteen patients with nontraumatic SAH complicated by posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus were included in the study. The median patient age was 57 years (range 28-90 years), with a male/female ratio of 1:1.7. A ruptured aneurysm was the underlying etiology of SAH in 79.8% of patients. A majority of patients (69.4%) had a Hunt and Hess grade III-V on admission. The median number of clamp trials performed was 2 (range 1-6). A VP shunt was required in 40.4% of patients. In those who underwent 2 and 3 clamp trials, 60% and 38.9%, respectively, did not require subsequent VP shunt placement. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical placement of a VP shunt is associated with complications. Clamp trials are routinely performed before making the decision to insert a shunt. In the present study, the authors found that a significant percentage of patients passed their second and third clamp trials without requiring subsequent shunt insertion. These data support performing multiple clamp trials prior to shunt placement.

Medical Malpractice in Neurosurgery: A Comprehensive Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Of all specialists, neurosurgeons have the highest probability of facing a medical malpractice claim. Here we report the first specialty-wide review of malpractice claims in neurosurgery performed using a well-established national online legal database. METHODS: The Westlaw legal research service (Thomson Reuters, Eagan, Minnesota, USA) was queried for jury verdicts and settlements related to neurosurgery and medical malpractice between 1985 and 2015. Case files were examined, and factors recorded included the age and sex of the patient, the state and year in which the verdict was reached, defendant specialties, award payouts, and alleged reasons for malpractice. Case files were sorted into neurosurgical subspecialties based on the nature of the condition and the type of treatment administered. RESULTS: A total of 516 cases were identified, and 343 cases were analyzed. A defendant's verdict was reached in 165 (48.1%) cases, and a plaintiff's verdict was reached in 93 (27.1%) cases. A settlement was reached in 81 cases (23.6%). The median payout for plaintiff's verdicts was $2,550,000 (range, $80,000-$216,849,187), and that for settlements was $1,300,000 (range, $100,000-$13,300,000). Procedural error (45.5%), a failure to diagnose (41.4%), or a failure to treat (42.9%) were the most commonly cited reasons for litigation. Neurosurgeons accounted for 21.1% of defendants. The median plaintiff award payout was highest for pediatric cases ($10,100,000). CONCLUSIONS: A defendant's verdict was reached in nearly one-half of the cases. In instances where a plaintiff's verdict was reached, large payouts were common, especially in pediatric and cerebrovascular cases. An emphasis on reducing procedural error, and making timely differential diagnoses, may reduce future litigation.

A cohort study among university students: identification of risk factors for Epstein-Barr virus seroconversion and infectious mononucleosis.

BACKGROUND: A vaccine against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is in clinical trials. Up-to-date information on risk factors for EBV infection and infectious mononucleosis (IM) among young adults is required to inform a vaccination strategy. METHODS: We carried out a prospective study on a cohort of university students. All EBV-seronegative students were asked to report symptoms of IM and were followed up 3 years later to undergo repeat EBV testing and to complete a lifestyle questionnaire. EBV typing was performed for these subjects, as well as for students who were EBV seropositive at enrollment and for additional students with IM. RESULTS: A total of 510 students (25%) who took part in the study were EBV seronegative when they entered the university; of the 241 who donated a second blood sample 3 years later, 110 (46%) had seroconverted to EBV, 27 (25%) of whom developed IM [corrected] Penetrative sexual intercourse was a risk factor for EBV seroconversion (P = .004), but neither condom use nor oral sex significantly altered the rate of seroconversion. EBV type 1 was significantly overrepresented in IM, compared with silent seroconversion (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that acquisition of EBV is enhanced by penetrative sexual intercourse, although transmission could occur through related sexual behaviors, such as "deep kissing." We also found that EBV type 1 infection is significantly more likely to result in IM. Overall, the results suggest that a large EBV type 1 load acquired during sexual intercourse can rapidly colonize the B cell population and induce the exaggerated T cell response that causes IM. Thus, IM could, perhaps, be prevented with a vaccine that reduces the viral load without necessarily inducing sterile immunity.

