Plant and Animal Protein Intake and Risk of Incident Kidney Stones: Results from the Shanghai Men's and Women's Health Studies.

PURPOSE: High animal protein intake is a risk factor for nephrolithiasis. Whether plant based sources of protein are associated with kidney stone risk is not well studied. We examined the association of animal and plant protein intake with the risk of incident kidney stones in Shanghai, China. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dietary intakes were obtained from a validated food frequency questionnaire at baseline. Self-reported stone events were ascertained at baseline and at followup visits. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to evaluate the associations of protein intake with the incident stone risk. RESULTS: During 319,211 and 696,950 person-years of followup 1,451 men and 1,202 women, respectively, reported incident stones. The average ± SD intake of animal and plant protein standardized to 2,000 kcal was 31.3 ± 13.7 and 48.4 ± 7.2 gm per day in women, and 30.8 ± 13.3 and 51.3 ± 7.6 gm per day, respectively, in men. On multivariable analysis participants in the highest quintiles of animal and nondairy animal protein intake showed an increased risk of incident stones compared to those in the lowest quintiles (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.01-1.32, p=0.03 vs HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.01-1.30, p=0.04). Compared to the lowest quintile the highest intake quintiles of the animal-to-plant protein ratios and the nondairy animal-to-plant protein ratios were positively associated with stone risk (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.03-1.33, p=0.02 and HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.06-1.36, p=0.005, respectively). No association was observed with plant protein intake (ptrend=0.14). CONCLUSIONS: In this population with a relatively low animal protein intake and a high plant protein intake, a greater animal protein intake was associated with a kidney stone risk. Increasing the proportion of plant protein relative to animal protein appeared protective against the risk.

Root Causes and Modifiability of 30-Day Hospital Readmissions after Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer.

PURPOSE: Radical cystectomy is associated with high complication and rehospitalization rates. An understanding of the root causes of hospital readmissions and the modifiability of factors contributing to readmissions may decrease the morbidity associated with radical cystectomy. We characterize the indications for rehospitalization following radical cystectomy, and determine whether these indications represent immutable patient disease and procedure factors or whether they are modifiable. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From MarketScan® databases we identified patients younger than 65 years with a diagnosis of bladder cancer who underwent radical cystectomy between 2008 and 2011 and were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of radical cystectomy. All associated ICD-9 codes in the index admission, subsequent outpatient claims and readmission claims were independently reviewed by 3 surgeons to determine a root cause of rehospitalization. Causes were broadly categorized as medical, surgical or infectious, and reviewers determined whether the readmission was modifiable. Multivariate logistical regression models were used to identify factors associated with rehospitalization. RESULTS: A total of 1,163 patients were included in the study and 242 (21%) were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days. Of these readmissions 26% were considered modifiable (kappa=0.71). Of the nonmodifiable readmissions an infectious cause accounted for 52% and a medical cause accounted for 48%, whereas of the modifiable readmissions 62% were due to surgical causes, 30% to medical and 8% to infectious causes. On multivariate analysis only discharge to a skilled nursing facility was associated with modifiable (OR 6.12, 95% CI 2.32-16.14) or nonmodifiable (OR 3.27, 95% CI 1.63-6.53) hospital readmissions. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of rehospitalizations after radical cystectomy are attributable its inherent morbidity. However, optimization of aspects of peri-cystectomy care could minimize the morbidity of radical cystectomy.

Overuse of antimicrobial prophylaxis in community practice urology.

PURPOSE: We examined index urological surgeries to assess utilization patterns of antimicrobial prophylaxis in a large, community based population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From the Premier Perspectives Database we identified patients who underwent inpatient urological surgeries that are considered index procedures by the ABU (American Board of Urology), including radical prostatectomy, partial or radical nephrectomy, radical cystectomy, ureteroscopy, shock wave lithotripsy, transurethral resection of the prostate, percutaneous nephrostolithotomy, transvaginal surgery, inflatable penile prosthesis, brachytherapy, transurethral resection of bladder tumor and cystoscopy. Procedures were identified based on ICD-9 procedure codes for 2007 to 2012. Antimicrobial administration, class and duration were abstracted from patient billing data. The class and duration of antimicrobials concordant with the 2008 AUA Best Practice Policy Statement was used to determine compliance. RESULTS: The overall compliance rate was 53%, ranging from 0.6% for radical cystectomy to 97% for shock wave lithotripsy. Antimicrobial use consistent with AUA Best Practices included the appropriate class in 67% of cases (range 34% to 80%) and the recommended duration in 78% (range 1.2% to 98%). Average prophylaxis duration for procedures for which it is recommended ranged from 1.1 days after brachytherapy to 10.3 days after radical cystectomy. The compliance rate increased from 46% overall in 2007 to 59% overall in 2012. CONCLUSIONS: We documented considerable variation in antimicrobial prophylaxis for urological surgery. Compliance with AUA Best Practices increased with time but overall rates remain less than 60%. Efforts are needed to better understand the reasons for variation from recommended antimicrobial prophylaxis for common inpatient urological procedures to help decrease resultant complications and improve outcomes.

