Low rates of osteoporosis treatment after hospitalization for hip fracture in Hawaii.

We evaluated osteoporosis treatment and DEXA utilization rates of patients who were admitted for hip fracture in a single healthcare system in Hawaii from 2015 to 2016. We found that osteoporosis treatment and DEXA utilization rates were low, highlighting a critical gap in osteoporosis care after admission for hip fracture. INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to evaluate osteoporosis care after an admission for hip fracture at three community hospitals within a single healthcare system in Hawaii. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted (n = 428) of patients ≥ 50 years and hospitalized for hip fractures between January 1, 2015, and May 31, 2016, at three major hospitals within Hawaii Pacific Health, a large healthcare system in Hawaii. Basic demographics were collected, and medications prescribed were quantified and described within 1 year of hip fracture. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between collected variables and the odds of osteoporosis treatment. RESULTS: Only 115 (26.9%) patients were prescribed a medication for osteoporosis as a secondary prevention within a year of hospitalization for hip fracture. DEXA scans were performed in 137 (32.0%) patients. Most of the treated patients were prescribed oral bisphosphonates. Treatment facility, female gender, and higher BMI were found to be predictive factors for osteoporosis treatment. CONCLUSION: The use of osteoporosis medication for secondary prevention after admission for hip fracture in Hawaii is low. Efforts need to be made to improve treatment rates, especially among males.

Anomalous left coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery.

A 24-year-old female presented to her general practitioner with shortness of breath. She was referred for an echocardiogram, which demonstrated features suggestive of a right coronary artery fistula, and referred to our institute. We performed a contrast-enhanced, prospectively triggered cardiac CT angiogram, which demonstrated the primary and secondary features of anomalous left coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA), also known as the Bland-White-Garland syndrome, a rare congenital abnormality of the origin of the left main coronary artery.

Quantification of myocardial iron deposition by two-dimensional speckle tracking in patients with ß-thalassaemia major and Blackfan-Diamond anaemia.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac disease related to transfusional iron overload is the leading cause of death in patients with ß-thalassaemia major. Early myocardial iron deposition predates decreased left ventricular dysfunction and currently is best assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance. METHODS: Echocardiographic speckle tracking-derived myocardial mechanics were compared with cardiac MRI T2 star (T2*) calculations in 45 chronically transfused patients with ß-thalassaemia major or Diamond-Blackfan anaemia (26 retrospectively and an additional 19 for validation). Two groups were studied: patients with presumed cardiac iron overload and interventricular T2* value ≤20 ms (low T2*) and patients with >20 ms (normal T2*). They were compared with a normal control group of 18 age- and gender-matched patients. RESULTS: Patients with low T2* had a uniform decrease in longitudinal and circumferential strain compared with normal controls (-16±3% vs -20±3% and -20±4% vs -23±5%, respectively; p<0.0005). Peak twist and peak apical rotation were lower in patients with low T2* than in those with normal T2* or normal control patients. Conversely, no significant difference was observed between patients with normal T2* and controls. There was a strong and direct logarithmic correlation between average global longitudinal strain and T2* values (r=-0.68, p=0.0007). Using a cut-off of ≤-17%, global longitudinal strain predicted a T2* value of <20 ms with a sensitivity of 76% and a specificity of 88%. CONCLUSION: Myocardial mechanics offers a simple alternative to cardiac MRI for assessing significant myocardial iron deposition.

Assessment of oral midazolam limited sampling strategies to predict area under the concentration time curve (AUC) during cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A baseline, inhibition and induction or activation.

UNLABELLED: A previous study reported a 2- and 3-timepoint limited sampling strategy (LSS) model accurately predicted oral midazolam area under the concentration time curve (AUC), and thus cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A activity. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated whether the LSS models predict midazolam AUC during CYP3A baseline, inhibition and induction/activation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Plasma midazolam concentrations from 106 healthy adults from 6 published studies were obtained where oral midazolam was co-administered alone or with ketoconazole, double-strength grapefruit juice, Ginkgo biloba extract, pleconaril, or rifampin. Observed and predicted midazolam AUCs were determined. Bias and precision of the LSS models were determined. RESULTS: Contrasting results were observed for the 2- and 3-timepoint LSS models in accurately predicting midazolam AUC during baseline CYP3A conditions. With the exception of 1 study (single dose, double-strength grapefruit juice), the 2- and 3-timepoint LSS models did not accurately predict midazolam AUC during conditions of CYP3A inhibition and induction/activation. CONCLUSION: The previously reported 2- and 3-timepoint oral midazolam LSS models are not applicable to the evaluated conditions of CYP3A baseline, inhibition, and induction/ activation.

Breast MRI in the evaluation of locally recurrent or new breast cancer in the postoperative patient: correlation of morphology and enhancement features with the BI-RADS category.

BACKGROUND: While breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a highly sensitive test for detecting breast carcinoma, its specificity is lower, and several methods have been described on how to optimize specificity. PURPOSE: To compare the specificity and sensitivity of the BI-RADS category with the Fischer score in breast MRI for diagnosing cancer in women previously treated for breast cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Women referred for evaluation of possible local recurrence or new breast cancer underwent breast MRI examination. Morphologic and kinetic enhancement characteristics were evaluated. BI-RADS category and Fischer score were assigned for each enhancing lesion and compared using a chi-square test. Sensitivity, specificity,and positive predictive values for 27 morphologic and enhancement characteristics were calculated. Pathologic diagnosis was obtained in all patients with enhancing lesions who had ultrasound or mammographic correlation. In those without correlate, 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-up breast MRIs were obtained. Interobserver kappa correlation was determined for each variable studied. RESULTS: 34 benign and 32 malignant lesions were identified in 26 of 30 patients. BIRADS category yielded a specificity of 77.1% and a sensitivity of 81.8%. Fischer score had a lower specificity and sensitivity (62.9% and 72.7%, respectively) (P<0.0001). Of the 27 variables studied, >100% enhancement was more sensitive than BI-RADS for malignant lesions. Specificity was highest for rim enhancement (97.1%), but sensitivity was low (24.2%). Interobserver kappa correlation was good for all 27 characteristics(k=0.84), and highest for BI-RADS assessment (k=0.91). CONCLUSION: BI-RADS category in breast MRI had the highest combination of specificity and sensitivity, and the highest interobserver correlation. Fischer score and other morphologic and enhancement features lack sensitivity or specificity and do not have high positive predictive values when analyzed as single independent variables.