A pilot study of CODOX-M/IVAC in primary refractory or relapsed high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A Scotland and Newcastle Lymphoma Group Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The prognosis in patients with primary refractory or relapsed high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is very poor--the 5-year survival being generally reported at 10%. DESIGN AND METHODS: Multiple salvage regimens have been investigated and, while response rates of 50-80% have been noted in selected patients, the long-term prognosis remains poor. Following the encouraging results in high risk Burkitt's and Burkitt-like lymphoma using the CODOX-M and IVAC protocols, we performed a pilot study using a similar regimen in patients with primary refractory or relapsed high grade NHL. RESULTS: The regimens were modified by a reduction in the intensity of intrathecal therapy. It was planned to mobilize peripheral blood stem cells following the IVAC cycle for use in subsequent autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in chemosensitive patients. The initial plan was to recruit 50 patients, but the study was closed after 8 due to excessive toxicity. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the CODOX-M/IVAC regimen is too toxic for this group of patients and does not result in better response rates than those to currently available salvage regimens.

A study of risk factors for acquisition of Epstein-Barr virus and its subtypes.

BACKGROUND: Risk factors for primary infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and its subtypes have not been fully investigated. METHODS: Questionnaires and serum samples from a total of 2006 students who entered Edinburgh University in 1999-2000 were analyzed to examine risk factors for EBV seropositivity, both overall and by EBV type. RESULTS: The prevalence of EBV seropositivity was significantly increased among females, older students, those who had lived in tropical countries, those with siblings, and those who were sexually active, particularly if they had had numerous sex partners. Risk was lower (1) among students who always used a condom than among those who had sexual intercourse without one and (2) among female oral-contraceptive users than among sexually active nonusers. Risk factors for type 1 EBV infection were similar to those for EBV overall. No associations were found between nonsexual risk factors and type 2 infection. Sexual activity increased the risk of type 2 infection, but the increase in risk with number of sex partners was less consistent than for type 1 infections. Dual infection was uncommon, but the patterns of risk appeared to be similar to those of type 1 infection. CONCLUSION: This study provides further evidence that EBV may be sexually transmitted and some suggestion that the risk factors for type 1 and type 2 infection differ.

Evidence of shared Epstein-Barr viral isolates between sexual partners, and low level EBV in genital secretions.

Epstein-Barr virus is present in the saliva of most persistently infected individuals and is generally thought to be spread by close oral contact. However, there are now several reports of EBV in genital secretions, suggesting the possibility of sexual transmission between adults. The present study was undertaken to investigate the risk of sexual transmission of EBV. PCR analysis was used to examined the degree to which a group (n = 11) of patients with infectious mononucleosis (IM) shared the same viral isolates as their sexual partners, and compare this to the extent of isolate sharing among a different group (n = 18) of IM patients and their non-sexual contacts. There was significantly more sharing of EBV isolates among the IM/sexual-contact pairs than among the IM/non-sexual-contact pairs (P = 0.0012). Female cervical (n = 84), male urethral (n = 55), and semen (n = 30) samples from asymptomatic, unselected volunteers were analyzed for the presence of EBV DNA, revealing 7%, 5%, and 3% to be EBV positive, respectively. Fractionation of cervical and urethral samples into cellular and supernatant fluid components showed EBV to be mainly cell-associated. Quantitation of EBV in these samples gave levels of below 10 EBV genomes per microg of DNA. Overall the findings support the possibility that EBV could on occasions be transmitted sexually, however, the low levels detected in genital secretions compared to saliva suggest that this is not a major transmission route. The finding of small quantities of cell-associated virus suggests a latent infection; thus EBV is probably in the B lymphocyte rather than in the epithelial cell component of the secretions.

Spontaneous clinical regression in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is a B-cell disorder, which has a median survival of over 10 years from diagnosis for stage A disease. The natural history of stage A disease is generally indolent or only slowly progressive. It is less well known that CLL may undergo spontaneous regression. We report a series of 10 such cases (eight stage A and two stage B) followed at our institutions.