Use and outcomes of extended antibiotic prophylaxis in urological cancer surgery.

PURPOSE: Although perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis prevents postoperative infectious complications, national guidelines recommend cessation of antibiotics within 24 hours after the procedure. Extended antibiotic prophylaxis beyond 24 hours may contribute to hospital acquired infections such as Clostridium difficile colitis. We evaluated practice patterns of antibiotic prophylaxis in genitourinary cancer surgery and assessed the impact of antibiotic prophylaxis on hospital acquired C. difficile infections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified 59,184 patients treated with radical prostatectomy, 27,921 who underwent partial or radical nephrectomy, and 5,425 treated with radical cystectomy for prostate, kidney and bladder cancers, respectively, from the Premier Perspective Database (Premier Inc., Charlotte, North Carolina) from 2007 to 2012. We constructed hierarchical linear regression models to identify patient and hospital factors associated with extended antibiotic prophylaxis. We evaluated the association between extended antibiotic prophylaxis and C. difficile infections for patients who underwent partial or radical nephrectomy and radical cystectomy with multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Surgery specific models demonstrated that hospital identity was associated with a substantial proportion of the variation in extended antibiotic prophylaxis (20% to 35% for radical prostatectomy, partial or radical nephrectomy, and radical cystectomy). Postoperative C. difficile colitis occurred in 0.02% of patients treated with radical prostatectomy, 0.23% of those treated with partial or radical nephrectomy and 1.7% of those treated with radical cystectomy. On multivariate analysis extended antibiotic prophylaxis was associated with higher odds of C. difficile infection after partial or radical nephrectomy (OR 3.79, 95% CI 2.46-5.84) and radical cystectomy (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.12-2.39). CONCLUSIONS: Antibiotics may be overused after genitourinary cancer surgery and this overuse is associated with hospital acquired C. difficile colitis. Efforts are needed to encourage greater compliance with evidence-based approaches to postoperative care.

Hypogonadism and urologic surgeries: a narrative review.

Background and Objective: Previous studies indicated that the treatment of male hypogonadism can be beneficial for intraoperative and postsurgical outcomes. In this study, we aimed to determine the impact of male hypogonadism on urologic surgeries. We provided an overview of the key studies in the field with the focus on the outcomes of urologic surgeries in hypogonadal men with/without testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). Methods: We performed a literature review in PubMed and Google Scholar databases for the most relevant articles pertaining to the outlined topics without placing any limitations on publication years or study designs. We included full-text English articles published in peer reviewed journals between January 1970 and March 2022. Key Content and Findings: Androgen deficiency is a common finding after major urologic surgeries. Although guidelines recommend against TRT in men with prostate carcinoma, recent investigations showed no association between TRT and disease progression and recurrence. Indeed, recent evidence suggested that low androgen levels could be related to high grade prostate carcinoma and increased risk of upgrading from low to high grade disease. Investigations on the application of TRT in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients also revealed contrasting results. While some studies suggested higher rates of prostate-related events in men who received TRT, others showed that TRT could alleviate urinary symptoms in hypogonadal men with BPH. Decreased testosterone level is commonly seen in bladder cancer patients. The treatment of perioperative androgen deficiency can reduce postoperative morbidities and lower the risk of recurrence in these patients. Low testosterone levels are observed in approximately half of the men who undergo artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) placement and can increase the risk of complications. Conclusions: The role of testosterone treatment in patients with urologic diseases such as prostate carcinoma and BPH is controversial. Further investigations are needed to determine the impact of hypogonadism and TRT on the outcomes of urologic surgeries in patients with androgen deficiency.

The male infertility evaluation still matters in the era of high efficacy assisted reproductive technology.

Today's reproductive endocrinology and infertility providers have many tools at their disposal when it comes to achieving pregnancy. In the setting of highly efficacious assisted reproductive technology, it is natural to assume that male factor infertility can be overcome by acquiring sperm and then bypassing the male evaluation. In this review, we go through guideline statements and a stepwise male factor infertility evaluation to propose that a thorough male evaluation remains important to optimize pregnancy and live birth. The foundation of this parallel evaluation is referral to a reproductive urologist for the optimization of the male partner, for advanced diagnostics and interventions, and for the detection of other underlying male pathology. We also discuss what future developments might have an impact on the workup of the infertile male.

Impact of Health Literacy on Satisfaction Following Male Prosthetic Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a patient's health literacy impacts patient satisfaction following inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) or artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) placement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of patients who underwent IPP or AUS between January 1, 2016 and July 31, 2020 was performed. A telephone questionnaire assessed overall satisfaction and if patients would undergo surgery again. Health literacy was measured using the Brief Health Literacy Screen (BHLS). Multivariate ordinal logistic regression was used to assess the association between health literacy and patient satisfaction. RESULTS: At a median follow up of 2.4 years, 113 (70%) of the 162 IPP patients were either satisfied or very satisfied with their procedure and 120 (74%) patients would undergo surgery again. Of the 76 AUS patients, 65 (86%) were either satisfied or very satisfied with their procedure and 65 (86%) patients would undergo surgery again. After adjustment for potential confounders, increasing BHLS score was significantly associated with satisfaction for both IPP (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.11-1.54; P = .001) and AUS surgery (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.02-1.56; P = .034), as well as with likelihood of undergoing IPP surgery again (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.25-1.87; P <.001). BHLS was not associated, however, with likelihood of undergoing AUS surgery again (P = .403). CONCLUSION: Men with lower health literacy are less likely to be satisfied following prosthetic surgery. The BHLS is an important tool that can be used to identify patients who may benefit from increased preoperative counseling to improve patient expectations and quality of life following prosthetic surgery.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in First-time and Recurrent Kidney Stone Formers.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the patterns of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among patients with kidney stones and analyze the alkali content of commonly used CAM therapies. METHODS: We prospectively conducted structured interviews with patients who presented to a specialty stone clinic for the management of kidney stones. Open-ended questions were used to elicit information regarding CAM knowledge, formulation/dosing, and patterns of use. Several common CAM therapies were then analyzed for their alkali, organic anion, and sugar content. RESULTS: Of 103 subjects, 82 (80%) patients reported knowledge of CAM and 52 (50%) reported using CAM. Patients with recurrent kidney stones were more likely to report using CAM than patients with first-time episodes (56% vs 26%, P = 0.04). Some respondents reported their condition decreased in severity or frequency since starting CAM therapy (17%) and improvements in pain (12%). Total alkali content per serving of the tested supplements was 0 mEq (Stonebreaker), 1.5 mEq (Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail), 4.7 mEq (Lakewood Pure Cranberry Juice), 0.6 mEq (Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar), 11.9 mEq (LithoBalance), 9.5 mEq (Simply Grapefruit Juice), 19.8 mEq (KSP-Key Lime), and 20.2 mEq (KSP-Very Berry). CONCLUSION: Patients with kidney stones may use CAM to alleviate symptoms or prevent recurrence. Commercially available CAM therapies may contain comparable alkali content to commonly prescribed citrate therapy. These data suggest that providers should be prepared to discuss the role of CAM with their patients.

Readability of urologic pathology reports: the need for patient-centered approaches.

INTRODUCTION: The pathology report informs a patient's prognosis and treatment options. However, pathology reports are written using complex medical vocabulary. We evaluated the readability of pathology reports for common urologic cancers (prostate, bladder kidney, and testicular) to identify sources of confusion that could be addressed through modified patient-centered pathology reports. METHODS: Pathology reports from 5 cases of each of the following procedures were analyzed: partial nephrectomy, radical nephrectomy, radical prostatectomy, ultrasound-guided prostate needle biopsy (PNBx), radical cystectomy, transurethral resection of bladder tumor, radical orchiectomy, and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. Reports were edited for grammar and syntax, and the Flesch-Kincaid readability software calculated the reading level. Modifications were performed to identify sources of obstruction to readability. We compared modified and base reports using independent samples t tests. RESULTS: Bladder cancer pathology had the highest readability index; radical prostatectomy and PNBx pathology reports had the lowest average readability indices. Modified reports that both omitted gross pathologic and immunohistochemistry content and also replaced oncologic and histology terms with lay terminology had significantly lower reading levels than base reports (P<0.05 for radical nephrectomy, partial nephrectomy, and radical orchiectomy). Modified reports did not significantly alter the reading level for radical cystectomy, transurethral resection of bladder tumor, PNBx, and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection reports. CONCLUSIONS: Pathology reports are written at reading levels above the average reading capability of most Americans. Deleting descriptive pathologic terms and replacing complex medical terminology with lay terms resulted in improved readability for some urologic oncology reports but complicated readability for others. Our findings may guide the development of patient-centered pathology reports.

An Ecological View of Internet Health Information Seeking Behavior Predictors: Findings from the CHAIN Study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to further elucidate proximal and distal demographic and social predictors of Internet Health Information Seeking Behavior (IHISB) among a cohort of HIV+ individuals through an ecological framework. METHODS: The Community Health Advisory & Information Network (CHAIN) project is an ongoing prospective study of a representative sample of persons living with HIV/AIDS in New York City and the Tri-County region. The study sample was drawn from a two-stage randomized technique with the clients of 43 medical and social service organizations with 693 HIV+ participants. Bivariate correlations were computed between IHISB and independent demographic variables in ecological blocks. Multivariate hierarchical logistic regression was used to test association between blocks of variables and IHISB. RESULTS: Among the surveyed respondents (n=645) 50.3% indicated that they used the Internet. Being above the poverty line, having less than a high school education, and having fewer neighbors were statistically significant predictors of IHISB related to HIV. CONCLUSIONS: The benefits of accessing the Internet may influence health behavior and may be considered a target for interventions that aim to increase access to health related information online. Coupled with increased access, is the need for increased patient education interventions, and creative managed care approaches to ensure that information gleaned from online sources is interpretable and accurate in order to benefit the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS.